Holiday

Thanks to an incredibly sweet mom and dear friend, Shayla is busy playing at a classmate's home today. This will allow me to put away all of the Christmas decorations which are making me incredibly sad. Last night I picked up a few more CD roms containing more of our old pics which were on negatives. While Shayne can hardly look at pictures of Christi, it reminds me of happy times - before she was diagnosed. In this picture, she is at the wonderful Betty Jane Preschool (now called "New Generation"). For about a year and a half straight, Christi would often pretend to be a reindeer - typically "Rudy". She'd also: draw reindeer, build them out of her blocks, sing the song she memorized so early on and watch Christmas movies year round. She was a "root for the underdog" kind of kid always cheering and encouraging Rudolph. Now we realize how very much they had in common! Thanks to the wonderful teachers at the preschool for snapping this picture of our little Rudy, age 4 - December 2001.

Later today, little Miss Shayla and I will hit the highway and take off for my sister and brother-in-law's home. Shayla is a great traveling companion and there's nothing like being on "Holiday". OK, I'll admit I cannot stomach the idea that we're on "Christmas vacation" and when we return to school it will be a new year, 2007 - a year Christi never saw, so I'll be European and continue to say we're on "holiday"! Indeed, that's better!