Great Memories! Some new, some old.

Eli on left, William on right, around the same age

I should be cleaning. But I feel like writing. I love the fall. I love the cool weather, the Holidays (except Halloween, never liked it, wish we could just jump to Thanksgiving).  And I LOVE hot beverages of any kind!!

That's right, 52 FREE Grande drinks!!!!!!!!

Yes! There have been days when I have gone twice to Starbucks, but this little jewel above sure helps the Hobson budget! Thanks Tracy for calling me at 5:30am to let me know the new Starbucks is open AND giving away these cards to the 1st 100 people! I literally stopped feeding William, jumped out of bed, put some shoes on and left (did not look in the mirror-Yikes).  Thankfully, no one saw me in my PJ's, no bra and all.  Plus, the bed head bangs were going in all sorts of directions, oh well. The crazy things you do for coffee.  FREE coffee.

Family fun in Dallas, Geez I look tired

Pasta, shopping, long car ride, oh my! 

We recently took the boys to Dallas for a weekend getaway and had a great time.  I think we came home more tired then when we left, but I guess that's what happens on family trips.  Poor William basically lived in his carrier since we were always on the go, such a trooper. He did great.  He got a heat rash from it, but did great.  You can see Michael trying to give him a break from it, plus some tummy time at the mall, stellar Dad!!  I was drawn into Williams Sonoma.  We are so blessed and thankful for him.

Eli's first Smores experience. 

I love these kids. They are so precious. Learning, growing, changing all the time.   It's exhausting, but so worth it. 

Dad and Katie (my sister)

I love this picture of Dad and Kate.  We were on our last family vacation, just a few months before he was diagnosed, and he was soooo happy. He was always happy, but more so on this trip. I've been missing him like crazy lately.  My mom made a book for the boys about their Papa Bruce and gave it to Eli.  I literally had to hide it because it's so hard for me to see his face.  EVERY time I do, my heart gets heavy, that heavy sadness that actually hurts.  So I hid the book.  If I don't look at him, I don't feel that, so he's hiding for now.  It's been a year and a half since he died.  Will that feeling ever go away?  He recorded a book for Eli the Christmas before he died, and that's up in the closet too, every time I look at it I sigh, with the heavy feeling again, knowing if I chose to reach up and open it to hear his voice, it will wreck me for a while.  Usually a very brief while, but still wrecks me.

I have grown and I have healed, but these feelings of grief still hit me. And they are usually random. Splashing water in the tub/pool takes me back to my childhood memories of playing in the pool with him on family vacations, walking in Lowes reminds me of the MANY times we frequented the store together growing up and as an adult,  driving north on I-35 by the hospitals- ouch, driving south on I-35 towards  San Antonio toward transplant- ouch.  Those are the biggies. Today. 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." Psalm 28:7