Christi's Tea Party

July 2005: Christi & Her American Girl Doll having breakfast at the American Girl Store in Chicago!

In honor of what would have been Christi’s Tenth Birthday, a celebration will take place in the form of a Tea Party on Saturday, May 12th at noon. “Christi’s Tea” will be a fundraiser for the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund. Shayla, Christi’s sister, and Alice in Wonderland will serve as the hostesses. Due to seating capacity, a limited number of tickets will be available, so reserve yours early. This event, held on Mother’s Day weekend at the Mohawk Country Club in rural Tiffin, will be a great way to spend time with your loved one.

The $15.00 per person fee includes:

Assorted sandwiches
Punch
Fruit kabobs
Pretzels
Cake

With "Alice in Wonderland" in Disneyland, California (July 2001: Christi 4, Shayla 2)

Additionally, entertainment will be provided by the Fremont Ballet School and the Seneca East Show Choir. Alice in Wonderland and various characters will be on hand. Guests will take home a souvenir and other “goodies” Additionally, your ticket includes your chance for an American Girl doll which will be presented to a lucky one at the end of the tea! Auction items will also be available. The Birthday Party Committee would like to thank “Wal-Mart” for their help and generous sponsorship.

To donate/register online, click the link above, or go to: http://www.active.com/donate/christi
For your convenience, you can securely donate from this site below. All contributions to the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund are fully tax-deductible under current IRS rules. Donations can be made now and at any time in the future. All major credit and/or debit cards are accepted and you will get a receipt for your donation automatically.

Via check in US dollars
Checks can be sent to:

The Christi Thomas Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 152
Old Fort, Ohio 44861

You can also drop off your donation at any
Old Fort Banking Company office.

The Thomas team would be honored if you would consider the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund for an annual or special occasion contribution in the future as well. Thank you for your support.

Enjoying "High Tea" at the Plaza Hotel in NYC after dancng at "the prom" at MSKCC, May 2004 (Christi 6, Shayla 4)

Christi's Tea Party

With great excitement and tons of gratitude, Shayla and Alice in Wonderland would like to invite you to Christi’s Tea Party! This will be a fundraiser for the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund. Tickets are $15.00 and include a light lunch (sandwiches, fruit kabobs, pretzels, cake and punch) entertainment including the Seneca East Show Choir, the Fremont Ballet School, Alice in Wonderland Characters and a DJ as well as a chance at an American Girl doll. Many other prizes have been lovingly donated and will be auctioned off.

The celebration will take place on Saturday, May 12th (Christi’s 10th birthday) at the Mohawk Country Club, State Route 231 – south of Tiffin. Doors will open at noon.
Tickets are available on line at www.christithomas.com or at any Old Fort Bank Office. Seating is limited so you are encouraged to get your tickets soon.

Christi's Tea Party.

If you are not able to attend, but would still like to donate to the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund, we would be honored to receive your donation. To purchase tickets for Christi's Tea Party, please visit the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund site by going here: http://www.active.com/donate/christi

Once at that site, make a donation and let the committee know that you plan on attending during checkout. There is a special box on the checkout form and room for you to put your name and any guests you'll bring with you. Tickets are only $15 per person and include lunch and entertainment, so bring your friends. We think you’ll have a lovely time at Christi's Tea Party!

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

Spring 2001 (Shayla 2 / Christi 3 1/2)

My spring quarter classes at Ohio State started this week so I've been very busy. Taking full time classes while trying to balance everything else will be quite challenging again for my third and final full time quarter, but I tell myself I have a little angel overhead to help me. God willing, I will have completed my doctoral residency on June 6th and I believe a celebration will be in order!

On Friday, we will share how to obtain tickets or how to make a donation for "Christi's Tea Party" which will have the "Alice & Wonderland" theme. I think it will be a lovely event for all! There will also be some wonderful prizes for the auction: COSI tickets, zoo tickets, ferry tickets to Put-in-Bay and (thanks Olivia) a Build a Bear gift card! We thank our big sponsor "Walmart" and so many others for their help and generosity.

Easter Morning, (Christi age 2 1/2)

REMINDER FOR CHILDREN: The Christi Thomas Memorial Egg Hunt at Tiffin University will be held on Wednesday, at 4pm on the campus of Tiffin University.

(Shayla's Baptism, April 1999) Shayla is very excited about her upcoming First Holy Communion. If you'd like to attend, please email me and I can share the details of the celebration with you. Thanks!

While we no longer know many still in the fight for the lives with neuroblastoma, a few of our precious friends are nearing the end of their battles and will soon be making their journey back Home. Shayne and I would appreciate your prayers for these sweet families as they will soon go through a door that they will never be able to back out of. Our hearts break for them all.

A Christi Sighting

The Easter egg hunt after church (2001 / Christi: 3 1/2, Shayla - off and running, age 2)

It had been a very long time since I felt like I had received a “sign” from Christi (Alicia and I kept joking, “Christi’s in Hawaii” because she hadn’t received any signs either) and then yesterday after church all of that changed.

Church is always difficult for me. I haven’t made it to church yet without ending up in tears. Yesterday I thought I made it, but the final hymn made my tears fall. Christi loved finding the song numbers in her book after she’d read their numbers posted on the wall. I always think she should be singing out of her hymn book and she’s not standing beside me, darn it!

As we walked out of church yesterday, my breath was taken away. A little girl, about five with a thin build and blonde hair was right in front of us – wearing Christi’s dress! I whispered to Shayne, “That’s Christi’s dress!!!” He looked and then nodded. How do I KNOW it was Christi’s dress? Well, thanks to receiving hand-me-downs and thanks to my garage sale and year end clearance shopping Christi didn’t receive many new clothes as a young child. Therefore, each May, I splurged and bought a “Gymboree” outfit and wrapped it up for her birthday.

Christi wore that khaki jumper outfit she received for her fifth birthday and then later Shayla wore it too. About a month ago, I gave it – along with other outgrown clothing items to a children’s resale place. Yesterday it hurt to see it and I told myself that if I didn’t want to risk seeing Christi’s clothing around town than I should burn the items instead, but really what are the chances I would even know it was Christi – unless it was the special outfit I bought for her fifth birthday?!

Yesterday continued to be a difficult one as it took me hours to move “Christi’s clothing” over to Shayla’s closet. (Shayla really needs things that fit her better now. It’s just hard to believe that after she’s grown out of these there will be no more of “Christi’s clothes” to move over.

Today, I looked upon the “Christi Sighting” in a whole new light. I told myself that Christi must have arranged to have that blonde, thin, young girl walk out in front of us in church to comfort me while I was crying and to make me remember that she’ll always be right beside me.

Easter 2000 (Shayla 1, Christi 2 1/2)

Easter Brunch (2000) Shayne & Christi

A Shimmering Star

"A Shimmering Star"
Written by Felicia Reinhard
In memory of Christi Thomas

Christi Thomas a shimmering star
touching the hearts of both near and far
a little girl so bold and brave fighting
to survive from day to day
her website captured all of her fight
through the laughter each day
and the tears at night
all around the world people would sit
to read of her progress, stories and wit
It was hard not to love her because of her smile,
her spirit could be felt over thousands of miles
Now in heaven flying high we all take time to
look up at the sky
A new star shimmers through the night
to help us see she won this fight
Cancer is evil, cancer is bad, but it can’t
erase the life this amazing girl had
Cancer committed the worst crime
fighting with Christi over a long period of time
But her braveness and courage shined right through
As she blessed us with her spirit bright and anew
So remember Christi when you look up each night
When you think of all the children who put up this fight
She’s helping the world see even in cancers dim light
the spirit of one little child can shine ever so bright.

(Thank you, dearest Felicia! We hope to one day meet you in person! Best wishes to you and thanks for this amazing poem and your love and prayers! Love, the Thomas team)

One short year ago, this beautiful smiling face, one photo taken at home with Buckeye and the other snapped by her Grandma Nonee at CHOP:

A Better Update!

(Age 4 1/2: S.E. Library's Spring Party, 2001)

I now see my last entry was a “downer”. Sorry about that! I’ll be more upbeat today! I always try; however, sometimes anguish takes over I guess. (In addition to the “breakfast cereal” I had been reading the CT Scholarship applications from the Heidelberg students and discussing those with the other committee members. They’ve been very touching and many of them moved me to tears. I think that’s also made me very emotional in recent days.)

Because Shayla had experienced great success with her vision therapy (moving up five levels in her class in reading and now reading at end of second grade reading level) and because she had become very worried about not being ready to make her first Holy communion (because vision therapy and CCD classes were on the same evening) I decided to discontinue her vision therapy. Her testing in Toledo showed that everything was corrected so instead of continuing for the remaining five weeks we stopped and now she is back to going to CCD. She’s really happy about her eyes being “fixed” and she likes being a top reader in her class. Shayne and I marvel at the incredible progress she made this year! She is a hard worker and quite delightful. It’s amazing how much I did not know about her, until Christi died. Her compassion is unbelievable which I think is most likely attributed to living in and out of Ronald McDonald Houses and being concerned about Christi for four of her seven years of life.

While Christi was dying in the hospital, I couldn’t leave her side. I sat in her bed with my computer and ordered her “going to Heaven” dress from Ebay so that she would have something pretty to be buried in. I couldn’t believe how inexpensive a new dress from California was (about $50 which included shipping). At that point in time, I decided that we would not let Mrs. Wagner sew Shayla’s Holy Communion dress as she had offered and as she had done for Christi because I knew that it would cost more than $50 to make a new one, not to mention the countless hours Carla would pour into it.

A few weeks ago Shayla and I went back to Ebay and together we located this beautiful new dress with tags. I think she’ll look lovely as she makes this special Sacrament in church in a few weeks. Last night Carla called and said that she wanted to add beads or something to Christi’s veil so that she could sew something special for Shayla too. I admitted to Carla that the veil was actually pretty wrinkly and that it could use some work so last night we dropped it off at her home to put her loving touches on it. (In getting everything ready for Shayla, I could hardly believe how tiny Christi was when she made her first Holy Communion three years ago. The dress is simply gorgeous and I shall forever treasure it.) If she would have been able to fit in it I would have had her buried in that dress, but 2 ½ years later that wasn’t even a consideration.

Here’s wishing you and yours a fabulous weekend!

If Christi were alive, she'd never permit me to share a picture of her in her panties, but now I think it's ok. I snapped this one afternoon at the Ronald House when she put on an impromptu dance show for us. What a hoot!
This is how I want to remember Christi - joking around with Shayla (CHOP, June 2005)

Breakfast Cereal

It shouldn’t have been such a big deal; it was only a box of breakfast cereal. Why are some days so hard?

Soon after Christi died I went through the cupboards and removed foods that only Christi liked – all that is except for one box of breakfast cereal. Unlike the rest of us, Christi was the “breakfast cereal kid”. I just couldn’t part with that final box of “Captain Crunch” so I left it there……for six months. Finally, I decided that the bugs would come and carry it off so today, with tears streaming down my face, I threw away that very last box of breakfast cereal Christi ever held in her precious hands.

Ironically, it was a breakfast cereal box which brought me to my knees weeks after her death. She had been saving certain DVD coupons off of the back of the boxes all summer long to get two free DVDs. “The Truth about Cats & Dogs” and “Dr. Doolittle”. Sadly, they arrived after she died. I haven't had the strength to watch them. Strangely enough, I received this email last week which actually gave me comfort believing that Christi perhaps is doing her special work, helping others.

"I'm not sure if is the correct email address for you but it is the only one I could find on Christi's website. I have been a long time follower of Christi's blog site but have never commented on the page........The reason I am writing you is to tell you that your beautiful angel visited me in a dream last night. It started out that Shayne dropped her off at our house to have a sleepover party with my daughter. My daughter wanted to get out the couch bed but Christi was determined to sleep on the floor which is were they ended up. I guess I asked the girls what they wanted to do and Christi suggested watching a movie "Dr. Doolittle". She said it was "a great choice". That was all I remembered of the dream and was amazed in the morning when my daughter woke up to tell me that she had had a dream about Christi coming and visiting her and having a sleep over! I got chills up and down my spine.I thought about how lucky we were to actually have an real live angel visit us in our dreams....."

A few weeks ago Shayne removed all of the “Christi items” from his nook. When Christi was first diagnosed back in the fall of 2002, her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Rombach, came to our house to work with Christi who was five at the time. Shayne removed his belongings and set up the little nook as her classroom. I must admit, although I never said anything to him, I was a bit upset that he could remove Christi’s belongings from that room! I guess I wanted it to stay “Christi’s Classroom” forever. The door to Christi’s bedroom remains closed. It’s just so hard. Perhaps this way allows me to cope as I continue to tell myself she’s in her room reading or creating. When I go into it to grab some clothing for Shayla I do so without looking around because when I look around it's too sad. One day I know we will disassemble Christi’s room, but I think it’s going to be a long time in coming. Shayla has really been into reading “Magic Tree House” books and I know Christi has some on her bookshelves. I did tell Shayla that I would go into Christi’s room to get her one soon. May God be with me and give me strength.

Another task I’ve put off is finalizing the decisions about the plaque which will be set at the cemetery. It just makes it final and real. Iknow it's the last thing I can do for her. I know the decision must stick and must be a good one so I’ve been taking my time, trying to decide what will be best…..or perhaps continuing on in denial. Personally, I think it’s a great way to cope but I really need to get a grave marker for her. This weekend some sweet ladies we met in Pennsylvania will be driving out to the cemetery to say hello to Christi. When I gave them directions of where to find her, I was embarassed that there still isn't a marker to mark her spot. Please drive safely to Ohio Jen and Andrea!

$1,000 to Tiffin University: "Christi Thomas Memorial Egg Hunt"

It is with Thomas team pride and pleasure that we announce the following, “A yearly $1,000 donation will be given to Tiffin University to help support their community outreach and education programs.” When Christi was three years old she started attending (and loving) the Tiffin University Easter Egg Hunts held on their campus. This continued each year until she was diagnosed with cancer and then no longer able due to treatments and schedules. Miracuously, last year she was able to fly back from CHOP in time and she felt well enough to participate. When she found the “golden egg” for her age division, tears slid down my cheeks. She left her final TU Easter Egg Hunt by proudly taking home a prize basket.

Tiffin University informed us today: “Plans are well underway for the ‘Christi Thomas Memorial Easter Egg Hunt’ to be held on Wednesday, April 4th at 4PM on the campus of Tiffin University.” Since this event is to honor Christi’s Memory, Shayla has been issued an invitation to assist with the presentations of prize baskets.

Our deepest thanks to the wonderful staff and students at Tiffin University! Additionally, we are very thankful to all who have donated to the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund which is allowing us to abundantly reach out to others in positive ways. THANK YOU! (The biggest use of the CT Memorial Fund is nearing the final planning stage. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Shayne has been working soooooo hard coordinating everything and we think it's going to be tremendous - and beneficial to many!!)

After finding the special egg and wining the prize basket last year (2006: Age 8)

2002: Christi (4), Shayla (3)

Christi (3) & Shayla (2) with "Grandma Donna and the kids" (2001)

2000: Age 2 Christi, "Little Girl on Campus"

Announcing the $1,000 CT Scholarship for Fremont St. Joe!

Shayla(5) & Christi (7) with those beautiful St. Joe's Cheerleaders (August 2004)

We're trying to stay positive and forward thinking today! Therefore, Shayne and I are happy to announce that a $1,000 scholarship has been established by the Christi Thomas Memorial Fund. This scholarship will go to a graduate or a graduating Senior of Fremont St. Joe Catholic High School who will be attending an institution of higher education next year! Applicants can obtain everything online at:

http://www.christithomas.org/scholarships.html

Somehow Shayne managed to round up enough courage to donate blood today at the Christi Thomas Memorial Blood Drive. The man is simply amazing! I really don't know how he emotionally made it through. God is good! Our deepest thanks for all who were able to donate blood in Christi's memory and for the many prayers that have been sent our way in recent days!

While Shayne had been asking for family photos because we had not had them professionally taken since August of 2005, every time I see a picture of just the three of us it seems like we're missing someone. Regardless, I agreed to have Shayla's first Holy communion photos taken tonight as well as our family picture. Of course we couldn't do anything the easy way. We decided to take all four of Shayla's pets to this sweet lady's basement for our photo shoot. (2 cats, 1 bunny, 1 guinea pig) I don't know how well the photos will turn out, but we did some serious laughing about the four pets NOT wanting their pictures taken!

May God richly bless you! We hope tomorrow will be a better day and we thank you for your love, prayers and support!!

The Eve

Aren’t anniversaries supposed to be happy times? Oh, I’m scared and absolutely dreading 9AM tomorrow. I’ll be at school, teaching and praying I don’t remember it was six months ago at 9AM when Christi exhaled her final breaths and made her Heavenly debut. Oh, as always, prayers are really appreciated!

The weekend was busy (always a tremendous distraction - eases heartache) and wonderful as it was spent with friends and family. We are so blessed! After my Friday night teacher’s meeting, I returned to the hotel. Shayne walked down the street and bought a scalped ticket to watch an NCAA game while we were in Columbus.

Because it was less than 30 degrees outside on Saturday morning and snowing, Shayla and I decided upon the warmth of COSI instead of driving up to Dublin to cheer Shayne on outside. Shayne sent me a text message: “I don’t know if they are laughing at me or with me, but my kilt is getting a lot of comments.” After his race he called and said, “I won my division.” Of course I was shocked. (Shayne, you’re not reading this I hope!) Soon he laughed and said, “First Runner to Cross the Finish Line Wearing a Kilt". Seriously, this race was a giant step forward for Shayne. For years, Shayne had used exercise as a way of coping. After Christi died he found it very difficult to get to the gym to exercise. I’m so proud of him for taking a healthy approach to managing stress and I’m so happy he finished and did very well in my mind – even if he didn’t win any “real” divisions! In the race results, one will note that "Shayne Mc Vicker" came in 92nd out of 331 that finished the race. Congrats, Shayne! http://www.premierraces.com/Results07/St_Pats_Overall.html
At COSI we met up with one of Christi’s best friends. As typical, Shayla had a grand time playing with Cami. I loved it when Cami declared to me, “She reminds me so much of Christi.” All too soon we had to say goodbye to Julie and Cami and we headed north.

We dropped Shayla off with Jennifer and her beautiful mother for loving child care. (Shayla couldn’t wait for us to leave!) Then we went to the President Hayes Center’s Fundraiser – a History Mystery in Fremont. We had a grand time with others from the bank as we tried our very best to answer the history questions and win the team prize. “Eat – Sleuth – Learn” is their theme, but I think they need to add “Laugh” as well! I was very blessed to have won the grand prize –Tea for four at the Dillon House for their Christmas Tea in December! We don’t need four tickets anymore; however, we’re certain Shayla will want to take a friend to this wonderful event we’ve heard great things about! (How did I win? Here is one of the clues: What event happened in the world the same year as “The Raven” was written? I wrote down “the Potato Famine”.) Look out Dillon House - here we come!

Sunday afternoon we again had the pleasure of meeting with the INCREDIBLE ladies from “The Proper Party” as well as Jennifer and her sweet mother, Lisa. To show the incredible impact these amazing women have had on us, I’ll just write Shayne’s comments to Eric on the phone late this evening as he talked about our meeting today:

It’s going to be outrageous! They’re all over it! Not very often do you get Angela and I together in a meeting bobble heading, but they said they’ve done this and this and we’re like, Wow? Are you kidding? They obtained huge Wal-Mart grants, Alice in Wonderland is coming from Chicago, it’s going to be at the country club and they have a DJ!

Tickets will be $15.00 per person and it will be held on Saturday, May 12th at the Mohawk Country club (rural Tiffin) from noon to 2:30 PM. I’ll share more details VERY soon, including how to obtain tickets. (Your ticket will include a chance at an American Girl doll!!) These ladies have been working very hard and we think it will be a super celebration for Mother’s Day weekend!

Tonight our good friends, the Leis family, came over and it was great to eat, relax and catch up with them. Their family business has blessed us time and time again with many delicious catered events, none of which they would ever let us pay them for. (Christi’s First Communion, her funeral dinner, Shayla’s Baptism, our wedding, etc.) Tonight we learned they have just set up a website. If you need catering, we think you’ll be more than pleased by their prices and their service! UNCLE DUDLEY'S CATERING (Willard, Ohio)
http://www.uncledudleyscatering.com/

PICTURE: A year ago – Christi “helping” in the emergency room at the UPenn Animal Hospital. That awesome staff will NEVER know how much joy they gave Christi by letting her comfort and help their animal patients in the midst of a very hectic and busy place. Christi just had a "knack" with animals and I think that love for all of God's creatures clearly showed.

Christi Thomas Memorial Blood Drive

"Little Clara Barton" gives her acceptance speech and cracks everyone up with a joke at the Red Cross's Awards Banquet. (September 2004, age 7)

From Community Hospice's Newsletter: Christi Thomas has touched so many lives through her long battle and her short life. To honor her memory, we are hosting a Christi Thomas Bloodmobile on Monday, March 19th from 1-6PM. Please call 447-4040 to make an appointment.

From a sweet friend in NYC is going to MSKCC, where Christi treated for nearly a year, to donate:
"I am actually excited about donating blood on Monday. It's the least I can do. I am scheduled to be there at 8:30am, so if all goes to plan, they'll be drawing blood from me at 9am. I'll probably be a little late to work, but it doesn't matter. Christi always taught us the true meaning of life and on the 6 month anniversary of her debut into eternal life, it really is fitting to do something for *life* here on earth."
Helping Grandma Nonee donate blood.
With the Bloodmobile
Modeling an outfit Mika sent from Japan (Sept. 2005)
Despite needing many blood transfusions, a year ago Christi was feeling well. Shayne flew in and we enjoyed a nice weekend together exploring a city we fell in love with - Philadelphia. Here we are goofing around at a great park downtown. The past few days have been very hard; I really miss that little sweetpea!

HAPPY St. PAT's DAY! This morning will find our very own Irish Shayne "McVicker" (hee hee) running a 5K race in Dublin (Ohio). Go, Shayne!! Our little Irish Shayla said that Daddy should wear his Irish kilt. He agreed! Don't worry, I'll get a picture if I can!!

TOP OF THE MORNING TO YOU!
We fondly remember being together last year in Philadelphia for St. Patrick's Day, as we tried to push the girls' strollers around massive bar crowds of college students at noon!! And we also treasure March 17th of 2003 when we were in NYC. Christi was to being harvesting her stem cells down in the blood donor area at MSKCC the very next day - stem cells which proved to save and extend her life on two separate occasions (Jan. 2004 & May 2006). We thank our dear Lord that she was able to give such a fruitful harvest which gave us more time with her. We miss you, little Christi McVicker! (McVicker is a little family joke which started in college. Actually, Shayne had a grandmother with the last name of McVicker and since everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's day we use that name for fun!)

Today we are also remembering with love two fallen warriors who entered His holy kingdom on the same day - March 17th 2004: Robyn & Cierra. Our precious daughters played while in treatment together and I give myself comfort by telling myself that they are playing together again in a place free from needles, pain and heartbreak!

In front of the Plaza Hotel in NYC, Shayla and Shayne "McVicker" watch the St. Patrick's Day

"I Will Never Forget" written by Shayla

HELLO!(meeting at the hospital) Christi kisses Shayla on her "birth"day! (Feb. 12, 1999)
GOODBYE! (saying goodbye at the hospital) This is the final photo on the last day the girls were ever together here on earth. (September 10, 2006)

One night Shayla asked me if I was going to write a book about our time with Christi. I told her that I had a dissertation to write first and that I felt like I had already written "our story" through my years of journaling and blogging. The next morning Shayla said, "If you're not going to write a story, I am. Can I get some paper, please?" Here is what Shayla wrote:


"I Will Never Forget"
by Shayla Thomas, Christi's Sister

Dedicated to my cat Buttercup who lost her owner, Christi



Hi! I am Shayla Thomas, age 8. My sis died when I was 7 1/2 in 2006. My sis had a cat and a kitten, but now they are mine. When she died, I felt bad and sad. I will never forget her. I know she is in Heaven and having fun.

She was my best friend. We played a lot. We played horses, Pokemon and Cat Monopoly. In the spring, we picked flowers. In the summer, we ran and road bikes and drank lemonade. In the fall, we jumped in leaf piles. In the winter, we made snowmen.

Christi did Alex's Lemonade Stands. They raised money for cancer research for kids. Christi and I took horse bake riding lessons. It was fun. She was best friends with Kaylyn and Theresa. She liked to make friendship bracelets.


Christi holds her little sister, Shayla (1999) CT 2 1/2
Forever Sisters (Summer 2000) Ready to go to the pool!

Enjoying a snack while waiting to see "Winnie the Pooh" at the Ritz Theatre (Winter 2000) Shayla 1, CT 2 3/4
November 2001 (CT 4, Shayla 2)
Helping Daddy plant the garden (CT 4, Shay Shay 2)
With Ariel, Disneyland California (July 2001)
Being silly in the kitchen and modeling their matching shirts - CT, 8 Shayla 6 1/2

Think Spring!

Here are our favorite little "some bunnies"! (Easter Photos, 2000)

Yesterday, the Christi Thomas Memorial Scholarship applications were due from the Heidelberg College students. We were pleased to receive seven wonderful applications! A Scholarship Committee of five has been put into place so we will soon be reading and reviewing all of the application materials. This $1,000 Scholarship will be awarded at Heidelberg's Awards Ceremony on April 20th. I think Christi would be proud - she'd just like to be on the selection committee (hee hee)!

Monday will be the sixth month anniversay of Christi's death. I'm already filled with anxiety about how I will be able to handle the day, especially at 9:00 AM. On a more positive note, and in Christi's spirit, I'm pleased to report that there will be a fantastic event that Christi would indeed approve of on that day. The "Christi Thomas Memorial Bloodmobile" will be held at Hospice on Monday, March 19th from 1 - 6 PM. Christi took great pride and joy in hosting various blood drives over the years. I know she'll be there in spirit! If you're able to give blood, please call 419-447-4040 to make an apointment. Community Hospice Care is located at 181 E. Perry Street in Tiffin.

On our way through Kentucky, we stopped to visit "Abe Lincoln's Boyhood Home", since we know some"bunny" very special who shares a birthday with Abe Lincoln! (Shayla!)

Weekend in Tennessee

DOWN ON GRANDPA'S FARM! We headed south Friday evening so we could get to Shayne's father who had heart surgery earlier in the week in a Nashville hospital. We stopped by the cemetery first to say a prayer "with" Christi before heading to Tennessee. At sunset during our drive to Nashville, there was a beautiful cross (from the jet streams of airplanes). I continue to find comfort in little things like that. I'm pleased and grateful to report that Shayne's father is now home and is feelng much better! As you can tel from the pictures, Shayla really enjoyed exploring on Grandpa's neighbor's farmland. We will continue to pray that Grandpa enjoys a full and complete healing and that he's able to make it up to Ohio for Shayla's first Holy Communion in April - she's really excited about that!

Shayla & Angela take a break from the long hike. (The neighbor's pasture reminded me of Central Park and the many joyous days we took the girls there to play.)
With Grandpa, playing a great board game "Herd Your Horses" which Christi received for her 9th birthday
Our last visit down to stay with Grandpa (October 2004).
Picture: Baby Christi with Grandpa, 1998