Christmas Eve at The Sandello's

Hi Davey,

This year was the off year when only a few of us get together for Christmas Eve.  The Leeberts' go to Utah and the Noriega's go to that side of the family.  That means it is both "Chavez" families, the Sandello's and Nana and Jake.  There is still alot of people when we all get together though.  It is nice to hear the little ones be excited that it is Christmas.  Here are some pictures from that evening.  Yes, Rae is in almost all of them!!

MISSING YOU...

CHRISTMAS EVE....

Making Gingerbread Houses

Here we are making gingerbread houses.  The family gets together and the kids.....big and small make gingerbread houses.  As I look around at them all having fun and making their houses, I can't help but wonder what it would be like to have you here and see you making one. What would you have made?  We had everything from a football field (Uncle Ted) to Snow Whites castle (Danielle of course).  I know that wasn't your "thing", but I still can dream, right?  You may have decided to come so that you could see Raegan in action!!  I think she ate more candy than she decorated with.  Even though you are not here with us physically, everytime we all get together, I feel you are there.  I miss you every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year.......and love you beyond words.  Mom

Christmas Decorating 2012

Here we are again, decorating for you.  This year it was freezing cold and raining.  That didn't stop us though!!  Every year we get more and more stuff.  We have a truck now and still we had to make two trips!!  Oh and you should see the garage......All for you Davey, all for you.

Thanksgiving 2012

Another year...another Thanksgiving without you.  We made it but it was not easy.  Others move on and do what they use to do. Not us.  Every holiday we miss you like it was the first year and it will always be that way. 

I have a lot to be thankful for and I live each day remembering that too.  I am thankful for Dad.  He has been there for me even when he could not understand my pain.  I am thankful for Autumn,  Through thick and thin, through her own trials, she has been right there beside me every step of the way.  There when I needed her the most.  Friends and family are on my list as well. During times like this we really know who our friends are.  Those that stick around.  Others come and go but there are always those few that we know that we can count on.  One more little person that I am so thankful for...Raegan.  She is the light of my world.  She can always make me laugh and smile when I think I can't.  She reminds me of you so much is it scary sometimes.  I know you are with her always because I see you in her and I feel you as well.  This picture is from Rose Hills for Thanksgiving.  Yes we did better than last year and even better than the year before.  Someone told me it looks like a float in the parade.  See dad's mower too??

This picture we call "Raegan".  All the decorations would stay how we put them except this one.  It is her saying "Don't look at me"!!!

It is so you too!!!

One day we will we together again and have Thanksgiving too!  Until then my sweet boy.

I love you, Mom

Shawn and Ashley

Shawn and Ashley celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary November 6.  This was one of their tributes to you at their wedding. Beautiful

Happy Halloween

I remember how you always loved Halloween. I remember the year you stayed home and dressed up and scared all the kids in the neighborhood too!!  Your last Halloween you were so excited because you bought a really funny costume....a Mexican on a donkey!!!  It was hilarious but you got it to late for the party you wanted to go to but you did wear it on Halloween and I got some great pictures.  Funny boy...


 You even bought Bruce his own costume:  THE BARK KNIGHT

  

WISH YOU WERE HERE... 

BABIES, BABIES BABIES

Since you have been gone, we have been blessed with a lot of babies from some of your friends.  I always wonder if you were here, if these babies would have been here? Would you have joined them and had a baby too? Did God give these babies to help with deal with the pain of losing you?  Whatever his plan is, we don't know it but when I look at your friends and how happy they are with their babies, it makes me smile.  

THEY CALL ME "GRANNY"

                                                   

Autumn Turns 30!!

Today was Autumn's 30th birthday.  Hard to believe that I have a daughter that is that old!!  Just the 4 of us went to dinner at The Lazy Dog Cafe in the Cerritos mall.  The "new" 4 of us.  We had a great time but wished you could have joined us. 

You did join us for her 27th birthday at Fortune Cookie and I am so glad that you did. 

Miss you and love you son.

I Miss

Today marks 2 years that you left us.  Hard to believe that is has been that long. Seems like yesterday in some ways and in other ways it seems longer.  To not hear your voice or see your face for 2 years is unthinkable.  Even when you moved to Colorado, we at least got to here your voice now and then.  I did hear your voice in a dream I had of you.  I don't have many but in this one, you called me and said "Hi Mom", like you always did.  I miss hearing you call me "Mudder" when you wanted something, especially to eat. I miss you telling me "5 more minutes", when you needed a bit more sleep. I miss you greeting the dogs at the back door when you came home from work with "Hi pups".  They were all always so happy to see you.  I miss when you would make them all howl...because you would howl!!! Those are only a few things that I miss.  There are not enough words in the english language to say all the things I miss.

On Facebook, I made an event to honor you.  People didn't have to go anywhere, just think of you.  Here is what is said:

Sept 24, 2012 will be 2 years that Davey has been gone from sight but not from our hearts nor memories. On this day please take some time to remember that he LIVED!! Release a balloon, light a candle, say a prayer or just take a moment to think of a memory that you have of him. Something funny (I know there are alot of those), a place that you went with him, something he said or did...anything. Post here if you can so that we all can share your memory. If you don't want to post, that's ok, just REMEMBER DAVEY on this day!!!

122 People responded and said they would!!!!  How awesome is that?? People as far away as Tennessee, Kansas City, Illinois and even good ole Las Vegas were thinking about you. You are loved beyond words Davey and missed more than you could ever know.  You touched so many people in ways that you never knew. You have also touched many people that never even knew you, by stories that they hear about you.  I wish you were here to know all of this, but that is not God's plan.  I wish we were able to understand his plan and it may make this all a bit easier, but God wants it this way.  We have to trust our faith...but it is hard at times.  I am trying......

My beautiful boy. I love you. Love Mom

One of the "Pack"

From Brad LaClair on Facebook:

 

So its been two years that one of the "Pack" has been gone. Gone from this world but not from our hearts. He will always live inside of us until we meet again in our next life. It feels like it was yesterday but at the same time it feels like it was a lifetime ago. He was everyone's best friend. We all got to have a piece of his friendship, a friendship in which will last forever, a friendship th...

at everyone will cherish forever, a friendship in which no body else could replace. He was an awesome person and I know my life is awesome because I got to know and be friends with him. I got to see how awesome and yet stubborn he was, how caring he was, how honest and true he was. He was a genuine person, a genuine friend, a person I wish to be like one day. Well all love you Davey Chavez.

THE PACK

WHY BOTHER???

Dave,

This year for Labor Day we made homemade ice cream.  We haven't wanted to do much since you have been gone but we decided that Labor Day we would make ice cream because Rae had never had it before.  Needless to say SHE LOVED IT and asked for more!!  We did have peaches for her but we also has Hershey's chocolate syrup!!  Yes I said Hershey's.  We will never forget the year that Autumn bought the store brand and all you could say was "why bother"!!!  Miss you so much son and wish you had been here to enjoy the ice cream.  Mom

Happy 26th Birthday

Happy Happy birthday Dave. It is hard to believe this is your 26th birthday!!  Seems like just yesterday that you were born.  Every day is a memory and I cherish each and every one of them.  This morning as I laid in bed and thought about your life, I decided that every year I will think of one memory for every year you are old and write them down.  It wasn't hard to come up with 26 and I am sure when it is your 50th birthday I still won't have trouble thinking of that many.  Amazing what memories come to you when that is all that you have to hold on to and I will hold onto them all.

We didn't plan a party this year, Dad, Autumn, Raegan and myself met Gramma and Papa at Rose Hills to celebrate your birthday.  Low and behold, little by little, your friends started to arrive!!  It was so nice to see them there and know that they remembered that it was your birthday.  I hope that they always remember and we can see them yearly.  You wouldn't believe all the babies that have been born since you left.  We could open a daycare with all of them.  I have told their parents to make sure that they know who Uncle Davey is and all about you.  They have promised me they will.  My hope is they will know so much about you that they will think they meet you!!  Here is some pictures I took.  Of course there are many more but these were the main events.

HAPPY 26TH BIRTHDAY DAVEY

If I Listen

Missing you....
Mom

We Got a New Car!!

Well, it's new to us.  The Expedition finally wore down and it was to much to fix it.  Dad had been bugging me for along time to trade it in and I finally realized he was right.  It wasn't easy saying good bye to it though.  There were alot of memories in that car.  Some I didn't find out until just recently from some of your friends!!  Now I know why...  Anyway here is.  Pretty snazzy huh?  I know it is red, but that is all they had.  HEY, it already has a Batman sticker on it!!!

The Dark Knight Rises

Hey Dave,

The newest Batman movie just came out.  Some of the family had not even seen the first one..me included so we got together at Aunt Karens house and we had movie night.  She fixed dinner and the rest of us brought snacks and drinks and we watched "Batman Begins".  I believe that is the movie that you loved the best.  The next night we all got together again and went out to the movies to see "The Dark Knight Rises", the 3rd movie in the series.  Yes, we skipped the 2nd one but we got the idea what was going on from the first one.  We brought the leftover snacks from the night before too!!  Everyone had a good time.  Here is a picture of all of us.  I forgot to bring my camera (not really, my purse was to full of candy for anything else to fit) so I had to use my phone. It isn't a very good picture, but you get the idea.

Here is Unce Ted and his popcorn (Adrien sneaking some)

  The movie was good but I wish that you were here to enjoy it with us.  We are together because of you and I  hope that we will stay this way because of you. 

 Love and miss you more than there are words. 

Mom

Friends at Angel Stadium

When we went to Angel stadium to see your brick and the game, Shawn and Ashley were there. We had our picture taken with them.  It was so nice to see them again.

Angel Stadium

Here is the brick at Angel Stadium that Autumn bought Dad and I the first year you left us.

You changed me

Davey

You changed me.

You changed who I am,

You changed who I will be

I am forever changed because of you.

You’ve taught me that love has no boundaries

You've taught me that there is more to life than what I know

You’ve taught me to really truly count my blessings.

You’ve taught me the strength of a bond between a mother and a child.

Life is unpredictable

Life is about the love you share, and the people you share it with

Life isn’t easy and there is pain beyond measure

But my life must continue, even though your life is gone.

 I must continue, so that I can change the lives of others

the way you have forever changed me.

I love you,

Mom

30 Years

Hi Davey,
Today Dad and I celebrated our 30th anniversary.  Hard to believe it has been that long.  When we had our 25th, Dad bought me a 4 day cruise.  It was awesome and I told him that the next time we went on a cruise that I wanted ALL of us to go.  I knew how much you, Brittany and Autumn would have enjoyed it.  Then little Raegan came along and I included her as well in my plans.  I even was looking for a Disney cruise for us to go on.  I wanted to go for our 30th anniversary but as time went on, it didn't look like that was going to happen so I was planning it for our 35th.  My plans will never come true with ALL of us.  I can't even think about going on another cruise because I so wanted to share that experience with you.  All the food, the dancing, shows and even gambling.  You would have had a wonderful time.  Maybe in time I can convince myself that we should go, but for now I will just dream of how it would have been.

Dad and I wanted to do something special for today so we found this really nice Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Ca. called Javier's.  Allot of people talked about  how awesome that it was so we made a date and even got reservations.  Dad ordered us strawberry margarita's-a pitcher.  The waiter warned us that it served about 7 but dad said that was fine.  We would be able to finish it.  It was good, a little weak but it was good.  The food was awesome and where we sat we could see the ocean.  When we got the bill, boy were we surprised.  That pitcher was $70.00!!!  That's right, we ordered a $70.00 pitcher of margarita's.  All we could do was laugh!  Here is a pitcher.  Doesn't look like $70.00 worth huh??

Here is a picture I took of us.  I am still learning how to work my Iphone so it isn't really good.  We are looking pretty old huh?  We were home by 8:15!!  Such party people.

Anyway, I miss you more and more everyday and wish you were here to celebrate with us.  Every holiday or special occasion is not the same without you here.  Everyday is hard but these times are the hardest.  You are suppose to be here as we grow old and pass these milestones.  We watched you pass yours as you grew up and now that we grow old, we planned on sharing these happy times with you.  Now all we can do is dream of what it would be like if you were here. There are no words to tell you the pain that we have in our hearts.  I know that you would not want us sad everyday, but for now that is the way it is.  It will never get easier but maybe it will get different.

We love you Davey,

Mom and Dad

David Andrew Rodriguez

He turned 1 today!!

Dear Davey,

Your beautiful little namesake turned 1 today.  Hard to believe that he is already one. His mom has promised me that she will tell him all about you when he gets older and let him know what a wonderful, caring person that you were.  He will know that you were someone very special because not everyone is named after someone else.  I hope that he will always cherish his name and make us proud of who he is.  Please watch over him and keep him safe. Be that angel that is always on his shoulder and protect him from any harm. 

I love you, Mom                              

The day begins.....

Dear Davey,

The day begins again without you.
Each day comes and goes and I am look for you, search for you.
But you are no where in site.
I know you are in my heart and around me but yet I can't see you, can't touch you, can't hear your voice.
This must be a dream , maybe the day has not begun and I am still asleep and having this horrible night mare.
But then once again night falls , and another day comes without you here to share my day with, to hear how your day was.
How can this be, how can it be that I am left to live a life without you in it?
You had a heart of gold, a very caring person not to mention a very smart young man.
I go through the motions of each day not knowing what to do from one minute to another.
The time passes, the day ends , night falls, another night of hoping you come to me in my dream, are maybe to awaken and this is just a night mare.
But yet another day will begin without you .
My only solace is one day we will meet again when God calls me home .
Until then the days will come and go and I will continue to search for you even if it's just a sign from above that you still here with me , you will always be in my heart and a part of my heart has died when you went home to be God.

Even Bruce looks for you. 

 Today is my birthday.  My only wish would be to hold you one more time and tell you how much I miss you and love you.  I know that you are safe in the arms of Jesus and that gives me comfort.  Run free my angel and know that you are missed beyond words.

Love Mom

Easter 2012

Happy Easter Davey, 
We decorated again this year.  I know you probably see us and think how silly we are but it helps.  I feel like I am at least doing something for you.  I feel bad because the last few years I didn't fill eggs for you.  You never said anything but I am sure you missed finding all those eggs!!!  I can see you finding eggs even if you were 20 something!!!  This year they even had eggs that looked like base balls.

Some of your friends came after we took the decorations down and they did some decorating themselves.  I think you probably liked theirs better!!

Please watch over us all daily.  We like signs remember!!

Love as always...Mom

She turned 2 without you

She turned 2 without you but she sure knows who you are.  You would be so proud of the little girl she has become.  She is beautiful, smart, funny and has your temper at times!!!  Ask anyone who knew you as a little boy and they will tell you that she looks just like you did when you were her age. She even has your cowlick...thanks Dave.   Show her a picture of you and ask her who it is and she will say "Uncle Davey".

I wish you were here to see her grow up, but I know that you are watching over her everyday.  Not everyone can say that have a guardian angel watching over them like she can. When she is older, she will know more about you than she probably ever thought was possible!!!  And maybe even somethings that she might not want to know...your booty shake!!!

 Keep her safe Davey and watch over her when we can't.

Love Mom

Raegan's birthday candle

Yes, we got your candle for Raegan's birthday!!  Thank you

Here is the story: Raegan's 2nd birthday was February 11th.  We were looking forward to having the party, but not looking forward to missing Davey there.  Autumn and Raegan had been over to my house the night before and I had a candle lit.  It had 3 wicks.  When they left I blew out the candle and went to bed.  I was up at least 3 times in the middle of the night and walked past the candle and it was not lit. David came home late in the night and heated up food in the microwave where the candle was and it was not lit.  When I got up the next morning....Raegan's birthday..one wick was lit (see above).  That wick had not been lit all night or the candle would have been burned farther down.  Davey's sign for Raegan wishing her a

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM UNCLE DAVEY"

Would you rather?

 “Would you rather” is a game that you play to see how daring people can be.  Would you rather eat this or that?  Would you rather wear this or that? Would you rather go here or there?

Well, our everyday life isn’t a game.  If we asked the question, would you rather have Davey with us on Earth or in Heaven?  We may all jump at the chance to have him here with us, again.  Why wouldn’t we want him here? For one more laugh, one more hug, one more smile. 

However, I think about how thankful I am to have him in Heaven.  I am thankful that he is safe.  I am thankful he is there with God.  I am thankful he is there watching over and protecting us.  I am thankful for the signs he gives and the jokes he plays on us.    I am thankful to know I am never alone. 

And as he is looking down at us, I hope he would be proud of where we are in our lives.  Proud for the changes we have made and the people we have become.  It is true that you become a different person when you lose someone so special. 

 And so, in the end, the question of “Would you rather?” should best be left to topics like what to eat or wear.  Because in our everyday life, it is not always that easy to answer.

Valentines Day 2012

HEARTS, HEARTS, EVERYWHERE THERE ARE HEARTS

Dear Davey,

There are hearts everywhere now that I look.  I honestly believe they are from you. Who else could they be from?  They are so obvious, to me at least.  The first one I saw, I just thought "weird" and walked away.  Later it happened again and it made me think, so I took a picture.  Then they kept coming...at times when I needed them and then a lot of other times.  The heart above was taken by Dad's cousins wife.  I was on Facebook Christmas Day, missing you of course. This heart was staring me in the face when I opened my page.  Here are the others.  I know you know what they look like, but others don't so I want to post them so everyone can see.



One morning when I was driving your car

Carpet at home-not even wet

At work on my way to lunch



Bathroom rug




A piece of carpet

 

   


Dog pee???? Really Davey!!!



I LOVE THEM ALL...KEEP THEM COMING.

Now here is one for you.  Happy Valentines Day Davey. I Love You.



Mom

Uncle Steve

Hi Davey,
On January 26, 2012 Uncle Steve left this earth to begin his eternal life in Heaven.  Steve was an awesome Dad, son, brother in law and uncle.  He will really be missed here on earth but I am sure that you have already met up with him and are having a great time.  I can just hear him when he saw you....."hey Davey"..the way he always greeted you.  Do they let him make his salsa in heaven?  We sure miss it here and we miss him too.  Why?  Why Steve?  Why you?  I guess that we won't know until we get to heaven ourselves.The picture above was on your 3rd birthday.  Weird that Steve was the only one that took a picture with you that day.  I guess it was so I could post it here but who would have known way back then.  I miss you more and more everyday and wish you were here.  I know that you are safe in God's hands and are happy there.  We are the ones that are suffering.

Until we meet again, my beautiful son,  I love you
Mom

New Years 2012

Hey Davey,

Happy New Year!!!  I am sure the celebration in Heaven is awesome.  I wanted you to see what party people us Chavez's are!!! 

Fun and simple.  We celebrated together....because of you.  I love you and miss you. Mom