Today was a recovery day from a full and emotional weekend.
Thursday:
Involved a packed day of preparing for the weekend, while blowing my nose regularly, telling myself I had allergies.
Friday morning:
Started at 6:15 a.m. with bacon and eggs for my sister Em who had been driving all night, immediately after which we drove for 2.5 hours to the home of my aunt and uncle, where I made more preparations for the evening's festivities.
Friday evening:
My sister Clare, her husband Bernie, and my favorite nephew arrived and we put on an evening bridal shower for Em, who's getting married this summer. The shower was lovely! I spent the night at my aunt's home.
Saturday morning:
Began with a delicious, leisurely breakfast she and my uncle prepared for me and Clare's little family (not at 6:15 a.m.). Then I had the joy of watching lots and lots of precious smiles from my nephew (it killed me that I couldn't hold him due to potential germs), followed by a laughter-filled lunch at my dad's house with Jay, Clare et al, Em and fiance, my sister Essie (recently returned from a stay abroad) and my dad's bride-to-be.
Saturday evening:
The group of us migrated to yet another relative's beautiful home and celebrated the anniversary of my mom's sister having been on the mission field for 20 years. A very meaningful time.
Then things finally started slowing down as Jay and I left the anniversary gathering. I took him just up the road to see my mom's grave site. Walking up to the spot, it was interesting to observe that I expected to feel a sense of comfort, like, "This is somewhere I can be with Mom," but once at the site, it was just so clear that she wasn't there. Of course, I'm glad that her soul isn't buried in a pile of dust underground, but it would have been nice to feel like I was standing with her, you know? On the long drive home, I cried with the ache of missing Mom. Going through so many family events without her hurt so much.
Having been away from the kids all weekend, Jay and I took them out to breakfast at McDonald's on Sunday morning. A few elderly people at a nearby table enjoyed watching the antics of the kids as we refereed them during the meal. (No, you can't climb up on the counter; this isn't a play place. You asked for a sandwich--too late to change your mind. Yes, this is your drink. You're so cute! Yes, you get the same amount as G. Don't drop your straw! I love you.) Jay smiled and quipped to our amused audience, “Breakfast theater! They are the show!” as he waved a hand over the kids.
We went to church afterward, and I kept trying to figure out why I had so much hesitation in registering for an upcoming annual women's lunch. After the service, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I just can't stand to go this year because the last two years in a row I sat next to Jay's mom. Plus, it's being held the day before Mother's Day, which feels very lonely this year. Tears leaked out from under my sunglasses while I stood in the arms of a friend.
Jay made lunch for us and I got a good nap--sooo needed! After naptime the four of us headed out to my father-in-law's house for dinner and to meet one of his friends. It's really fun watching my FIL cook. :-) But I really missed seeing my MIL in the kitchen. Heavy sigh.
Then home to bed for the night, which brings us back to today and its helpful normalness. Doing school with G wasn’t too bad (we even got to do a little science experiment). Then off to the park!
A few buckets of sand and four grubby hands later, two little squealing boys got hosed off in the backyard when we got home. After naps Daddy got home and took them to the pool while I took a walk with a friend and had a good sharing/praying and time with her. Dinner tonight was centered around peas and green onions from our garden; we had our weekly family prayer time; pjs and stories for the kids; time with Jay; and time to myself.
The last few days certainly have been chock-full. Writing this post has been tricky for me because I've struggled with which details to include--or more accurately, which not to include. The reason I've written so much is simply because This is what happened. This last weekend and today are equally parts of my life. Tomorrow is part of my life too, and since I'm less than two hours away from it, this is a good place to end today's story. Tomorrow will have its own!
Thursday:
Involved a packed day of preparing for the weekend, while blowing my nose regularly, telling myself I had allergies.
Friday morning:
Started at 6:15 a.m. with bacon and eggs for my sister Em who had been driving all night, immediately after which we drove for 2.5 hours to the home of my aunt and uncle, where I made more preparations for the evening's festivities.
Friday evening:
My sister Clare, her husband Bernie, and my favorite nephew arrived and we put on an evening bridal shower for Em, who's getting married this summer. The shower was lovely! I spent the night at my aunt's home.
Saturday morning:
Began with a delicious, leisurely breakfast she and my uncle prepared for me and Clare's little family (not at 6:15 a.m.). Then I had the joy of watching lots and lots of precious smiles from my nephew (it killed me that I couldn't hold him due to potential germs), followed by a laughter-filled lunch at my dad's house with Jay, Clare et al, Em and fiance, my sister Essie (recently returned from a stay abroad) and my dad's bride-to-be.
Saturday evening:
The group of us migrated to yet another relative's beautiful home and celebrated the anniversary of my mom's sister having been on the mission field for 20 years. A very meaningful time.
Then things finally started slowing down as Jay and I left the anniversary gathering. I took him just up the road to see my mom's grave site. Walking up to the spot, it was interesting to observe that I expected to feel a sense of comfort, like, "This is somewhere I can be with Mom," but once at the site, it was just so clear that she wasn't there. Of course, I'm glad that her soul isn't buried in a pile of dust underground, but it would have been nice to feel like I was standing with her, you know? On the long drive home, I cried with the ache of missing Mom. Going through so many family events without her hurt so much.
Having been away from the kids all weekend, Jay and I took them out to breakfast at McDonald's on Sunday morning. A few elderly people at a nearby table enjoyed watching the antics of the kids as we refereed them during the meal. (No, you can't climb up on the counter; this isn't a play place. You asked for a sandwich--too late to change your mind. Yes, this is your drink. You're so cute! Yes, you get the same amount as G. Don't drop your straw! I love you.) Jay smiled and quipped to our amused audience, “Breakfast theater! They are the show!” as he waved a hand over the kids.
We went to church afterward, and I kept trying to figure out why I had so much hesitation in registering for an upcoming annual women's lunch. After the service, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I just can't stand to go this year because the last two years in a row I sat next to Jay's mom. Plus, it's being held the day before Mother's Day, which feels very lonely this year. Tears leaked out from under my sunglasses while I stood in the arms of a friend.
Jay made lunch for us and I got a good nap--sooo needed! After naptime the four of us headed out to my father-in-law's house for dinner and to meet one of his friends. It's really fun watching my FIL cook. :-) But I really missed seeing my MIL in the kitchen. Heavy sigh.
Then home to bed for the night, which brings us back to today and its helpful normalness. Doing school with G wasn’t too bad (we even got to do a little science experiment). Then off to the park!
A few buckets of sand and four grubby hands later, two little squealing boys got hosed off in the backyard when we got home. After naps Daddy got home and took them to the pool while I took a walk with a friend and had a good sharing/praying and time with her. Dinner tonight was centered around peas and green onions from our garden; we had our weekly family prayer time; pjs and stories for the kids; time with Jay; and time to myself.
The last few days certainly have been chock-full. Writing this post has been tricky for me because I've struggled with which details to include--or more accurately, which not to include. The reason I've written so much is simply because This is what happened. This last weekend and today are equally parts of my life. Tomorrow is part of my life too, and since I'm less than two hours away from it, this is a good place to end today's story. Tomorrow will have its own!
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