Crazy Busy

Wow...where do I even begin about our last few weeks? First came all the events surrounding the Memorial Dedication. Craig and I were fortunate enough to attend the Donor Dinner, the Dedication, many happy hours and celebration dinners and finally the Design/Construction Team Celebration at the Hard Rock Downtown. We had tons of fun and are sad to see this time in our lives pass. Hopefully Craig will move on to even better projects with not-so-tragic beginnings.

Next came a very fun extended weekend with our family from Michigan. Dad's house became family and party central as we celebrated Emory's 2nd Birthday and Beth's 49th with a delicious brunch and yummy crabs (if ya like that sorta thing). We were also able to become tourists for a few days while we bounced around town to the various Memorials and touristy sites.

Unfortunately our fun weekend came to a screeching halt when Nanny was rushed to the hospital. She had suffered a stroke some time during the day and lost her speech. Her recovery is going well and we are very hopeful that she will regain everything in the coming weeks.

Cole has managed to be a trooper through all of this. During the Memorial events he spent lots of time with his Maw-Maw and returned easily to his normal routine. On the weekend of our family visit, he stayed up late without a fuss and somehow managed to be pretty good natured during the day. During Nanny's hospital stay and recovery he has been a constant source of smiles and laughter that has been much needed by all.

Thank goodness for children. They give us all a reason to wake up in the morning and smile.

In Remembrance

As you may all know, Craig has been involved in the design and construction of the memorial for the 9/11 terrorist attack at the Pentagon. After 5 years of planning, design, and construction the Memorial is finally opening this week. While it has been lots of hard work, it has truly been a labor of love for Craig. He has formed bonds and relationships with the designers, the family members, and other consultants that I believe he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

The Memorial itself is a beautiful place. One cannot help but feel (and show) emotion as you step across the zero age line and run into the first bench, that of 3 year-old Dana Falkenberg. As Cole and I visited the site last night with Craig, a sneak peek offered to family members prior to the Memorial's "real" opening on the 11th, they were testing the audio system. A Norah Jones song played across the "park", slow and mournful. I crossed the zero age line and stopped. A swell of emotion hit me. I couldn't look at Craig, he would surely make fun of the tears in my eyes. It is the most awesome, and the most awful place all at the same time.

I encourage you all to visit it, particularly at night, when you just can't help but feel the site's intensity and the love that is present there.

Labor Day

We didn't spend Labor Day, or the weekend associated with it, working at all. Instead we headed up to Pittsburgh, PA where we spent a fantastic weekend of friends, fun and kicking back. Cole was thrilled about the wide, open space to run and roll down the hills, the dogs, the cats, the horses, the boat and so much more. On the way there he couldn't' tell us enough about the "Big Hills"...aka Mountains...that were all around us. He was also sure to point out all the castles on the way (usually churches).

Cole also bonded with our close friends Scott, Allison, Jenn and Shawn...which gave me a little time to relax. Relaxation was a key this weekend. We spent our Saturday out on the river boating and attempting a little tubing, water skiing and knee boarding. I was quite surprised at the hubby's athletic ability when he got up on the water skis his first try and awed us with his abilities on the knee board. In the evenings, Shawn lit a wonderful fire for us to roast marshmallows and to make mountain pies (I recommend peanut butter, banana and chocolate...just don't do it on a full stomach!). All in all....it was a fantastic weekend. I can't wait till next year!