It is with such a heavy heart that I am once again packing up the family to head to my favorite Southern Destination. This trip is a celebration of a life and a family.
My Uncle left us last night and went on to a much better place. Everything he had to endure this last month and a half took its toll on his body and in the end, there was nothing else they could do. He has been surrounded by visitors and family and when the time came he was not alone. For that I am thankful.
My Uncle endured his Inlaws with grace and love and it is in his passing that we are all able to come together as a family again. We have not all been together for at least four years. Which is a long time for a family that used to spend a week each summer together at the very least. My Sisters are all coming, Cousins, Aunts and Uncles all from the far reaches of Canada and the US. To honor this man that gave us so much.
Tonight as we are getting ourselves ready for this journey, explaining to an almost five year old that, yes we are heading back to the beach, but it is a mixture of sadness and happiness that will greet us, we are also remembering the time we spent with my Uncle and thinking of my Aunt and Cousins and all of their kids who are now saying goodbye to their Grandpa.
This is going to be the hardest trip I have ever taken.
This is a photo of J and my Uncle last summer. My Uncle is not doing so well right now. He is in my thoughts, my heart and my prayers right now. If he pulls through this it will be truly a miracle. I am so glad I was able to tell him how much we loved him when I was there a month ago.
My Uncle was a military man, Army. When I was younger, I was always a little afraid of him. He seemed tough to me and me being a kid I didn’t always understand that we were maybe a little loud and screaming and perhaps running around his house.
As I got older and started to visit without Mom and Dad and eventually started bringing Hubby down to visit, I could see how underneath the tough exterior my Uncle was a big softy. He welcomed us into his home every year, no questions asked, this year included, he couldn’t wait for us to visit even though he was having surgery the week before.
We would camp out sometimes for a night, other times for a whole week. And sometimes we even actually ‘camped’ on the living room floor. He never complained, but fed us until we couldn’t eat anymore and stocked us up with fruit and vegetables from his garden. When Hubby and I were first married and in our new home. My Sister decided to get married and Mom and Dad didn’t have room for everyone at their house, so Hubby and I offered our house to my Uncle and Aunt. For all the times we had gone down and stayed with them, this was our turn to host them in our home. They were our first guests and I was so happy to be able to take care of them the way they had always taken care of me. When it was time for them to go, my Uncle turned to me on the front porch and with tears in his eyes, he said, ‘Thank you so much, this has meant everything to your Aunt and I”. I knew right then, that I had grown up.
Thank you Uncle.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the temperatures were hot, I would be thinking we were living on the West coast. Now, I am not one to complain about any summer weather, but can I at least say enough of the rain already!? Where rainy days were previously reserved for indoor play we are now starting to adapt to living with rain and going out in it. We now have the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ mentality.
Sunday saw us take a trip over the river to a friends house. Hubby just loves going to her place because it is surrounded by woods and farming fields and all you hear is nature and kids playing. If I agreed to it he would pack us up in an instant. Some days I wonder why we live in suburbia, but others I understand completely. It is all about convenience, mostly mine. For fun we decided to take the ferry. J was so excited but, sadly I think he was a bit disappointed. The ferry ride was all of five maybe ten minutes. It seemed so much longer 15 years ago when I took it all the time to visit a girlfriend of mine. But it was a boat ride none the less.
The boys had a blast playing in the sprinkler, blowing bubbles, going on a nature walk through the woods, playing in the tree fort. While us ladies hung out in the kitchen or on the porch. Oh the porch is to die for. I didn’t take any photos of the house, silly me. Most of it is covered (where hubby sat in the rain and listened to the rain pelt the tin roof). But, part of it is not and it is a great place to sit in the sun and get the shade for supper time. When they built their house (and I mean THEY built their house, no builders here) they really planned well for the orientation. And her kitchen! To die for. Nice and big and a very welcome room. They thought about how everyone hangs out in the kitchen and planned to make sure it was comfortable enough to do just that.
And then, there is her garden… ahh… how could you not have a fabulous day when this is greeting you outside your door? Behind it is her kitchen garden and with all the rain this year the flowers and the veggies are all growing well. As we were leaving they made sure to tell us to come back any time… well, Hubby may be packing his bags and heading up there every weekend for the rest of the summer. He was one happy man after spending the day at the Creek.
