Things change
When I glanced through my last post, of June 22nd, I couldn't imagine life back then. Just in a few short weeks, so many things have changed. Shortly after that post, we drove out to Seattle Children's for Kebrom's appointment there. We took all the kids, stayed with my parents.
Little did I know, that the evening we arrived, would be my mom's last day sitting in her wheelchair. Our last 'long' conversation. Just typing, I can feel my chest constrict and my eyes fill with tears, oh how I miss her.
After a scare of thinking it WAS her last day, we took the kids to Seattle for a few days of playing. We took them to the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, the Science Center, to the gum wall, for a cruise of Elliot Bay, to the top of the Space Needle, to where Paul & first kissed (they loved that, of course, to the original Starbucks, to Pike's Place Market, to the Experience Music Project...it was a few very full days. They loved it, all did great. It was the holiday weekend, so much more crowded than we expected, but much more going on as well. The zoo, in particular, had special 4th of July feedings, with patriotic colored frozen juice...fun to watch sloth bears pick those out. (Geoffrey's favorite bear, they sound like vacuum cleaners when they eat).
Anyway, we drove home on Sunday. The plan was for me to return to my parents, without the kids (the experience was very hard on Atsede & Kebrom, who, whether they remember it clearly or not, lived through the death of their birthfather and oh, how that changed their lives), as soon as my brother returned home.
Monday morning, early, early, early...I was awakened by a voice, my mom's voice in my ear, telling me she was leaving. How weird is that? I couldn't go back to sleep, folded clothes & waited for news from Tacoma. Just a few hours later, received the dreaded call from my Dad that Mom had gone to heaven, on the 4th of July. Now, people seem to think it should have been 'easier' because we knew she was sick. Let me just tell you, there is no easier. Mom was one of my best friends & I can't even describe how often things cross my mind I want to tell her.
We drove back out to Seattle for the Memorial Service. Already, so many things had changed in the house. We left A&K home with Paul's mom, to spare them the long drive & I was unsure how they would handle all the people & the service.
Back to Montana & just a few weeks to prepare for the fair (big for 4H families), and a vacation for Paul & I, a Mediterranean Cruise Paul earned through work. We had a few days in Istanbul, 7 day cruise including stops in Kusadassi, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete...ending in Athens. A crazy flight home...with cancelled flights...a night in Salt Lake where my wonderful brother picked us up & let us stay with them, on very short notice!!
Home on an early Monday afternoon, with animals heading into the fair that afternoon.
From June 22nd, to August 18th, in what, to a large degree, feels like a dream. Some good dream, some nightmare.
Things change, and life goes on.
Little did I know, that the evening we arrived, would be my mom's last day sitting in her wheelchair. Our last 'long' conversation. Just typing, I can feel my chest constrict and my eyes fill with tears, oh how I miss her.
After a scare of thinking it WAS her last day, we took the kids to Seattle for a few days of playing. We took them to the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, the Science Center, to the gum wall, for a cruise of Elliot Bay, to the top of the Space Needle, to where Paul & first kissed (they loved that, of course, to the original Starbucks, to Pike's Place Market, to the Experience Music Project...it was a few very full days. They loved it, all did great. It was the holiday weekend, so much more crowded than we expected, but much more going on as well. The zoo, in particular, had special 4th of July feedings, with patriotic colored frozen juice...fun to watch sloth bears pick those out. (Geoffrey's favorite bear, they sound like vacuum cleaners when they eat).
Anyway, we drove home on Sunday. The plan was for me to return to my parents, without the kids (the experience was very hard on Atsede & Kebrom, who, whether they remember it clearly or not, lived through the death of their birthfather and oh, how that changed their lives), as soon as my brother returned home.
Monday morning, early, early, early...I was awakened by a voice, my mom's voice in my ear, telling me she was leaving. How weird is that? I couldn't go back to sleep, folded clothes & waited for news from Tacoma. Just a few hours later, received the dreaded call from my Dad that Mom had gone to heaven, on the 4th of July. Now, people seem to think it should have been 'easier' because we knew she was sick. Let me just tell you, there is no easier. Mom was one of my best friends & I can't even describe how often things cross my mind I want to tell her.
We drove back out to Seattle for the Memorial Service. Already, so many things had changed in the house. We left A&K home with Paul's mom, to spare them the long drive & I was unsure how they would handle all the people & the service.
Back to Montana & just a few weeks to prepare for the fair (big for 4H families), and a vacation for Paul & I, a Mediterranean Cruise Paul earned through work. We had a few days in Istanbul, 7 day cruise including stops in Kusadassi, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete...ending in Athens. A crazy flight home...with cancelled flights...a night in Salt Lake where my wonderful brother picked us up & let us stay with them, on very short notice!!
Home on an early Monday afternoon, with animals heading into the fair that afternoon.
From June 22nd, to August 18th, in what, to a large degree, feels like a dream. Some good dream, some nightmare.
Things change, and life goes on.
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