8/29/2010 Finally! I Get to Give IT to Her!

We left Wilmington pretty early this morning,,,that’s 9:30 in our life,,, because we’re having company today.

As expected, it was so hard to leave my parents. I knew it was useless to even try to keep the tears from flowing so I let them go and I could have filled a child’s small swimming pool I’m sure. I absolutely hate this part!

I wish I could be in this moment and look back over the past few months at the good times we had but I’m not made that way. I feel the pain of leaving and sorrow of missing them. When we get around the corner I’ll think about the good times and I’ll smile then but first I have to endure this. I think its normal.

An uneventful trip south to the beach got us home just a little while before our first guest arrived. Dianne was coming to see us. She came over on the Cape May/Lewes Ferry from New Jersey.

I had called her while she was still en-route to see how close she was and she said she could see land but it was quite a bit in the distance yet. I thought this was ferry ride was taking an awful long time. Come to find out she was looking at New Jersey as she was floating away from it and had she looked out the other end she would have seen Lewes, Delaware a whole lot better because it was literally right in front of her. Oh Di and her senior moments!

I had a box to give Dianne when she arrived and after we got caught up and settled I gave it to her.

When she flew in to meet us last year in Alaska, she had a left a few little things behind such as wash cloths, hairspray, tea mix, a towel, some souvenir brochures she wanted, some postcards she left behind and maybe one or two other things.

Now there was one thing in the box she had never seen before.

A book. A book I made for her of her vacation with us. Its one of those Shutterfly books that you make online. She had no idea I had made this last February.

If you remember from reading along with our trip last year, all Dianne wanted to see was a MOOSE! Well, she didn’t so I knew I had the title for the book.

She was thrilled with it!

She couldn’t wait to see what was inside….

…..and I think she really liked how I started the book……

I heard alot of “remember when we……” as she turned the pages.

I put all the pictures I took while she was with us in the book. I wanted some of her pictures in the book too so I asked her to email a half dozen or so of her favorite pictures that she took while in Alaska. She sent me pictures of me and Bob that she had taken. I emailed her back and said, “Dianne, I wanted your favorite shots that you took.” and she replied, “I sent them to you.” Brings a tear to my eye all over again. So I added them to the book too plus a lot of others.

On the back cover I put some random shots and listed the the towns we toured.

I was so happy to finally give this to her. She loved it just as I hoped she would.

Hmmm…since I picked the pictures, placed them, picked the background pages, wrote the captions, does this mean I’m published now?

It wasn’t long after and Bob’s oldest Tim arrived… looks to be very deep in thought about something doesn’t he?

with his daughter Brianna……

and Derek, Brianna’s brother.

We had a nice visit with everyone and before we knew it the day was over and Dianne had a ferry to catch and Tim and kids had traffic to fight.

After dinner I went to see what tonight’s sunset was going to look like.

GOODNIGHT SUN!

A perfect ending to a pretty special day, wouldn’t you say?