4th of July at Litchfield

We had a great family weekend at the beach for the 4th of July. Wade and I, dad, and Hillary, Allen and Madelyn occupied our family's timeshare condo that we've been going to since I was probably 2 years old. It's so crazy to think back over the years and the various stages of life that we've been through in that condo. From the days when my dad's parents were the heads of the family, when Hillary and I were the little grandkids, and my aunt Lisa was a newlywed barely starting her family... to now, when Hillary and I are the "adult kids" bringing our new families, our dad is "grandpa," and Lisa's kids are leaving for college one by one.

Anyway, it was Madelyn's first beach trip, so of course she was really the main attraction of the weekend. We did remember mom, each of us in our own way for the most part, just thinking back to what we were doing this time last year. Hillary, Allen, dad, Laurie and I released some balloons at around 9:45 on July 4th, the time mom died... it was a brief, anticlimatic commemoration of such a weighty anniversary, but I don't think anything more was needed.

On to the pictures...


Here is Madelyn getting suited up... the swim diapers were a little on the large side you could say. The smallest size Hillary could find was for 16-26 lbs and Madelyn is 14 lbs.

Allen was vigilant about the sunscreen, so he got the task of greasing the baby up with SPF 60.

Yes, I look like my daddy.

Starrett family lookin' good.

Checking out the ocean with daddy.

Going in for a dip...

Oh, no, not a good idea. Madelyn was not a big fan of the water or sand, but it probably was pretty cold, and not helped by her lack of sleep.

Madelyn has had enough - trying to get some sleep if these people would leave me alone.

Some people around here build sandcastles... Here we have my cousin Carson (front left), his sister Dorothy, Wade, my dad in a goofy hat, and my cousin Mark in the background.

And, saying goodbye...

Wade and I stayed to watch the end of Wimbledon on Sunday - WOW, 16-14 in the 5th set! Mom would have loved it. "Breakfast at Wimbledon" was one of our favorite things, and we would slightly guiltily skip church to watch it, and then call each other partway into the match and laugh that we were both doing the same thing and not feel so bad anymore.

A year ago tomorrow (by date) was her funeral... I still get jealous when I see pictures of other girls' weddings and babies and their mom is there, and I think "you have no idea how lucky you are to have your mom there for these events in your life." The main thing I feel without mom is just a lack of an anchor, and a lack of a caretaker. That one person I knew I could count on to steer me right and love me completely is not ever going to be here again. I know that, in fact, God is really that person. But I guess this just puts the rubber of that faith to the road, and so far it's not getting a lot of traction. But He's not going anywhere. So I guess I'll learn it yet.