Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

 

Let me start by saying that I found these pictures on the internet.  I wanted pictures with true emotions, as I was holding it back in our pictures.   

Here we are before Joseph's deployment....


I hate that feeling.  I hate sending off someone you love for 6+ months of your life.  I hate the feeling in the pit of your stomach as you watch them walk away. The urge to run them down for one more kiss or hug, but you know they have to go. I hate the feeling of not being able to do a thing about it, it is out of your control.  I hate holding back tears and smiling at him.  I hate deployment day.

I know, it is his job.  I know, he signed up for this.  That still does not make it any easier for him to leave his family, or his family to be left behind.  

The good thing is that those days start the countdown to these days....




Homecoming!

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with

Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with

 

These people.  My girls from Buchanan and my EMC people. 

Only with my girls have I rode the cat-tran around campus for entertainment.  Only with my girls have I gone to the wrong hotel with.  We went to endless parties.  I even got a hematoma at a toga party with them.  We had so much fun. 

I also had a great time with my EMC friends.  We had cinco de montho... every month.  It usually ended up at Jackson's house.  A good time was had by all.  We locked his neighbor out of his apartment, threw lunch meat at a pole, found horses and named them (Sparkles and Thunderhead for the record), I was attacked by a bat, and many other interesting nights.  There just isn't entertainment like college kids in the mountains.   I think back at the things we did and laugh now.  

Day Nine

Day 9- A picture of the person that has gotten you through the most




I picked three.  

My parents have gotten me through everything.  They have been there for me, since I became me.  They cleaned my diapers, fed me, bathed me, took me to a ridiculously expensive private school, helped me understand the world, supported my wants and dreams, took me to college, helped me buy my first car, helped me plan my wedding, helped me plan my first move, helped me learn to cook (I had to call my mom to ask how to make sweet tea), watched as we went through IVF, overstimulating in the hospital, bed rest for almost four weeks in the hospital, rushed to the hospital when they found out I had the boys, held Jacob, sat in the NICU with me, held Ethan, bought us food, called the funeral home for us, helped us plan a funeral for our sons, called everyday to see how we were doing, helped design our sons headstone, helped plan a vacation for us, supported us through Blake's pregnancy, helped us pick out our first house, helped us through the process to buy our first house, were here for days while I was in labor/having Blake, made us dinners for when we brought Blake home, and the list goes on and on..... 
They have been there for me through it all, good times and bad.  They have been there for Joseph, when no one else was.  When the boys passed away, they were taking care of him as much as they were me.  We needed that, and they delivered.

Joseph has been there for me through so much.  He has seen me in some pretty horrible situations.  He has seen me dressed up, and in the hospital and unable to stand up.  He is the only person in this world that understands what it was like to lose our children.  He has been by my side through it all, good and bad.  We have the same sense of humor, values, and thoughts about life.  To quote my dad.... I did good when I found him. 
 

Day Eight

Day 8- A picture that makes you laugh

Well, I love laughing... so I have a few. I also have the explanation of why I find them funny.


Do you like this picture of a truck at the White House? We had just finished our White House tour, and I wanted a picture of us in front of the White House as our leaving picture.  I waved down a random stranger, which Joseph hates, and asked him to take our picture.  I never said to get the White House in the background, because I thought that was pretty self explanatory.  Silly me.  I got home, and downloaded this picture.  It still makes me laugh that the guy thought we wanted a truck as our background.

 This is a picture of Joseph on our way to Disney World.  Our flight was really early that morning.  Notice that his wedding ring is not on his finger.  About halfway between Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, Georgia, Joseph realized this.  He swore he had it on that morning, and it was gone forever.  We took our camera out and looked at this picture.  No ring meant it was somewhere at my parent's house.  My mom found it the next day.  The look on Joseph's face when he realized it wasn't on his finger still makes me laugh.   



This picture is from a good friend's wedding.  I'm not sure that she knows about this picture.  I guess we will see if she reads my blog.  A friend's date stepped in some poop on his way in the church.  The entire service, he kept smelling something horrible.  He looked around, and could not figure out what it was.  After the wedding was over, we were taking pictures... and he realized.  He then duck walked out of the church (so that it wouldn't get onto the carpet).  Thinking about this grown man duck walking out of a church makes me laugh.  

Day Seven

Day 7- A picture of my most treasured item




These are my most treasured items (note it says item and not person).  Bethesda gave these to us after Ethan and Jacob passed away.  They made them with their hand and footprints.  It is amazing how tiny they were.  When we first came home from the hospital, I touched these all the time.  It was a way to connect with my babies.  Their hands and feet had touched that clay.  It was a link to them.  It is one of the few things that we have of theirs.  
I was so worried about them when we moved.  I packed them like glass, and we carried them in the car.  I brought them inside the hotel room, because I was scared they would somehow melt.  I would be crushed if we lost this link to Ethan and Jacob. 

So, this is my most treasured item.  I have other things in my house that I do love.  My great grandmother's crystal bowl and vase are pretty high on my list.  I love the history from them.  I love that they have been handed down.  I love that one day, I will give them to Blake's wife and explain where they are from.  It doesn't hurt that they are beautiful either!    

Day Six

Day 6-A picture of a person you would love to trade places with for a day.

I would love to trade places with myself when I was in college.  We had so much fun.  Each one of these pictures brings back memories.  I hate that I don't have more pictures, but our computer crashed with a lot of the old ones.  I still have them in photo albums though.  I love, love, love my life now, but life was so simple back then.  All of my buddies were within walking distance.  There was always someone to hang out with.  Between Tiffany, Melissa, Tabetha, Carmen, Amber, and Noelle, there was always someone around.  At times I hated it, but I miss living in old Buchanan with Tabetha.  I miss our Real World nights.  I miss Tabetha playing her game, talking to it, me thinking she was talking to me, me asking what she was talking about, and her laughing at me (repeat this AT LEAST once a couple of days).  We had good times at Western. 

Day Five

Day 5- A picture of your favorite memory. 


Meeting this guy.  He was about six hours old when I finally met him.  I had to have an emergency c-section, and then was put to sleep.  Joseph and Blake had to wait for me in the nursery until 8pm that night.  I will never forget sitting in my room, and hearing him crying in the hallway.  The nurse had to verify that Blake was my baby before she could bring him in.  I was about to jump out of my bed in anticipation.  I had waited so long to see him during my pregnancy, then had to wait in the recovery room, then they made me wait in my regular room.  Joseph kept peeking into the hallway for me.  I was in so much pain, but so excited to finally meet him.  Then they rolled him in.... and I saw this-


That night was wonderful.  Joseph and I got to know our little man.  I examined his fingers and toes.  I snuggled with him.  I will never forget that moment.