1st Bday Celebration

The day after dad passed away we had a Hungry Caterpillar B-day party for Miles.  Originally, it was supposed to be a small family gathering, but with everything going on Bradley opted to buy a couple pony kegs of Etna Beer and the party grew.   I honestly agree that the 1st year mark should be a celebration of the parents.  We helped him survive his first 365 days didn't we?

It was a really nice day - almost HOT.  The true joy of the day was watching so many kids play on the play area that dad built for Carter and Miles.  I really felt his presence there that day.  He would have loved seeing the kids play and would've been playing with them.  Miles was holding onto a bunch of balloons that I had tied to his hand, when suddenly the wind picked up and took them away.  At first I was puzzled at how the balloons got loose, but then I realized that BiYah was saying hello.

I am grieving for the loss of a father, an amazing grandfather, supportive father-in-law, and truly grieving watching my own son grieve.  We all knew this was coming but it still rips your heart out when it really sinks in that he is gone.

Our lives and our family structure are forever changed.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and that we don't have control, but that being said, this is still a rough road.

Today Bradley and I took the boys up to Medford to buy them clothes to wear to dad's "celebration of life".  They will both have black Wranglers, cowboy hats, and nice cowboy pearl-buttoned shirts.  Bradley insisted on these outfits.  It will be a celebration.  A nice service followed by food/drinks, horseshoes and ping-pong - just as dad would have wanted, all in the gazebo he built.

Sadly, I earned another Mother of the Year Award today.  I took Miles to his 1st year check-up and his pediatrician discovered a "very serious" double ear infection.  The kid has to be pretty much ready for ICU before this guy will prescribe antibiotics - and he didn't even question the prescription.  All I can say is that Miles is pretty tough.  Maybe I didn't deserve that beer (or three or four) at his 1st birthday party anyhow.