Email from Mom: Saturday, May 22, 2021
To: Kaitlyn.garcia@missionary.org
From: Mom
Subject: Here's to a long flight home
Well...I never thought I would say it but I am SO ready to be going home. What a a week it has been here in Kauai.
The kids at home did really well and when Grandma showed up I think
Christian was happy to go to work and B stayed busy with friends. She
made sure I told Grandma to not talk to Nikki when she came for piano
lessons so she wasn’t embarrassed too 🤣.
Christian had his AP test, a principle breakfast for the honor roll
kids, and his last seminary dance get together. Plus he has worked all
week too. I’m just so glad he is out and doing.
Brooklyn has had PLENTY of friend time and even had some friends at our
place that included boys. I don’t know how I feel about all of it quite
yet but she said she had a blast.
Tonight I got the call as we sat at our last dinner that there were hurt
feelings and I had to call home to do an intervention. I am sure it is a
culmination of too many late nights for the both of them and too much
time together with one another and no Mom playing buffer. It’s clearly
time to be home.
We fly at 10:24pm tonight Hawaii time (2:24am at home )
and are going to Phoenix where we have like 40 minutes and board a
plane home. We land at home just before 11am. Once there, the Millers
drove so we will take the Stephens home and then us. Brooklyn gets her
1st dose of the Covid vaccine tomorrow afternoon so I already have a
bust day ahead. Here’s hoping to get some sort of sleep on the plane.
🏻
This trip has been a learning experience with Jaime on it. I honestly
don’t know that I will be ready to invite them on anything for some
time. She tries so hard to take control on literally everything, insert
herself where she doesn’t belong, and then there was the incident at
Tunnels Beach (my 2nd favorite beach on the island)....
Everyone got to Tunnels. There were dark clouds in the sky and it
started to rain so we took cover under the tree we specifically chose to
sit under for this very reason. The rain cleared so the three of us
found our spot in the sunshine and the boys headed out to snorkel.
Usually a great beach to snorkel at and it is also the one where Bethany
got her arm bit off. The boys came in and took their chairs from the
shade of the tree and out to the sunshine because they were a little
chilly from their time in the ocean. The afternoon was forming to be
super great with weather and the sunset was going to be even better.
Until....Jaime. She says ‘how much longer do you guys have in you’.
Ummmm the plan was to do the sunset here & it is only like 5:30pm.
So thinking like another hour and a half. But all of a sudden she is
packing up her stuff AND everyone else’s too!!! Tyler says ‘hey, don’t
touch my stuff. I guess I will go now’ and we all start loading up.
Jaime is 1/2 way to the car at this point and us and the Millers were
like what the heck. So, we get up to their van so they can drop us at
our Jeep and she says ‘we sure didn’t need to leave if you guys weren’t
ready’. Seriously?!? Jason says ‘really? Like you gave us a choice’ and
Tyler says as we all clamor into the van something along the line of he
knew she clearly needed service so we were going to take the Jeep to the
beach for the sunset and we would meet up for dinner at Kalypsos. The
Millers jumped in the Jeep and the Stephens in the van. Only they
followed us so we jumped out and were waiting for them to take a photo
with us and instead Banning squeals the tires and peels off in the van.
WTH?!?
We get into dinner only to find out they are back at the condo and won’t
be joining us for dinner and then when we get back to the condo Banning
has shaved his mustache off!! He loved that thing and told Jaime she
didn’t get a say just like he doesn’t get a say on how she does her hair
etc. Makes us all wonder just what the heck. But as we walk into the
condo they both act like nothing happened and that Jaime didn’t
commandeer the whole afternoon and evening and that they didn’t leave 4
of our party of 6 wondering and waiting if they were coming to dinner or
not. I was furious and told Tyler that an apology was totally warranted
but it sure didn’t show up.
Until today....it’s been 3 days!! And she only briefly acknowledged it
and I basically told her that I was offended she did it and that it is
clear that she can’t leave her kids for even just 1 night without a call
and that this island is probably one she shouldn’t plan to visit again
with us until she can. I reminded her that Savannah was going to be 15
in December and that I was super frustrated that our days had to revolve
around her being sure she could call her kids. It has been a long day
to say the least. Because then instead of being glad that we talked she
is annoyed that I would threaten an invite for a future trip with us.
Not even kidding. That’s all she took from me trying to talk.
Banning told Tyler today at the beach that he told Jaime that if things
don’t change he was going to be done and file for divorce. It’s been an
issue for some time and it is only getting worse. He said that she is
constantly belittling him, pointing out things she doesn’t like, and
always asking him to change and adjust for her while doing none of that
in return for him. You can feel the tension and as much as I want to be
sad for Banning, he caters to her in simple ways like getting rid of a
mustache. He did tell Tyler too that Jaime hasn’t kissed him in over 2
months because of it
I don’t get it. You don’t go into a marriage expecting to change
someone and I guess that is where it has gone real bad real fast.
Hence...I cannot wait to get home and get some time and space between me
and her.
The Millers have been wonderful. I enjoy Akaela so much and I haven’t
laughed so hard like I have this trip with her in a long time. She is
hilarious and always has such a good attitude. Jason is leaving this
island tonight completely FRIED and pool Akaela didn’t put sunscreen on
at all today in hopes to take some color home and she is barely pink. So
funny.
Covid at home is becoming a thing of the past. No more masks at church,
no masks at school functions, kids don’t have to wear them after May 31
at school, the Pfizer vaccine has been approved doe 12-15 year olds so B
is in line this weekend for her first round, and I’ve come to the
conclusion that I will have a mask in my purse just in case but I am
done with them as a whole. I am sure hoping things in your neck of the
woods are getting better too??
I’ve thought of you all week. From the moment I saw missionaries at the
airport to even now as I sit at the airport waiting for a late night
plane to arrive. You have had a big week. How is Sister Parrish? Will
you guys have a good 6 weeks or is there anything concerning? How are
the new fiends? Did you get to talk Book of Mormon with the one you
dropped one off too? Have you had a chance to get out and show Sister
Parrish any of your favorite places or introduce her to Mr Potato Head?
I hope the cards I chose to order and have sent will work for you and
that the snacks will be a good thing too. I would be happy to send you
anything else you need??
I have included some pictures for you and am so excited to hear from you
on Monday. I am so looking forward to being home and having Monday be
normal!! I love you for forever and to the moon and back for always.
Xoxo,
Mom 🤟🏻
- rainbow outside the condo one morning
- wailua falls
- Jason holding onto Tyler nice and tight
- me and Akaela
- tunnels beach
- one of my most favorite spots on the island (would be a great place for professional pics!)
- secret beach (& one of my 2 bathing suits that offended Jaime 🤦🏻♀️)
- camp fire on the beach. First for us. I don’t know if I would do it
again. The walk up in the dark with huge gross frogs was DISGUSTING!!!
- our final drive into Hanalei today and we had a rainbow waiting for us
