Happy birthday, dear Mia...

On Sunday, April 29, my Mom would have been 58 years old. As we're coming up on the one year anniversary of her death, her birthday marks the official "last" thing we're experiencing without her for the first time. Some days, her absence feels familiar and manageable. Other days, the loss of my Mom that hollowed our hearts feels like it happened yesterday. I often make myself relive those last few days so I don't forget them. Five of the hardest days of my life. An unreal experience. Maybe that's why I make myself think through all those moments in hospice, to make sure they're real.

We keep her alive in so many ways. Traditions, stories, celebrations.

We had spent Easter weekend in Toledo (post and pics coming soon), as we typically do with Emerson, so we also combined our annual "Easter the Sequel / Eaquel" Lineberger tradition into this past Sunday (hosted by Jessica Rabbit). We had carrot cake whoopie pies on the "special plate" (a random Avon plate my Mom purchased 25+ years ago and used for accomplishments, birthday dinners, etc.), sang happy birthday to Mia, received and gave our baskets, and then headed out to the game.

This is the fourth year of an annual tradition started when Emerson was 8 months old. A family outing to the Clippers game. We have a very generous friend, who loans us his first row, right-behind-home-plate tickets every year. There's not a bad seat at Huntington ball park, but these are the best.

Thanks to Mia, we ended up with gorgeous weather. We all even got a little sun! If you know my Mom, you know how much she cherished that sunshine and a little color on her cheeks.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Daddy got a whoopie cushion in his basket from Jessica Rabbit!

Would you expect anything else from Uncle Jayed?

A few pics of a boy and his Dad...

And a boy and a seal!

He has such a great smile.

And sometimes snarky.

All 7* of us.

A day well spent.