Anniversary of Nora's death, complete with CJP's 25+1 anniversary, a wedding AND a concert!

Friday, June 4 marked 13 years since Nora's death. It also happened to be the day that CJP's weekend of 25+1 anniversary online events started, the day that dear friends were getting married, and the day that other dear friends were performing their first LIVE outdoor concert since before Covid. So we knew that the times for reflecting and being present with memories might need to spread out over the course of several days and/or sprinkled throughout. And that was very much how the weekend unfolded...

I felt really grateful that Jason and I were able to start what would end up being a very full day with a hike up to Hensley's Pond just the two of us. The clouds in the sky were putting on a dramatic show that morning! One of the predominant emotions I have experienced the last few days as I've reflected on our journey with Nora and all the years since, is gratitude for the way that Jason and I have journeyed together, and that we shared this loss in ways that brought us closer together. That has been a gift that keeps on giving. 

When we arrived home, we took a few minutes to visit Nora's garden and savor what's blooming. I also pulled enough weeds to get a nest of ants angry and get bit a number of times. Jason, who was content to just be in her garden, left without any ant bites. Sigh!

For the rest of the morning, I attended the opening and first keynote of CJP's anniversary celebration while Jason did the weekly errands and the girls did their chicken and duck chores. CJP's 25th was postponed last year due to Covid and so the planning team revamped the celebration to be all virtual! In many ways the timing of having a few days to reflect on my own journey with CJP was very timely. And thinking about Nora and CJP go hand in hand pretty well. The only place she spent much time other than our home and medical establishments was CJP. And many of the things I cherish so much about CJP - the depth of connections with others and the value of relationships - was never more apparent to me than during our time with Nora.

We missed some of the afternoon events so we could head to the JMU arboretum for a wedding! The rain had cleared and it was a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor wedding. It was wonderful to see two people we love dearly surrounded by family and friends to celebrate the love they share.

There was a little time between the wedding and the concert, so we took a little explore through the arboretum. Alida wanted to go find the swinging bridge and Terah was sure she would not want to walk on it. We were sure that once she did, we would not get her off it. 

Guess who was right?

As we headed to the car, Terah said, "Mommy, when you are on your CJP break, can you drive me here so I can run on the bridge?" It sounds like another visit to the arboretum is in our future. Maybe complete with Chipotle burritos?! 

We ended our day enjoying great music by Clymer and Kurtz! By the time we were headed home, I was SO tired! It was more people than we had been around for 15 or so months. 

I'm really glad the rest of the weekend has not continued at Friday's pace or with crowds of humans. Last evening, we took time to watch Nora's memorial all together, which brought a flood of memories accompanied by tears. Seeing all the people gathered, I was reminded of so many who surrounded us during that time - providing meals, caring for Kali, hosting us and providing a home away from home, spending the days after Nora's death with us as we wandered around trying to make sense of our very changed world, praying for us, visiting us in our home when we weren't able to be out and about, helping us navigate all the medical information coming at us, and the list goes on and on...

And now here we are at Sunday. A monumental day on a number of fronts!

This morning at 10:30 a.m., I signed onto my last work event until August! 

And around 12:30 p.m., with the whole family counting down, I closed out of my work email. I think the three happiest people in the world about me taking a break from CJP this summer, are the three gals pictures in the background here!

Soon after closing my email, Kali and I took off for the Red Cross. I wasn't sure how much of my butterflies this morning were attributed to me trying to think if there was anything I was forgetting to do yet on the CJP-front and just generally what a big thing this is for me OR if it was that both Kali and I were going to try to donate blood in Nora's honor (and we've both had our shared of troubles doing so)...

As expected my first finger stuck had my hemoglobin too low to donate. Bummer! But a second stick on the other hand netted 12.6 (one tenth above the lower threshold)! Phew, passed the first hurdle! By the time I got in the chair, Kali was already wrapping up. Yay!

And they found a vein on me too!!

We were both pretty thrilled and relieved!

We arrived home to the smell of chocolate throughout the house! Alida, with Jason's help (and Terah's licking the spatulas), had made brownie pie with "happy break" written in sprinkles to celebrate me taking off my CJP hat for a spell! And it's about time to break into those as Terah just piped up "When are we ever going to have the ice cream and brownie..." So I think it's time to put this computer away for the evening and turn my attention to the people nearest and dearest to me!

p.s. Speaking of those nearest and dearest, a quick news flash on bedtime routines. Our 10 year old has been putting our 5 year old to sleep often in the last number of weeks. It is so sweet to overhear Alida singing lullabies to Terah. Then everything gets quiet and Alida appears at our door with very sleepy eyes and a very satisfied grin. And then she normally weasels her way in between me and Jason and thus starts her favorite night time activity: being, as she says, "difficult" and working hard to not get kicked out of our bed...