As we move forward from May 19th E.O.W. #8144,  we are figuring out a new normal.  We are blessed with a great group of family, friends and our Blue Family.  Together, we’re taking each holiday as it comes and learning how to celebrate it with only memories of Dave.

It’s not easy to do.

It doesn’t feel right.

A lot of grief.

The empty hole in our life is very evident.

But we have no other choice.

We had an ASU vs U of A  Football Game party the day after Thanksgiving.  Davey loved ASU and he loved the rivalry.  He graduated from ASU along with most of our family except we have one Wildcat…..and he loved to razz her about it …constantly 🙂

Davey had  a rivalry party a couple of years ago and it was great doing it again.  His squad came as well as many new friends and old friends.  It was hard – we missed him but Davey’s spirit of fun and love was all over the gathering.  It was good to be together.

A lot of love.

A lot of caring.

A lot of great memories.

Now Christmas is right around the corner.  I have 30 pictures on my frig of my ‘Christmas Kids’ – one for every year since Davey was 4.  In the early pictures, he and his sister are sitting on Santa’s lap.  A couple of years later, Davey is standing in the picture because he refused to sit on Santa’s lap any longer.  And it’s not too many years later that Santa didn’t get in the picture at all anymore.

It’s been awesome to watch my two children grow through these pictures and then, gradually, the group also grew as they both married and we added my two very special grand darlings.  Now we get to see the ‘littles” grow with each Christmas kids picture.

So this year we started a new tradition.  My grand darlings are holding a picture of their dad in our Christmas kids picture.  And we will continue to watch them grow every year.

But Davey will stay forever 34…..

It’s hard to imagine a time that I’ll be able to take our Christmas kids picture without tears in my eyes.

Fallen, but never forgotten.