Remembering, Honoring

Yesterday was Memorial Day.  Our family tradition has always been to spend time and post flags in a veteran's cemetery.  Christopher is at the heart of this tradition: it's his idea, his passion, his patient and appropriate discussions with the kids about the meaning of the day.  So it was a bit bittersweet to carry on without him.  Tough to explain to the kids that we were honoring men and women who had been in the military and died while serving their country (or as the kids say, they "sacrificed for America").  You could see the wheels turning in Millie's head..."Hmmm.  My Dad's in the military serving his country...".  Anyway, we powered through on our own and ended the afternoon with a picnic lunch and some bike riding. 

That's a Wrap!

And just like that...our school year is over!  It feels like those eight months just flew by around here.  Then I dug up this photo from September.  Proof that a lot can change in a little bit of time.  Proof that I need to slow down and treasure these days.

Happy Summer!

Scenes from a Morning...

Today, the gratitude came easy.  It came to me in a butterfly nightgown carrying a shaky cup of hot coffee and the proudest grin across her face.  It came in monkey pajamas with a banana in one hand and a cup of cereal in the other -- just for me, with a chocolate covered almond nestled down in there because a special day deserved a special treat.  And even though it came at 6:05 am, I was happy to let it wash over me and snuggle me close in the half empty bed.  I let it remind me of the months and years when I feared that this family was a dream not meant for me.  And I remembered my own mom, the woman who made it all possible and showed me the way to really love a family.

So while we were a man down for this mother's day, we didn't feel alone or lonely.  We stuck close together.  Marveled at our baby girl.  Laughed through dinner in our neighbors' backyard.  And gave thanks for all that we've been given.  It is a lot.

Lots of Love from "Over There"

We received another awesome box of goodies from Christopher today.  We have the best time sitting in the middle of the floor together and sorting through all of his notes and bags and treats for us.  I know he goes out of his way to get off the ship and shop for us at each port visit.  It's not easy -- they can't leave the ship without a "liberty buddy", so he often has to round up a willing shipmate to cruise the local shops with him.  I'd love to be a fly on the wall as these big navy dudes are picking out fancy girls' shoes and baby toys to send home.

Here are a few shots of our goodies from Daddy:

Traditional headdress.

Millie got a traditional dress and scarf.

This gift is so special.  He chose individual links (her initials, a soccer ball, a dog, an ichthus)  to create a unique bracelet just for Millie

Hannah got a camel (no sound out of this one, thankfully) but she really fell in love with the sparkly shoes that came with Millie's dress.

Obviously, these did not come in the box from Dubai.  What an amazing surprise at my door this afternoon.  Mother's Day flowers from Christopher!  So beautiful and touching.

Nine Months

Cousin Visit!

Swooping in to save us from boredom and bath nights, my sister-in-law Jennie and her two girls drove down from Connecticut for a fun visit a few weeks ago.  What a wonderful little break from reality.  

We hit the beach together:

This massive pile of pumpkin-flax pancakes represents the LOADS of work Jennie did for us while she was here.  Baths, dinner, dishes, bedtime...you name it, she jumped right in and unburdened me.  And to top it off, she brought down an entire cooler filled with home made dinners for our freezer.  What a gift.

Taco Night!  Kids and moms alike love the 75-cent taco night at the little dive in our neighborhood!

Playtime in the park.

A walk to slurpees!

Thanks for a fun visit, Jennie!

A School Easter

It was my turn to host the holiday party in Millie's classroom, so my friend Sara and I got to work entertaining and feeding twenty preschoolers.  We had a great time!  The kids made "stained glass" crosses out of paper plates and tissue paper, had a fun lunch including real bunny carrots with long green leaves, and took home way too many orange jelly bellies in their goodie bag.  I loved watching Mils interact with her classmates and getting a peek into her everyday world.

Earlier in the week, Millie shaped a bird's nest and egg out of clay and grew her own grass from seed.  Fun springtime crafts!