Bailey's 11th Birthday

Our little girl always loved a party!!!

Happy 11^th Birthday, Miss Bailey! We love and miss you so much!!! I remember the day you were born as if it was yesterday. I will never forget when we called to tell Blake that you were born. He asked if you were a boy…I said no…he asked when I was having another baby…then he saw you… and it was love at first sight. He was the proudest big brother. He is still having such a hard time with you being gone. Since I never had a sister, it was always so much fun watching you and Brooke doing “sister stuff”…dancing and singing all around the house, playing dress-up, performing with “your band”…you were her shadow. You wanted to be just like big sister. She misses having her little “mini-me”. As for Bryce…he misses his “sissy” so much. He was only one-year old when you were first diagnosed with leukemia but even then he “understood”. He would lie on the couch with you for hours or just stand by you caressing your head when he knew you weren’t feeling well. He never made me choose between you and him. He loved you so much! There was definitely a special connection between the two of you. In fact, so many times now, he will say something and it sounds just like you. He often has the same mannerisms as you too! He is very proud of that fact! It is a gift for your dad and me when he gives us those special little glimpses of you. Very few people truly know just how much you precious cancer kids go through. Although people care, they really don’t want to know many of the details. I don’t blame them. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have all of those horrible memories in my mind…but yet…it is those memories that cause me to continue to fight for a cure for childhood cancer. It makes me sick that weekly I get emails about yet another precious child fighting for their life. We have to find a cure!!! Because of you, I am involved in a great organization called Comforting Kids. Not only do we fulfill the “wish list” of three local Children’s Hospitals, but we have a “Bailey Treasures Box” that allows me to honor you as I buy “treasures” for special children in our community. We’ve done some really great stuff so far. Comforting Kids also supports me in my mission to raise awareness about the lack of funding for childhood cancer. We will once again be having a “Childhood Cancer Awareness Event” in September. Hopefully this time it will be a walk/run and bring a lot more people out to help support our efforts of raising funds for more research of Pediatric Cancers. Every time Bryce prays for you to be back with us, I remind him that we will see you again someday! Until then, my precious little one…we will live remembering what you taught us…to appreciate this day that the Lord has given us…to work hard to follow God’s plan for our lives... to choose to look for the good in each day. We will see you again my precious Bailey!

For all of you who are reading this...I can imagine Bailey saying,"I hope to meet you in Heaven someday. Do you know my Jesus?"

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, Blake, Brooke and Bryce