Dear April......Finally.

Dear April,

I don't know how we go about helping each other improve without feeling parented. I know I get defensive with criticism as do most people. If we could get past that point and really understand the intention it would go a lot farther. I think we both need a little tune up in our listening and understanding skills.

Now about your beach attire.....at least you have ditched the boots. I do remember the first time we went to the beach. WOW! You looked better going to the beach than I did on our wedding day and I had a tux on. My beach check list 1. wetsuit 2. surfboard 3. towel or waded up sweatshirt behind the seat, whatever made it in the truck that week. Your checklist: Take contents of apartment put in giant beach type bag. You have really come a long way from that. I still love to go into the water with you! It reminds me of when we would go to Ocean City, Maryland and you were scared to death to touch the bottom because of the horseshoe crabs there. I'm glad you can walk out in the water now even though you still scream when kelp touches your legs. That still makes me laugh but I love how it makes you jump on my back, have me carry you out there and you try to drown me in the ocean!

I miss Uncle Jason also. It is hard to believe that he has been gone almost a year. I am honored to be a part of your family and to have had the opportunity to help take care of him and mostly enjoy him and the relationship that you two grew together over the last year of his life. Your pure love of Christ is what made it possible to do the impossible sometimes. I think that the word "charity" gets a bad rap because we only think of handouts and freebies. But I think it is more for the giver than the receiver. It helps us grow leaps and bounds and that is what I saw in us. The time we spent with J brought our whole family closer as just the 4 of us and with the rest of our family. Thank you for involving me so much. I know that even though you were so focused on spending as much time with J you still made sure our little family was taken care of in every way. That was a very special time for me to draw closer to you. I know it wasn't a bowl of cherries and some days we were at odds with each other just because we were tired but we made it through together. As family.

And that is how I think life should be...working together. Not trying to control each other because that is when life spins out of control.

Love, Dave

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We have some exciting news! Remember our 'Work in Progress' wall art that we made together for our master bedroom based on what we were learning from our 'Dear Dave + April Series' letter writing?

We have re-created it in print form!

An 11 x 14 print ready to frame in three color choices!!

It will first be available in LIMITED quantities at The Queen Bee Market for sale

on August 6th at the Bayfront Hilton Hotel in Downtown San Diego from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

They are being shipped to us down here while we are on vacation and I am giddy with excitement to see them up close and get them packaged for sale with love. We are planning on both signing them and including a different little love note with each one....snippets from our series!

 I know a lot of you have taken this little journey with us in helping to improve and enrich your relationships. It is what helps us keep moving forward as we share our love letters with the whole wide world.

The print will soon be available to purchase online!

I will keep you posted.