An Early Christmas Gift...

I have been waiting for this weekend with such a sweet sadness...and intense excitement! ok, since she was discovered on American Idol, i've been the biggest Carrie Underwood fan....as i'm sure it's impossible for anyone not to be:) And admist the storm that Colin was in, in his last hospital stay in Calgary, he still had his dreamer's heart, but instead of dreaming for himself, he did something to make a dream of mine come true. Colin and my big brother Andy schemed, and Andy did the leg work to get Nat and I tickets to her concert, for a Christmas present. Well we all know that just days after this plan was made, Colin and I recieved the news that he wouldn't get to be around for Christmas...and after the most emotionally painful car-ride i've ever endured back to Medicine Hat, Colin and Andy made a phone call to each other and with his whole body shaking, Colin gave me my last Christmas present i would recieve from him, and in the process he made a little dream come true for me...The guys got us tickets to see Carrie Underwood in Calgary...THIS WEEKEND. Now, the original plan was for me to travel up to Calgary and stay with Andy and Nat...BUT now that they live here too, Nat and I and a couple of friends are going to head up and make a weekend of it...we've booked the hotel (with a hottub, i just want to sit uninterrupted in a hottub, lol, silly, i know!) and we're going to do some shopping and relaxing and just get away for a few days! I am SO excited, i haven't been out of town since the summer, and it will be good to just have some "me" time...Truth is, i've been so looking forward to this weekend, that until now, i didn't know that it typing the explanation of this would be so bittersweet...Each of our Christmas's the most exciting thing to me was always to open what Colin would get me...he just had such a great way of knowing exactly what would make me light up with out me even giving him any ideas...i'm gonna miss that; i'm gonna miss coming home after seeing this concert and bursting with excitment about it and thanking him for this gift...Christmas is still my most favorite time of the year, this Christmas i'm jealous of what Colin will get to experience...can you imagine getting to spend a birthday celebration with Jesus, Himself?!!? I try, but my tiny human brain just cannot fathom what he's going to be apart of! I guess that's what makes me SO happy...although i want Colin here with us, i'm being selfish, because i would much rather him be there partying up a storm with a host of angels and saints that have gone before us...me too, but it's not my time yet;)
For now, i'm going to enjoy little bits of heaven, like my Corban's First school Christmas concert..his class sang 2 songs, and he sang every word and did amazing actions with his sticks and bells! I'm enjoying some cuddle time with Keegan today, thanking God of the blessing in being able to be a stay-at-home mommy, and gearing up to enjoy a weekend away to just have some time as 'me'. I'm going to cherish every minute of watching the boys open presents and taking the intesity of their excitment to fill the hole that Colin has left...a happy hole, of incredible blessings and memories...we'll always have those to hold close!
ok, now i've got a house that needs to be cleaned, laundry with my name all over it, and packing to do...all done with the loudest of Carrie Underwood music...i gotta make sure i know all my words! lol
Happy Weekend everybody!
Love, Melissa