MERRY CHRISTMAS VINNIE! ANOTHER CHRISTMAS IS COMING. ANOTHER CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU. WE MISS YOU SO VERY MUCH! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING EASIER TO BEAR BUT IT IS GETTING HARDER WITH EACH PASSING DAY, EACH PASSING HOLIDAY. IT IS STILL SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE HERE WITH US AGAIN. WE PRAY TO GOD EACH HOLIDAY TO PLEASE GIVE US THE STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH IT WITHOUT THE PAIN WITHOUT THE LONGING TO SEE YOU JUST ONE MORE TIME. WE KNOW THAT CAN NEVER BE. BUT IT IS THAT HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US, THAT IMPOSSIBLE HOPE THAT SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY YOU WILL LET US KNOW THAT YOU ARE HERE THAT GETS US THROUGH.

AS MOM COOKS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL AND SETS YOUR PLATE AT THE TABLE, AS YOUR STOCKING JOINS OURS ON THE MANTLE AND YOUR PRESENTS ARE LAID OUT UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE WE WILL HOPE TO FEEL YOU ARE STILL THERE. AS WE PUT UP THE CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS ADDRESSED TO YOU IT IS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE STILL LOVED BY SO MANY. BECAUSE OF THE LOVE THAT YOU GAVE IN LIFE IS WHY YOU ARE STILL LOVED SO MUCH! IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LOVE YOU SHOWED THAT YOU WERE WELCOMED INTO HEAVEN AND ACCEPTED INTO GOD'S LOVING EMBRACE. IT IS THIS LOVE THAT MAKES US HURT SO MUCH AND MISS YOU SO DEARLY AT THIS SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR!

THOUGH YOU CANNOT VISIT WITH US WE WILL VISIT YOU AT YOUR ETERNAL RESTING PLACE, I WILL TAKE ALL THE SNOW OFF, AS I DO EACH YEAR. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHY I DO THAT. I KNOW YOU ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO FEEL THE CHILL OF THE WINTER BLANKET BUT I JUST CAN'T STAND TO SEE THAT ON YOU. MAYBE I JUST FEEL THE NEED TO PROTECT YOU AS I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO WHILE YOU WERE STILL WITH US. MAYBE I JUST NEED TO DO SOMETHING BESIDES JUST STARE AT YOUR MONUMENT, I DON'T KNOW. I JUST KNOW THAT WE WANT YOU HOME! WE WANT YOU WITH US! THOUGH WE KNOW THAT WILL NEVER BE, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE THERE TO SEE HOW MUCH WE LOVE AND MISS YOU! IF THERE WAS BUT ONE WISH, ONE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT WOULD BE TO KNOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE TRULY LOVE AND MISS YOU. THAT YOU ARE IN OUR HEARTS NOW AND FOREVER!                                                                                                                            "MERRY CHRISTMAS LI'L VINNIE! "

LOVE YOU ALWAYS...MOM, DAD, CHRIS, JASON, VANESSA

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