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Erin’s 2nd Angelversary

2ndTreeYesterday marked our 2nd year without our precious Erin. We miss her more than words can say. We miss being her Mommy and Daddy, we miss her friends, and we miss everything that was our lives 2 years ago.

Over the last two years I have posted many items that were given in kindness from friends and neighbors, many anonymously. Yesterday we woke up to a card taped on our front door and a beautiful ribbon tied to our tree out front. We do not know which neighbor(s) gave us their love and kindness, but we thank and appreciate them.

I have another gift picture to post, but that is another story and I will save it for another day and post soon. To everyone who has walked with us on this journey, thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts. It has helped to make our pain bearable.

And lastly, I do not have it in me to host a donation drive, but if anyone wants to continue to honor Erin, please donate to your favorite animal rescue. If you would like to send me confirmation, just email me for my contact information at nicole@bluestarhome.net.

Love,

Erin’s Mommy

Erin Alyssa Canter
12/11/2003 – 8/14/2014
#missingerin and #LovingErin

Gifts in Erin’s Honor

Last week, we received two beautifully wrapped gift boxes on our porch with a note from “A Neighbor.” This wasn’t the first gift from that anonymous neighbor. The first was a button that they bought, thinking of us, about childhood cancer. It also arrived with a very heartfelt note.

I have thanked them on our community page, but if you are reading this, you have deeply touched Shaun and I. Not only are your gestures sincere and kind, but you have no idea how much we appreciate that others have not forgotten our beautiful, sweet Erin. We also appreciate those that see and honor our grief. It is never ending and too painful to speak of at times.

So thank you, A Neighbor. I wanted to share with everyone the beautiful fairy and angel…

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I wish that I was a better photographer to do them justice. By the way, I included the little angel on my shelf of other gifts in Erin’s honor. Some were given from people I “know” and others showed up anonymously. Shaun and I appreciate each and every one of them, and each and every one of you.

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There are a few bracelets and such that I have on other shelves or that I wear, but these are what I call the Angel and Fairy shelf. Again, I’m no photographer, but after seeing the picture I want to tell you about the items.

The painting in the center was done by Paula Parvin McBride and was given to me right after Erin’s body died. She is an old friend and I did not realize she was such a talented artist. She is also very kind and loving. Thank you Paula <3

From left to right…this was a gift that Erin gave to my mother on her birthday in 2008. I thought it would be nice to include. The pink fairy was painted by Ally P. at Erin’s 2012 birthday party. She gave it to me at Erin’s service. So sweet Ally (hope I spelled your name right!). Next is a pretty little purple fairy that showed up at our door one day this past year, and the next is our newest angel I included above. Finally, on the far right is a pretty cherub that also showed up one day anonymously. The giver had no way of knowing that when Erin was 3 and her GP passed away, my mother was given a larger, similar version of this and that Erin liked it. I’m sure she guided your hand in sending it to us.

Then there is the Strength bracelet given by Paula M., and the Survivor bracelet given by Niki W. Thank you to those of you who regularly and randomly cheer me up on FaceBook. The randomly was a joke, as you seem to intuitively know when I am hanging on by a thread even when I don’t mention it. Thank you to everyone who cheers up Shaun, too.  And to any I have forgotten, please know it’s just a glitch. Grief wipes out everything and you get rewired, so I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. I treasure every last thought, kind word, gift given, etc. etc. etc. Thank you.

Love and hugs.

Ms. Nicole / AKA Erin’s Mommy
#missingerin

 

5th Grade Bridging Pictures in Erin’s Honor

Yes, it’s been a long time since I have updated this site even though I promised that I would try to do so monthly. It is so very painful for me to even visit my admin page here. I miss Erin so deeply every second of every day. It is always with me.

5thGradeChandelierI do want to share, very late, something from the 5th Grade end of year that Erin’s class did in her honor. Their class project was a chandelier with tiles that each of them made.  I’m not sure who made this one in Erin’s honor, but it’s beautiful. I was reminded that this is Fawn I think, the fairy who loves animals. How fitting.

And they released butterflies in her honor at the Bridging ceremony.

FullSizeRender(1)We were invited but could not bear to attend. However, I want to express our deepest appreciation to everyone at Hampton Cove Elementary School for every single thing that you have done for our family, both while Erin was a student there and after. It will stay in our hearts forever. And thank you so much to Paula H., who sent these pictures and helped organize this for Erin. I have not been able to express to you how much I appreciate all of it, but both Shaun and I do more than words can say.

I plan to update again soon, really this time. Hugs and love to all of Erin’s friends and loved ones.

Ms. Nicole / AKA Erin’s Mommy
#missingerin

Erin’s “I AM” Poem

I haven’t written in awhile. This is very painful, not just on a daily but on a minute by minute basis. But we ran into Mrs. Fleming, Erin’s 4th grade teacher, around a month ago at dinner one night and she asked if I had a copy of Erin’s I Am poem. Not only did I not have a copy, I had no idea that she had written it for class. It is so beautiful, and sweet, that I want to share it with you. Enjoy, and #missingerin

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In Memory of Erin’s Grandma Linda

momerinErin’s Grandma (my mother), Linda, passed away on December 29, 2014. Shaun and I had been in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to “escape” the holidays when we got the call that she was not in good health. We arrived back home on December 29 and I was able to spend her last hours with her.

This picture is from sometime in either 2012 or 2011 and was taken one day at Starbucks. Grandma Linda had dementia, but was still fairly herself then, as you can tell from this picture.

My aunts told me that before I got there, she spent around an hour one day staring at this very picture from her bed. Maybe my Angel Erin was there to help her with the transition.

Grandma Linda was cremated with her #missingerin bracelet on, and her urn was buried on January 3rd in her plot next to my father Harold D. Hunt at Valhalla Memory Gardens in the original Chapel Gardens. Her grave marker will read Linda R. Hunt, even though her legal last name was Stevens. Thanks to everyone who have supported us this year. We have lost three close family members who we loved very much, and while this site is purely Erin’s, I want to remember them all now.

“Uncle” Greg S. Canter – May 6, 2014
Erin Alyssa Canter – August 14, 2014″Grandma” Linda R. Stevens – December 29, 2014

We miss you, but hope you are all enjoying “The Next Place.

Love,
Ms Nicole AKA Erin’s Mommy
#missingerin
#missyoumom
#missingunclegreg

Elfie and Snowflake

Hello again friends,

Sorry for the snafu yesterday. My WordPress upgrade on my sites crashed them all, but thankfully Bluehost was able to restore everything. That said, meet Elfie and Snowflake.

elfiesnowflake

Snowflake is the lady in the skirt, and Elfie we have had the pleasure of knowing three years now. Erin loved Elfie very much, so much that she would cry every year when he would go back to the North Pole. She really wanted a friend for him and so last year we bought Snowflake (she named them both, of course). Snowflake ordered herself another skirt, but sadly she never got to wear it. I know both of them miss Erin very much, as much as she missed them. She wrote about Elfie more than once in her journal.

I only had the courage just yesterday to invite them back, and will request that they go live permanently in Erin’s room now. I know she visits her room from time to time because we hear her, and she will be thrilled to see them.

We leave in the morning for our trip, and so I may not post for a few days. While I won’t be able to enjoy the magic of Christmas, I hope that those of you who will be able to will remember Erin on the 25th. She so loved Santa and the magic of the holidays. It just won’t be the same without her.

Love,
Erin’s Mommy aka Ms. Nicole
#missingerin

Updates

Hello friends,

I have not posted as much as I would like because it has been extremely hard this time of year without Erin. But I do have some positive updates to share.

I continue to be amazed at how people are wearing the wrist bands to honor Erin’s memory. It warms our hearts to see friends old and new wearing them. Here is a picture of our cousin Ford P. wearing his at work in Starkville, MS. You may recognize him from a picture shown at Erin’s service, where he was holding her at his high school graduation.

FordPolk_MissingErinBracelet

Also, Mrs. Ellett, librarian at HCES, asked me to send additional bands last week so that they could give them to all of the 5th grade girls. I was happy to do so, but don’t know what her plan is, so if you are waiting on one it may be when school returns. I am still mailing them out, though, so feel free to ask for one or more. Just tell me where to send them, what color (Blue or Purple), and what size (L or M). The mediums fit most adults and children, but some with larger wrists or hands may want a large.

I couldn’t find where I posted here, but on my website I know I posted about the fur baby Alyssa, who Friends of Rescue named while she was their foster in honor of Erin (they had already named a little kitten Erin). Well, Alyssa was adopted over the weekend and her new family decided to keep her name after hearing Erin’s story. They also live in Hampton Cove, so if you know anyone who has a new doggie named Alyssa, please hug and thank them for me. Here is a picture of her in her new home.

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Oh how Erin would have loved all of this! It still amazes me how she has touched so many. I hear new things every day and it seems that her death only increased the light she shined on the world. I can assure you that consciously, she had no idea how she affected people. She was such a sweet soul, and often stuffed her emotions because she felt so deeply. Thank you to everyone who loved and who loves her. Your love will help us to get through our first Christmas without our Angel Erin.

Love,
Erin’s Mommy aka Ms. Nicole
#missingerin

Thank You for your Sentiments about Erin!

LoveIsEternal

Just want to share some things posted specifically about Erin on my FaceBook wall on Erin’s birthday (12/11/2014). They were too kind and loving not to share with you.

From Sherri D:

Erin

I hope there’s someone up there
Looking after you
I hope there’s someone there to care
doing things you like to do

This is the first birthday
Not spent here with Mom & Dad
I hope in some little way
They are making a bit of a fuss

So here I am saying a prayer
To whoever is looking after you
Please take very good care of Erin
As she is a special little girl.

Thinking of you today Nicole.

From Angie S:

“…Know that we love and miss your precious Erin, with the long curly black hair, the sweet smile, & the high pitched voice. I miss her being in my home, playing, laughing and doing funny voices with AK. I miss kidding her about, “Who ate my mushrooms?!” I don’t know if I’ve ever shared that story with you.
I’m thankful that the last year of her life we were able to make some awesome memories at the beach, American Girl, the aquarium and that she finally got to visit IL.
Missing that sweet baby today & everyday. …”

This is from Carla W. It is very true and we love Erin so much still, that I want to share it.

Grieflastact

These were just a few, but thank you for your kind words, and I hope you don’t mind me sharing with others.

#missingerin

Happy 11th Birthday, Erin

Today would have been Erin’s 11th birthday. We miss her so much that it hurts, but we still want to share her with everyone. Please remember Erin on her birthday today by wearing your wristband, posting with #missingerin, sharing your memories, or in some other way that brings a smile to your face. We miss our baby very much and while we know she is OK wherever her little spirit is, we are so sad without her.

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Three of Erin’s Friends Release Balloons, and Letters

I have waited all week to post this, mostly because of the upwelling of emotion that I have every time I think about it. I received an email from a parent of one of Erin’s school friends over the weekend. The three girls had done a balloon releasing ceremony, and included cards with what I assume are note written to Angel Erin. (I call her that now…picked that up from Angel Sammy’s page on FaceBook.)

Here are the pictures, and thank you so much Lydia C., Abby C., and Nina H. You are sweet girls and I will never forget your kindness. And PS: Erin liked the three of you very much.

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