One year ago today......

I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family. I am so thankful for your support and love. I wanted to take today and share some wonderful memories of my mom. Some of you have met her and some of you never had the opportunity. She was a very UNIQUE women to put it lightly.. :-) She raised me to be independent and self sufficient. I think she did a great job! I may have a little to much independence at times and i'm sure that comes from her also...

I have decided to keep most of the details of the days and moments leading up to mom's death between me and my family. We (by we I mean my sister Heather, our aunt and my mom's siter Wendy, Blake, Steve (my sisters husband) and a very close friend to my mom) were with her in her bed holding her hands. I can remember my hand was on her pulse the entire time I was praying. I was praying for God to take her. To take her peacefully and to take her to a beautiful place where there was no cancer there would be no pain and that one day we would be with her again walking along the beach. I felt her last heartbeat at 4:25pm November 18, 2009.

What I did want to share is that it is really important to be with the ones you love not just when they need you the most. My mom was diagnosed when I was just 20 weeks pregnant with Charlotte. I can remember the feeling after leaving the doctors office that day. Stage IV pancreatic cancer. I had done the research prior to the appointment and knew that less then 5% of the people diagnosed live past 5 years. I remember thinking my the grace of God she will make it to see if we have a baby boy or girl. My mom did make it to meet Charlotte less then 24 hours after her "birth"day. My dear friend video taped that evening in my hospital room. I don't plan to watch it until I can watch it with Charlotte. It will be through our precious photo and a few video that Charlotte will know who my mom is "Gigi". My mom made up that name. I'm not quite sure why but she really like it so we went with it. We made some really special memories that last year which happened to be Charlotte's year of firsts....Those memories are truly priceless. Thanks for stopping by to get to know my mom a little better. Here are a few random facts;

-my mom was meticulously organized

I however, am not. In anyway.

-my mom LOVE clothes

Yes, it is true I have the same addiction

-My mom had a semi selective memory

I have an elephants memory

-My mom LOVEd Pepsi

I dislike soda period.

-My mom loved belts, necklaces and purses

I dont' accessorize 99% of the time

-My mom loved popcorn

I too love popcorn. Charlotte loves popcorn.

-My mom was pretty opinionated

I have an opinion but I care about yours too :-)

-My mom loved Law in Order

I too love Law in Order. I can watch any episode half over and love it.

-My mom LOVED dogs.

I love dogs.

-My mom's favorite place was the beach.

I love the beach, just not the sand.

This is a photo of my mom, myself and my aunt Wendy before my baby shower 36 weeks prego

This was the first time my mom met Charlotte

Christmas 2009

April 2009 My mom's birthday aboard the General Jackson

My mom teaching Charlotte how to play Heart and Soul.

July 4th 2009 Ocean Reef Club Key Largo, FL. She loved this place!

Charlotte's 1st birthday 2009 My mom was sick this day and this is the only picture taken of her.

This is the pictures I took just minutes after she left her earthly body for her heavenly space..

Thanks so much for spending a few minutes getting to know my mom. She was a remarkable women and will forever be missed.

Thanks to all my mom's friends and co-workers for there help many became part of our family along the way. Thanks to my mom's sister and my aunt Wendy. She was so blessed to have you as her big sister! oxoxox

Thanks to my sister Heather, her husband doing everything they could to help my mom. You did so many things that I couldn't do.. xoxoxo

I leave you lastly with the last picture my mom took with her camera.. a sunset.. go figure..