I think we all woke up a little sad. That is okay. That is normal. We all knew in the back of our minds that such a big piece was missing and it was his day today. We would celebrate him regardless.
I tried to take it all in this morning. It was funny to just observe. I could hear the kids counting, playing hide and seek. I tried to listen intently so I knew if furniture was being moved or if I needed to intervene. Dad was intently watching Facebook videos on his phone. He'd find one he liked and tell me to look. Stupid stuff. Why would I care to look at that? Jacob was in his 18th minute of trying to find something to watch on TV. They had a million apps to choose from and he spent more time perusing than actually watching. Poor mom, she started the bacon for breakfast and literally spent about 3.5 minutes staring at the oven timer and counting something on her fingers. It made me snicker inside. I should have gone and helped her out, but I just watched and giggled to myself. I wondered if she would ever figure out what she was doing. Eventually she did. Sarah and Paul were getting ready for the day, I guess. I was sitting at the table, taking it all in, waiting for other adults ready to throw some dice.
I remembered mid-day that my friend was supposed to come and clean our house today. I hadn't confirmed, hadn't left money, hadn't told her where some new cleaning supplies were. I texted her to let her know that she didn't have to go because I didn't communicate, but that didn't matter. She responded that she was there and halfway done - ugh, she's amazing.
I had no intention of baking a cake today. I told Mom and Dad that if they wanted to do a cake, to buy one when they went to Waynesboro yesterday. They came home with cake mix. Really? Yes, I am the family baker but I didn't feel like baking here. Sarah took it on with delight, asking the kids to help with each step. It was really nice to watch them do all of the baking, icing, decorating, etc. It is amazing how Adrienne and Bill have furnished this home with absolutely everything we could have imagined. They had it all! I helped Renn make a sign that said Happy Birthday, Dad. He enjoyed doing that.
We took a pause from everything and sang Happy Birthday. The kids loved the cake and ice cream and while we were all a little sad that Ricky wasn't with us, it felt like he would burst into the door anytime and join the party.
Dad, Sarah and I took the kids out again to sled in the yard. I have truly never seen snow so packed that you could walk on it without your feet sinking to the ground. This was the real deal. The kids loved going down the bank on their bottom and then sledding on an almost flat area in the side yard. It doesn't get much better than that. We broke one of the sleds at the house, so I felt awful. I told Adrienne about it, along with news about a coaster that was now broken, missing one corner. She responded that she broke the coaster and that the sled was already half broken that they weren't at all concerned about any of that. Thank goodness! That definitely put my mind at ease.
Considering we are leaving tomorrow, Sarah and I have been doing laundry, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, etc. so that the morning isn't too stressful. We aren't even going to have breakfast here - just get up, finish cleaning and hit the road. In between cleaning and watching the football games, we got some cards and dice in, too. This is what I enjoy so very much! I don't even care about losing, it is just so much fun! Gregory and I played solitaire this morning and all of us played Yahtzee this afternoon. Always fun letting kids get in on the gaming, too.
I'll head to bed in a little bit, beyond thankful for this time together. It is bittersweet, for sure, but we couldn't have asked for a better weekend away. Hopefully we will make it down the mountain tomorrow just fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment