Funerals give perspective

Today I attended the funeral of a lovely woman in our church congregation. She was a vibrant 43 year old who left behind 3 young children and a husband she dearly loved.  Throughout the funeral my mind drifted to family.  I often wonder what people would say at my funeral if my ticket was called and I was taken from this earth. What stories would they tell, what words will I have left behind that impacted someone in a positive way. Would there be people attending my funeral simply because we knew each other or were related and yet did not have a relationship worth mentioning?  Would people be whispering amongst themselves about “that time Liz...” and it not be a positive story.  After my melanoma diagnosis several years ago, the idea death is something that is closer to the front of my brain than the back. More in the sense of... are my affairs in order, are my wishes known.... that sort of stuff. But, today I wondered if my relationships are in order. And the answer to that question is no. I tend to keep to myself when I’m in most public setting (shocking to some). I compare myself to everyone and find that I fall short compared to those around me. Because of the introvert side of me, I am reluctant to make and nurture friendships the way I should. I know a lot of that has come from moving so much. I’m so used to saying goodbye to those I have become close to that the idea of forming relationships that could be temporary seems pointless at this stage in my life. That mindset is wrong on my part and I apologize for that. I’ve been so blessed to meet so many wonderful people and I’m even more blessed to have some of these people be my very best friends to this day. Even if we do not live in the same state and only see each other every 5+ years.  Recently I have watched relationships around my deteriorate. They are falling apart because some refuse to let go of hurt feelings, lack of communication, “pot stirring”, unnecessary jabs... the list could go on and on. What is sad to me is that, in the past, I have contributed to the deterioration of some of these relationships and I am ashamed of myself for my part that I have played.  I have had a difficult time coming up with my 2018 personal resolution. Today I sat in church, watched a family mourn the loss of a dear woman who they loved so very much, and I told myself that I was no longer going to play a part in furthering the gap between family members. What does this mean?  I do not want to be on the giving or receiving end of gossip. I am FAR from perfect and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have been the topic of a lot of gossip throughout the years. I don’t want or need to know the details of other people’s drama and I have no desire to share personal information that I have learned regarding others. If you have something negative to say about a friend or family member, please move the conversation along to someone else.  Why the drastic change you may be asking yourself???  Because I lay awake at night being sad about family dynamics. I have always had dreams since I was a little girl about a big family thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Where you pull out the holiday dishes and you put on a nice outfit and everyone comes together in peace and harmony. We laugh, tell stories and make memories. This past Thanksgiving Day I sat in a recliner eating a waffle. Yep, a waffle. The year before that was spent at a restaurant.  My dreams of huge family holiday dinners may never happen... but with my children, beautiful memories will be made. But most of all, for my children, I want to teach them kindness. I want them to know that the members of your family are the ones we will bunk with on our cloud in the next life. Family should be the glue that holds everything together when times get tough. Family should be a give and take relationship.  Several years ago I had a conversation with a member of my family. It was a very difficult moment and I was told “you can’t expect family members to just sit around and hold hands”. My response was “well no, that is stupid! But you should be able to expect a little kumbaya”. My point was that even without perfection being the expectation, family should be able to come together in harmony. In love. In peace.  There is a quote that I love from one of my favorite movies, Did You Hear about the Morgan’s.  ”You should expect everything from each other. Marriage don’t make any sense. You gotta stop thinking about it, get over the bullshit and make it work.” This quote applies so beautifully to family. Not just marriage. There comes a time when you have to let everything go. Stop the whispering, the jabbing, the gossiping.... the hurt, and allow yourself to enjoy the way God intended families to be.  Relationships are hard. Rarely do you see 100% eye to eye with those you come in contact with. I’ve had my fare share of moments when my foot has ended up in my mouth or my mouth opened before my brain had a chance to tell it to stay shut. But there will come a day when we will stand before our maker and when we review the life we have lived, will we be proud or embarrassed?   EQ 

2017 Thanksgiving Day letter

Holy cow!  Another year has come and gone. It amazes me how fast time seems to be going by now that I have children.  2009 was the beginning of my yearly turkey day letter tradition. Has it really been 8 years?  8 years ago I was in Rexburg, ID and trying to find myself after years of being misplaced amongst the crap that was my life. Although I find myself in VASTLY different circumstances, I am once again realizing that the girl that emerged from the muck 8 years ago has once again been lost. The circumstances ,like I said ,are different. Now I am a wife to a wonderful man who’s work takes up most of his time and I am a mother to 2 beautiful children who take up 90% of my time. It’s funny how you can feel so incredibly thankful for the wonderful people god has blessed you with and yet, you often find myself looking in the mirror and asking “who am I?”  Yes, I am a wife and I am a mother... but I am also Liz. I was Liz long before I was responsible for anyone else and yet now, I am more responsible for everyone else and least responsible for myself (if that makes sense). I realized this the other day when I went to Walmart with my kids. Afton and Levi were in their cute little outfits. Aftons hair was pulled back into the perfect little ponytail and then there was me. I looked 1 hot minute away from being homeless. With the year coming to a close, I’m going to end it on the right foot. I’m going a gym December 1 and I’m going to start walking again. Walking has always helped me clear the cobwebs that take up residence in my brain.  This past year has been incredibly busy. Levi Samuel joined our family on May 24 and has been 100% joy for darn near 6 solid months now. My mom has commented that I have a soft spot for my little man. It’s completely true. Afton is my miracle, Levi is my joy. Afton loves being a big sister and simply adores Levi. She calls him “yiyi my baby sister”. Haha. Regardless of how many times we correct her, she insists that he is “her baby sister”.  Afton will be 3 on December 4. I’m not ready for a 3 year old. Unless it means that terrible twos transforms into thrilling threes!!!!  She is very much of a sour patch kid. She can cut you with her eyes and yet totally melt your heart with her hugs and her “I love you mommy”. Every day she blossoms more and more into a stunning little girl. I adore her!!! Paul participated in the Mid Atlantic Police Rodeo this summer. It’s the oldest and biggest rodeo on the east coast!  I was so happy I was able to attend. Not only was the competition fun to watch but I am EXTREMELY proud to say Paul came home with the title of Mr. Rodeo. Out of 96 riders he came in 1st. I cannot express how proud I am of him and his ability to ride a motorcycle. I tell everyone that he is like a ballerina on a motorcycle!!!!!   I am so thankful for my sweet little family. I’m thankful for the joy they bring into my life and for the sense of fulfillment I have knowing I get to be the Mom and wife in this family.  I’m thankful for a husband who loves me unconditionally. A man who is incredibly patient with me and has never once raised his voice to me. A man who is willing to work as much as it takes to provide our little family with everything we need. I love Paul more than he knows.  I’m thankful for my relationship with our Savior. I often feel so unworthy of the blessings I have been given. I’m thankful for the tender mercies he extends to me daily.  I’m thankful for the two little boys that will be joining the Stone family this year. Carter Eron Stone will arrive December 18. Can’t believe my sister will have 2 little ones!!!  John and Megan’s little man (yet to be named) is due in a few short days and I cannot wait to see what he looks like!!!  What a wonderful year for our family. 3 baby boys in 1 year!  What a blessing!  I’m thankful for my relationship with my parents. I treasure my conversations that I have with my dad and feeling our relationship get stronger and stronger as I get older. I’m thankful for his counsel and his love.  I’m so blessed to have a mom who has become my best friend as I’ve become an adult and especially since becoming a mother. She is my kindred spirit! I thank god every day for my parents. I told someone just a few days ago that I feel I need my parents more now than I did as a child.  I’m thankful for my in laws for letting us take up residence in their basement as we save for a house. Especially for their patience with Afton who has decided she enjoyed being with them as much as possible!!!   Happy thanksgiving everyone. I hope your day is filled with wonderful memories. May you be safe in your travels and take the time to count your many many blessings!!!!   EQ

Me and my thoughts

It's quickly approaching 2 am. I am so tired my eyes are burning. Last night I was awake until 5:30 am and was able to sleep until about 8:30 am when a loud noise woke me from my slumber. Sleep is hard to come by right now. When I am in bed, Levi curls himself up under my right ribs and he feels like an extremely heavy bowling ball. I do my best to push him into a more southern location. Sometimes it works like a charm... others times I'm simply up a creek with an overly crowded belly.  I've always had an issue with my feet feeling hot at night and when that happens it makes my legs extremely restless. The restlessness triggers my insomnia (this the reason I'm awake now). It's a vicious battle and the only thing the doctors say is "hang in there, sleep when you can...". Gee, thanks!  Levi Samuel is due on Friday. Yes, officially 5 days!!!!  Although, as long as everything goes as planned, we are scheduled for an induction on Tuesday. Since it is TECHNICALLY now Sunday, I have 2 full days before heading to Labor and Delivery.  This pregnancy has flown by. Even this last month. I feel like I am so busy with Afton, I don't have much time to think about this little man. I guess that will change very soon.  I've had people ask me the typical "how are you feeling? , "does it feel real yet?"  Well.... huge. I'm exhausted, my hips hurt, my back hurts, my tailbone hurts, I feel like my boobs are up to my throat.... yeah, I feel amazing and definitely have that pregnancy glow. Whatever... and as for the second question. It's been real since the moment I saw two very faint pink lines and FaceTime'd my mom to ask if she could see them or if I had officially lost my marbles. I was a whopping 3 weeks pregnant at that point. 36 short weeks ago. Yes, it feels real. Very real. My life is about to drastically change and I don't like change lol.  Over the past 2 weeks I have tried to take the time to be very present with Afton. Snuggling with her in the recliner while she watched Daniel Tiger or spending extra time during the day playing with her babies and teaching how to be gentle instead of hucking the baby on the floor (fingers crossed baby Levi will not be the recipient of Aftons sour side). I've found myself watching her more. Realizing how grown up she is getting but so incredibly thankful that she is only 2 1/2. On Mother's Day, I found myself giving her extra loves and thanking her for making me a mommy. I'm thankful that Levi will give me the opportunity to be a mommy to 2 precious spirits and to experience both genders in our home.  I can honestly say I am not nervous about labor and delivery. When I was pregnant with Afton, lots of people commented on how calm I was about shooting a watermelon through a key hole.... my theory was this "baby has to exit one way or the other and no amount of worry will keep her inside when she is ready to exit". I feel the same way this time around. The only difference is that I have been having random contractions that have been extremely uncomfortable and it has given me an early glimpse of what is to come. I didn't have that with Afton. I went to the hospital 100% unaware of what was to come. Although I am NOT at all mentally prepared to have two children, I am FOR SURE ready to close the door to pregnancy. Now I can watch everyone else in my family have babies and I can be thrilled for them!!! On June 2, my mom, sister and niece will begin their cross country treck. They are driving from Utah to Virginia. My heart is so happy knowing they will be here shortly after we bring Levi home. Paul will be taking 2 weeks off of work. 1 solid week home and the. 1 week that will be a little split up. Emily and Lily will be here for about 2 weeks and mom will be here between 4-5 weeks. I am really looking forward to the help that will be much needed. Afton will have so much fun bonding with Lily. Those two girls are kindred spirits. I cannot wait to give Lily big hugs and kisses. Mostly I'm excited for several weeks of home cooked meals and I don't have to be the head chef. I look forward to daily walks with my mom and working on getting my body back. This will be a wonderful summer with my family.  Well, it's 2:30. I guess I'll give sleep another try.  I cannot tell you how anxious I am to deliver this baby, hand him to Paul, and take a long nap. I am a stomach sleeper and I am looking forward to picking up where I left off 9 months ago.  I hope this post finds everyone healthy and happy. I cannot wait to post my labor and delivery story. I'll make sure I have a gob of pictures to post as well.  Baby Levi, please treat mommy well this week. I sure love you little man. I cannot wait to meet you and give you lots and lots of kisses!!!!  EQ

Change is my only constant!

It's hard to believe that my last post was the week after thanksgiving. I feel like life has been a total blur over the past two months. It's February and I feel like the year is already slipping out from underneath my feet.  Let's see if I can catch myself up on everything that has happened recently....  Our baby girl is officially a toddler. She turned 2 on December 4 and we had a beautiful little party for her on the 3rd. We had close friends and some family there. Between her birthday and Christmas, Afton was given 7 baby dolls!!!!!  I feel like we live in an orphanage!!!!  She loves them all and spends most of her day feeding them and putting them to bed. She has one that stays in the car full time, 1 that is a bath baby so it camps out in our bathroom and her "Afton baby" sleeps with her and piggy every night. Afton had developed so much over the past year. She is so smart and SO sassy. She has a mean streak like nothing I ever thought I would experience. There are nights I call my mom bc I simply don't know how to handle her. Her language is finally starting to take off. Her newest words are taco, brownie, donut, I want one, all done.... those are the few that come to mind right now. We are working on no thank you and yes ma'am. At her 2 year appointment we were a little shocked to find out she has gone from the 90 something % from her 1 year appointment to the 20 something % to date. I remember her as a little bitty baby & people always told me she was going to be a "big girl". This girl is so tiny now!  I cannot wait to get her next to her cousin. Afton's short and Liliana is tall. At only 5 months apart, it's going to be a sight!  My mom was able to fly to VA for the party. We LOVED having her here for a few days. It was a very short visit but we will take any amount of time we can get with her. Afton has called my sister Mimi since forever and several months ago she started calling my mom Mimaw!!!  It's so cute to hear her say. Every single morning we have the exact same conversation... without fail!  Afton: Mimi??? Me: she is at school.  Afton: Mimaw??? Me: she is at school too.  Afton: daddy??? Me: he is at work.  Afton: oh no!!!! Me: that's exactly how they feel!   She has learned exactly where the hot dog counter is at SAMS club. When she decides it's time for a hot dog while we are shopping, it's like trying to keep the alien from going back to the mother ship!!!!!  Impossible.  She is extremely strong willed. She knows exactly what she wants and what she likes. She hates to eat but loves her fluids. This girl loves ice water and we have to keep a close eye on cups bc she wants to eat your ice. That's a no no for baby teeth. She LOVES to jump and dance and sing. Ohhhh mercy this girl loves to sing. We took away her paci a few weeks ago and that has been dramatic. She still uses it at nap and bed time though. Now that the paci (her wee) is gone, she is really working on perfecting the temper tantrum in the car.  Being a mom is hard. Being a mom to a toddler is EXTRA hard. This too shall pass. I love this sweet girl with everything that I am! Baby #2! The weekend after Thanksgiving, we went in for an elective ultrasound and found out we are expecting a BOY towards the end of May. There was no hiding the fact that he was... a he, lol. I knew going in that it was a boy... even though I really wanted another girl!  As the months have passed, we are so so excited we are having a little boy and so anxious to meet him. This pregnancy is flying by.  I am 25 weeks 3 days and for the past 4-5 weeks I have really been feeling good. I switched to a prenatal vitamin with iron and added an iron supplement and the difference in how I feel is amazing. Of course I'm still tired every day, but I don't feel this horrible fatigue in my muscles all the time. Paul has named this little guy Levi Samuel. He is measuring exactly on track with my due date and according to the ultrasound tech, he does not have an overly large head, lol. Bless him!!!  I have been wondering how big he will be on delivery day and I'm predicting he will be our heavy weight of the two kids. Afton was 7lb 12oz at 10 days late so I'm guessing he will be somewhere close to 8lbs but not 10 days late.   I've been trying to decide when to move Afton from her crib to her big girl bed. We originally planned on putting her in a full size bed right away but after a lot of thought and evaluating space, we settled on putting her in a twin bed instead. I don't want her to feel lost in her new bed... and it takes up less space. We have a wonderful store in our area where we can buy Amish built unfinished furniture, so we have a bed picked out and will buy it in the next month or two and stain it when the weather is nice. I have her new bedding purchased and am really excited to put everything together.  The past few weeks have been extra stressful for our little family. We had upstairs neighbors (that made us about go crazy) FINALLY move out. We were so excite at the idea of finally getting some sleep. Well, we spoke to soon when we voiced our excitement.... the new neighbors were 100 times worse. They moved in late one evening and night after night , they would tromp around the apartment until 4 am. We could not sleep and it was more than we could handle. We did not think it could get any worse... and then it did. They are the only people in the building that smoked... and all their friends smoked. So, the building smelled like an ash tray all the time. And then we started smelling marijuana. One morning (around 1 am) Paul finally walked upstairs to ask them to please keep it down. He was cussed at, called a liar and other racial slurs. He finally had to just walk away from the conversation. That was the breaking point for us. He spoke with our leasigng manager that next Sunday afternoon, and when he walked into the apartment from that chat, he announced we were moving into his parents house the NEXT morning. Saying it was an Emotional day for me is 100% an understatement. It was an emotional day for many, many, many reasons and the news of us moving SO quickly put me over the edge. I can honestly say though, that in the hardest of moments, people's true colors shine the brightest. I immediately called my dear friend Kelley and asked if she could please take Afton. There was zero hesitation. She drove into town and took her for 2 nights. It's the only way we were able to get packed and moved so quickly. Her husband dropped everything he has scheduled for work that day to help us move... again.  We are so so so thankful for this wonderful family who is ALWAYS there for us when we need them the most.  We have lived here for a week now and are finally settled in. I'm thankful I have a gift for organizing Bc organization is key when living in small spaces. Last time we lived here Afton was 5 months old. Now we will have a toddler & a newborn. It's a slow process Bc items I need to organize are not cheap... but it's coming together and I think it will work out just fine for the next 10-12 months. We have a goal of how much we want to save during our time here and once we hit that goal, we will begin the house hunt again. We feel it's important for Paul to not kill himself in overtime, And we know the best way to make that happen is to have an even bigger down payment on a home. I know that our current sacrifices will provide us with future blessings.  I'm sorry this post has been so long. That's the problem with not posting as often as I should. I hope the rest of winter treats everyone well. Spring will be here before we know it and then the summmer heat will be killing us all. It's all going to go by so quickly and I'm not ready for it yet. I'm trying to enjoy all of my 1 on 1 time with my little girl before her brother arrives and turns her world upside down. I'm so blessed though Bc my mom will be here for 4-5 weeks to help me figure out how to be a mom of two. Lots of fun things are in the works for this summer... JAMS motor competition, beach trip, mid Atlantic motor competition... just to name a few :). It's going to be fun!   EQ

2016 Thanksgiving Day letter

Dear Family and Friends,

I know I am a few days late.. .but... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  Between preparing food for our yummy turkey dinner and wrangling our (nearly) 2 year old, the week was total chaos and I have not found a second to sit down with my laptop and express my thankfulness for the year I have been blessed with... and what a year it has been!!!

First I want to express how thankful I am for my amazing husband.  Paul and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary in July.  It has been the most amazing 6 years of my life.  I am thankful that we can still make each other laugh and our favorite thing to do is spend time with each other.  Years ago... I'm guessing 9... a dear friend of mine told me that at the end of the day, the person she enjoys being around the most is her husband.  At that time in my life, it did not make sense to me.  Now I understand what she meant.  Paul is my very favorite person.  He is my best friend, my partner, the best dad to my babies and the most amazing provider.  I am thankful every single day that I have eternity to spend with my sweet man.

I'm thankful for the 2 wonderful years I have been Afton's mommy.  I cannot believe she will be 2 on Sunday.  How in the world is that possible?  She is so incredibly sassy and full of energy.  She keeps me on my toes and by the end of the day I am worn out.  She is so beautiful and I know she is a very special daughter of God.  I'm thankful she is mine!

I'm thankful for this pregnancy.  After Afton's birth I very clearly remember looking at Paul and saying "I'm never doing this again".  I can honestly say I am very content with Afton being an only child and I feel very complete... but with that said... I am incredibly thankful for this added bonus that will join our family in May.I told Paul, after we had Afton, that if we had a 2nd baby, it would be because he felt impressed that we needed to add one more member to our family.  I'm thankful he was able to feel that impression and come to me with his feelings.  I cannot wait to meet baby Levi.  I cannot wait to spend those 2 days in the hospital snuggling with him and enjoying the mommy/son bonding that will come during that time.  I cannot wait to see Paul hold his son for the first time.  Levi Samuel, you are already loved so much.

I'm thankful for the memories I have been able to make this past summer.  I have had my toes in the sand in California and Virginia.  I have driven through more states than most people visit in a lifetime.  I have checked so many things off of my bucket list in just one short summer.  I have met amazing people, had amazing bonding time with my sister and sweet niece, made beautiful memories with my mom that will last a lifetime, I have stayed up late chatting with my dad in his living room and realizing that I'm never too old to get advice from him.  I've had strep in the middle of summer for the first time and I had my first 3 nights away from Afton.  It has been a magical summer and I'm thankful for everyone I was able to spend it with!

I'm SO incredibly thankful for my Heavenly Father.  With all of the joy that 2016 has brought, there haven been plenty of moments that have been filled with tears and frustration.  In February, we came to the incredibly sad realization that our dream of moving out West would not be happening and we needed to start making arrangement to settle our family in Virginia.  I'm thankful for the counsel my Mom gave Paul while we were in Utah, dealing with the sudden realization that our plan was not the Lord's plan.  In June, we experienced a miscarriage.  That was such a humbling experience to go through.  It made me feel like I could connect with so many more women out there who had gone through the same thing.  I was in Utah at the time and Paul was in Virginia.  I'm thankful that even with the distance between us, we could still lean on each other for support.  I'm thankful that Heavenly Father was there with us during those difficult moments... even if I felt totally broken and did not necessarily feel his presence at moment the trial was happening.  Looking back, I know he was right there beside us.

I have so much to look forward to in 2017.  We will be buying a house and moving to one of our neighboring counties, Levi will be joining our family, 2 motor competitions for Paul and I am sure we will figure out how to fill up the rest of the year.  I KNOW I am blessed.  We put up our Christmas tree last night and did some minimal decorations in our living room.  It's amazing how a little tree, covered with lights, can bring so much joy and such a beautiful spirit into our tiny apartment.  I'm thankful for the holiday season.  Being able to focus on the birth of our Savior and being able to focus on the upcoming birth of my own son.

Happy Holidays dear friends and family!

EQ

Excited!!!!!

Paul and I are SOOOO excited to announce we are expecting our second baby.  We could not be happier knowing we will have a new little one in our home come June 2017.  This pregnancy has been similar and different from my first.  I am having bad headaches again this time around but I do not have the food aversions or the horrible vomiting like I did with Afton.  I have moments when I am so tired I cannot hardly function and then I'll go days not needing naps and feeling really good.

Baby Quillon is due May 26 and the doctor has already told me they will probably induce me on my due date if I am not making good progress the checkup before my due date.  Those were sweet words to hear.

I will write more when I am into my 2nd trimester and we know what we are having.  Probably in January.  I hate that they make you wait so long before finding out!

EQ

NYC/MISSOURI trips!

Oh my gosh, what a summer it was!!!!  Pauls working an overtime assignment right now and Afton's sound asleep so there is no time like the present to talk about my end of summer trips!

Mom came to VA and we drove to NYC!    

Last summer, we found out that the 2016 9/11 foundation memorial ride would most likely be the last due to cooperation issues between the foundation and VA hwy patrol. For 5 years I have told Paul I wanted to see them ride into downtown NYC and I'd 2016 was the last year, I was going!!!  I called my mom and  jokingly asked if she wanted to come with me. Not really expecting a "yes". To my surprise she was SO excited about the trip and the planning started. I was thrilled to find out that mom did not have to start school until the very end of August so she came to VA for 3 wonderful weeks!!! We started her visit with a mother/ daughter trip to VA beach. It's about 3 1/2 hours from us so we left early in the morning and came home late that evening. It rained while we were there so we hunkered down under our beach umbrella and enjoyed listening to the rain and the waves. I ended up buying a sweatshirt bc it was quite cool that day. After the beach we worked on ironing our our NYC plans and finishing up a lot of little projects I had been working on. Through all of this my mom kept complaining she did not feel well. We stocked up on cold medicine for her and vitamin c for Paul and I but we ended up catching her crud. Finally after a week of all of us doing nothing but getting worse, Paul took himself to prompt care only to find out he had strep.... Mom and I immediately loaded ourselves and Afton into the car and headed to prompt care. Sure enough... Mom and I had strep too. Of all the things my mom could have brought from Utah,  strep was not one I would have picked!  Thank goodness for antibiotics, we all healed just in time for our trip. 

My sweet friend Kelley took Afton while mom and I were gone and it was a life saver!!!!!!!!  I honestly don't think we would have had the trip we did with a toddler in tow. 

In NYC we went to the 9/11 memorial and museum, Statue of Liberty, Ellis island, Empire State Building, Serendipity for ice cream and saw fiddler on the roof on Broadway!! This was definitely a "bucket list " vacation. I'm so so thankful I got to experience all of these amazing things with my mom. 

Mom and I had an amazing time in VA Beach right after she arrived.  We were anticipating warmer weather, but you can probably tell by my sweatshirt... it was not quite as warm as we thought it would be.  We found a beach umbrella for sale as we were walking to the beach so we bought it and we were SO thankful for it because when it started to rain, we were able to hunker down under our umbrella and still have a wonderful time! It was one of the most relaxing days I had all summer.  Being able to bury my toes in the sand and listening to nothing but the waves coming in was exactly what I needed that day.  One thing I love about my mom is that we don't need to be surrounded by noise all the time.  We are pretty good at knowing when the other simply needs a moment of silence.  

Oh my word... Afton had a great time with her Maw Maw while she was here!  Mom taught her all of the important thing in life... like how to talk to Suri and why it's important to always lick the spatula when you are baking!  During one of our MANY JoAnn Fabric runs, Afton was struggling.... to say the least... so mom put her in the bin outside of the store.  A man walked by and said he would not pay $9.99 for her b/c she looked too mean!!!!  hahahahaha.  

We had a few rough moments during the visit.  Mom got off of her plane, got into my car and within the first few minutes of our drive home she was complaining that her throat was hurting.  Convinced it was just allergies or a cold, we loaded up on all of the over the counter stuff we could find.  Nothing helped her.  Instead, Paul and I both started to feel sick.  After about a week of the three of us feeling gross, Paul went to urgent care to get checked out and sure enough... he had strep.  Mom and I grabbed Afton and headed to urgent care too and found out that ALL of us had strep. Well, not Afton.  She ended up with a horrible sinus infection and ear infection about a week later.  

Mom brought Afton a tent when she came to visit. She made one for both of the little girls.  Afton loves it!!!  I cannot wait until we have room in our next home to keep it set up all the time.  I'm so blessed to have a mom who has so much talent!  

At bed time, Afton would crawl into bed with Mom and they would talk and sing and laugh.  It was so fun to listen to.  They have such a sweet bond.  

New York was AAAMMMAAAZZZIIINNNNGGGG!!!!!!  My sister and I were planning on going next summer, but it is going to have to wait util the summer after.  Mom and I had the BEST time!  It was truly a trip of a lifetime.  I always hear people talk about seeing the world... I dont need to see the world.  There are so many wonderful things to see right here in the USA!!!  I cannot wait to return to the Big Apple!  Thanks Mom for being the person I made these wonderful memories with!

FOOD!!!!!!!  Oh my gosh NYC has amazing food!  I can honestly say, of all the things we ate, my favorite thing was the $1.00 hotdog from some little hotdog stand!  I have ALWAYS wanted to buy a hotdog in NYC and that is exactly what we did!  This picture of my mom and I is priceless!  It really depicts our trip in one single picture!  

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum were spectacular.  The spirit I felt there was amazing.  When I first read that they were putting million and millions of dollars into this memorial, I assumed it was going to be over done and not needed.  Now that I have been to ground zero and touched the names that are on the walls around the fountains... my mine was changed.  Those who have survived this tragedy deserve this memorial.  Those who lost their lives deserve this memorial. Seeing where families or friends have placed flowers on some of the names made me realize that this is a place for people to come and mourn and remember those who were taken from us.  I cannot wait to take Afton to this memorial when she is old enough to understand what happened that day.  

My mom has had one huge thing on her bucket list her entire life. That was to see the Statue of Liberty.  What an amazing day that was for us.  We did not do a good job when it came to thinking the day through.  We walked from our hotel to Liberty Park and when we realized we needed to walk all the way back, we suddenly became aware of the fact that we could have driven to Liberty Park and just parked out car!!!  lol.  Oh my gosh we felt so dumb at that moment.  It was so hot and we were so tired and I was a weeeeee bit sunburned.  I wont say exactly how we got back to our hotel... but we did not have to walk and it was a blessing!  Mom and I both came away from that experience with a renewed thankfulness for our citizenship and the fact that we did not have to endure what those men and women had to all those years ago.  

Mom and I went to see Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway!  It was WONDERFUL!!!!!!  It is one of our all time favorite plays and being able to see it live was such an amazing experience.  We had outstanding seats.  I found myself singing through the entire play.  Before the play started we had dinner at the Stardust Diner. If you ever have a chance to go, it's so much fun.  All of the waiters are aspiring broadway actors.  They take turns singing broadway numbers.  I'll definitely go again!

The M&M store was a lot of fun to wonder through and pick out the little girls a couple cute things!

I have always wanted to go to Serendipity for their frozen hot chocolate.  I'm so thankful mom talked me into it when I was saying it would be too expensive and too far of a walk.  It was so much fun and oh my gosh the servings are HUGE!!!!!

By the time we made it through the line and to the top of the Empire State Building it was raining.  I was extremely reluctant to go outside onto the balcony but mom drug me out there and said we did not come all this way to stay inside.  The view was spectacular.  

The reason we went to NYC was because Paul was escorting the 9/11 Foundation Memorial Ride.  This is the 15th year of the ride and we have been told that it is quite possibly the last year.  When we were told this last fall, I told Paul I was not going to miss this experience. I called mom and asked if she wanted to come with me and she was so excited!  I still cannot believe we actually went.  It was amazing to see the thousands of motorcycles ride into downtown NYC that night.  I was so proud to watch my sweet husband doing what he loves and doing something that so few offices have the opportunity to participate in!  The 9/11 Foundation motorcycle is being put in the 9/11 memorial museum and Paul was asked to be one of only a handful of officers to sign it.  I am so proud to know that we can take our children there in the future and they can see their dads name on this piece of history.  I could not be more proud!

Afton and I ended the summer with a trip to Missouri to see my dad and brother.  We were there for a week and had a wonderful time.  

I was able to grab takeout from my very favorite fast food place in St. Louis.  I'd kill to have a Crazy Bowls and Wraps in VA!  It was so fun giving Afton the chance to get to know my dad and brother better.  It took her a little bit but she warmed up to them pretty quickly. 

John took us out on his boat.  I call it the Dingy.  Its a tiny little thing but we had the most wonderful time.  We fished and spent the day just relaxing.  The pictures do not do the day justice.  It was absolutely beautiful.  

We had lunch with my mom's siblings and some cousins in Hannibal, MO the Sunday before I left.  We stopped by the cemetery to give Erin some fresh flowers.  It was wonderful to see Afton being so sweet while we were there.  She kept walking up to Erin's headstone and patting it and rubbing it.  It's almost as if she knew who we were there to see.  Maybe she did!

I had some free time while Dad worked so I made him some chili for his freezer and a fall and christmas wreath.  He is not much of a decorator so I knew he would not go out and buy a wreath on his own, lol.  I do my best to make him a little less grinch when it comes to the holidays!

Afton enjoyed her first experience with bubbles at Johns.  She LOVED them!  It was so fun to see her interacting with John and really having  a good time!!!!!!!!

This summer has been so busy.  I have driven through:

Utah

Arizona

Nevada

California

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

New York

Virginia

West Virginia

Indiana

Kentucky

Illinois 

Missouri

I have had my feet in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and have literally been from one coast to the other.  This has been a summer of firsts and I cannot express how much fun I have had during these adventures!  

I hope you summer was full of wonderful memories too!

EQ