Swans and Cygnets: My Favorite Memories

This "blog carnival" was started by Kate over at Sugar and Spice. You can check out her favorite memories and post your own (I'd love to read them).

First and foremost, I love remembering anything I can about Mom. Crawling into her bed in the morning when I was young. Her feely nightgowns. The way she said she was going to the moon, when really she was just going to the store. The way she cut out every coupon from the paper, even though she didn't use half of them. Her eggnog. Calling her every day when I first went to college. The way she cried when she saw me on my wedding day, after I had my friend Ben go downstairs and make her come up to see me. The Advent Tree, and later, Gifts of the Magi; and her many years helping people through Urban Ministries. The fact that she and Dad surprised me on my birthday, when I was having a repeat ultrasound (with Zack), and she was able to see my baby before he was born. The way she was playing with his toes a week before she left us. And the fact that Xander knows who Special Grandma is by her picture.

Giving birth. Although things are blurry with Zack's birth because of Stadol and complications afterwards, I remember Xander's birth clearly. Feeling frustrated that it was going to take hours when they started the pitosin, then thrilled that the contractions came on so quickly after my water was broken. Having my sister and my best friend there for me, and Mark feeding me bites of Powerbar and gatorade. Being ready to give up then being told to push. The feeling of accomplishment I felt, holding my baby boy, knowing that I had reached my goal of having no pain medication.

Falling in love with Mark. Seeing him in Metropolis. Finding out he watched General Hospital. Driving to New Bern and calling him from the pay phone just outside of his store. Myrtle Beach and our discussion of how our life was going to go and him telling me we were destined to be married. The proposal. Bowling on Wednesday nights. Beginning our lives together. And I know we have many more memories to make.

Youth group trips from high school. Spring Break in Alabama--rappelling for the first time, hitting a rock with my butt on the zipline, concubers, meeting Julie, hanging out in and on the lake, the best practicle joke EVER!!! Retreats--committing to a life with Jesus, singing at the top of our lungs, prayer circles, bonfires. Mystery trips--Ralph, the youth minister, would not tell us where we were going until we got there; both times I went, it poured down rain, once to Kerr Lake, where we slept in the picnic shelter, and once to a cave in the NC mountains, where we slept in a cold, dank, dark cave. Wednesday night calls to Keepers. Having a place where I was actually a role model for others.

Having a terrific circle of friends in high school. (Okay, Susan, here we go!) Beach trip. Silver eucalyptus. Christmas parties. Dinner mints. Hot tub. Random. Albatross. Cleavage. Pee like a racehorse. Our lunch tree. Beached whales in a hammock. Six people, six spoons and a carton of ice cream. College note-taking. OM. I could probably turn this one into an entire blog on it's own, so I'll stop there.

These are actually from after high school, but good friends are always friends!

Many trips to Pennsylvania as a child. Fighting with Eileen over whose side was whose and who was where. Riding through the Alleghany Tunnel (my tunnel). Huge family dinners at Gram's or Aunt Mary's house, with chicken and mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, shucked on the back steps by the youngest of us. Trips to the peninsula to see tall ships and the sunset. Playing ping-pong in Gram's basement, getting hit in the head with a paddle by Joey, chasing the balls all over the basement (because I was never very good at it). Scaring the tuna salad out of Eileen and Judy after they saw Arachnophobia.