Life and Times!!

It seems like a lifetime ago but I realized today that I haven't posted about Deacon's first Christmas!  Christmas didn't quite feel like Christmas this year. Maybe it is because I really was Santa and so Christmas has lost some of its glitz and glam or maybe it is because Stevie was in the hospital and instead of gift opening taking 7 hours, it maybe took 2 because we were without his clever comments.  But whatever the reason, Christmas came and went super fast and if I don't document with some notes, it will be as if Deacon never had a 1st Christmas!!!

So....

I was inspired by one of our friends last year who made homemade eggnog and tried a recipe out myself....

One word:  DELISH!

What isn't to love about eggs, milk, and heavy whipping cream... LOTS of heavy whipping cream.... with a little nutmeg on top?

Deacon sat up to the table on Christmas Eve like such a big boy and didn't even make a fuss when the Reindeer antlers would poke him in the face!!

It wouldn't be a first Christmas without Reindeer Bum jams!! 

After a big Christmas Eve dinner and party at the bungalow, Deacon was all tired out and knew that he needed to get to sleep if he wanted Santa to come visit him!!  

Deacon started CRAWLING on January 2nd, his 7-month birthday!!  I couldn't believe my eyes when he took off across the carpet to find his favorite new Mickey Mouse Train!!

Still no teeth yet but Deacon does love to chew on his teething rings!!

He also likes to sit up in a high chair at restaurants (while chewing a celery stick from the appetizer and banging his toy on the table)

and likes to slobber all over Melissa's half Diet, half Classic Coke as if he can actually taste it through the glass!!!

He decided the other day that he didn't want to wear his bib out in front like a normal kid, he wanted it to be a cape...like a superhero!! 

Now that Deacon is crawling like a crazy man and starting to climb, I decided it was probably time to have bathtime in the big tub. Deacon LOVES it!  He crawls all around after his toys and loves to get mom and dad wet with his big splashes!

I caught him climbing up the stairs the other day... he was already up on to the first stair... YIKES!!

This kid is fearless!!!

Nana bought him a pair of yellow crocs... just like Grandpa Stevie's...

but Grandpa's didn't have a cool Nemo and Dori fish on them!!!

We put Deacon and Londyn in their cars... 

Deacon is so tall now that his feet touch the ground and he can make it jump. Sweet little Londyn is just barely able to keep her head up and her little legs dangle a few inches off the ground! It is the cutest thing!!

Deacon was trying to play bumper cars already though and I am afraid that sweet Londyn is going to be influenced by his bad behavior and then we will have two wild and crazy kidlets running around crashing into everything!!

Life goes fast and, as you can see, this little boy has me wrapped around his finger! Maybe the next post will actually have pictures of the rest of us, not just Deacon!!!

We laid sweet Stevie's mortal body to rest on Wednesday after a wonderful funeral service.  Steve would have been so proud of Melissa, James and Thomas for the sweet memories and laughter that were shared with all of Stevie's closest family and friends.  

There were tears of sorrow

but there were more tears of laughter

and that is how he would have wanted it.

The Barclay's played "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes as we left the church and also at the cemetery.  Stevie played with John Barclay when they were younger and Mr. Barclay considered it an honor to play for Steve.

Becky released 23 yellow balloons into the air as a tribute to Steve and his love of LiveStrong yellow and the #23 which was his football number (as well as both of his sons).

Thank you so much to the wonderful boys who loved Steve as much as he loved them for being his pallbearers:  Jake Anderson, Armando Chavez, Casey Kiser, TJ Davis, Richard White, Nate Herrscher, Mike Poulsen, and of course, James and Thomas.

Livestrong bands were given to everyone who came so that they could wear the touch of yellow and be reminded of Steve and the mantra he adopted in his courageous fight.  Hopefully, as we continue to wear them and honor Steve we will remember to LIVE STRONG in all areas of life, just as he did.

(The cute people, Brook and Deiter, at Larkin, even put LIVESTRONG and a Drum and Feather on the hearse!  They are so wonderful!)

After the cemetery we had a party in Steve's honor at Le Gardin (thanks to Pixie a.k.a. Mary Ann Hatch and all her hard work and effort) and it was beautiful!

We miss his jokes and smart comments but his humor and good character definitely live on in his children.  They each have his ability to make people laugh with their quick comments and can make friends with anyone and everyone.  Those who came to his viewing as well as the funeral could see how many people loved him and cared for him... even old friends from High School that hadn't seen him for years or his old babysitter... the line was a mile long with people and it was such an incredible tribute to Steve and the incredible person he is. 


My heart aches when I think about how much I will miss him but I find the words I need in my favorite hymn:

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone, sorrow for forgot, 

Love's purest joys restored

When change and tears are past, all safe and blessed

We shall meet at last.

We know this life is a pin prick in the eternities and that we will see him again so soon and until then we know he will be watching over us.