Poor baby William is having a rough week. I think its safe to say he is done travelling for awhile and I don't think he's too disappointed!
Last Monday we took him to the doctor because he had a cold that just didn't seem to be going away, then Sunday night and Monday morning he threw up. The doctor said he had a mild ear infection and prescribed an antibiotic. He seemed to actually grow to like the amoxicillin, which is a shame since today we found out it wasn't working :( His ear infection isn't any better, so the doctor prescribed 2 more weeks of a stronger antibiotic.
He's a trooper though! He travelled from Denver to Dallas last Wednesday, Dallas to Birmingham to Nashville to Jacksonville by plane then Jacksonville to Charleston by car on Friday (yep, that is 13 hours of travel in one day), then Charleston back to Dallas and back to Denver yesterday. That's enough to get me in a bad mood, then add to it an ear infection - I would have been quite the pill if I were him. But, he remained pretty happy the majority of the time. His cough was persistent and was seeming to get worse though, so we made an appointment to see the doctor again today. We wanted to be sure he didn't have bronchitis or RSV or something. That's when we found out his poor little ear is still infected. I'm sure the travel didn't help the situation, but Dr Caplan said the plane rides aren't to blame. (maybe he said that so I didn't feel like the worst parent of 2010) He weighed 15 pounds, 15 ounces and was 27 inches long today - yowsers, where did the itty bitty 7 lb 20 inch baby go??? Its ok, I'm loving every second of him growing and he is a blast to watch these days.
Despite being sick William still found time to learn to roll over and to find his feet last week! This morning Dr Caplan kept counting on his fingers "march, april, may, june, july...march, april..." finally I said "he'll be 5 months on Friday". He responded, "yeah, that's what I keep getting too but usually they don't get that great at grabbing their toes until about 6 months. guess he likes those things!" He does like to play with his feet and really likes when you suck on his toes and blow on his feet. No complaints here since I love me some baby feet :)
William had a good time seeing family. In Dallas on Thursday morning Brandon raised William over his head and shook him a little, making a funny giggling sound. William LOVED it. Brandon did it a few more times and then William learned once Brandon had brought him back down to his lap, he just had to raise his arms and look up to make Brandon do it again! He had Uncle Brandon pegged for a sucker :) I can't blame him though, I'll do just about anything to see that big grin on his face too. He was such a good boy and slept throughout the entire funeral, waking up just as it was ending, and enjoyed spending the afternoon with his Aunt Dana and his YaYa. Then on Friday once we got to South Carolina he was a happy camper when he saw his CeCe and Pop.
We had a wonderful time in South Carolina and I was definitely in need of a relaxing weekend with family. Its nice to be so welcomed and loved by Austin's family simply because Austin chose to invite me to be a part of it. His family has loved me since before they even met me, and its a nice warm feeling to walk into that sort of home. I didn't get to see William much between CeCe, Pop, Sherry (austin's 8 year old cousin), and a few other people who had their 5 minutes with him. But I love that he is so loved so I didn't mind.
We were all 3 happy to be home last night, though, and William was pretty content to lay on the bed and play by himself for awhile. His favorite toys right now are a ball (unfortunately its hard, so he smacks himself with it pretty often), his "buddy" which is a miniature blanket with a little animal head attached to it, a soft book, and his blanket. He loooooves his blanket! I always hoped I'd have a blanket totin' baby like I was and I think he's well on his way. Guess all that swaddling brain washed him :)
Jun 30, 2010
Jun 20, 2010
An Empty Candy Jar
For as long as I can remember, the second thing I have always done after walking into my Mimi's house is to reach into her crystal candy jar in the entry way and grab 2 pieces of chocolate. The first thing was always to hug Mimi as the greeted me. Then, for the remainder of my time in Dallas I'd grab a piece of candy each time I walked in or out of the front door. She usually had miniature Reese's and miniature Hershey's, so I'd grab one of each, but I was really ok with whatever assortment she had in there. It was eerily symbolic to me when I went to her house in March to find that the candy jar was no longer on the table. I asked about it and she said it was the weirdest thing; the candy jar had disappeared. She said the cleaning people didn't know what happened to it, she didn't know - it was just gone. Mimi's house was not the same that day, and quickly after that Mimi was not the same anymore either. After a long, blessed life of 92 years and a quick fight with cancer (another blessing), Mimi passed away yesterday morning and, like her candy jar, my heart is empty.
Mimi was born in 1917 and it always blows my mind to think of the things she saw in her 92 years. Thinking back to history class, there were so many major events that people lived through in the early 1900's. She lived to see the world wars, the great depression, segregation, the tides changing in the world of segregation, the assassination of a president, first landing on the moon, more wars, the greatest president America has ever seen (my biased opinion, if you can't tell by my cat's name), the new millennium, yet another war that then her grandson and grandson-in-law ended up fighting in...she saw it all, and through it all remained the strongest woman - scratch that, the strongest person - I've ever known. She survived a tragic fire that burnt her family home down, pulled her children through the death of their dad, saw her baby pass away 12 years before her time had come, and she never lost her strength. At her 90th birthday party family and friends wrote letters to be compiled into a book for her about the impact she had on their lives. One of her late husband's brothers wrote, "Bill found a gem in Mary and I'm so glad he did. She's been more like a sister than a sister-in-law and I love her very much". He hit the nail on the head - Mary was a gem.
I learned a lot from Mimi and I only got to see the last quarter of her life. I can only imagine the lessons she offered for the first three quarters that I missed out on. Second to her strength, I think I learned about stubbornness and how far it can take you if you want it to! When I was 6 years old my mom's mom had lung cancer and my mom needed to devote her time to taking care of her mother. It was summertime, though, and my brothers and I needed someone to take care of us too so Mimi offered to fly us all up there for a week to help out. My cousins in Dallas had already been enrolled in a day-camp so Mimi enrolled Brandon, Brian and me in the camp too. On the third day of camp I decided I was NOT going. I was a bit of a brat sometimes and I certainly knew how to use my stubbornness to get my way with my dad. His mom, however, was not a sucker. I tried locking myself in her closet, emphatically letting her know I would not be attending that stupid day camp. Well damn if she didn't somehow break through the lock on the door knob and drag me out of there by my feet. I ended up going to camp that day, and never again did I try to fight a battle against Mimi. It was her way or no way, and I learned that lesson pretty quick.
I tell that story to bring a little comic relief, but really that's the only time I can remember when Mimi was stern with me. She had a heart shaped paddle in her kitchen that said "Grandma's Paddle on it" and when I realized it was actually a pillow instead of a board it all made sense. Mimi devoted our time together to making sure we knew how much she loved being a grandmother and the joy that we brought to her life. I hope I was able to relay that message back to her. From the time I was five years old I have had the privilege of having at least one trip to Dallas every year, by myself, when I was able to develop a deep, personal relationship with her. For that I am truly forever grateful. I loved learning about the life she had been blessed with, her trips around the world, her experiences as a mother, and the love she had for her family.
I'll never forget the first time I asked Mimi about her husband. My dad's dad passed away when he was 17 so I never got to meet him. I was curious about the kind of person he was, so I went into the kitchen where Mimi was having her ritualistic morning glass-bottle of coke and asked her, "Do you think Bill would have liked me?" She said, "My Bill?". I knew her response meant her husband Bill rather than her son Bill - every time she's ever spoken of him she calls him "my bill". I told her that I wondered if he'd like me as his granddaughter, what kind of person he was, and if she missed him. This was on one of my summer trips to Dallas and I was probably too young to understand that some people don't like talking about topics like this. She didn't mind though and, in fact, she seemed to love that I asked. At this point her husband had been gone probably 15 years or more, but the glow I saw in her eye when she spoke of him would have made me think he was just sitting in the next room. I learned what it meant to love a person forever that day. And 15 years later when I saw someone else ask her about her late husband, she had that same glow. 30+ years after his passing she was still in love with the man she married and it was like talking to a young girl who is in love for the first time.
I know that she waited patiently for nearly 40 years to see her husband again, and I know that she is enjoying their reunion today. I'm sure she also is soaking up the moments she is spending with her baby and, if there are kitchens in heaven, I'm sure he's already made her a batch of breakfast taquitos. She loved my dad's breakfast taquitos. When my dad passed away someone wrote to us that the Cowboys never lose in Heaven - so I know the 3 of them will enjoy celebrating the Cowboys' victories together. She is with 2 men that she loved dearly and has missed for a long time, and she is pain free. She didn't have to suffer for too long, and I am so thankful for that.
I learned this weekend that whether someone dies too young like my dad or they lived a long, full life like Mimi it doesn't make it one bit easier for the people who they've left behind. I also know, though, that if she hadn't been the remarkable grandmother and woman that she was it wouldn't be nearly this hard to let her go. So I'll take the pain and emptiness that I'm left with knowing that it is because I have been blessed for 25 years to have had the pleasure of knowing Mary Loving Blair. And I'll never forget the happiness I felt when I grabbed candy out of that jar: the candy meant that I was going to enjoy some more time with my Mimi, if only for a little while.
Jun 16, 2010
William Wednesday
It is apparently a common thing in the blog world to post "wordless Wednesday" posts with just pictures or things like that. But, I've decided that on Wednesdays when I have nothing specific to say I'll have William Wednesdays and keep you in the loop on what my little prince is doing!
Every day is a day of discoveries for a 4 month old baby, let me tell you. I don't want to blink cause I'm afraid of what I'll miss! William is still very talkative and loves if we repeat the noises he makes. One of the most joyful times of my day is when I can hear him wake up through the monitor because he'll lay in his crib and talk for 20 minutes if I let him. I can't ever let it go that long though, I just have to go see what he's up to. He has learned in the past couple of weeks that the sound of the door opening is associated with us coming in, so he tilts his head backwards to see us and gives us a HUGE grin. At this point he generally has his feet up in the air, hands pulling his blanket up to his face, and his eyes set on us. Once we're in his room, he's back to talking!
He is also mastering the talent of reaching out, grabbing items, pulling them to him and deciding when he wants to drop them. This morning he was cuddling with a little blanket toy that has a stuffed animal head on it (great description, I know) and he didn't ever want to let it go. He took it to day care with him, held onto it as I pulled him out of his car seat, and held onto it when I passed him off to Miss Kim. I'm not sure if he ever finally decided he was done with it, but he likes it! When I got home last night Austin told me William wouldn't let go of the glowworm at school, so we thought we would have to go buy one this weekend. Maybe his puppy dog blanket toy is a sufficient substitute! The other thing he's working on is holding his bottle. Last night he was so intrigued by the fact that he could control the bottle that he kept pulling it towards his mouth, taking one or two sips, pulling it out of his mouth, grinning at the sight of the bottle, then repeating the entire process. Maybe soon he'll hold it and actually just want to DRINK the bottle. :)
I have a few recordings of William laughing and talking, and I wish I could load them on here so you could hear. I know I've said its the most precious sound on the world, but you just have to hear it! Austin is better at getting him to laugh than I am, and when Austin gets him going he just can't stop! Its so precious.
I think his next big milestone will be turning over. When he's laying down, whether on his back or tummy, you can tell he REALLY wants to roll over. He hasn't quite gotten it, but I can tell its coming soon because he is pretty intent on getting his body to move that way. Its pretty fascinating to watch him learn and wonder what is going on in his little brain.
Those are the only updates on Mr. William Wallis that I can think of. I can't wait for my workday to be over, as always, so I can go see what he's going to do today! Maybe next Wednesday I'll tune you in to his fabulous discoveries again :)
Every day is a day of discoveries for a 4 month old baby, let me tell you. I don't want to blink cause I'm afraid of what I'll miss! William is still very talkative and loves if we repeat the noises he makes. One of the most joyful times of my day is when I can hear him wake up through the monitor because he'll lay in his crib and talk for 20 minutes if I let him. I can't ever let it go that long though, I just have to go see what he's up to. He has learned in the past couple of weeks that the sound of the door opening is associated with us coming in, so he tilts his head backwards to see us and gives us a HUGE grin. At this point he generally has his feet up in the air, hands pulling his blanket up to his face, and his eyes set on us. Once we're in his room, he's back to talking!
He is also mastering the talent of reaching out, grabbing items, pulling them to him and deciding when he wants to drop them. This morning he was cuddling with a little blanket toy that has a stuffed animal head on it (great description, I know) and he didn't ever want to let it go. He took it to day care with him, held onto it as I pulled him out of his car seat, and held onto it when I passed him off to Miss Kim. I'm not sure if he ever finally decided he was done with it, but he likes it! When I got home last night Austin told me William wouldn't let go of the glowworm at school, so we thought we would have to go buy one this weekend. Maybe his puppy dog blanket toy is a sufficient substitute! The other thing he's working on is holding his bottle. Last night he was so intrigued by the fact that he could control the bottle that he kept pulling it towards his mouth, taking one or two sips, pulling it out of his mouth, grinning at the sight of the bottle, then repeating the entire process. Maybe soon he'll hold it and actually just want to DRINK the bottle. :)
I have a few recordings of William laughing and talking, and I wish I could load them on here so you could hear. I know I've said its the most precious sound on the world, but you just have to hear it! Austin is better at getting him to laugh than I am, and when Austin gets him going he just can't stop! Its so precious.
I think his next big milestone will be turning over. When he's laying down, whether on his back or tummy, you can tell he REALLY wants to roll over. He hasn't quite gotten it, but I can tell its coming soon because he is pretty intent on getting his body to move that way. Its pretty fascinating to watch him learn and wonder what is going on in his little brain.
Those are the only updates on Mr. William Wallis that I can think of. I can't wait for my workday to be over, as always, so I can go see what he's going to do today! Maybe next Wednesday I'll tune you in to his fabulous discoveries again :)
Jun 15, 2010
iWant
Do you remember the book "The Berenstein Bears Get the Gimmes"? I generally don't walk into stores and think I need everything in sight, but dammit if the Apple store doesn't give me the gimmes!
We went to the mall on Sunday to pick up a couple of things and thought we'd go stop by the apple store and see if they had a sample of the new iPhone to play with. They don't; they get them the day of launch to keep the suspense. What they did have were tables FULL of iPads. The apple store is always a madhouse, but I have never seen it so packed! We saw people leaving and quickly snagged their spots so we could each play with an iPad. William was content sleeping in his stroller while mommy started reading a book, typed something up in pages (the equivalent of word), made a spreadsheet in numbers (excel), and played a game. I'm not sure what daddy was doing - I was too enthralled in my own fun to pay any attention.
I have no real NEED for an iPad, but I have my mind made up that I want one. They're just so COOL. What will the purpose be? I haven't yet determined that. I have a macbook, and I have an iPhone...the iPad is essentially in between the 2. Do I need a middle man? Maybe so.
Just think, we could take it on road trips so William can watch movies. I could toss it (carefully) in the diaper bag so that I can be occupied while he is playing at gymboree or wherever I take him when he's older. I can...well I'm just searching for logical reasons here but really there are none. I just want it, that's the bottom line.
The only thing stopping me is the price tag. The model I want is $700...that's a lot of money to drop on something just because its cool. I'm sure prices will drop like they always do, and the second version always has the bugs worked out from the first version so maybe I'm better off anyway. But once that price drops to $699...look out! :)
We went to the mall on Sunday to pick up a couple of things and thought we'd go stop by the apple store and see if they had a sample of the new iPhone to play with. They don't; they get them the day of launch to keep the suspense. What they did have were tables FULL of iPads. The apple store is always a madhouse, but I have never seen it so packed! We saw people leaving and quickly snagged their spots so we could each play with an iPad. William was content sleeping in his stroller while mommy started reading a book, typed something up in pages (the equivalent of word), made a spreadsheet in numbers (excel), and played a game. I'm not sure what daddy was doing - I was too enthralled in my own fun to pay any attention.
I have no real NEED for an iPad, but I have my mind made up that I want one. They're just so COOL. What will the purpose be? I haven't yet determined that. I have a macbook, and I have an iPhone...the iPad is essentially in between the 2. Do I need a middle man? Maybe so.
Just think, we could take it on road trips so William can watch movies. I could toss it (carefully) in the diaper bag so that I can be occupied while he is playing at gymboree or wherever I take him when he's older. I can...well I'm just searching for logical reasons here but really there are none. I just want it, that's the bottom line.
The only thing stopping me is the price tag. The model I want is $700...that's a lot of money to drop on something just because its cool. I'm sure prices will drop like they always do, and the second version always has the bugs worked out from the first version so maybe I'm better off anyway. But once that price drops to $699...look out! :)
Jun 14, 2010
I have a Few Flaws
There aren't that many, but I do have flaws. :)
One of which is that I almost always forget to attach files after I've said I'm attaching them. If you've ever received an email from me that says something like, "...and I attached a picture for you to see" but didn't see a picture - know that you're in good company. It usually happens when I start out by saying I'll attach something, then I get wordy and write a novel (I know you're shocked that I would do that) then by the time I'm done writing I've forgotten that I was supposed to attach something.
Long story short (cause long stories are all I know how to do) here is the picture of the POW MIA table that I forgot to include in the last post.
One of which is that I almost always forget to attach files after I've said I'm attaching them. If you've ever received an email from me that says something like, "...and I attached a picture for you to see" but didn't see a picture - know that you're in good company. It usually happens when I start out by saying I'll attach something, then I get wordy and write a novel (I know you're shocked that I would do that) then by the time I'm done writing I've forgotten that I was supposed to attach something.
Long story short (cause long stories are all I know how to do) here is the picture of the POW MIA table that I forgot to include in the last post.
Jun 12, 2010
Happy 235 Birthday!
This month the United States Army celebrates its 235th birthday - happy birthday! In honor of that, Austin and I went to the Army Birthday Ball Friday night that his battalion puts on every year. Miss Kim came over to watch William so we were able to leave easily knowing he would be fine for the evening.
The balls are always fun - what wouldn't be fun about getting dressed up, seeing hubby in his uniform, and going out for an evening of good food, good company, good music, and good birthday cake? I always enjoy the festivities, but my favorite part of the evening comes at the very beginning and it chokes me up every time. If you've ever been to a formal military function or to a memorial such as the WWII memorial museum in San Diego you will have seen this display before. It is a presentation in honor of our soldiers who are still missing in action.
The ball began with a social cocktail hour, then everyone entered the ballroom through a receiving line, shaking the hands of the hosts for the evening. Once we were all seated, the color guard came in, posted the colors, and the national anthem was sang. After the national anthem formal toasts were made, such as "To the United States of America" - to which we all replied, "To the Union". We toasted the 4 branches of service, the president - I personally chose to sit out of the second toast of "To the Commander in Chief". Call me disrespectful if you want, but I just stood there silently - and Immediately after is when the POW-MIA presentation is made.
Because I can't say it better than the presentation is written out, I have copied the verbiage off the Internet and I'm including a picture of the table. As the MC read the following script, the color guard members took turns adding each item to the table, then bowing in silence.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER OF OUR GATHERING. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THE TABLE SET BEFORE YOU. THIS TABLE IS SET FOR OUR PRISONERS OF WAR AND THOSE MISSING IN ACTION -- FROM ALL WARS.
THEY ARE NOT WITH US TODAY. THEIR CHAIRS ARE EMPTY, BUT SAVED FOR THEIR HOPED RETURN. LET US REMEMBER THEIR ABSENCE. LET US REMEMBER THE MEN AND WOMEN PRISONERS OF WAR FROM ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE THAT ARE TOO OFTEN FORGOTTEN. LET US REMEMBER THEM.
THE TABLE CLOTH IS WHITE, SYMBOLIZING THE PURITY OF THEIR INTENTIONS TO RESPOND TO THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL TO ARMS -- SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN COULD REMAIN FREE. THE LONE CANDLE SYMBOLIZES THE FRAILTY OF A PRISONER ALONE, TRYING TO STAND UP AGAINST HIS OPPRESSORS. THE BLACK RIBBON ON THE CANDLE REMINDS US OF THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE COMING HOME.
THE SINGLE RED ROSE REMINDS US OF THE LOVED ONES AND FAMILIES OF OUR COMRADES IN ARMS WHO KEEP THE FAITH AND AWAIT THEIR RETURN. A SLICE OF LEMON IS ON THE BREAD PLATE TO REMIND US OF THEIR BITTER FATE -- IF WE DO NOT BRING THEM HOME. THERE IS SALT ON THE PLATE, SYMBOLIC OF THE FAMILY'S TEARS AS THEY WAIT AND REMEMBER. THE GLASSES ARE INVERTED. THEY CANNOT TOAST WITH US TONIGHT.
THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE RIBBON IS TIED TO THE FLOWER VASE BY A YELLOW RIBBON THAT WAS WORN BY THOUSANDS WHO AWAITED THEIR RETURN.
AS WE LOOK UPON THIS EMPTY TABLE, DO NOT REMEMBER GHOSTS FROM THE PAST, REMEMBER OUR COMRADES. REMEMBER THOSE WHOM WE DEPENDED ON IN BATTLE. THEY DEPEND ON US TO BRING THEM HOME. REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS. THEY ARE THE ONES WE LOVE -- WHO LOVE LIFE AND FREEDOM AS WE DO. THEY WILL REMEMBER WHAT WE DO. PLEASE HONOR AND REMEMBER THEM.
It is a somber moment and makes you really think about the people who went missing and are never heard from again. I can't imagine the empty feeling and the frustration with the lack of closure that these parents, spouses, siblings and friends must feel. After the presentation was over, we all raised water glasses rather than wine and toasted in silence.
It is thanks to hundreds of thousands of people who never made it home that we are able to celebrate the Army's 235 birthday. So Happy birthday to the army - and I send out a prayer to those POW-MIA's and their families: May God bless you and keep you. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
The balls are always fun - what wouldn't be fun about getting dressed up, seeing hubby in his uniform, and going out for an evening of good food, good company, good music, and good birthday cake? I always enjoy the festivities, but my favorite part of the evening comes at the very beginning and it chokes me up every time. If you've ever been to a formal military function or to a memorial such as the WWII memorial museum in San Diego you will have seen this display before. It is a presentation in honor of our soldiers who are still missing in action.
The ball began with a social cocktail hour, then everyone entered the ballroom through a receiving line, shaking the hands of the hosts for the evening. Once we were all seated, the color guard came in, posted the colors, and the national anthem was sang. After the national anthem formal toasts were made, such as "To the United States of America" - to which we all replied, "To the Union". We toasted the 4 branches of service, the president - I personally chose to sit out of the second toast of "To the Commander in Chief". Call me disrespectful if you want, but I just stood there silently - and Immediately after is when the POW-MIA presentation is made.
Because I can't say it better than the presentation is written out, I have copied the verbiage off the Internet and I'm including a picture of the table. As the MC read the following script, the color guard members took turns adding each item to the table, then bowing in silence.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER OF OUR GATHERING. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THE TABLE SET BEFORE YOU. THIS TABLE IS SET FOR OUR PRISONERS OF WAR AND THOSE MISSING IN ACTION -- FROM ALL WARS.
THEY ARE NOT WITH US TODAY. THEIR CHAIRS ARE EMPTY, BUT SAVED FOR THEIR HOPED RETURN. LET US REMEMBER THEIR ABSENCE. LET US REMEMBER THE MEN AND WOMEN PRISONERS OF WAR FROM ALL BRANCHES OF SERVICE THAT ARE TOO OFTEN FORGOTTEN. LET US REMEMBER THEM.
THE TABLE CLOTH IS WHITE, SYMBOLIZING THE PURITY OF THEIR INTENTIONS TO RESPOND TO THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL TO ARMS -- SO THAT THEIR CHILDREN COULD REMAIN FREE. THE LONE CANDLE SYMBOLIZES THE FRAILTY OF A PRISONER ALONE, TRYING TO STAND UP AGAINST HIS OPPRESSORS. THE BLACK RIBBON ON THE CANDLE REMINDS US OF THOSE WHO WILL NOT BE COMING HOME.
THE SINGLE RED ROSE REMINDS US OF THE LOVED ONES AND FAMILIES OF OUR COMRADES IN ARMS WHO KEEP THE FAITH AND AWAIT THEIR RETURN. A SLICE OF LEMON IS ON THE BREAD PLATE TO REMIND US OF THEIR BITTER FATE -- IF WE DO NOT BRING THEM HOME. THERE IS SALT ON THE PLATE, SYMBOLIC OF THE FAMILY'S TEARS AS THEY WAIT AND REMEMBER. THE GLASSES ARE INVERTED. THEY CANNOT TOAST WITH US TONIGHT.
THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE RIBBON IS TIED TO THE FLOWER VASE BY A YELLOW RIBBON THAT WAS WORN BY THOUSANDS WHO AWAITED THEIR RETURN.
AS WE LOOK UPON THIS EMPTY TABLE, DO NOT REMEMBER GHOSTS FROM THE PAST, REMEMBER OUR COMRADES. REMEMBER THOSE WHOM WE DEPENDED ON IN BATTLE. THEY DEPEND ON US TO BRING THEM HOME. REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS. THEY ARE THE ONES WE LOVE -- WHO LOVE LIFE AND FREEDOM AS WE DO. THEY WILL REMEMBER WHAT WE DO. PLEASE HONOR AND REMEMBER THEM.
It is a somber moment and makes you really think about the people who went missing and are never heard from again. I can't imagine the empty feeling and the frustration with the lack of closure that these parents, spouses, siblings and friends must feel. After the presentation was over, we all raised water glasses rather than wine and toasted in silence.
It is thanks to hundreds of thousands of people who never made it home that we are able to celebrate the Army's 235 birthday. So Happy birthday to the army - and I send out a prayer to those POW-MIA's and their families: May God bless you and keep you. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Jun 9, 2010
The Essence of Patty
A few weeks ago Austin and I were going to the mall and I made him put in my band CD from my senior year of high school. I knew he wasn't at all interested, but I wanted him to hear me playing my piccolo solo from that marching season...and I may have just wanted to listen to it for my own enjoyment too. As we were scrolling through the songs to find my solo, we came across one that had a big oboe part. Patty played oboe, and every time I hear that song it makes me grin from ear to ear because not only did she knock it out of the park, but that particular song marked the beginning of our friendship (to me, anyway).
I met Patty at the beginning of her freshman year of high school, my junior year, and at some point during that year our groups of girl friends collided to make a group of 8. Alexis, Jenny, Ashley and I were all in the same grade and had been close friends since our freshman year, while Patty, Julie, Sarah and Lindsay were all close friends too. It wasn't until my senior year that Patty and I developed a friendship aside from our super-cool-girls-club though. And no, we didn't call ourselves that. I made it up just now, we weren't THAT big of band nerds. Except really, we were...sad to say. Moving on. Before our "winter" concert Patty had been struggling with her oboe solo and was getting really frustrated. It was a big part and she wasn't used to being the center of attention. Patty never was one for that sort of spotlight. One day she was really overwhelmed during class trying to get her part just right, and I stayed after class to somewhat console her. Then I tried to be as encouraging as possible leading up to the concert to boost her confidence. She had the part down, she just didn't know she had it down. I don't know if my support helped or if she just naturally got more comfortable, but when the concert came she absolutely blew it out of the water. She gave me a gift afterwards thanking me for helping her through it, and from then on she and I developed a deeper friendship than just that of 8 girls having sleepovers and playing Cranium. Yep, we loved Cranium!
It was pretty easy for me to become so close with Patty - I'm a great talker, like I've said before, and Patty loves to listen. :) It wasn't just that, though. Some people used to tease her for being so quiet, and I've even been asked how we ever became so close in the first place because of how quiet she is. But for me, that was never a problem. Not just because I had someone willing to listen to me gab on and on, but because I somehow knew how to bring out the talkative side in her too! I never saw her as shy or quiet or hard to get to know, to me she was just Patty.
Fast forward 9 years and I found myself flying into Houston to be a part of her wedding. I couldn't have been more thrilled! I've written before about how blessed I've been to have had such wonderful people placed in my life and had the opportunity to maintain relationships over the years, despite whatever distance there may have been. Patty and I stayed close through my being in college while she was still in high school (that was the toughest transition of all actually!), then we were in college together, I moved to Denver, she graduated and moved to Houston - yet still, here we are. She is one of my closest confidants and best friends to this day, so to stand in support of her as she and Keith exchanged their vows was truly my pleasure.
When I was asked by friends throughout the day of the wedding how Patty was doing, my answer stayed the same: She looks stunning, she's calm, and she's happy. But would you expect any different? One person said it best: Well, that's the essence of Patty!
I wanted to wait to write this post so I could share pictures of how beautiful the wedding and bride were, but I'm too impatient for that and silly me forgot my camera that day. The wedding was beautiful and not one detail had been overlooked. I hate to compare one wedding to another because I think weddings take on the characteristics and qualities of the couple in most cases. There's generally a white dress, a tuxedo, a tiered cake and maybe a chocolate cake on the side (if you're in the south, that is) - yes, those similarities are there. But each wedding becomes unique to the bride and groom, so they're pretty difficult to compare. I will say, though, that Patty's reception was probably the most beautiful reception I've ever seen. Beautifully decorated, beautifully orchestrated - just beautiful. I guess that can go back to my original statement of how weddings take on the characteristics of the couple. Maybe not Keith so much in the beauty aspect(hehe), but definitely Patty. Her beauty came through in her reception. She is one of the most beautiful people, inside before out, that I know and I saw that beauty shine all day.
Patty has forever criticized herself for being one of the most indecisive people in the world. At times, she is. However, I will credit her for being decisive when it matters. She may have struggled with bridesmaids dresses, flowers, table linens, and much more. But in her decision to love Keith for the rest of her life she never wavered. And that is what matters most. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Piassoli - and thanks for letting me be a part of your wonderful day.
I met Patty at the beginning of her freshman year of high school, my junior year, and at some point during that year our groups of girl friends collided to make a group of 8. Alexis, Jenny, Ashley and I were all in the same grade and had been close friends since our freshman year, while Patty, Julie, Sarah and Lindsay were all close friends too. It wasn't until my senior year that Patty and I developed a friendship aside from our super-cool-girls-club though. And no, we didn't call ourselves that. I made it up just now, we weren't THAT big of band nerds. Except really, we were...sad to say. Moving on. Before our "winter" concert Patty had been struggling with her oboe solo and was getting really frustrated. It was a big part and she wasn't used to being the center of attention. Patty never was one for that sort of spotlight. One day she was really overwhelmed during class trying to get her part just right, and I stayed after class to somewhat console her. Then I tried to be as encouraging as possible leading up to the concert to boost her confidence. She had the part down, she just didn't know she had it down. I don't know if my support helped or if she just naturally got more comfortable, but when the concert came she absolutely blew it out of the water. She gave me a gift afterwards thanking me for helping her through it, and from then on she and I developed a deeper friendship than just that of 8 girls having sleepovers and playing Cranium. Yep, we loved Cranium!
It was pretty easy for me to become so close with Patty - I'm a great talker, like I've said before, and Patty loves to listen. :) It wasn't just that, though. Some people used to tease her for being so quiet, and I've even been asked how we ever became so close in the first place because of how quiet she is. But for me, that was never a problem. Not just because I had someone willing to listen to me gab on and on, but because I somehow knew how to bring out the talkative side in her too! I never saw her as shy or quiet or hard to get to know, to me she was just Patty.
Fast forward 9 years and I found myself flying into Houston to be a part of her wedding. I couldn't have been more thrilled! I've written before about how blessed I've been to have had such wonderful people placed in my life and had the opportunity to maintain relationships over the years, despite whatever distance there may have been. Patty and I stayed close through my being in college while she was still in high school (that was the toughest transition of all actually!), then we were in college together, I moved to Denver, she graduated and moved to Houston - yet still, here we are. She is one of my closest confidants and best friends to this day, so to stand in support of her as she and Keith exchanged their vows was truly my pleasure.
When I was asked by friends throughout the day of the wedding how Patty was doing, my answer stayed the same: She looks stunning, she's calm, and she's happy. But would you expect any different? One person said it best: Well, that's the essence of Patty!
I wanted to wait to write this post so I could share pictures of how beautiful the wedding and bride were, but I'm too impatient for that and silly me forgot my camera that day. The wedding was beautiful and not one detail had been overlooked. I hate to compare one wedding to another because I think weddings take on the characteristics and qualities of the couple in most cases. There's generally a white dress, a tuxedo, a tiered cake and maybe a chocolate cake on the side (if you're in the south, that is) - yes, those similarities are there. But each wedding becomes unique to the bride and groom, so they're pretty difficult to compare. I will say, though, that Patty's reception was probably the most beautiful reception I've ever seen. Beautifully decorated, beautifully orchestrated - just beautiful. I guess that can go back to my original statement of how weddings take on the characteristics of the couple. Maybe not Keith so much in the beauty aspect(hehe), but definitely Patty. Her beauty came through in her reception. She is one of the most beautiful people, inside before out, that I know and I saw that beauty shine all day.
Patty has forever criticized herself for being one of the most indecisive people in the world. At times, she is. However, I will credit her for being decisive when it matters. She may have struggled with bridesmaids dresses, flowers, table linens, and much more. But in her decision to love Keith for the rest of her life she never wavered. And that is what matters most. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Piassoli - and thanks for letting me be a part of your wonderful day.
Jun 4, 2010
Happy Friday
This morning I woke up at 5 to do a workout video, but the playstation wouldn't work and that's what we use for DVDs. So, I went back to bed and decided I'd use the gym at work over lunch to get today's workout. Then lunch came around and I missed William too much, so I opted to go see him instead. Oops :)
It was fun though! Miss Colleen and Miss Tara were in the room at the time and they told me that William was having so much fun playing soccer earlier. Soccer??? He's 4 months old! But in keeping with the "summer" theme for the week today they taught the older boys to play soccer and William wanted to join in. I'll have to get the details later on exactly how it worked, but Colleen said he was so proud when he kicked the ball!
I got to love on him and cuddle for a bit - he had just woken up so he was extra cuddly, and then I had to head back to work. But there's no better lunch break than seeing my baby!!!
It was fun though! Miss Colleen and Miss Tara were in the room at the time and they told me that William was having so much fun playing soccer earlier. Soccer??? He's 4 months old! But in keeping with the "summer" theme for the week today they taught the older boys to play soccer and William wanted to join in. I'll have to get the details later on exactly how it worked, but Colleen said he was so proud when he kicked the ball!
I got to love on him and cuddle for a bit - he had just woken up so he was extra cuddly, and then I had to head back to work. But there's no better lunch break than seeing my baby!!!
Jun 3, 2010
Forever Precious
Sunday night, after the whirlwind had nearly ended, Austin and I were sitting at the gate waiting for our plane to arrive when we met the sweetest little girl in the world. I was holding William while feeding him a bottle. Like most girls her age, she had her eyes glued to him. I saw her whisper something to her mom, to which her mom responded, "You'll have to ask the mommy". With that, she came walking my direction.
"I like your baby:"
"Well, thank you!"
"Where is he from?" At this I had to pause and smile. The little girl was Chinese and her parents were American, so she must assume that all parents travel the globe to get their children. It was a precious assumption, I thought.
"He is from Denver. Where are you from?"
"China. My parents got me when I was 16 months old"
her dad chimed in, "And Kimberley, when we got you I think you were about his size"
NO WAY, I thought. William is only 4 months, no way he is the size of an 18 month old. So I asked, "How much did she weigh?"
"Fifteen pounds. She was 16 months, couldn't walk or talk, only weight 15 pounds but she knew how to wash dishes."
My heart broke. Her mom explained that when they first brought her back to America all she was comfortable doing was sitting on the kitchen counter and washing dishes like she had done at the orphanage. How sad is that?
Kimberley proceeded to ask me if she could hold William's bottle as he drank, then wanted to shake his rattle for him to keep him occupied. I obliged to both. She told me about her school, how excited she is for summer, why they were in Houston, about her 16 year old brother Kevin who has disabilities, that she can count to 120 in English and 26 in Chinese...she was adorable. After she finished counting to 120 (to prove to me that she could, in fact, do it) her dad said, "Kimberley, tell them your Chinese name". She said she didn't remember, so he told us what it was. I can't write (or speak, for that matter) in Chinese, so I won't attempt to tell you her name, but he said "it means forever precious".
And "forever precious" she was. I hope she keeps her sweet little spirit as she grows! Meeting people like that in the airport make the wait for your plane not quite so boring.
"I like your baby:"
"Well, thank you!"
"Where is he from?" At this I had to pause and smile. The little girl was Chinese and her parents were American, so she must assume that all parents travel the globe to get their children. It was a precious assumption, I thought.
"He is from Denver. Where are you from?"
"China. My parents got me when I was 16 months old"
her dad chimed in, "And Kimberley, when we got you I think you were about his size"
NO WAY, I thought. William is only 4 months, no way he is the size of an 18 month old. So I asked, "How much did she weigh?"
"Fifteen pounds. She was 16 months, couldn't walk or talk, only weight 15 pounds but she knew how to wash dishes."
My heart broke. Her mom explained that when they first brought her back to America all she was comfortable doing was sitting on the kitchen counter and washing dishes like she had done at the orphanage. How sad is that?
Kimberley proceeded to ask me if she could hold William's bottle as he drank, then wanted to shake his rattle for him to keep him occupied. I obliged to both. She told me about her school, how excited she is for summer, why they were in Houston, about her 16 year old brother Kevin who has disabilities, that she can count to 120 in English and 26 in Chinese...she was adorable. After she finished counting to 120 (to prove to me that she could, in fact, do it) her dad said, "Kimberley, tell them your Chinese name". She said she didn't remember, so he told us what it was. I can't write (or speak, for that matter) in Chinese, so I won't attempt to tell you her name, but he said "it means forever precious".
And "forever precious" she was. I hope she keeps her sweet little spirit as she grows! Meeting people like that in the airport make the wait for your plane not quite so boring.
Jun 2, 2010
I'm a Talker
When our friends Jan and Marty had their first child, a daughter named Maizeanne, at one point Marty told Jan, "I hope our daughter doesn't talk as much as her!" He was referring to me as I was riding in the backseat of their car, talking nonstop to absolutely no one.
I was a talker. On many occasions I can remember my talking being a topic of conversation even! For example:
~in fourth grade Mrs Turner tried moving me to a round table by myself because when I finished my work I was distracting to the other kids in the class. I wasn't bad I just wouldn't stop talking, so she thought isolating me might help. Nope, I kept talking just the same. Talked to the wall, talked to people behind me, talked to myself...talked, talked, talked.
~in fifth grade Mrs Baron told me "silence is golden" so I told her I don't like gold, I like diamonds.(this is still true, by the way, and my birthday is July 19) Therefore, I continued to talk. Again, to anyone or no one - really didn't matter. She didn't try isolating me, she just moved me to a table with other students who finished their work quickly so we would keep the talking contained to one small area.
~growing up my brothers shared a bedroom and obviously my parents shared a bedroom. I'm sure my brothers were jealous of me for having my own room, but I was jealous of the 4 of them because they had someone to talk to at night! So, King Louie, the Genie from Aladdin, and a few select other animals who made the cut that day would lay in bed with me and we'd talk, talk, talk. Because they were unfortunately mute, I would fill in the blanks for them.
~in high school I was in band...insert all the band nerd jokes you want...and I was the drum major. I'll pause here for you while you insert more jokes of me being the head nerd. Done yet? Ok, moving on. When I was trying out for drum major one of the band directors told me she was not at all surprised that I'd like to be drum major because it would give me more opportunities to talk, and sometimes people would even be required to listen!
You get the point; I like to talk. So it should come as no surprise that yesterday on William's Daily Report from his FIRST DAY at daycare the teacher's comments included "he talks a lot - and its so cute!"
You can conclude from the fact that he got a daily report and the fact that I am writing here that we did in fact make it through our first day of day care. Austin and I dropped him off with Miss Kim around 7:20 and after we took a few pictures, stood longingly at the door, and kissed him a billion times we were ready to leave. William was not phased by the whole thing which is just as it should be. I, however, was. I can hold back tears with the best of them under most circumstances, but that my friends was not one of them. I cried the whole way to work, cried some when I got to work, and cried periodically through the day. When I told Paula that I planned to go see him over lunch she said I was a "brave mommy" because she was afraid it would make it harder. She had a good point, and almost had me convinced not to go, but I'm glad I went.
William was so happy when I got there! Miss Kim, his main teacher and the one he really likes, was on her lunch break so Miss Jesse was the only permanent teacher in there and there were 2 floating teachers filling in. When I walked in the room the first thing Miss Jesse said to me was, "Helen here has a new crush. William is quite the flirt!" Helen is 3 months William's elder, trying to rob the cradle I see. I quickly stole William from one floating teacher before Helen could influence him anymore. Then Miss Jesse, who was sitting on the floor, grabbed a miniature beach ball and started playing with it in front of William. He watched as she tossed it around, then she held it directly in front of him to grab. It took a few times of me using his arms to grab the ball, but eventually he figured out how to wrap his arms around it and use his fists to hold it! He was precious and so very proud of himself. Seeing how interactive the teachers were with all the babies and how much fun he was having made it slightly easier for me to leave with the comfort of knowing he is going to be great.
His daily report at the end of the day explained the "Summer Theme" for the week which is carried out in all the classrooms. It told about the teachers singing "You are my Sunshine", the older babies in the room finger painting with summer colors, and playing with the beach ball. Then in the comments section Miss Kim wrote "William had a great first day, he did very well. He is so happy and he talks a LOT - its so cute!" It's 2:30 now and I can not wait for 5:00 to get here so I can go see what fun sorts of things they did today!
I was a talker. On many occasions I can remember my talking being a topic of conversation even! For example:
~in fourth grade Mrs Turner tried moving me to a round table by myself because when I finished my work I was distracting to the other kids in the class. I wasn't bad I just wouldn't stop talking, so she thought isolating me might help. Nope, I kept talking just the same. Talked to the wall, talked to people behind me, talked to myself...talked, talked, talked.
~in fifth grade Mrs Baron told me "silence is golden" so I told her I don't like gold, I like diamonds.(this is still true, by the way, and my birthday is July 19) Therefore, I continued to talk. Again, to anyone or no one - really didn't matter. She didn't try isolating me, she just moved me to a table with other students who finished their work quickly so we would keep the talking contained to one small area.
~growing up my brothers shared a bedroom and obviously my parents shared a bedroom. I'm sure my brothers were jealous of me for having my own room, but I was jealous of the 4 of them because they had someone to talk to at night! So, King Louie, the Genie from Aladdin, and a few select other animals who made the cut that day would lay in bed with me and we'd talk, talk, talk. Because they were unfortunately mute, I would fill in the blanks for them.
~in high school I was in band...insert all the band nerd jokes you want...and I was the drum major. I'll pause here for you while you insert more jokes of me being the head nerd. Done yet? Ok, moving on. When I was trying out for drum major one of the band directors told me she was not at all surprised that I'd like to be drum major because it would give me more opportunities to talk, and sometimes people would even be required to listen!
You get the point; I like to talk. So it should come as no surprise that yesterday on William's Daily Report from his FIRST DAY at daycare the teacher's comments included "he talks a lot - and its so cute!"
You can conclude from the fact that he got a daily report and the fact that I am writing here that we did in fact make it through our first day of day care. Austin and I dropped him off with Miss Kim around 7:20 and after we took a few pictures, stood longingly at the door, and kissed him a billion times we were ready to leave. William was not phased by the whole thing which is just as it should be. I, however, was. I can hold back tears with the best of them under most circumstances, but that my friends was not one of them. I cried the whole way to work, cried some when I got to work, and cried periodically through the day. When I told Paula that I planned to go see him over lunch she said I was a "brave mommy" because she was afraid it would make it harder. She had a good point, and almost had me convinced not to go, but I'm glad I went.
William was so happy when I got there! Miss Kim, his main teacher and the one he really likes, was on her lunch break so Miss Jesse was the only permanent teacher in there and there were 2 floating teachers filling in. When I walked in the room the first thing Miss Jesse said to me was, "Helen here has a new crush. William is quite the flirt!" Helen is 3 months William's elder, trying to rob the cradle I see. I quickly stole William from one floating teacher before Helen could influence him anymore. Then Miss Jesse, who was sitting on the floor, grabbed a miniature beach ball and started playing with it in front of William. He watched as she tossed it around, then she held it directly in front of him to grab. It took a few times of me using his arms to grab the ball, but eventually he figured out how to wrap his arms around it and use his fists to hold it! He was precious and so very proud of himself. Seeing how interactive the teachers were with all the babies and how much fun he was having made it slightly easier for me to leave with the comfort of knowing he is going to be great.
His daily report at the end of the day explained the "Summer Theme" for the week which is carried out in all the classrooms. It told about the teachers singing "You are my Sunshine", the older babies in the room finger painting with summer colors, and playing with the beach ball. Then in the comments section Miss Kim wrote "William had a great first day, he did very well. He is so happy and he talks a LOT - its so cute!" It's 2:30 now and I can not wait for 5:00 to get here so I can go see what fun sorts of things they did today!
Jun 1, 2010
P.S: PICS
I meant to include a few pictures from the weekend in the last post but was getting paranoid I'd get caught blogging at work. Ok, really I wasn't paranoid - pretty sure they've seen me a time or two. I just forgot :) So...
Picture #1: what occupied Austin and William before Patty's wedding (and my aunt mandy's dog q-tip)
Picture #2: family pic at the wedding...except mommy can't look at the camera
Picture #3: Happy Memorial Day from an All American Baby
Whirlwind Again
How often do I describe my weekends as “whirlwind weekends”? I feel like its often, but that might be because they really are whirlwinds. We flew to Texas Thursday night and flew back Sunday. While we were there we hardly had a moment to breathe.
We landed late Thursday night and William had been woken up multiple times between getting off the plane, in the car, etc so when he didn’t wake up at Austin’s parent’s house we just decided to let him sleep in his car seat! It seems uncomfortable but he was sleeping so good that we just couldn’t bear to wake him up. Friday morning he woke up at 7:45, which was normal since that’s 6:45 in Denver, and he was a happy little bear. Austin went golfing with Herb, so once I had William fed, dressed, and the car packed I went to my mom’s house so that William could meet his Aunt Mandy and Uncle Leon (POPLAWSKI). My mom, Mandy, William and I went and had lunch then made a quick stop at Ann Taylor Loft. I had gotten an email for 40% off en entire purchase, so they twisted my arm. My mom is dangerous in there though! Get this! Buy this! Try this! Did get some cute clothes, so I guess I can’t blame her TOO much.
Friday night was when the madness began. The rehearsal was at Northgate Country Club where the wedding would be on Saturday and the dinner was at Spring Creek BBQ. The epitome of a Texas rehearsal dinner: shiner bock beer, brisket, and blue bell ice cream. I was in heaven! I’ll add a side note here: Keith’s sister Jenna made a slide show of pictures and the ONE picture in which I appeared I looked awful. So maybe I CAN see a difference between 2007 and now! We couldn’t hang out long – William had been such a good, content boy and never made a fuss but he needed to get home and get to bed. Plus, that’s always a nice way to cover up how lame I am that I need to be in bed early too :)
Saturday morning Austin and I met Brittany and Michael at St Cuthbert for William’s baptism meeting. Before the meeting I assumed we’d just go in, run through the process, and leave but Father Desmond had a lot he wanted to share with the parents and godparents on the sacrament of baptism. I learned a lot and gained a deeper knowledge and appreciate for other things. And thanks to Brittany and Michael for being there – the one mother who had to tell Father Desmond that the child’s godfather couldn’t make it due to other obligations almost got her head bitten off! Pretty sure I almost saw steam coming from his ears. I know this may seem strict, we all have busy lives and other duties, but Father D had reiterated to us, and I’m sure to all the parents, the importance of the commitment to be a godparent and that if the godparents were not committed to be there then they are not the right choice. So thanks Brittany and Michael for reaffirming our decision :)
After the meeting Austin dropped me off at Patty’s mom’s house to get ready for the wedding while he went home and played with William. We ate fruit, I asked Patty, her sister, Keith’s mom and his sister a million questions (I tend to fill silences with questions), and we got our hair done. Once time rolled around we headed off to Northgate to get dressed and turn Patty into a Piassoli. I’ll write more on this tomorrow as I think weddings deserve their own post and this one is already long enough. But just in case you were curious – I had a BLAST. A-mazing. That’s all I’m gonna say. And Patty was stunning. That’s all.
Sunday flew by, and will also be covered by another post, and before we knew it time had rolled around for us to head to the airport again. William was absolutely exhausted and peopled-out, so I think he was pretty happy to be back on a plane and headed home to his own bed…if he knew that’s where we were going. As we were preparing to land in Denver the flight attendant got on the intercom and said, “Because tomorrow is Memorial Day, I want to say thank you to all our troops, at home and abroad, for serving our country and for the sacrifices they’ve made. For them and in honor of those who have given their lives, I would like to lead us all in singing God Bless America.” In a sweet, pure voice she led and I was surprised and pleased by the number of people that chose to join in. With that, we headed home to spend our Memorial Day resting and relaxing, preparing for the week to come. No better way to spend a holiday than in the comfort of my 2 babies' arms!
Happy (belated) Memorial Day to you all – and thanks to the people who give us the reason to celebrate.
We landed late Thursday night and William had been woken up multiple times between getting off the plane, in the car, etc so when he didn’t wake up at Austin’s parent’s house we just decided to let him sleep in his car seat! It seems uncomfortable but he was sleeping so good that we just couldn’t bear to wake him up. Friday morning he woke up at 7:45, which was normal since that’s 6:45 in Denver, and he was a happy little bear. Austin went golfing with Herb, so once I had William fed, dressed, and the car packed I went to my mom’s house so that William could meet his Aunt Mandy and Uncle Leon (POPLAWSKI). My mom, Mandy, William and I went and had lunch then made a quick stop at Ann Taylor Loft. I had gotten an email for 40% off en entire purchase, so they twisted my arm. My mom is dangerous in there though! Get this! Buy this! Try this! Did get some cute clothes, so I guess I can’t blame her TOO much.
Friday night was when the madness began. The rehearsal was at Northgate Country Club where the wedding would be on Saturday and the dinner was at Spring Creek BBQ. The epitome of a Texas rehearsal dinner: shiner bock beer, brisket, and blue bell ice cream. I was in heaven! I’ll add a side note here: Keith’s sister Jenna made a slide show of pictures and the ONE picture in which I appeared I looked awful. So maybe I CAN see a difference between 2007 and now! We couldn’t hang out long – William had been such a good, content boy and never made a fuss but he needed to get home and get to bed. Plus, that’s always a nice way to cover up how lame I am that I need to be in bed early too :)
Saturday morning Austin and I met Brittany and Michael at St Cuthbert for William’s baptism meeting. Before the meeting I assumed we’d just go in, run through the process, and leave but Father Desmond had a lot he wanted to share with the parents and godparents on the sacrament of baptism. I learned a lot and gained a deeper knowledge and appreciate for other things. And thanks to Brittany and Michael for being there – the one mother who had to tell Father Desmond that the child’s godfather couldn’t make it due to other obligations almost got her head bitten off! Pretty sure I almost saw steam coming from his ears. I know this may seem strict, we all have busy lives and other duties, but Father D had reiterated to us, and I’m sure to all the parents, the importance of the commitment to be a godparent and that if the godparents were not committed to be there then they are not the right choice. So thanks Brittany and Michael for reaffirming our decision :)
After the meeting Austin dropped me off at Patty’s mom’s house to get ready for the wedding while he went home and played with William. We ate fruit, I asked Patty, her sister, Keith’s mom and his sister a million questions (I tend to fill silences with questions), and we got our hair done. Once time rolled around we headed off to Northgate to get dressed and turn Patty into a Piassoli. I’ll write more on this tomorrow as I think weddings deserve their own post and this one is already long enough. But just in case you were curious – I had a BLAST. A-mazing. That’s all I’m gonna say. And Patty was stunning. That’s all.
Sunday flew by, and will also be covered by another post, and before we knew it time had rolled around for us to head to the airport again. William was absolutely exhausted and peopled-out, so I think he was pretty happy to be back on a plane and headed home to his own bed…if he knew that’s where we were going. As we were preparing to land in Denver the flight attendant got on the intercom and said, “Because tomorrow is Memorial Day, I want to say thank you to all our troops, at home and abroad, for serving our country and for the sacrifices they’ve made. For them and in honor of those who have given their lives, I would like to lead us all in singing God Bless America.” In a sweet, pure voice she led and I was surprised and pleased by the number of people that chose to join in. With that, we headed home to spend our Memorial Day resting and relaxing, preparing for the week to come. No better way to spend a holiday than in the comfort of my 2 babies' arms!
Happy (belated) Memorial Day to you all – and thanks to the people who give us the reason to celebrate.
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