Back to School

I was extremely nervous when I woke up this morning, but today was one of the brightest I've had. I was greeted with warm smiles and tons of hugs from my kiddies and co-workers. Of course I started boohooing. They each presented me with a sweet card. They asked a lot of questions and stared a lot, especially the older ones. Overall, it was a great day and I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. I think working will be a big part of the healing process.

I think about our sweet baby girl every minute of the day, but know she's in a better place now. September 19 was the best day of my life, but also the worst. We received her death certificate in the mail today, which made things seem so final. I have so many questions....I still wake up every morning and think it was a bad nightmare, but its not. Mornings and evenings are the hardest. I've been walking a lot, trying to clear my head. I do know good things are in store for us and God has a plan. I truly believe Baby Girl Hardin saved my life that day. We will get through this....We are committed!! My heart no longer pounds and the swelling has gone down (according to Laura). I've spent a lot of hours on the net researching Pre-eclampsia and have learned soooo much about the dangers and what could have happened.

I've had 2 dreams about my close friend Jay Fullerton, who died in April 2000 of congenital liver disease. The first one he was on stage, winking at me, singing Whitney Houston's, "Queen of the Night." The next one he was a young child, sitting at a desk. I walked by him and he gave me this comforting smile. I truly believe he's speaking to me and letting me know everything is going to be ok. We put some of Baby Girl Hardin's ashes on my Grandpa's grave last Saturday. I know he's rocking and singing Bye oh Baby to her :)

My Dog Meg

There is a member of the family we have not yet introduced. Our sweet dog Meggy Bone Bone. Meg for short. She is a border collie given to us by Avie's grandfather (this is Scooter writing). She is the smartest, prettiest dog ever. She sleeps with us sometimes, although she prefers sleeping on her throne (the chair next to the bed). She enjoys going on walks, doggie steak treats and doing a variety of tricks.

Spa Day

I have the most wonderful friends in the world!! They treated me to a 3 hour Spa, where I received a 1 hour massage, mud body wrap, and pedicure. The massage therapist expressed how tense I was and I said...... you have no idea!! I can't express how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and family. I also got a letter today from the doctor who assisted with my delivery. He stated that there was an infection in my placenta too.

We continue to receive many letters of support and encouragement from friends and family. Scooter and I truly feel like we have a guardian angel watching over us. We received her ashes last Saturday in a beautiful little urn.

I'm going back to work tomorrow and know this will help with the healing process. Scooter and I are brainstorming ideas about a trip to celebrate our 2 year anniversary on October 23. We both love the idea of Maui, since we were married there. We are ready to get back on surf boards and ride the waves!! Love to you all.

Our Baby Girl

Most of you probably already know the news. Last week, I went into pre-term labor and gave birth to our beautiful baby girl. Our sweet baby lived for about an hour, but ultimately moved on to a better place. While she was only with us a very short time, she brought so much joy to us and will continue to do so for the remainder of our lives. We had the opportunity to hold her and tell her how much we loved her. To say that losing her has been very tough is an understatement. Words can't describe the pain associated with losing her, but at the same time the feeling of love that we felt (and feel) for her that is beyond anything we have felt before. She was our precious baby girl and will be in our hearts forever.

On Monday, we decided to take a road trip to clear our heads. We traveled to Branson the first night and stayed at Big Cedar Lodge. We saw an Elvis tribute show that was great. From there we went to a town called Hermann, Missouri. We toured a winery there and had dinner. We stayed in the Hermann Motel. Yesterday, we made our way to St. Louis. We are staying downtown and saw another show last night "Legends in Concert". Elvis, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe, etc, etc. We were the youngest in the crowd by about 20 years but really enjoyed it. Today, we are meeting Emily Barron for a Cardinals game and dinner.

Through all of this, we have realized one thing that truly stands out. We are so blessed to have the most supportive, wonderful family and friends in the world. Throughout the day, calls and e-mails continue to pour in and each of them mean so much to us. Relationships are everything in life and we are so lucky to have so many great ones. Love to you all.

Happy Birthday Lu!

Happy birthday to the best father-in-law!! You are so generous to us and we love you soooo much!! We are so thankful the tumor has shrunk from a 4 to a 3!!! What a blessing!!! Thank you so much for being you. XOXO!

Enjoy a picture of Scooter from his college days as Herbert Van Winkle

SEE HERBERT IN ACTION HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Zwffam1_Q

Grandparent's Day

Scooter and I adore our Grandparents!! We love spending time with all of you!! Your wisdom, ideas, and love for others have taught us soooo much. We are blessed to have you in our lives. I miss you Grandpa sooo much!! Thanks for all that you do.


Scooter wrote this tribute to Grandpa in February.

John G. Harrison, Junie Bug to some, was a wonderful man
His life was a great one, with a big master plan
From his time in the service, to time on the farm
His life impacted so many, never causing harm
He proudly served his country, old Orphy was his horse
They were a team together, each one staying the course
There was a pretty young girl he met, Vinita Gilbert was her name
After whistling at her, he knew life would never be the same
They married, then all the kids joined the clan
John, Jeannie, Jeff and my dad Jan
After living in town, John G. bought some land
When he determined city living was a bit bland
A house and ranch were built, known as Bar 6
There wasn’t anything around this ranch he couldn’t fix
With grandkids came the addition of a pool
Grandpa wanted them there, he was no fool
The grandkids loved him and spending time there
From swimming and eating char-chickey, to riding a mare
Picking us up from school, he’d stop for cupcakes and ice cream
He’d tell us “love you sugar” and we would beam
While he’s no longer with us, from Heaven he is gazing
You can hear his voice now “Oh boy, boy, boy, this place is amazing!”