35 days...where has the summer gone?

As most of you know, we have been out of town the last 35 days (with one day home for laundry and to regroup). After three weeks in Europe, it was so wonderful to be home. However, it was not in God's plan that we stay home for long.

After a sudden outburst of abdominal cancer, my amazing Pepa went to be with the Lord on June 24th, 2010. So, after arriving home from Europe on the 23rd, we re-packed and headed to Louisiana asap on the 25th. I was very hopeful that we would be able to say our final goodbyes in person, but again, it must not have been in God's plan.

Spending time with family in Louisiana was a wonderful time, the kind of time that Pepa loved being a part of. We laughed, we cried, we ate (Lord, did we eat...), then we laughed some more and cried some more. There's something so peaceful and natural about being with family during such an earth-shattering time. I know Pepa was there with us as we reminisced each day about funny, quintessential "Pepa moments, behaviors," etc. My favorite had to be Mema's retelling of how she and Pepa met as very young adults, he swooned, they married, and the rest is history! Although she truly does tell it much better. Much, MUCH better!

The time to say goodbye came too soon, but its arrival was innevitable. We're very thankful that we made it at all and weren't stuck in some international airport trying to make it home. The time we spent went by so fast, but we have plans to fly back to Louisiana for Thanksgiving. I can't wait to get back there to all the family and Mema again!

"35 days" to be continued...