Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Five Year Heavenly Birthday

It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that you have been gone for 5 years.  That is longer than you attended high school or even longer than you served in the Marine Corps.  That is a very sobering concept to me.
The last few years I've made a point to take this day, December 1st, off.  I've found that doing so it not only good for me, but good for my co-workers as well.  The one thing I am incapable of doing is containing my emotions when it comes to reflecting on this day and how it all changed in 2010.
So today, I did my "normal" visit to the cemetery and took the staff Christmas cookies and ran a few errands and came home with every intention of just piddling around the house and making sure Tebo had dinner when he got home from work, but instead I found myself looking through old pictures.  I have to say, while there were definitely tears there were far more smiles.  Oh what a joy you always were to me and you made (and still do) my heart so full.
Not only was I blessed to be your mother for 22 1/2 years, but now I'm blessed with your friends and family that do such a great job of taking care of us and my heart.  You would be so proud.  It's true that there are days I have my pity party and I don't feel like a real mom anymore, but just then either one of my bonus kids or family members or friends will do or say something that brings me back around.  I'm truly grateful for those moments.
However, today I want to share a little bit of you with the world (or at least those that read this).  They deserve to know some of the sweet moments that I was honored to have and then some that may not be so pleasant, but are very honorable that most people are unaware of and should know.
So here goes a little walk down memory lane through pictures.  I wish I could have just put them all in this blog, but that would be impossible.  I'm sure there is a limit of some sort and the blogger world would probably lock up.  I definitely enjoyed taking your picture.  Yes, I know, most of the time you were totally over it, but thank you for indulging your momma bear.  It's hard to express what those sweet memories mean to me now more than ever.

You can't start this journey without the trip home from the hospital.  What you might find hard to see in this picture is the little sore on the tip of his nose.  We didn't know at the time that he had double hernias, but he did and back then (no, it's not that long ago) they didn't want babies on their backs so they kept putting him on his tummy and it hurt so he would rub his little nose into the sheets until he made a sore.  I guess that should have been my first clue that there would be many more injuries to that sweet little face to come (and there were).
Born 5-25-88 Memphis, TN @ Baptist East

Once home the fun began.  I had no clue what I was doing, but you just rocked along with me until you and I figured it out.  Most couldn't handle our crazy "non-sleep" schedule, but it worked for us.

Who knew how curly that hair would get

 Aunt Ann gave you this shirt
 Started early with the Camo
 Just a walk to the park
 Cousins
 Then he turns ONE!
 Yes!  Boxes are the best entertainment 
 Oh the jeans and curls of it all
 Oh you know, just a little horse reading with BoBo & Jess
 Elephant crawling for Granny
 Cruising in the bathtub (Jessica's bed)...  Too cool for school
 Aunt Stacy's 1st model
 Oh that face and those curls!
 Pretty sure this had something to do with Granny's Christmas tree...  Ha!  That face
 What?  Not everyone blows bubbles when rounding the bases? 
 Not everyone can rock the mullet like this kid
 What?  It's normal to wear cowboy boots with your football uniform (for the record they were out of the Dallas Cowboy uniforms)
 He may or may not have gotten his fashion style from his BoBo
 Just a boy and his dog (Hannah)
 One of my favorite memories.  Our first trip to Neland Stadium
 I'm not sure I even want to know what they were thinking...
 Swimming cousins
 Always 1 pant leg up and 1 down (always)
 Oh how she loved him (she believed she prayed me pregnant)
 Don't remember what was so funny, but love the picture with Nana
 Oh their bond!  None other!
 Memphis Christmas with some of the cousins
 The Original Backstreet Cousins
 Yes, that is my son hiding in aunt Dawn's coat.  Ha!
 Easter in Memphis with uncle Rodney & aunt Paige
 Breakfast in Eureka Springs after aunt Stacy & uncle Leckey's wedding
 God I love this boy!
Yes!  That is him in the air and roller blades on his feet
 Our family (minus Lil Miss) in 2009
 Mother/Son dance <3
 So grateful I got to see him fall in love and get married
 Some of our family
 Friends for life!
 LOL
 The beginning of our blended family (2006)
 He was even good with the kids in Afghanistan 
 Don't think I want to know....  HA
My birthday trip to CA
 Carrying a brother
 Honor
 Respect
 No words needed
 Camp Pendleton 5-25-11
 They shouldn't have to be here
 Brothers for life
 Such respect
 Boy did he love these kiddos
 She loved him like he had always been her grandson (mom Boyett)
This shouldn't be...  :(

Five years!  I still cannot wrap my head around that.  It feels like yesterday and forever at the same time.  Saying I miss you would be ridiculous.  I long for you and my heart aches only when it beats.  Until I can kiss your forehead again I will miss you and long to be with you.  Love you son.

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