Sunday, April 8, 2012

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2007, on the day of Mattie's fifth birthday party. Mattie's party was held at the National Zoo, and despite being surrounded by animals, Mattie wanted the theme to be Lightning McQueen, from the movie, Cars. As you can see, that year we returned to the RED colored theme! The birthday party at the zoo was one for the books! The weather that day was beyond horrible, it wasn't just raining, it was pouring, like a deluge! However, the zoo's policy is that parties occur rain or shine. I thought the kids would absolutely hate the day and be miserable, but instead, they LOVED the fact that NO ONE was at the zoo, and they were walking around in boots, rain coats, and getting soaked. It was like a scene out of Indiana Jones.

Quote of the day: Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.  ~ Mark Twain

Peter and I are now back in Washington, DC. We decided to get on the road by 1pm, so that we could hopefully avoid any holiday traffic. We were very successful and had a peaceful drive home! I would like to share three pictures with you today.

Last evening, Peter and I went out for our nightly walk to search for bunnies. As usual, we were very successful. I love this bunny picture, because this big white rock next to the bunny looks like an egg to me. Just in time for an Easter delivery! Being back in DC tonight, we already miss our bunny evening ritual.  

This morning, we took our last walk on the beach before packing up. Along our journey we found a crab that washed ashore. On the first day of our trip Peter saved a horse shoe crab, and today, on the last day of our trip, we rescued a crab and returned him safely to the ocean.

Upon returning home, as soon as we walked into our front door, we were greeted with this stack of boxes. Our complex was kind enough to deliver them to us while we were away. You should note that in each of these boxes and the large red bag are either Keurig K-cups, crayons, or kid themed bandaids for the hospital. We want to thank all of our supporters for their generosity!!! These items will be appreciated by the children and families at Georgetown University Hospital, and I am honored that Mattie is remembered on his 10th birthday in this way. The big red bag says "Happy Birthday" on the side of it! In fact, inside the bag was 50 boxes of kid bandaids donated to us by the staff who manage our complex. The note that accompanied the gift was beautiful and it was SIGNED by every staff member. It is sometimes hard to feel like one belongs to a community when living in a big city, but within our complex we are surrounded by caring, thoughtful, and generous people who remember Mattie as a baby, a toddler, a preschooler, and as an unforgettable little boy. It was a very touching greeting home!