vacation~

I am lucky to have a husband that is a top performer in his job. His performance has won us some pretty nice trips over the years; Maui, Cabo San Lucas and now we head to the coast of Monterey, CA to Pebble Beach. We are staying at one of the top Golf resorts in the US, The Inn at Spanish Bay!

http://www.pebblebeach.com/page.asp?pageName=_Inn_Home

Ted will get to golf a few rounds on some of the top courses in the US and I have scheduled a few things at the Spa, one service being a prenatal massage which should be interesting. We have tours of the Wine Country scheduled (go figure!) and have group dinners planned each evening.

We also decided to extend the trip one extra evening and venture off to Big Sur, CA. I rented us a little cabin overlooking a cliff along the Coast of Highway one.
http://www.lucialodge.com/mall/c121/s14406/default1.htm




I am really looking forward to this trip as when we went to St. John in May was so close to my parents death and it was hard to even walk along the Ocean without feeling such great sadness and depression. Although the sadness and missing them will always be constant, I will now allow myself to enjoy the surroundings and appreciate this wonderful trip.



Since being married, we have always promised ourselves we'd take nice vacations each year and so far, we have done just that. We have went to Mexico several times, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas, St. Thomas, St. John and various weekend getaways. The memories and pictures taken away from a vacation are priceless and I look forward to taking our daughter somewhere special each and every year. I will work hard to be able to enjoy these things with my Family. And I hope we have family and friends to join us as to be honest, a vacation is even that much more fun and special with others along with you. I can just see Aydan, my Sis, and Ted's Family with our little one somewhere special in the coming years. Life is too short and on vacation, you really make memories that last a lifetime. I know I will never forget the family cruise we took with my Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Grandpa and many of my parents friends. I have Mom's scrapbook that documents every moment and I am grateful we had that time together as a family.

I will try to write a post or two while I'm out there. I'm sure there will be some stories.

Mom and Dad, please keep us safe as we travel and continue to give us all the strength to live our lives the way you would want. Let us know you are at peace and are happy. But I miss you Mom and Dad and I know if you were allowed to miss people in Heaven, you'd miss me right back.

Love you always,
Melissa

the last day

I worry that I will never get past how my parents died. I often find myself starring at their death certificates, which I have had to refer to weekly over the past several months. Someone always needs a copy of them, just faxed one to a bank today and for some reason my eyes immediately go to the cause of death. And then I imagine the pain and images in my head.

With an illness, you can get past how someone died and feel at peace that they are no longer suffering. I won't ever have that because my parents weren't suffering. They were living. My Mom and Dad had such a beautiful day the day they were killed. My Father went to the market and bought steaks- he then marinated them as him and Mom were planning to meet his Brother, Sister-in-law and Niece for a BBQ. He played ball in his backyard with his Grandson Aydan. He raked leaves. He talked to friends on the phone as well as his brother and Sister. He actually let his friend go and his words exactly were, "my grandson wants to play ball". I ran into the gentleman that my Father talked to that day when I was up-north over Memorial Day. He started crying when he talked about my Father, "he was like a Son to me". My Father loved old guys. I don't know why but they loved him too. My Dad treated everyone equally, no matter what age they were. He always had a father/son type relationship with them. And my Dad ended 51 years sitting on his porch, reading his paper, enjoying the beautiful, unseasonably warm April day with his Wife and Dog.

All I really know about my Mom's day as that it was spent at the park with her grandson Aydan probably laughing and smiling most of it. When Matt came to pick Aydan up that day around noon, they were still not back from the park. They came walking around the corner hand in hand. Gamma and Aydan...for the very last time. I believe she then had to run up to the doctors office for a checkup from her follow up colonoscopy (sp?) procedure that she had just done the week prior. After she returned from home, she then joined her husband of 30 years on the porch. I hear she yelled down to my brother and said she had a surprise for him. I never want to know what that surprise was. She probably stopped off and got Justin a dessert or something. My loving Mother, always trying to make someone smile. And that was their last day. I thank god Aydan was picked up early that day because you just never know and this tragedy could have been even worse, which seems impossible. I often think wow, I could have been there too. I stayed the night over Easter with just my Mom, Dad and brother, only a few weeks prior to this. It never would have crossed my mind.

I miss them both more then one could ever imagine, it's a constant wishing they were here no matter what I am doing. I don't watch TV really anymore so I find myself quite bored at nights where I would normally just pick up the phone and call Mom, anytime-didn't matter. She'd say after 30 minutes, "can we please get off the phone, I'm watching CSI or a really good lifetime movie.." I pray one day I can stop focusing on how they died and remember more on how they lived. But it's really hard to go on without parents. You can have all of the friends and family in the world, but you still feel like your facing the world alone without your parents-especially when they were like mine. I hope my daughter never has to face even her adult life on her own without us as I would never want her to feel that she needed her Mother so badly as much as I need my Mom right now.

To the beaver girls- thank you so much for thinking of my Mom this weekend as you go on your annual trip. Oh how she loved this girls weekend! She would tell me all about it every year she would return. I loved the ski trips stories, where she spent most of the time in the outdoor Jacuzzi after falling terribly on the slopes. She also raved about the food, someone made really good chili last year...I remember her telling me about it. She talked about the shopping too, which she loved to do. Yes, she always had a smile on her face and I could get that lady to laugh even when she was mad at me. She enjoyed her time spent with you all and I know she will be there in spirit this weekend. Thank you for being her friends, she had so many in her life!

Love,
Melissa

Neopolitan Ice Cream

It's very strange creating a room for someone that you have never met. This weekend, we did just that. Our dear friend Josh who installed the wood floors a few months back made a return visit to paint, hang up chair rail and give me advice on her soon to be closet.

It turned out beautifully. Just as I had imagined. Pink, pink and pink!! (with stripes)

Her room reminds me of Neapolitan ice cream. A flavor that was always present at my house growing up, especially during birthdays. Another reminder of my childhood.

It saddens me Mom and Dad will never see this room. This is the kind of stuff that my parents would get pretty excited about. I would have had them come down in a few weekends to check it out. Dad would probably hang any shelving needed or art work up and Mom would help me start to wash and hang some of her clothes that we have gotten already.

I know they would be proud of the adults Ted and I have become--independent. They would feel at ease. A job well done of parenting. A sense of accomplishment. I must have done something right kind of feeling . Their work was apparently done and they have made me a strong individual that makes good choices (most of the time). And they have prepared me for parenting. I look forward to applying their parenting to my own style. Sure, I will do some different things but what I am most excited to pass on is the strong value for people, family and friends, love for being together and the love for having fun and going on adventures. If you instill the importance of family and friends early on, it will truly last a lifetime. I know it sure worked for me.

keep visiting~

I happen to look down at my site meter today and saw that I have had over 10,000 visits to my blog since April.

Thank you for continuing to come on my journey of healing. A journey that is not always happy, fun or easy to understand but a journey that is filled with hope and the desire for peace.

A journey that you never quite know where I will go the next day but you keep hanging on knowing there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

A journey that has nightmares, tears and sadness but one that never loses sight of what's important in life.

A journey that has been touched by tragedy and death but one that will bring along a little daughter come late January.

A journey that will one day have to be about acceptance that they're gone, but until then thanks for coming along for the ride with me.

My blog was created in April in memory and in honor of my parents, Patricia and Jerome. They lived, laughed and loved for 51 short years but the gifts they have left us will last a lifetime.
Since they passed, I have reflected on every single memory, moment, conversation, visit shared with them and all I can say today is I am thankful. Thankful for having the parents that I had. I was really lucky. I am realizing more then ever that my relationship with my parents was rare and I will cherish that and take it along as I become a parent myself.

A new fear that will last a lifetime

I hate guns. I really always have but they clearly never scared me as much as they do now. If guns did not exist, my parents would be alive.

I am having some difficulty on how to handle people with guns. Various family members and friends own guns and often use them as a hobby like hunting. I am now overly sensitive with this topic because of what happened and guns continue to play a large role in the nightmares I have. I know some believe they can protect you but I honestly would like to hear all of the stories where having a gun in your car or locked up in your bedroom closet or under your pillow at night, actually saved your life. Almost always, it is too late. I will never own or a gun or allow a gun into my home. And my child will never play at a friends house where their parents have guns locked up. (yes- I will be "that" parent) I do not care how "safely" hidden that key is. I will forever hate guns and there is not not anything anyone could tell me to make me change my mind.

I grew up with my Father always having a hunting rifle for deer season under his bed at the cabin. At the time it didn't scare me, but now hunting is something my husband or children unfortunately will never be able to experience (sorry hunny-you weren't much of a hunter anyway...). I hope my Family and Friends understand my reasoning. Guns will probably never be banned from this country but they will continue ending up in the hands of people that should not have one and they will continue taking innocent lives causing tragedies. And accidents, will continue to happen no matter how much you sit there and say, it will never happen to you or your family. So please be careful and take up stamp collecting or something. If you want to try and protect yourself as much as possible, be more aware of your surroundings. I tell my Sister that all of the time-stay alert.

Unfortunately, tragedies are impossible to predict no matter how safe someone is.

I know Mom and Dad understand and I thank them for that.

keep going, you can do this

Another court date has passed and yet, we're not anywhere near any type of closure. But will there ever be closure? how could there be in this case? My brother is still in that awful holding place and we are still in the state of the unknown and my Mom and Dad are still gone and are never coming back.

I try to tell my Sister, let's take each day at a time, which is hard for me to say, however I know it's how we have to think. Trust me, I get very sad, nervous and upset when I think about the future.

How will I get through Holidays and major events without Mom and Dad? How can I get through next week without calling my Mom? or tomorrow for that matter or tonight! How will I react when I meet my Daughter for the first time and look over at a picture of Mom and Dad and wishing so badly they were here to meet this little "princess Close"? How will I prevent my jealousy of other families being together without a care in the World? How does my brother fall asleep each night in such a deep depression for what has happened? These are all questions I ask myself.

I was upset that my Sister wanted to attend court today. How can she sit through those details I asked myself? Why would anyone want to put themselves through that. But I know for her, it's something she has to do. I want nothing more for my Brother to still feel he has supporters and family that love him, but the way my parents left us, will forever haunt us but it only worsens when you have that entire day played back to you. I couldn't do that although I play it in my mind almost daily. But actually hearing it is another story. When someone says to me, "he killed your parents" in a sentence, like a lawyer or a family member, it really freaks me out to hear those words. I obviously know it happened but when you really stop and think about those words, it sounds like someones worst nightmare, almost a made up story. But it's not...it's my families' story.

I still wonder how I am doing this. How I still find some way to laugh each and every day, how I still enjoy being at work, how I still love to shop, how I still love to go out to dinner with friends and how I can still somehow find the brighter side of things (sometimes, not always). Honestly, I think the main reason why I've been so strong is that I have to be. I have to be there for my family, my Sister, my Aydan, my Aunts and Uncles, my Grandparents. I had my time of weakness, upon entering the funeral home where I looked ahead and saw my two dead parents lying there in caskets. That will forever remain my weakest moment and worst moment of my entire life.... It was worse then receiving the actual phone call as I was such in a state of shock as I heard the words of what happened. I went numb and couldn't even cry. I am not certain I can ever walk into a funeral home again and smell that overwhelming scent of Funeral flowers. I do imagine how much worse off everyone would be if their niece, sister, granddaughter was an absolutely mess right now. Oh how that is the complete opposite of what my parents would want. I often tell myself, everything I do in life is now for my Parents and that's what makes me smile each and every day, those are the words that allow me to see some type of light at the end of this scary tunnel. But I have to admit, the nightmares, sadness, anger and constant wishing for their presence is never even a centimeter away from my mind. And the tears will come and go in an instant and probably will for the rest of my life.

But I still know there is a little girl who will add so much joy to my families' life come next year and I really just can't wait to meet her. She is our faith and the one positive thing that has came out of this tragedy. I wonder if I would have gotten pregnant had this not happened? Would we have waited until our early 30's as originally planned? Would I be having a girl had this not happened? I guess we will never know.

I can just hear Mom and Dad now, "keep going girls, you can do this".

Missing you always,
Melissa

Have I told you lately...

Have I told you lately that I love you

Have I told you there's no one else above you

Fill my heart with gladness

take away all my sadness

ease my troubles that's what you do

For the morning sun in all it's glory

greets the day with hope and comfort too

You fill my life with laughter and somehow you make it better

ease my troubles that's what you do

There's a love that's divine

and it's yours and it's mine like the sun

And at the end of the day

we should give thanks and pray

to the one, to the one...(see you in January!!!)

-lyrics, Van Morrison

My Angels...

Remember 9/11

When 9/11 occurred I was at school, in Marketing class at Western Michigan University. Like when Kennedy was shot during our parents/grandparents generation, our generation will always remember where we were on 9/11 when we first heard the news.

I remembered how much my Mother cried about 9/11. She had just went to New York City for the first time the year prior to everything happening. She went with her girlfriend Sue and they took a ton of pictures of the twin towers. Mom would always get so very sad about major events that would occur in the World or to someone she really admired, like Princess Diana for example. She bought every trinket, book, statute known to mankind for 9/11 to support what had happened and to never forget the fallen heroes. I remember when princess Diana died; in Summer of 97....we were at the lake house and they were having a housewarming party for their new place. She was devastated. Another reason, why honoring my Mom's memory is so important to me because she did such a wonderful job honoring peoples lives that have died, even when they were complete strangers to her.

Tragedies bring families and even a country together. I just wish it didn't take terrible events such as these to bring people together. That's why ever since losing my Mom and Dad, I can't really say it's brought me that much closer to my friends and family because I was already there. I didn't need a tragedy to bring me closer to my Family and Friends, they have always been #1. But I do love talking to my extended family more then I did before and that would just make my parents the most happiest. Their siblings and Fathers meant the world to my parents and that also means, they mean the world to me.

Remember 9/11 and remember to appreciate all that you have in life because it can be taken away so quickly that there is absolutely no chance for goodbye. Through world tragedies and one that hit me so close to home with losing my parents, has brought that statement too close to the reality of my life. And I will never again, leave anything unsaid. I think if you ask anyone I know very closely they would tell you that I love them very much and their relationship means the world to me. That's the way I'd prefer to leave it. Yes, I am certain my parents knew these things but I wish I could have told them one last time! But in a case like this, I will never be satisfied with what I did or did not say as when you love two people so much, you wish you could have said it all.

But, like most people, I never thought it would happen to me. my family. my beautiful parents. my younger brother. or in 9/11's case, my country.

Fall~

Fall was in the air this evening as Jess and I went on our hour long walk.

I love the Fall. In fact, I am shocked I did not have a Fall wedding and opted for May.

Mom and Dad got married in the Fall, October 7th of 1977. My Mother loved the fall too because that always meant Halloween, one of her favorite events of the year. Our house was on the corner so we always got the most kids for trick or treating and in our neighborhood, Halloween was a really big deal. My parents always dressed up, well my Mother always dressed up..Dad would usually just throw on a quick mask or something to scare people. Mom's neighbor would come over and they would hand build this massive spider web connected from the tree to the house. My Mom loved this web! I often remember rolling my eyes at it over the past several years when I would come home and now I feel badly about it. And my Father and his pumpkins. Don't even get him started. He had to have the largest pumpkin in the neighborhood and perhaps in Allen Park. They generally weighed over 50lbs and Aydan was able to help pick them out the last few years with him and Mom. Mom made the best-biggest pumpkin seeds. Do you notice I talk about Holidays or events way before they come? I think I do that because I am dreading them as they make me sad thinking of spending it without Mom, Dad and Justin so I talk about them months in advance so when they come, they aren't as bad as I thought they would be. I do this a lot with Christmas lately. I am actually in fear of the Holidays.

Fall also means the smell of the 1st day of school. It's strange.....that one day you walk outside and it's that perfect Fall temperature will instantly bring you back to your 1st days of school or college.

Fall also means everything pumpkin and you know how much I love my pumpkin stuff. I seriously cannot wait until our breakfast place has on special "pumpkin french toast" or "pumpkin pancakes". Surely, I will go up to Greaters ice cream for the pumpkin flavor in October and most definitely Cheesecake factory for a slice of their seasonal pumpkin cheesecake. Oh and that cheesecake, that reminds me... my goal for Thanksgiving. Re-create Mom's famous pumpkin cheesecake that so many fell in love with. She tried sooo many times to teach me how to make her homemade crust. I wouldn't listen. I would say to her how good she was at it and how easy it was for her. I've watched many times so I think I will be able to do it but that crust will be hard. She made the coolest crust out of crushed saltines, butter, walnuts and a few secret ingredients. Ted loved her chocolate variety but my heart will always remain with her pumpkin. I was quite dramatic about this dessert, I would say over and over while I was eating it, "oh my gosh this is sooooo good...". She even got annoyed with me because I wouldn't stop telling her that as I was eating it. Now I am so happy she knew how much I loved it.

Mothers seems to always have at least one really, really yummy dessert that they're super good at. My Mom was a true baker and had so many that we all loved but I think the cheesecake ended up being her specialty looking back. I wonder what mine will be one day? I don't enjoy cooking, but I love, love Food. And I want to be the house that always entertains and has family gatherings and Holiday dinners, but I like the tradition that I was raised in. Dad did the main cooking, Mom was the appetizer and dessert pro. I think I can settle for that.

I miss your cheesecakes Mommy and most of all, I miss you making them.

Happy soon-to-be-Fall my friends.

Happy Grandparents day.....

We miss you everyday and today on Grandparents day, we are saddened you only got to be Gama and Papa for 5 short years but those 5 short years were filled with love, laughter, pumpkin farms, Easter bunnies, presents, decorating cookies, eating the batter off the beaters, up-north trips, playing ball, zoo trips, shopping escapades, frustrating times when Aydan wrote on your new chair, coloring time, countless trips to the park and train and so much more.

Our new baby will never get to experience you as Grandparents and that is something that will sadden me for the rest of my life. I have looked forward to family vacations and even bigger Holidays for the last several years. I wanted that so badly with our Family.

Happy Grandparents day to my wonderful two Grandfathers, Edward Greiner and Stanley Olszowy. I am thankful for having you in my life at the age of 29 and hopefully many years beyond. Not one childhood memory is without the two of you and Grandma's in it. I remember every Sunday going to Grandpa Olszowy's house. We'd get our clean, crisp, dollar bills from Grandpa that we were suppose to save and we had to very nicely go up to Grandma and ask her if we could have some Snickers that were always stocked in the bottom drawer in the fridge. I remember having many sleepovers at Grandpa and Grandma Greiner's house where Grandma would pay me a $1.00 to rub her back. I can't believe I even took that dollar looking back on it. All of us would sleep in sleeping bags in the living room.
The birthdays, the Holidays, Sunday after church, Graduations, etc.....you were always there.

Thank you to my parents and to my Grandparents for showing me the importance of a Grandparent in a child's life and you had such.....unconditional love and involvement in our lives. And that my friends, is a life well lived. I have said this quote a few times since April and it's becoming more and more true as I read it...."It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years". -Abe Lincoln

I love you all,
Melissa

A pink blessing

I'm imagining in my mind right now what you would say as I called you to tell you that Ted and I found out we are having a little girl! I can just hear you and Dad when I close my eyes.

So those of you that just missed that one, we are having a GIRL! I could go on for hours on this post on the emotions, feelings, excitement that we have and also the great sadness I feel for my Parents and brother that they will miss this. The little princes or "patty cake" as my Aunt Diann has already nicknamed her, oh she will be so special.

But, I think many of you can imagine for a minute what I am feeling today. My parents passed in April and now only a few days before the 5 month anniversary of their death, I am pregnant with a girl. What are the chances I tell myself? Is this God working in his strange ways...taking away the 2 most important people in my life who are responsible for who I am today, but giving me the gift of a healthy growing little girl? I needed a girl. I love boys especially my Aydan "the future hockey star" but there is something about a cuddly little girl that is so comforting and and the thought of a girl instantly makes people's hearts just melt.

This year has taken me through the worst days of my life but when I think about telling my daughter about this one day, I can also tell her how something good came out of this year....and it was her that helped carry our sadness off our shoulders and brought us peace, hope and most importantly, faith that there is more to life after this and Gamma and Papa are watching from up above with pure happiness. I'll get to that point one day, I know I will but when you had the most loving Mother on the Earth who got so "excited" over things and was an amazing Grandmother for the past 5 years, it's hard not to feel a little sad today. She is the person I wanted to call today.

"I'm having a little girl Mom and Dad...do you believe it?" We love you and this little lady will grow to love you too even if it is only through memories.......I'll never stop telling the stories. And Sunday is Grandparents day so go out and enjoy yourselves....you were the best.

All our love,
Melissa and baby girl Close to-be

Excited?

Tonight as I was on my hour walk with my neighbor.... in between conversations, I tried to think about things I was excited about. It's hard for me to use that word "excited" and really mean it lately. I always seem to go back to the negatives...and I say to myself, "but it won't be as special, fun or memorable without Mom and Dad" or, "this vacation would be so much more relaxing if I didn't have this great sadness carrying on my shoulders". But tonight I'm thinking of things that while yes, won't be as great given the situation, but they are upcoming events that I am excited for....

So here's my top ten list of exciting events or things that I am looking forward to:

1. My ultrasound is on Friday and we actually get to see the anatomy of the baby
2. I am going on a beautiful vacation to Pebble Beach, CA and staying at the Inn at Spanish Bay at the end of the month
3. Weekend of 9/19 Our pals Josh and Reagan are coming for a visit and Josh and Teddy will begin the design and painting of the baby room
4. Fall is coming
5. Everything pumpkin (pancakes, hand soaps, cheesecake (mom's was the best), candles, ice-cream...you name it...I am obsessed with everything pumpkin and 1st of October.....it will be here!
6. Our new carpet will be installed within the next few weeks
7. Traveling out to the Northwest for work one last time before I am done with air travel for a while
8. Melissa and Nick's visit to Cincinnati in early October
9. Spending time with my amazing family and friends at my baby shower (I really can't wait to have all of my favorite ladies in one room)
10. Getting a belly, this actually really excites me because when your pregnant-having a big belly is encouraged! And I get a great excuse for going out to buy new clothes for the vacation...I'll say, "sorry hun, I just simply cannot fit into anything these days-what a bummer-well, off to Gap Maternity-need anything?..."

And tonight what really makes me happy as I sit and type in Ted's office is the new picture that is in a frame on his desk. It just makes me smile looking at my Dad's face. He thought he was the coolest person ever, sitting on the back deck at our new condo in Plymouth, MA with Ted "his favorite son-in-law" he would call him (hint-he was the only son-in-law), smoking a cigar. We really miss you Dad more then you would ever imagine. Ok.....anybody got a Kleenex?

a new kind of Labor Day

There were no cruises around the lake, bonfires, Dad on the grill, or late night card games. There wasn't any waking up to the fresh air of up-north Michigan or Mom getting coffee in her bathrobe. And there wasn't any Mom and Dad.

This year, I spent Labor Day very non-traditionally back in Farmington Hills, MI relaxing. I did get to spend time with many family members which was really nice.

I arrived at the Close's on Friday evening to spend it with Mom Close. We went to a nice dinner with a family friend and sat outside. My brother-n-law Jay and sister-n-law Jackie came by for a visit. Saturday morning, I woke up early and made the dreaded drive through Allen Park, stopped off at Starbucks, was instantly recognized by an old friend, who bought my coffee and offered her condolences. I had one more stop before arriving at Grandpa Olszowy's house and that was McDonalds. It wasn't 11am yet so I was unable to get his favorite treat, the Big Mac but he settled for a breakfast sandwich. I spent some time with him and before I left he had me go downstairs to take home one of his handmade windmills. He only had two left and he wanted me to have one. He said for me to be certain to sign my name on the bottom (apparently, my Mom and Dad's were stolen off their porch a few years back! The nerve of some people!).

After visiting, I headed back to the Close's and Mom Close and I got manicures and pedicures and went shopping and met up with my Sister for some additional shopping and for dinner. We bought her school clothes to give to Aydan (the preppiest little pants and shoes from GAP!) and helped her get his school supplies for the start of Kindergarten.

Sunday evening was really fun....my Aunt Diann and Uncle Randy were in town from Atlanta so all gathered in downtown Detroit and headed to Greek town. My cousin Jessica and her husband Bob came along, as well as Mrs. Close, Christina and Matt. The food was awesome , we walked next door to the casinos where I almost got arrested for taking pictures while Mom Close and Christina were at the roulette table (sorry, what can I say, I like taking pictures even when illegal), and finished the evening at an amazing bakery where we all ate delicious decadent desserts. I opted for Rice pudding, which has been a favorite of mine for years.

Like I said, it wasn't the most traditional Labor Day I have ever spent as most of them in my 28 years were spent at the Lake, especially when I was young. However as long as I am at least with Family for every Holiday, is really the most important thing. And for whatever reason, I do get great peace with spending time with any sibling or Father of my parents. It makes me recognize my Sister and I are not the only ones who are suffering a loss and that we are not facing this life on our own. We have family that love us and will continue to honor my parents through their relationship with my Sister and I. So many have lost two very special people. I often forget that and sometimes feel like Christina and I are facing this tragedy all by ourselves... but I know this is not true.

Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Cousin Jess, Melissa, Aunt Diann and Mom Close in Greek Town:

Chris and I at Pegasus:

And cousin Bob and Uncle Randy:

Missing you always Mom and Dad,

Your daughter