FUNNY TO EXCITEMENT TO SADNESS......

We had it all today; funny, excitement, sadness. I will start with the good stuff first.

Funny Story #1: So Raelynn asks me, "Mom am I going to get gas in my stocking?"
"What?!" I reply.
"Have I been good this year or am I going to get gas in my stocking?"
"Well honey, you have been good for the most part so I don't think you will get gas in your stocking but who told you you would get gas in your stocking if you were bad?"
"Paige's Mom told her if your bad you get gas in your stocking and when her Mom was a little girl she got gas in her stocking one time and I don't want gas in my stocking...did you get gas in your stocking when you were a little girl?"
By this time I am cracking up. "No honey", I reply, "and I have never heard of anyone getting gas in there stocking, maybe coal but not gas."
"YEAH, THAT'S WHAT SHE GOT, COAL IN HER STOCKING!"
I have no idea how she knew coal had anything to do with fuel to confuse coal and gas but I guess she did. Needless to say we got things all cleared up and she is now going to continue to be good until Christmas so she does not get "coal" in her stocking. So as if that wasn't funny enough, she also proceeds to tell me to please not tell Santa how ornery Cooper is because she doesn't want Cooper to get coal in his stalking either. She is always looking out for him :)

Funny Story #2: I pick Raelynn up from school and she is telling me something her teacher said that was really nice. I say, "well that is sweet, Mrs. L seems very sweet." Raelynn responds, "she is but when the kids are not being so good she can really get her mood up!" I don't know where this girl gets her phrases but if you knew Mrs L who is this awesome German lady, you just can't help but laugh!

On to the excitement.....the Foundation opened up the application process on November 15th and it closes on December 15th. This is a huge deal because this is what we have all been waiting for. I cannot even tell you what a huge deal it will be to select and give to this first family. Up until today we had received no applications. I was getting very nervous because it is hard to get the word out that we are accepting applications and I just couldn't imagine having to go another year before providing assistance to someone in need. However, today that all changed. We started receiving applications!!! Yeah!!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I cannot wait to see who the panel selects.

Now for the sadness........My Uncle Wayne passed away today. This is one of my Mom's brothers and the first sibling to die. My heart goes out to my Grandma. Never should a parent outlive their child. I cannot imagine the pain she feels. I also feel for my Mom and her other brothers and sisters. I don't know what I would do if I lost one of my sisters. Death is so unfair really. To those that die,for the most part, are finally free and are eternally happy but those of us left behind are so selfishly sad. We can't help it but wouldn't it be nice if we could just be happy for them? I guess it is just like when Raelynn left this summer to go visit Grandma. I cried most of the time she was gone. I knew she was having a wonderful time but I missed her and I was sad for me not her. So we will all be sad for ourselves but in the back of my mind I am smiling because I know my Uncle Wayne feels something so wonderful that we cannot even begin to grasp the extraordinary calmness and serenity upon him.

I love you Mom and Grandma and Aunt Ann and all of you. I am so sorry Uncle Wayne is gone, but please smile somewhere in side of yourselves because we all know he is smiling bigger than he has ever smiled before.