Kansas

Well.
I don't even know where to begin.
First of all, the longer I'm away from my blog, the less comfortable it feels to share my life here.
I'm not good with words anyway.
I think that's why I enjoy photography so much.
It's my way to tell a story without having to get wordy.

Where to begin?
Maybe at the end.

We just got back from Kansas.

Tay, Jeremy and I.
{Tay because she is impossible to leave ;)}
It wasn't planned.
Truth be told, I never thought I'd make it to Kansas.
I've wanted to go ever since my dear friend, Amanda, and her family
packed up to move over there last spring.
Gah, that was excruciating ~ saying goodbye.
I remember the day I found out they were going to move.
Jeremy was at work.
I called him and asked if we could move to Kansas :)

Our families.

We shopped for homeschool supplies together.
We went on field trips together.
We berry picked together in the summer.

We lived life together.
And then they were gone. 

 

So.
Super long story short, last Friday I got a message from Amanda's sister-in-law
letting me know that Amanda's husband, and one of her sons was in a bad car accident.
That was all she knew, and she'd be in touch.

Time pretty much stood still, and we waited, and prayed.
Prayed, and waited.
Willing with all of our might for God to restore this precious family.

Amanda's husband was improving, but
on Saturday, her son went to be with Jesus.
Typing that out, I still can't grasp it.
It sends a pain right to my heart just thinking about it.
Gah.

I spent the next couple of days at a total loss over what to do.
I wanted to be there for the service, but I wanted to be there afterward too.

In the end, we decided to make a quick trip there.
We really felt called to attend the service.
We flew out on Thursday.
 

 

The service was Friday.
I knew I wouldn't have much {if any time} with Amanda while I was there.
So long as she could catch my eye and know that we were there.
We were supporting.
We loved them.
That's all that mattered.
 

I was so thankful to have some time with her before the service on Friday.
Time to listen.
Time to hold tight.
My mind cannot comprehend what this mama is going through.
What she will continue to go through in the coming months . . . and years.

What a celebration of a beautiful life.
Ryan James touched so many in his short, seven years.
 

 

Saturday morning we headed back out.
To be home.
To love on our own babies.
But we will go back.
Soon.

 

 

 

Please lift this family in prayer.
They are precious, indeed.


Some fun memories:

http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/2012/06/field-trip.html

http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/2011/07/wordful-wednesday-slumber-partyin.html

http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/test-day.html

http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-with-friends.html

http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-pumpkin-patch.html




 

 

 

 

 

Medford Trip

For, literally, years I've been wanting to plan a trip to Medford.  Though I didn't grow up there, I did spend several significant years there as a teenager; and I've been longing to show my girls all of the places I loved in Southern Oregon.

Since we still have so much family there, our limited trips are always short, and spent at a specific function {reception, party, birth, etc.}  We never seem to have time to just mosey around, visiting.

I was so happy that we finally made it happen a couple of weeks ago!

My mom and I took the girls down a couple days early, and Jeremy and my dad met up with us later.

On Friday we drove to Jacksonville, an ADORABLE little town I used to love to visit.

 
The weather was wonderful, and the scenery gorgeous.  Beautiful Fall colors everywhere.
 

We met up with one of my favorite people for lunch at one of my favorite places ~ The Bella.
 

We're just going to pretend that we had a wonderfully quiet lunch full of sweet conversation and delicious food ~ Instead of the full-on screaming from a certain one year old who shall remain nameless.  Sigh.
 

The day didn't exactly unfold the way it had in my mind.  There wasn't much window shopping for me since my little ones were coming down with a virus, and Tay was cutting three molars.  But I'm happy we made the trip anyway.
 

I have no desire to go on another trip any time soon.  But I am glad we made it happen ;)
 

 

 

 We even had a few moments of silence out of Tay.  Especially when she got to meet up with her little cousin again.  She LOVES the bay-bays :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're Ba-ack!

About 40,000 loads of laundry {and three sick kiddos} are callin' my name, so I'll leave you with this: