Happy New Year!

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. Although we are very glad 2009 is over it is also with great sadness we have to start a new year without our Cody. As expected the Holiday’s have been hard. We did not put up any outdoor lights and only had a Christmas tree with sparse decorations. Our hearts just weren’t in it. Abby told us she would understand if we did not want to put a tree up at all and that it would be okay. Justin and Abby are at an age where they are suspect of Santa so much of the excitement and anticipation of the season was missing. Santa, however, was Cody’s favorite magical friend and the one holiday he loved most. Even back in February he was seeing toy commercials and saying to us ‘Look, Look, I want that for Christmas’! It was very hard picking out presents for Justin who always put toys on his list that he and Cody could play with together.

We decided to pick out a new ornament every year that Cody would like and hang it on the tree. This year it was a tree frog. We also decided to put letters in Cody’s stocking to let him know what has happened during the time he’s been away. Abby wrote this nice letter:

Dear Cody,

We have done lots of things without you. It has been so sad here without you. The whole entire school knows that you died. We did not go to school for the rest of the week. At school that day, I wrote a letter hoping that it would get to you. I printed it and gave it to mommy. I went home early because I started to cry A LOT. After you died, we got Zack back from Ginny. We wish you could of saw your cousins too. They all came to your viewing and funeral. It was really, really sad. We had a ceremony for you and now there is a rock dressed up like a pirate and it is in the butterfly garden. But, we also have one rock at home outside by our garden in front of the angle. Then I went to play with Beth. We were both sad after that so then we had a sleepover. I forgot what we did, but I knew it was very fun. We had Cody’s Crew meetings too. We did not go on vacation without you but one day we went to Kings Dominion. We all could tell you wanted to go with us. Chris has not come over a lot now. We planned a walk for you at the Cody’s Crew meetings. I had a tot trot, one mile, and a 5k which stands for 3 miles. There were Nathon’s Ice Cream there too. Chris and his friend Patrick dressed up like a pirate and the little kids got to chase them at the tot trot. We wish you could have been with us on your 7th birthday. I do not know if you got the gormities that we sent up on balloons and we wrote a note with it too.

With Love,
Abby


Although time has eased the ‘raw pain’ of our loss the pain will always be there. It is a world we hope none of you ever find yourselves in. We truly hope you are enjoying the chaos of the season and wish you all good health and happiness in the New Year. We consider you all dear friends and thank you for checking in on us.