Monday, December 27, 2010

Getting Ready for Santa

This year, getting ready for Christmas I had a special little helper that made the season even brighter. Mallory was very confused by all the crazy decorations at first, but eventually loved seeing the house lit up in all it's glory. She insisted on helping me hang the garland and put out all the little decorations around the house.

Trying to introduce her to Santa and what he does wasn't the easiest task. She often looked at me puzzled when I explained that he would be bringing her presents. She did get to the point where she recognized who he was and would repeat "HO, HO, HO" every time she caught a glimpse of him. Unfortunately, Santa could not compare to Frosty this year. We bought the Christmas collection on DVD and Frosty quickly became Mallory's favorite. This obsession got to the point where she would ask to watch it immediately when she got up in the morning. She couldn't quite get his whole name down though - "Frosty the Snowman" became "Frosty THE MAN" which was quite comical. I laughed every time I heard "Momma, Frosty the Man?"




Going to pick out our Christmas Tree





Bernie & the Bonfire

On Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa Sach's this year, we had a very special treat. We all gathered around the huge bonfire outside after dinner and enjoyed the warm air and nice evening. It was chilly, but we were complete with hot cider to keep us warm. I was nervous about Mallory being around the big fire as she never has really been in close proximity to fire, let alone a bonfire. To my surprise, she was very good and kept at a safe distance. In fact, her lack of interest in the fire was very surprising, but appreciated. That lack of interest may have been the influence of Bernie. These two have developed a special bond that I don't quite understand. This gigantic Bernese Mountain Dog follows Mallory around like she is the greatest thing in the world and in turn, Mallory is always looking for him when we are at Grandma's, pointing out the window hollering "Bernie! Bernie!" So, it wasn't a big surprise that most of the time outside by the bonfire, Mallory and Bernie were running around playing. This was quite entertaining for Mallory, considering the crazy belly laughs that could be heard through out the yard. The gentle giant and his little friend.







Ivan's 3rd Birthday


Way behind on the blog...a lot has happened, a lot of things to post, starting with little man Ivan's 3rd birthday. It is so crazy to me that this little boy is already three. Where did the time go? Ivan was the first nephew I ever had and is one of the most amazing little boys. He has so much wonderful energy and has turned out to be such a nice and caring little man.

On his 3rd birthday, complete with Robot theme, he embraced all the people there celebrating the joy of his birth. He played, ate cake, and tore through his presents at a rapid pace. He is so happy and full of life, it is almost tiring to watch him sometimes :) I know that Mallory adores her cousin Ivan, always asking "mommy, I-an?" as she points at all the pictures of him around the house. Thank you Ivan for being such a good big cousin for Mallory and such a good little role model. I know she looks up to you and enjoys every moment with you. Can't wait for many more birthday's to come.







Thursday, December 9, 2010

Saying Goodbye


Saying goodbye is never easy. No one said it was and I never expected it to be. But regardless, when the time comes to actually do it, it is always such a battle and such a surprise that it truly is that hard. The pain of losing someone you love is by far the worst pain I have yet to experience and saying goodbye to Papaw, was no exception.

Saturday, December 4th, we lost Papaw after his courageous battle with cancer. Typing that, here in this blog, is just as hard as saying it out loud. I can't seem to find the words to describe what Papaw meant to us and what he meant to Mallory. It wasn't something that could be told, only really seen. The expression of excitement and joy that lit up in Mallory's eyes when she saw him always made us smile. His friendly face that constantly had a smile, warmed a room and attracted his Grandchildren like a moth to a flame. They adored him. Both Ivan and Mallory would race to him the moment they saw him and leap into his arms. He would hold them close and ultimately make them giggle and cause them to just come back for more.

He had an amazing heart that made itself very known through difficult times. Over the past several years, the family has been faced with some very difficult situations and Papaw always stepped up to the plate and offered the kind of support that could move mountains. He fought so hard for everyone he loved and for that, I admire him. Through out the entire time I have known him, he has always been such a kind heart and was always thinking about others and taking care of others. When the time came to take care of him, we all tried to help in any way we could.

He fought. And fought. And fought. But suddenly, he couldn't fight anymore and it was time to say our goodbyes. I am so thankful that Marc and I had the opportunity to sit with him in his hospital room and tell him how much we loved him and how much we admired him and how much we cared. We also told him how much Mallory loves him and how he was such an amazing and dominate part of her life.

To you Papaw, we promise that we will keep pictures around and talk about you often. Although Mallory is only one, we will continue to remind her of her amazing Papaw and the unconditional love you had for her. We will tell tales of your triumphant strength and everlasting memory. And we will make sure that she knows you are happy and in a better place with no suffering or pain. We will keep you alive in our hearts.