Expecting Again!.... (not me)

Yesterday was a day of personal reflection and nostalgia. My sister, Leah, called me yesterday after her ultrasound and announced that she was having a Boy! So my excitement was peaked because now I was able to drag out those boxes and boxes of clothes I had saved after Landon had outgrown them. For a while I thought they would NEVER get used again (*chuckles to oneself*) and that the boxes and containers were always going to take up room and continue with me through move after move. But yesterday I finally dug through my storage boxes to get one that had the infant clothes inside. As I sat and folded the clothes to make them look nicer for Leah to go through... I realized something surprising and a little disturbing. I don't remember Landon being that small. I know that I see him as a newborn in pictures and everything... but I don't remember holding his small little body in my arms and how it felt so fragile. I just don't remember him being able to fit into some of those newborn clothes! I don't know whether I'm suffering from loss of memory (which many woman and men have said happens when you have children) or whether I'm developing some form of premature Alzheimer's... but it's a little unnerving either way. You see I want to remember Landon that small. I am sure that I'll experience holding my nephew soon enough, but I want to remember holding my son. Maybe this is why women keep having children... I don't know. But as I realized this yesterday and felt a little bit of loss.

As I continued sorting I realized that some of the clothes he never wore... and others he wore time and time again. I even have those little shoes and can't imagine his size 10 foot... let alone big toe... fit into those anymore. So I was struck again by how quickly time goes by. It doesn't seem that Landon will be turning 3 years old next week. Instead it seems like he should still be in diapers (I'm not saying I wish for that stage again...) and giving me a gummy grin. Perhaps I'm in a "baby-hungry stage" due to all the tiny baby clothes and blankets and shoes I saw yesterday night as I was reminiscing... but to be honest I know that I am not going to have a baby anytime soon and that saddens me. I see my sister going through the stages of pregnancy and looked down the other day to realize that the "muffin top" (that my sister-in-law, Kimber, described in her blog) was NOT a little one growing inside me... but some extra toning that I need to do.

Leah (finally!) looks pregnant now... albeit barely for being 5 months along. Leah and Thomas have already named their little guy. I have to admit that when I heard the name I laughed (which I unintentionally hurt Thomas' feelings with)... but since then it's really grown on me and now I'm not sure I'd like any other name they might have chosen. This little man's name is going to be Drake (?Unknown Yet) Linton. Thomas picked it out (which is the cause of the hurt feelings) and it has to do with something hunting... a male duck of sorts or something. I am excited about this little guy coming into the world and being a part of his family at home for now. I am excited to be able to touch Leah's belly soon and feel Drake kicking and squirming. I am excited about the trip to the hospital and the hours in the delivery room. But most of all I'm excited about taking those first pictures of Drake and his mom and dad. To capture those moments so he can look back on them after he's older and see that day. I am excited to hold him and welcome him to a very new world he'll soon be aclimated to. To have a baby that newly born is like having something from heaven right in your arms. Makes me wish that babies could talk and tell us things they know and see.

The Surprised Thanks

Today I was sitting at my desk and thinking about all the crap that's happened the last week... and yes this is only Tuesday... so yesterday felt like an entire week to me! It was SOOOO bad. It started on Sunday night when I got a call from the funeral director asking if I had scheduled someone for the viewing that night. Ugh! I hadn't and tried to call someone in, but to no avail. So Monday morning comes and I walk in to find the FD Manager folding folders. It dawns on me a couple of minutes later that he's doing this because I forgot to put the folders in jackets with bands around them! Then come to find out that the cap panel we ordered for the family didn't come in, the flowers got delivered across the street rather than to us, and the decedant's glasses couldn't be found.... so the situation went from bad to worse within minutes. And this is all happening as the service is right across the street from my place of work in an hour!

To say the least, I and the funeral director dropped the ball on many things. I was mortified that this had happened and I didn't see how I could have forgotten and slipped up on some of these things. So to say the least my Monday was horrible and it took everything for me not to sit and cry at my desk throughout the day.

I come into work today in a better mood because today couldn't be as bad as the day before. I also knew that I was going to see the Husband of the decedant today when he came in to pay his bill. I was worried that he would be mad (which he had EVERY right to be) and would yell at me or give me the silent treatment and make me feel more horrible and awkward than I already felt...

But what happened when he came in really touched me...

He came walking through the door and I smiled and greeted him. He laughed and pointed to my cinnimon rolls that a friend had given me on my desk (the other day he came in and cookies were on my desk) and he asked if that was the snack for the day. I replied that I always had something to eat at work and offered him some. He declined, but sat down and wrote out a check then was on his way in a few minutes time from walking in to walking out.

Little did I know that I would be seeing him about 10 minutes later as he walked back in with a container of Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies. He placed them on my desk and said this, which I hope to never forget, "Autumn. You are a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark place. Thank you." Then he turned and left. I sat here and fought tears from falling, but they didn't listen. I was touched. Here was a man that had endured all my mistakes and was bringing me back something and thanking me. I didn't feel worthy of his praise to say the least. But I was grateful and touched all the same.

This has been a very fulfilling day and I hope that I don't forget it soon. There are days that I have a hard time in my job and the situations and people we serve, but now I have something special to recall when I hit those moments.

I want to thank you Mr. Kenning for your kind remarks and your act of gratitude. It really meant the world to me. God bless you and your family during this difficult time in your life. I pray for your comfort and happiness.

Waterpark Adventures

My good friend, Tiffany, moved into the duplex I was living in after I moved into my sister's house. She is now located in the perfect spot during the summer. Why you ask? Because it's less than a half mile to the kids water park which is located next to the library. It has a rose demonstration garden which master gardeners care for and is amazingly beautiful and it's all around just the best place to bring kids and have them have fun while you sit and chat/catch up with a friend.

Although on this day I didn't expect to go to the water park as you can tell by Landon running around in his underwear instead of swimming trunks. :)



This is Landon's really good friend, Nicole. She's awesome and loves to play with Landon. They have all sorts of fun together finding rolly-pollies, playing on the swing, riding bikes, racing up and down the lawn, and playing at the water park together.




Landon was really weary about getting in the water at first because he's not been there since last year when he didn't like it one bit, but when he saw Nicole running back and forth through the water I think it caught on that if she's having so much fun getting wet that he would too. So off he went and we had to pull them out of there to go to the rose garden soaking wet... thank goodness I still had some dry clothes to put on him.



The rose garden is totally geared to kids too. It has scarecrows, boats, teacups that are plant pots, castles, a sand box, and pretty much everything you could think of. The kids have a Blast when we go there. They love to look at everything and of course to stop and smell the roses once in a while too after seeing their mommies doing it. :)





This would be me and Landon beside Tiffany and Nicole. This day was so much fun.
Then we moved to the goldfish pond...





Whenever Landon and Nicole get together it's hard to get a shot of both of them Looking at the camera and of Landon NOT making some sign or signal with his hands... but we did... along with those that were funny and unrehearsed.





All in all, it was fun. The kids were beat at the end of it and Landon fell asleep that night in record time. He crawled in bed and I went to get something and came back and he was out! hahaha, I guess that when little boys play hard, they crash hard too. :)