ashleyd /

Happy Birthday Dad!

 

The last 24 hours have quickly become a whirlwind. Due to my grandmother’s quick decline, Bo and I purchased tickets home to Savannah late last night. I can’t say enough positive things about Delta Airlines . They were helpful, patient, and understanding when I called last night. I was barely able to put sentences together without tears but they walked me through the entire process of purchasing bereavement tickets.

So while I’m busy packing and trying to pull myself together, I thought I would take a moment to wish this handsome guy a very, very happy birthday. Unfortunately I know today isn’t going to be about him and celebrating his 29th birthday, again, but I hope we can find some time this weekend to celebrate the way he deserves!

I’ve always been both a daddy’s girl and a momma’s girl; but at the end of the day, I am just like my father. I have his height, his features, his "gift of gab", and his personality. Don’t get me wrong, some of my BEST personality traits come from my mom.

You always drag us on adventures, both good and bad. (Really, who wants to go 4Wheeling for 8 hours, regardless of how cheap it is!?)37256_1262795224788_1676948544_497132_6806371_n

You love a good laugh more than anyone I know!

5940_1057698977510_1676948544_117507_7165697_n      44290_1310020925401_1676948544_599328_98641_n 47676_1310020685395_1676948544_599326_2535504_n45935_1308525808024_1676948544_596324_2511785_n (1)    47220_1308528448090_1676948544_596378_2392625_nYou’re a good sport when mom and I drag you on our adventures, like a 10 mile walk through Manhattan and Brooklyn, including three different bridges!

46157_1308526048030_1676948544_596330_2594348_n

You even have a bigger sweet tooth than me!

44524_1308527008054_1676948544_596351_5463600_n 47815_1308529128107_1676948544_596392_6852312_n Even though I’m married, you’ll still always be the first guy in my life!

5940_1057698377495_1676948544_117492_1763735_n 15014_1201999624936_1676948544_379360_5612209_n 5940_1057698737504_1676948544_117501_1150155_n Happy Birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Dad!

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ashleyd /

A Cathartic Experience..

When my alarm went off this morning I quickly silenced it and went back to bed. I was not trudging to the gym at 5:30 today. I would sleep until my body was ready to wake up and face the day. Deep inside, I knew it was time. Regardless how ready I thought I was and how hard her illness had been on my family, I wasn’t ready for to face the reality that my grandmother would most likely pas by morning.

I slept until 7:30 this morning still tired and sore from emotion. I just kept waiting for the phone call from my parents.

It never came.

Instead, while I was on the phone with my mother, over 1200 miles away, the nursing home called my home.

"She passed away this morning, peacefully, holding onto the bear your daughter gave her."

That is all I needed to know.

Still filled with emotions, yet unable to really talk about them, I packed my suitcase this morning and focused my attention on work. I avoided phone calls as I knew I couldn’t complete a single sentence. I worked from the comfort of my bed, emptying my inbox, responding to emails, and posting my out of office message.

Finally around 11 I realized I needed to get out of the house. I needed to see the sunshine and blue sky. I laced up my shoes, threw on a jacket, and ran.

IMG_0358I ran for 45 minutes, thinking about everything, waving at the people I passed, and cried. I cried the entire time, just letting the emotions go and the love for her flow. I thought about what I’ll say on Saturday at her memorial.  I remembered the last time I saw her.

IMG_0348I now understand what people mean when they say running is cathartic. Those 45 minutes were the best run I’ve ever experienced. I kept a 9:04 pace, far faster than normal, while breaking every traffic rule as I ran down the bike lane of 2nd Avenue towards SoHo.

She was with me, looking down on me, every step of the way. IMG_0357

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ashleyd /

Greetings from the Doctor’s Office

 

After my run this afternoon, I realized I had 20 minutes to get ready for my trip. Oops! I was crazy rushed but luckily ended up putting together a half way decent travel outfit. I had no idea what our plans would be upon our arrival in Savannah so I needed something comfortable by presentable in case we were going to the church or dinner. 

IMG_0372 This outfit includes:

  • JCrew trouser khakis (I’m obsessed with these!)
  • JCrew long sleeve favorite tshirt
  • gold Tory Burch Reva flats
  • long pearl neckalce from JCrew outlet this weekend
  • white Marc Jacobs watch

One quick cab ride later, Bo and I showed up to this craziness at LaGuardia!

IMG_0359 IMG_0360 HOLY LINES! The families were out in full force today on their way to long weekend vacations in honor of the President’s Day weekend. Everyone was saying that they had never seen a

Luckily, we made it through the lines five minutes before our flight’s gate closed. I grabbed a quick salad to enjoy on the plan and then ran towards our gate.

IMG_0610We enjoyed lovely views leaving the city. The sky was crystal clear.

IMG_0363 IMG_0364 We each had aspirations of taking our mind off everything through a good book, but I spent most of my time sleeping instead. I only woke up once when this little guy barked.

IMG_0370Two hours later, I snapped this awesome pictures as we were landing. The sun was coming through the clouds as we broke cloud level.

IMG_0367My parents and papa picked us up at the airport. There were lots of hugs and small talk but overall people tried to keep their minds off the reason we were home. In fact, my dad decided that dropping Bo and I off at the orthopedic after hours was a good way to take our mind off of things. He needs a local doctor to see him tonight so he can hopefully get an MRI tomorrow or Friay.

IMG_0371 Lucky for me they have free internet! 🙂

I’ve lined up some great guest posts for the next few days as I’m not sure what my schedule is going to be like. I hope you enjoy them!

Thank you for all of your warm wishes, prayers, and support!

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