Maggie

This past Friday brought us a gift for which we've been waiting for a long, long time now...Maggie. A week ago she arrived home from N.E. Japan to Raleigh, NC and then, after a week of getting reacquainted with her own home, made the 10 hour drive here to Birmingham, AL. Her arrival here was more anticipated then usual though after the extenuating circumstances of the earthquake and tsunami she had just endured. My mom is a social worker who travels around the world to work with U.S. military and their families, and for the past few months she was stationed at Misawa Air Force base in N.E. Japan. We are most grateful that she survived the March 12th earthquake and tsunami that devastated so much of the region in which she lived, but also that she was able put to use her incredible skills and talent as a social worker for people who most needed her help.

I am incredibly proud of my mother for all that she endured and accomplished while there in Japan. Amazingly, she has agreed to return to Japan next fall, so that she is able to continue supporting the relief efforts needed for our military and the Japanese people.

We also had my sister Krista visiting from Savannah, Ga

In addition to a fantastic visit, it was a good bit of a break for me, because all the kids wanted to do was hang out with Maggie and Auntie Krista...and they did all they could to make sure their needs were met!!!!

Maggie brought several gorgeous silk kimonos back for all of us...including Juliana! She was beyond thrilled at the new addition to her dress up clothes and spent a good part of the weekend dressed in her lovely kimono dancing to Japanese music....!!!

Ahhhhh...and yes, Easter. Sunday Mass at Saint Marks, a sweet Easter egg hunt with the kids in the front yard, and a yummy dinner.

Chardonnay with mint leave from the garden, ham with orange and ginger glaze, asparagus, and roasted sweet potatoes....

A simple, yet perfect weekend.