Merry Christmas

It's 3:20 am...i should be sleeping, but I'm not. I have been having a lot of not sleeping these past few weeks. It's Christmas. Last Christmas, I never dreamed I would spending Christmas without Randal this year. I spent tonight with Randals family. It was bittersweet spending this night with them. I was happy to be there because I love them and they will always be my family, but very hard to be there without him. His sister, Anne, bought a really nice new TV. Randal was such a fanatic about cool electronics and he would have loved her TV. When I saw it, I almost picked up my phone to take a picture and send it to him. I wanted him to see it. But within a few seconds, reality hit that I could not send him a picture. We talked about him a lot tonight. We remembered the funny things about him and some of the things  that he said all the time that made us laugh. His uncle gave me a picture in a really pretty frame of Randal in his moms lap when he was a sweet little blonde haired boy. His mom died last December on the 27th. It was such a sweet picture. I imagined that he and his mom were in each others arms like that in heaven now. Randal was an artist. He did some art in high school and went to the Dallas Art Institute after high school. His sister, Judi, had a picture he had done in high school ( which I had never seen ) beautifully matted and framed for me.  I will try to attach pictures of both to this post.  I cried after I opened both of these gifts.  They are sentimental and precious to me.  I am so blessed to be a part of his wonderful family.

Tomorrow, I will travel to Vernon and be with my family( if road conditions permit).  I am looking forward to being with my family, but I know that being there without Randal will be tough.  Its just going to be another day that I have to get through.

Here are pictures of the two gifts that I mentioned :

So, with that, I want to wish anyone who reads this a Merry Christmas.  If you knew Randal, please take a moment today to remember him. He is in the perfect place to be spending Christmas.  He is very much loved.  Its just hard for those of us left behind to be spending this day ,that is supposed to be about family and happy times, without his precious smile, funny ways, and boisterous laugh. I love you baby.

To my friend Stuart, I hope you have a great day tomorrow ( today really).  Jason is with you right now.  I wish for you to have peace during this season.  I wish for Jason to come to you in your dreams tonight to tell you how happy he is that you are in Boston with his parents to help them get through the holidays as well.  You are a special person.

Merry Christmas everyone.
Casey