October 6

On October 6, 1993, my dad's mother, Pauline Wallis, my Mawmaw, passed away very suddenly in her sleep. It was a shocking and devasting loss for our family. I was seven and vaguely remember my dad coming in to my room that morning telling me what happened. From the little I remember (and a lot that I've been told) about my Mawmaw, she was an incredible force of nature. A traditional Texas matriarch, I think she will always be the only person that could stop my Dad dead in his tracks. She was big on family and we had tons of Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners at her and my Pawpaw's house in Lorena; one of her favorite things to do was make matching dresses for me and Cuz. (There are some GREAT photos). My Mawmaw is probably the biggest reason I made the choice to move to Texas, and I'm very grateful for that influence.

I don't have an electronic picture of Mawmaw, so one of all her grandkids will have to do.

On October 6, 2009, we had to put my childhood dog Bailey down. I got Bailey, as a surprise, for my ninth birthday. LittleBro and I had been wanting a dog, but we'd just moved to a rented house where pets weren't allowed. Apparently, Dad didn't care. He brought Bailey home late from a charity auction at the YMCA. BestMomEver, having never had a dog and having no supplies, was not very happy. Over the next few years, Bailey became part of the family. He loved walks, going to the groomer or the boarder, he even loved the vet! But, and it pains me to say this, the thing/person he loved most in this world is BestMomEver. He had to be able to see her or be near her at all times. But hey, who can blame him?

Bailey was an amazing puppy and I miss him dearly.

Bailey, last summer at Grandma & Grandpa's house for the 4th of July

I'm just glad I know that they are together! Love and miss you both!