Thursday, September 30, 2021

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS


"It's funny to think about the things in your life that can make you cry just knowing that they existed, can then become the same thing that makes you cry knowing that they're now gone. I think those things come into our lives to help us get from one place to a better one." —Ted Lasso

This Saturday we'll go pick up our new puppy, a Newfoundland named Moira, from Pennsylvania after Max's soccer game. I guess I felt the need to share this nugget of info with you all because I never really discussed Beesly's passing last November on my blog. Even now, almost eleven months later, it's hard to type that sentence. I still struggle with the reality that she's gone, and I can't come up with adequate words to describe the role she played in our family's story. I miss her. Dearly. To some, it's just a dog, but for me she was a childhood dream that came to life. How amazing is that? To have one of your dreams come to life. The twelve years we spent together were far sweeter than I could have ever imagined. She changed each of us for the better. That girl was everything to this family. She was with us from the beginning—a newly married couple embarking on an Air Force adventure, and then on to the ultimate challenge of parenthood where she acted as Maxwell's furry nanny. During times of loneliness when Flyboy was away and the countless unknowns that come with the military lifestyle, she brought pure joy, comfort, and consistency to my day. While attempting to navigate motherhood in Swell Rio with a colicky baby and a husband working long days, it was Beesly who would come looking for me when I'd go hide in my closet. Even after we moved from Texas to Delaware, she may have slowed down, but she never stopped looking for me, and I think that's what I miss the most. We'd secretly convene, just the two of us girls, and take a moment to breathe and just be. She reminded me to slow down and count my blessings. She made everything feel alright. My dearest BMD, you will always be a BFD to me.

As excited as I am to welcome this new puppy, I still miss my best friend. Not a day goes by where I don't think of her and tear up a little. I know there's no replacing her; nothing ever will, but I do believe it's time to open my heart and welcome this new adventure. We could use a little mess and a whole lot of magic around here. Beesly would want that. As silly as it sounds, I like to think of it as though Queen Bee is passing the baton to Moira, probably prepping her with puppy cliff-notes about cheese puffs and Legos. I sure hope this Newf is ready because the Fines are eager to call her family. There's a lot of love to be shared and life to be lived. There's also a place in my closet to snuggle if she's willing.



P.S. I'm REALLY sorry for another post with a crazy number of photos. I tried to show some restraint, but with a specimen this adorable, how could you?! I have thousands of photos of Beesly and editing it down to this number was hard enough. She was something SPECIAL! As always, thank you for being so supportive. We're excited to share more of Moira very soon.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2021

SNAPSHOTS FROM NASHVILLE




At the beginning of August, my family met in Nashville to celebrate my dad’s birthday a little early. In fact, he actually turns SIXTY today (Happy Birthday, Dad!), so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorite snapshots from our time together. 

It was our first time visiting this incredible city and we had a blast!! We spent a few days enjoying slow mornings with the kids at the VRBO house my parents rented. We made trips downtown to sightsee and shop. In true Richardson fashion, our priority was mostly food driven, so there was hot chicken, pizza, and BBQ — just a few of my dad’s favorite things. We made silly matching t-shirts and wore my dad’s signature Wayfarer sunglasses to celebrate the momentous occasion and proudly sported them around the city so everyone knew who exactly we were celebrating. The icing on the cake? Taking my dad downtown to AJ’s Good Time Bar while my mom watched the kids so we could whoop it up with The Man. After seven G&Ts and a shot of Fireball, I don’t remember a lot about that night, but I do remember these three details that will stay tucked inside my heart forever:

  1. Paying $20 to request the band to play “Much Too Young” by Garth Brooks for my dad and watch/singalong with a crowd of strangers. PRICELESS. I held back happy tears and smiled. I could have gone home then and left a happy daughter, but those drinks kept multiplying…
  2. We made our way up to the karaoke floor of the bar and I told anyone who would listen that “It’s my dad’s birthday!!!!”
  3. Seeing my dad stand on stage with spotlights shining down on him in all his glory as he crushed “Friends In Low Places.” A sea of women from bachelorette parties were chanting “BIRTHDAY DAD!!!” The rest is history.

This trip reminded me how important it is to celebrate your people and how grateful I feel every time we get to spend time together and make memories. I also remembered what happens when I go a decade without really whooping it up. 





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