Birthday Weekend Blessings

Baby Reegan falling asleeping in my arms. Taylor helping me take Peaches out for a walk. Dinner with the family. Grandma holing Reegan. Long talks with Mom and Dad.  Sleeping till 0930.  No sounds of cars or sirens outside.  Afternoon reading time on the porch. Shopping trips with mom.  Lunch at Soppers. Starbucks with Mom. Babysitting Reegan and Taylor. Taylor praying for our food. Grandma spending the night. Seeing my brother ordained as a deacon.  Playing memory with Taylor. Driving Grandma home. Long walks down country roads with Peaches. Seeing the mountain from our road. Sunday afternoon phone date:) Movie time with Mom and Dad. Sweet birthday voicemails from church friends. Surprise birthday call on my way home from my Love.

And my most favorite blessing this weekend: The last long, 5 hr drive I will have to take without Isaac for a long, long time :)

My New Piano

On Thur night, this lovely gift arrived at my house. 

My wonderful parents-in-law shipped this beautiful instrument to me all the way from Colorado.  I cannot even begin to explain how excited I've been about having a paino to play again.  I began playing the piano when I was 8, hated it till sometime in high school, then it became one of my most favorite things.  Sadly, I haven't really played an actual piano since I was 18, more than once or twice while I was living in Charleston.  I had a keyboard in college, and played some, but nursing school did not accomodate for real piano playing and on one of my moves, my keyboard died, so it has been 3 years since I've really played.  Since the piano arrived, I haven't hardly been able to tear myself away from it.  Even after all the travelling across country, it sounds really good.  I can't wait to hear it after a proper tuning!  The first 2 songs I'm working on are Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars and am re-learning Moonlight Sonata. 

I am so incredibly thankful, and think that I have the best parents-in-law ever! I absolutely love this gift!

My Last Summer Adventure

The last week in August, I was able to take one more summer trip and visit my family and friends in North Carolina. 

The main reason I wanted to go home was to meet my sweet litte neice, Reegan Nicole.  I loved getting a chance to bond with her while I was home! One of my favorite memories of the week was when I got to take care of her for a whole night.  I got just a little taste of what it would be like to have a new born, although, I did get to go home and sleep, afterwards, which was nice :) Another favorite memory was getting to play with Taylor.  She came home with mom one night and we played memory and took Peaches out for a walk; she loves Peaches!!

A few other wonderful memories: coffee with the Perezs and their sweet little Lucy, coffee with my cousin Britt(the first time we've really hung out in over a year), dinner and girl time with my favorite ladies in Charlotte, and getting to meet Jess' new class(she has some real cute kids this year!).  All in all, it was a wonderful week. 

Now, just alittle longer and my Love will be home.  I've not started the countdown yet, that will come at day 50, but it's getting close!  God has been so faithful to give me the strength to get through every day without Isaac.  I am so thankful for His grace on the hard days and even more thankful that with every passing day, He is bringing me one day closer.

Here a just a few pictures from my trip home:

Me with both my sweet neices :)

Taylor just loves helping me with Peaches!

I love the quiet peacefulness of having a cup of coffee on my parents front porch

One of my favorite views of home, other than the mountain