"I do it mysef!"

Can't believe she's still here. And snoring lightly and peacefully at that! I think Fred Horn had it best on his Facebook post, "Who would ever have dreamed that Charlotte would do things her way!!! That is what has always made her special!!!" Rachel and Mary Poppins were saying she's waiting for Frosty The Hutt to melt before leaving. He's now Frosty The Lump.

Last night Rachel and I took turns holding her. We sang songs, rocked her, and enjoyed a quiet evening. We even got Granny to Skype in a story. We were having some issues connecting to her all day and then all of a sudden, it worked!

The lower amount of traffic through the house was a nice change. We still had plenty of people come by like Pastor Ed, Auntie 'Retta, Nurse Patty, etc... and lots of stories were still read but the people who agreed to Skype instead of come in person helped us have more "close-time" with CJ.

Today is going to be quiet as well. Rachel is sleeping in a little. I slept moderately well too which is a nice change. With all the "goodbye-ing" we've been doing, the idea of waking up and Charlotte being gone doesn't freak me out like it would have in my last lifetime. It would be just a matter-of-fact kind of thing now.

We really appreciate all the compliments people have given us concerning "how strong we are," and "I don't know how you're doing it," etc...and I hope we've had a positive (or at least calming) influence on someone but as we've said before, we haven't done it alone. Here's a story about that...

When we lived in Boone, NC, our dentist died suddenly while he and his family were on a cruise. He was a pretty popular guy in town and I was working at the local AM radio station so I got the job of talking to his wife to get details for a news story. What really touched me was how composed she was only days after he had died (this was before the funeral even happened) and how completely at peace she was even though it had to have been quite a shock. She was very nice and answered all my questions, adding answers to a few I forgot to ask, and seemed genuinely touched by the support and love she was receiving from the community. I've met a few others like her in my travels but she's the one who stands out in my mind. I give people like her at least some credit for my outlook on this situation. It's the old standing-on-the-shoulders-of-giants thing. Norman is in Ireland. (or was that, "No man is an island?")

A sense of humor doesn't hurt, either.

Gotta go look at my stubborn little girl.