Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Letters

Dear Taylor,

I just watched video of the day you came into this world. You were so tiny and so so angelic! I remember perfectly the love I felt for you that day. I thought my heart was so full that I could not possibly love you more. Ever. I wanted to just soak up every bit of you. Well, guess what?? My heart has grown, and you are in every crevice. I somehow love you a thousand times more than I did on that day. I still want to soak up every bit of YOU. You are my sunshine. Please, please, please stop growing!

Love,
Mom


Dear Sister Simon,

Thanks to you, I can now make perfect rolls every single time. My kids love you. I love you. My waistline does not love you.

Love,
Sister Green


Dear Graci,

You are growing up, dear! It is fun to watch you transition from a little girl to a young woman. I am proud of you. You do so many good things. I am hereby promising to focus on the positive with you. I love listening to you sing “Love Story” at the top of your lungs. I don’t care that you can’t carry a tune—I think it makes it even more endearing! I am so glad you are mine.

Love,
Mom



Dear Fall,

I love everything about you. Everything.

Love,
Your biggest fan


Dear Jesi,

You are magic. Pure magic.

Love,
Mommy


Dear Walmart clerk,

I did not mean to put you out when I realized I didn’t have my credit card and had to run out to my car to retrieve it. I know you had to put my items on hold—but really, all you had to do was push a button. And you got to stand there and wait for me while I dragged my three small children out of the cart, across the store, and into the van. You got paid to stand there—and really, the store wasn’t busy—so it was like a little break for you. And you were only a few feet from the customer service counter, where you wheeled my cart full of stuff. I did not get paid to cart my hungry, tired children (without my cart—ha) and rummage through my van looking for the card while trying not to get flustered about the whole thing. So really, maybe you could try not to act so aggravated next time. Just a suggestion.

Love,
The girl who almost single-handedly keeps you in business


Dear Walmart Customer Service lady,

You are a gem. Your cheerfulness helped me feel better about the whole thing. You laughed and said you’d done the same thing before and that you were sorry I had to go through such a fiasco with my children in tow. Your smile made me feel so much better.
You have found the right job for you, and restored my love of Walmart.

Love,
A happy customer


Dear Parker,

I have replayed our conversation many times, and it still makes my heart sing. You came up to me and asked if you had told me about your miracle. You went on to say:

“I was upstairs and I had this feeling in my heart that I should go downstairs, but I just ignored it. Then I felt it again, and I still ignored it. Then a voice in my heart said, ‘go downstairs’ and I thought, ‘wow, I better not ignore it after three times.’ I went downstairs and there was Elli sitting with her back to the tall toy shelf. She was shaking it and almost about to pull it down on herself. I grabbed it just in time. I think she could have died or gotten really hurt. Do you think that’s a miracle, Mom?”

Yes, Parker—I think that’s a miracle. I love how you went on to tell me it was your “first experience feeling the gospel in your heart.” (: You are only eight, but you are a spiritual giant.

Love,
Mom

Dear Leslie and Megan,

I cannot WAIT for this weekend!!!

Love,
A lucky sister


Dear Xander,

I thought it was so cute when I walked in the kitchen and saw that you had covered your unwanted piece of pumpkin chocolate chip bread with a napkin and put it up on the counter. I took the napkin off, picked up the bread, and proceeded to take a GIANT bite. (After all, it is my favorite). AGH! What is that nasty taste???? I spit and spit into the garbage, trying like crazy to get my mouth free of the stuff. At second look, I realize you hadn’t covered the bread with a napkin, but with a couple of fresh fabric softener sheets. Yum. Remind me to teach you about saran wrap.

Love,
Mommy


Dear inventor of the “Ark of the Covenant” game,

You have provided endless hours of competitive fun for me and my hubby. Because of you, we can get through bedtime with happy anticipation. Who would have known that a board game could bring so much joy to two very tired parents? A very sincere thanks.

Love,
The Ark Queen


Dear Elli,

My very favorite sound in the entire world is the sound of your singing. I love waking up to you singing, “The Lord is my light” at the top of your lungs. You are my little hero.

Love,
Mommy


Dear Whirlpool Cabrio,

I never knew that laundry could actually be fun. Because of you, I can now wash at least twice as many clothes at once—a very important thing for a mother of six messy kids. Besides, I feel so cool pushing all your fancy electronic buttons. You have cut down my work load significantly, and you have done it with style.

Love,
A woman who’s now glad that her old washer and dryer went caput.


Dear Jeremy,

There is nobody I would rather go through life with.

Love,
Christi


And Dear Self,

Try to lay off the kids’ Halloween candy.

Love,
The voice of reason

18 comments:

  1. AMAZING!!!! words fail me now. Just- amazing! aunt debbi

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  3. Dear Christianne:

    Thanks for the smiles and the glimpses into your lives. I shall never tire of checking your blog again and again for these tidbits and I will never be offended when I wait many days for the pay-off.

    Carry on. :)

    Love,

    An Iowa Green Fam fan

    PS I deleted the comment, due to...what else? Typos. ha

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  4. Very, VERY darling! I love your letters. You are an inspiration to me. Thanks for the great post! Love, Joy

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  5. Ahh, nobody does the "dears" like you do darling! Write on...the world needs to hear more of you! H

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  6. Ya know - aside from being a bad blogger (I jumped on Jer's bandwagon there - but just for a second!) - you really are primo - top shelf - the best!

    And as for your kids - come on - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

    And if ya'll ever wonder why we love you guys - well - go back and read this post...the answers are there!

    hugs - aus and co.

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  7. 1. You have a young woman in your house?? Wow, they really are growing up!

    2. I absolutely love "the gospel in [Parker's] heart".

    3. I'm having a sister-day this weekend, too! Are you by chance going to the women's expo in Sandy?

    4. I'm going to check out the Ark of the Covenant game. Thanks for the tip.

    Love,
    Nikki

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  8. I can't wait either! YAY! A much deserved girls weekend!
    Loved the post--keep them coming!

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  9. What an awesome way to post! You could publish a whole book about your family life in this format. Actually, you could publish a whole book about your family life in ANY format, but this is especially clever, funny, and endearing.

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  10. Do we have the same genes? Let me tell you about my shopping trip last week! I'd heard about the 2-day Oprah 1/2 price on everything in the store sale at Payless, and couldn't make time to go until the evening of the second day. Uncharacteristically, I was ALONE that evening (just because I went after my speech therapy sessions were over). Anyhow, I was trying to estimate current sizes for my kids - and predicting sizes for the future, etc. I figured boots weren't going to get any cheaper, and after a good hour I had a stack of shoe boxes that I couldn't bring to the counter in one trip! By this time the line that extended to the back of the store had all but disappeared, and even though I didn't have my coupon from oprah.com and couldn't get a reply on my phone when I texted "oprahshow" to the correct number, a helpful clerk (who I found after talking to a not so helpful clerk) told me not to worry about it....But when I finally found myself at the counter, I could not find a check in the two checkbooks I had in my purse. Hhhmm, could this be a result of using a lot of checks the past couple of weeks because I lost my bank card?, which, of course, was not in my purse either? "Umm, you might as well stop ringing up that ridiculously large stack of shoe boxes, socks, tights, winter hat/mittens, etc., because I seem to have used my last check....I'll go look in my car." I knew there was no check or bank card in my car, but with the store closing in 10 minutes, I needed time to think about how I could get over spending one hour in a store late at night when I should be home with my family who I hadn't seen since earlier in the day, and now had no shoes (or socks or tights or...) to show for it. I came back into the store, and the clerk saw me looking at my big stack for one box I had enough cash to purchase.
    "I have seventeen dollars," I said. "I live 12 minutes away and you are closing in 10." "Oh, we'll be here," she replied. So, called Chris, explained that I was coming home - finally - and then going back to Payless. I didn't tell him about my ridiculously big stack of shoes, socks, tights, etc. Chris came up with a better plan - he would drive down to pay for the shoes (and other items not mentioned to him by me) and I could go home and tuck the kids in bed. Wow - what a husband!! I was a little nervous about him seeing (and paying for) the big stack, and I told him that maybe there were some shoes he could put back, but....Isn't he great? Especially since it had only been a couple of weeks or so since the big Quaker sale at Albertsons at which shopping trip I had left my bank card in my pants pocket the day before! He was picking up Bethany at the high school, so I went home to start dinner, and he paid for the ridiculously overloaded cart of oatmeal and granola bars after basketball. I think the clerk didn't seem to mind at all pushing the cart over to the service area until he got there. Lucky me:)

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  11. Oh, boy, I looked at the length and boredom factor of my comment, tried to delete it, and realized I know next to nothing about blogging. If you can delete it, Christi, that would be great!:) By the way, I think there are two reasons the clerk wanted to wait for me to come back to make my purchase: 1) apparently, this store was in the lead in sales in the district that evening for the big Oprah sale and she wanted to assure a victory and 2) she did not want to have to reshelf my ridiculously big stack of shoes, etc.

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  12. Bec,

    I will not delete your comment, as I thought it very funny. Yes, we do share the same genes, and I'm thinking they came straight from Mom. (: She lost her purse so many times while we were growing up that I actually wrote an essay on it in junior high!

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  13. Hey Christianne! I am with Jennifer! You've got a book (or two) in this incredible saga. The letter format is fascinating. You covered so much and painted amazingly vivid pictures with very few words! Great writing! I found myself grinning the proverbial "ear-to-ear smile" through the entire entry. And I found myself loving my darling grandchildren all the more. And I found myself expressing thanks for my wonderful daughter-in-law yet again and again and...
    P.S. And I love you, too Jeremy.

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  14. Very fun post Christi! And great comment Becky! Glad I don't have your genes...haha
    -Melissa

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  15. Sorry about the genes girls. I like Jeans better than genes anyway.
    Wonderful posts! I love you all.

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  16. What an awesome post. I might have to steal the idea - I love how random the thoughts were.

    Mostly I love you and your family - thanks for the glimpse.

    Kim

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