This has been a very difficult day.

There are the minor stresses. The homework I’ve been putting off until the very last minute. Work…don’t even get me started. The freaking rain pouring pounding down on me just as I got on to the on-ramp on the interstate.

But none of that is what made the day difficult.

First, I’m stressing about Justis’ trip. Did I mention that Justis is going to Washington D.C.? All by himself! Well, not by himself per say. It’s a class trip. He’s sooooooo excited about it. And I was excited too. Until today. Today I realized he was going to go on a plane without us. And stay in a hotel without us. And every time I flip on the TV they are talking about Natalee Halloway. And my heart starts pounding more.

Yes, I know I’m slightly over protective. And I think we’ve established that I’m a complete worry wart. I need to calm down. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. The 8th graders have been going on this trip since the 70’s and there haven’t been any problems. He’s going to be fine. But I wouldn’t be a mother if I didn’t worry.

I know he’ll have fun. And I know this is a great opportunity. He gets to see Washington D.C. He gets to go the White House, Arlington cemetary, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the National Archives and so much more. He gets to see all of the things he’s been learning about in History this year. That is so cool.

But I’ll feel much better when he returns on Sunday.

If this is any indication of what I’ll be like when the kids graduate from high school and move out I might want to investigate straight jackets now. Cause I may end up in the looney bin.

But even my anxiety over Justis’ trip isn’t what’s made this a difficult day.

Today is Granny’s birthday. She would have been 73 today. But she never got to see her 73rd birthday.

This is the first time in 34 years that Lee hasn’t been able to celebrate with Granny. This is the first time Lee and the kids have had to spend Granny’s birthday at the cemetary.

To honor Granny on her birthday, Lee and Caleb went to the flower shop. They picked up a bouquet of yellow roses from Aunt Pam. Yellow roses were Granny’s favorite flowers. Lee also wanted to get some roses for the kids to lay on her grave. He was looking for white, but the flower shop didn’t have any white ones. So Caleb picked out these white with pink edges. I think they look beautiful.

Then Lee picked the kids up from the school bus and took them out to the cemetary. They placed the yellow roses in a vase at the top of the tombstone. Each of the kids got their white with pink roses and took turns placing their roses over Granny’s plot.

I think that was a wonderful tribute to the woman who means so much to us. I believe Granny was watching them from Heaven with a smile on her face.

Granny is never far from our minds. And she’s always in our hearts. Just last week Skyler & I were in the car on the way to her doctor’s appointment when she said, “Mom. I really miss Granny.” I said, “I do too, sweetie.”

Granny may be gone. But she will never be forgotten.

Happy Birthday Granny!