Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Labor Day Memories


Labor Day came and went like a whirlwind this year...a good one, that is. My mom and dad had penciled in Aiden for a visit that weekend since they would have a long weekend with the school holiday. Nathan and I were happy to oblige the help and decided to use the "freedom" for a quick trip down to the beach. We dropped of Aiden on Thursday night, and enjoyed a solid traditional Cracker Barrel meal, told our parents of the impending arrival to our family in March, and exchanged instructions on how to care for our sweet 14-month old while we were apart. The exchange went well and off he went for a weekend of spoiling at Mimi and Pop-Pops...oh the stories he would have if he could talk!

Nathan and I headed back and got ourselves packed up and ready for Rosemary, our favorite little spot of ocean along the Florida panhandle and hit the road at daylight Friday morning, Starbucks in hand. We made a few stops along the way, but mostly hauled tail to make it to the beach so we could partake in a nice long walk before sunset, one of the best parts about the panhandle this time of the year. We made it successfully with no tickets despite all the "po-po" on the road for the Labor Day speeders.

Ahhh....three relaxing days of reading on the beach, listening to the sound of the ocean waves breaking at our feet, eating excellent food day and night, and enjoying the company of one another...and a few nice mornings of sleeping in! It always goes by too quickly, time at the beach. No matter if I stay for a weekend or a month, I think it would always pass by too quickly and I would find myself making reasons to stay just "one more day." I doubt this will ever change for me as I have, and always hope to be, a beach bunny at my core.

We packed it up Monday - the only rainy day and THANK GOODNESS - or I would have never left! - and headed out, apparently along with three million other people en route to Atlanta and then to Knoxville to pick up our little dude. It's amazing how three days away can give you a new lease on life, a new appreciation for all the little things, a new perspective on problems and issues, and a resilience that you can't find in the day-to-day (at least most of the time). I appreciate this about a few nights away, and hope to always be able to have a few nights to just dream, wish, hope, pray, think, give, and love...

Tuesday morning we were home sweet home and despite how good it feels to go away, it always feels great to come back home. Even after two years (wow!) our house still has that "new home" scent when we come back to it. I love that scent. I wish it never went away, though the things that replace it are memories, I suppose, of living, loving, enjoying, what happened next, and everything that happens in between. Thank you to Mimi and Pop-pop for the gift you gave us in being away. We are grateful Aiden has a place to play and be loved while we have the chance to play and be loved.
There is nothing finer than these two things joining me in my chair...with this to my side!

Rosemary by day...and night.
Sad to go. But happy to have made the trip.

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