She is as sweet as they come. We all love her bunches and bunches and will miss her so very much. Please pray for her family.
Showing posts with label Honey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Honey. Show all posts
February 28, 2015
March 29, 2014
Grief sucks.
I've been putting off this post, hoping that with a little more time I would have a better handle on things, but I don't think I've made much progress, and I don't feel like I can move forward until I've acknowledged the grief I feel about Pop Pop's passing.
I read something a while back that my sister-in-law's mother had told her growing up about our feelings being our feelings. The good, the bad, and the ugly....whatever those feelings may be, it's okay to be feeling them. I've held onto that phrase and try to think of it when I find myself all over the map.
Two weeks ago today I was back in Florida with the boys and was able to attend a life celebration party that the Bacon's threw in honor of Harry. I can't think of a more fitting way that his family could have acknowledged the great man that he was. They know how to throw a hell of a party, and this was no exception. It was a great opportunity for Harry's family to highlight the good times, and I observed far more laughter than tears.
Tears are okay. I knew for me they'd come at a later time...like today, out of the blue, in buckets. There's definitely no rhyme or reason or timetable to how we process our grief. I didn't foresee feeling this way myself, but it seems kind of silly that I wouldn't. I was present to see some dear people that I love go through something awful and lose someone who is a core piece of their family. It sucked. I think at the time, I was just trying to keep it together and do what I could to help in whatever way they needed.
After coming home and moving forward with our own day-to-day stuff, I'm pretty sure that I distanced myself from the reality that was settling in for the Bacon's. I wasn't there any longer to witness first hand how they were dealing, so I wasn't faced with that grief yet myself. It wasn't until today that I recognized I've been in denial the past couple of weeks. I see it now though, and depressed and angry came to the grief party too. I can accept that Pop Pop is gone, but then I'm faced with the thought of his family moving forward without him. It makes me feel incredibly sad and angry over how unfair it all seems, for everything that they will all miss out on doing together. I know Pop Pop is in a good place now, but it's not where I want him to be. I want him with his family.
Time may move us forward and help us to heal, but what I'm struggling with the most right now is knowing how much this grief process sucks, knowing that Pop Pop's family all has to go through it too. We can share with others, lean on our loved ones for support, but ultimately we all have our own muck to work through.
Such is life. Death comes for us all at some point. Life is a huge revolving door, taking us in until it's our time to exit. I may not have known Pop Pop for the majority of his revolutions, but I'm still incredibly grateful for him and his life. It's because of him and his Honey and the family they started that eventually connected their family with mine, and that's a really great thing.
I read something a while back that my sister-in-law's mother had told her growing up about our feelings being our feelings. The good, the bad, and the ugly....whatever those feelings may be, it's okay to be feeling them. I've held onto that phrase and try to think of it when I find myself all over the map.
Two weeks ago today I was back in Florida with the boys and was able to attend a life celebration party that the Bacon's threw in honor of Harry. I can't think of a more fitting way that his family could have acknowledged the great man that he was. They know how to throw a hell of a party, and this was no exception. It was a great opportunity for Harry's family to highlight the good times, and I observed far more laughter than tears.
Tears are okay. I knew for me they'd come at a later time...like today, out of the blue, in buckets. There's definitely no rhyme or reason or timetable to how we process our grief. I didn't foresee feeling this way myself, but it seems kind of silly that I wouldn't. I was present to see some dear people that I love go through something awful and lose someone who is a core piece of their family. It sucked. I think at the time, I was just trying to keep it together and do what I could to help in whatever way they needed.
After coming home and moving forward with our own day-to-day stuff, I'm pretty sure that I distanced myself from the reality that was settling in for the Bacon's. I wasn't there any longer to witness first hand how they were dealing, so I wasn't faced with that grief yet myself. It wasn't until today that I recognized I've been in denial the past couple of weeks. I see it now though, and depressed and angry came to the grief party too. I can accept that Pop Pop is gone, but then I'm faced with the thought of his family moving forward without him. It makes me feel incredibly sad and angry over how unfair it all seems, for everything that they will all miss out on doing together. I know Pop Pop is in a good place now, but it's not where I want him to be. I want him with his family.
Time may move us forward and help us to heal, but what I'm struggling with the most right now is knowing how much this grief process sucks, knowing that Pop Pop's family all has to go through it too. We can share with others, lean on our loved ones for support, but ultimately we all have our own muck to work through.
Such is life. Death comes for us all at some point. Life is a huge revolving door, taking us in until it's our time to exit. I may not have known Pop Pop for the majority of his revolutions, but I'm still incredibly grateful for him and his life. It's because of him and his Honey and the family they started that eventually connected their family with mine, and that's a really great thing.
Blessed.
February 23, 2013
It's fun to be Emma!
February is quickly on the way out, and I'm still mentally half way stuck in January. The boys and I were super lucky to get a break from winter for a couple of weeks, and I think the recess scrambled my brain a bit.
The reason for our trip to sunnier skies was to celebrate Emma's first birthday with the Bacons. There's something about first birthdays that seem to me to be as much as a celebration for the family and friends as it is for the person turning one. Emma is one very loved little girl, and it was lots of fun to be around so many people who love her as much as we do.
A couple days following Emma's party we had planned on returning home, but we ended up extending our stay to lend some help. Honey had not been well when we first arrived and needed some extra care to recover from a nasty case of pneumonia. Although the circumstances were far from ideal, it was nice to be able to spend the extra time with the Bacons.
A little of the extra time included another fun party the following weekend. The Bacons are skilled at throwing a good party. Emma's party followed by their Super Bowl party the following weekend were no exceptions! I had lots of fun with Patti getting food ready for the party. I get so many great and delicious ideas from her.
During our stay we also enjoyed a nice visit with Grandma Gaile and her husband Jim, who were kind enough to make the drive over to Orlando from Sarasota. They treated us to lunch, froyo, and gifts for the boys. It was so nice to be able to visit with them and so much sooner than we had anticipated.
I didn't care to leave our friends and the warm weather behind, but it was good to come home to Darius. He doesn't like it when we leave him for long periods, and I can't say that I blame him. We miss being away from him too. I appreciate him and his job which allows us these opportunities to visit our far-away friends and family!
The reason for our trip to sunnier skies was to celebrate Emma's first birthday with the Bacons. There's something about first birthdays that seem to me to be as much as a celebration for the family and friends as it is for the person turning one. Emma is one very loved little girl, and it was lots of fun to be around so many people who love her as much as we do.
Emma is at such a fun age. There's so much for her to absorb at her age. How interesting it would be to get inside her head and see her take on all the things she's experiencing right now.
A couple days following Emma's party we had planned on returning home, but we ended up extending our stay to lend some help. Honey had not been well when we first arrived and needed some extra care to recover from a nasty case of pneumonia. Although the circumstances were far from ideal, it was nice to be able to spend the extra time with the Bacons.
A little of the extra time included another fun party the following weekend. The Bacons are skilled at throwing a good party. Emma's party followed by their Super Bowl party the following weekend were no exceptions! I had lots of fun with Patti getting food ready for the party. I get so many great and delicious ideas from her.
During our stay we also enjoyed a nice visit with Grandma Gaile and her husband Jim, who were kind enough to make the drive over to Orlando from Sarasota. They treated us to lunch, froyo, and gifts for the boys. It was so nice to be able to visit with them and so much sooner than we had anticipated.
I didn't care to leave our friends and the warm weather behind, but it was good to come home to Darius. He doesn't like it when we leave him for long periods, and I can't say that I blame him. We miss being away from him too. I appreciate him and his job which allows us these opportunities to visit our far-away friends and family!
April 8, 2012
Baby, Brother, Baseball, Boys & Baskets
Honey requested that I update my blog so that when she checks it the next time she isn't looking at a photo of herself anymore. I actually have another very sweet photo of her holding Emma that I came really close to placing at the top just to give her a hard time, but I'll leave it for the end!
Last night the boys and I hung out at the Bacon's so that I could help babysit Emma, although I can't really claim that I did much babysitting. Emma's big brother totally monopolized her for much of the evening. The only things he didn't do were change diapers and make bottles. I knew before that Dylan was all about his little sister, but seeing him in action with her firsthand, I understand now just how partial he is to her. I was beyond impressed to see how good he was with her. Emma is so fortunate to have an older brother that adores her.
Much of our evening was spent watching a very long Rays and Yankees game. The Bacon clan is a bunch of Rays fans, so I was the lone Yankees fan who cheered on the losing team.....and I'm afraid they didn't fare any better in today's match up either. Oh well, at least baseball season is under way, and I'm beyond thrilled that my favorite player came out of retirement and will hopefully be back on the mound come May!
Our Easter has been a quiet day at home. If Zach was a cartoon you would be seeing him watering at the mouth, tongue hanging out, with chocolate eggs for eyes. Ben on the other hand is sitting next to me snacking on a healthy banana. They are so opposite! After last year's egg hunt, I wasn't about to subject the boys to another this year, so instead I hid Dino eggs around the house. So far they have only found 2. I'm curious as to how much time will go by before they find the rest of them.
Last night the boys and I hung out at the Bacon's so that I could help babysit Emma, although I can't really claim that I did much babysitting. Emma's big brother totally monopolized her for much of the evening. The only things he didn't do were change diapers and make bottles. I knew before that Dylan was all about his little sister, but seeing him in action with her firsthand, I understand now just how partial he is to her. I was beyond impressed to see how good he was with her. Emma is so fortunate to have an older brother that adores her.
Much of our evening was spent watching a very long Rays and Yankees game. The Bacon clan is a bunch of Rays fans, so I was the lone Yankees fan who cheered on the losing team.....and I'm afraid they didn't fare any better in today's match up either. Oh well, at least baseball season is under way, and I'm beyond thrilled that my favorite player came out of retirement and will hopefully be back on the mound come May!
Our Easter has been a quiet day at home. If Zach was a cartoon you would be seeing him watering at the mouth, tongue hanging out, with chocolate eggs for eyes. Ben on the other hand is sitting next to me snacking on a healthy banana. They are so opposite! After last year's egg hunt, I wasn't about to subject the boys to another this year, so instead I hid Dino eggs around the house. So far they have only found 2. I'm curious as to how much time will go by before they find the rest of them.
Happy Spring!
March 28, 2012
As sweet as they come...
A very sweet woman proudly announced her age to me earlier tonight, and it got me thinking about growing older and how I would feel when I reached her age. I like to think that I'll be just as happy as she is. After all she has a lot going for her. What more can any of us ask for on a birthday aside from spending it surrounded by people who love us? I hope those of you that don't already know Honey, know someone equally as wonderful. She's a very special woman, and I'm so fortunate to have her in my life.
This evening we met with Honey and the Bacon's for dinner at her favorite restaurant, and then we headed back to their place for some birthday cake. I'm still in awe by how easily Patti whips up these awesome cakes that she makes. She's got some mad skills.
And just coming off of their own birthday, Zach and Ben were all about celebrating another birthday. All they could talk about were Honey's presents and if it was time to open them yet and if it was time for cake yet. Once Zach got his piece in front of him, he just pushed it away and instead helped himself to the sheet of fondant with the Honey's birthday wishes.
This evening we met with Honey and the Bacon's for dinner at her favorite restaurant, and then we headed back to their place for some birthday cake. I'm still in awe by how easily Patti whips up these awesome cakes that she makes. She's got some mad skills.
And just coming off of their own birthday, Zach and Ben were all about celebrating another birthday. All they could talk about were Honey's presents and if it was time to open them yet and if it was time for cake yet. Once Zach got his piece in front of him, he just pushed it away and instead helped himself to the sheet of fondant with the Honey's birthday wishes.
Happy Birthday Honey! We love you and are so happy we could celebrate with you today!
November 7, 2011
Moved in..mostly and FOOD!
It's been just about a week now, and we're almost there with the unpacking. Last Tuesday was our move-in date, and the Bacon's were awesome to help us out. Michael helped Darius with the heavy lifting, and Patti watched the boys for us while we unpacked the first day and a half. I started running out of steam after about the third day, and those final few pesky boxes are still lingering, and I'm still avoiding them! I guess I kind of got sidetracked by some post-birthday fun the last couple of days.
Patti, Michael, and Dylan gifted me with a visit to Epcot for their annual Food & Wine Festival. Michael, Dylan, and Honey watched the boys while Patti took me to spend the afternoon sampling world cuisine and drink. It was SO much fun! They know me well, and the route to my heart is much like the way it is to a man's...through the stomach!
We started out with a stop to the Craft Beers tent where I sampled the Full Sail IPA. We killed some time at a couple of shops while we waited for an afternoon rain shower to pass, and by the time we finished our sampling from Greece (Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki...YUM) and Moosehead Beer from Canada, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed perfect weather the rest of the day. We moved on and tried a cheese plate from Ireland, (Yes Carrie....Ireland does have delightful dairy!) a 16th Anniversary Festival Beer from Samuel Adams, a Harissa Chicken Roll and Baklava from Morocco.
We perused the shops at the different countries to give our food time to settle before moving on to Schofferhofer Weizen beer from Germany's Brewer's Collection, to warm caramel popcorn from the Werther's Original sweet shop, to a Strawberry Lime Margarita from Mexico, to a Beef Empanada from Argentina, to a Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito from the Caribbean (RIDICULOUS!), to Mahi Mahi with Coconut-Lime Sauce from Brazil, to a Lamington from Australia, and finally one last stop to the Craft Beers tent before we called it a day. Note: My sweet friend is carrying some precious cargo and was unable to indulge in the drink with me. I think she wishes she could have though...especially that insane mojito! Next year Patti....
So I know what you're thinking now...."Wow! What a lush little piggy you are Ruth!" Hmm...yes a little, but in my defense I was drinking 6 oz pours, eating small samples, and doing a lot of walking inbetween, so it's not nearly as bad as it sounds!
It was such a fun outing with my dear friend Patti....thank you, thank you, thank you! My belly and I thank you (and all the other Bacon's too)!
As if that wasn't enough culinary fun to last me for a year, I got another treat today. Darius took the boys and I into the restaurant he's working at for a nice belated birthday dinner. I'm embarrased to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to our meal tonight....and not because I didn't want to try the food, but because I was a little freaked out by taking the boys into a really nice restaurant. I should have just relaxed and enjoyed myself more...it was dinner, the boys were fine, and the restaurant was still standing when we left.
Darius works at a really nice place! Ocean Prime has some unbelievably good food, and I can see why Darius was anxious to take us in to try it. We had Ahi Tuna Tartar for an appetizer. Darius had Chilean Sea Bass with Whipped Potatoes and Champagne Truffle Sauce, and I devoured the Blackened Snapper with Wilted Spinach & Jalapeno Corn Tartar. The boys had their fill of Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese with glazed carrots, and Mini Sliders with shoestring french fries. They also got to try OP's homemade strawberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream. There wasn't room for dessert, but I knew they had this ridiculous 10 layer carrot cake, and I was happy to take it home after a few bites.
Yup, I think I'm good and full for the next few days...or maybe at least until the carrot cake in the fridge starts calling my name. It's been fun to indulge and enjoy some really awesome food the past couple of days (and weeks)! Time to get back to getting those last few boxes unpacked, and time to add a solid workout to my daily routine!
Have I mentioned yet how good it is to be back?!
Patti, Michael, and Dylan gifted me with a visit to Epcot for their annual Food & Wine Festival. Michael, Dylan, and Honey watched the boys while Patti took me to spend the afternoon sampling world cuisine and drink. It was SO much fun! They know me well, and the route to my heart is much like the way it is to a man's...through the stomach!
We started out with a stop to the Craft Beers tent where I sampled the Full Sail IPA. We killed some time at a couple of shops while we waited for an afternoon rain shower to pass, and by the time we finished our sampling from Greece (Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki...YUM) and Moosehead Beer from Canada, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed perfect weather the rest of the day. We moved on and tried a cheese plate from Ireland, (Yes Carrie....Ireland does have delightful dairy!) a 16th Anniversary Festival Beer from Samuel Adams, a Harissa Chicken Roll and Baklava from Morocco.
So I know what you're thinking now...."Wow! What a lush little piggy you are Ruth!" Hmm...yes a little, but in my defense I was drinking 6 oz pours, eating small samples, and doing a lot of walking inbetween, so it's not nearly as bad as it sounds!
It was such a fun outing with my dear friend Patti....thank you, thank you, thank you! My belly and I thank you (and all the other Bacon's too)!
As if that wasn't enough culinary fun to last me for a year, I got another treat today. Darius took the boys and I into the restaurant he's working at for a nice belated birthday dinner. I'm embarrased to admit it, but I wasn't looking forward to our meal tonight....and not because I didn't want to try the food, but because I was a little freaked out by taking the boys into a really nice restaurant. I should have just relaxed and enjoyed myself more...it was dinner, the boys were fine, and the restaurant was still standing when we left.
Darius works at a really nice place! Ocean Prime has some unbelievably good food, and I can see why Darius was anxious to take us in to try it. We had Ahi Tuna Tartar for an appetizer. Darius had Chilean Sea Bass with Whipped Potatoes and Champagne Truffle Sauce, and I devoured the Blackened Snapper with Wilted Spinach & Jalapeno Corn Tartar. The boys had their fill of Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese with glazed carrots, and Mini Sliders with shoestring french fries. They also got to try OP's homemade strawberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream. There wasn't room for dessert, but I knew they had this ridiculous 10 layer carrot cake, and I was happy to take it home after a few bites.
Yup, I think I'm good and full for the next few days...or maybe at least until the carrot cake in the fridge starts calling my name. It's been fun to indulge and enjoy some really awesome food the past couple of days (and weeks)! Time to get back to getting those last few boxes unpacked, and time to add a solid workout to my daily routine!
Have I mentioned yet how good it is to be back?!
March 29, 2011
A Homer Moment
My dearest Honey....all I can say is:
I didn't call to wish you a happy birthday, and I feel awful! You'd think with all that free time I had yesterday I could remember a simple task. My sincere apologies! Hope you had a wonderful birthday! We love you!
February 18, 2011
Splash
We've been soaking up some beautiful sunshine, and we are thoroughly enjoying our time here in Florida so far. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous! Our friends, the Bacons, have welcomed us into their home again and have been showing us a great time.
Today we took the boys to a splash park in Dunedin, and then to the "beach" along the Dunedin Causeway. As soon as we got to the splash park the boys jumped right in, but Zach got a surprise bucket of water dumped on his head during the first few minutes and spent the rest of his time there skirting around the park.
On the causeway the boys had fun throwing rocks and dipping their feet in the water.
We finished our day with a lovely meal with the Bacons and the head of the Bacon family, Pop Pop and Honey.
All the Bacons have been spoiling the boys, and tomorrow another big spoil is coming their way. We're headed out early to enjoy Magic Kingdom and Epcot in Orlando. We're all very excited to see the boys' reactions to the parks this second time around.
We're so lucky to have such great friends! We haven't even been here a week yet, and our moods have been lifted and we feel like ourselves again.
Today we took the boys to a splash park in Dunedin, and then to the "beach" along the Dunedin Causeway. As soon as we got to the splash park the boys jumped right in, but Zach got a surprise bucket of water dumped on his head during the first few minutes and spent the rest of his time there skirting around the park.
On the causeway the boys had fun throwing rocks and dipping their feet in the water.
We finished our day with a lovely meal with the Bacons and the head of the Bacon family, Pop Pop and Honey.
All the Bacons have been spoiling the boys, and tomorrow another big spoil is coming their way. We're headed out early to enjoy Magic Kingdom and Epcot in Orlando. We're all very excited to see the boys' reactions to the parks this second time around.
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