Well today is mine & Greg's 3rd anniversary. 3 yrs ago everything was normal & happy. Our lives were rolling along pretty good. Everyone in our family was healthy and happy. Britt was in college, just finished up her first year. Nate & Cassey were living in Mississippi. In the good ole USA. Shane & his family were living in my kids childhood home. It may not have been the finest home. It needed work & there was some unhappy memories there but mainly all me & the kids remember the most was the good times.
Flash forward 3 yrs. Britt just graduated college and is a staff member at Hardin Simmons University, unbelievable. Then in August she starts working on her masters. Nate& Cassey are living in Misawa, Japan (Not in the good ole USA) and they now have their first child, Noah Jeffery Shaw. Named after his Uncle Shane. And Shane is gone.....
Me & Greg are outside this afternoon. He's watering the flowers while I'm painting my toe nails and I look up at the driveway. Today is our anniversary, and Shane should be driving up. Its strange how after 6mths I still expect him to come by to see us. Then my heart kinda stops and I get that hit in the gut when once again I realize that my Son is gone.....
Yes it is easier in some ways, I can function more on a normal day to day basis. Time has helped to where I don't feel that all consuming grief. I am so thankful for my girls and their families and I give God all the glory that they have good lives. But then I think of my Son. He at times caused me some sleepless nights in his teenage years, what boy doesn't. But we all thought he would always be here. We used to joke the girls and I, I think Cassey said it first when they were fixing to move to Japan, " you will always have Shane here with you Moma", it was funny when we said it, but we all thought it was true. He was so happy to raise his kids in the house he grew up in. And I'm not saying this to begrudge the girls & their husbands for living away. Not at all. They all have a good life where they are at. Nate & Cassey are truly experiencing a wonderful time in their lives. I wouldn't change it for nothing & Thanks to cell phones & SKYPE, it's almost like she is here.
Then I think of the kids. Chloe' is so beautiful and smart. She is doing so well in school. Her daddy would be so proud of her. Counting her there are 3 children just in her classroom that has lost a parent. One little boy lost his daddy about 2 mths before Chloe'. Then there is Ashtyn & Addi. They are doing so much better than I hoped for. But it breaks my heart to have to take them to "see" their daddy at the cemetary. They do better than I do. They just go running over to his headstone and look at everything that people have left there. I look at the stone and I just can not believe that Shane is gone....
Well tomorrow is the day we hate. As I was setting out on the porch thinking of the last 3yrs. I thought this time 6 mths ago everything in our lives was normal. Then in a little over 24 hrs. everything changed! I experienced something no parent should have to with the late night pounding on the door. The the next few days & weeks is just a nightmare. Shane is gone....
I guess all in all we are hanging in there pretty good. We have an amazing family and we have all helped each other. I have an awesome husband who at times may get a little grumpy but he has handled all these changes even better than I thought possible. He is my rock along with the girls & my son*n*laws also. It's really hard though when Ashtyn says things like " when my daddy was alive" or "my daddy died" or " I have a daddy but he died". Or as Addi told me the other day " I don't like it when mommy calls me Angel, my daddy is a Angel. I don't want to be a Angel like Daddy". So then I had to tell her mommy this so she would find another term of endearment for her. Chloe' doesn't say much. When she does it's usually something funny.
So I guess thats all I have to share tonight. The eve of the 6mth mark. Have I mentioned that I hate the 3rd? If I didn't have to I wouldn't go to work tomorrow. The 3rd in retail is a bad day anyway because people get their checks and go shopping. So many people are so rude and ungrateful. I guess they haven't lost a child or a loved one close to them. Then maybe they wouldn't be so rude! When they come to me and their mad for some silly reason and I still have to help them and be friendly when my insides are screaming " Why are you so inconsiderate? You are so rude, these things don't matter, what matters is Shane is gone!!!!!
Well here it is. Shane's 30th birthday, I guess I'm supposed to be saying would have been his 30th. I still talk in the present tense. I haven't gotten to the point where I can talk about him in the past tense yet. This is such a hard day. I am home today with Chloe' she makes this day easier cause as a child she is happy. She's been making her daddy a cookie cake for his birthday. Yea you read right making him a cake. This is what she wants to do. We went to eat lunch at La Finca for his birthday because he likes their food. We are fixing to pick the little ones up from daycare, she's really excited to see them. Then we are going to see Daddy, take him his cake and the kids are going to release birthday balloons for him. Send them right up to Heaven so he will get them. I know this all sounds a little weird but this is what Chloe' wants to do for Daddy's birthday so even though it's hard we will do it. Whatever makes it easiest for her & the little ones we will do. If I had my way I would just kinda hole up here in the house and let the day go by. But Miss Chloe' has other ideas! I cannot wait for this day to pass! I know all the pain will still be but it won't be a constant reminder. This morning was filled with memories and tears but thats ok. its part of the process. 
