10.27.2009

Madison

After 15 years of being my faithful companion, Madison is no longer with me. He still longed to play and jump into my arms, but his little body was giving out. Steve and I were with him as we let his body relax, and the pain went away. We took him to his Gran’s house to be reunited with Maggie.

Steve, Hannah and I miss him terribly, but I am so grateful I was able to keep him as long as I did. He took care of me when I was sick or just sad. He was with me as I grew from a dependent college student to an independent adult, wife and mother.

I will always love my sweet baby boy.



10.08.2009

End of Summer Vacation

A few weeks ago, we were able to take a family trip to Gulf Shores for a little relaxation on the beach. This year’s vacation included the whole family with Gran, Daddy B, Steve, Hannah and even Madison joining me. Nashville was in the middle of a two week rainy season, so we were glad to get away and enjoy some sunshine and sand!

I’d been a little apprehensive prior to the trip since Hannah doesn’t have a very good track record with long drives in the car. Last year’s trip does not bring back happy thoughts when I remember the drive home from Ft. Walton. Maybe she’s just a little older and her attention span has gotten a bit longer, but she did really well travelling both to and from Gulf Shores. We were grateful for her love of Elmo since his books and movies helped keep her occupied for several hours.

During last year’s vacation, Hannah didn’t seem to have the same love for the beach as her Daddy and I do. She didn’t want to go near the ocean and couldn’t stand one grain of sand touching her which meant she spent the entire time on a sheet playing with toys and bird watching. This year she decided to be a little braver and even took her shoes off to walk in the sand. She let us cover her feet with sand and didn’t seem to mind when we even got it on her face. And the ocean? Well, we’ve got to save something for next year.

Each day was spent soaking up the sun, finding sea shells, tickling our toes in the ocean, swimming in the pool and taking naps. We ate fabulous meals of seafood with my favorite being the crab and shrimp au gratin at Louisiana Lagniappe. The weather was gorgeous every day, and going in September meant the beaches and restaurants weren’t quite as crowded.

We’ve been home two and half weeks, and Hannah is still asking to go back to the beach. I know I’m ready.