The Hardest Heart Day

I wanted to take the kids out to see where my Mom was buried, Joel is always asking me about my Mom and for me to tell him stories about when I was little and about my Mom. I showed him pictures of her when I was little and then I took them out to the cemetry. Crystal and Rylee went with us and Crystal brought flowers, (buried next to my Mom is my sister Debbie).

What, made this the hardest heart day? After we got there and we placed the flowers on the grave and took a photo of the kids and I had never taken a photo of the headstone and I just wanted one, because I rarely get back to Texas anymore and Dad will be 83 in two weeks and perhaps not that many more trips left for me to take and I just want something to remember.






Well anyway back to the story. Joel, said "Mom are you going to introduce us to your Mom?" UH! I had to catch my breath and I looked at Crystal and I said Joel give me just a minute and yes I will introduce you to your Grandmother. Tears and all, I couldn't help it, even as I type this the tears flow. I told my Mom, she would love Joel and Hope and how precious her Grandchildren where and I knew she was watching from above. Then Joel said "can we talk with her too"? So, Joel said just a short hello and glad that he was able to come and sorry that he really never got to see her alive and only her pictures and again my tears flowed.


Then Hope, she talked for 10 minutes and it was 100degress in the hot Texas sun, no breeze and no trees. She talked about bringing her flowers and if they died it was okay, and she loved her, and then she went into Hope language and I have no idea what she was saying to her.

We then got in the car and went and got something cold to drink and headed back to Dad's.

I found John and cried on his shoulder for a long time. My Mom died 3 days before John and I were married and that was 15 years ago. I don't think you ever lose that void of losing your Mom, the pain eases but a Mom is someone so very precious, someone that shares in your joys, your sorrows, your pains, does not judge you bad decisions and rejoices with you when good comes your way, she is your confidant and in life you may friend a very close friend to share with and your husband like mine maybe your very special special friend but there is NO ONE LIKE MOM!

Leaving Texas and back to Jackson, MS

We returned to Jackson, MS and spent two nights. Took the kids to the Museum and the Planetarium. Want to know how to relax on a vacation? Make sure it's really hot outside and you can't do anything outdoors, go buy 4 expensive tickets to see the planetarum wjere it's really dark and cool and all 4 of you will fall asleep for the 45 minute showing.



The kids loved the museum and what they saw of the planetarium.

From MS to GA

We are really finalizing our trip we are leaving MS and normally you head back down towards FL, we decided lets take I-20 and just see where it leads throughout Alabama and GA. As we got into GA we thought this will go through Atlanta and our son Jim is just north of Atlanta why not call him and have dinner with him and if it's too late we will just find a hotel and stay the night and head back to FL the next day. So we called and had dinner with them and ended up spending the night with them. It was great, we haven't seen Jim for a couple of years and haven't seen his wife and step sons in about 6 years and I haven't seen my oldest granddaughter Alicia in about 7 years and she was with her Dad for the summer. This will be her 2nd year in college and she is enrolled in Forensic Science I am so proud of her, actually I am proud of all of them. The boys have grown so much and such gentlemen.

GA to FL

UGH! The Atlanta traffic was terrible going to Jim's and I was not about to get into that traffic on Friday morning, so we followed every back road in GA to get home and yes, it took an addition 3 hours, but no traffic no lights and it was gorgeous. However, when we got to Jacksonville, FL this is what was waiting for us.

ChenChen

This one is easy and hard. We left Taj with the foster mom that had him when we adopted him, she always keeps him when we go away or the kids have had surgery. While in Texas and at John's Aunts while visiting John's Grandma, Hope fell in love with the Chihuahas and she was determined we were not getting Taj's back.







Now, I guess finding out I was the only one that was fond of Taj and he had never really fit in like Trax. He was obedient and a good dog, but he was not a normal couch potato greyhound either. Joel was afraid of him because he was always like a puppy and wanting to run and jump at you and lately he had been doing that with Hope and knocked her down a couple of times. So when she saw the small dogs and played with them for a day she decided the small dogs where for her.







So when we got home I called the greyhound adoption society we got Taj from and talked with them and they have found a new home for him in NY and they thanked us for teaching him to be a pet and the foster mom told them how different he was and that he really had learned to be a pet and was better dog. My heart hurts, but it was best for him. He needed more than what we could give him as far as playing, our children just couldn't give him that. Our experience with greyhounds have been as I said a couch potato and Taj was not that...







So, we were hoping to find Hope her little dog after our Part Two Vacation Journey, but that just didn't happen. The nice gentleman we bought him from though is going to keep him until we get back. We have had him since Thursday morning and you would not believe how attached ChenChen and Hope have become. If Hope goes out of the room for longer than 10 minutes and he is asleep and wakes up he cries for her. When he wakes up she carries him around. We had to go get John's car yesterday from the AT&T yard because John is on call while we are gone and that means he has to have the AT&T truck in our drive, but cannot use it for personal use. ChenChen had to go with us. He slept in Hope's lap the entire way and on the way back Hope had to ride back with Dad and she feel asleep, dog and daughter both asleep in the back seat. John took a picture with his phone the little tail is caught in the seat belt and Hope's head is back.







It is a good match. The dog already goes to the backdoor to go out for potty, he is adorable and Hope picked him out or he picked Hope out not sure which... (yes, Dawn we did call him Chip, but John thought since Hope's middle name is Chen and this dog has a whit chin we should call him Chen and so thus comes ChenChen)

Palm Sunday

Our little Hope loves music and has finally begun to dance. On Palm Sunday she was in her first Liturgical Dance, it was only a 2 minute song. When I think that a year ago she could not hear, nor were words even intelligable that she was speaking and that on Palm Sunday she was able to hear the song and to dance and she is speaking multiple complex sentences today, I truly know that God has blessed us and this special little girl in our lives. We have heard the stories of other families and their CI children are struggling and Hope continues to amaze us, her speech teachers, her audiologist and all those around her with her comprehensive language. I do hope that you enjoy her first Liturgical Dance.

It is just that time again for me to sit down and write something about my wonderfully beautiful children. I so wish, that I was one of those Mother's that sat down each day and journaled about the life of my children, I adore them and each day they are more amazing than the day before and yet life goes by us so quickly and I find myself letting it slip by and not blogging a thing about it.



On February 6th John and Hope had their first real date night, it was a Father~Daughter dance at Hope's school. Hope was so excited that her Daddy bought her a flower and away they went together. As you can see from the video below.



This child of my heart has changed so much, she is maturing, she is fun, she is loving. You cannot come in contact with her and not walk away a different person.

I know the song that was written on this video was for a special girl and yet aren't all of our girls very special daughters and as I think about it, we are all Special daughters to the Father.

We are "Daughters of the King."