letters to nathan.

Dearest and onliest brother,
You asked me to write you letters every once in a while during your time away and send you pictures of the progress made in our new home. So here is my first letter to you.  Since you left, we have made hearty progress in moving boxes upon boxes over to the new house.  There are enough boxes there right now that a five-year-old would be content to build a fort with.  It's satisfying.  We've also completed painting the dining room and the bedroom, and we've successfully assembled that giant hutch we got from Gramma (you remember all that?)

Today I embarked upon the loneliest detail of moving: removing the pictures from the wall.  It's surreal seeing these faces and memories that I stare at all the time, just hanging there, looking back at me saying, "remember this?" I know that I'm only packing them away temporarily and they will be back on our new wall very soon, but there's something about removing them from the walls of the place you have called home for almost two years that is forlorn.  It's like I'm putting good memories to bed.  Soon, though, the same faces and smiles will be dancing all over the walls of a real house that will very shortly and very easily become our new home.  

Soon Frank and I will be getting new phone contracts.  This means that I will be (Lord willing) getting a smart phone. This means I will have a better phone camera. This means that the pictures I take at random of the house will not have pixelated grains drooling all over it. This means the pictures I show you from then on will look decent! And I won't feel bad for not dragging around my heavy, comatose D70 to capture life's moments.  Soon, brother, soon, you will see what life is like here through a good lens.

I wonder what you're up to right now?  Frank and I miss you very much, and I'm thankful that I can still share stories of our summer together with my friends. You are one cool dude, and my abs don't look as good without you here (because I'm not laughing all the time from your quirks, jokes, imagination, and Assassin's Creed escapades).  We'll be sending a goodie basket (or "care package" because sending you snacks means we care) for you soon enough. We love you Nate!

Love Jessica.

And Frank.