Many Overdue Thank You's

I have been somewhat taken with the Christmas season (or lack thereof) and have been meaning to post about these beautiful things. It means so much (and that is also an understatement) to have this community.

First, I'd like to thank my parents for taking my Jenna some beautiful, heartfelt ornaments to her grave. I went to go see her on the 23rd and I am so glad I did. I originally wanted to go see her on Christmas Eve, but Christmas Eve was a wet, mucky cold day and her marker would very likely have been surrounded by muddy grass and puddles.

This is a little off topic, but actually on the 18th I went to see her and it was awful. I was too bummed out to even talk about it. Half her marker was underwater.

Yes, underwater.

We have had a very wet December and we were forewarned that it might and probably would happen way back in May. I was meeting my husband there after work and I got there first. I walked out to see her grave and give her the giant fuchsia ornament and there it was... flooded. I was so upset, I cried tears of anger and outrage. After I calmed down I called the funeral home and they were happy to help. As if it's not hard enough just going to the cemetery to see her...

(sigh)

Well what I really wanted to share were these lovely additions from Jenna's grandparents.

 

 

 

My mom told me she and my dad had so much fun picking these out for her. I just love all of them... but especially the princess tiara.  My dad is the one that wanted to get Jenna the Santa Clause. I loved that too, because when we were kids, that was his thing, making us believe in Santa. They are wonderful grandparents to her even now and they would have been had she lived.

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 This is from Karen from Busy Hands . I won this on her giveaway from the 25 Days of Giveaways hosted by Tina. It was so much fun to participate in the giveaway because I found a few blogs I'd never read before and some posed interesting questions to answer. I loved it. Anyway, I won the Toast knit as a runner-up gift.  I love the color and she did such an awesome job on them :)

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And thank you, Caroline from The Croley Gang for this beautiful and very thoughtful embroidery of my Jenna! It is under her Christmas tree right now with some other things made and given for her. It is so sweet that she took the time to do this. I have no patience for embroidery, and I know this took time. It is just precious.

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And last of all I would like to thank Sarita, who lost her precious daughter Meredith. She is a sweetheart and wanted to do something for me for the hope collage I made for her daughter. It was definitely another surprise that warmed my heart. I just recently learned what Jenna's birthstone is and actually wanted something signifying it. It is just beautiful and perfect :)

She had it snugly wrapped in this precious box:

The box alone is perfect! I love thinking of Jenna as a princess.

I cannot put into words how much all these small acts of kindness have lifted my spirits, warmed my heart and offered me hope in this awful grief. I really have no idea where I'd be without this bloggy community.