...a little trot down memory lane...

What babies we were 35+ years ago! Me in my $13 dress and three dollar hat. Is it possible to feel sorry for the past you?


Married at 18 and a half, Emily was born when I was 19 and a half. (She and I are closer in age than she and Camille, who are 22 1/2 years apart)


Paul with Emily and Abigail, then little Benjamin.


Benjamin in the high chair, Emily and Abigail, me holding Mirielle...


Emily, Abigail and Ben in the hats Em made in kindergarten, then Ben getting a snack for baby Mirielle.


This is my handsome brother, Billy. If you've been reading a while, you know he passed away several years ago, died by suicide via shotgun. I know, it is shocking and it shouldn't be said. But it happened, and it's horrible. Of the seven kids in our family growing up, it was my sister, four brothers, the youngest of them Billy, then me, then little brother Casey. So Billy and I were besties growing up, and good friends with the same friends, when we were teenagers. This is a grief that has dulled from sharp and unbearable, like you can hardly breathe, to a major punch in the gut when it's remembered. Because, why?


Kathryn Grace when she was small, because she was so cute.


Kathryn, Molly holding little Jonathan, Suzanne, Sonja, Evelyn Joy...Margaret isn't in the pic, nor is Samuel, Sam is after Molly, Margaret after Sam.


My parents. My dad looked a little grumpy. He always was a little bit grumpy, but he had a huge, caring heart. My mom, she was the best.

Last evening, we had carne asada fajitas/taco salad, with all the fixings. Emily and Mirielle came over (Abigail is in Norway), Margaret and Adrian and Wulf, Evelyn and Molly too. Sonja, Char, and Cam were here, with Paul and I. Somehow we got into the old pictures and photo albums.

Today, we are going over to Emily's house to help her paint her living room.

Paul is busy putting hinges and the door handle on a door we have to replace for Joseph and Bethany, the one that Sunny chewed through when she stayed with them.

And...I can't keep quiet about this anymore because I am so excited: I am going to Mexico again!!!! Mirielle, Evelyn, and I are going in March, meeting Aaron and Riley there. We are staying at a beautiful resort, white sand beaches, pools and pool bars, several restaurants and buffets, all-inclusive. I am SO excited! I know, it seems like I travel a lot. But for the first 45 years of my life I went hardly anywhere! In the last ten years, I've been to:
France
Norway
(Iceland only for a layover, but it's so beautiful, I want to go for a longer layover and visit the hot springs!)
London, England (only for a day!)
Ireland
Jamaica (twice)
Dominican Republic
Mexico
California (like four times)
Oregon
Washington State (like four times)
Washington, D.C., several times
Ottowa
Delaware
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia. (on the way to and from Fla, stayed a night here and there, plus when Sam was in the Army)
Oklahoma (when Ben was graduating from Basic)
All the states on the way to Cali, we stayed the night in:
Nevada
Indiana
Utah...

So you can say this: I love to travel. I love it, hate it. Hate the anxiety jitters, hate going through security, hate being away from home, but also love being away from home. I love the traveling bonds, the sharing of experiences, the memories made, the just plain fun of walking away from responsibilities and being on vacation. Paul and I went to Norway when we had seven kids, just brought Molly, the baby, then didn't really travel until #16, Miss Camille, was two, then we went to Jamaica, all by ourselves. We liked it so much, we went to Dominican, then Jamaica again. I'm trying to get him to come to Mexico with us, but he hasn't decided yet to yet.

Anyway, there are girls to wake up, a day to live, more coffee to drink...and ugh, dishes and sweeping.