Saying Goodbye

My friend Shelly says she hates goodbyes. And today I gotta tell you so do I! Mom and I flew out to Sacramento, CA on Tuesday. I received a call on Saturday afternoon that my precious, beautiful, hilarious friend Shelly Howard who has been battling breast cancer for over 3 years is in her final weeks. Hospice came on Tuesday to try and make her comfortable.

It just "feels" wrong. She is 37 with 5 darling children ages 3-11. We spent time playing with the kids, doing home work and then surprising Mom with Halloween a little early. SO FUN!!!

My visits with her and her lovely husband Anthony have not been sad or full of fear. They have been amazing conversations about heaven and what she is going to do there. When we asked her if she was afraid she said "NO... I'm really excited. I mean I get to see Jesus." She is an amazing mom, wife and to me a dear friend. She is one of those girls that make you laugh until your stomach hurts. I will miss her dearly but as she said last night. "I can't wait to hang... FOREVER". She promised to meet me at the gates of heaven and until that day arrives I'm anxious to see her face again and laugh FOREVER!

I'm so glad she is leaving behind her precious children for us to love on and laugh with. They are full of joy and their Mother has prepared them well for her passing. I love you Shelly and will miss you for a little while. Can't wait for FOREVER!!!
We are still laughing.....

Taylor

Anthony

Sydney

Shelby and Jaden

Homework with the girls

Book Ball

Lauren and Emily attended a Patriot Book Ball on Friday night after spending the day at Animal Kingdom. It was to celebrate their summer reading for school. They were dressed up and had a ball, at the ball. Especially winning door prizes and dancing with friends. It was a very special night. Lauren finished 4th in her grade and Emily finished 3rd. I'm so proud of them. They looked just beautiful!

Animal Kingdom

n Friday I took the girls to Animal Kingdom for the day. It was perfect weather and the crowds were light. My idea of a fun time at a theme park. Us locals are spoiled with the way we want to play. The girls were just lovely and we had a blast together. No doubt the highlight was the safari ride. We did it first thing in the morning and most of the animals were out. It was so fun! They also loved the petting area. Amazing the joy my little people get out of touching sheep and goats.

We Love Lexi

Some of you have asked about how we like Lexi. We LOVE HER!!!!! The girls carry her around and love to try and dress her up. I can't say she really enjoys it... but she is a great sport. Took her to the vet today for her final puppy shots and she weighed in at 8lb. Many of you have asked to see pictures so here you go.

Kate loves to sit with her. I took these this morning while they were sitting right by the office where I was working. She is a great dog!

Visiting California

Brian and I took Emily and Lauren to San Diego to meet our new niece Aviana. She was a week old when we first met her. She is darling! We are so excited for Jon and Christina and their precious daughter. We had a great time hanging with our older girls. We took a boat out in the bay and saw dolphins. It was a blast!