Just Like That

July 28-30.

I picked up Fernando in the morning on the 28th.  And then I had to work.  I worked on Saturday, too.

 Fernando pumped my gas.

We had one day.  Sunday.  And then he flew back to Rhode Island.  I drove him to Midway Monday morning, and then went to work.  Just like that, our together weekend was gone.  And we had only one day together.  I'm griping, I know.  It just wasn't fair; I'm not happy right now.  That's just the way of it.


Back to life,
Christine

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End of July in My Garden

End of July.

One day, one camera, one garden.  Enjoy.

Back to life,
Christine

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July at Home

July 2017.

Most of July passed by, day by day...  Here is it, in photos...

Going through memories--de-cluttering homeschool paperwork.

Saying goodbye to a co-worker.

Shooting a charity golf event in a beautiful banquet hall!

Rebuilding the garden fence in my battle with some pesky rabbits.  I won.

Taking a selfie and texting it to Fernando in the parking lot before heading in to work.

One morning harvesting garlic.  Mug of tea included.

Columnar basil, my new favorite herb, in my garden.

Yet another selfie sent to Fernando.

Garden salsa, and guacamole.  Nothing more needed for dinner.

When the parents give you $, and tell you to take out your brother for his birthday.  Proof!

New shoes, on sale with a discount.

That's most of July.  Slow, yet fast, yet slow.  Tomorrow on my day off, I'll get to work in my garden.  Bliss!


Back to life,
Christine

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August Garden

Garden photos from throughout August.

Sage.

A quick morning harvest.

 I love water droplets on tomoatoes!

Garlic Jalapeno Fermented Pickles!

I made the above from ingredients bought at the farmer's market.  Except for the garlic.  Yum!


Back to life,
Christine

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Home Times Two

Friday, June 30.

Fernando's birthday, and the day he came home!  His plane was scheduled to arrive later at night, so he missed going with our good friends C and C, plus M and T, and a bunch of kids, to a White Sox game.  We met at C's and C's home, piled into their 15-passenger van, and headed into the city.

Chris brought his tablet, since he loves to track airline traffic.  He asked what flight Fernando was one, and once I told him, he let us all know when Fernando would be flying by.  It was during the National Anthem, so I snuck a photo with my phone as his plan flew by in the distance!

I brought my camera for a few fun shots of the game.

After a great fireworks show at the end of the game, we made our way back to C's and C's home, and I drove home from there, twenty minutes to greeting Fernando and starting the weekend together.

I was telling Fernando about a song he needed to hear, and rooted through my purse to try to find my phone.  I turned around, and THOMAS WAS STANDING THERE!  I screamed, hugged, cried, hugged again.  He told no one he was flying home for the weekend!  Fernando had arrived home, then noticed a car pulling into our driveway.  He looked out, and Thomas got out of the Uber driver's car and came walking up!  They all waited for me to get home to complete the surprise!

The next day, I had to go to work (this is getting old fast, now that Fernando is home only for a few days!), so Fernando snapped a pic of Thomas and me together.

The weekend flew by, we brought Thomas to O'Hare Airport to fly back to Orlando, I worked some more, and then drove Fernando to Midway Airport to fly back to Rhode Island.  Too short, but packed full of together.  Thank You, Lord!


Back to life,
Christine

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Two Weeks of Waiting

The next two weeks saw ups and downs, from lights coming on as I drove our old BMW to work one day, to waking up to a migraine on another morning.  I struggled to find little things to celebrate.  Some days, the biggest blessing was a clean microwave.  Although I was tired, I could be thankful for even simply that.

Small blessings...

A yummy lunch.

Beautiful flowers in my front yard garden.

A free iced tea at Chick-fil-A.

The boys deliberately leaving bananas in the fruit bowl so I "had" to make three loaves of banana bread.  None of us complained!

I worked the day before Fernando came home.  I drove home in the evening, and got swallowed up in a monsoon-like summer thunderstorm.

It was okay.  Fernando will come home tomorrow, and we'll make some more memories together.  I can't wait!


Back to life,
Christine

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Before the Leaving

June 18, 2017.

Having made the decision for Fernando to travel to Rhode Island to train for employment with company Y, the days flew by.  We smiled for the camera, making memories whenever we could and storing them up for the long training period away.

I had a wonderful photo session with a a little autistic girl, Miss M, which will forever live in my memory.  She touched my heart as I chased her around her back yard, snagging some beautiful images of a little girl who glimpsed at the world from the confines of her mind.

The back yard was damp from recent rains, but as I ran, and rolled, and aimed, and snapped, the muddy knees were a badge of beauty, because I knew I had made an incredible connection with an amazing little girl.

A few short minutes after I arrived back home from that photo session, our friends came over with Zoe--a fun and crazy cockapoo we love to petsit whenever they go out of town.  She added a ton of zest and fun to our lives over the week or two we had her.

The days came and went, one by one, memory by memory.

Strawberries from my garden flourished in early June, which of course meant strawberry shortcakes.

We texted Thomas often, and he was always in my thoughts, while he ate, drank, slept, and studied all things BMW down in hot, humid Orlando.

We made memories together, from yummy farmers market finds...

...to a hot afternoon out at the outdoor mall.

Our last day together was Sunday, which meant a trip to church together, and a wind-in-her-hair ride home with the sunroof open.  It was fitting that this Sunday was Father's Day.  One last picture of us in the car together, then Monday came and I took Fernando to the airport to say goodbye.

This first trip will be for a couple weeks, and he will be home at the end of the month, just in time for his birthday.  I know work will keep me busy, and a couple of weeks is bearable.  The counting down has already begun.


Back to life,
Christine

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