Last Tuesday my phone rang super early in the morning. That is never a good sign. I was shocked by the news. My cousin's 5 1/2 month old beautiful baby girl died in her sleep. SIDS is such a scary thing. It kept me a nervous wreck the first year of both of my kids lives. For this to happen to someone so close to me really hits home on how lucky I am with both of my kids being so healthy. It really puts things into perspective. My cousin Nicole is just 6 months younger than me. We grew up very close. Each summer we would spend weeks together in North Dakota at my grandparents farm. Over the years we have grown up and started families of our own and don't keep in touch nearly as much as we should. When I heard this terrible news, my heart just sunk for her. No one should have to go through this. It just isn't fair.
Here is a link to Emma's obituary. Such a beautiful, happy baby girl.
I took Henry on the 20 hour round trip drive with me. And he did a great job. We were able to break up the drive with an overnight stay at my Aunt Melissa's house in Minneapolis, which helped tremendously. The funeral was beautiful, Nicole did a great job speaking, and my cousin Ashley, Brianna and I sang and so did Aunt Missy.
Since we don't all get together that often we had to snap some family pics.
1st cousins: Jarred, Nicole, Danielle, Brianna, Ashley, me and Justin.
Grandma Marilyn with all her grand kids.
Henry loving all the attention he got over the weekend.
Henry playing with all the boys. He had such a fun time!
Nicole's son Nathan (6) and Henry. 2nd cousins I guess? Or 1st cousin once removed as Grandma Loe would say.
Why not pose on the only prop around - the piano!
Santa made a visit to the Sunlac.
Henry loved seeing Santa. Santa told him he has been a good boy and gave him a race car. Henry then asked for a race track for Christmas. Too bad that isn't one of the things I got him....may have to make another trip to the store!
Hanging out with Lucy at Aunt Missy's house in Minneapolis.
Henry asked a lot of very good questions this weekend, and some that I didn't know how to answer. I heard my grandma say it best when Nicole cried to her asking why, she said 'I guess God needed that beautiful baby girl up in heaven with him'. That is the only thing that I can grasp as to why. It just isn't fair.
Please keep my cousin Nicole and her family in your prayers while they muddle through this awful pain.
