Last week, before the horribly sad events of Friday took place, Ree & I went to my mom's to make Christmas cookies. Every year she makes about a 100 dozen cookies to gift. This year Ree was thrilled to be able to help roll the dough and decorate them. All By Herself. (The decorating that is).

She took her job very seriously and they turned out beautiful!

And then Friday happened and I kind of forgot about these pictures. My husband & I have been talking and praying all weekend and we keep coming back to we don't want Ree to grow up in fear. Everywhere we've gone since Friday morning we've been on constant alert. Our nerves have been on edge watching everyone, seeing possible threats in every person we see. 

But I don't want that for Ree. I want her to be the carefree, happy little girl that she is. And as her Momma I can make that happen. I can show her that the world really is full of wonder and awe. That (I believe) there are more good people then bad. That in order for our world to have peace and love we need to be that instrument. 

I read (one of many, many) articles over the past few days where a woman from Newtown was quoted as asking "What is the rest of the world doing? Are they going about their normal days like nothing has happened?" I can say for my family that no, we aren't. We are mourning with them. Feeling their ache from afar. Although only one state over it's really not that far away. 

We are thinking of what we can do in our spot in the world to make it a better place. We are holding our child closer. Thinking of ways to make her world more peace-filled and joy-filled. The lessons we have learned from Newtown will be long lasting. And we will never forgot the faces of those precious little one's who were ripped from their parents lives way too soon in such a horrific way.