An early Christmas gift

       The girls and I were able to enjoy the festivities of Liberty Mutual's holiday party today. Every year the company puts on the party for their I/T employees and their families. Last year was the first year Corey brought the girls and I.  We made some really fun memories...the girls had their picture taken with Santa, made crafts, saw a magic show, listened to Wayne from Maine (folk singer for kids) and even got to decorate a gingerbread cookie.  They served us pastries for breakfast and a full lunch. I've included some pictures from last year. A couple of weeks ago I remembered that the party was probably coming up soon but with Corey no longer working at Liberty, we wouldn't be going this year.  I was a little bummed, but life goes on.
        Bob, my friend Sarah's husband works for Liberty.  Thanks to their thoughtfulness we were able to go as their guests after Bob pulled some strings last week with the admin coordinating the event. This was pretty cool considering people get turned away from this party...you have to sign up quite a bit in advance and space is limited.  We had a great time, plenty of fun and then some...for daddy.  We got our picture taken with Santa again (myself included). The girls got to decorate gingerbread cookies, make beaded crafts, listen to Wayne from Maine, watch the magic show and even enjoy a couple of new activities this year.  There was also a DJ and let me just say, my girls are quite the dancers :) They were having such a ball.  It made me really happy to see them having so much fun and laughter.  I think the highlight for me other than seeing the girls joy was getting to catch up with coworkers from my days working at Liberty before Abigail was born.  I also was able to connect with some of Corey's coworkers who I have gotten to know over the years.  Staying connected with people Corey knew and liked really helps me to feel close to him. I find it really interesting how people can grieve so differently.  Some people find it painful to do things once shared with their loved one who has passed on.  For me, doing things that we used to do together and going to places we went, while it holds some sadness, seems to make me feel better. I guess it is my way of keeping Corey's memory alive for myself and the girls. I'm trying to find new ways to keep his memory alive and help the girls remember the kind of person their daddy was. If any of you have any ideas for us, please feel free to share them.
        I would encourage all of you, especially with the Christmas season upon us which for many will mean extra time with loved ones, take time to delight in the people who are closest to your heart. Our actions usually follow our thoughts, so a good place to start would be to think about the things that you know you'd miss if that person was no longer a part of your life.  I wish I had done this more when Corey was still with us. When life is hard, as it was for us as a couple these last few years, it wasn't always such an easy thing to see the good. I'm going to try to be more deliberate about this going forward!

Enjoy the pics!

Last year - 2009

And this year - 2010