happy birthday to my mom.

it's still hard for me. a year later and it hasn't gotten easier, it's just changed to a different kind of hard. the kind of hard where you know she won't we showing up at the door just to stop by. the kind of hard where she won't be smiling there at the birthday parties, births, baptisims, weddings and all the other events of life. and so this year we go to celebrate her in the best way we know how. a balloon for each of the grandchildren (including the two in progress) and flowers. yellow. her favorite color.

up to grandma they go.

we love you mom. and we hope you had a happy birthday.

although it is still hard, i know that we will see her again. i know that she will still be there with us throughout our life even if we do not see her there. i know that we will always have a part of her with us.