My Grandma on my Dad's side passed away in March. I've been trying to figure out how to blog about it and not miss anything. We lived about 30 minutes away from her growing up, and she taught almost all ten of us kids to play the piano. That meant roughly 45 minutes of quality, uninterrupted one-on-one time with her each week for about ten years of my life. Plus all the other Sunday afternoon visits, sing-alongs at Christmas time, hugs, kisses, laughs (so many laughs) . . . You can't blog that! You can't forget it either, so I've decided it's okay that I can't blog it. So just a few things to sum her up. First, I have searched my memories, and have discovered that I don't have a single one of her that is negative. Sure there were plenty during my awkward growing up years that where my behavior is cringe-worthy, but she was just sunshine and nurture and safety for me.  She had a great sense of humor and could tell a story like nobody else I...

It was wonderful to spend Thanksgiving in Georgia with my family this past year. I hadn't been home for Thanksgiving since 2003! A miraculous deal on plane tickets saved us from our original plan, which was to drive all the way there. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with family, meeting a new cousin, and exploring Gramps and Grammie's new house and woods. It was my family's first time meeting Emmie, too, and it was fun to show her off to everyone. Dad, Mom, Kaylyn, and Ryan C hecking out the creek and tire swing. There's a pond right by the house, and Addison became friends with the ducks. Asa saved Gramps from falling into the pond while he grabbed some trash. It's worth mentioning that Asa is really into drains right now. The pond had a big drain, and Asa and I spent the better part of an hour one day sitting there staring at it, watching the algae go down it. Mesmerizing. I think Asa could...