The family got word late yesterday afternoon that Coya was arriving at SFO around midnight. Atch, David, Gabbi, Kuya Lan, Ate Sette, Keila and I all met up in Fairfield and drove out to greet him at the airport equipped with welcome signs and American flags. After spending his last year in Afganistan, he's finally home! Our big brother, Col. Bern Ruiz, is home FOR GOOD!!! To think, he was supposed to retire last year, but signed on for another year...then to end his final tour right after the whole Bin Laden fiasco ended - WOW! After picking him up from the airport about half the size he was when we last saw him at your funeral, we just had to go feed the man so we went to IHOP before heading back to Sacramento! LoL
After the girls got outta school today we headed to Natomas to hang out with the fam (again-lol). I love being so close to family! No need to pay toll or sit in traffic...just 11 miles away.
Tomorrow morning we're bringing my car to the Haight's mechanic to look at some issues It's been having. Monse goes back to SoCal tomorrow night right before we head to AWANAs and my mentor meeting, so it looks like I won't really be able to catch up on some zzzzzz's till tomorrow night, which I'm sooooo looking forward to! I have an interview scheduled for Thursday, so I'll definately need to be rested.
The whole "learning to live with pain" process is beginning to make some progress in my life. Making a conscious effort to talk about you out loud when I need to...cry when necessary...laugh (out loud) about memories that pop in my head, and share those memories with whoevers around me at the time - instead of trying to hold it all in because I don't want others to worry about me - that all is beginning to come naturally. I'm getting out more instead of staying in to drown in my sorrows. I'm getting better at this whole grief thing, and it feels good!
Thanks for lookin out for me and for helping me, through my memories of you, to continue to grieve in a healthy way that's good for me, the girls, AND those close to us. You're on my mind 24/7. It's gonna be that way forever! 1434
Here's my letter to you, Mark Matthew Aragon. The LOVE of my life, and Papa to our girls, who's Heavenly birthday is 11/04/2010. There's so much I want to say and if Heaven had a phone, I'd call. Missing & loving you more everyday, Lei
