She survived her first (and hopefully her last) black eye. Poor baby.



Yesterday was Don and Emily's birthday party. We all met and Dave and Busters and had a great time. Emily was on a roll and won lots of tickets.



Since Don's birthday was yesterday and Emily's today, it was easier to combine the two.



After a yummy dinner we all went to Don's parent's house for cake. It was so great getting to spend time with everyone. Even if it was a Monday night.



Hope they both got their wish.

Patrick was never big about cemeteries or things like that. During our almost 25 years together, we had talked about what to do if one of us dies. So I had a general idea of what Patrick wanted when he died. I decided on his favorite fishing spot. That way when we went to visit him we would be celebrating life not death. So today, the anniversary of his death, we all went to the park for breakfast.

The drought is worse than I thought. I couldn't believe how low the lake was today.
I was sorry that our ducks were not able to come and visit us today. The day we had the funeral at the lake, we had three ducks swim up and watch the whole ceremony. When it was all done they quietly swam away. It was like they knew what we were doing there and had just stopped by to pay their respects. This year we had even remembered the bread for them.

It took a little more of a walk but we did make it to the water.

Serif and her daddy got to look at the tadpoles swimming around.

Missy and Terry got a chance to spend some quiet time alone on the bridge while Serif and I wandered in the woods. I loved our walk. She is such a joy and talked constantly as we walked along.

Then it was time to play a little catch with the whole family before we headed back home. It was a very nice visit.

I still miss Patrick every day. Not the painful deep hurting that you feel when someone that you love first dies. No, it's more the missing of that part of you that made you whole. Missing the person that you shared all those years with. The person that you shared all your dreams and hopes with. The person that you promised to love no matter what and who is not there at your side any more. There will always be a hole in my heart for him.

Maybe because this has been such a hard year for our family that I have felt Patrick closer to me than usual. In times of stress I can feel his presence giving me strength. I have changed so much in the last 11 years. I like to think that he is proud of the woman I grew up to be.

I have no idea where the time has gone since my last blog. Never fear I am well but a little over worked. We had some big wigs at the office last week so things were a bit busy. Now it looks like things are back to normal and I'm getting caught up on my work.

I have gotten to spend a lot of time with my girl. Lately I have been getting off work early on Fridays. So I have been picking Serif up from school and her mommy can pick her up here. That way she and I get a little one on one time. One thing that she loves to do when she is here is to get into my make up. It's become a ritual for her to stand on the chair at my vanity and make herself beautiful.



And then when she was all through I almost cried when she said "I'm beautiful like G". Children are so wonderful.

Just popping in for a quick note to let everyone know that I am alive and well. Hopefully I'll get back to blogging again soon.

Right now we have some big wigs in the office so that has kept me busy. We had a company dinner last night and a lunch meeting today. They should be leaving this evening so hopefully life will get back to normal.

The good news is that I have gotten back to working out. I plan on hitting it again today after work. It really does help to relieve some of the stress after a day at the office. I just have to keep reminding myself of that when I just want to go home and hit the couch and veg.

Okay back to work. Hope everyone has a great day.

This is so awesome. I finally joined the 21st century. This weekend my wonderful son-in-law Terry and J put wireless in my house. So right now I am in my bed relaxing after a wonderful day and writing my blog. How awesome is that. I know most of you already have this but it's all new to me and I'm loving it.

Missy got a new crock pot and decided to practice on the mother's tonight. So her MIL and I got invited to dinner.

She made the best turkey and rice stew. It was so yummy. She also had biscuits.
Here are my beautiful girls working hard in the kitchen.
It was a wonderful evening. Missy's best friend joined us for dinner. She spent the time playing with Serif. Serif just adores her. E has been having a hard time and, even though she's still sad, I felt better getting to at least see her. I do have to tell you that she really does look awesome on her motorcycle.

Later in the evening, as we were sitting around relaxing and letting our wonderful dinner digest, C stopped by. What a wonderful surprise. I hadn't seen her since my birthday. As usual, she is looking fabulous.

Now I am home relaxing in my bed and getting ready for another week. Time for my beauty sleep.

And so life goes on. We are all back at work and dealing with life in our own ways. The healing takes time.

Serif got her hair cut over the weekend. She looks so cute and this is the perfect cut for her. Very easy to take care of.

While out running errands on Monday we stopped for a quick lunch. It was so nice to have my sweet family sitting across from me.

And, of course, they always show me the greatest respect when I'm taking pictures.

On a happy note Tom actually called last night. It was so good to hear his voice and find out what is going on with him. I have gotten so used to having my children close that is taking a little adjustment having him so far away. The main thing is that he is happy. That's all that matters.

One of the hardest things a mother can go through is watching her child in pain and knowing that there is nothing she can do about it. That's the way it has been for me that last couple of days. I have had to sit back and watch my sweet daughter go through one of the hardest things a woman can go through. The loss of a child. Missy lost her baby last week.

I was at work on Wednesday when Terry notified me about the baby. I am so grateful for the people I work with. There was no hesitation. Just go be with Missy and that's what I did. We all arrive at Missy's house to be with her. Her MIL, her SIL, Terry and me. We were all there to give her the support she needed. She was still in shock then.

I took Serif home with me since Missy had to go to the hospital early for her D&C. Afterward, she and Terry came over to my house so I could watch over them. At least I was able to feel like I could help a little.

I am so impressed with Missy. She is a strong woman. I know how hard this is. She is not hiding from the pain and loss. She will grieve but she is also looking toward the future. Serif is a big help. She doesn't know what's going on but she does know something is going on. She is being there for her mommy. She is watching over her and taking care of her in her own way.

Missy and Terry have a wonderful marriage and family. They will get through this stronger and better than before. Every time something bad happens they pull together and draw strength and hope from each other. They will continue to grieve but there is hope too and Serif is there to contantly remind them of the future that their family has.