remembering aunt ann

over the thanksgiving holiday we were blessed to see our aunt ann one last time. the Lord called her home wednesday night after giving us a great day with her. our whole family was together, except for my brother who lives in prague, and all 13 of us got to enjoy an evening of fun and a great dinner together.

aunt ann and uncle jack traveld from omaha, which they do often. our family celebrations always include them, as they are the only extended family (on my side) we see. they do not have any of their own children, so we were like their children, and they were a big part of everything in our lives.

aunt ann loved to shop. she could find a bargain anywhere and was so good about sending packages to abbie and asher just for fun. abbie said she will miss receiving these unexpected gifts and is now with Jesus. abbie asked us "when will she come down?" she understands that heaven is a place for people who love jesus, but wants ann to return to earth with Jesus during his second coming. For now we will have to wait and we miss her until we see her again. it is still a shock but we are learning to understand it.

my mom is having a hard time losing her sister. i think it is a little scary for her, because aunt ann died the exact same way their mother died... a sudden heart attack after pains in her back. we'll be working on getting moms heart in good shape.

throughout all of this i am reminded of the importance of living in the moment. i regret not taking my camera with me on wednesday, to capture the last good times. i had it in the car, but didn't want to carry it. i'm sad that i didn't. i am disappointed in myself that i didn't share more about what abbie was doing at school, and that she started dance class with some of the money they send us. i wish she knew that. i'm sad that i planned to wait until tomorrow to talk with her. it is important to remember that we never know how life will go and to make the most of every moment. it is sad that it takes life changing events like this to remind us.

don't wait to start rejoicing this holiday season. celebrate every day and say 'i love you' as much as possible to as many people as possible. write those thank you notes and e-mails that have been piling up. make that phone call. help that friend who is in need. i think we all wait for the perfect time and sometimes that time never comes.

we are so thankful for all our friends and family who love us and share life with us. may we never take you for granted.

we love you.