Christina, the Mouse & Christi's Hymn

(PIC: Christi's last trip with Grandma to church, about three weeks before her death). We had a lovely day, spent with my aunts, uncles and cousin this afternoon. First, though I must share a most amazing “Christi Happening.” The very last time Christi went to church with my mom at her church, weeks before her death, she loved the ending hymm "Go Ye Out". I vividly remember her telling me, when we picked her up, about how fun it was and how much she liked it. When we walked into church this morning mom said, “I wonder if they’ll play Christi’s song at the end of mass. I haven’t heard it since Christi was with us.” I thought the same thing as I sat in church, but it was not listed on the board with the hymns so I was certain it wasn’t. The wonderful Father Kent (who was actually our priest back when Christi was diagnosed) said his final mass at mom’s church today, as he’s moving to a new parish. He will be missed! (We know how hard Father Kent prayed for Christi and we really appreciate that and all of his work with the “Good Shepherd Program” he started. We know how much Christi loved it when she was in preschool, especially when he substituted for the teacher!) I was watching Father Kent’s face when they started playing the final hymn this morning and I absolutely couldn’t believe it. They were singing “Go Ye Out”! Tears started flowing as I thought of Christi’s precious face singing that joyous song, the last time she ever attended church in person and how wild it was that mom had not heard it since August of 2006. We all had to believe Christi was strongly with us in spirit!

(SUMMER 2006: One of Christi's last visits to Grandma & Paw Paws. Today I noticed the "Lincoln Logs" at "crosses".) At the family gathering today of my mom’s brother and sisters, Shayla had a joyous time playing with my cousin’s two little girls. Melissa’s girls always remind me of Christi & Shayla because they are so close in age (and because they’re so cute, of course!). Shayla caught a mouse and my dear aunt Mary (who spoiled me so much as a child) gave Shayla a container to take it home in. Perhaps she knows how to manipulate me, but when Shayla told me she named it “Christina” after Christi, how could I say no?! Therefore, her hamster cage – from her hamster experience back in 2006, now holds a field mouse. Oh, how do you say, “Thank you, Aunt Mary?” (cough!)

Shayne recently had a very unique day at work. He was invited to ride with the Chairman of Norfolk–Southern in his Executive Train Car. (Norfolk-Southern is one of the company’s clients.) The train consisted of two locomotives, a sleeping car, a bar, a dining car, an observation car, and a meeting car. Shayne met the others in Cleveland, where they boarded the train, rode to Bellevue, turned the train around, and had lunch (on the train) as they returned to Cleveland. When Shayla and I found out about daddy spending the day on a train, we asked if we could go too. Of course we couldn’t so Shayla spent the day by having a friend over and I continued to work hard on my writing preparations for my next candidacy exam question. (I receive question #2 tomorrow morning and I have ten days to prepare my 20-30 page response with references, yikes!)

(PIC: "Mission: Attack Paw Paw!" Christi, right, Shayla, left, laughing with Paw Paw & Shayla, on a final visit, summer 2006)
P.S.: Perhaps Shayla would not have been able to compete in the horse show anyway. It would have depending upon the timing, but last night they discovered Skeeter lost another shoe!!! We were shocked! Without a shoe, they could only groom him. Tonight, Claire said it was ok to work on showmanship with him. Hopefully, they'll get him a new shoe before her lesson tomorrow. Shayla continues to question the ferrier's skills. What a hoot!