Happy Holiday’s Ya’All!  Thank you for ALL the Christmas cards, phone calls, text, and emails. 

You really know how to make us feel loved!  I have been asked by several what our holiday plans are, did we decide to make a bench and place it in the Greenway in honor of Matt, and how the kiddos are? Here you go😊

We made it through Thanksgiving.   Thank the Lord.  To be honest I was not sure how we were going to make it through.  As a family, Thanksgiving was our favorite day spent together, cooking, laughing, eating, creating ginger bread houses, decorating Christmas cookies, pulling out the ornaments, decorating the outside of the house with lights, Christmas vacation marathon, and of course Matt’s homemade stuffing and pumpkin pie secret recipes. The day after Thanksgiving, we made it a family tradition, and for the past 7 years to cut down our very own Christmas tree.  I decided I was going to be super mom and I was going to do it ALL! That was short lived. Three weeks before Thanksgiving, depression was so real, and it came on out of nowhere. I could not breathe, I could not stop crying, and I certainly could not wrap my head around how life was supposed to still work.  I needed a big time out.  I was filled with so much anxiety and uncertainty all I could do was pray. I had to hold onto that HOPE that God was greater than my grief and he would get me through.   

I booked tickets to WI last minute and it was the best decision I made.  We had so much fun baking cookies with friends, laughing, making memories with our family, and meeting one of Matt’s best buddies his wife and beautiful daughter for lunch. I enjoyed watching the kiddos laugh and play with their cousins. I felt  JOY in those moments.  It was a much-needed reminder to me how good God is.  All I could do was thank the LORD for supporting me and rescuing me during this time and surrounding me with so much love and Joy.

We spent Monday in the Chicago airport trying to get home and after 16 hours of delays we finally boarded the aircraft.  We were so excited to finally be on the airplane. However due to mechanical issues we sat on the aircraft for a long period of time. We landed in Charlotte around 4:55 am Tuesday morning. We were exhausted, I let the kids sleep and they missed school.  Guess what we did when they woke up?  We went as a family and cut down that darn Christmas tree.  It was so hard to do, physically, mentally, and emotionally but we did it!!  It felt so good to do and it looks amazing! 

1 Thessalonians 5:18- give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ.

Our Christmas plan for right now is top secret.  I don’t want to write about it, because I don’t want the kiddos to find out.

Matt’s Memorial Bench is being made as we speak and will be placed on the Greenway around Haigler Loop close to or on May 21st 2019.(1 year in heaven)  We have so many memories on this Loop that we felt it was the perfect spot.

This year were going to host a luminary fundraiser in Matt’s honor on December 13th, for his birthday but exhaustion had kicked in and we decided we wanted to spend some quiet time as a family. We thought we would tie the luminary fundraiser in with the placement of the bench in May.  Details will follow.

How are the kids? That is a tough question to answer.  All three are so different and all three grief differently. 

Brayden is quiet and doesn’t like to talk about his feelings.  He has found a counselor at Kindermourn that he really likes and has deep conversations with. Thanksgiving was difficult for him, there are a lot of DAD and Brayden memories wrapped up in there.  He is making an all about my dad book and is really enjoying it.  He is playing basketball with a great group of boys.  These families are a true blessing they really look out for him and that makes a mom’s heart smile.

Ashlyn is kind of opposite.  She doesn’t ever want to stop talking.  She too has a counselor that she adores over at Kindermourn. She participates in group therapy and really seems to like it.  She too is making an all about my dad book. Ashlyn is taking private basketball lessons at the Y and will play on a team starting in January. She has decided she loves gymnastics again, and will hit the mats and start back in January. She has a smile that is contagious and warms the heart.

Carston is a four year old boy.  He goes to play therapy and seems to like it. To be honest I think he likes it because there is a lollipop involved at the end.  Carston is playing biddy basketball at the Y and he loves it.  He has smile that reminds me of Matt’s and it brings us so much happiness.

All three have hearts for the LORD and it shows. Matt would be so proud of them. We miss him so much.

Today is Matt’s 40th birthday and our 11th wedding anniversary. Yes, that is correct!  Matt and I had a small wedding in the courthouse on December 13th 2007 it was the perfect day. One year later, we had a BIG traditional wedding on the exact same day. Blessed beyond measure to have spent 11 years married to this wonderful man. I remember both days like it was yesterday. Magical and all part of God’s plan.  We love you all.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours.

Hugs- Becky, Brayden, Ashlyn, and Carston