I have been asked by one of my readers who knows me outside of this blog why I have never talked about Autumn, or included her in my blog....so here goes.
For those of you who do not know who Autumn is, she is my 11 year old daughter. She is currently living with her father for the first time back home in Maine. For the first 10 years of her life she lived with me, although she spent the weekends with her Dad. For 9 of those years, I was a single parent, and she was (and is) my best friend, the light of my life...my
Punky.
My husband is in the service and we got stationed here on an Indian Reservation in Arizona... if any of you know the area, it's no place for an 11 year old girl, especially one who has never been out of the state of Maine. The decision to have her stay with her Dad, friends, and the rest of her family was the hardest decision of our lives...but the right choice for her, and it was ultimatley her final decision, and she wanted to stay. We have never spent more then a week apart from
each other, so every day away from her is
excruciating ...but she seems to be adjusting very well. We talk every night on the phone, and even though it is not the same as holding her in my arms, it definitly makes things easier. Knowing that this situation is temporary and that we will be togther again soon is also what helps get me through this.
I never meant to keep her a secret, I guess I just wanted to respect her privacy since she is now a tween (going on 16!eeeek!). I also knew that I might be judged by some parents out there who just won't understand our unique situation and think I am a horrible mother ... but her and I understand it, and that's all that matters.
I will leave you with a few of my favorite (recent) pics of my Punky...
@ the playground
cute little chef making her famous "
Autumncakes"
Big sister w/ Bella (and her BFF Cheyanne)
growing up fast!
Christmas '08
