HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Robert and Barbie & their boys spent the New Year with us here in Maryland. After a long day of delivering cars to his clients, Robert came home to grill steaks for our New Year's Eve dinner. Danica's boyfriend joined us for dinner and they left to see their friends. Waiting for 2008 to ring in, we settled down for a movie marathon; "Sweet Home Alabama" is our favorite!

Dave's headstone came just in time for Christmas. (Angie gave the company a visit after they left me a long message about their machine, use for engraving, being broken. A little pushed went a long way!) It came out beautiful. His boat with him fishing, catching a big bass, me sitting at the back was engraved on the headstone.

Last year, on Christmas Eve, Dave was with us singing "12 Days of Christmas" on their Dad and their brother Billy Joe's graves. We had to sing it for him this Christmas! Barbie picked up a CD with the song, "If You Only Knew" which was played also. We lit up candles and turned the battery operated lights on the Christmas trees that the girls and I put on his grave.

Danica continued one of her Dad's "Christmas tradition". She gave me a set Victoria's Secret PJ for Christmas which I always get from Dave for the last few years. And for my birthday, she gave me purse. My sisters-in-law gave me a framed poem, "Merry Christmas From Heaven".

I am not sure if there are stages for grieving. All I want is to see and talk to him even just in my dreams but I seldom have dreams with him in it. He must have been busy fishing!

The blueprints for our house to be built in Va is finally done. I will probably go back to VA. in 2 weeks to talk to different builders unless my surgery will be scheduled before then. I have multiple thyroid nodules in which one had grown significantly since March '07. I had a needle biopsy done before the holidays which came out benign but I am not on the safe side yet because of the sizes of the nodules.

The girls are doing fine. Danica is busy with work, school and boyfriend. Melissa has her days, sometimes as sweet as she could be! Our puppy, Harrison, turned out to be a brat but we love him! If only Ryan is not scared of him, "Life is Good".

Thank you to all my friends who sent us Christmas and Holiday cards! I appreciate your love and thoughtfulness.

Love,
Edith