Last Hurrah and the Saddest Day Ever

This was to be a facebook post until I realized that I had

been composing it for the last 3 towns....

It is a sad day. It is so sad that I am posting un-edited pictures!!!!

sadder than Stuart dying

Sadder than my miscarriage in March

Sadder than never getting to eat chocolate again

(I don't really know for sure on this one, its just a dramatized guess)

Is saying goodbye to my sister.

2 1/2 good years together

racking up the highway miles between St Louis and the Lake

crazy cousins

sleep overs

hiking in the hills

staying up late talking about absolutely nothing

and never coming close to having enough time together

but always together, with our children

here for each other like we always wished that we could be

the distance between our towns still not close enough

but happy to just be....

Utah Finleys and Hastings you'd better take good care of my sister!

I am thrilled for the children to be close to both sets of Grandparents and their cousins

and jealous of all the cousin time they've already had and that we are going to miss :(

I don't remember if it is the season for controlled burns or what - maybe it's just UFO's but I could smell a variety of smoke smells, funky low cloud things streaked the sky hanging low in the lights of little towns, and in one random place multiple flashing lights and faint banging made me turn down the tunes and check on my sleeping princesses, inspect the cars and black fields around me and think to myself --- uhhh, what the ....?????

I could have used some serious one on one with my sis... chasing down some birds at the dam, or the pond, or some random lake dwellers back yard.... BUT, I was thrilled to have a close encounter with a Golden Crowned Kinglet who I am pretty sure is NOT on my list.

Brownie Points for the weekend go to my husband - who, poor thing, doesn't seem to earn or maintain brownie points very well. Dearest, this one is the bomb as you will see, it is not a one time earner. You see, he made me a mix CD of most of my favorite singing to songs. So, every time I listen, I will remember the love (which grows in my mind each time) and care that went into putting together my very own mix CD - cha ching!

Thank goodness the princesses were asleep!!! Cruising down the 70 perfecting a couple of Taylor Swifts and NO ONE to yell at me for hitting the back button over and over or to stare at me as I randomly burst into tears and sobs.

Lisa, Justin, Brandon, Alyssa, Hayden

I LOVE YOU Guys

It's killin' me to let you go

I am a different person coming home tonight than I was when I left here yesterday - Thanks for letting me take care of you - love you - and be with you in all of my own and weird ways.