A Good Weekend ... and DREAD ...

* Not Picture-Less Anymore ... Final Picture of the Day from Manda*

A Sleepy Charlotte ...

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Just me popping in for a brief (picture-less) post ... we had a wonderful weekend and Jaden's Birthday Party was a blast - I promise to post pictures when I get home from work ... we have enjoyed some amazing weather (it is 61 out right now) and I have enjoyed my mom and dad being here ... Charlotte has been cooing and smiling it up for some bonus points with Nan and Pop and Jaden has been her typical giggly - but quick to change to Little Miss Attitude - 7 year old ... Sadly we are dreading tomorrow since tomorrow is the day my mom, dad and Amanda fly back to NY. It will be a tough day - for me of course but mostly for Jaden and I as a mom am dreading the day ... tomorrow they fly out at 4:55pm and need to be at the airport for 3:00pm ... Jason and I have agreed to keep Jaden home from school tomorrow - and Charlotte home from daycare ... there would be nothing more sad for me than to put Jaden on the school bus in the morning and knowing when she got home at the end of the day there would be nobody at the house except her mom, dad and sister - there will be tears ... and lots of them ... we've done this before - we will be doing it again soon but it still sucks - it is still sad - it pulls at your heart strings and you can't do anything to help except tell her that she'll be fine and we'll see everyone again in a "few weeks" ... I am dread my parents and Manda heading home - I am sure it breaks their hearts to leave their grand kids behind - Why Did I Move Here Again? I moved here because I loved Jason and because of that Love I have two beautiful girls to cherish ... but I am asking for some prayers for happy moments and fewer sobs in between the tears for Jaden ... like I said - this sucks and it sucks each and every time ... nothing else to say but that ... but I am thankful for the life I have here in MN and I am thankful that I have family that loves us so much and vice versa that your heart aches when they're gone ... but we'll ALL be fine ... it will take a few days for us to get back to feeling okay but we will - we do every time ... Jaden has 3 days of school after tomorrow and then next week she's on Spring Break - she will be able to relax at Dani's house and be a kid without a bedtime for a week ... she will get back to a schedule and Charlotte will go to daycare all week ... it will be good for them - and for us too... my mom goes back to work after her 3 months of disability and we haven't had a normal routine at our house since December 5th when I was put on bed rest - but it will still SUCK that our NY family is gone ... thank goodness for my friends and Jaden's friends and our MN family - they distract us enough and make us smile among the tears ... We will look forward to this weekend and Jaden's other birthday party - as well as the fact that Spring may have finally Sprung here in MN ... that means the pool will open soon ... Track and Field Day will come soon ... school will end and Summer Break will be here before you know it ... and we will see our NY Family again - hopefully at my brother's beach house in Maine - in July - 5 steps from the Ocean ... yeah - we will think of that right ... until then - can you just say a small prayer for Jaden as she struggles with this separation EVERY time ... Hope you are having a great start to the week ...

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Love ~ The Clark Family of Four (plus Manda, Nan and Pop - for one more day) ~ Rebekah, Jason, Jaden and Baby Charlotte!