In the midst of chaos

there were moments of joy.
A quick trip to KC for late Christmas with the Clarks...
on a gorgeous sunny winter day.
Alec's Nursery Rhyme play - he was SO brave!
Bike riding - no training wheels for Ava - standing up for Ayden -
 on yet another freaky warm day..
in the midst of the coldest weather ever.
Ava's really big front tooth.
 Alec's first loose tooth.
Ayden looking like a young man (aka skateboarding dude)
 instead of my little boy.

Even in the midst of chaos and pain - life brings moments of  joy....

Nothing is ever going to be the same....

Go Rest High on that Mountain Mister.

You touched so many lives...

your people have been flooding your home...

and will be taking care of your Barb.

We promise.

Be prepared my friend....

we all expect a wild hilarious dance with you again someday.

And then there are the Halloween pictures...

And I cry some more.

This day

This day we lost someone special.

All day long I kept thinking I was going to see our Jeffrey come walking through the door.....asking what the heck was going on and giving me a big old hug. This whole day just seemed surreal and I honestly still can't believe its true.

I'm gonna miss you Jeffrey.  We all are. You left us lots of hilarious memories.....

Our family will never be the same without your warm smile and generous heart.

"Winter break is longer than summer break!"

Ava announced this today while complaining about a bit of boredom today on this 17th day of Winter Break. And it has been longer than most because we've all been so worried about Grandma Shirley. 

We have spent the last two weeks in more chaos than usual...with a bunch of worrying mixed in. 

So I'm posting some tidbits of fun that has transpired...

a couple things before Christmas (Living Windows)

 and lots of things after.  

When they all happened I am not sure I know -

Honestly -  it is all a bit blurry :)

 Living Windows

 Christmas card pics - so cute!

We haven't even gotten to celebrate Christmas with the Clarks yet :(

 Sweet Korybn opening gifts and wearing her favorite dress up clothes!

 I love how much these two love each other.

 The long awaited "scarf".

 My girly girl.

 Christmas at the Lake - fun!

 Carol's beautiful greenhouse room.

Ava's intense love of Maxx.

 Ayden and his crazy excellent reading abilities! 

 The ice storm and the "nature walk".

 The snowstorm and deathly cold

 (which does not stop these two

from catapulting off the retaining wall.)

And a wonderful day of ice skating (thank you Sam & Karyn!)

on a day when Momma was on hospital duty!

You know - it has been a frantic pace these past 13 days.

With quick trips from KC to stay 

with a special Grandma by our sweet daughter..

(thank you Erin, Aaron and Rae)

to kid-sitting so we could stay at the hospital..

(thank you Kristi, Shelby, Lee and Savana)

(and Karyn, Sam and Korbyn)

and hospital visits...

and helping whenever needed.

Mix in work

(which was crazy stressful for both the parents)

snowdays (too many snowdays!)

 frigid temperatures and snowstorms..

and you got some downright craziness.

But tonite...

that special Grandma smiled and told us she loved us.

And we would do it all over again

 just to hear those words.