tHe lAst WeEk aNd-a-hALf...

Just wanted to post some pictures of what we've been up to the last while. Seems like I am generally writing down my deepest thoughts, so I thought I'd take a minute and put up some pictures that capture some cool memories, and some great fun, we've had recently...

One of my best friends, Wanda, Me (holding cute Keegan, who is my sisters nephew), and Nic. Yes, Nic has a stache on his face in honor of Mustache May. Ug. But, guess what??? IT'S GONE NOW! Now I love to kiss his hot face!



Braxton, Travis & Adrienne's other nephew, out cold on the CONCRETE basketball court. We all got an AWESOME laugh outta him!



Brother vs Brother. Nic and Jon played some awesome Volleyball at the BBQ!




Grayson had a blast finding all the bugs he could during the BBQ!



Kacey, yes! my YOUNGER brother, decided he wanted to wrestle. I was wasting him (wink, wink), so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He picked me up and did probably a good hundred FAST twirls. I thought I was going to puke.



So, then Nic decided to protect his princess (ha!) and he picked Kacey up and flipped him upside down! Eat that Uncle Bug!




Finishing OUR fight... but then he went on and attacked....



Travis and Adrienne (he just doesn't know when to stop!)



Then Nic and Kacey attacked my mom and held her "swing" style while they jumped on the trampoline. How's your back Mom?

... Needless to say, the BBQ was quite eventful... and fun!


Last Saturday, May 30th, Kacey, Crystal, my mom, and I went to a hospice butterfly release. It was beautiful. I thought I had great control of my emotions, but of course, when it came time to release my butterfly into heaven, my emotions for my sweet baby took over. I miss her so much. Yes, I still laugh and smile. Yes, Nic and I still go on dates and express our love to each other in many different ways... but we're still hurting. We still miss our girl. We always will.

This was my envelope with my monarch butterfly inside. Indian tradition has it if you whisper a message to the butterfly and release it, the butterfly will take your message to heaven and deliver it to your loved one. "Mercydez, Daddy and Mommy love you."



Mom and Crystal with their butterfly envelopes.



Kacey with his butterfly envelope.

The butterfly, free and getting ready to fly to heaven.



Crystal holding a piece of heaven in her hands.


Later, we spent some time chillaxin with some friends roastin' mallows and eating banana splits! Mmmmm!



Nic had a great time in a competition against Kacey... who could stack the most quarters on their elbows and catch them. I think Nic got up to 35. Kacey got to, like, 10. Ha! Just kiddin'.



Mmmm. Tasty.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at Seven Peaks Waterpark with Travis & Adriennes nephews and niece and some friends/family. It was pretty fun! I haven't been feeling like myself because I've been dealing with some weird and very random health issues. I'm on some drugs that cause drowsiness and yesterday was my first day taking them. Wow. It was all I could do to stay awake. I was tempted to lay down on the concrete and take a nap (kinda like Braxton in the pic WAY up there). Regardless, it was fun to be out and about!


Crystal looking all model-ish while protecting our second tube... our first tube was STOLEN! What punks!


Our good friends Rhett and Tracy with their ADORABLE little girl, Sierra. She's so darn cute!


Nic and Braxton chillin' in the kiddie-pool. We've decided the kiddie-pool is our new favorite hangout... the water's warmer there.


Crystal, Makenzie (Nic and my niece), and Marin (Travis and Adrienne's niece). Don't they look like they're FREEZING? Well, they are. It wasn't super warm yesterday.






Travis hiding from the sun. Looks like he's have a fabulous time, eh?


Makenzie, Marin, and Nic getting ready to go on some slides! Wahoo!

I still have more pics I want to post, just for the memory, for the history. I am a picture person. I love to SEE the fun people are having.

PS I know there's some fancy way of compiling a bunch of pictures together so it takes up less space... but I guess I'm just not that cool. I like the bigger pictures.

Heaven

Today is Mercydez's 17 Month Birthday. Mmmm, how we miss you. It's amazing... even though you're spirit is no longer in your body, and you are no longer physically next to us, the tender mercies and the many miracles haven't ceased.

I remember going to one of my little brother's basketball games. It was up at the E-Center (I think) and we took our little Princess. Yes, we packed her and all of her many pieces of equipment, and off we went! It was just a few weeks before she passed away. I remember watching as a young man, who wore a jersey for the opposing team, got up during half-time to practice playing. From his movements, and from my perspective, it appeared as though this young man had Cerebral Palsy. Cheers were made for this young man every time he took a shot... every time he attempted anything, that for a "normal" person, would be easy. I had to look down at my little girl in my arms and say a silent prayer of gratitude.

Mercydez was diagnosed with severe CP.

I couldn't watch this young man continue to practice or I would have wept. Wept for gratitude, for joy, for an immense amount of love I couldn't express. That moment gave me hope for Mercy's future. A parents love, if allowed, is unconditional. I was never worried about if I would love my little girl, I was always worried if OTHERS would.

That moment gave me so much hope, though. Perhaps, one day, she would be that young person on the team. The one who never really gets to play, but is allowed the dream. Perhaps those around her would cheer for her, rather than mock her. In that moment, I was overwhelmed with love for those who chose to love another who is very different from them... this one was physically different, but equally worthy of love. This one could have been ignorantly and selfishly viewed as a "thorn in the side", but these wonderful people surrounding this young man looked outside themselves and saw that their love could change a person... and that persons love could change them.

I was, and still am, overwhelmed with gratitude for the tenderness and love shown. As a mother, I felt my heart melt. As a mother, I felt reassurace that things would be okay. Those who are closest to Heavenly Father have the ability to see past the physical hardships and differences. Those who are closest to Heavenly Father look at the heart. And because they do, they are forever changed for the better. And those they love are too.

As a mother of a "disabled" child, I thank those who so lovingly showed compassion to another.

This is what Heaven is going to be like.