This wasn't going to be a depressing post. It was going to be a post about how it's Mom's death day, but it wasn't a bad day. There are still bad times, and there are often times I wonder what it would be like if she was still around, but most of the time is just ...normal.
And then, as I was writing this, I realized that it is the 20 year anniversary. It means I've now been alive longer without her than with her.
update: I was looking through past blog posts on this day, and a few years ago I put a few pictures of when Nathan and I were the same age as Isaac and Joshua. It was in 1992. Apparently we got two new trees that year.
A redbud tree to replace an ornamental cherry tree.
And a tulip tree. I think they decided to just put one in the yard; I don't recall anything being there before. This poor tree almost didn't make it. If I recall correctly, the first year it just sat there without leaves. Then it sprouted the next year, so it was kept. The tree is gigantic now. I periodically go by the house and can't believe it used to be a scrawny little thing. We also had the neighbor boy join us (closest to the tree).