Sad Morning

Last Monday morning I woke up in my king size bed with a very sad realization. It would be the last morning that I would ever wake up in my bed in that house. Our bedroom was painted a beautiful ocean blue with white molding. We have a white satiny comforter with ocean blue sheets. I loved our room. The curtains were sheer white and hung by ribbons from curtain rods that Nathan made me from a picture in a book. On the ceiling above our bed was a couple hundred really tiny glow in the dark stars. At night Nathan and I would lay in bed and look at the stars. Kind of silly for an adult but we really liked them. It was always fun when the kids would be in bed and notice them. "Mommy look at the stars!!"

My favorite part was the neighbor's tree. There was a huge buckeye tree on the other side of our neighbor's house. The way the branches had grown was what made it special. When you laid in bed and looked out the window there were branches hanging down just in sight. In the summer the leaves would blow in the breeze and it was so relaxing. I always meant to take a picture but I never got around to doing it.

That Monday was very sad for me. That was the day the move became really real to me. My house, our first home that we owned and made ours, was reduced to boxes. If it hadn't been so frigid I might have spent more time taking pictures. Here instead are the few I took.

Disney on Ice

Last Friday Shagga Bear and I took Abby and AJ to see Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy. The characters from Cars were there, which was the main draw for AJ. They also had scenes from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and TinkerBell in Pixie Hollow.
We had a lot of fun and Shagga took some great pictures with her new camera. I'll let her tell you about Abby's reactions. Here are some of the pictures.

Did I ever

think I would hear myself say this

"No naked wrestling in the hall!"

They must get it from their uncle.

Have You Ever???

The things I've done are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain does an extinct volcano count??
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables mooched them off my sisters
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice I watched one...
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa I lived there.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma they won't take mine...see number 44
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible required to be an Honor Star
86. Visited the White House not yet
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

This was fun. Thanks Stephanie. Anyone else want to play? Just copy and paste. Leave me a comment so I can come and read yours.

I think my brain is leaking out...

There is so much going on these days. This past week I've had four evening activities. Nathan left on Monday and since he's been gone I haven't had one full night of sleep. The children have been sick with various things this week. Along with them missing their daddy, it's just been a hard week. Coming this week, Monday- cluster meeting, Tuesday-Mops, Wednesday- church, Friday- couples party at church or Thaddeus/JR's musical, Saturday- JM birthday party and church Christmas dinner, Sunday- PukPuk's birthday party and a Pampered Chef show, Monday- MOVERS COME!!!! Someone help...I think my brain is leaking out.
On top of this joyous season's activities that I usually love it just all seems so un-joyous this year. Nathan is gone. I miss him so very much. My house isn't decorated at all. It's usually all done the day after Thanksgiving. With the movers coming next week there didn't seem to be much point in putting up the tree and all the decorations. And over all this there is sadness. I so love the Christmas season. Family plays the biggest part in my celebration of the birth of Jesus. I'm a creature of habit and our family traditions aren't just habit, they are what make the season for me.
Without Nathan, knowing we're moving soon, and missing Daniel so very much the days are very hard. Mama Lily always hangs mistletoe and a bell in her kitchen doorway. Daniel was a very very affectionate person. Anytime he caught me anywhere near the doorway he would give me a huge kiss on the cheek. I'm not an affectionate person but Daniel was quite a bit stronger than me and he always won.
Yesterday was Little Buddy's birthday party. It was the first time I'd been over at their house since Mama Lily put her decorations. None of the other kids are quite as kissy as Daniel was and I missed him very much.
Today would have been his college choir concert. Most of the family/like family all went to West Virginia for it and on the way home from church today I was really missing him. I like to go and visit the cemetery. Someone asked me if it was wrong to talk to Daniel like he's still here. I told them that I talk to him like he's still here. It helps me cope with knowing he isn't here. Today was very cold out and I stood shivering, talking to him and crying. I like to clean off the little things that people leave on his grave. There's a little bear, a nice little planter with some frozen ground cover, a hot sauce packet that says, "will you scratch my back?" from Taco Bell and his special Christmas ornament from home. It seems to help to be able to do something.
I miss you Daniel.