old videos

Well, my computer is about to kick the bucket. So I am saving pictures and videos beforehand. Here are 2 videos I want to keep so I am putting them here. They are on my facebook, but better 2 places than one :)

 

Merry Christmas!

Lifting Sarah

I do not use a 'lift' for Sarah. Someday I might, but not yet. This is for a few reasons. One is that I do not use a wheelchair in the house for her. She sits in her rocking chair, or at the table in a regular chair or she stands in her stander. And I carry her from destination to destination. It's easier and less time consuming. I keep her moving. It's better for her to have different seating/standing changes throughout the day rather than sit in one particular chair, all the time. Using a lift means having the seating right at the bedside to transfer her into. It does not mean rolling her in the lift to the living room or kitchen to sit in one of the stationary chairs. Moving the lift with her in it for any length of space is unsafe.

So no lift.

I do not have a wheelchair accessible van so Sarah rides in the regular back seat of my car. I carry her from the house to the car and put her in. I do not use the wheelchair for transfer from the house to the car because it's just more lifting to get the chair into and out of the trunk. I keep her chair in the trunk all of the time, like a stroller, for when we are out and about.

So there's the set-up. It's been this way for years. Sarah has stopped growing, so that's a help. But there's one variable that continues to change and challenge me in this whole lifting thing. That would be my age. I cannot do anything about the fact that I am getting older and lifting her is becoming harder for me. Not drastically harder, but challenging enough that I have had to change a few little things to keep going in the past couple of months.

One thing that is different is the way I lift her. It used to be a hoist from under her arms and up to my shoulder. But that is bothering my right arm. So now, it has to be a scoop: one arm under her shoulders and one arm under her knees. That works well. The next thing is how often I lift her. I try to condense some of the lifts. And she doesn't go out in the car quite as much. She still goes out, cause she loves it, just not quite as much. A third thing that's different is that I now have another girl at riding help me with the lifts onto and off of the horse. That makes a big difference. I just cant do it by myself anymore.

So, why this entry about lifting today? Well, Sarah has a dentist appt Wednesday and usually I lift her from the wheelchair into the dentist chair and back again. But this time I will ask them if they can do her teeth while she remains in her chair. I hope so.

Little changes, but changes nontheless.

Tree Trim

I am sure this is the earliest I have put up the tree in a long time. It wasn't planned to be a 'go' today, we were merely going to check some out at a local lot on our way to dry the laundry (yup, dryer not replaced yet).

 However. We got there and there was the perfect tree. Just standing there. So, I figured we might as well just get it now and leave it on the porch. So we drove it home.

John plopped it down and said 'doesn't it need to go in water?' Yup, he was right. Well, then, I guess we might as well put it in the stand in the house. So, in it came. And there it stood. In the stand all wrapped in netting.

I said "you might as well take the webbing off so Mia(kitty) doesn't eat it and so that the branches will fall'.

So John took the webbing off. And there it was. Naked and green. Just standing there.

So I had to decorate it.

And I did.

And Sarah had a ball, with the Christmas music, the silver garland, the lights, the beads and most of all the tissue paper that surrounded each breakable ornament.

Sarah loves the scrunchy sound of tissue paper. As you can see!

And so the tree is up, hooray! And John? Do you think he put any ornaments on the tree? Nope. (OK, maybe one). This was because he had a couple of glasses of wine and looked like this:

HAHAHAHAHA  HO HO!

Twas way before Christmas....

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Everyone is asleep, except for me, cause I am getting ready for work.

Sarah is in the land of sweet dreams. John is snoozing and kitty is napping under my quilt.

Why are they all sleeping in the middle of the day? Well, first of all, it's raining. And secondly, this is Sarah's usual midday siesta.

As for John? He worked from 4 am to 11 am. He came home, cooked some eggs and hit the hay.

and Mia? Well, suffice it to say that she has been sick and $500 later, she is medicated and recovering.

It's been a busy December so far, but we are still on track.

John has an interesting job interview with the NBA tomorrow, down in NJ, so fingers crossed that it goes well.

Like everyone, there is so much to do right now. But I am trying to slow down, enjoy Sarah's health, John's presence and Mia's silence :)

Off to work. Ho Ho Ho!

Mia

Mia, our kitty, is funny. She is becoming more and more attatched to Sarah. Like, right-in-her-face kind of attatched. Like, when Sarah naps, Mia naps with her on her bed. When Sarah eats, Mia sits right there, watching. Right there. At Sarah's face.

Yesterday Sarah was out of sorts in the afternoon. This was because I gave her a haircut. Sarah does not like haircuts. She doesn't like the feel of the cutting of her hair. So halfway through, Sarah started complaining, which means a bit of shreaking and some angry sounds.

So Mia starts. Yowling. She is a Siamese so it's quite dramatic. She's walking up and down the hall to the kitchen and bellowing her disapproval of my cutting extravaganza. This went on for quite a while because cutting Sarah's hair takes time. Lots of time. So Mia was all worked up. As was Sarah.
And so John appears in the kitchen to see what the commotion is all about. He got the jist and pretty much turned around and holed himself in his bedroom with video games. LOL.

So when it was all over, I put Sarah to bed to recuperate, which she was very happy to do. And of course Mia was right there settling in at the foot of her bed. And I took to the couch with a cinnamon bun and orange soda.

About 1/2 hour later, I glanced at Sarah's video monitor next to me and I see that Sarah is sound asleep and so is Mia, all curled up in Sarah's blankets. Taking their nap. Wiped out from the hair event. And at that moment, I actually thought Mia was rather sweet. Because most of the time she drives me crazy.

You wouldn't imagine the number of people who become patients at the rehab facility where I work because of their cats. Yes, their cats. This is because they trip over them and fall. And break something, which then requires surgery and rehabilitation. One poor guy tripped over his cat and promptly fell down a flight of stairs and hit his head at the bottom. He is still rehabbing. These are not elderly people, they are generally in their 50s and 60s.

I have nightmares about this. Hoping it is not my fate. Cause Mia is always underfoot when I am carrying Sarah.

So far, so good.

Gender determined!

Today I received an email from Compassion:

I have heard back from our staff in East India regarding verification of Ashif’s gender and learned that Ashif is a boy. I apologize for any confusion, and we are updating our records at this time to reflect this change. Thank you for your understanding.

So Habiba is actually a boy. And he is called Ashif.  Habiba is his last name. I am so glad to finally know this, considering I sent him girl themed things, lol. He is the 'baby' of my bunch, the youngest of my little group. Tonight I will write to him and apologize, and send along some 'boy' stuff.

I'm happy that he is a boy, not sure why, but it just fits.

Silver and Gold

Eros

I have been waiting patiently for Eros John's first letter to me. But finally I couldn't stand it any longer and called Compassion. They told me that they had received it on Oct 27 and I should be receiving it shortly from them. And today was the day! I am sensitive to Eros because he has had many sponsors over the years that have dropped him and had never received a letter from any of them. I imagine, on mail day, when the other kids in the center got letters, he did not. And that makes me sad. So I was overly anxious to hear from him that he had received my letter.
He was full of information! He has 2 older sisters and one younger brother, giving me all their names and ages. He wants to be a policeman when he grows up. He gave me his height and weight. He is very tiny for  a ten year old. But maybe, not for a Filipino child :) His favorite color is red, his favorite food is bangus(fish) and favorite game is sepa (a version of basketball). Here is his written message to me:

Dear Aunt Lesley,

Thankyou for choosing me as your sponsored child. I'm excited to know you more. I would like to be the friend of elder brother Jimmy, elder brother John and elder sister Sarah. Please write to me often. I'm happy to know all of you.

Love, Eros John


:: sigh ::

He drew me a picture--I'm thinking it is his house?

I adore him.

Ramping Up

Here we go. Or should I say, here they come. As in, here comes John and here comes the holidays. Which means, here comes Jimmy too.

Preparations are required. John will grace our doorstep on Sunday, following the Northeaster up the coast from New Jersey. He has a pause in his http://www.mlb.com/  career because, did you know, baseball is not a year round sport? Kind of like a teacher's schedule, where there are a couple of months a year that everyone goes home, or takes vacations, or whatever. John's break is Nov/Dec. Yay for me, that's what I say!

So, Sarah, Kitty and I will rejoice come Sunday. I've got all the edible, prerequisite goodies in place because I've got to fatten that boy up. Living on your own, for a guy of 22 years, does not necessarily mean eating well or enough. We will take care of that!

And we will see Jimmy for Thanksgiving, which cannot come soon enough. But now that I think about it, it's right around the corner. And his flight is secured ;)

So forward we go.

In Compassion news, I received my final correspondence 'child' today, assigned to me from India. I seriously need to study up on this country and the culture because now I have 2 from here. Anyway, her name is Amala and she is 20 years old. When I get her picture via email I will post it. She is very pretty...and very grown-up! She is in her last year of schooling and lives at a hostel with other students. Her financial sponsor has only written to her once or twice so I get the chance to do that until she graduates and maybe afterwards, we will see.. Lucky me! I am so curious about her life, her family and her future plans...it's much different than writing to the little ones. I like it.
There is a book I am reading called Sheba's Song. It is written from the perspective of a young girl in India. She grew up in the 70's and 80's, sponsored through Compassion. Over the years, many letters were exchanged between Sheba and the middle-aged couple that sponsored her. At that time, she was quite shy and did not tell her sponsors a lot and did not answer some of their questions about her life. But as an adult, she wanted to finally answer all their questions. And that is the premise of this book. She presents their letters and answers their questions in detail. It's very interesting. You get a good idea of life for Indian girls. An eye-opener.

Did you know that children who receive letters from sponsors save every single letter? They treasure each one, keeping them in as safe a place as possible. They are highly valued by the children and their families, they matter. And that's what sponsors try to convey to these kids--that in the midst of poverty, they matter. They are important. And valued, just like every single letter they receive.

So good all around. Ramping up, as they say!

The Bed

Well, you've heard about "The Bed". I wrote about it a few posts ago. I was waiting to see if insurance would cover the full size for Sarah. A SleepSafe Bed. And they have decided that they will. So this is awesome news. And a little unsettling too. Change is always a bit nerve wracking when it comes to Sarah. Because usually, when there is change in Sarah's world, it means that I must change how I do things with Sarah. And this will definately be true with "The Bed". It means that I will have to lift her from the bed from a different level, put her in the bed at a different level, do her care while she is in the bed a different way and at a different height, use the side rail in a different way, put her shoes on a different way....so many little things that will be different. It's all in the details, you know. And it makes me uneasy. Because, right now, I have everything down to a science and Sarah knows exactly what to expect and when. She knows how I lift her, how I place her, how I pull her up to a sit. And because of this predictability, she knows which muscles to relax and which ones to tighten and exactly when to help the whole process along. It's like a symphony.

And now, it's all gonna change. Yes, in the long run, it is safer for her. but in the short run....not so good. We are going to be befuddled and out of sorts. We won't know what we are doing or when. She won't like a different mattress or a new view. She won't like that I am unsure how to go about things. She's going to be mad. I am not looking forward to it.

And another thing, it's a little sentimental for me to be changing Sarah's bed. It's like getting a wheelchair. It makes a statement. I love her little bed in the corner with the white siderail and pretty flannel sheets and white dust ruffle. It's sweet and girlie. We've had it for 14 years. And she is in it at least 14 hours a day. What's it going to look like when the monster bed is in there? Ugly? I don't know. Maybe it will be OK.

But this I know for sure: She will be safe. She cannot fall out. And she will have more room. It is better for her. So I guess I better get over myself and concentrate on the adjustment period that is coming. Fun times.

So here's the 'before photo', taken yesterday.

We'll see how it goes.

Wilawan

I didn't want to let anymore time go by without introducing Wilawan from Thailand. She is now a member of my Compassion Family! She will be 9 years old next month and lives with her grandparents. She is in third grade and helps out at home by making beds, cleaning and buying/selling in the marketplace. She likes dolls, bicycling, marbles, listening to music and playing hide-and-seek. I don't know if she has any brothers or sisters, but that information will come in time :)

I have sent her an introductory/welcome letter with a couple of pictures. I am just thrilled to become a part of her life. Isn't she sweet?

I have received 'first letters' from Kwame(Christopher) in Ghana and Habiba in East India! Each child has their own unique style, which makes it very interesting. Both of the letters are written in english(yay!). Both of these children are too young to write yet, so their communication is written for them by one of the center workers. Each drew a picture for me. Kwame drew a mango(lol) and Habiba drew a pinwheel full of colors. Kwame, in Ghana, has 3 sisters and one brother. He wants to know if I live in a 'storey house'. I am thinking he means  an apartment complex? He lives in a little village. He loves soccer. I sense that he is very shy :)

As for Habiba, I do not know the gender of this child. Compassion identifies Habiba as a girl, but the letter I received refers to him as 'a very cute boy'. So I called Compassion and they are sending someone from India down to Habiba's center to find out whether he's a girl or a boy. Anyway, his favorite color is pink and his favorite food is rice and chicken curry. He has one brother, who is 3. He asks me to pray for his mother's health. His(her) father is deceased. Habiba wants to know more about me.

So there we are. I have not heard yet from Eros. Every day I check the mail......

Sickie chickie

This week Sarah has been sick. With fever and a cold, which involves Vicks, vomiting, a vaporizor, daily prednisone and a doctor visit. Not to mention a decongestant and antihistamine. And a mama who can't go into work. However, I can say today that she is on the mend. All we have left is the vaporizor. Yup, just down to that last gasp. Or cough.
The doctor visit was supposed to be her 15 year checkup but we combined it with a sick visit. She could not get her flu shot because she was on the prednisone so I have to wait a couple of weeks now for that. Luckily for me, they bring it right out to the car in the parking lot, so i don't have to lug her in :)

Sarah is in the 1st percentile for height and weight.  How cute is that? My petite girl. Her BMI has improved, so the doc was happy. Here are a few shots of her this afternoon while we wait for the cable guy to hook up John's room.

And lastly, Jimmy was able to get to the World Series Game last night and I received this text :)

.................................................................................I love him.

Sarah's Sunny Sunday

Rolling along, we are

Sarah is adjusting to her new room. I still haven't gotten to drawers and  closets, but it looks good on the outside. Also, I have to get cable set up in John's new digs. My room feels overly large and empty without my sidekick in there with me. I'll get used to it, if it remains permanent.

Exciting news. I received my first letter from one of my Compassion Kids! Luisa, from Colombia. I was surprised it came so soon. She wrote in spanish and Compassion translated it for me on her paper. She tells me her mom's name is Elizabeth and here dad's is Elkin. She has a brother named Juan Andres. She listed all her friends and their ages. Her favorite food is red beans. She is hoping we will be good friends for a long time (awww). She sends a kiss my way. She has a few questions for me. She drew a picture of herself with me, standing in the grass with sun and clouds. She sent a Psalm.

How sweet is that?

And so this new journey begins. My journey with far-away children. I need to send them all Christmas packets in the next week or so. That way, they will be received in time for the holiday. Also, Eros John from the Philippines, turns 11 on December 24th, so that's on my mind too.

I know I am 'officially' doing the giving, but in reality, I find that I am receiving.

Chaos ensues

Things are a changing here in the house. People are moving, beds are shifting and vacumes are a running. Kitty is upset, Sarah is perturbed and I am exhausted. And to top it all off, my dryer decided to break yesterday.  Does it sound fun to you? I can attest that it is all much more than merely annoying. Are you wondering what started this lovely chain of events?

A spider. Some sort of hungry fella that has decided to take up residence in mine and Sarah's room and bite us while we slumber. I can live with a few welts here and there but Sarah cannot. She cannot tell me she was bitten. She is unable to scratch an itch. She is just miserable. And let me tell you, these bites itch. Like crazy. Yesterday I found one behind her ear and that was the final straw.

So...I moved her out of our room. And into John's. I had to get her out of there. Moving Sarah is an undertaking because there are certain bedding materials that must go with her. And a long side rail that must attatch, very unwillingly I might add, to another bed. And her white noise machine. And her video monitor that must be installed on one of the walls.....it took all afternoon to move her stuff.
So let's just say that Sarah was REALLY mad when I laid her down in that strange room for the night. She took one glance around and pitched a fit. She was not having it. At all. But I had no choice. I had to tear  our room apart...by turning over mattresses and box springs, vacuming, mopping and washing endless blankets and sheets and comforters and anything else that could harbor that critter and any of his possible friends.

So I cleaned and she stayed awake until one a.m. pondering the state of her affairs. Finally, she drifted off and I plopped myself on my bed with some strange blanket and pillow I had never used before because all my bedding was in the dryer, soaking wet because the dryer wouldn't heat. Bummer.

This morning, Sarah woke up on a strange mattress, in a blue room with no mama nearby. She started whining immediately, which translated into--get me out of here, i don't like bright red curtains and whose idea was this, anyway???
But I have a thought now. One that she is not going to like, or John either, for that matter. But it must be done. I think.

Sarah is going to have a new bed in the next couple of months, once her insurance gets it's act together. I am very sure it is not going to fit in my room. It is big. Which means it is going to have to go somewhere else, or I am going to have to go somewhere else. Something is gonna have to give. So I am thinking that I will keep Sarah right where she is now for a trial period and see how I like it and how she adjusts. To see if I can hear her when she gets stuck sideways across the bed or in a corner. To see if I can still keep her safe from a distance. Because when the new bed arrives I am NOT going to be able to move it from wherever I have the guys set it up. So I need to know where it is going. Beforehand. And 'beforehand' is apparently now.

And Johnny? Where is he going to go? As part of his work schedule, he will be here, with us, for a couple of months starting in November.(Can I just take a moment here to say Hip Hip Hooray!!!!) And Sarah will probably be in his room. Maybe not. But probably. I don't think he is going to want to bunk in with her-lol.

Fortunately, there is one more bedoom available. It is small but doable. Especially when I clean out the closet and get his stuff all moved in. I have a month to get this all sorted out. And my dryer replaced or fixed. And that spider gone for good. It's an all-up-in-the-air kind of a give-it-a-shot-and-see sort of thing.

We could all go back to the way it was, you never know.

Grace finds Hope

Not to inundate you with Compassion stuff, but here is a video worth watching.


Grace Finds Hope from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Sarah Lou :)

Sarah is doing well. She is stable in all ways. I just recently took her to her GI specialist at Children's Hospital. Her weight is awesome-topping out at 73.5 pounds, thanks to vanilla pudding desserts! At this point, she is at a good place with her weight and I really don't want to add any more pounds, she looks good. Yay for that!
Sarah has a new wheelchair. It is the Convaid Scout. It is rugged and foldable, fitting in the trunk. It's a bit of a heavy lift, but doable.

I did get her the clear tray as an accessory and I wanted her to have the more solid, cushy, comfy seat, so we have that also. She looks great in it. I'm not sure if I will use it in the house as well as 'out and about', still thinking on that. I picked the green, which I am really happy with.

Sarah needs a specialized bed. She finally fell out of the one she has been in (twin with xtra long railing). She was leaning on the railing, it popped open and down she went. She was fine but obviously she is no longer safe. This is the bed I want for her, a Sleep Safe Bed:

Ideally, insurance would cover this bed. Not sure how this is going to go. The script for the doctor specifies a full size bed, not a twin. This is because when she rolls she bangs her knees on the wall or railing and gets little bruises on her knees-the twin is just too narrow for her. Insurance only wants to cover a twin size. So this is still pending. Also, I have reauested a white finish instead of wood- i haven't heard that that will be an issue, but you never know.

Sarah seems very happy-I get her out for her weekly riding lessons and for shorter trips on some of the afternoons that I am not working. She likes the low-key life. We are going to head to Provincetown in the next couple of weeks for good food, good sights and good photo opportunities.

Mia, our kitty, has attatched herself to Sarah. Either she is at the foot of Sarah's bed or under Sarah's rocking chair. I think she has figured out that wherever Sarah is, there are blankets and it is warm! Smart kitty.

As always, Sarah's music of choice is Celine. But, she occasionally discovers another artist that floats her boat for a while. That would be Shania Twain right now. Fine with me:) Sarah has also discovered the television show Teen Mom. She loves listening to the girls discuss their issues. It's really quite funny to watch her, watching the girls.

So all is well with our girlie. I am grateful. And on we go.

Ghana Center 232

This is the center that Kwame attends!

Video Tour of Compassion Project in Ghana from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Very interesting!

Below is a video of a Compassion center in Ghana. I found it very informative.

Compassion Child Development Center GH231 from Compassion International on Vimeo.

What's up

So here's the deal. I have fallen in love with Compassion International. Or should I say, the children of CI. There is a link on the right side of my blog. The situation is that I have been wanting, in some way, to GIVE. I didn't know what to give or to whom, but my radar has been up for the last year, to find the opportunity that felt right, that spoke to me. Seriously, I had no idea where to turn. I am so tied up working, making ends meet and taking care of Sarah that I really couldn't imagine what it would be, what I could do, what I could fit into my life. But I had the feeling that it would present itself when the time was right. It has been continually gnawing at me. So patience has been the order of these past months.

And it has paid off, big time. Somehow, I came across the link while perusing a blog. I had heard of CI before, but it had never resonated with me, never really caught my attention. This time it was like being hit with an arrow. I clicked and was hooked. For hours over the next few days.

And I knew that this was for me. Such a perfect fit. As much time as working and caring for Sarah consumes, there is enough time for me to see to the needs of other children in our world. Children who need support, encouragement, attention, letters, communication. Children who live in struggling communities far, far away from me. Children who I will now hold close to my heart. With whom I will have a relationship until they graduate from the program at the age of roughly 22. Children who will benefit from what I have to give. I don't have a lot, but I have enough.

As of this writing, I have chosen to fully sponsor 2 children. Luisa is 8 and lives in Colombia. And Christopher(Kwame) is 6, from Ghana. It is his video that is posted below. And as well, I am now a correspondance sponsor for Habiba(age 6 from East India) and I have requested to correspond with a child from the Philippines. That child will be assigned to me shortly. Correspondence children already have financial sponsors but that sponsor does not write to the child. That's where I come in. I will be that child's source of emotional support, letters will be translated and exchanged. For Habiba and a 'surprise child' from the Phlippines.

Words can not express how delighted I am to be a part of this program and to be given the privilege to make a difference in children's lives. Four children. Four beautiful children. To give to.

This, I can do.

I smile all day long.

Kwame (Christopher)

GH2320086 from Compassion International on Vimeo.

The View From Here

2 empty peppermint patti wrappers

groceries on the kitchen table

a sleeping cat

pink birthday cards

folded laundry

painted toenails

an american flag

eggs boiling

a toy piano

a blinking baby monitor

Kidz

Kidzorg was gracious enough to share my 'Sarah's Story' on their website. Every day I am grateful for the support of parents on similar journeys.

The link is Here

Happy summer!

Hi!

We are well, lots to post and I will soon, but in the meantime here's a peek from my girl.

Shifting

Lots of changes around here and yet I feel more stable than usual. Interesting how that has happened. I am centered, focused and calm. And changes abound.
With the steadying of this ship I turn more to Sarah. Afterall, she and I are the only ones left in the boat. And, believe it or not, she could use some attention! My girl has been very patient. These last 2 years I have worked more than I ever have, taking me from her, whether she liked it or not. Yes, it is good for her to have other people in her life, but there's no one like mama.
I have settled into my schedule, I don't feel like I am just 'surviving' anymore and I am able to garner some energy and direct it more fully toward my girl. And so I shall. We will see what she thinks about that!
And with this comes less computer time, for now. Because the time I do have at home will be working and playing with Sarah. We have some MyTobii to work on, eyegaze to fiddle with and academics to pursue. Physically, she is in a good, solid place.

I was asked recently, "Is Sarah happy?"

And I paused. And thought. And remembered how joyful and giggly she was as a little girl. Like a puppy. And now? She is more thoughtful, more mature. Not as quick to burst out into giggles over nothing at all. She thinks. Weighs the scene. She has a ready smile.
But is she happy? Yes, but in a different way. Now I am thinking about it. It is on my mind. I want to be sure. So I am checking in. I am watching and evaluating. Because that's all I want for her.
So there will be less of me here for a bit and more of me for her. And that's OK. Cause I will be back. When I am sure she is happy :)

pics

Blogger just erased my long, entertaining post about our adventures on the road this weekend. It was John's graduation and I am now too frustrated to write it all over again, so here are just some pictures:

John chose the black borders, I wanted to go with blue, but, hey, it was his day!

Easter

It was a busy weekend, fun weekend. After going to a Celtics playoff game, John spent all day saturday busing it home for the holiday. For that I am thankful. Saturday was a rainy, foggy cool New England day. Sarah and I colored eggs, which she found fascinating, particularly enjoying the brightly egg-dyed paper towels underneath the wet eggs. She pulled the towel right out from under them and they all flew ceremoniously to the floor. She was quite pleased!
Since John was rolling into town after dinner, Sarah and I packed up and headed to the bus station. I like to park where I can see the bus in the distance as it exits off the highway. There is nothing like the anticipation of seeing your son for the first time in 4 months. Just joy.

And then he was home. The end.

Just kidding!

Sarah was all smiles and giggles to have John in the car. She misses him.
Sunday was finally a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Spring has been a long time coming this year in our area but Sunday was just perfect. We went to the cemetery where my mother is buried and then out to lunch. It was restful and fun.