A Buddy Weekend

My girl came home again this weekend! Midterms were done and Thursday class canceled so she drove home for a long weekend. How can I be so lucky? We ate all weekend and spent tons of $$$. It was so much fun!

We celebrated Nella on Saturday with a Buddy Walk for Downs Syndrome. So many wonderful people came out to support her and show her their love. Nellla is amazing. She's gentle, happy, beautiful, precious and yummy. I LOVE her and her whole family. Sometimes I pinch myself cause I can't believe how lucky I am....I was at Nella's birth and her sister's, Lainey. Both of these girls came into the world in the most beautiful way you can imagine. Their mamma, Kelle, had every detail planned, synchronized and just PERFECT! Mood lighting, preselected songs, handmade gifts for those who visited....I've never seen anything like it! These girls are the luckiest littles alive and being with them, fills my heart to the brim.

Nella's waving at me!

Beautiful Haley Lainey and Nella

Kaity and I spent Saturday afternoon at Coconut Point. We shopped, shopped and shopped some more. We got some makeup at Sephora, tons of food for her dorm at Target and boots. Oh How I LOVE BOOTS!! We found the most gorgeous pair at Dillards. They had tiny buttons up the back. I don't need them but I HAD to get them...so I got them for her. SO CUTE! We came home and baked. Really. I baked. I swear, I'm not lying! She wanted to make brownies and muffins so we did. I baked! Yea me!

Sunday breakfast was at her favorite place with some of her favorite people. Ok, with her favorite person.....Alex. It's a good thing I like him. So she had breakfast with her favorite person and David and I tagged along.

Halloween has always been a huge "holiday" in my house. Not because I'm a real witch (don't ask the ex that one) or because we worship the devil, it's because it's all about children, dressing up and CANDY!!! I have a party every year for my family and all their little boogers. I start planning it in June. I love Halloween!

This year...not so much. I just can't get excited about it. I haven't even brought out one skeleton, one zombie or one black raven. The rats are still all packed away, the loose bones are still in boxes. My girl won't be here this year. I haven't spent a Halloween without her in 19 years. I don't want to do it. I don't know if I can. David wants to go to his dad's that night because Monterey has better candy. I don't blame him! I'd want the large Hershey bars too, not the milk duds, tootsie rolls and dum dums. We headed over to Party City to get inspired.

I'm still waiting for inspiration.......still waiting...........

Before Kaity left for school, Kelle had a photo shoot with her for fun. I danced with Lainey for an hour in the humidity as Kaity and Kelle snapped, posed and snapped. We all had so much fun! The end photos were amazing. I love them. So I took 3, blew them up and framed them. They've been sitting in my bedroom since the first week of September. I love them, but couldn't hang them. Kaity left today around 11:30. For the first time, when I told her good-bye, I cried openly in front of her. I tried so hard not to cry, to wait till I was back in the house, but I couldn't help it...the tears flowed, the voice got all choked up and I told her how I felt. I then came in, edited wedding pictures till my eyes crossed and I hung her photos.

I'm not sure if I'll keep the arrangement this way...I love the old windows. The small brown and green one is from Greece. I found it on one of the islands and brought it back with me. The other 2 are from Georgia and they are both missing some glass, which I like. I think it gives them both character. Character is good and I think I'm doing ok. Yea me!

God and this weekend!

I'm not the most religious person out there, but I definitely believe and when I feel God's presence,it rocksmy world.

I felt God many times these past couple of days and I saw His work. It was an amazing weekend for many reasons. (I'm a list kinda person. I make them, usually lose them, make another, lose it, you get the picture)

1. My girl came home this weekend. I knew I missed her terribly, but when I saw her standing in the corner of my classroom, I lost it. I screamed, I cried, I hugged her as tightly as I could and I just couldn't let go. The love and happiness I felt at that moment was so powerful, so wonderful.

2. A GORGEOUS wedding this weekend took my breath away. The wedding itself was amazing, but the COUPLE, oh my, I fell in love with them. Meghan was such a beautiful bride.....so calm, happy, and so LOVED. The way Aaron looked at her, I knew that was God's work. These two are so meant for each other. These two are like magnets.....they have the most amazing friends who just want to be near them because of who they are. I now have a new friend and feel so blessed. I love you Meghan!

3. Kaity, photographer, creative soul, daughter extraordinaire was my "second camera" for the wedding on Saturday. She should have been the First Camera and I should have been her assistant! I was so proud of her and how she worked! WOW is all I can say about her photography. Seriously, WOW!

4. Three weeks late for my monthly "visit" and at MY age this is pretty scary stuff. So when I took a test and got the ONE solid blue line (negative) I was on my knees saying, "AMEN! Thank You God! Praise the Lord!" I'm a believer for sure!

5. Sunday morning, William and Sonoma Belgium waffles, sausage, coffee, orange juice, a laptop, 2 yummy littles and one of my dearest friends was Heaven on earth. In this home of my friend, I wear no makeup, forget to brush my teeth at times, have greasy hair and I feel love and acceptance like only God could provide. It just warms my heart when my Kaity is only home for 48 hours and she wants to spend a few of those hours at what I consider my sanctuary. Thank you Kelle, Lainey, Nella and Brett! You and your home fill my heart so completely!

6. I also felt God on Sunday when I watched my girl go through security at the airport without me. My heart was breaking butI know that my love for her is so deep ithas to be a gift.

BUT I have to say, I hate concourse D....it sucks! That's where I broke down in the restroom, when I returned from leaving her in Savannah and where I leave her when she goes back there...it's like a black hole that sucks her in and I can't stop it. Damn concourse D! So as I watched her leave yesterday, I realized I have changed. I don't "feel" like I use to and I realized why....half of my heart is in Savannah. How can I truly feel and love and be happy when part of my heart is missing? I know that sounds like all doom and dread and poor me BUT here's what I did. What does one do when they come to this realization? To this epiphany? She goes shopping!

I hiked through the airport to Brighton and bought myself a gorgeous bracelet full of sparkling, silver hearts. Then I went to Starbucks and got myself a Pumpkin Spice Latte! My heart feels much better!

Amen!