Random Thoughts

 "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

— Victor Frankl"

We don't choose what life or fate hands us. I'm sure I never signed up for the hardships in my life, nor did I expect some of the *hardships* to turn out so well or teach me so much. I know I'm not the only one out there with these thoughts. *or am i?*

We live each day, we're thankful for what we have, or what is good, and we persevere through the bad.

We live, we learn, we find those in our lives that we can lean on, and those that need to lean on us. A great friend may come from a small chance aquaintance (love ya, Katie!) and as we live our lives we learn that those who, at one time, may have seemed so important to us may have been friends-in-passing. Not that they're bad, but that's growing, living and learning.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Christmas is right around the corner. But lets all remember the good. Take stock of every good moment and push the bad to the back. Think of every loving memory, and always, ALWAYS remember to make new good memories. Think of family traditions. The things that, even small and seemingly insignificant, make you or your children think of family and holidays. The things that you looked forward to as you fell asleep during Christmas seasons past.

We hang all the kids' stockings on the hearth. Eric's is there, too. Santa will fill the 4 stockings for Matt, Megan, Vivian and Levi. Santa knows Eric, and knows he wants and needs for no worldly goods, so throughout the season we shop for preemie outfits and on Christmas Eve we take them to the NICU where the babies were born; where Eric never got to see his first Christmas... His first Christmas is celebrated every year in a gift to a little preemie boy, his gift to them; our gift to them.

That's what I look forward to: thats something that brings me joy. To share the memory of our son, and bask in the accomplishments of his brother and sister every Christmas. There's a NICU closer to home now, a new hospital, but Emanuel was THEIR hospital, so that's where I go.

And the cooking. This year there's a lot of learning: dairy free cookies and candies, new recipies for Christmas dinner, but still the same staples: Prime Rib, baby reds, asparagus... ohhhh I can't wait!

The cooking is busy work and that's a good thing. Holidays leave us missing those that should be here, for whatever reason that they aren't, and busy work is good to keep the mind busy.

Bryan and Tiffany left for SanDiego last week to be with Bryan's family. We miss them, but they should be with family, it's good for Bryan to be with his mom.

Bryan, Tiffany, Levi, Matt, Vivian and Megan (see Fred in the chair in the background?)

Blessings: find them wherever you are: because they ARE everywhere: small and large...