change

Before Andy died we talked about getting a puppy.  He thought I was crazy because there was enough on our plates.  And there was.  But I knew that when he passed we'd need a puppy and the girls knew it too.  And he smiled at the idea and helped Iris pick a name for that yet to be found dog.

And so 10 days after he left this earth, the puppy found us. Ok, we found her, but we didn't look very hard.  We just happened to drive by the Humane Society in Tomah (for real people) and they just happened to have 7 (!) puppies.  This little one took the girls hearts right away.  Andy always loved black dogs with brown eyebrows and those eyes...

So Fern came to live with us and we haven't looked back for a minute.  She is full of sweetness, calm, snuggles and love.  Just like Andy.  We are pretty sure there is part of him living in her.

And we found out she travels well too.  Because soon after we got her we took at 3 week road trip to Maine in Andy's honor.

 

Along the way we stopped in Fredonia, NY, the town my mom grew up in and found her childhood home and the gravestone of my grandparents.  Then it was on to Rochester and Buffalo to see beloved Aunts and Uncles.  The kids even got to go to Niagra! 

 From there the girls and I spent a few days exploring Vermont.  

And then landed for a week and my friend Keena's farm in Lisbon Falls, ME.  It's a beautiful place and the girls loved helping out in the vegetable fields and of course with the pigs.  They especially miss Keena, Zac and Simon.  Thanks so much you guys!

After Keena's farm we headed to Acadia National Park to camp for five nights with friends from home.  The tide pools were everyone's favorite.

This is what Andy wanted most for us. That we continue to explore, travel and experience the beauty of this earth.  He would have loved Maine.  So many tears were shed while we took in the sights that should have been his as well.  So many times I could see him bent over a tide pool calling to the girls with excitement at some creature he had found.  I ached with his absence. We all did.  But I also felt him and his love so clearly and knew that he is proud of us.  3106 miles without him, but he was with us every mile of the way.

Everything changes.  More on the way.