busy summer

I had the opportunity to meet up with one of my greatest friends and her son and husband last weekend. She lives in AZ......after graduation, we drove off into the sunset together and I helped her move to Arizona. We stopped in Mexico. I drove down steep hills through the West so she could sleep and it was a stick shift and had no idea how to drive it. She literally had to "switch gears" for me. Throughout the years, she's been there for me through the sadness of my parents death and the joys of my baby shower and sent thoughtful things during the arrival of Elle. Though she is miles away, I feel we are always up to speed on each other's lives......it's hard these days but I am thankful for the effort my close friends and I put in to still see each other as much as we can. I am thankful that she drove several hours with her husband and son just to meet Elle and I. It was great to watch her as a new Mommy. She is so laid back and you can see Carter has just adjusted to their lifestyle. We both worry as Moms...we don't want our kids to be brats, as we said, but we also don't want to be the "psycho" Mom.

It's challenging these days but I think if you keep your girlfriends and family close and use them for guidance while sprinkling in your own ways of doing things, all will be just fine.........I go the silly route. I try to be strict. We'll see. My mother was always silly. It's really all I know. She was silly a few days before she died. She was getting a colonoscopy and we chatted the day before her procedure. She found great humor in this. As children, we annoyed her and I can imagine three kids was overwhelming at times but she always told me it was the best time of her life. My Gramma died when Mom was in her 30's-I think I was arouand 8 years old- so she did a lot on her own with the support of her Dad, siblings, and friends. I wish I would have recognized her more for all she did. She was a great Mom who always put her children first but looking back, she kept her girlfriends close. I am proud to stay I have done that too.

I am looking forward to the many adventures with my girlfriends throughout the rest of the summer........dinner party this weekend along with our husbands, heading to St Joe-MI next weekend for one of my best friends baby showers, then Chicago for the weekend for my friends bachelorette party and then off to Hilton Head Island to visit with my Aunt and Uncle and our wonderful friends and their children.

This Summer has already flown by as we've been busy. I like being busy and we are already trying to book things for the Fall and possibly looking to renovate our house if we decide to stay. We were thinking of moving out to the "burbs" for more space, a bigger yard but I continued to think about the neighborhood that I love, the coffee shop and market I can walk up to and the new restaurants in our square that are opening up that I like to take our visitors to when they come. And then the emotional side of things.....my Mom and Dad knew this house and neighborhood. Dad helped us hang things, watered my lawn here, he favored the local pub.....not sure I want to enter a new home without sharing it with them. I know it will happen one day but I am not ready for it.
I think I want to look at options to open this house up a little and stay a little longer.........I continue to be surprised how much we ended up liking Cincinnati.........

I miss you Mom and Dad, every day.