Five Mother’s Days ago, Carmen was just home from the hospital. I don’t remember which time it was because there were so many, but I know she was rail-thin and therefore always cold. That particular Mother’s Day, we all congregated at the ranch to plant her garden for her because she was too weak to do it herself. She sat on a chair outside as we worked, bundled up in a warm jacket with a scarf around her head, even though it was a warm-ish spring day. It was difficult for her to have to sit there because she had always been the person doing everything for the people around her. She was quiet and introspective that day.

Here is Carmen holding Logan, then 2, as she watched her garden take shape.

We all miss you so much, Carmen.

“What happened?” I asked Cody, after reading the above paper.

“I just couldn’t hold it in any longer!” he told me.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

But before we do that, I want to share with you one of my favorite pictures from the trip. Hopefully it inspires the same serenity and calm in you that it did for me.

Cable Beach, Nassau, Bahamas, 10-24-09

(Yes, the water really IS that blue…)