I am so happy to write that Alice’s first trip back to Ohio proved that she is just like her sisters ~ wonderful travelers. There were a few tears but overall she slept, ate and smiled her way across the country.

We had a wonderful visit with our family and with some dear friends. Once we arrived at my parents house I felt like I was on vacation and it felt great to just be and not feel like I had to do or go anywhere.

On our last full day Alice, my mom and I shared Anna and Abby’s Love Story and Love Rocks at a local middle school. This was truly a blessing and something we plan on doing again when we go back in the Fall.

On Tuesday we arrived home to the best dad and husband anyone could ask for. I told him that if he was thinking about bringing flowers, which he often does, not to worry because our hands would be full ~ I wasreally just wanting to fill our arms with each other. Tom, being amazing and fun, showed up with 8 balloons tied to his belt with arms free. Alice was thrilled ❤ She really missed her dad and so did I.

Being in Ohio is wonderful but the void is deep when I am there. In my day to day life I have developed coping strategies and ways to survive the longing. When I’m in Ohio those strategies don’t seem to work as well ~ it feels like just yesterday that Anna, Abigail and I were headed there for spring break, it was just 4 visits ago.  With time, I pray, that I am able to develop strategies there too.

 

Anna’s first flight to Ohio was for my younger brother’s wedding, she was two months old. I remember worrying about that flight before she was even born.  I was stressed that we were doing it alone, stressed that she would cry the entire flight and stressed that I wouldn’t know what to do.

Our first flight together was amazing, she slept almost the entire time and when she wasn’t sleeping she was just staring at me ~ her mama. That flight is when I knew we were going to be ok and that we were going to go on many adventures together.

When she was almost two we flew to Alaska to visit dear friends that lived in the small village of Pedro Bay. We flew into Anchorage, then to the small airport in Iliamna and then jumped on the mail plane, just Anna, myself and the mailman, which landed on the airstrip in Pedro Bay – population 42. Before taking off from Iliamna there were some concerns that Teresa, my friend, needed to be there waiting for us because of a recent bear sighting on the airstrip. There wasn’t a building to go in and the mailman didn’t want to wait or leave me stranded with a toddler in bear country.

Teresa was there waiting and all was good. We spent the next two weeks exploring the wilds of Alaska and connecting with our friends. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.

After that trip, I was an empowered single mom who knew that the sky was the limit on where we would travel in our future. We often daydreamed about trips to Africa together, especially as we wrote letters to our sponsored children there. Anna would refer to them as her family often and couldn’t wait to see them in person.

Tonight Alice and I are taking a redeye to Ohio. It will be our first adventure together – I pray one of many.

My heart is extremely heavy. Going to Ohio was one of Anna’s favorite places to go.

Throughout this week, as I packed for our trip, I have found a tremendous amount of gratitude to Anna.  She was the one who taught me how to travel with an infant/toddler. She taught me that the easiest flight I would ever take with her would be when she was two months old and slept/stare at me the entire time. She taught me that what worked during one flight might not work during the next and that asking her to stop kicking the seat in front of her only meant that she would kick it more. She taught me about what was important to have close at hand, so we can stay content while the “do not remove your seatbelt” sign is on. She taught me that carrying wipes, extra clothes for myself and some small dry bags are very important. She taught me the art of creating airplane games, like hide the sticker and “find it” in the air mall catalog. She taught me that it’s completely ok to stand on your seat when you arrive at your destination and yell, “we are in OHIO.”

She was/is my traveling companion and I am so grateful for all of our adventures together.

Anna taught me so much and tonight I know she will be right there with me singing a lullaby in her sister’s ear – because Anna and I both know this will be our Alice’s easiest flight.

PS. When Tom and I got married Abigail joined Anna and I on many of our trips back to Ohio. We had some really fun airport/plane/hotel adventures together too. My favorite ~ you can read here. ❤

Do you know Flat Stanley?

He’s quite the adventurer and has been to our house 3 times in the past year ~ two times from Ohio and once from California.

This past week we sent our most current Flat Stanley back to my niece’s class in Ohio. We were in a bit of a shuffle this past Friday realizing that he needed to return home on Monday and we were not quit ready to let him go…the real story, we put him somewhere safe and totally forgot about him until 3 days before he was due back.

Needless to say, I promptly emailed my niece’s teacher and explained that he may be late. Let’s just say that while I was emailing her I had flashbacks of high school panic – wondering if she was going to be lenient with me about his late arrival; I seriously had sweat on my brow as I was typing.

My brother talked with Miss M.  yesterday and all is good. Stanley hadn’t made it back yet but the post office assured me that Wed. would be the latest he would make his arrival.

Life is back to normal now that he is back in Ohio. Linus isn’t trying to rip him to shreds and Alice, sad that she has lost her playmate, is trying to figure out how to fit her whole fist in her mouth.

With the end of the school year approaching there will be no more requests for Flat Stanley to come visit. This makes us sad and a little relieved, the stress of getting him back on time was a little more than I could handle.

Next school year, with Linus a year older and Alice on the move,  we are planning on opening a Flat Stanley Airbnb ~ The Love and Joy Inn.  Reservations for a room will be taken in the Fall.

 

I can not take any more photos of Anna and Abigail on Mother’s Day but I can take a photo of where they met Jesus ~ at the base of the rainbow tree, their tree.  If I asked them to come home they would tell me they are already there. I rest in knowing that they are in good hands.

I miss them terribly and long for the day we are reunited.

Until then I will do my best to drench this little one, their baby sister, in love and to build a foundation for her that is rooted in God’s Love and Grace. His Love and Grace drenches me daily.

Being a mom to my kids is the greatest gift in my life. I do not take it lightly, nor will I ever stop mothering ~ no matter where my children call home.

I love you Emily, Ben, Abigail, Anna and Alice ~ to Heaven and back again and again and again.

This face makes my heart very happy. I have so much to say about this little one and what she does to my heart. I love her so much…just like her brother and sisters.