Family Foundations

May 9 - Finished up a list of things at work, but left many more things that will have to go on without me...  I work with amazing people and am very fortunate to be able to leave things in their capable hands for the summer.  They did decide that it would be best if my head stuck around though....

Then I rushed home (trying not to think about all the work I was leaving them) and packed my bags.  The family headed into Anchorage to spend the night in a hotel so I could catch my early AM flight.  We stopped for ice cream (first time in Baskin Robbins for the boys) and found a swing set to play on before bedtime.

May 10 - All about travelling... I flew Anchorage to Seattle and Seattle to Tucson where my parents picked me up.  On the Seattle to Tucson leg I sat next to an older couple that I might have found annoying on any other flight... They were loud (she was drunk... told me so when I sat down) but friendly and so much fun. The husband told jokes (good ones, told very well) the whole way down and she just cackled and I enjoyed it.  I'm sure the rows around us were ready to see the plane land but we had fun.  At one point I told them about our upcoming road trip and the husband got serious and told me how he lost his only son at age 8 to leukemia.  "Make the most of the time you have with those boys - you never know how much time you or they will be given.  There might be days when they are rowdy or getting on your nerves and the RV feels too small... remember you are the one teaching them about patience."  And then back to the jokes... I think it was the perfect place on that plane for me to sit down.

May 11 - Mother's Day.  I am incredibly fortunate to have been raised in a loving and caring family.  Both of my parents were educators and my dad has been a Baptist minister for most of the last 25 years.  It was great to go to church with them on Mother's Day and be reminded that families (especially mothers) are important.  Father's certainly have an important role to play too, but today it was about moms.... 

I also am blessed to have a mother for my own children that has a heart of gold.  I don't see a difference in the way she cares for her biological child, here adopted children, or any of the children under her care at work... they all are loved.  I wasn't able to be home for her Mother's Day celebration but I saw the pictures and it looks like it was a good one!

After church the road trip began...Odometer reading Lordsburg NM - 3,320.  We drove over to Las Cruces where one of my three brothers live with his wife and their 6 month old son.  Mom and dad came over too and we had a great afternoon together.  Spending a day like this with my family - the people that helped to build and shape my foundation really made me think about the awesome responsibility we are given as parents.  I hope that this summer builds memories and that we can look back on and say - we grew, we had fun, and we strengthened some foundations.