I'll post Christmas photos later.

In the meantime, I'll post a sad note. On Christmas Eve, there was a car accident not more than a mile from our house. It snarled up traffic, which Greg experienced on his way home from work. We didn't read the names until Christmas night. In the car was Laura Sims and her two children, Nicholas and Simone. Laura was on the Rabbit Creek Preschool parent board with me. She served as Chair the year before I became chair. Her son Nicholas was in Christopher's preschool class. We read on Christmas night that Nicholas had been critically injured in the accident. We heard from a mutual friend on the morning after Christmas that Nicholas has passed away that morning.

I remember at Christopher's preschool graduation an overwhelming feeling of pride in this first peer group of Christopher's. They had played such an important part of his development as his first real classmates and after several years of being together in class they had become close knit. I remember imagining at preschool graduation that I would someday read in the paper about these kids and their weddings and accomplishments, etc. It absolutely never passed through my mind that I would read about this.

Laura and I worked together on many RCP projects, including searching for new preschool space and hiring new teachers. Nicholas was a sweet and quiet boy who participated in many adventures with his mother's leading. I'm grieving terribly for this family. Although we didn't keep in touch after the boys' preschool graduation, I would hear about them periodically from a mutual friend. Her son and Nicholas were best friends. I can't imagine the grief that this family must be experiencing.

Pray for the Sims family. I think Christopher and I will try to go to the memorial on Monday morning. We'll see if Cate can find a place to hang out. Pray I'll have words to say. It's hard understanding the sovereignty of God (particularly in this kind of event) even if you've spent years trying to understand it. I can't imagine how you could begin to understand such a tragedy without that.