thank you...

from the prayer service at the wake...praying the rosary...

The last few days have been a blur of grief, tears, laughter and more hugs than I have ever received in my life. My Courtney's wake and funeral Mass were beautiful and awesome. They were celebrations filled with so much love and joy, my heart could barely take it all in. 

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who made this process of letting go and saying goodbye survivable. To my prayer group, my dear friends from grade school, high school and collage. To my parish community who has loved us through so much these past 15 years. Words seem so inadequate to express my families gratitude to so many. 

Courtney's wheelchair...no longer needed...

To the eight priests and three deacons who celebrated the liturgy for my girl, never have I been so moved to see how Courtney's life impacted the church triumphant. A saint indeed. To Father Barkett, Father Hayes and Deacon Marques, your prayers, words of solace, your prayers and blessings, your homily and eulogy for my girl were more than we could have asked for. So much love for my Courtney. 

To my extended family who loved our Courtney from the beginning. I have never been prouder to stand with you. Thank you for everything especially your words of encouragement and love by the graveside supporting me when I didn't want to leave my sweet girl. You are my heart and I am so blessed to be a part of the Green/Stuecken/Lenaburg Clans. Daddy would be so proud of all of you. 

our beautiful girl...now free...

To Jerry and Jonathan, our lives have changed forever, but God is with us. He will guide our steps. Courtney is happy and whole, enjoying a heavenly banquet beyond our imaginings. I am not sad about that. I will miss her laughter, her huge smile, how she feels in my arms and the way she did everything in her own very special way, everyone else be damned. She had guts our girl and she would expect us to keep moving forward, living life to the fullest. So we shall in time. For now, it's one step at a time. One day at a time. 

To my sweet readers. Thank you for coming to honor our daughter at the wake and funeral. Thank you for your prayers and your practical gifts. Thank you for checking this page and keeping those candles lit for Courtney. I will continue to share here on this page about my life and about my Courtney and how she continues to change the world one heart at a time. 

my favorite image from the day...

We shall passionately persevere...one day at a time...

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