Dear Tyler,

Hi my sweet son! How are you doing on this Monday afternoon? Mom is doing alright but could be better. Between the weather and things here something has got to give and get better. Well the weather predicted that we would get between 5-8" of snow and for the first time in a long time they were so wrong. We ended up with 15.5" of heavy, wet, snow from just last nights storm. That is a total of over 20" of snow in 2 days. Just a few days ago we had zero...no snow at all and now we are buried in it and there is no where to put it at all. The roads here are piled with high snow banks and you can't even see around them now. This just sucks. It is now going to take awhile for all the snow to melt. I bet we are looking at the end of April now for it all to be gone....UGH! Things on the home front were going so well for a week. I should have known that it would all change so quickly again. Mom is trying to be supportive of Mark's job but I can't anymore. I am just so tired of it all. He just got another client handed to him and it is in Long Island New York. That is like 6+ hours away from us. No one else ever gets these clients...just Mark as he is the only one who doesn't have children. It doesn't matter that he has a wife...that doesn't count in their eyes. He is going to be gone quite a bit this whole month and then again in April he is gone for 10 days. Mom is seriously thinking of packing up and heading to NH until all of this is over. At least there I will have someone to talk to and be around unlike here I will be seeing or talking to no one. Of course when he told me about it I was honest and told him that I was not happy and I said exactly what I wanted to and felt that needed to be said. Guess what... yup... it is the silent treatment for us. Mom isn't even going to cry over it this time as my "give a damn" is busted. Right now I am just so angry I don't want to talk to anyone. I would rather be quiet and not say anything. I guess I am just so tired of this behavior. Don't worry pumpkin...Mom will be okay. I just need you to know that. It will all take time but I will be fine. Just send me some strength to get through this. Thank you.
 Just a little bit ago Mom got some sad news. I know you used to pick on me when you were little but you watched it with me but would never admit it because it was a "girly" show but anyways.... Luke Perry that played Dylan McKay on 90210 had a massive stroke on February 27th in the wee hours of the morning in his home in Sherman Oaks, California. He was rushed to the hospital where he was being observed for the last several days. This morning at age 52, he passed away. Not many people realized as we never went around telling anyone but Mark was related to him on his Dad's side. They were cousins. I remember when Mark told me that when we first got together 7 years ago. I told him I was such a huge fan of Luke's and he said that we would have to attend a family reunion at some point so that I could meet him. Guess that will never happen now. My heart hurts for all the family and friends that he had and that was many. Heaven gained another beautiful Angel this morning. May Luke R.I.P. for eternal life now and fly high and free in the Heaven's above. Mom is going to post a picture of him on tonight's letter in honor of Mark's family. Hope you don't mind. 
 Sorry about the short letters over the weekend. Mom was pretty straight out the last 2 days and I knew I was tired but wanted to at least write to you and not miss a day. Saturday was a day that we stayed home because we were snowed in from the storm that we got Friday night into all day Saturday. Mom made a good breakfast, lunch and dinner that day plus did a bunch of things around the apartment for housework. Sunday we went out and I got my nails done, did some shopping, came back home and put everything away, made dinner, did the clean up, did laundry, paid bills on line, and placed a couple orders that were needed and about 7 pm we were supposed to skype but that didn't happen so Mom wrote to you briefly and then watched TV in bed for a bit. I slept like poop last night because of the snow plows. They were out from like 1 am and they are still going at it. I hope to get some much needed sleep tonight though. Mom spoke to Debbie and Meme Saturday though. All is well there. They are just busy with every day life and work. Everyone is anxious to come here in 11 days but now with everything going on I am not sure if that is going to happen. Mom will have to decide that and fast for them. I will keep you posted on that. I will chat with Grandpa maybe tonight or tomorrow night. Not much else is happening. Looks like tonight will be a pretty silent night with very little talking. Mom will probably just relax, take a bubble bath and then crawl into bed and watch TV before calling it an early night. I am tired as I studied all day today. I managed to read the next few chapters in my book and I did and submitted my exam 2 in this course. I also worked on exam 3. I have everything done except I have about 10 essay questions to do before I can submit that one tomorrow. Then I will be on exam 4 and the last one is the final! I am on track to finish this week and couldn't be happier. I got a 94 on this last one I submitted today. I was happy with that! Oh yeah... my instructor graded my other final exam...the one that I thought I failed.... I ended up with a D so I didn't fail it after all. That was refreshing to see. I am okay with that grade. I got a B in it for an overall grade though so I am very happy with that! Mom will keep you posted to how it continues this week with my very last course! 
 Right now it is going on 4:45 pm. Mom needs to get going and feed the pups and then I guess I will be making dinner for one. Not really hungry so I think I will just have something light to eat. Mom will light the candle for you when I finish this up. I will whisper to you later this evening so smile for Mom and I will smile to you. I miss you like crazy, Ty. I love you with all my heart. You are forever my hero and the wind beneath my wings. Always you will be inside my heart, mind, body and soul. Have fun tonight while Mom sleeps and come be with me if you can. Come visit in my dreams too. I will be back tomorrow with another letter to you so until then...good night and sweet dreams my bright shining star. Thank you for continuing to light the way for me here in this world. I love you to the moon and back and all the way around the world my sweet precious son.
 Always, Mommy xoxoxo. Muah!

Here is the prayer for the day:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1–2, NIV

Lord, our God and Father, we thank you for letting us walk in the way of Jesus Christ, for helping us on the way to the Cross. Come what may, we belong to the Savior, and we are your children. We want to be joyful and full of faith, full of hope, full of patience, for your mercy leads us on. In all we experience how often we can say, “Thanks be to God. He has helped us here, he has helped there, he helps every day in spite of all the evil in the world. Praise and thanks and honor be to him forever!” Amen.