6.5 or, Home Through the Smoke

Dear Corbin,

You finally came home!  You were gone for a whole month.  You covered 5012 miles in the motor home.  Grandpa said it was those last 12 miles that were the really hard ones.

You got to visit some of Grandpa Lam's family in St. Louis.  Then you visited the Thornes and Spencers in Indy.  Then you visited Grandma Lam's family in lower Michigan.  You went up in the Gateway Arch, and down into the Meramec Cavern.  You played in sand on the beach and on sand dunes.  You got to see fireworks and go on a hay ride.  It was a much more relaxed trip this time, since you made up your schedule as you went along.  Last year, you drove through some tornado weather.  This year, the last day you were on the road, there was a wildfire on Interstate 15, just outside of LA County.  You had already stopped for the night near Barstow, but you could see and smell the smoke where you were camped.  Fortunately, by the next morning, there were a few lanes open on the highway, and you were able to come home.

While you were gone, Dad and I started painting the family room.  It's a much nicer, lighter, green.  It makes the whole room brighter.  Painting is not always my favorite thing to do, but it's pretty easy and the results are worth the effort.  After the family room, we'll have to see how hard it is for me to get Dad to do the living room.

We also made a new climber for the backyard.  That was more fun, seeing as how we got to use the new table saw.  We ordered climbing wall holds for it, so it's a real climbing cube.  You use it as a fort, stocking it with all of your swords and guns and army guys.  Sometimes it's a spider web, wrapped in the big orange yarn.  It's much larger than the other climber, and very heavy and sturdy.  So hopefully it will last for a long time.  Dad already has plans to add on to the top of it when you're older and need more climbing space.

I think that you got taller while you were gone.  I guess that makes sense.  You certainly got tan, which is ironic, since you went on vacation away from sunny CA.  You are lucky to be able to travel with Grandma and Grandpa.  I'm glad you're able to experience different places, and stay in touch with all of your relatives.  Travel is good for your mind, but coming home is good for your soul.

Love,
Mom


The fire:

New paint!

New climber!

Same family!