Happy Birthday in Heaven My Sweet Nick

Two years ago today, Nick went Home.

I couldn't let the morning pass without wishing him a happy birthday.

I know Heaven will be celebrating the arrival of my sweet boy.

My heart aches and smiles at the same time,

Tammy

In All Things Give Thanks....................

Two years ago, Nick was here.

Very sick but he was here.

It's almost surreal to remember that Thanksgiving Day. Friends from church brought our Thanksgiving Dinner in stages..............

Nick watched the Titans play one last game, and he was well enough to bet Erich $2.50 that his team would win..................

And they did!

Nick had a rough episode right after the game ended that afternoon, and he never woke back up. He went home two days later on the 29th of November surrounded by all of his brothers, one of his best friends, his sister, Tim, and me, and nearly 30 people from our community.

The room was full of love as we cried and said our "see you soon's"

Nick began humming right before he passed away and the room felt so full of energy that I truly believe it was packed with angels and that Nick was singing as he left with Jesus.

I'm thankful for that memory as we enter this Thanksgiving week.

We miss Nick so much, but we wouldn't trade our pain for a life that never had him as our son.

We began Nick's foundation within hours of our temporary good-bye, and our first donation came in an envelope at church. In it was $2 folded up into a very small square wrapped around 2 quarter............ a total of $2.50. At first I thought it was from a child who was a friend of Nick's, and then I remembered Erich's bet on Thanksgiving Day. I knew right that minute that Erich was "paying up."

Thank you for sharing life with us as we strive to help others who are hurting.

In His Grip,

Tammy (Nick's Mom Forever)

WATCH FOR SWINGS AT KCU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Within the next two weeks, five beautiful swings with arbors will be added to the KCU campus. Please take a walk sometime and enjoy a few minutes in one of the swings if you are ever in the Grayson area!!

I will take pictures after the swings have been placed in their special locations.

Memory boxes are mailed out so often that we are in need of more supplies. We will be ordering 50 more copies of each book contained in the memory boxes in the next few months. Windchimes will be ordered as well. We are thankful for the donations that we receive. They allow us to continue the ministry of reaching families who are brokenhearted.

I am always happy to come and speak at women's events and share about the work of the foundation, so please let me know if you are ever interested or in need of a speaker. I consider it an honor to continue Nick's legacy and share the love of God at the same time.

Chosen for a painful road yet trying to embrace it with passion and purpose,
Tammy

Still Reaching Out........................

Although I haven't been as faithful to this blog, I wanted to let you know that Nick's foundation is still actively reaching out to hurting families.

We send memory boxes out on a regular basis to families who have lost children, and this seems to be the most needed outreach of the foundation at this time.

We are planning to have another Night to Remember this winter, but we want to bring in other families who have lost children to share the night with us; so please begin praying about this now.

We want families who are hurting to feel the love and support of others as well as be reminded of the promise we have for eternity!

Thank you for continuing to pray for our family.

Grief is relentless and this past month or so has been exceptionally difficult for both me and Tim in many ways.

We did have an exciting Saturday recently when they dedicated the JFL Football Field to Nick naming it the Field of Courage. I will share pictures soon.

Much love from our family to yours.

Still here.........................

Nick's foundation, though not involved in a huge activity at the moment, continues to reach out and comfort the grieving.

This aspect of the foundation seems to have moved to the forefront over the past few months, sending many memory boxes across the US and occasionally allowing us to order a thumb-print necklace for parents in our area who lose a child.

Big events seem more difficult for me to muster the energy for these days. It is almost as if I am frozen in my mind when I begin to think of all that an event would entail. We are planning "A Night to Remember" as our next big event............the date has not been set.

Thank you for every prayer for the work of the foundation.

Much love,

Tammy and Tim

JOSHUA 1:9

Happy Birthday, Nick!

Nick would have been 15 today.

Oh, how we miss him.

Committing this day to loving others more.

Thank you for every prayer.

May is a tough month..................

Nick's 15th birthday is approaching. May 22. I just can hardly believe it.

I try not to wonder what he would look like now, how he would act, what kinds of things he would enjoy, if his voice would be different......

I know that God never had a plan for Nick to be here at this time, so I try hard to hang on to the part of Nick that God let us have for 13 sweet and wonderful years.

This is a busy month at our house, but the ache just doesn't go away even when I'm running here and there and doing so many different things.

I just wanted to let you all know that Nick's foundation is still active.

I just mailed a memory box to Iowa this afternoon. Seems that memory boxes are mailed much more often than I ever would have dreamed.

I love you all so much and I thank you for every prayer for our family.

Please let us know how we can pray for and be there for you.

Much love,
Tammy and Tim

Nick's Foundation Continues to Reach Out

2010 has started out a little slow in energy as far as the foundation goes, but I believe that God has called us to "be still" and "refocus" a bit as we venture into the future.

Tim and I have entered a new chapter in our grief.

Reality sinks in a little more each day and honestly, we have found ourselves drawing nearer and nearer to God and having more moments of simply being quiet.

Last year, I worked on Nick's foundation night and day. I think that for me it was a way of coping with the loss of Nick and all that went with him............24/7 care giving, so many different medicines, never sleeping very deeply, etc. This year I am tired. I find myself falling asleep earlier and sleeping more soundly. I am thankful for that part of life right now, but the pain of losing Nick has intensified as winter has begun changing into spring so I stay in the Word and God's promises for my daily strength.

I am writing today to let you know that even though not many things have been shared about the foundation lately, we do continue to mail out memory boxes when families lost children and deliver baskets when kids are sick. We are still trying to raise the needed funds for the orphanage in India so that they can build their new facility. I speak at ladies' events any time I am asked, because I feel that God has placed in my heart the desire to encourage women in their walk with the Lord.

I just wanted you all to know that we are still here. Reaching out with the love of God to hurting families.

Nick's legacy continues.

I will write more soon.

Much love,
Tammy and Tim

Board Meeting on March 6th

The year is slipping by and while we have delivered a few baskets of hope and a few memory boxes, I know that this second year of Nick's foundation has gotten off to a slow start.

Tim and I are at a different level of grief this year.

A sadness has set in that is difficult to explain.

We will not grow weary in doing good.

We will press on towards the prize of the upward calling.

But, we will go a little slower this year..............and trust that our times of being still please Him.

Starting 2010........................

I will update soon with all of the things the foundation accomplished last year.

I will also share our dreams for 2010.

Thank you for every prayer, for every act of kindness, for every act of love.

Our family would not be where we are today without all of you who share in this ministry with us. As I type this, Nick's wind chime outside has begun to chime so loudly out of nowhere. I just know he is so happy to be a legacy. And even happier to be safely waiting in a Glorious Home!!!!

We miss him so much our hearts just ache and yet the peace God has given truly does transcend human understanding.

Love you all,
Tammy