Happy New Year, Take Two!...

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Today is Chinese New Year - the year of the Goat.  Actually, the animal is up for debate this year between the goat and the sheep. But if you ask Hope - every day is the year of the Rabbit.  In particular, HER rabbit that she now carries with her most of the day.  Actually, she carries two rabbits - the pink one is hers and the blue one was Gavin's!

Our family doesn't observe any traditional Chinese traditions, but I am taking it upon myself to announce that this year, Chinese New Year is our New Year "Do-Over."

2015 didn't start off very well for us.  Constant sickness... Hope's trip to the Emergency Room... Stress... more sickness... are we moving or not moving... Brian's visit to the cardiologist... and more behind the scenes crap that wasn't worth writing about.

But we are taking back this year and starting over.

The decision is official:  we are NOT moving.  Ed's company, Shire, is moving to Lexington, Massachusetts - but we are not.  We gave it a lot (and I mean a lot) of careful thought and consideration but in the end, we just didn't feel it was a good plan to uproot our family.  We know that kids are resilient - especially Brian - but we just weren't thrilled about piling one more major life change and taking him away from his school and his friends and his home.  

Hope doesn't know any different, obviously, but it will be nice for her to grow up where her brothers did.  Not to mention, their only remaining grandparent, my Mother, is close by.

This means that Ed will be job hunting, which is stressful.  But he's pretty brilliant, if you ask me, so I'm sure it won't be long before someone snatches him up.

We also went ahead and planned a trip to Ocean City, New Jersey this summer!  It made us feel good to think outside the bitter cold and snow and plan for some summer fun.  Being in Ocean City is a sure fire way for us to feel close to Gavin and all the incredible memories we made with him there. The Ocean and the salt air have a way of making everything a little bit better.

As many of you know, I participate in a HUGE consignment sale twice a year - the Just Between Friends Consignment Sale in Oaks, PA.  The Spring event is coming up on March 19th and I'll be selling and, more importantly, buying!  I always get a lot of questions and emails about the actual sale or about consigning in general - so I thought I'd create a little series so you can follow along while I prepare (tagging Hope's baby things will bring tears to my eyes, for sure!)... shop... and sell!  I'll be posting here, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Hopefully it will be fun for you - but it will really be a great distraction for me.  That is because....

We are getting close to April which means the two year anniversary of Gavin's death is just around the corner on April 14th.  Because we've been down the rabbit hole all winter with one thing after another, I didn't give much (or any) thought to creating an event.  If you remember, the first anniversary was pretty special with "Gavin's Playground Party."  Not only was it a fun night - and a HUGE distraction from our grief - 

but we raised over $60,000 for the all abilities playground at duPont Hospital!!  I'm feeling disappointed that I haven't had the time or energy to figure out a plan. I have a desire for all of us to come together to change someone's life - somehow, someway - maybe as a way to honor the way Gavin changed many lives... but I don't know who or how.  I'm still thinking...

If you celebrate Chinese New Year - I wish you a healthy and prosperous year.

And to those of you joining us in a "New Year Do-Over" - welcome!!  In my world, you can begin again anytime.