The Moo and The Schaf...

One of the most unexpected joys of having babies is, for me, seeing reminders of loved ones lost in their faces and personalities.

I've thought for awhile that Schaf resembles my paternal grandmother, Moo.  Especially in the mouth (Mimi and I refer to it as "Moo Mouth").  But it also goes beyond that to the point that I sometimes joke that Schafer is my grandmother reincarnated. 

Just a few ways examples:

• Schafer is HIGHLY opinionated about ALL the things.  Moo wasn't a wallflower, either.
• Some of Schafer's noises (baby babble and verbal sound effects) remind me of Moo.  Not sure if it is the pitch or what, but it is definitely there.
• The PINCHING.  Moo was a notorious pincher.  So is Schafer.
• The mischievous look in Schafer's eye when she does something she knows she shouldn't.  Moo's father called her "Pest", and I'm definitely getting this vibe from my daughter (Related:  Moo called me "Worry Wart", so this might be a dominant genetic trait).

Our new happy place...

For Valentine's Day, Trevor got me something that I've wanted ever since Banner was born:  A family membership to the Dallas Arboretum.  I've decided that it is the perfect present for those with small children.  When Banner wasn't mobile, I'd go and just walk around the gardens with his stroller and be outside.  But now that he is, it is the most wonderful way to let him toddle around and wear his little tush out.

I didn't get a membership in 2012 because a former coworker of mine now works at the Arboretum, and gave me several free passes last year.  It enabled us to go the 2-3 times that we did without having to pay the entrance fee.  But this year I wanted more.  Don't get me wrong, free passes are great, but I found myself hoarding them a bit (pictures of my baby in the flowers!  pictures of my baby in the pumpkins!  OMG!).  

Now that Banner is a toddler, I wanted to be able to have the option of going whenever I feel like it; not just because I was saving tickets for some milestone photo op in three months.  Plus, it is so wonderful to simply go just because...well, why not?  Especially when the weather is as beautiful as it has been around here lately.  Another perk?  The arboretum is - literally - a mile from our house. 

In other words, expect more photo posts of my little bald man chilling next to flowers in perfectly manicured gardens in the near future.  And by "in the future" really mean "starting with the following 863 pictures of the Ban Man from this afternoon".  Because when the weather in February is this kind of beautiful, you don't need an excuse to get out and enjoy the sunshine (and flowers...and little wood houses...and each other).

We just might have a new favorite place...

Daffodils always remind me of Moo.

Talking about man stuff.

Chillaxin' in the Dragon Wagon...

Stealing a golf cart...

Family photo in which my son demonstrates
his love for me by head butting me in the ear.

Remembering Moo...

Since the whole family was all together down at the ranch this weekend, we decided to spread Moo's ashes.  She passed away in 2008, but there has been a lot of discussion about the places she wanted to be scattered.  Moo definitely wanted to be with her parents in Dallas and the ranch, but there ended up also being room at the family plot next to my grandfather (but only because she wanted to be cremated), so it has taken awhile to work out all the details and find a time when the entire family could be present. 

Moo's head stone is on the right and Pop's to the left.

Additionally, dad wanted to scatter some of her ashes at her favorite fishing spot (Lake Mimi), as well as Mimi's backyard in Lampasas (Mimi purchased Moo's home after my grandfather passed away back in the mid 1990s). 

Out of the five spots, we got three done today.  We started at the cemetery where Pop is buried then went to Mimi and Bud's house in town.  Lunch was next at Eve's followed by a carivan back out to the ranch for the third and final scattering of the day. 

We will reconvene in Dallas for the final scattering at Moo's parents graves over the holidays.  William and my dad will take the remaining ashes to Lake Mimi in the interim.

Even though it pretty much took all afternoon, it was nice to spend the day with family while remembering Moo.  She was such a wonderful woman, and I feel so lucky to have had her in my life for 28 years.

It was also nice to have Banner in attendance.  Even though he never got to meet any of his great grandparents, I think he sometimes smiles like Moo.  I know her spirit lives on in him.

Mimi's backyard.  Moo always loved this view.

Adam, Amy, Claire and Trevor.

Final scattering at the ranch at sunset.

Love and miss you, Moo.  

XOXO