720 Hours

It has already been one month since my mom passed and it's still so hard to believe. It's getting a little harder for me because I'm starting to move from the memories of her being sick, (which helped me get through), to memories of her being alive and smiling and doing so many things this time of the year. I try to make it easier for myself (being a military wife) by pretending I'm just half way across the world and that she's only a phone call away. But then reality sinks in and it SUCKS all over again. "Sucks" is the word my sister and I like to use to best describe this situation. They say everything happens for a reason and in relation to my kids, I always have moments where I think I'm crazy for only being 26 and having three kids. But I am SO HAPPY that my mom was able to know each of my kids and had a chance to LOVE THEM with all of her heart as long as she could. We sometimes worry that the kids will 'forget' her but I'm starting to think she made such an impression on them that she will never be gone. She is still very much a part of the kids everyday conversation and I'll make sure it stays that way. "Miss you Mom"
On a lighter note... Life has moved forward as it always does and we have been very busy this last month. I had to photograph a wedding my mom had booked on Halloween so the week before, we dressed the kids up for Halloween and took them to the Pittsburgh Aviary for thier Halloween special. I was only upset that Tatum didn't get to see a peacock there. On Halloween, I went off to do the wedding and Rodney dressed up the kids to see their Grandma Jane and Pappy Ed and then to see PapPap Nick. They didn't get a lot of candy which was fine by me but, they got enough to make them happy!

Rodney Jr, Grandma Karen and Great Grandma Liz

Rodney Jr. looking at the penguins with Grandma Karen

Princess Peacock (Tatum), Mater (Tristan), and Spiderman (Rodney Jr.)