It was a good day...

I've been writing this post in my head all day because today was one of the best days we've had in a long time.

Both kids woke up with beautiful smiles this morning, giggled all day, and went to bed in sweet little moods, most certainly ready for a peaceful night's rest.

They were wonderful. They made me happy. And, they allowed me to get a TWO HOUR NAP this afternoon.

Did you hear me? TWO HOURS. That has never happened, at least I don't think. If it has, it's been so long that I can't remember it ever happening.

I wasn't even tired and my to-do list was a mile and a half long, but when I realized I had both kids asleep at the same time, I moved Miss Kitty off my side of the bed and she and I snuggled up for an unexpected, late afternoon siesta.

It was blissful.

A good nap and a do over on last night's failed dinner at the no fail BBQ place that we love made for a splendid day.

Until tonight.

When Jamala called and her first words were, "I'm calling with some tragic news," I knew it was bad. I took a deep breath and prepared for the worst.

Do y'all remember this precious little girl, Skylar, who was Ty's friend in Texas? We always joked that they were boyfriend/girlfriend when they were babies because they constantly gravitated toward each other at the Little Gym...






Well, Jamala was calling to tell me the horrific news that Skylar's mommy died Tuesday night from a sudden bacterial infection. The details are still sketchy at this point, but they don't really matter anyway. The fact is, Skylar will grow up without her mother.

That breaks my heart in a million pieces and makes me completely sick to my stomach.

Kymberlie was only 36 years old. I bet she bathed Skylar, read her a book, maybe rocked her for a while, and then kissed her goodnight on Monday night never dreaming that would be the last time she'd put her baby to bed. By Tuesday morning she was terribly ill and her husband took her to the hospital. Not long after that, she was in the ICU.

And, she never made it out of there.

Tomorrow a family will bury their daughter, sister, wife, friend...and, Skylar will bury her mother. She's only two years old, and, instead of going to the scheduled playdate at Meagan's house tomorrow, she'll be going to her mother's funeral.

My emotions are in an uproar over this. Danny told me to go to bed well over an hour ago, but I just can't close my eyes. Kymberlie was always so cheerful, so loving, so fun. She brightened many rooms with her big grin and hearty laugh. Physically, she was a tiny person, but she had a huge personality that was like a magnet. You couldn't help but be friends with her.

All my friends in Texas were so dear to me (and they still are), but there will always be a very special place in my heart for those moms at The Little Gym. We all went in that place carrying little bundles of joy on our hips and burp cloths in our pockets. We were desperate for friends, desperate for other new moms to talk with, and anxious to get out of our houses.

Little did we know how special our bond would become.

We did playdates and lunch dates. We cheered as our little ones started crawling and walking and talking. We celebrated first birthdays like it was our job. We watched second pregnancies develop and new babies be born. I guess we sort of grew up together in a lot of ways. Our ages varied, our backgrounds were all different, and not one of us looked like we belonged together, but we clung to those friendships because there was a history there that could not be taken away from a single one of us.

When I moved, the girls carried on. I was absolutely thrilled to see them all again in November when Ty and I traveled to Texas for Kai's birthday. All the kids had grown by leaps and bounds, and we couldn't stop talking about how it seemed like just yesterday they were all sitting on the big red mat at the gym as four, five, and six month olds. And, there we were doing second birthday parties.

What if we'd known what was to come?

I could go on and on about how terrible this is and how it makes me ache to think of leaving my kids behind, but I won't. You can probably figure all that out for yourself.

The bottom line is that God is good. All the time. Even when a two year old is left to grow up without her mommy. God will bring good to and through this sad situation, and, while we may never understand it this side of Heaven, we can be certain that He knows what He's doing. This is not a mystery to Him.

I'm so thankful for that.

Tonight I am praying for Kymberlie's husband, Gregg, and, of course, Skylar. I pray that that sweet little girl will grow up to understand just how much her mother loved her, how she was the light of her mother's life, and how her Father in Heaven will fill all the empty places in her heart.

And, I'm praying that we'll all remember that tomorrow is never guaranteed.

Skylar and Kymberlie at Ty's first birthday party.

Kymberlie, Skylar, Linda, and Meagan at Kai's first birthday party.

Gregg, Skylar, and Kymberlie at Skylar's first birthday party.