Today we buried my grandfather. It was awfully sad and heartbreaking to experience. We spent the morning with services and the kids made it. It was a minor miracle. At the graveside, they both started to lose it and so Matt took them so that I could listen to the services. It was pretty amazing to watch and hear the WWII Veterans speak about my grandfather's service to the country. It is easy to forget that the men and the women of his era shaped our world. Nothing we do is without gratitude for what they went through. Pretty incredible.
On a brighter note, I got to see my sister and brother for the first time since last Christmas!
It was really good to be with them on such a hard day. Drew could only be here for today, so he already flew back to D.C. this evening. But Shellie and her daughter Sarah, who is just six weeks older than Asher are here until Saturday. It is really fun that Sarah and Asher are at the age where they are figuring out how to play with one another and it makes everything easier! They are so close in age, it is like they are twins. The resemblance is pretty remarkable. The major difference is that Sarah has super curly hair and brown eyes. But their hair color, skin color and height is nearly identicle. It is crazy fun to be with them and I predict it is going to happen more often!
Lucy decided that today would be a good day to sprout four teeth simulataneously and get a cold. Amazing. She was fine for most of the day, but just in the last few hours of the day spiked a fever, started her nose running and just got cranky. But before all of that happened, I snapped about a million pictures of her in my parents front yard.
My parents live in Albany, GA and many would maybe wrinkle their nose at the location. But to me, this place is the one home that I can honestly call home. My parents live next door to the house that my great-grandmother lived in. My parents house used to be my great-uncles house and I love it here. Sure, in the middle of the summer-it's not so great. Unless you like the feeling of living inside of a greenhouse and breathing in the air from your dryer all day long. But October-wow. It is amazing. My parents have beautiful oak trees in their front yard with Spanish moss hanging down.
Because my great-aunt lives next door, the property is pretty much open to us and it is like a movie set from the old South. There is beach on a creek that you reach by walking down a long path like is a bit like walking through the wardrobe in Narnia. Instead of trying to describe it, I have included some in this post. *also, click on ANY of the pictures to see them in full-size. This blog format doesn't allow you to see the details. 
You can also click on my flickr link to the right...do it-I promise you the pictures are worth the time it is going to take you.
But being here is like taking a breath of fresh air. Life slows down for us here, even while we are busy with my family duties. We have nowhere to be for most of the day and it is a lovely feeling to simply wander around with my children in a place that holds most of my favorite childhood memories. I am grateful for our time here.
