Greetings loved ones,
I haven't posted in quite some time because I was shocked to have a complete stranger comment on my blog about Emma. I didn't realize the whole world can see your blog unless you block it. What a chucklehead. I still haven't blocked it but figure my other posts are very mundane and no one will be that interested. I must say, it feels good to be back.
It has been an emotional last three weeks. My best friends son was serving his mission in Sendai, Japan when the earthquake and tsunami hit. We didn't know where he was for about 24 hours and as you can imagine Beth, (my friend) was a raw nerve. We all were. I've loved that boy since he was 6 months old. Finally, he emailed them and told them he was okay. The church closed his mission and sent him home because he only had about six weeks left. It has been a hard transition for him. To be snatched out of there and not get to say good-bye to anyone is hard on these young men. We are all so glad he is home, safe and sound.
The week before I took Charlotte to the neurologist and we found out that my 20 year old daughter had had a stroke the previous year. We found out because she volunteered as a 'base line' for a study at St Jude. They took an MRI of her last year and then when she went in this year the MRI showed an 'anomaly' and the radiologist called her at home that night to tell her to get to her GP IMMEDIATELY for a referral to a neurologist. It was all very upsetting. But the doc figured it out and now she is on Plavix and life is good. We will be going to UAB for a 2nd opinion sometime in the next month. The Dr. in B'ham is a fellow and has extensive knowledge on this sort of thing (it isn't normal for 20 year olds to have strokes).
Last week we spent 10 days in Southern California with all the kids. So, I've discovered that I don't especially like traveling with teenage boys. It's kind of like traveling with a caged badger in the backseat. Let's just say I was glad to be home. My favorite part was getting to see my precious step-mom Angela. I hate the wording for step-parents. It sounds so not-so-important, which is completely lubricious. I have loved both of my step-parents as much as my biological parents. I'm glad my children just call her Gigi. That's much better. Anyway, I have this sweet memory of us eating dinner at a really nice restaurant in Downtown Disney with our Gigi. It is something I can take to heaven with me one day. :)
Now with all this craziness going on in our lives there has been one sweet thing that I am really enjoying. My daughter is in love. She is in love with a wonderful man. I say man and not boy because Robert is 8 years older than Charlotte. Robert is sweet and quiet, loves to read and fish but mostly he is crazy in love with my daughter. I adore him. If there were arranged marriages he would be my choice. He is smart (he's an engineer at Fed Ex),kind, and faithful. He served his mission in Colorado Denver South, he is the Cub Master in his ward (which is in a disadvantaged area of town)and he is a good son to his parents. I know this because we are good friends with his parents. He spends every extra moment with Charlotte and while he is very shy and quiet I know he is very romantic. He leaves her flowers and sends her sweet love texts (that's what the young people do now). She is very loyal to him as she doesn't share what he says but I see her smiles when she gets them. It is so wonderful to watch her grow into a beautiful woman and to watch her mature and just to be happy. They are too precious together. I know there will be a ring soon and a wedding this summer. (Remember I'm good friends with his mom.) While I'm so happy for her I know I will miss her terribly. We are the best of friends and she really cares how I like things (the definition of a friend). You raise them to be independent of you but never really think about them moving out until the very end. I've been buying her things for her hope chest since she was 15 but didn't see them being used. But now I do. I can see her hanging pictures, cooking and building a home. It's what I've been training her to do her whole life. I keep thinking, is there anything I haven't told her that she needs to know? When I do think of something I try to tell her right away. It's kind of like sending her away to camp for the first time. Do you have EVERYTHING you need to make you happy? I hope she has everything. Let's see, you've got faith, wisdom, love and knowledge packed in here. If you need anything else just call me and I'll bring out to you. It's harder than I thought it would be. It came sooner than I thought it would. I guess that is what my parents said. On second thought I was a pistol, I'm sure my mom was just glad I found David. ;)
So that's my update. All is well and I hope all is well with ya'll.
With all my love,
Tracey
