Fun times with Aunt Kaky (Kathy)

Blocks: Nevaeh's new obsession...

Kaleb taught Nevaeh how to build a tower and crash into it with a car.

Aunt Kathy and Taylor watched Nevaeh "play blocks in mine play room."

Vroom! Vroom! she says.

Aw. Taylor wanted to give slobbery kisses, not smile at the camera!

Nevaeh's Christmas present from Aunt Kathy and Uncle Shawn was her TX Longhorns sweatshirt. She looks gorgeous in "burnt" orange, huh? I just hope she doesn't think she's going to college that far away! :-) What cute sisters!!!

Family Visits

Although much of our family time this past week consisted of mourning our loss, we also got to enjoy seeing each other and spending time together. It is dreadful that our reason for gathering was to attend a funeral, but we also appreciated the opportunity to spend time together.

Nevaeh and GiGi.

Taylor was tired at the pizza parlour.

I don't know who was happier..Nevaeh or Auntie Nenny. Nevaeh has really missed her since she moved to Texas, and I know the feeling is mutual.

Earlier we picked Nenny up from the airport and she gave Nevie a cup. It has a kitty from the "cat movie" (Aristocats) that Nevaeh loves.

Welcome home Auntie Nenny! Jen surprised Neve with a cup, and Nevie showed up to the airport with a "Welcome Home Nenny. We missed you!" sign. They had lots of fun together while Jen was here.

Christmas Tree Lane

This year Kaleb and I braved the cold to walk the girls down Christmas Tree Lane. As you can see from Tay's face below, the cold and lots of lights were very surprising.

Wide-eyed Baby Tay

Mommy and Daddy took pics with Nevaeh while Taylor slept in the car seat/stroller.

Daddy's Girl

Taylor all bundled up, warm and cozy...and sleeping comfortably.

Nevaeh had lots of fun walking at first, but got cold quickly and wanted to be carried inside Daddy's coat. Kaleb didn't mind at first, but she started to get pretty heavy on the way back to the car.

Christmas Tree

Nevaeh had fun picking out a Christmas Tree.

Taylor, on the other hand, slept comfortable in her car seat (surprisingly) the entire time we were there.

At home Nevaeh had fun unpacking all the ornaments, but she didn't quite understand how to put them on the tree. Instead she collected them in a little box until Mommy and Daddy placed them on the tree.

Taylor thought decorating the tree with lights was hilarious!

Our pretty tree, all decorated and with presents already wrapped.

Christmas Parade

Every year a Christmas Parade takes place in Old Town Clovis. This year, my mom and Ally wanted Nevaeh to go, but I thought it was too cold to take Taylor outside...especially since she won't stay bundled up in her stoller...she has to be held. So, we got Neve all bundled up and she went on a little outing with MaMa and Auntie Ally.

She had a fun time getting a cookie, a stuffed puppy dog, and seeling lots of Christmas lights.

Opposites

This weekend I wondered how I could be so happy, and so devastated at the same time. Some good friends of ours gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl, and we were overjoyed. We got to meet her today and she is just so small and cute. A newborn you just want to cuddle and kiss.

However, a tragedy occurred this weekend as well, leaving me conflicted between joy at this new life, and despair over a life that ended way too soon. My cousin Alyssa, a smart, well-behaved, sweet girl got into an accident, falling off of a quad-not wearing a helmet. She was pronounced irreversibly brain dead almost immediately. The only choice my dad's cousin Tommy and his wife Rene had was whether to keep her on life support or donate her organs. What kind of decision is that for parents of a 16-year old to have to make? She passed away last night after some other testing. But, they knew all along the outcome would not be good.

I've been struggling with this. So shocking. So horrible. So unfair. Of course I don't blame God, I know that He does not cause these things to happen. Instead I have to draw strength from my faith, that something good will come of this. And yet all I can think about is how I used to babysit her and her twin brother Jordan. I loved babysitting them because they have a Nintendo, and we were never allowed to have one at my house....I think because my mom gets addicted to them. And I loved playing with them, even though they were 9 years younger and always beat me. One time I was watching them, I was supposed to make Mac-N-Cheese. I was young and forgot to add milk until it was already in their bowls. So, I just added it to their bowls, just a little to make up for it. Well, as soon as their dad Tommy got home, Alyssa says, "Dad, Corie forgot to put milk in our macaroni and cheese!" They thought that was the most hilarious thing in the world. And none of us ever forgot that incident. Ally, who goes to school with Alyssa, told me last night that Alyssa just mentioned that story to her recently. How precious our memories are, to get us by in times as devastating as this. I cling to that memory of her.

When I think of her relationship with her 2-year-old half-sister, I think of Ally's bond with Nevaeh...and it breaks my heart that little Morgan won't have that cool, older sis to hang out with, immitate, and confide in. If I let my mind wander, I just cry thinking of her parents, her brother, her grandparents, my dad who was like a brother to Tommy, all my relatives who are so stunned and broken by this.

So, please pray. Please ask God to reveal himself in all of this, to lessen our grief with the knowledge that she is with Him. We are really saddened by our loss, because she is in a better place, by far.

Hallmark

Neither of us know how it started, but each year Kaleb and I buy Hallmark Christmas Tree Ornaments, one for the two of us and one for each of our children. On our way home from purchasing our 2008 ornaments, we talked about other ornaments we had at home, from 2005-2007. We found it hilarious that not only did we purchase an ornament for ourselves in 2005, commemorating our first year of marriage, but also a Cutest Kitty ornament, because at that time, Diogie was our little baby. Here are some of our favorites, and the ones we bought this year. We are really glad that we started this tradition, because each year we will decorate our tree with ornaments that remind us of special memories we might not otherwise have been reminded of...

Our first ornament: First Christmas Together 2005

Cutest Kitty 2005: Diogie was such a spoiled little cat

2006: Nevaeh's 1st Christmas

Our Harry Potter ornament, that I think is from 2005, but we bought it after the holidays on sale. :-)

2008: Our ornaments from this year are special because we have another Baby's First Christmas ornament, and one that will always remind us of Nevaeh's obsession with Winnie-the-Pooh.

Hope you all have a fun time with your families as you decorate your own homes and participate in your own family traditions.