Dear Tyler,

Hi my sweet son! How are you doing on this Tuesday evening? It is December 31st...the last day of the year and decade. It is 8:15 pm and we have just 3 hours and 45 minutes until 2020 is here! Mom is missing you like crazy. I remember all the New Years we would spend together. We would have so many people over, playing games, listening to music, and then counting down with confetti and kisses. Tonight, for us, is a very low key evening. We are all tired from our day at Sea World. Meme and Bob went to bed already. They both called it a night at 6:30 pm. Mom and Mark will watch the ball drop and then head to bed right after as we are just as tired. 
 Our day was fun. We did a lot of walking around, looking at the flamingos, turtles, dolphins, manatees and did a bit of shopping. Mark, Meme, and Bob enjoyed themselves. It was their first time there and it was the 7 time for Mom. The last time was with you in December 2010. We watched the dolphin show and one of the dolphins name was Tyler. Mom teared up a bit. I smiled though remembering all the times we were there together. We loved it there and Mom is so glad we got to go 4 times.
 Mom called Grandpa to say hello but he was getting to go out dancing tonight. I will call him tomorrow. Mom will be up early to go grocery shopping and then I will be taking the Christmas decorations down. Mom will write to you after I do all that and then clean. It will be a very full day for sure. I have no updates for you at all today but I will definitely let you know when I have some. I sure hope you have a fun night doing all the things that you need to do and want to do while Mom gets some much need sleep. Your candle was lit for a few hours tonight. I will whisper to you later on tonight before I go to bed. Mom can't believe that this is the last letter to you in 2019. That is crazy to think about it. Always remember that you are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart,mind,body and soul. Mom loves you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. I will be back tomorrow with another letter to you my sweet precious son. For now, Mom needs to go give Princess her meds for the night and then we will watch a bit of tv before we watch the ball drop. Until tomorrow comes....good night and sweet dreams pumpkin. I miss you so much and Happy New Years Eve in Heaven.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah 🖤

Dear Tyler,

Hi pumpkin! How are you doing on this Monday afternoon? Mom is doing alright. I have been up since 6 am and going strong all day long! I am starting to get pretty tired though...lol. Last night was an okay night for sleep. I was up a few times checking on little Ms. Princess. She is doing better but still has a ways to go I am afraid. She has medicine for the next few days so we shall she. We have to make an appointment for her to be seen and have some surgery done. mom is just afraid because of her age. She will be 15 years old in February. Mom knows that is old for a pup and I am not ready to say goodbye to her just yet but I will not make her suffer either. I know when it is her time to cross the rainbow bridge she will have known what it was like to be loved unconditionally and she also has gotten to know what it was like to have attention, toys, warm beds, blankets, walks, etc. She didn't get any of that at the place where we rescued her from. Mom also knows that you will take care of her for Mark and I even though she never got to meet you. I know you will scoop her up and tell her who you are. Mom will keep you posted otherwise. 
 The weather today is just like the last several days here. It is warm but dang we are sick of the rain all the time! We are supposed to get thunderstorms for a couple hours later maybe but tomorrow looks good. Partly sunny and cooler...67 dgrees. It is the perfect weather for New Years Eve plus Mark is taking Mom to Sea World. You know how much I love that place. Remember all the times we went? I think it was 4 or 5 times. Mom is the only one who has ever been there. Mark, Meme and Bob have never been. I hope they like it just as much as we do! I hope you are with us and send Mom signs while we are there. I would love that my sweet precious son. I miss you so much and I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart, mind, body and soul. Please never forget any of that. Mom can't believe that in 2 days it will be the new year and a whole new decade. Mom is hoping for great things for everyone. Mark to succeed in his job, Mom to finish up school and get a job, Meme to be less stressed and Bob to get better or feel good enough to want to do things. Mom asks that we are all happy and healthly in the coming year for all our family and friends near and far. Mom will be taking down the Christmas stuff on new Years day as well. It is time as they have been up for 7 weeks almost! I have plans for next Christmas though. We will be having 4 tress and each one will be themed. Mom will have one that is all done in pink, white, rose gold ornaments and bows and ribbon, one will be all Disney, one will be like a wilderness...hedgehogs, owls, etc... and then a very special one just for you...it will be a Nightmare Before Christmas tree. It will have purple, black, white bulbs with all the Jack, Zero, and the gang on it. Mom will be finding some ribbon for the tree as well. I wanted to do something in memory of you. I look forward to doing that tree next year. Mom has already started the shopping for it! I hope it will make you smile. Mom will keep you posted on it all as I get the ornaments. 
 Tonight will be a relaxing night and we all will be going to bed early as tomorrow will be a full day of being outside and walking a lot! We will have dinner and then watch TV for a bit and then it will be time to sleep. Have fun when we are all sleeping. Come visit Mom in my dreams if you can. I will also be calling Grandpa briefly to say hello. We will make phone calls on New Years day to everyone so I will update you on that too. Mom will try to write to you tomorrow evening as it will be the last letter in 2019 and then decade! It might be a short one but I will write to you regardless. For right now though, Mom needs to get going to do a few things before it is time to feed the pups, give Princess her meds and get dinner going for ourselves. It is already after 4 pm. I will be back tomorrow. Please watch over us and keep us all safe. Mom appreciates it so much. I love you unconditionally and thank you for being my shining star in the heavens above. Until tomorrow comes.... good night and sweet dreams.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

Dear Tyler, 

Hi my sweet son! How are you doing on this Sunday evening? Mom is sorry that I didn't get the chance to write to you yesterday at all. Things went downhill around 3 pm yesterday with little Princess. We were all outside trying to enjoy the warm air in between it raining and Meme noticed fresh blood on the concrete. We didn't know which pup it was until we looked and saw blood dripping from Princess. We watched her closely for a few minutes and then Mom called the vets. We left at 3:45pm and got home at 8:30pm. It was a long night but she is doing okay right now. She is on 3 meds and hopefully she will be back to herself. She slept well last night and has been doing well all day today. Again, we are watching her very closely just to make sure. Mark and Mom were supposed to have gone out today to celebrate our Anniversary but we decided not to. Mark played his game with his brother all day until 3:45pm. Mom cleaned out our pantry, refrigerator and freezer and also did laundry. Then I cleaned out my side of the closet and got rid of some clothes that I have not worn in since we have been here. It felt good and I am happy with my decisions. New year, new beginnings and many better changes for us all in the coming year. Eating healthier, exercising more too. Later this afternoon we all decided to sit outside for a bit before dinner and of course it started raining again. We came in and made dinner. Now dishes are done, popcorn is popped and we are are watching a tv show until it is time for us all to go to bed. Mom will call Grandpa as well. I told him that I would. Tomorrow is Monday and it is the 30th. There are 2 more days before we start 2020...I whole new decade. Crazy huh? Mom can't believe how fast time is going. Mom will write to you tomorrow on my bigger computer. I have not turned it on in 2 days. I will do the daily prayer too. Mom just wanted to write to you tonight instead of missing another day. I know you understand what has been going on. Mom knows you are watching over us all too. Thank you so much my sweet precious son. It means so much to Mom. 
 Yesterday, Mom spoke to Aunt Shirley for 2.5 hours. It was her Birthday. It was so nice to talk to her. I will be keeping in better touch with her than I have in the past. Not much else has been going on. No updates at all. Mom will keep you posted on everything and everyone. I have had your candle lit for the last few hours. I will whisper to you later this evening before I go to bed. Have fun while Mom gets some sleep. Come visit me in my dreams if you can. Thank you pumpkin! I miss you so much. More than words can say. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart,mind,body and soul. Thank you for being my shining star that is showing me the path that Mom needs to be taking. Mom will be back tomorrow. For now, Mom is going to join everyone in watching the show. Until tomorrow comes....good night and sweet dreams. 
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah 🖤

Dear Tyler,

Hi pumpkin! How are you doing on this Friday afternoon? Today is December 27th and it is a special day for Mark and Mom as it is our 5th Wedding Anniversary and also for Bean as it is her Birthday! I sure hope that you will go see her today in your own special way and give her a sign that you are around. Both her and Justin took the day off from work. He is going to take her to dinner tonight. That is very nice. Mark and Mom will celebrate over the weekend. He is working until 6 pm and then we will have dinner and relax for the evening. It is raining pretty hard right now and I guess we are going to be getting rain for the next 3 days straight. It will be on the cooler side as well. Not good days for folks that are here on vacation. We are going to have a mellow weekend because of that. We are going to go out to eat for our Anniversary but that is about it. Nothing major. No need to be! 
 Last night was a relaxing night. We had dinner and then Mom and Mark took the pups for a walk. We came back in, had dessert and then we came upstairs around 8 pm and watched a bit of TV before falling asleep. Mom didn't sleep much though because poor Ozzy is still not feeling good. Mom is thinking he has another ear infection. If he is not better by tomorrow he will be going to the vets to be checked out. He is finally sleeping right now though. Princess is good. Mom is hoping the little guy gets some much needed rest tonight so that we all can...lol. I think that tonight will be a repeat of last night minus the walk because of the heavy rain. 
 We all went shopping today for a couple hours. It was fun and then we went and got lunch and brought it home. That was nice. Mark went back to work and Meme has been knitting all day and napping while Bob has been downstairs doing whatever...sleeping probably and Mom did some reorganizing of her jewelry. It didn't take long at all. I was multitasking and chatting with Bean and Marion too. She was telling me that <Lizzy got her drivers license today. She passed with flying colors. It is so hard to believe that she is old enough and also she will be a Senior next year. She is looking at colleges this summer to decide where she wants to go. She is in honor classes in school. She wants to pursue nursing and also perhaps a Pediatric Surgeon. That is a lot of years of college but good for her. Brian is doing well. He is better these days and is taking a liking to computers. Just like you did. Marion and Charlie were having a tough time with him at the beginning of the school year so it is nice to hear he is doing so much better! Marion and Mom don't chat as near as much as we did years ago but we chat every couple months. That is okay. I have learned to accept it. Not much else has been going on. Phones are quiet. I will call Grandpa over the weekend. I also owe Aunt Shirley a call as well. I will fill you in on those calls over the weekend when I write to you. 
 Mom will light the candle when I go downstairs in a few. I will whisper to you as I always do as well. Smile for me and I will smile for you my sweet precious son. I will write to you over the weekend as well. Have fun tonight while we all get some sleep. Please watch over us all, especially little Ozzy. Thank you. Always remember that you are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart, mind, body and soul. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. For now Mom needs to get going so that I can get the night routine done. Until tomorrow comes...good night and sweet dreams. I miss you, Tyler.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah! 

Dear Tyler,

Hi my sweet son! How are you doing on this Thursday afternoon? Mom is doing alright. Today is the day after Christmas and it doesn't even feel like yesterday was Christmas Day. How weird is that? Maybe it was because yesterday afternoon, Meme decided to cop a really bad attitude and not talk to anyone at all. She didn't eat dinner and she went into her bedroom at 5:30 pm and never came back down to be with any of us. I asked her if she was going to want to watch a movie and she said nope. Once again she was having a temper tantrum. She got up this morning and nothing changed. She was still in a nasty mood. She was yelling at everyone, especially Bob. It was incredibly annoying to say the least. They went to a doctors appointment for Bob and came back about 1.5 hours later and she was still yelling and screaming. I came right out and asked her what the hell her problem was. She became very quiet. I told her if she wanted to be angry at the world then to do it in the privacy of her own company because none of us wanted to hear it anymore. She basically ruined the rest of Christmas Day for us all and Christmas night. Mark and Mom were kind of angry at her behavior and acting like a child. She wouldn't even say why she was being the way she was. The only thing Mom could come up with was that she became that way when Bob called his daughter to say Merry Christmas. Her whole attitude changed quickly. That is so childish and foolish. Meme really needs to knock that crap off. The rest of Christmas night for Mark and Mom was taking the pups for a walk and then coming upstairs and watching a bit of TV. Mom knew after being outside for the whole day, I would be tired and yep...I was right. I was asleep by 9:30 pm...lol. I slept okay. Not the greatest but alright. I am hoping to get better sleep tonight though. Today, has been a long day. Mark has been working since 8 am. Mom did a few things around the house and then got ready, made something to eat and then the repair guy came for our stove. He was not a nice man at all. He was rude and Mom was rude right back. I told him numerous times to get out of our house. I was so angry. Meme is the one who made the phone call to have someone come out and then she put it on me. We had the pups under control with them not barking until Meme came up twice and yelled. At that point my patience was zero. She could have taken care of it and not involved me at all but nope.... After the guy left, I came into my office and I said nothing to no one. Mark was angry at me and for no reason. He didn't even want to hear anything. He was just, in plain english...pissed off and I got the brunt of it yet again. Today has just not been a good day at all. I sure hope the night will be better but I am not confident that it will be. At least it is Friday and believe it or not, It is Mark and Mom's wedding anniversary too. We are not doing anything special because he has to work. Maybe we will go out to dinner over the weekend. We shall see. We exchanged gifts already. I gave him this leather notebook that he would really like. It was a brand that he collects. He was very happy. Mom got a ruby/diamond bracelet. It matched the ring he gave me a couple years ago plus it is your birthstone. It is really beautiful. 
 In just 5 more days it will be a brand new year again. It will be 2020. That is so weird to say. Mom is going to start this new year with a whole new outlook. I am going to be more open minded, watch how I say and word things before I speak, less drama and more happiness. I really want things to be more simple. I want more time with Mark when he is not working, more adventures, more exercise and to become healthier. I have the mind set for myself so I know I can do it. I am not worried there. I will not be a part of conflict with anyone. I won't try to control things that I can't. I will write to you daily about my progress that I have during this whole new journey. I look forward to finishing school and getting a job! Mom will be posting pictures of New Years now that Christmas is over. In January I will figure something else out to post for you. Usually it is winter scenes because we were up North but now we are not so maybe I will mix things up with winter scenes and beach scenes...lol. Either way, I hope Mom makes you smile. 
 It is already after 4 pm. It will be time to feed the pups for the night and make dinner. It was partly sunny today. It is now clouding up though. I guess it is going to rain again for the next 3 days. Guess we need the rain. The temps are still nice though. Mom is going to go through her closet to see what clothes I can donate as I am not wearing a lot of the ones that I brought with me. Someone else can use them instead of them just sitting in the closet doing nothing. I will do that over the weekend. Lots of Mom's clothes are getting big for her as I am losing weight which is a good thing! No complaints from me...lol. It's all the walking that I do here plus having to walk up and down stairs all the time. I watch what I eat too. All good things! 
 Mom will light the candle for you when I go downstairs in a few minutes. I will whisper to you my sweet precious son later this evening. Smile when you hear my voice and I will smile back to you. Have fun doing all kinds of things while Mom gets some sleep. Come visit me in my dreams if you can. I sure do miss you beyond anything. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Mom will be back tomorrow morning with another letter to you as I know that I am going to be busy in the afternoon. Until then....good night and sweet dreams, pumpkin.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

P.S. Tomorrow is Bean's Birthday as well. Make sure to go see her and let her know you are near!

Dear Tyler,

Hi my sweet precious son! How are you doing on this Wednesday evening? Today is December 25th and that means it is Christmas Day. Everyone has been up since  am except Bob. He got up at 9 am. Mom made everyone breakfast and then did the dishes. After that we exchanged our gifts and then took showers and got ready. We spent the rest of the day outside by the pool while dinner was cooking in the oven. It was so nice outside today. It was 80 degrees an so much sunshine. Mom thinks the pups enjoyed the warmth and the down day today to. It was so nice for a change. Our Christmas was very low key and nothing special really. We all made the most of it being the first year away from family and friends from up North. I think it was hard for Meme and Bob but not so much for Mark and Mom. The toughest thing was not having you here. It is always the toughest thing. Mom misses you so much and I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart,mind,body and soul. Please always remember that my sweet precious son. 
 We all made our phone calls to the family. Aunt Beck called so that was nice chatting with her. We were going to call Bean but I guess she was working today. She had Thanksgiving off and opted to work today as other coworkers have little children so that was nice of her. I think she has New Years off though. Mom will try calling her tomorrow to say hello and see how her holiday was. Her Birthday is in a couple days as well. It is the same day as Mark and Mom's anniversary....December 27th. 
 We will be calling Grandpa in a little bit after we take the pups for their evening walk. I think it will be an early night for us all as we are all tired. Ozzy is snoring on my lap right now as I write to you. It's pretty funny. We are all laughing so loud and he is not even waking up. Guess the little guy is super tired. Princess is laying next to Mark on the couch. It is super quiet here right now. Bob is relaxing in a chair and Meme is upstairs. She is not very happy right now. She has been upset all day long. She is not talking to any of us at all. Mom tried to talk to her but she was not really responding back. I guess the best thing to do is just leave her alone. 
 Mom has your candle burning bright and it has been for a few hours now. I will whisper to you later this evening so smile for me and I will smile to you. I hope you have fun tonight while Mom is sleeping. Come visit me in my dreams if you can tonight. I would really like that a lot. I will be back tomorrow with another letter to you. For now its getting late and we are all kind tired. Until tomorrow comes....good night and sweet dreams pumpkin. I love you unconditionally. 
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah 🖤

Dear Tyler,

Hi my sweet son. How are you doing on this Tuesday late afternoon? Today is 24th of December and it is the day and night that every child waits for each year with anticipation for Santa to come and visit their home while they are sleeping. It is a day and night that Mom had dreaded since I lost you. It has been the 7th Christmas without you. The holidays are not always cheerful for everyone unfortunately. Like I said on my letter yesterday to you, not all children will have presents under the tree. Some are homeless, some are missing their parent (s) or in some cases there is just not enough money for their families to enjoy the Christmas season like most can. Like Mom, some families are grieving the loss of a child, parent, spouse. Mom knows a few families that are experiencing this first hand and I wish that on no one, ever! Mom will be saying extra prayers for all the families that are in need of ones tonight and every day after. Mom wonders what it is like for you in Heaven? Do you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ or is there no celebrating at all and it is like every other day/night where you are? Mom would like to believe that you have a huge celebration with all the Angels and God. Please give all our family, pets and friends that are with you a big hug and kiss from Mom. Tonight I will light a candle in memory of you and everyone. Know that it will be burning bright for you my sweet precious son. 
 Today has been pretty fast. Mom was up at 6 am and Mark and Mom went down to feed the pups at 6:45 am. After that Mom relaxed for all of 30 minutes and then came upstairs and made the bed and got ready. After that Meme and I went to the grocery store. We picked up a few things for dinner tomorrow. We put everything away when we got home, had some lunch and then Mom made a potato salad. When that was all finished and the dishes were done, Mom vacuumed the upstairs while Meme was mopping the floor downstairs. Mark was working and Bob was sitting outside. The sun had finally come out for awhile but it went back in. It is so dark and cloudy now. I sure hope that we don't get more rain. That will be day 4 in a row.....ugh! Guess time will tell for that. Tonight we will have dinner and then Meme and I will watch a Christmas movie for a couple hours while Mark is playing his game with his brothers for a bit. That made Mom mad because Mark wanted to do that instead of spending time with me and making new traditions in our new home but he got mad at me. I don't think he gets it at all. I finally told him to do what he wanted to do but I was hurt. Hearing that didn't bother him at all. Like I said, some don't have the traditional Christmas Eve or Christmas Day like others. Mark better not want to play the game tomorrow night or on New Years Eve or New Years Day....Mom will be furious. It is not my fault that his brother doesn't have a life at all other then working and playing video games with his GF. Anyways..... enough of that subject as it gets Mom more upset.
 I heard a song earlier and boy did the tears flow as I was listening to the lyrics and looking at your picture. I whispered to you and told you that Mom misses you so much and I love you. I hope you heard me. I know you saw me crying but know that I have to from time to time so that I don't keep it all bottled up inside. I will whisper to you later this evening as well. Be listening out for my voice and smile again for Mom and I will smile back to you. I will write to you later tomorrow after we have our dinner and everyone is doing their own thing. We will be making calls to everyone in the morning. What I wouldn't give to be able to call you and hear your voice. That would be the greatest gift ever. I miss you and love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart, mind, body and soul. I hope you have fun tonight doing all the things needed of you and maybe a few things that you would like to do. Come visit Mom in my dreams if you can. I sure would love that. Right now, Mom needs to get going because it is after 5 pm and the pups need feeding and I need to make dinner for Mark and I. Until tomorrow comes...good night and sweet dreams, Tyler.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

Here is the prayer for the day:

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord"...Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:10–11, 13–14, NIV

Lord God, our Father in heaven, you have sent us the Savior, who was born to bring great joy to all people. Glorify your name, we pray. Give the world the peace you alone can give, the peace that wells up in our hearts. Let your favor rest on us so that we may hold out under our sufferings on earth. We need your loving help to remain inwardly steadfast until everyone can be reached by the message, "Be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ." Amen.

Dear Tyler,

Hi pumpkin! How are you doing on this Monday afternoon? It sure feels like it is 6 pm at night when in reality it is only 1:05 pm. As you can guess, Mom didn't get much sleep at all again last night. The rain scared the pups throughout the night and Mark and Mom were up with them for most of it. We are all exhausted. Mark is working as usual and Mom is just doing little things during the morning and afternoon. I know that tonight will be a very early night for us all. Meme was up early too and Bob, well, he was up aound 9:30 am. He is the one getting all the sleep for all us 4. Princess is so tired as she should be and Ozzy is acting weird today. I am not sure he is doesn't feel good or if he is just tired as well so Mom is keeping an eye out and keeping him close to me today. He is sleeping pretty soundly right now though which is good. 

 The rain has passed us now and the sun is shining bright. Today is the 23rd of December. Just 2 more sleeps and it is the day that mostly every child waits for each year. For some it is not the merriest at all. There are parents, like Mom, missing a child even more this time of year, children that are without parents, homeless, people missing their parents or spouses. There is a lot of sadness every day and even more during the holidays. Mom is saying extra prayers for all of us. It is very important!

 Not much for updates for you today. No phone calls int he last few days for Mom. Meme has gotten a couple but not us. I did see a beautiful picture that Aunt Beck took from the desert this morning. What a stunning sunrise. Guess she is enjoying her vacation. That is excellent. I am sure that she is working hard there too. I remember her telling Mom that she was going to be working a lot of her time there. Auntie Kristina said she was going to try and call me today but I am sure that she has her hands full with everything over at her parents home. I am praying for Jim., Alice too. Things are not looking good at all I am afraid. I don't think it will be long for him to gain his Angel wings and be with you my sweet precious son. Mom is just hoping it won't be during the holidays. Auntie Kristina is going to have a hard enough time when her Daddy does leave this earth and it would be even harder for it to be during a holiday. I know you are watching over them and all of us. Thank you so much. It means so much to Mom to have you by my side even if I can't see you. 

 Mom will make sure to light your candle this evening. I will whisper to you as I always do every night too. Listen to hear my voice. Smile for me and I will smile to you. I hope that you are having fun tonight while I am getting some rest. I have no doubt that you are busy this time of the year. Whatever you are doing even if I don't know or can't see, I am so proud of you. I was and always am so proud of you, Tyler. I miss you more than words can say or express. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart, mind, body and soul. Mom was so lucky to be blessed to have had you as my son when you were here with me and now I am blessed to have you as my Angel watching over me. You are the light that shines the way and path for me every day. I love you unconditionally. I really do. Every day has been tough since you went away but these holidays hurt even more. I cry tears of sadess but know I am okay. I just miss you like crazy. I miss everything. I always will. That is what being a Mom is all about. Always know that Mom will be okay. 

 Mom is going to close this letter for now. It is only 2 pm but I still ahve a few things to do and I want to just go relax as I am super tired. I am going to go relax for the rest of the day and call it an early night. I will be back tomorrow as I have no plans at all. I do need to do some precooking but that is it! Please come visit me in my dreams if you can tonight. I sure would love to see you there. Until tomorrow comes....good night and sweet dreams.

 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

Here is today's prayer:

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good. 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, TEV

Lord our God, our Father in heaven and our Father on earth, our Lord and our Ruler, we thank you that to this very day you have guarded and guided us and delivered us from great need. We praise you with hearts full of hope as we continue on our pilgrimage. For Christmas Day is coming with its message of hope that we may somehow bring honor to you in spite of all hindrances, mistakes, and sin, in spite of all death and the horror of dying. We know that you hold us in your hands. With your help we can look ahead, and again and again we may take a small step forward and live to the praise and honor of your name. So be with us now and bless us. Amen.

Dear Tyler,

Hi pumpkin! How are you doing on this Sunday late afternoon? It is already going on 4:45 pm. This day has flown by so fast today. Mom was awake almost all night long last night due to a stomach issue. I woke up at 6 am and decided to just stay awake. The pups were fed at 7 am and then Mom had to get ready right off because we were going to the movies and it started at 10 am. We got there at 9:20 am and by the time we got to our seats it was 9:45 am. We made it and it was a good movie. The Star Wars movie was everything that I thought it would be. Lots of action. I know you would have loved it. After the movie, we went to a few stores and then we headed home. It was a good thing too because the sky let loose and the rain started again and boy did it come down! We decided before coming home that we would stop to get something to eat so we went to the new Burger King that was just opened up right down the street from us. We have been home now for about 2 hours and Mark is on his computer, Meme is watching a movie in her room, Mom is writing to you before I need to go down and feed the pups and Bob is.... yup...sleeping. The weather is really crappy too. We are getting rain, wind and a bit of thunder and lightning. The pups are scared so Mom is not going to write to you to much tonight because I need to be taking care of them. I sure hope that I get some sleep tonight before the thunderstorms hit us again around 2-3 am. Mom needs some rest. I am a walking zombie today. I could fall asleep know if I let myself but I won't. I want to wait for another couple hours before I do that....lol. Mom will probably settle in early tonight and watch a couple of Christmas movies while Mark plays on his computer. I am sure that Meme and Bob will be going to bed early tonight as well. I think Meme has been sleeping in her chair while "watching" her movie. She does that a lot I have noticed. I wish she would stay up later and sleep in, in the mornings but she can do what she wants. She is an adult and Mom can't tell her what to do. Anyways.... enough of that....
 Today is December 22nd....3 more sleeps and it will be Christmas morning. It is too hard to believe that where it is sunny and hot most days here. Meme was saying that she was missing the snow for Christmas but that is it. Bob, Mark and Mom are not missing it at all...lol. I guess Christmas Day here will be in the upper 70's. We are doing an untraditional dinner. We are grilling. We will be having steaks, potato salad and a dessert. It will be fun! The one thing that will be missing is you. It is always you that Mom is missing my sweet precious son. It hurts so much. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world. You are and always will be Mom's hero and the wind beneath my wings. Forever you live inside my heart, mind, body and soul. Please never forget that. Mom will whisper to you later this evening so be listening for my voice and smile. I will smile back to you. I am not sure I will be lighting a candle tonight but maybe up in my room I will...just for you. I will be back tomorrow with a longer letter to you. It is after 5 pm and the pups need to be fed and it is dark already. Mom needs to get going. Please watch over us all like I know you do. Thank you. Until tomorrow comes my bright shining star....good night and sweet dreams.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

Here is the prayer for the day:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4–7, NIV

Dear Father in heaven, let your joy be always in us, your children. Let your joy bring light and peace to our lives, no matter what happens around us. May we serve you in joy, aware of your peace at all times, so that something of this peace may go out from us to grieving hearts and to regions of the world that are in darkness. Father in heaven, how many unhappy people look up without knowing where to find help! But you will come to them. We beseech you, come to those who mourn, and let them find joy and trust for their redemption in Jesus Christ. Amen.