Forever

I was fortunate to come across a letter written to me by my Grandma Stephens........... it was for my college graduation. She wrote:

"I remember"
Then she went on to tell me a memory of a time when I was a baby and my mom brought me over to her house and I "creeped" over to her as fast as I could and she picked me up and we rocked and rocked. She said she could still feel my little arms wrapped around her neck.

Just a little moment that she etched in her memory. She also wrote that, at night when she can't sleep that she thinks about her memories. AND the best part for me was that she signed this letter

"Love you Forever, Grandma"

Made me cry like a baby!

It IS just those little things in life, when we express our love for one another, that really matters! That IS really what life is all about.

I imagine Grandma rocking with Daryn telling her all of those special things that she remembers! I am so VERY thankful for FOREVER, that God granted to us when he gave us his only son, so very thankful!!!!

I love you Grandma and Daryn FOREVER!
Aunt Mindy

Thanksgiving Day, 2009

It is early in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, 2009. I am as usual trying to figure out how to get through another holiday without my girl. Still so many memories of the happy days that I did not appreciate, did not know it would not always be okay. I take nothing for granted anymore. My heart is so heavy, so lonesome for her. The family will come tonight and fill the house with life and laughter and I will love them all but I will be looking, always looking for a glimpse of her, laughing with Taiylor and Alec, being the oldest kids and enjoying that. Just smiling at grandma and giving me a hug. I've heard it called "aching arms" it is when usually a mother loses a child and their arms physically ache for the wanting to hold that child. My arms are aching a lot today. May God lift our family up today especially Joe and Kim. May He bless us with His grace and love.

Always loving her, always missing her,

Grandma Sandy

Daryn in my dream

I think about you every day, but you have never come to me in my dreams until.....

Early this morning you came through our front door in a red dress your beautiful smile and long blond hair to meet Taiylor before school. It wasn't strange, it was as if you had never left.

I believe dreams are messages from God, and my interpretation of this dream was, Daryn standing beside Taiylor and helping Taiylor on her journey of life. Thank God you are around her, she still needs lots of guidance on this roller coaster ride called "Life" I'm sure with God and you watching out for her she couldn't be in better hands.

Lots of Love Aunt Wendy

Renew our Strength

I am praying and hoping that my family will have a renewal of strength as we wait upon the Lord. We all have work to do here, and time is limited. Certain days and times of the year are definitely more difficult than others. As school begins it holds deep sadness. It should be such an exciting time of the year, but there is this underlying sad and emotional feeling I harbor. I can't imagine what that feeling is like for Daryn's family. I just hope that Colin and Jolee will be able to enjoy this school year. I would imagine Joe and Kim must find it so difficult to send their children off to school (let alone anywhere). Lord God - Please give them strength to face each day.

Daryn I love you! I know you are in the palm of God's hands............ and I know that it has to be so wonderful. Miss your blue eyes! Love you.

Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

After 9-10

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 15 2009. Life keeps going on and on. Two years ago today my precious Daryn's body was laid to rest in Marne across from her first school. I go there but still cannot take it in. It's still so raw, so much pain. I just want to hold her. I remember on the raft at Bitely, she was sitting on my lap for some reason and she just let me hug her and love her. I think she really liked that. I miss her so much. I think that reality is trying to seep in but I try to stave it off. Reality is way too much pain for so many reasons. I feel like I am living a cardboard life, nothing is really real but I just go through the motions of it. I hope that I can find myself again but for now I am just skimming over life, getting to the next day. I put on the "I'm normal act." but I am not. Never will be. Probably as they say, a "new normal". When I saw the picture Taiylor posted with her Six Months poem and then read the poem I was so broken hearted, so many memories of the three, so much fun, so much love, my God, never knew, never had a clue, never in a million years could we have guessed that we would not always have the "three" with us, still can't imagine it, and yet we live it every day. What a loss for so many people, such a huge empty void in our family now. Always will be. I will love her forever and have a great hope of seeing her again because I know that she is home and safe and completely loved by her God and her Saviour Jesus Christ.

Grandma Sandy

6 months

Within 6 months we were 3
Didn't really make a difference
We didn't look a lot alike
But we really didn't care
I was tall
She was short
And he was somewhere in between
Our eyes were the only thing that looked alike
Silvery Blue
But no one believed that we were here for each other
Forever
It was us against the World
Our armor was our hearts
Our life was our sword
And with each other
We were an army
Of 3
We told each other we were there for each other
And if we lost 1 of us
We wouldn't know what to do
Well,
It happened
A life was taken
We breathed
We lost her
We wanted her back
But we knew we would have to fight in an army
Now of 2
But we knew
We will never be alone
Our life has changed, there's no doubt
But we found something to live for
To breath for
To wake up every morning for
And go through our lives
We do it
All for
Her
Her spirit
Her life she lived
Her memories she left
For us to
Keep
We breath
We wake
We love
HER!

by Taiylor Camp

"The Bread of Life"

Think about it, "The Bread of Life"!! We eat some source of food every day to give us energy to live within our human bodies. But God gave us the true bread of life....... that which sustains us in our true life, our EVERLASTING life. What a gift!! Daryn was on my mind this morning as we sang this song. I am so thankful that Daryn chose Jesus for her "bread"!! "I AM the Bread of Life" I am the bread of life He who comes to Me shall not hunger He who believes in Me shall not thirst No one can come to Me Unless the Father draw him And I will raise him up And I will raise him up And I will raise him up on the last day The bread that I will give Is My flesh for the life of the world And he who eats of this bread He shall live for ever He shall live for ever Unless you eat Of the flesh of the Son of Man And drink of His blood And drink of His blood You shall not have life within you

I am the resurrection I am the life He who believes in Me Even if he die He shall live for ever

© 1971 G. I. A. Publications