One Year Ago & Two

Even though it's been almost one year, it's all still so very vivid. The bright and sunny Tuesday morning in September when Christi breathed her last breath and set out on a journey on which we could not accompany her. It seems at times that the pain is unbearable and overwhelming. We have learned never to set a timeline with how long it should take one to heal from the loss of a loved one. This is certainly taking a lot longer than we ever imagined. Just like a broken leg, a broken heart heals so slowly and cannot stand much at times. A lot that I've written on this blog has been written when I was in extreme agony. The sweet Christi supporters have sustained us and helped hold us up enough to support the heavy weight of life. For that, and for everything else, we will forever be grateful. (I've never shared these two pictures of Christi before. The first one she would really be mad at me for putting on here; however, it's a great reminder of the horror of cancer. Near the very end she spiked a fever that I believe went to 107. Nothing was given to her for it; she couldn't swallow. I took her clothes off to try to help her feel better even though she was miserable. I'll try instead to remember the bottom picture - THAT is how I want to remember Christi!)

Two Years Ago / One Year Before Death (September 2005) enjoying the family's cat after her horse riding lesson on their farm. As you can tell, she was delighted by this extra treat following something else she LOVED - horse riding lessons!