Great Gift

I struggle on Jason's birthday to buy him something that he will love, but also is still heartfelt.  This year, of course I bought him the material things like a sweatshirt, zip-up and watch, but I also made him a gift that he's still talking about.

 

I made him "Open When Cards."

 

I had seen the idea on Pinterest, and my students helped me with some of the topics.  I started with a set of cards and enveloped form Target for $10.  I chose a set that didn't have folded cards, but just a flat insert.  I also liked that it had a little gift box that they were already in.

 

Coming up with the Open When topics were the hardest part.  The first 20 were easy.  It wasn't until I got home and had a clear head that I could come up with the other 30. 

 

They are the gift that keeps on giving.  Each one is filled with a situation like:

-Open When: It's Central's MiniThon (that will be in March)

-Open When: You Miss Me

-Open When: You Want To Know How I Knew You Were The One

 

They were so much fun to do, and Jason has them sitting on his nightstand.  It warms my heart to see that he's opened one on his own when he sees that the time fits.

 

Here are the final products: 

 

 

 

If you're looking for an easy but thoughtful gift, this was a great idea!

Gone Too Soon

Yesterday, we celebrated the May Birthdays at my Gammy's house, and even though it has only been Karli and I celebrating for a few years, yesterday, it hit me worse than normal that Jesse wasn't with Karli and I to celebrate like we always had.

 

I can still remember where I was and how I found out that we lost Jesse, who was like a second brother to me.  He moved into our house when I went to college and since our families were inseparable, it was like there were two older kids, Drew and I, two middle kids, Eric and Jesse, and then two youngest kids, Karli and Meghan.

 

Since his 24th Birthday was yesterday, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures since you know that pictures are so meaningful for me.  I truly think a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when a precious life is cut short.

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Jesse (left) and Eric (right)

Born less than a month apart

April 23 and May 19, 1989

 

Devious laugh

 

Stevie and I with Baby Jesse

 

 Jesse and Eric getting bigger

 

 The birthday boy

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 Jesse, Eric and Daniel

November, 1996

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Jesse and I

Before Homecoming 2005

 

 When we made the boys dinner before the dance

Homecoming 2005

 

Jon, Eric and Jesse

 Homecoming 2005

 

 Jesse with our little cousin, Ethan

Christmas 2005

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Karli, Me, Jesse and Eric

 April and May Birthdays 2006

 

Jesse, Eric and Nick

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

Jesse and I

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

Jesse, Eric and Nick

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006



 

Karli, Jesse, Me, Eric, Stevie and Nick

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

 High quality lamps at the Rivadirchy

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

 The sweet, up to date phone at the Rivadirchy

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

 The Rivadirchy's Matching Patterns...

Ocean City, Maryland Trip- September 2006

 

 

 Eric and Jesse

Christmas 2006

 

 Eric, Daniel, Jesse and Karli

Christmas 2006

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One of our favorites

 

Another one of our favorites

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I hope you spent your 24th birthday dancing with the angels, Jesse!!  We miss you like crazy!!!

 

Peace Out! 

Happy Birthday, Sweet Angel

Today is pretty bittersweet for me.  It is Kadence's 7th Birthday, and while she's in much less pain celebrating in Heaven, it's harder for us left behind.  I have spent many nights looking through old pictures, but today the specific pictures from her 6th birthday are even more special!  We celebrated in a room at the hospital that Felicia arranged, and she went all out.  

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Some of my students made this sign to hang up at the party.  All of them made birthday cards for her, which was totally their own idea.

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The cake was delicious, Felicia got a strawberry cake since strawberries were Kader's favorite!

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 I made a ton of cupcakes, which were a big hit too.

 

 

 

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This has to be one of my favorite pictures from that day, such a cutie!!

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Then she got tons and tons of gifts.  This one specifically was a life-sized cut out of Justin Bieber, who again was the favorite, hands down!

Us and her other Aunt and Uncle all went together and got her a Kindle Fire, which she loved and used all the time after she got it!

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Kadence and her beautiful Mommy

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Afterwards back in her room, she opened a gift from one of my coworkers and her daughters, and also wrote thank you notes for the gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 What a great day that we will cherish forever.  

I know she is even happier celebrating her birthday up in Heaven this year!

2-6

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the students who seem to ruin your day.  The ungrateful ones, the selfish ones, but what I really need to do is focus on the ones who brighten my day, and not the ones who take pride in ruining it.

Take today for example, I had some of the SWEETEST students who helped make today special.

From the sweet girl who brought in a chocolate cake with white icing

To the other sweet girl who brought in a cookie cake 
(she pays attention to what I say ;-))

To the girl and boy who brought all the snacky items and the boy who brought the plates and cups for my homeroom party

And finally the boy who calls me his Best Friend and gives me a sweet card

This year, I am going to try to focus on the positives instead of letting one or two small things affect me.  It's obviously so much more easy to let them ruin your day, but I will focus on the Kynslee, Gillian, Juliann, Hank, Sam and Pat's of the world <3