Happy Birthday Jesus I can only imagine how happy my baby girl is to be with you on your birthday. This picture was taken a year ago today. My last Christmas with my amazingly beautiful daughter. I know she is perfectly happy and that she wants nothing but for us to be happy. We try our best to stay encouraged and focus on Gods love for us and her. The pain of missing her isn’t something I can pretend doesn’t exist. Especially on a day like today. I can take pictures smile and act as though we are a whole family but we are forever missing a vital part of what made us who we are. If I could just have a little window into heaven and see her I think it would help because part of my happiness came from making her happy. I know God knows my heart and that he continues to put people in our lives to encourage us and to help us walk through this life without her. Everyone of you are an answered prayer for us and we know we are blessed. When we go out to visit Sydney and find beautiful flowers and notes to her it allows us to see the love others had for her and how much she touched others lives. Thank you all for remembering her and our family. We want everyone to remember the reason we are celebrating today because our Savior was born..again Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

The pain is more than I can handle more than I can bare more than I ever thought possible…I can not say enough or post enough to explain how challenging it is to find hope when someone you loved so much is taken from you. My life is not what I imagine or dreamed I lost a part of me not by choice but I have to have faith and believe that my God is a loving God he wouldn’t take her to destroy me. He is still there for me everyday to sustain me through this life that has now become so difficult for me. My suffering has allowed me to experience Gods love and guidance like never before as I know the depths of my pain I know it is through him I make it to the next day. I feel the emptiness around me I miss her beautiful smile, her laughter, and her love for God but I stand up and try to smile and walk forward boldly with God to honor and glorify him and to make her proud. I may feel the emptiness but God continues to bless me. He keeps Sydney Lisa Jeter light shining bright all around me every time I pick up a camera here comes the light so that I smile knowing she is right there with me shining as bright as she always did. Letting her momma know she will never be apart from me.

I’m blessed that God knows my heart. That he can see that even though my pain is deep and overwhelming I am thankful. I know through this horrible nightmare that he blessed me. I’m thankful for the last day I had with her and that we did nothing but hangout and talk about God all day. I’m thankful for all the writings she left so I would be encouraged to continue to live for God so I am blessed with seeing her again. I’m thankful I have a text from my baby just hours before she left this earth telling me she was a blessed daughter. I’m thankful that God didnt let her suffer. I’m thankful he blessed me with knowing her salvation was secure and that the minute she was out of the body she was present with The Lord. I’m thankful that he allowed me to grab ahold of every moment with her and live them the way we did. I’m thankful that she was an amazing loving person and her love was so strong we still feel it through her pictures. I’m Thankful he gave her to me over 17 years ago. I’m Thankful that I have an amazing Husband and son that understand that I’m going crazy and love me anyway. I’m Thankful for my son, knowing he is a gift and can be taken from me at anytime. I’m Thankful to still have him to call me mommy and say I love you! I’m Thankful for all of our friends and family that have been there and stood beside us during these tough times. I’m thankful for her friends who allow us to still be a part of their lives so we didn’t have to lose her and everything she loved. I have never hurt so bad in my life…a part of me is gone forever and I will never be the same. But through that pain I am most thankful that God loved us enough to send his son here to die a horrible death so that my baby could be taken to a place so beautiful and perfect our minds can’t even understand. Because his son took the punishment she deserved…I deserved…we deserved. That is a love I can not understand but am Thankful for. She waits for me in a perfect place while I finish living the life I must live in order to receive my gift of eternal life with My God and my precious baby

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. I have no idea how long our test will be but every second of everyday is a new challenge trying to survive living without our amazing daughter. I know where she is..not even I could love her more than God himself. She is in a perfect place while we are left in the horrible imperfect world. We stood strong through Cameron’s birthday but Stacy explained Thanksgiving as if we are standing on the railroad tracks with the train barreling right at us and we can’t move or run from it. I believe everyone of us was blessed by her over the top out going personality. It is so hard to not have that in our lives. They say you will find your new normal I have found mine…my new normal is missing her every second of every day. Longing for the day I get to see her again. I loved her from the very first time I heard her heartbeat..the kind of love that isn’t bound by earth my love for her continues to grow just as if she were still here because my love was not based off of what I received from her it was unconditional because she was who she was. She really was everything she appeared to be and some! I was blessed to have been given such an amazing gift!

We are not doing well. The more time goes by the harder it is to find hope. I know I will see her again but I can’t imagine spending years like this. Its hard for people to understand and I honestly hope they never have to because you will never understand unless you experience it. I used to think the same way. Encouraging words and telling people they will see them again and thinking that was enough..its not enough to replace your precious child that you lived for since they were kicking inside of you. I cry more than I smile or laugh. She was so full of life constantly had me running and laughing. I miss watching her play soccer and love all over her family and friends. I try so hard to be somewhat normal for Cameron but he’s so different then her. He’s content being at home even if I offer he doesn’t want to go or do anything. Which allows me all this extra time she filled up to just sit and cry. Stacy feels the exact same way he’s a mess but strong at the same time. The strength he has shown to be there when I’m falling apart is a blessing I will forever be thankful for. He says often He’s going to make sure he is everything she ever wanted him to be. We learn that God will be our bridegroom or our father so when we lose a spouse or parent its natural to look for God to fill the gap but God is never our child he never falls to that spot as we are his children so I look for him to fill the gap and it just doesn’t happen. He is there to walk with me and comfort me but the emptiness is forever growing as he has my sweet baby girl with him.