Today is the last day of my visit home…I thought it would be fitting to spend my last morning in solitude, alone in the mountains. I woke up before daybreak and drove through the darkness and heavy fog to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I settled in at the Thunder Struck Ridge overlook and was overwhelmed with the view laid before me. The “Honey” moon of June was shining brightly above the blanketed mountains below and only the highest peaks were visible.  It was breathtakingly beautiful. I had a long chat with the big man upstairs and became certain I was at the edge of heaven.

I couldn’t bring myself to leave, so I spent the better part of two hours drinking in the delicious view. On my way back down the mountain, I spotted two black bears and six wild turkeys! Goodness Gracious! What an amazing morning! Happy Friday to you all!!

Aunt Katie was officially on duty and in charge of my sister’s two munchkins while she was away in Italy recently!

My goal was to have FUN and keep smiles on their cutie patootie faces 🙂 I dug deep into my Mary Poppins bag of tricks to keep these kiddos entertained! We painted canvases, made tie-dye shirts, shopped for books, rode go karts, had an afternoon picnic, enjoyed yummy ice cream, caught lighting bugs, jumped on the trampoline, went to the park, helped in the garden, visited their great-grandparents and played too many games of monopoly! Along the way, I kept things interesting by randomly singing to them and chatting away in different accents!

I’ve learned that kids sure do keep you on your toes and leave you quite exhausted by the days end! I’ve learned that patience is truly essential, to pack the umbrella, missing Lego pieces are inevitable, sugar cures all until it’s bedtime, and the sound of children laughing is one of the sweetest sounds of all!

My parents had two girls and then a boy, so growing up I was exposed to an equal amount of girly activities (dancing, singing, piano lessons, and art classes) and boyish pastimes (camping, fly fishing, hiking, skiing, and shooting).

As young children, my brother and I learned to fly fish together on the banks of our backyard pond. In conjunction, we were also taught how to tie flies to be used for bait. I always loved fishing with the boys and even obtained my nickname from fly fishing.

Recently, I spent the afternoon fly fishing with my father in the heart of the Great Smokies. There is a calm serenity walking deep into the forest to find a creek bed covered with lush green moss and a still section of water to cast your line into. The familiar smell of home. Mother Nature. I’m so thankful to have this time to share with family in such a beautiful place!

The National September 11th Memorial and Museum opens to the public tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21st. However, 9/11 family members, service members and lower Manhattan residents were able to preview the museum prior to the grand opening date. Last Sunday, we toured the museum and my heart is still heavy from the experience. Touring the museum alongside the family members of 9/11 victims was heart-wrenching, humbling, and will be etched in my memory forever. Viewing the wreckage from the attack, almost didn’t seem real. Warped steel, shoes, backpacks, bikes, strollers, letters, fire trucks, ambulances…it was like walking through a nightmare. Even the last Steel Beam from Ground Zero had a faint smell of burnt metal.

I still remember where I was the morning of the attack. In my dorm room getting ready for class with the news on in the background. I even have photos of myself at sixteen touring the Statue of Liberty with the Twin Towers in the skyline behind me. Being a lower Manhattan resident, it brought many things into perspective, especially the proximity of the attack. One picture showed downtown Manhattan engulfed in smoke and it stopped me in my tracks. Our apartment, our parks, and all the businesses we frequent, were not visible. This could have been my husband, brother, uncle, father, sister, mother, aunt, friend, co-worker, etc. This could have been me.  You begin to wonder– what would I have done? Would I have started running or stayed in the “perceived safety” indoors? If I did run, where would I have gone?  I was overwhelmed with a tremendous sense of even more understanding, compassion and empathy for everyone affected by the 9/11 attacks.

For the most part, the entire museum was extremely quiet and muted. The voices that were heard though, echoed louder than any freight train. Voicemails of victims to their family members, individuals telling their children how they survived, and families gathered together telling stories of loved ones. I tried to hold back my tears for as long as I could. Ultimately, the tears began flowing and my stomach was aching for everyone around me. People touched directly by this horrific terrorist attack. I wanted to reach out and hug them. Tell them I was so sorry for their loss. I sent up more silent prayers than I could count, for God to bring peace, comfort and strength to all those affected by this tragedy.

Touring the museum was an emotional, yet powerfully moving experience. Even more proof that history cannot be ignored.

Visit the National September 11th Memorial and Museum for more information on tickets.