Tonight as I sit on the couch decompressing from the day (it wasn’t THAT bad but I just needed to sit for awhile) I was scrolling through some pictures and got all nostalgic. Then this one came up and it. made me just smile and remember a very special time in our lives.

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If you have followed me for any length of time you know that we moved back to Ohio to take care of Chris’ brother Carlton in 2011- 2012 after his dad died. It was a time of transition for all of us and Carlton, having Down syndrome, had his own routine and schedule that we had to learn how to work with. It took a bit but we managed and I loved, loved, loved that guy. He was famous for leaving me notes and when I would get up in the morning I quite often found handwritten Carlton notes with needed grocery items or a request that I make cookies or something. This time he had written out his Christmas list. I could decipher most of it: Power Rangers something, Batman DVDs, the sixth season of Dynasty, Christmas cookies ( I think) and White Chocolate Oreos. I LOVED these notes.

While I loved these notes and miss Calrton like crazy I can’t help but think how blessed I am to have had the life that I have had, to have the family that I have both been born into, married into and birthed, to have had the experiences I have had and to be living in this time and place. I guess it is all part of the whole Thanksgiving experience coming up or something but today I am grateful. Grateful for life and for notes like this that remind me of wonderful memories. I hope you have a great memory of a special time or person today.