Raegan's party

Uncle Dave,

Over the last few weeks, we have been getting ready for Raegan's 1st birthday party. We aren't doing anything too crazy...just our closest 70 family and friends at Nana's house. We decided to have Mexican food since that is Raegan's absolute favorite; she loves her beans and rice. You would be so proud of her; I think she has picked up on the fact that she is 26% mexican ;). Even though she has blonde hair and blue eyes which she gets from me, naturally. Although, people have commented that she resembles you (even her little cowlick!).

In honor of her 1st birthday, we will be getting her pictures taken yet again. I know, I know, how many pictures can we take of this little girl? The answer.....not enough! I promise we will slow down after her 1st birthday...ok, maybe not.

Anyways, as we start receiving rsvps for her party, I starting to realize how close it it (she is going to be 1 in less than 3 weeks!). What I am also starting to realize is that you won't be calling me to tell me that you will be there. You won't be arriving late with the biggest and best present you could find for her. You won't be there to help her dive into her birthday cake or to laugh when she makes a huge mess. I wish more than anything that you could be here for these and the other special moments ahead.

Thankfully, I am reminded (by Brittany) that you will be there that day and all the days ahead. That you will continue to be around Rae and I and are protecting us like no one else can.

So since I am already counting on you being there, this is what I have added to the guest list:

Guardian Angel: 1

Please watch over us on this special day and all the days ahead. We love you and we miss you incredibly.

Love, Sis

Memories of Las Vegas 2010

Hey Baby,
Last night I gave Terrelle two pictures from our trip to Las Vegas last year for his birthday! That trip is a trip that none of us will ever forget! When I gave it to him last night we started reminiscing about all the fun and crazy things we did that weekend.

I remember that I had just started working at Big Lots and I hadn't had a weekend off in years! Carrie, my store manager, told me to take advantage and do something fun. When I called you I suggested that we go to Vegas, but I didn't think we would actually go. When I got off work that day you had everything planned out already. You were always good at little surprises. We went to Rey's house and we picked up Rey, Lala, and Terrelle. Brad wanted to go, but we ran out of room in the car. All the way there we played car games. Everything from I Spy to 20 Questions. It was one of the fastest trips to Vegas that any of us remember. When we got there we went to the hotel in the middle of the strip. You had already researched everything online. We got one room for all 5 of us. Poor Rey had to sleep on the floor. That first night there we walked all over trying to find some beer. Then we played Kings Cup in the room in our jammies. The next morning (Saturday) we walked all over the strip. We walked from one end to the other. We stopped and watched that artist make those really cool spray paintings. Terrelle took a picture with a parrot on his arm. We ate lunch at that McDonald with the really cool roof. The picture I took there of you 3 boys was one of the pictures I gave Terrelle. Remember that you found $300 on the floor? I swear you were always the luckiest person I knew. We stopped and hung out on the lawn chairs by Margaritaville. Terrelle wasn't feeling well so him and Lala went back to the room and we finished walking the strip with Rey. We picked out cigars at that little stand in the Paris Hotel. Rey hit on every girl we saw!! We were pretty sure his eyes were gunna fall right out of his head. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe just the three of us. Rey was trying to hit on the waitress too. We went into one of the big hotels and we saw that green room with the magic carpet and we took a magic carpet ride! I am so glad that we bought that DVD as memories. It is awesome. I remember you lit up a cigarette and smoked right in the middle of the hotel and I was nervous because we weren't anywhere near the casino. Then you threw the butt in a trash can and I was sure the hotel was going burn down and we would be to blame! You were so cold, so we went to that little shop to try to buy you a sweatshirt and couldn't find anything bigger than a 2x. Every hotel we walked through you would stop and gamble, and every time you started to win we would get kicked out because Rey was only 20. He would give them his I.D. and they would take it at first, but once they realized he wasn't 21 they would come back and kick us out. I had to sweet talk the security guard at the Hustler Casino because I was gambling and Rey was holding my drink! We got those huge cups that we just kept re-filling. You had the yard stick and Rey and I shared the huge 3 foot one that had a strap that goes around your neck. When we were getting our cab to go back to the hotel, Rey decided to walk. I don't remember if he was trying to find a fight, or pick up chicks. Probably both! Didn't we meet the most interesting cab drivers out there? I remember the one that kept telling dirty racist jokes. The next morning was Sunday, our last day there. We walked around trying to find a Starbucks for me. I think you got a 40 to drink first thing in the morning! Lala and I wanted to stop at the cupcakery and Lala had to take picture of the cupcakes because she wanted one tattooed on her. Somehow we decided to take a cab to downtown Vegas. Super fun! You won more money on a dinky little casino and Terrelle and Lala got kicked out again. I think the part you like about gambling even more than winning money was free drinks! I think all of us can agree that the walk from down town back to our motel was the best part of the whole trip. We stopped at a pawn shop and looked at all the gaudy jewelry and stuff people had to pawn to pay off their Vegas debts. We saw the Star Trek wedding chapel. You said you would marry me right then if we could get married by Spock. I said "hell no! I'm not having a Star Trek wedding!" I think if I had it to do over I would have the nerdiest wedding ever if that's what you really wanted. We met that guy with the painting and you guys took that picture with the angry monkey. And remember the cool little smoke shop we went into that sold all that weird stuff that was legal in Vegas? We got to that hotel with the roller coaster and I begged you to take a picture with me in a little picture booth but you wouldn't because you hated pictures. We were tired after that and ready to go home! After we packed up our stuff and piled in the car we stopped by Jack in the Box and the guy working there gave Lala and I almost $30 worth of free food and drinks. We stuffed our faces and still couldnt finish all of the food. The ride home was much longer than the ride there. We were to exhausted to play alot of games. We just talked allot about nothing really. Although it didn't seem like we did anything extraordinary on that trip...we created some memories that none of us will ever forget. Terrelle still says that trip was the best birthday he ever had. He will never forget turning 18 thanks to you. When I gave Terrelle the pictures of you and him last night for his 19th birthday he was so happy and so excited. Thats all he really wanted was a picture with you and something to remember one of the best trips we ever had. I love you baby and I wish we had the chance to make more wonderful memories together.

Love Brittany

Bruce and the kids

Dear Davey,
I made it through another week. There isn’t a second that goes that I don’t think of you and wish you were here with me. Life is so short and some don’t realize what they have. Your friends need you here right now. They are all torn apart and need you as their glue, their mentor and rock. Please watch over them and help them. I worry so much about them all right now.
Days are rough without you but the nights are the hardest. There is not a second of everyday that I don’t think of you and wish you were here. I wish I could explain to Bruce where you are. He is still waiting for you to come home. Sometimes I think he understands because when I cry at night he is the one that comes and licks my tears away. His eyes are so sad. He still loves to laser point every night and when I am out there with him I look up into the Heavens hoping that you can see him playing. That is when he is the happiest the most these days and of course he asks every night like he always has. Stevie is Stevie although he is a fat boy these days. I told his mommy that we need to cut his food down. Remember how skinny and sickly he was when you and Brittany came home from Colorado? You wouldn’t believe it is the same dog. He still likes to bug Annie and chase her in the back yard. Barney misses cuddling with you too. He gets into bed with Brittany sometimes but he says it isn’t the same as cuddling with his Davey. Allie dumped over the trash can last night-she got up on the table and knocked it over. They all ate trash and what a mess we had to clean up. She was the only one that acted guilty and nobody wanted dinner!!! Annie misses you too but she says she doesn’t miss how you use to scare her and hold her upside down.
Please watch over us all down here. We know that where you are is so much better than here, but we want you here with us too. God has his plan, you know it, and we don’t. How lucky you are!! I love you Davey and miss you more than words can say. Help me to be strong until we meet again. Love Mom

It's a New Year

It is a New Year. Am I glad to see the old one go? Yes and no. No, because it was the last year I had you in my life. Yes, because last year hurt so bad. Not one minute goes by that you are not on my mind. Everywhere and everything I do reminds me of you. I even smelled your cologne the other night when I was in bed. It gave me a warm feeling to smell you again. I never realized such pain could exist and I pray every day for God to help me through it.
We have all collected Batman things in honor of you. I wish we had known all this stuff was here when you were here. A lot of us have a sticker on our car of the logo. It is awesome to pull up somewhere and see all those in memory of you. Even some of your friends have them on their cars. I even think the “lounge” has one too!!!! And it should, of course.
I wish I was there when you saw Papa come home. What a joyous occasion I am sure that was. He is now free to run and play catch with you. He loves you so much and was so devastated when you left. He thought it was all a dream and woke up the next morning to find out that it wasn’t a dream and was very upset. He never really was the same for those 86 days between the day you left and the day he left. He just existed, not really lived. I think he was waiting to hear the words that it was his time.
Tonight is Papa’s viewing and Rosary. I am not looking forward to it because I know it will bring back memories of you. To have to do this again so soon is very difficult on everyone but we all have peace knowing that you are together once again and you will be there the day the Lord calls us home as well.
Please watch over us tonight as we are there. A sign that you are there would be awesome-if you can. Not sure about how those work but if you can work it, it would be great.
I love you and miss you beyond words.
Mom