All day today i've been humming the song by Darryl Worley 'Have you Forgotten'.

'Have you forgotten how it felt that day...To see your homeland under fire and her people blown away. Have you forgotten when those towers fell...We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell.'

It really got me thinking back to that day 8 years ago. I can seriously remember every moment. I remember sitting in Mass when our principal interrupted the service to tell us that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I remember our entire school in the basement surrounding a small tv after hearing that a plane had hit the Pentagon, only 20 minutes from where we were standing. I remember seeing friends crying...worried about their brothers,mothers and fathers who they knew could be one of the fallen. I can recall these memories so vividly and my heart breaks for those who lost loved ones on that day. I woke up this morning, said some extra prayers and realized that Sophia and I are sacrificing our time away from Chris for those people who lost their lives. It made my struggles of the day seem trivial and it made my time ahead of me worth while. I look forward to sharing with Sophia why we hold 9/11 close to our hearts and the pride we should feel in being an American. Let us remember those that lost their lives that day and pray for the one's sacrificing their lives for us today. God Bless America!

'I know Jesus, and I talk to God and I remember this from when I was young. Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us...and the greatest is love.' -Alan Jackson

So...I signed Sophia up for swim lessons! :) Only in California can you sign up for swim lessons at the end of September and I love it! I found this GREAT pool with fantastic prices and signed Sophia up for a two week 'Mom and Tot' swim class. Every time Sophia is near water she can't get enough and I would LOVE to encourage that. Take bath time for example. Lately, admist playing with her water toys...she's been rolling onto her belly, sticking her face in the water and practicing her kicks! She can even say it...'kick, kick, kick'! Not only will this be a great experience for Sophia but I also think it'll be a great experience for me. I'll have a chance to meet other mom's with toddlers while having some fun in the sun! :) And all for 15 bucks! Does it get better than that!?

So the countdown has begun! 6 days and counting until my Mama is in sunny San Diego! :) You know...I seriously can't wait for just being able to sit and spend time talking with my mama when things are quieting down for the evening! She always has such great insight and advice on parenting and life in general. Sometimes people take for granted having family around just to sit with and feel their presence. Sometimes I'd give everything to sit and watch a show with my sisters, or share a glass of wine with my Dad or see Sophia make my brother laugh or sit and have a long chat with Amanda and my mom. I for sure am going to work to make the week last as long as possible and savor EVERY moment!

Thanks again for everyone's sweet emails and kind words. Your notes and emails give me a boost in strength during my long days and they are what I go back to when moments are tough! I love you all!

Send a Teddy Bear Note at WiddlyTinks.com

I've decided that I need a hobby and since one of my favorite things to do is take pictures of my little angel Sophia, why not start a scrapbook! Mind you, I really am NOT the most creative person in the world and don't close my eyes and see scrapbook layouts with pictures and stickers and buttons...HOWEVER, I do see the importance of documenting important moments in Sophia's life. I want Chris and I to look back at the past in a cute, creative way. Today I decided to sift through all of my photo's over the past two years. While looking over the pictures of when Sophia was first born, I found myself fighting tears. Wow! The time has gone by quickly which is ironic because these days I feel like it can't move any slower. There is something interesting about being a military wife and going through a deployment. As you may have noticed, it occupies every part of my life and it consumes everything that I do. It's almost as if my life is on hold waiting for this lonliness to end and our lives as a family to begin again. But what kind of message is that teaching little Sophia...that when things don't go as we want them to that we should put everything on hold until they do? Am I going to look back on this time with Sophia growing into her own little person and think, oh yeah those were the days when I was just waiting for things to go back to normal? Life is not about just barely getting through every day because we're overwhelmed with our problems. It's about knowing when to laugh and realizing that sometimes we're just bound to have a bad day...maybe even two or three of 'em! It's being able to look over old photo's and not regret the days of the past but smile at the fact that despite our trials and tribulations, we made the best of every day!

Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It is for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It is for those knowing love when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough.