"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye...."

..... To your momma! My mom visited from North Carolina this past weekend for my birthday. She spent 4 days with us and they were 4 of the best days I've had in a long time! She and I went to Prairie Meadows to play her favorite penny slots, we didn't win, but didn't lose much either. I just love watching how excited she gets over those loud clinking machines. We watched a couple movies, ate a TON and of course did plenty of shopping. I could never get sick of spending time with my mom. She's the type of mom who was always more like a friend than "one of those moms." She is definitely one of my most favorite people.

So of course Kara got her fill of grandma while she was here. And now that Kara is beginning to speak more words I thought it was proper to give my mom her own "name" to Kara, so we decided on "Nana." Figuring that might be easy enough for Kara to catch on to. I have a problem with calling both sets of grandmothers the same name, especially when one of them in particular reigns on a much higher level of true "grandmother-hood." Kara was nothing short of spoiled over the weekend. She scored some new books, new clothes and plenty of yummy treats, one in particular being our families special waffle recipes.... mmmmmmm good!

Needless to say, it was a painful goodbye today. Kara doesn't quite understand the importance of it all yet. But it just rips my heart out to know that she will not get to experience that special bond with a grandparent in her everyday life. Harder because there are grandparents that live one town over and they barely bother to see her. (But thats a whole other post!)
Rather, these special times will be few and far between. But at least she will experience it I suppose.

Anyway, here is a picture of Kara and Nana saying goodbye to each other, and another of the 3 of us. (Or at least most of us!)