As I sit here experiencing another sleepless night with this headache that just won't quit, I find myself reminiscing about the "good old days" with Christi. In the spring of 2006, when we were traveling back and forth to Philly so often (trying to give her a "normal" life yet also having to treat for her rapidly progressing cancer) I often traveled with a few "Yahtzee" sheets and five dice. I could pack the game in a small plastic bag and it would provide us with hours of fun. I also sit here tonight and laugh at the first time Christi filled in "the bottom" of the game sheet.

Christi was four years old and I had a meeting so my mom was to take the girls to the YMCA to drop them off for the "Pee Wee Club" two hour preschool program. When I got there to pick them up, Christi and my mom were sitting in the lobby playing "Yahtzee". I asked, "What are you two doing out here?" My mom explained that Christi felt she was just too old to be in the little kids' preschool program for the afternoon so they spent it together, played games and were waiting for Shayla. Christi proceed to tell me that she was old enough to do the math on the bottom part - something I would never let her do when we played together. I was stunned that she was able to calculate like that at such a young age and I shook my finger at my mom for letting Christi take the day off. Now, of course, I am so glad she did because it gave us yet another funny little memory of Christi.

With delight and surprise, I learned tonight after we got back from taking care of Skeeter at the barn, that the Tiffin Art Guild will be doing a fundraiser in mid-June in Christi's honor. They'll never know how touched we are!! This is a sketch Christi did in the summer of 2006; her drawing talents were simply amazing. Tonight, as we tried to go to sleep, Shayla cuddled next to me and told me that Christi was the very best artist and no one could draw like she could. I reminded her that Christi took such joy in making pictures to give to her.
This picture was taken at her dance recital in June of 2006. Ironically, her "angel wings" jump right out at me now. Fly, Christi, Fly!!! Mommy misses you terribly and hopes you are taking care of all of the new angels coming to God's kingdom. (While I try to distance myself from the "cancer scene" because it's so painful, last weekend alone THREE children died from neuroblastoma - a very rare very sickening disease! Without a doubt there were even more children who died I don't even know about. I'm so mad at cancer!!!)