circle of life.

it must go on.

after the hardest week of my life knowing i'd be saying good-bye to my sweet avery, it seems like you just can't possibly remember that there is always going to be tomorrow.
no matter what it holds.
people (and animals) and incidents so change our lives that it's so very difficult to somehow know that tomorrow will always be there to help you through what life brings your way.
why are faith and trust so difficult to remember?
hmmm...i guess there is that 'being human' thing, huh?
well, i will try not to ramble (ie. take a seat), but just wanted to share (and maybe give myself a visual reminder) that He is always taking care of us...

here is one of the last pictures of avery in her favorite, worn-out spot next to my bed, and that "please, mom, would you close the door so i can lay here?" her sweet eyes would seem to say.
"it's time for bed, right?"

this was taken just the day before. of course, she had to take one last swim to freak her mom out ;)

and then, mosby, who's spooked by water (yes. he is lab.), is like, "hey! ARE YOU CRAZY, OLD LADY?! get out of there quick! what were you thinking?!"

now, it's friday morning.
we hold our avery, talk to the boys, say good-byes and think we can cry no more.
a few hours pass, when suddenly, a little comic relief comes our way...at least for me :)
mister and i pick up jack from school around lunch time for his arm's moment of freedom.

noticing anything on his face? if not, maybe this will help...

"MOM!! YOU ARE NOT HOLDING MY EYES CLOSED TIGHT ENOUGH FOR ME NOT TO LOOK!!!" poor jackie didn't want to, but couldn't help trying to look while the nice man used pliers to twist and turn and yank the ginormous pins out of his bones. sweet.
apparently, mister also couldn't help looking and by the time it was over this is what i saw...

oh, wait. i'm sorry. this probably didn't give you the full view of the shade of green he and jack both turned.
ah. here it is...

til death do us part. right, honey?
thank you, mom, for working in an e.r. and telling gory stories during dinnertime. no queezy tummy for me :)
so next we scramble home to gather all the boys so they don't have to enter the house for the first time without avery by themselves. we cried a lot and we talked a lot. my boys grew up so much that day. no one fought. no one said unkind words. no one wanted to be with anyone else, but our own little family. that brought more tears to mister and myself. we were so amazed by how vocal each boy was at expressing how they were feeling. hmmm....how amazing that smiles were already beginning to creep back into our hearts.
now it was time to finish this

so it could travel to houston for this young lady's first birthday :) happy first birthday, kaitlyn!!! that is exactly how you should eat cake!

and before the night was over, we headed to the first of 4 hockey games for the weekend.
sadly, early the next morning, mister had to catch a plane to miami (i know, boo-hoo, right?) and all activities resumed. each boy had two games that day and why wouldn't they be at the same times? i can't thank my friends enough for helping out with all of this! you are our angels :)
and finally, enters today.
always best to start the morning with a little implosion of texas stadium followed by bagels and sunday school and a visit with bibber. a nice morning :)
but wait!!! my kids are fat like me and could not have been more excited than when we went here for lunch...

they were all like, "in your face, dad! no jimmy john's for you!"
mister, you're crying right? ;)
okay. hurry home. logan, change clothes, you two, get ready for God and me.
ugh. what time is it?
YES! time to green flag it to win the hockey championship where this guy (the white blur)

scored FIVE goals!!!
yes...i was THAT mom in the crowd you probably wanted to move away from after a while and darn proud of it! can you tell?

and as the circle closes on this weekend, what did we come home to?
a newbie in the pool trying to follow in his big sister's footsteps...
and just maybe trying to save his froggie :) you go, mosby-moo!

 xo.
sanford