It's Been a Couple of Weeks

We have had a hard couple of weeks. Some of you may or may not know that Jon's mom has been in a long, hard, and courageous fought battle with cancer for about a year now, on the morning of November 11 that battle ended. No more drugs, no more pain, just the sweet reward of Heaven. It was tough to say the least, but Jon and his brother, dad and sister were with her when she went to her final resting place. Since she was in Oklahoma, they were all there, leaving me here to try to explain to Jackson why mommy was sad and daddy was gone. I know you may think I am crazy because Jackson is so young, you may not think he "gets it", but trust me I know my kiddo and he was just not himself, even his therapist commented that he was acting differently. So, the night after his maw-maw passed, I came home, we ate dinner and I sat Jackson on my lap showed him pictures of her; there was one picture where she was helping him hold his sippy cup (not that he needed it, but that's just how maw-maws are). I explained to him that maw-maw was helping us and that she would always be right above us in the sky with all the other angels who help us. But that me and daddy miss her and we are sad and it is okay to be sad. He immediately began looking at our front door; which has two small windows at the top and saying "Mama, Mama"; so we walked out on the porch and he looked directly at the sky. I told him, we can't see her but I promise she is up there, we blew her a kiss and came back inside. He totally got it---or at least I think so.

I know she is truly up there smiling down and watching over all of us, especially Jackson. In less than a month of her passing, we have seen Jackson making leaps and bounds of accomplishments. He has more words than ever; including "where"--he wants to know "Where ball?, where choo-choo?, where boat?, where water?, where, where, where?" He has started scooting more and more and can even do it on carpet! And my mom and I believe he is trying to figure out how to push his body up into standing, I think before long he will be there.

We have put up our Christmas tree and are making the Christmas party rounds, with therapy and our orthopedic clinic. Today was the therapy party and I truly can't believe how far he has come since our last party there. Today, he fed himself goldfish and scooted all around the room. Last year we were still having to hold him or at least sit behind him so he wouldn't fall over...this year the kid was hanging with the big kids and holding his own! One thing hasn't changed though, he is still not very fond of Santa, but I guess that plays into my plan of making him truly know what this holiday is about---the birth of our Savior and the promise that gives to all of us.

We are heading to a neighborhood Christmas parade with The Wilson's (Braden and mommy and daddy) on Sunday and then exchanging gifts with them. We can't wait.

I want to start posting more here, but I have to find the time, maybe a word of the day or Jackson's funny quote of the day (trust me he has many)---we'll see...but for now I leave you with my favorite word year round, but especially at Christmas---BELIEVE. Believe in Santa, but more importantly, believe in the promise that this Season holds, the promise of our salvation. It has taken alot of Believing over these past 22 months, but every time I see Jackson kick that foot in the RGOs or scoot to a toy or even to our Christmas tree, I know that I just gotta keep Believing.

xo,

the Heckerts