she was only 4 weeks old.

How do you tell someone you're sorry that their baby died? I've never even had a child -- I don't come close to understanding that parental love, and I'd venture to guess that most of you out there don't either. Those who do have children have a better idea of the pain of losing a child, but only those who have lost that baby can empathize. I don't even know what to say when I talk to Brent and Patricia -- my stomach just ties itself in knots, and my eyes fill with tears. My heart breaks to hear the cries at night for the baby that is no longer here.

How much more precious the hope of the resurrection is when a tragedy like this happens -- we are all looking forward to that day now, when Jesus hands Eleyna back to Patricia's arms, and all the pain is healed.

This is the saddest day I've had in a long time -- quite possibly ever. I'm dreading going to this funeral service, because I know how painful it will be on everybody. I don't know what is worse -- burying someone who lived a full life, or burying someone who didn't live at all. You can't help but wonder what they would've become or how they would've turned out.

Please keep this family in your prayers -- the hardest part is still to come. No one will forget the baby, and I doubt it will ever get much easier. That hole will always be there, it just dulls slightly with time.

more political correct crap...

The newscaster just announced that Lowe's Home store tried their best to be politically correct this holiday season. Instead of labeling their catalog section for holidays trees in the correct term of "Christmas Trees", the page proudly displayed the heading "Family Trees", along with pages full of pictures of brightly decorated spruce trees. Apparently, enough smart people stood up and protested, and Lowe's realized that most people still do celebrate Christmas as just that -- a celebration of Christ. So they issued an appology and the next catalog will be printed display the correct heading of "Christmas Trees"...

And just in case anybody out there is an idiot and confuses a family tree with a Christmas tree, I've included a picture to jog your memory:



and that, my friends, is a family tree.

RN (to be)

The Nursing Committee here at Southern met on Wednesday afternoon, and may I say that was one of the longest days of my life. The coordinator of the department had told me that I could call her on Thursday morning to find out if I got into the program. So early Thursday AM, I called her office and...no answer. I called as many other numbers for people in the nursing department that I could find for the next hour and a half, and still no one answered. Finally, just before I left for convocation (2 hours later), someone answered their phone and gave me the amazing news that I DID make it into the nursing program for this January. I was so happy that I broke into tears. It was one of the best days of my life.

November has already come upon us and it amazes me how fast this last year has past. This time last year, I was planning my wedding and stressing out about everything. But my life is so great right now -- I feel like all my dreams are coming true, and I know that sounds like a cliche, but it's true. Everything I've ever wanted, I have, and God is just soooo good to us.

We are headed to Gatlinburg, TN for a long weekend this thanksgiving to celebrate our first anniversary. I'm really looking forward to the trip, because it is so incredibly beautiful up there, and I'm just praying it snows, because that would make it even more perfect.

Who said you need lots of money to be happy?? They obviously didn't have the blessings that I've been given, and so every day, I thank God for how much he's poured out upon me.