(Picture Heavy)

I made a super-quick trip to NH this weekend for a very special reason - My dad’s surprise retirement party! All of his best friends turned out for the event, hosted by an especially wonderful couple. Dad’s retirement is a momentous occasion for many reasons - first and foremost being that he’s a work-a-holic and I really wasn’t convinced that he’d be able to go through with it. I couldn’t be more proud of him or happy for him. I’ll let the pictures tell the story:

He was suprised - I’d even go so far as to say shocked!

We ate like kings (and drank like fishes - well, at least some of us. Not yours truly, of course!)

A proper roasting was given by our host, Bruce, supported by his wife, Pam - Dad was a very good sport…

Even when I jumped in on the fun!

Dad & Friends:

Tad, unfortunately, remained at home to look after the “kids” (Mathias is still having problems) He was missed - everyone was very disappointed that he couldn’t make it. And Marshall? Unfortunately Armenia was a little far to travel (I can’t wait till he comes home and I can have my brother & Dad in the same room again!!)

These folks, it was especially nice to see - they knew my parents before I was born. You know your parents’ friends - the ones you can’t remember not knowing? The ones that treated you like your own person even when you were 5? This is them:

It was a little bittersweet as well - they were very close to Mom, as was everyone else there, but these are the folks that I spent the most time with when with my parents. It was a very nearly perfect weekend. The timing of coming home is a little tough, even though it’s been a few years now. It doesn’t hurt any more today than any other given day, I think it’s just fresher, a little more raw maybe, because this is the day when we lost her. Sometimes it just bowls me over when I’m not expecting it. Funny thing is, now I can’t imagine Lorna not being there either. They represent these two totally separate spaces of time that can’t overlap. I’m just really lucky, I guess. To always have had such great people in my life. To have had a mom that was also my dearest friend. To have such a great relationship with my Dad, even though I was such a shit growing up. To have my husband appreciate my family so much. To see my Dad in the midst of some of the best people I’ve ever known, and to have them call him family. It’s a good life.