After having lost my brother to cancer last March, I was not really looking forward to the Christmas holiday this year as much as in previous years when my brother, Russell, and my mother would come up from Florida to spend Christmas with us. Thankfully, God blessed me with a pre-Christmas gift when my precious Grand niece, River Lynn, was born in September. As soon as I saw her first photo, I fell in love with this tiny bundle of joy.
We decided to make the five-hour trip to Olive Branch Mississippi to spend Christmas with my niece and nephews. My nephew, Adam, went down to Florida to bring my mother up to Olive Branch for Christmas and we agreed to take her back home with us and down to Florida the next week. It was one of our most memorable Christmases ever. The highlight of the holiday was the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at my niece, Amanda’s, church in which she helped lead the service with her beautiful singing, and seeing little River Lynn for the first time, after the service. The moment is captured in the photo above. Christmas day was spent with the family, which included Adam’s adorable nine month old daughter, Addie, and all of my lovely Grand nieces and nephews. The week we spent with my mother at home was also special. Even at age 85, her mind and wit remains sharp and I treasure every minute spent with her.
I believe God blessed our family with little River Lynn, at least in part, to help ease the pain of losing my brother. Only He can change a tragedy into a blessing. It was truly a Christmas to remember, and I am thankful for every moment of this precious memory.