Just Days Left and Daddy Dolls

This is me.  

This is me Thanksgiving morning super thrilled that is the last holiday I'll spend without Richard this year.

(see how happy I am?!)

And this is why I do NOT participate in the "What I Wore Wednesday" posts in blogland.  

Y'all know this photo is hilarious!!!!!!!!! So awful, so not who I am, but still so filled with joy that I wanted to post it.  (I mean seriously, could my smile be any bigger???!!! I so knew once Thanksgiving was over I'd be seeing my soldier soon!)

This man, 

will be leaving this place

very soon and coming home to five completely un-expecting, but very deserving sweet girls.

I can hardly stand it.  As I type this there is an 8 year old throwing up with a stomach ache ... her third in just two weeks ... crying because she misses her Daddy.  Christmas is hard for her without her Daddy.  I knew it would be, but not to this extent.  She will be fine, but she is just young and has such a big heart for her Daddy.  She's old enough to be aware that he's gone and in a dangerous place and will be gone a while, but she's not old enough to really make sense of it all ... to understand and cling to the "honor" aspect of what he does.  She just misses her Daddy.  

On Richard's last trip home, we took photos of him with each girl individually.  They didn't know it, but we needed these photos for a special gift for them.  We ordered each girl their own Daddy Doll.  Richard picked out a verse special for each one too and we had it printed on the bottom. 

 I think at first a couple loved them right away and a couple sort of thought, "great another something for us because Daddy's gone."  They didn't really know what to think about it just yet.  Maybe it was just too powerful ... 

I don't know... but I do know that they love them.  I've watched them.  And I've seen their love of these dolls.  I wish I could show you the quiet moments where as I walk by their rooms and I see them reaching up on the dresser to get their doll down ... or when they get in the van after school and say "My Daddy Doll!" while they grab their doll and squeeze it with all their might.  

I wish you could see them in the morning sound asleep with a bed full of stuffed animals, but their head is leaning on their Daddy Doll.  ... or when I bring something to my 13 year old's room and she's sitting at her desk looking at  her doll.  They don't take them everywhere ... but they go to these dolls when they really miss their daddy.  They love these dolls.  They use these dolls.  They find comfort in them.  

I cannot say enough about the company who makes these dolls, too.  The customer service I received was amazing.  They even reimbursed me for some editing charges I paid for when they deemed the editing not that big of a deal.  They truly love the joy their dolls bring not just military children, but civilians, too!  

I need to go check on my sweet Patterson.  I think I'll go get her doll off her bed now and take it to her.  

I am thankful, so thankful for companies like this one who make such a big difference in little people's lives!  And I am beyond thankful that my girls will get the best Christmas present they can imagine this year.  I know not everyone will have this blessing.  

The Daddy Doll company would like to make a free doll for one of you.  If you have a little one who would like a doll, please submit a comment and I'll announce a winner on Christmas Eve.  I don't really like giveaways ... that is really not what this blog is about, but when this company offered, I couldn't refuse.  And remember, you do NOT have to be military to win!  (nor does this have to be a doll for a child and their Dad!! It could be a Mom or a grandparent ... )

Life is never without it's trials ... no matter who we are.  But if we stop and truly think about it, I think we all will see a cup that overflows.