We arrived in Harrison New Jersey just outside of New York City with the intention of continuing on the next morning towards Maine. However, after spending an evening listening to live music in the hotel lounge, we started talking to a couple from Texas and they convinced us to check out the city the next day. It was so easy. The Path station was right around the corner from the hotel and we could leave our car in the parking garage since we had paid for 24 hours of parking. The net morning after breakfast, we donned our jackets and walked to the station to catch the train into the city. We arrived at the Oculus World Trade Center station and as we made our way up to street level we were overwhelmed and amazed at the center. It was white and gleaming. The center had been decorated with Christmas trees and pop-up kiosks. Stores were lit and the whole thing had a "clean/sterile/wealthy" feel to it.  Once on street level, we were greeted with amazing architecture. We made our way to the 9/11 memorial. I remember the day it happened.  I was at home watching the boys play in our back room where the TV was. We had had our breakfast, when John called me telling me to turn on the TV. Isaac was playing with his toys and Job was running around on his wobbly little legs. Every channe1, every news station was tuned into this horrific event unfolding in my nation 3200 miles away. I sat stunned watching in horror and disbelief. Could this really be happening? Both Isaac and Job were born in a pre-9/11 world but will never know it. Lona was born into a post 9/11 world. To them this event is part of history but to me it is apart of my life.This was an event that changed our nation and us as people. There are certain events in every generation that produces some kind of change.  Pearl Harbor being one, the Space Shuttle Challenger,and  9/11 are others. A generation remembers and a new generation comes along and sees that event as history. Another event, another generation. Each event has the potential to teach us something or to create bitterness, distrust and anger. How can we learn and grow and honor those in the past without the anger?  We are Americans and we remember and we rebuild to show our strength, our determination and our resiliency. The pool is perfectly level with water cascading evenly into the abyss, with the One World Trade Center standing watch over the whole center plaza. Names were engraved all along the outside edge. I expected hushed voices and a quiet area but it was the exact opposite. The court yard was filled with voices and life as if to say "we are New Yorkers, we live on." It wasn't until we had walked away and around a building and started down West Street that we noticed a dramatic decrease in the noise. I had expected the opposite since we started down a fairly busy and main road.

We made our way to the base on a chilly Friday morning. We only knew a few things: breakfast was at 8:30, we could go to the exchange, there would be a presentation at 10 and graduation at 11. We had no prior experience on a coast guard base. We could hear yelling from recruits in other companies. There were guards stationed at no-go zones and there was a talk about a fly-by. We followed the other parents, some knowing what to expect, others like ourselves, a little lost. We listened to the presentation and filed out to watch the company march by in formation. We lined the sidewalk in front of the gymnasium and hoped we were on the side our recruit would pass by. The cadence started around the corner and grew louder as they approached, marching instep with their heads held high. Our first view in 8 or more weeks. The emotions and excitement were coursing through the audience and cheers erupted as fingers were pointed towards recruits, phones and cameras captured it all.  As they marched out of view, everyone started filing into the gymnasium trying to pick a side so they could watch their recruit receive their certificate and finally be able to put their arms around their recruit. And then it was time to tour the base and load up.

November has set in and so has the grey days. The light is even and softly drapes itself around the world. The morning frost has set hard, painting everything that was brown in a white layer. Muting the autumn colors and creating a serene tableau.  We wander down this path once again, taking in how the season has changed it. The plants have curled in upon themselves and the summer birds have fled. It's quiet and the river gently ripples, whispering as it moves. The cars rushing along slowly fades as we make our way to the spot where the river bends, the sand bar pokes out of the water and the large cottonwood tree stands.The eagles have returned to the river as the salmon make their way upstream. Each time we come to this spot, I look. Most days I can see one eagle watching this spot of the river. today it's two and so I know it will soon be time to go eagle watching.

Our last conversation for five or more weeks was one sided.
"Hello, this is Job Parks. Please let me talk and do not interrupt period. I made it safe to Cape May period I will contact you after five weeks as to my graduation date period I will not have access to my phone so do not call." and he hung up. It was scripted and we only said hello.  It was shocking even though we knew that it was going to be this way. And yes, he did say period after the end of every single sentence.  Once he hung up, we sat there for a minute a bit in shock and then nervously laughed. I guess we will see you on the other side of boot camp.  Hang in there buddy.

We cut a tree down in our yard and you would have thought we would have less leaves, but we didn't. The leaves glowed golden yellow, fiery orange and deep ruby red. The drive into our subdivision was as beautiful as ever and that meant bags and bags of leaves. We've had kids sometimes help in the past but this year it was pretty much just us and the fur ball in the middle.


We grew three sunflowers this year and laid them out on the stumps in the back yard.  It took less than a day and they were picked clean.  The squirrels didn't get them, it was the birds. I'm sure we will have sunflowers popping up not where we would like but it was entertaining watching them clean out the heads.

He just can't do it.  He can't leave soccer.  He coached our kids and made friends on the pitch. He loved the kids even when they drove him nuts and so this year he decided to get back into it. There is sparks and glimmers of talent. There is energy, maybe not always focused. There are smiles and sometimes yawns. There are a lot of losing games, which are called learning games, because you can always learn something from a loss. There are hilarious comments and no shows but it is soccer and a game and worth it.

My last one to leave the nest. This girl is a senior. WTF? I think I have experienced every kind of emotion with this girl, from the absolute beautiful ( I want to cry I am so proud, and blessed) to the unbelievablely ugly (I am going to kill her or go insane) emotions. We tried to do some photos while at Cannon Beach but there was so much "fun" there for her that to pin her down while to lighting was good was impossible.  Noon, is not the time of day and 30 minutes isn't enough.  I get it, she only sees these kids for 1 week a year, how can we take time for photos.  So we tried again.  Still, the time was limited.  Not too long.  The lighting shown through the grey paper birches turning the leaves from yellow to gold. The logs that lay crisscross next to the trail with the bushes behind them created a perfect backdrop.  We spent maybe a half an hour and she was done.  Off we went to go our separate ways. This girl has a social calendar that is booked from the time she gets up to the time she crashes in bed at 2 am. There usually isn't time to spare.  I am sure she knows half the county and has contacts at every school.  You want to know something, she either knows it or knows who to talk to in order to find out. She could be an influencer if she wanted to be one and put forth the effort.  From cliff jumping and soccer practices and games to working as a qc in the kitchen at Bob's and taking class at Whatcom Community College, she stays busy.  I try to get her to put her activities on the calendar just to help me remember what I've said yes to and where she's going.  Half the time, I'm not sure if she's going to have dinner with us. Yes, senior year will be a busy year. Help me.