Dear Auntie Annie

I received the email below from my niece and I wanted to share it with you (with my sister's permission of course). This year at school has been filled with so many great people, experiences, and places to visit - but I do miss my family & friends back home. I miss the holiday gathers, the weddings, and seeing the new babies still wrinkly. Abby was just a tiny peanut when I left but she'll already be walking by the time I return home. A year may be a short time for me, but for her - it's an entire lifetime! And while email is great and skype is fantastic, it will never replace a hug! So watch out little Abby, I've been saving up hugs for you and when I see you again I'm not letting you go!  ;-)

March 29, 2011

Dear Auntie Annie,

It’s me – your niece Abby!

I’m almost 9 months now and thought I’d dictate a letter to you. I like to Skype with you, but I’m big enough to send you a letter too. Don’t worry, mommy knows how to understand “daa-daa-da, baa-aaaaa-aaah, ahooooo, etc.” and write it below.

I’m so proud of you, with your hard studying and fun adventures in Europe. Going back to school after being in the working world must be a tough adjustment, but it seems like you have done quite well. Do you get report cards? If you do, I bet they look really good and deserving to be placed on the front of the refrigerator!

We look at all your pictures of the places you’ve been so far – touring Belgium, all over Italy, exploring Barcelona and quickie Paris. Mommy says she has seen movies and looked at magazines and books with these places, but you are actually there! It must be so wonderful to be so close to so many interesting places. In less time it takes daddy to drive to Omaha to see my grandma and grandpa Zadina, you can hope on a train and go on a new adventure to a historic European city. Don’t get me wrong, driving past corn fields in Iowa is fun, but I bet the scenery from your train is far more interesting!

You left Minnesota when I was a little baby last August. Thank goodness for technology and Skype! It sometimes feels that you are so close - still at home in South Saint Paul. Because of you, I love to look at the computer and “type”. Mommy says before computers people hand-wrote letters on paper, took them to the post office and they were delivered to you. Good thing we have Skype and email because we have not had much luck with the Belgium post! But even though we see you on the computer and email you, we really miss you. It’s the times when we all get together, like Christmas and Easter, when we miss you the most.

I’ve been keeping busy while you have been gone. Mommy takes me to swimming lessons once a week. So far, all I can do is float with some help, but I guess that is a good thing! I like to splash around and practice in the bathtub at night.

I also go to Early Family Childhood Education classes at school. We learn songs and play with other kids. I like to watch the other kids and talk to them.

I also love to play and watch cousin Felix – he always makes me laugh! He came over to play one Saturday and I let him use my high chair for lunch.

Other times I just play around at home. My new favorite thing is to roll around and hide under the coffee table. No crawling yet, but I’ll work on it for you.

That’s about it for now. It’s getting to be my bedtime soon. I love you very much and look forward to Skyping with you again soon!
 

Lots of love and kisses,
Abby

P.S. Mommy says hello and misses you too.