Tis the Season...

So, as we process and move forward after last week's major upset/life change, we managed to deck the halls yesterday and today. It didn't come without some frustrations and differing of opinions (between Rick and I), but considering that family traditions being combined and the heartache that we are both dealing with, I think we managed to come out of it okay (or at least in one piece!).

My sister, Julia, and I threw together some soup, threw candles up everywhere, found a spot for the new Crate and Barrel decorations that I bought, and Rick helped us pick out a beautiful tree from the local hardware store. Having never picked out our own tree, I found myself looking around for just ONE MORE opinion (I mean, I can't possibly pick one out on my own!), but we nabbed a great one.

Only once when I was outside admiring the porch lights did my eyes mist over and I said the all too familiar words, "This isn't fair, Rick. It wasn't suppose to be like this."

My family was inside - Dad, Mom, Julia, Jessica, Liana, Camilla, Merrick, Daniel, Brietta, Gabriel, Bronwyn, Jackson, Aubrey, and little Claire. But, I knew someone else was missing and it was a little girl that had been apart of this little clan - and she had been OUR clan. Ricky and I -- we were building a family for her. I had already been thinking of traditions for us to start around the holidays... I guess it just isn't fair. (I can hear the famous quote used in my house growing up - fairness is not the objective of life." But, in this case, that just doesn't seem as easy to swallow.)

But, cookies have been made, decorated by little fingers, and demolished! And we had fun!

The candles are still lit and Rick and I have settled down for a few moments of quite before we fall asleep and start a new week.

A new week... *sigh*

One step at a time [with Jesus by my side].

I found this in my camera. I just LOVE this picture. Is she not the cutest?

Not quite done yet. It's a start though.