Aunt Gala

My Aunt Gala is singing with the angels and worshipping in the presence of God in heaven today with my Grandma Jean, my Dad, and so many others. Our hearts are so sad, but we can't help but rejoice for what that must be like for her! I will never forget getting the phone call from Poppa that she had passed away. We had just loaded up and were headed back to Tulsa when we found out. It was such a tragic, sudden thing that no one was expecting. She was battling thyroid cancer, but had gotten a positive report at the dr just a few days before. Uncle John ran to the pharmacy to get her medication and when he came home, he couldn't find her. What happened was that her little dog went into the pond and she went in to rescue him, but she must have slipped and couldn't get up, and tragically she drowned. So sad and shocking.

I am so devastated about the fact that I was planning to take the kids to see her the weekend before this happened, and I didn't do it. That is a mistake that I will forever regret. It was a brutal reminder for me that we never know what tomorrow holds, so we should always seize the day and not miss opportunities to tell people we love them. Aunt Gala loved Mackenzie, Madison & Jonah so much. I love the pictures I have of her holding them as babies! Aunt Gala was so generous and loved to give. She recently started making bows for the girls and buying them the cutest outfits and shoes. They were so excited when they got boxes from Aunt Gala in the mail, because they knew there would be all kinds of goodies inside! She would send books, movies, coloring books, cute clothes, shoes, and of course bows...lots and lots of bows!

Aunt Gala recently saw a post I put on Facebook about wanting a Wii for the girls for Christmas. She instantly sent me a private message that she had a Wii that we could have...she bought it to learn how to dance, but she said, "dancing will just have to wait for heaven, because I've never taken it out of the box!" So, on Christmas morning, just 3 days after Aunt Gala starting dancing in heaven, she also got to be a part of our Christmas morning when our kids opened their Wii! It was bittersweet for sure. Every time I post a video or picture of the kids, I think "I wonder what Aunt Gala would comment about this one!" I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with my Aunt Gala, but I loved her and I always knew that she loved me. She will forever be in our hearts!

Aunt Gala & baby Madison...

Aunt Gala & Jonah

A few weeks after Aunt Gala passed away, I found these thank you cards that the girls made for her. I am so sad that I didn't send them. =0( You know, I just thought I would have time...but you just never know.

These were probably my all time favorite outfits she got the girls. She always got these adorable little boutique-y type things.