I never even thought of this part of the process. 
It has now been just over three weeks since Kaden’s passing but there’s nothing more real about all of this than picking up your child’s death certificates and the clothes he wore on his final day with us. Getting Kaden’s birth certificate was suppose to be the first of many important pieces of paper that we would receive throughout his life. A first report card, an 8th grade graduation certificate, a driver’s license, a high school diploma, a college degree, a marriage certificate. But instead we have leap frogged right to the very end…a death certificate. UGH! Of course the first thing Logan did when he took the little red Super Mario shirt and grey athletic pants out of the bag was smell them. They contain a hint of Kaden’s smell and the smell of syrup! He always got syrup on his shirts!! Right now there is a lump in my throat, tears running down my cheeks, and a lead weight on my chest thinking about the last time I saw him in those clothes. Right now, all I can do is add them to the other clothes in his hamper and just let them be. It’s a good thing I am teaching online this semester because this simply would have been too much for the first day of the semester! Not sure that this is how I wanted to start our day but it’s reality. Yesterday was much better!!
Logan and I attended the last few hours of the benefit yesterday and we had a chance to watch some pretty amazing pool players! Wow! I found out that Chris Schaefer won his bracket on Saturday and he told Jen, “Jen, I won…I did it for Kaden!” (this was not a direct quote but something to that effect!). It was pretty special…a grown man with osteosarcoma feeling a sense of accomplishment for our little man who also had osteosarcoma…priceless. Logan and I collected about 300 hundred stuffed animals that we will personally bring to St. Mary’s Hospital in memory of Kaden. I have a group of ladies coming over on Friday to help me address Thank You cards and I’ve asked them to bring their daughters to help put “Kuddles from Kaden” tags on the bears. Should be a productive night!
We visited Kaden yesterday and I’m happy to report that the gingerbread house is still standing! The turkey bites however, are gone. I think my theory is correct…cheese curds from Wisconsin – taken…turkey bites from Wisconsin – gone. Yep, animals prefer produce from Wisconsin! 
Lastly, it’s not too late to help support Emma and her Mom while they are here in Rochester for a few weeks!! Thank you to everyone that has offered to help…it means alot to me and Emma and Shirley! But I know we can do better…food gift cards, gas cards, it’s all welcome! Emma and her Mom will be arriving on Wednesday the 16th for the first of many radiation treatments so you have a couple days yet! Email me at: [email protected] C’mon, light up my phone with emails!!!!
For those of you that were wondering if Emma has a journal, she does and it is a CarePages (not CaringBridge). Emma left a guestbook message on our site giving the address of her site for those of you that would like to follow her journey.