A Happy Day!

Meghan and Shawn came here after a 5 hour drive from Statesboro. BG put the steaks in a marinate sauce this morning so they would be ready for grilling. I oven baked potatoes, shucked and cooked fresh corn on the cob, a mixed salad, croissants, and fresh peach cobbler with whipping cream for dessert! The visit went well. The food turned out great and the visit did too.

I can't tell you how many times I went up and down stairs and I actually strained my neck bending and lifting something out the recesses of our deep cabinets, but it will get better with rest, hopefully.

Of course the day is 100% rain and thunderstorms. This is the first time I met Shawn and he was a really cool guy! I think he ate a second bowl of my peach cobbler.....but I did too!

She had alot, I mean alot more in boxes than she ever thought so they will have to get the rest on another trip. It's really hard when all the members of the family are pac rats!!!! Oh my lands at the stuff!
Here we are each with her in a picture. She painted the picture over the fireplace several years ago. I just love it so I though that would be the perfect place to stand.

Of course there is one thing about being a needleworker.......I found more needles around the house than you can imagine as I was cleaning up this morning. I even cleaned out my stitching chair! LOL

They are off now to Helen to enjoy visiting friends while up for an overnight trip. I wish it was not pouring rain outside so Shawn could really see the beauty of the little Bavarian village and the mountains.

Well, I"m getting ready to call it a cozy afternoon and work on my stitching.

Pandora's Box and Letting Go

Have you ever heard of Pandora's Box? Well, this is Meghan's box.
I'm very sentimental.

This is my chair with Brandon's old velveteen rabbit and blanket. The table and chairs were also mine. They need painting or resanding. I just got them back last year myself. I've got a matching 2cup teaset from my china in the dining room.

I embroidered her name on all her t-shirts at the hospital.

Letting go is hard. Here are some things I put together in a box when Meghan was born that I'm not ready to let go and they will be tucked back into my chest in my family room where the rest of my very special children's stuff is tucked away. I bring them out for only a day sometimes and it's been a long time since I opened this box. I remember I showed all this to her last year, with a friend over too. They thought it was neat. I never knew she would grow up so fast.

This was her first teddy bear, with wind up music box in it. I wound it every night for her when she went to bed. A couple of her first booties. We had to buy doll clothes because she was a preemie, 27 weeks. 2 lbs 15 oz

This is the room in chaos, alot of boxes filled.

I put their pictures in this room now.

Such a mess now, but will be better by in the morning.

Back to the things I am not ready to give away. Things I'll keep forever. This is what I have in her box. 2 preemie Tshirts, I engraved her name on them and would take them to the NICU for her to wear. The tiny, tiny pink hats were from the hospital when she was 3 lbs. Still have her ultrasound pics, the doll I got at the gift shop after she was born. She has a broke foot now but still looks the same. Her preemie diaper. Preemie bottle. And someone crocheted this rattler.

There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life.
unattributed, author unknown

Easier said ........than done. I will go now and pack them carefully in their box and tuck away for a rainy day or a day when I feel again that I didn't make any difference in her life. That she could have done better than me. But, this reminds me of how intricate I did the best I could and took care of her so that she grew up to be a healthy adult. I know one day when she has her own and starts her own Pandora Box, she will have these same feelings in many many years but it's in the between time that's the worst. Because you just never know if they ever really cared for all the things you did to protect them, nurture them, help them grow up to be self-sufficient adults.

But I will let go, not meaning that I am uncaring, but that have to let her experience her own self.

Cleaning out the Nest

I'm pooped, I'm tired. I'm past fatigued. I never thought my daughter had so much stuff left in her room until we started boxing it.

She is coming tomorrow to get all her stuff she left here. And it's hard too. It's very hard.

My legs are tired from going up and down stairs and sorting and crying a little and oh so much I can't even begin to talk about.

I didn't sit down once at work today and immediately came home into this and I'm exhausted.

Taking a few minutes to check emails and then back on the job again.

I better get back up because if I sit down one minute, I'm going to crash and sleep.

Write later,

Jennifer