Cuteness

I should just rename this blog..."All about Luke", but it's still the Parkes Family.  Luke just does really cute picture worthy things.  Jack on the other hand is a crack up to talk to. Everyone should have the opportunity to talk with Jack. But talking doesn't make great pictures unfortunately.  

Dinner attire for the evening...swimming casual.

Nap time just couldn't wait so Luke decided to curl up to some nice cold concrete and flooring supplies. The lamp base was his pillow.

At the Science Center over spring break he bumped his leg, so he made it all better by kissing it.

This is for real at the Science Center.  It's right up front next to the handicap parking. 

My birthday dinner at Red Lobster. 

 Glad 29 is over, that was a very hard year. My birthday was hard emotionally.  It was my first without the parents.  My sister's made it special with phone calls that my Mom would normally make.  I was doing well until about a week before my birthday and then the emotions just came out unexpectedly.  I am not writing this for sympathy, but more for awareness.  This is something people just don't talk about, but it's perfectly normal.  If anyone wants to talk to me about their loved one who has past, even if it was 20 years ago...I will be a listening ear. I now know that each passing day doesn't get better or easier.  Some days are good and some are bad...it's a craps shoot. My heart and mind have been so full of things that I want to share, but I'm not sure how to express it.  I've obviously been in  a blogging funk, but I'm starting to think it's not such a bad thing.  What I have shared so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

My Mom and step-Dad's wedding anniversary is tomorrow.  They were married in 1988.  And then it will be Mother's day.  My heart is heavy right now.  Not just for myself, but for my step-Dad.  Now that both of my biological parents are gone, it's nice that I have back up.  I'm almost at the 1 year anniversary of my Father's death. Also, May 13th is the 15 year anniversary of my Grandmother's death.  She died on the Monday after Mother's day. No disrespect to anyone else's Grandma, but I was blessed to have the VERY BEST Grandma in the world.  Seriously...no one was better than her. Some say time heals all, but I miss her more now than ever before.  When my Mom died, it only made the hurt of missing my Grandmother worse.  It was like she died all over again because the link I had to Grandma was gone.  

This month kind of sucks.  

I recently attended a viewing of Howard's co-worker's 11 year old daughter who passed away from CF.  It was very difficult to see a perfect little child in a casket.  It really makes you reflect on how we choose to spend our time and what kind of difference we are making in our spot of the world.