A Fortnight Away

Much has happened in the last 2 weeks... although we pulled into the driveway this afternoon exhausted, I am eager to document these first 2 weeks of August.

Our vacation started with just one short day with my parents at Priest Lake; our time with them was cut short because of the sudden death of my grandmother, "Buffie", an amazing woman whom I'll miss very much. She called us the day before she died, and Sophie said "Hi, Buffie!" into the phone. I will cherish that memory and remind Sophie of this special moment.

(PS. My mom looks so beautiful! She's not your average grandmother!!!)

Sophie and Papa looked for owls, deer, and woodpecker holes.

We had our 3rd annual Priest Lake trip with the Minahans. This time, there were three children under the age of 2.5! Sophie adores Owen and his new baby sister, Emmarie, and we adore their parents. (Al and Jenn took most of the cute photos, but here are some of ours.)

Sophie loved to run barefoot down the path. Although she tempted fate, it was poor, shoe-wearing Owen who ended up getting the painful splinter!

To add to the fun, I even got to spend a few hours with my oldest and dearest friend, Meredith!!

Sweet Emmarie didn't make it into any of my photos. Perhaps I was too obsessed taking photos of Sophie and her first love, Owen. Can these two get any cuter?! This wasn't staged at all...

After our long weekend with our friends, Doug returned to work, and Sophie and I remained in Spokane to spend some time with my parents. After a few days swimming with Grandma and driving Papa's "tractor", we headed down to Walla Walla to join family and friends (and reunite with Doug) to lay my grandmother to rest.

Although I have no photos from our time in Walla Walla, it was a perfect celebration with many who loved my grandmother. She was independent, tenacious, and strong. I will be forever grateful to her because she instilled these traits in my mother whom I admire and respect more than anybody. My mother has modeled grace, integrity, compassion, and wisdom during this most difficult time as she grieves the loss of her own mother. The best parts of my mom came from Buffie. And I will work hard to model these qualities for my own daughter, too. We will miss you, Buffie.

Much has happened this summer, some documented on this public blog and some kept private. As I reflect on our experiences and as I gear up for the start of another school year, I am reminded of 4 lines of an Edna St. Vincent Millay sonnet:

But what a shining animal is man,

Who knows, when pain subsides, that is not that,

For worse than that must follow--yet can write

Music; can laugh, play tennis; even plan.