Forever in my heart...

Today we laid you to rest Pop.  My heart aches at the loss of the most amazing man I ever knew.

Pop I sit here trying to think how I can put into words or even begin to explain how great a man you were.  I never understood as a child how lucky I was to have been blessed with such amazing Grandparents because the innocence of childhood had me believe that all Grandparents were like mine.  I thought everyone had a poppie but you were one of kind.  All the games of pool, wagon rides, naptime stories, trips to McDonalds, and just hours you spent entertaining us.  You were so much more than just a Grandfather, you were our playmate; you were Poppie. 

I remember that night I sat with you as you slept in your hospital bed just a few short weeks ago…I sat there looking at you and thinking that I wanted to just scoop you up and take you home, put you in the wagon and take you on a trip to McDonalds or around the yard.  I just wanted so desperately to get you home where you belonged.  I am so grateful for the time we had together during your last weeks.  It was an honor to care for you…to get you a drink, a popsicle (or icicle as you called them), to help you roll over, and to massage your feet.  It gave me great joy to be there for you and attempt to give back for being there for me for everything.  For making my childhood so special. 

You were a role model in so many ways and you were still showering us with your love even after you were gone.  You were the kind of man who arranges to have flowers sent to his wife to thank her and tell her you love her days after your death.  You were the kind of man who makes sure that his sweetie pie…his baby doll has an Easter gift from her Poppie.  Thank you for being you Pop, for loving me, for caring for me, for playing with me, for making Ava feel so special and for being such an important person in her life. 

Your love for Nana and your devotion to your family was like something straight out of a storybook.  If you hadn’t been my Poppie I probably wouldn’t have believed such a wonderfully amazing person really existed.  You melted my heart every time I saw you with Ava.  She was your world and I knew that Wednesday when we were leaving and you just kept telling her that you loved her that you knew something was coming.  You did not deserve to have so much pain.   It is selfish of me to have wished you stayed longer because I know you were in pain but it is so hard to let you go.  I find comfort in knowing you will no longer have to feel that pain.  I will kept your memory alive for Ava and continue to tell her stories about her Poppie and I will hold your love deep in my heart until we meet again.  I love you Pop.

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Max and Ruby

The first few days they didn't venture far outside of their litter box where they sat munching on hay. 

Now Ruby almost always meets me at the door and Max slowly makes his way over to have his back rubbed.  Ava is doing so well with them.  She loves to help sweep up the cage, fill their bowls, put hay in their litter box but her favorite is watching them run around the exercise pen.  She tells them over and over to go through their tunnel again. 

 She was waiting for food but then played shy when I opened the door.

 She tucked her head under max so I couldn't see her.

A busy weekend...

Projects....phew

My Mom is busy finishing the painting of the great room,  Aaron was busy promoting himself (his classes) at the local track, and today I busied myself putting together Ava's new swingset.  Her Poppie ordered it for her and it came in yesterday.

 

I was able to get the climber and slide together and began doing the other side before Aaron got home and I stopped.  Ava played on the slide for almost two hours straight and is in love.  When Aaron came home we ran out to Lowes and Target for more supplies for our big project tomorrow.  My Mom, Ava, and I already spent a good part of the morning at Home Depot gathering supplies but they were short a few things.  If you are wondering what our next project is........it will be a new home for two very special bunnies who we went and picked out yesterday.  I have been in contact with a local bunny rescue and Katelynn, Ava, and I met up with my friend Cristal and her daughter at the Petco to look at a few of the rescues.  I decided we wanted two because who wants to live alone.  The bunny rescue is called Bunny Magic and if you are in the area and are willing to open your home you should give them a call.   The adoption coordinator was nice enough to send me over some photos to share of Gilby and Myrtle who we are renaming Max and Ruby.  It's one of Ava's favorite shows and she already knows how to say the names which is a plus :) 

This is Max (Gilby)

and Ruby (Myrtle)

We are getting so excited and I can't wait to have them home.  Tomorrow we will build the structure of their home and then I will get the supplies together and hope to be able to bring them home by the end of the week. 

Ava was so good at the pet store and would lay next to the cages or sit and ask about them.  When I was holding Myrtle she said Mommy that's Ava's rabbit and that sealed the deal.  I was already sold on Gilby.  Uh it was so hard to decide when you really just want to say I will take them all.  I mean really, how do you pick?  So I had to decide on a system because it really was hard to pick one over another.  Basically I went with whoever calmed to my touch the quickest and whoever seemed to be pretty calm in the rather chaotic setting that is Petco...haha.  I just figured whoever didn't mind that noise definitely wouldn't mind the noise of toys, a child, and a TV since their abode will be right where we typically hang out.

More pictures will be featured in the very near future of our new family members :) 

Here are a few cell phone photos from our last few days since I didn't carry the big camera.  One is of the bunnies and the others of Ava playing on the swingset as I assembled.

A hot cup of tea...

As I sit here enjoying my green tea and attempting to begin writing my goal and hypothesis for my two case studies I glance over at the quote on my tea bag.

"The rhythm of life is when you experience your own body, mind, and soul."

Something I can only now understand and have felt through my massage school experiences.  Without massage I would never have been able to truly appreciate this quote. 

Now back to my case studies...just thought I would share.

Oh and I noticed that my daughter is wearing the same green dress in an awful lot of her recent pictures.  I guess that's what happens now that I allow her to pick her own attire.  She must really like that dress.