Happy Birthday Ashley!

Are there really only 10 days until Christmas?  And 5 until Ashley’s birthday?  I’m not done with my shopping.  I have a Christmas office party Wednesday that will require me making 60 deviled eggs, four dips and 60 brownies!   My nephew’s Christmas musical is tomorrow at 7.  Remember I still have to cook all that food tomorrow night for Wednesday which equals a really late night!  We are meeting two of Parker’s nurses for our annual dinner at Maggiano’s on Friday.  Staying the night with Brad and Kellie at Parker’s House afterwards and going to visit Carter on Saturday (we hope) and then home to meet my grandparents for dinner Saturday night for Ashley’s birthday. 

And there are still only 10 days left until Christmas……

So, I’m still sick with a horrible cold.  I’m taking some meds and hopefully they’ll kick in before too long and I can get back to being 100% because I have tons that needs to be done around the house and with the foundation.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Wednesday night we drove to Hillsborough to drop off dinner for the Myer and Viereg family donated by our church.  We then headed to the airport to pick up my mom.  It was a long day but we were so happy to see her.  We spent Thanksgiving day with my sister, niece and nephew at their house and had more than enough food.  We played games, ate, watched movies and then ate some more.  We were stuffed by the end of the night!  My mom was able to stay until Monday because she missed her flight on Sunday night.  Oops!  RDU has to be the most unorganized airport ever but after 10 hours on the standby list she finally got a flight out Monday late afternoon. 

We had such a wonderful time together and cannot wait until she can come back.  We are trying to get her to move here so when/if we have another baby she’ll be close to help out.  But that’s a whole different post on a different day.

I still cannot believe that Christmas is only 18 days away!  And Ashley’s birthday is only 13 days away!  We’ve done quite a bit of our shopping and most of it online.  I read Nestereveryday and sometimes several times a day and so glad I do because I’ve happened upon some of the greatest and most talented women ever.  If you are looking for some great gifts at reasonable prices please go check out these ladies.  Their products are amazing and make great Christmas gifts!  Some of my favs are Fruitful Vine Creations, L. Herbert Designs, Small Words and Cherished Impressions to name a few.  I love the thought of being able to purchase from SAHMs! 

We haven’t done our Christmas cards yet.  Not sure if we are going to either.  I just don’t have time to do them and who’s really going to miss getting one from us?  I mean seriously.  People get so many that I don’t think they’ll notice ours missing.   If I have some time free up this week I might try and get them together and done.  We do the photo cards because they are so much easier and so worth the extra money. 

The foundation is going great.  We have two families in Parker’s House right now.  One is the Myers who’ve been there since late September and the Vierig’s who moved in the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  They were undiagnosed and care flighted to Duke from Jacksonville, NC.  Brad and Kellie told them about the foundation and Parker’s House and a day later they moved in.  Their son, Bodee, is doing great.  We are excited to report that I think that both families will be leaving Parker’s House soon and taking home their sons.  It’s make me sad to think of them leaving just because we’ll miss them so much but we won’t let them get too far from us! 

We’ve had some awesome donations for the house from a few families and we are beyond thankful for that!  Every little piece of furniture or money helps so much in what we are doing for these families.   Ashley and I are truly blessed to be in the position we are and we couldn’t do it without the support of each of you. 

Christmas is a hard time of year for us.  We’ve both been in a funk lately and trying to find our way out hasn’t been easy.  We miss her so much.  Our lives will never be the same without her.  What I’d give to hear her giggle on Christmas morning at all the gifts Santa left or hear her cry because Mommy said no.  To see her in her Daddy’s arms or him chasing her in the yard.  So many things we’ve missed out.  So many things that CDH has robbed us of.   I know that she is with us in spirit and I know that soon the ornaments will be falling off the tree and it’ll be her but never will that replace what could have been or what should have been.   There will always be a hole in our hearts from her death but I know that God is healing us in His own way. 

I have a busy week ahead of me but so need it right now.  Tomorrow night is our WMU meeting and Tuesday is our Frazzled Female Christmas party.  I’m looking forward to both of them.  My grandparents will be coming for Christmas and staying for 2 1/2 weeks!  Yippee!  We are going up this weekend to Parker’s House to decorate for Christmas and I cannot thank the ladies at the church enough for orchestrating this event and getting massive Christmas decoration donations! 

I better get so we can eat dinner and I can get some sleep before tomorrow.  I’m still not feeling well and just think I need some sleep!  That cures almost anything doesn’t it?

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future.

I’m in a funk people.  Christmas is hard.  Still very hard.  Please pray for us as we embark on the 3rd year without our precious little girl.  I know that God is watching over us and I am thankful for that because I need Him right now. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  I am going to post about our Thanksgiving holiday once I get a free moment.  I’m catching a nasty cold so I might be bed ridden this weekend but thank goodness for Wi-Fi and laptops.