Kids' Praise

Dear Stephen,

I had several people ask me if the six month anniversary of you being gone was hard on me. It really didn't seem harder than any other day. It's the things that you would never expect would bother me that knock the breath out of me.

Brooklynn's school had a small singing program on Thursday. When she saw me walk into the room, her little face just beamed with excitement that I had come. It only took a couple minutes of me watching her to make me heartbroken. I know that if you would have been there, your heart would have almost burst with love for her. She was so adorable. When I sit in a room full of parents like that, I realize just how much you completed me. I feel so out of place and alone. I wish I could go back to before you were killed. I would snuggle closer to you when you put your arm around me. I would absorb how it felt to have everything right in my world. I would fully appreciate your strength, character and humor. I miss you, Babe. I didn't sign up for this. I signed up to be your wife and mother of your kids. Not your widow. I need you.

Loving you,

Me

Notice how she is playing with her ears... I was telling her a couple days ago that her Daddy used to play with his ears just like she did. She got so excited and said that when she got to heaven, she was going to ask you to play with your ears. :-)

Lake Placid, NY

Dear Stephen,

We were invited to a police hockey tournament held in Lake Placid, NY. They honored you three guys this year. Scuillos and I were able to go and they spoiled us rotten! Something that I think over and over since you were killed was that you would have loved to meet some of the people that I have got to meet. It was wonderful being with Scuillos and meeting the people from Lake Placid.

Monday night they had a banquet for the hockey players which were mostly all policemen. There were about 7 teams there. Three or four of the teams made presentations to Scuillos and I. It was very moving to see how people are still affected by the tragedy.

I wish you were still here so you could go skiing there. Gorgeous! It's such a neat little town. I would love to go in the winter and get snowed in!

Love you so much!

Shandra

~Ausable Chasms...on the way to Lake Placid~

~Ausable Chasms~

~New York State Trooper, Mike...he took us on a tour of Lake Placid, including Olympic sites. Such a great man! Mrs. Scuillo is small, but Trooper Mike is just plain big! 6 ft. 8 in. big!~

~Olympic Bobsled Run~

~Practicing jumping...they land in the pool. Pretty awesome to see!~

~The view from my motel room...gorgeous~

~Olympic Ski Jump~

~PA State Police on the left and Pittsburgh Police on the right~

~Our guys~

Niagra Falls

Hey Babe,

Julia and I took the kids to Niagra Falls a couple weeks ago. They all did so great. Brooklynn and Alyssa even got along great which we both know is a miracle!!