Dedicated to my PawPaw. We read this at his funeral on Friday.

Christmas
In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars,
reflecting on the snow

The sight is so spectacular,
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you,
the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description,
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away,
We really aren't apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear.
And be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift,
from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious
than pure gold.
It was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,
as my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessing or love
He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

*This poem was written by a 13 year old girl named Lysandra Kay Bencke
Lysandra had a seizure and was in a coma for five days before she died
on the anniversary of our Lord's birthday, Christmas Day 1997

The Saddest Day of My Life Thus Far

Today was PawPaw's funeral. It has been a hard couple days, but Grandma has been holding up really well. I think she likes having so many people to talk to her and occupy her. She has always been a social butterfly. The service today was beautiful. It was fun to hear so many stories about PawPaw: playing basketball with neighbor kids, hearing about his high school days, learning the fun trivia facts he told everyone else... He was a fun guy. I liked how Pastor Brad summed it up.
PawPaw was: a Collector; a man of Character; Compassionate; Cool-Calm-Collected; a Connoisseur of Trivia, Science, and sci-fi; Competitive, Captured by God.

I will always miss my PawPaw, but know that one day I will see him again in heaven.

Below is a link to PawPaw's obituary.
http://hosting-24267.tributes.com/show/Raymond-N.-Meyers-92973581

"I'll have a blue Christmas without you"

I've already posted this on facebook but I thought I would say it here as well. My grandpa, Ray Meyers, had a massive brain hemorrhage this morning. He fell out of bed this morning and said that his left side was numb. My grandma called 911 and he was rushed to the hospital. He is now unresponsive as bleeding had moved to both sides of his brain and is causing a lot of pressure. Breathing tubes are keeping him alive for now, but he is not expected to make it. Though this is a horribly difficult and unexpected trauma for all of us, we know that he is spiritually ready and pray only that God's will would be done and that he would not suffer. Please keep my grandma and family in your prayers as we all travel to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to be together.

*Pray for Grandma to have strength for today and for the days to come
*For my Aunt Lynn to get over her cold so she can join the family soon
*For my mom, Aunt Lynn, and Uncle Rick with their tough decisions in the next couple hours and days
*For my sisters Shelby and Cori to finish up their finals without distraction and for Shelby's safe travels home from school
*For Ronnie and I to work out our travel plans with emergency leave and flights
*For post-Christmas plans to be rearranged with ease

Our Cozy, Christmasy Home

Our first Christmas together. :) Happy to have a home here in TX and a family to fill it.

Daily Dose of Christmas

We have been trying to add a little bit of Christmas flavor into our December days. So far, it has gone really well. We have watched Christmas movies, gone to Christmas parties, done holiday crafts and baking, and Ronnie's favorite- hot chocolate.

The pictures are in!!

For those who have been begging for wedding pics, Please follow the link below. You will see our names on the list. Once you click on them, an email address is required. There are tons of amazing pictures to look at and you are more than welcome to order copies. It has been so fun reliving our special day! Enjoy!

http://amymoorephotos.instaproofs.com/

Amy Moore did a GREAT job on our pictures. For more information on her and her work, please visit her site at:
http://www.amymoorephotos.com/.

Amazing Cousins

Mia got a cute little present from her puggle cousins in Colorado, Kooper & Kannon. She looked so cute! She loved the new jacket, but wasnt quite sure about the shoes... It is her first set of boots and she had a little trouble adjusting to them. So funny. :) Thanks, Matt & Kendra!

Taylor Swift- Ours

So my amazing friend, Katie sent me this video recently. She said it made her think of Ronnie and I. I have to agree. I have played the song a hundred times over now and I LOVE it. Just a song straight out of my life. Thanks Taylor Swift!

Wedding Goodness

I just have to brag on these little darlings for a second. These adorable children were the ring-bearer and flower-girl in our wedding. They did a spectacular job and captured the hearts of EVERYONE with their charming smiles, easy-going temperaments, and all around cuteness. I am so blessed to be able to borrow them for a couple days and tote them around with pride. I know that all children have their good days and their bad, but let me tell you, this day was a very good day.

Christmas Portraits

We have tried to incorporate a little bit of Christmas into each of our December days. So far so good. We have decorated our apartment, set up our tree, watched Christmas movies, shopped for gifts and decor, drank hot chocolate [with lots of marshmallows courtesy of Ronnie] and today, we got our Christmas portraits done. A nice gentleman came to the WFSC to serve the families by taking their pictures. How wonderful! It is always nice to get a good photo with BOTH of us in it. Usually it is just one or the other as someone needs to hold the camera. I think the pictures turned out wonderful.

RAK

I have been intrigued by Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) lately. I think it is such a blessing to bless others when they least expect it. There are so many random things you can do that don't cost much but bless eternally. I was so excited to find out that a church we are involved with decided to do RAKs in place of our Wednesday fellowship dinners. This week, we took baked goodies to the local fire station and police station. It was so much fun to interact with everyone and learn more about their jobs and say 'Thank You' in a tangible way. I was truly blessed by the experience.