We had a good Halloween at our house this year. Mom and John came for a visit and got the see the girls in their costumes; Anna was a Vols cheerleader and Abby was a skunk. Anna had more fun trick-or-treating than ever before! She definitely had more energy for it than I did this year!
Last week was Mason's 4th birthday, and his petting zoo party at the church. The girls really loved the party. More pictures in the October and November Flickr sets.
We went west in September for Granddaddy Earl's 85th birthday party. We stopped on the way and spent a few hours with Nanny and Poppy in Corinth. It was nice to see everybody at both stops! More pictures in the September Flickr set.
I'm late with this, but I wanted to be sure to share the links to pictures of Abby's 1st birthday party. We had a lot of fun eating cupcakes and sliding down the giant slip & slide at church. Abby liked the cake, but not the slide! More pictures in the August Flickr set.
Yeah it is. And I haven't really posted all summer. I did take a few pictures, though. Check out the very small June, July, and August Flickr sets. I'll take plenty of pictures at Abby's birthday party later today!
We've had a busy month around here! Abby has started crawling, pulling up, and cruising. Anna has had three ballet recitals and can now count to 100 (with a little help) AND she "graduated" pre-k. I missed the first crawl and the graduation because I started a doctoral program at Anderson University in Indiana. I'll be spending two weeks there every May, plus a week every August and every January for the next four years. Chrissy was nice enough to take lots of pictures of Anna's end-of-year program, so those and lots of ballet pictures and several pictures of Abby are all in the May Flickr set.
I've avoided writing about this, since it seemed almost like too much for what this blog is for, but Dad passed away early in the morning on April 1. Of course, we packed up as quick as we could pack all the crap that two little girls and two grown-ups require for a 300-mile trip of indefinite length.
We got to Dyersburg and things seemed a little chaotic, probably because of the shock we were all in. And then we had to make the kinds of plans and arrangements you never want to think about. God was good in that we never had any real disputes about arrangements and stuff. (As an aside, right after somebody dies is a terrible time to plan a funeral. If you know you're never ever moving to another town, it would be really nice of you to make your own arrangements, and not leave the family guessing!)
Visitation was Friday night, and it was big. I met a lot of people (I heard the estimate of 500 based on the book) that knew Dad and they all had really nice things to say. It was overwhelming. We were there almost 6 hours. My feet hurt and I was exhausted when we left. Chrissy was very sweet Friday night to listen to me tell stories and laugh and then cry and then laugh and then cry until I finally couldn't stay awake any more. I was just so conflicted-- it was great to see all those people and hear great things about my Dad, but so awful to see them there and to share and to grieve together.
The funeral was Saturday at the church. It was beautiful. The church was decorated for Easter, and the pastor laid the Gospel out simply and wonderfully. I was glad that the huge crowd (standing room only) heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. It was nice to worship in that place again.
The spectacle of the funeral procession and graveside service were perfect for Dad. It seems like right after I left town he started taking, and then teaching, classes in emergency medicine. He would have loved all the ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and the helicopter flyover.
I went back Sunday morning and Sunday night for worship. In between we had an Easter egg hunt at Dan's house so Will and Anna could hunt eggs. By the way, he's nine months younger and about 6" taller than her already.
Monday (I think) we had a big supper at Granddaddy Earl's house. I love eating over there. Of course the food is always good, but I just like the big crowd and being in that place together. I've eaten a lot of good food on the picnic table in the back room. Dan prayed a beautiful prayer before the meal, and I was crying pretty good by the end. I didn't cry because of anything Dan said; I just realized that was the first time I'd ever stood in that circle without Daddy. I knew then that this would be a long year of firsts without him.
I'm sad to say that Dad and I weren't closer than we were. I thank God, though, that Dad crossed my mind on March 31. I called him on the way to church and we talked for 25 minutes. He told me how proud he was of me and of the way Chrissy and I are raising the girls. And of course he talked about retiring soon (after he made a little extra "Christmas money"). The older I've gotten the more I've really understood and appreciated my Dad, even if we didn't share a lot of the same interests. I know he loved me and he was a very good Daddy.
He was proud of his kids, and of his granddaughters. I'm so glad that he was here for Abby's birth (on his 56th birthday) and that Anna is old enough to remember her Granddaddy. Anna is taking this all very well, by the way. She told us that she'll miss her Granddaddy, but she's glad that he's with Jesus. She is so smart!
We came home late Tuesday, and we're getting back in the routine. I'm back and work, but still not caught up. And I think of Dad every day.
So here are some pictures from this month. Some of them are from the Egg hunt at Dan's; more of them are from Lily Anna's 5th birthday party. I realized at the party how quickly my girls are growing up. Anna can (and will) do anything at the playground. She is absolutely fearless, and it scares the crap out of me! Abby had her first experience in a swing and on the slide. She loved the swing, but seemed a little unsure about the slide.
Enjoy the pictures. And thank you all for the prayers, cards, flowers, and Facebook notes. You can stop with the cards, but please keep praying for all of us.
I'm just in time to get in one more post this month. I took some pictures Sunday of the girls wearing matching outfits and bows their momma made. We're mostly doing well, but Abby woke up with both ears infected this morning. Dr. Bryant said it was early, so that's good. She seems to be much better tonight than this morning. I'm just glad Chrissy always know when something's wrong with one of the girls. I feel pretty clueless sometimes, but she always knows just what to do.
In other news, Abby is rolling over when she feels like it. She also says "hey" a lot, but not when the video camera is on. The videos below are attempts to get her to say "hey."
Abby had her six-month check-up today. It went really well, and she had a good time ripping up the paper she was supposed to be sitting on. She's gained three pounds since her last visit, and is in the 90th percentile of weight. Be sure to watch the videos below!
The girls are both growing so fast, I thought I better get some pictures! It's hard to believe that Abby is six months old, and is already sitting up like a pro and talking non-stop. She says Da-da a lot, but I'm not sure if it counts as a first word yet!
Anna has started taking a ballet class on Thursdays, and really liked her first class. She's going to be a great little ballerina! I'll have to get some pictures next week!
Chrissy and I are in Savannah for an extra-long weekend and are having a great time so far. We've eaten seafood, taken a trolley tour, and worked our schedule around getting in to Paula Deen's restaurant. We miss the kids (who are with Sandra) but it's nice to be away with just Chrissy. I sure do love her!
Yeah, I haven't posted since just after Christmas. I've been really lazy with the camera, which is a shame since our girls are growing so fast! Abby will be six months old tomorrow, and Anna tells us often that it won't be long until she's 5. I took a few pictures last month, all of which are now in the January Flickr set.
Yesterday was the Walker Christmas at Mom's, and today was gingerbread house. Anna and Morgan (and Brad and Chrissy) had a great time making the houses. There are tons of pictures in the December flickr set.
