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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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September 11, 2011

A not so Simple Sunday….I Will Never Forget.

sunrise (1)


I slowly pulled myself up off the floor. legs numb. eyes blurry from staring at the screen in the dark. I knew he would need breakfast before I helped him gather his backpack up and then stood outside, as was our routine, on that crisp, cool morning to watch him get on the bus.  Routine. Nothing was routine. I could hear her babbling in her crib.  Talking to stuffed animals. She was always so good at entertaining herself.  I stumbled into her room and lifted her out.  Holding her tightly to me.  Smelling her head. breathing in deeply. life.

She and I stood at the door and watched him run to the bus.  Little boys run everywhere, don’t they? For just a moment I panicked. I wanted to shout for him to come back and spend the day here with us. Safe in our home. The world was not the same anymore. It had become a scary, fearful place. Where planes flew into buildings and crashed into fields. Where buildings fell to the earth in 12 seconds
911-street-of-ny
and where selfless public servants (men like his daddy) died by the hundreds going into those buildings. Where our military is attacked at it’s very center. Where our government flees from the institutions that house it. I swallowed my words and I whispered a prayer over him into my sweet baby’s hair.


24 hours earlier. Coffee in hand. Barney on the TV. I log into my “Mommies Group” online.  My friends. Tethered to each other over the internet.  We had gone through our pregnancies and this first year of our precious babies lives together.  We spent our days off and on chatting about raising children. marriage. life.  A message pops up on my monitor…Hey Heather. Hey! Have you turned on the TV this morning? Um yeah..to Barney.  You need to turn on the news. Okay??
A whimper of protest as the happy dancing dinosaur disappears from the screen. I would own the TV for the next week. Newscasters looking confused. Did I just see that right? Did I just see a plane fly into a building in New York?! Horrific. what a horrific accident! I peer at the screen. Trying to grasp what I have seen.  It’s footage and they are playing it over and over. Live now. People panic. running in the streets. Reporter running with them while trying to capture the chaos. Then they pause. and look up. I stand in front of my TV in shock. I feel like I am standing on the street with them. I can’t breathe. They look up. I look straight ahead. We all watch another plane fly into World Trade Tower Two. Right in front of our eyes.

park_row_beekman_street
Photograph by Patrick Witty
This is not an accident. This is not a random occurrence. We are under attack. I collapse next to my pajama clad baby. My eyes frozen on the screen. Trying to comprehend. Trying to find some rationale in what I am seeing. She crawls over to me.  Patting my face and trying to get my attention.  I pull her onto my lap and we sit. I sat. all day. all night. the blue light permeated our living room. I couldn’t NOT watch. I wanted to understand. There was no understanding.


10 years later. Our life has changed so much since then. The little boy is months from becoming a man. That sweet baby is a long legged, beautiful pre-teen.  Their daddy spends his days now making sure 9/11 never happens again on his watch. It’s his job. It’s his passion. It’s our life. Our life. We get to live a life.  A gift taken from so many on that day.
There are so many who are remembering. The television knows no bounds with the specials reflecting back on that day.  Most are wonderful and respectful.  Some not.

“When Pop Culture Saved America: A 9/11 Story”


My blood boiled. Did I really just see that promo flash across the screen?! When pop culture SAVED America! Let me show you who did the SAVING on 9/11…
911-street-of-ny-2
firemensaving11th
Photograph by Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
9-11police
tired-FDNY-ground-zero-911
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article-0-0AACE427000005DC-675_468x478

These are the faces of those who helped save Americans on that day. I want to see their faces and hear their words. Not the words of some pop icon who was sitting comfortably in their home in the hills of LA on that day. I never want to forget who made the ultimate sacrifices that morning, who are still making horrific sacrifices with their health as they suffer the consequences of spending days and days at Ground Zero.
And on this Sunday of remembrance let us never forget who is our SAVIOR…He who brings peace that passes all understanding…
9_11_Cross
May We Never Forget….
signature
P.S. This post is dedicated to my sweet online mommy friends who helped me get through that week and make sense of it all.  You remind me everyday of all that is good in this world. Love you my friends.

*Attempt was made to acknowledge all sources of photography. If a photographed is not sourced and you know the source of the original photograph please let me know and I will list them.

29 Comments Filed Under: Good Thoughts, Simply Sundays

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rita May says

    September 10, 2011 at 11:41 PM

    A Day of Remembrance…..beautiful photos.

    Reply
  2. NanaDiana says

    September 10, 2011 at 11:47 PM

    I am with you heart and soul. My post tomorrow is a poem I wrote after I got home from work about 911- May we NEVER forget. This was a beautiful post! xo Diana

    Reply
  3. Wunkie's Mommy says

    September 11, 2011 at 12:02 AM

    AMEN HEATHER! What a beautiful post. I can’t believe it’s been 10 yrs since I looked across the river and fell the ground shake as the first tower fell. I can’t believe that it’s been ten yrs since I and many others wondered where our loved ones were when they didn’t make it home that night. Some never made it. Others walked across the bridge and all the way home. May God bless those like your husband who spend every day of their lives making sure this never happens again to any of us. May God provide comfort to those whose Dads, Moms, and family members never made it home, those who perished saving others’ lives. And may God bless America!!!!

    Reply
  4. Lori Alexander says

    September 11, 2011 at 12:03 AM

    Beautiful…It was a very painful time in our country. But it is good to remember the heroes of that time and never forget.

    Reply
  5. Reannah @ {Shaped by Grace} says

    September 11, 2011 at 12:04 AM

    Beautifully written. I was a military wife at the time of 9/11 and living on a Marine Base. I just wrote how I remembered that day. Surreal to say the least. Even the memories the pictures conjure don’t do justice to the emotion of that day. I’m glad you had a supportive mommy group to get you through. xo, Reannah

    Reply
  6. Grammy Goodwill says

    September 11, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    This is such a well-written post. Thank you.

    Reply
  7. Dear Sweet Home says

    September 11, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    I have thought about this upcoming day many times this past week. My daughter is studying it in history and my little boy has so many questions. He woke me up last night and said he had a bad dream about it. I want to find a good children’s book that explains it on his level. Like you, I remember that day so well. I pray that God would be with our country during this time and with the ones who were directly impacted by that horrible event. Thanks for reminding us to remember! ~Kim

    Reply
  8. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    September 11, 2011 at 1:44 AM

    Wow Heather – Beautifully written! You brought me to tears. It sure doesn’t feel like 10 years has passed. The emotion, for me, is still always at the surface waiting to bubble over. That day and the week that followed were terrible. I cried all the time and just like you, I couldn’t NOT watch. Personally I didn’t know anyone and I’m an American living in Canada, but the sadness and shock of it all was too much. We still have every major magazine that came out in the days after. I actually looked through them a couple months ago and still cried. Your post was so heartfelt, thank you!! I’m doing a similar post tomorrow.

    Hold your loved ones close tomorrow and be grateful for all we’re blessed with.

    Hugs,
    Catie

    Reply
  9. Judy says

    September 11, 2011 at 1:44 AM

    It was a terrible day. As you know I live in New York. Mine started exactly like yours…watching Barney. Reading this post brought me back to exactly what I felt that day. My husband had left for a business trip that morning and was on an airplane at that moment. I got a call from my friend asking too if I was watching TV…I said, yes, Barney. Then I turned on the news. At first I thought it was a little plane that made a terrible mistake. Then the second plane hit. Then the panic set in when I realized what was really happening. My husband was on an airplane at that moment and I was unable to reach him for hours. Those were the worst hours of my life. Thankfully he had gotten to the airport a little early and was able to catch an earlier flight (but hadn’t gotten a chance to let me know that) and was almost in Chicago when the first plane hit. His plane had left out of the same terminal as the plane that did hit the trade centers. My kids were 3 1/2 and 6 months old at the time. I remember taking them outside to play (mainly to get away from the TV) and marveling in the silence of my backyard knowing nothing would ever be the same. When my son went to pre-school the next day, we found out that one of the little girl’s in his class Daddy didn’t make it home. With each day that passed we learned of more and more people we knew that didn’t make it home that day. So many of these people had just gone to work. I thank God every day that we were lucky and my family was spared. I am completely unable to watch anything about that terrible day. It’s awesome that you had a mommy group to get you through. It took my husband four days before he was able to get a rental car which he drove across country to get home. We will never forget. Your post is very impactful.

    Reply
  10. Ellen says

    September 11, 2011 at 1:53 AM

    Wonderful post…

    Reply
  11. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    September 11, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    Beautiful post! It’s a day none of us will ever forget.

    Reply
  12. Carmella says

    September 11, 2011 at 2:34 AM

    Oh, Heather….you put to words, so beautifully, how so many of us felt that day. I was in a much different place in my life then…unmarried, being a mother hadn’t even crossed my mind at that point. But that day I remember thinking how everyone of those people were someone’s child. And how our Heavenly Father was now holding them in His arms. It was the only thing that gave me peace during that time.
    Thank you for sharing this…and you truly, truly have a gift with your words…..

    Reply
  13. Andrea@ourbluefrontdoor says

    September 11, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    Thank you for this wonderful post, so well written. Will be lifting up so many in prayer tomorrow at church and for God’s grace to touch each one. I will never forget what happened, but we also have to remember to forgive.

    God Bless you!

    Reply
  14. Farmer's Wyfe says

    September 11, 2011 at 4:05 AM

    What a great post. It shook me up terribly, too…who didn’t it rattle? I had lost my first baby through miscarriage and was desperately praying for one to fill my arms when 9/11 happened, and I feared my husband would be sent to war. He was, but only after God gave us a baby, and we spent a long 9 months without him. I’ll never forget either; such a horrific event.

    Reply
  15. Dayle says

    September 11, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    We will never forget.

    Reply
  16. Terry @ La Bella Vie says

    September 11, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    Thank you so much for posting this and I couldn’t agree with you more! I too will always remember that day, where I was and what I was doing and who was there that tried to save America…it was not some pop artist pretending to be a hero or anyone on a TV screen for that matter, it was the brave souls at ground zero, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania that were the true hero’s that day!
    Thank you for your honesty and candor in this very moving post…
    Terry

    Reply
  17. Kim says

    September 11, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    Very touching post. Here in Jersey it was way too close to home that morning. My oldest had just started Kindergarten. She had afternoons and none of them went to school that day, the first week of school.
    I can’t watch images without sobbing. Still seems so fresh.
    Kim

    Reply
  18. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    September 11, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    No,I’ll never forget either, Heather. It’s odd how you can remember the day of the week and the weather on those days when something happens. I cry to this day over the images and anything on television about it. I can’t believe its been 10 years.

    Reply
  19. CAS says

    September 11, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    Thank you, Heather, for writing this wonderful tribute to that horrific day. No, I will never forget that utter shock that what I was seeing on that morning’s news was not some “what if” re-enactment. Oh, how I wish it had been. The very important “positive” that came from all that disaster, was how it brought our country together — neighbor to neighbor & a bond to those we would never meet in person. No, I will never forget.
    🙂 CAS

    Reply
  20. refresh restyle says

    September 11, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    Thank you for such a precious memorial, I will always remember that day.
    Debbie

    Reply
  21. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    September 11, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    Heather this is a beautiful tribute to all who where taken from us that horrific day! They may be gone but their not forgotten! Martina

    Reply
  22. Kristin says

    September 11, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    Beautiful post, Heather.
    I don’t think any of us will ever forget the images, the impact and the heartbreak of that day.
    May we all continue in our journey of faith, healing and thankfulness.
    XO

    Reply
  23. Stacy Curran says

    September 11, 2011 at 7:34 PM

    This is the best online tribute I have read, Heather. My husband and I were working in DC in federal buildings when it happened. We spent all day trying to get home to each other and our baby. Pentagon officials who had just been hit were handing cash out of their own wallets to people who didnt have train fare home. Our house shook like there was an earthquake that morning…we later learned it was from the sonic boom from the jets taking off with orders to shoot down one of our own planes. Every day after that, we drove to work and passed that big smoldering hole in the Pentagon on RT 395. We lost a friend in Tower1. So many people lost so much more, and I am so grateful for what we have. Thank you so much for this post.
    Stacy

    Reply
  24. Cherished Bliss says

    September 11, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Beautiful tribute! I love the last picture! Because through all the heartache and suffering we can still hold firm that God is in control! We might not understand it, or know why it happens, but there is a plan and it helps me get through these moments to know he is the one in control and not me!

    Reply
  25. Debbie says

    September 11, 2011 at 10:24 PM

    Oh Heather!! This is just wonderful, and my heart kept beating faster as I read it. AMEN dear sister. I could never have said it better. (And I had the same feeling when I read that same headline.)

    Reply
  26. Kristin @ Chi-Chi Studio says

    September 12, 2011 at 3:58 AM

    Thank you so much for this post. We’ve spent this Sunday remembering those who lost their lives as well as their families–it’s been a sobering Sabbath Day, to say the least.

    I also wanted to let you know I nominated you for the versatile blogger award, if you’re interested. Love your blog; thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  27. Michelle@ourwonderfilledlife.com says

    September 12, 2011 at 2:15 AM

    Heather, you have given such beautiful words to such dark, haunting days. Bless your husband for his selfless public service, and thank you for sharing your heartfelt, truthful, and poignant words.

    Michelle

    Reply
  28. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    September 12, 2011 at 6:20 PM

    Wonderful post, Heather! Steve and I worked numerous times in the World trade center and had been there just three weeks before 9/11. I think constantly of the people we worked closely with and all those I came in contact with during the day. I wonder often about the ones I shared an elevator with to the 88th floor, sat next to in one of the restaurants or those I just passed in the lobby. This horrible day will always be with me.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

    Reply
  29. Elizabeth says

    September 12, 2011 at 7:04 PM

    Amen! Amen! I could not agree more with this post! 911 forever changed me and America. I watched it happen live and never left the TV for 24 hours, and then kept the tv on for a week until my husband said enough. I have lived the last 10 years in two cities where there are huge military communities, those are the people who protect America on a daily basis, those people and men like your husband and my brother.

    My husband and I waork in the military, police and public safety arena, people who we had relationships died on that day trying their best to save people.

    6 months later we went to Ground Zero, the actual pit, and the behind the scenes buildings where these men worked and waited and prayed for their brothers to be found. I cannot even describe in words what that was like. That was the single most life altering experience of my life. And I can tell you that there is a “feeling” that you get from being in a place where all those people lost their lives.

    I prayed then and I pray today for the families to have some peace and for the souls of those lost. Thank you for sharing your story.

    Reply

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This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the pa When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the payoff of your investment in your children, it is truly one of the greatest gifts. We had that experience twice this week with our 18 year old son and were overwhelmed by this opportunity we had to watch as he handled two very different situations (one personal and one professional) with grace, maturity, integrity and courage. Those of you mamas of little ones, don't ever minimize the job you are doing in raising this next generation. 

Every story read at bedtime
Every correction made to strengthen character
Every outdoor exploration
Every nose wiped
Every bandaid applied
Every time you say no when the world says yes
Every night of helping with homework
Every difficult conversation
Every prayer uttered

The final pieces of the puzzle of his childhood are falling into place and the picture revealed is one that is more wonderful than we could have imagined. And we know that it is only by God's grace on us as we sought His wisdom and guidance that we have come to this point. We have been FAR from perfect parents, but one of my most sincere prayers for the past 18 years was that the Lord would stand in the gaps that were surely to be revealed by our imperfections. And He has answered those prayers again and again. He's taken my humble petitions and most sincere intentions and knocked our socks off with the young man we are so privileged to call our son. And we can’t wait to watch as his future unfolds!
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