Until I see you again...

Marilyn Davis Smith

December 29, 1954 - February 5, 2014

One week and one day ago...it feels like so much longer.

I stood by my Mother's side as she took her last breath.

She fought for almost nine years.  Surgeries, chemo, radiation...  Not once complaining.

Her battle is over.  

She finally has freedom.

No more pain.  No more cancer...such a horrible disease.

I know she is at peace now, but it still hurts deeply.  I just can't imagine my life without her in it...

My heart has forgotten how it's supposed to beat.  Forever changed.

My grief is beyond words.  How do you say goodbye to your Mother?  She was so young...

Broaden...

We had a grand adventure. We visited seven new-to-us states.  We got to witness the raw power of Niagara Falls and bask in the tranquil beauty of Acadia National Park and we met some great folks all along the way.   The best part of all, though, was that we got to experience everything together as a family. 

Our kids are growing up with the biggest backyard ever and I just love that.  Each new place, each new experience, adds another thread to the tapestry of their lives.  They are developing a broader sense of the world around them.  Their eyes and their hearts are being opened to different places, different people...and that, my friends, is a very good thing indeed.

LIVE your lives.  Don't be afraid to step outside your box.  At the very least, poke a few holes in it and let some LIGHT shine in...

I went to Connecticut...

...and all I got was this lousy picture.

beautiful sunset...terrible picture :P

Haha!

We drove through the entire state of Connecticut, from the east side to the west side.  This was the last evening of our little road trip...the sunset was beautiful.

We passed back through New York...so close to NYC that I could almost see the lights.  Almost ;).

And then, just a few more hours down the road, we were back in Pennsylvania at our cozy little campground.  Time to catch up on some zzzz's and dream about these special new places that we now hold in our hearts.

Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island, this was the next state we came to on our jaunt through New England.  We stopped in Providence to soak up some state history and admire the beautiful old buildings...

We were walking through a park, part of the Roger Williams National Memorial, and we came to an old well.  There was a sign nearby that declared this well, a spring of fresh water, as the very spot that Rhode Island was founded.  It was beside this water source that Roger Williams began his new settlement in the year 1636.

After checking out the well and reading all of the signs, we walked over towards the Visitor Center.  There were police officers on horseback riding by, the kids were pretty impressed by this ;)...

Ok, the Visitor Center.  This was absolutely the teeniest NPS VC that we have ever been in. There was only one {small} room...for everything!  In one corner was the Ranger's desk, one corner was the gift shop area, one corner led to the restroom, and the last corner had a tv set up for watching a movie about Rhode Island (that poor Ranger HAD to get sick of listening to that same movie over, and over, and over...).  There were a few things to read/look at, but mostly it was just the movie that provided info. 

**Did you know the state's official name is "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations"?  I had never heard that before, but it's true.  The smallest state and the biggest name.

We (of course) got Jr. Ranger books and the kids were done with them in a matter of minutes.  They were short and sweet, just like the VC ;).  After we watched the movie, the kids stayed sitting on the benches and finished up the books.  We turned them in to the Ranger, the kids were awarded badges, we bought our usual magnet from the GS, and we were back out the door.

The real beauty was outside, anyway.  We enjoyed a leisurely walk back through the park...

We really didn't have time to stop anywhere else (we wanted to get back to PA that evening), so we took a slow drive down Benefit Street before leaving town...

Many of the houses along this street were built in the 1700's.  They have plaques on each of them telling the exact date...

We drove past the Providence Anthenaeum.  Some time I would love to spend a day in this library, it is like a step back in time.  There are ladders to reach the books on high shelves (how cool is that!) and lots of very old books available to browse (or even borrow if you are a member).

"Come hither every one that thirsteth"