We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly, in death we will do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you for part of us went with you, you did not go alone.

The day God called you home you left us peaceful memories. Your love is still our guide and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side. Our family chain is broken and nothing seems the same. But as God calls us one by one the chain will link again.

Jo Ann was born Feb 2, she was expected sooner. Stubborn from the beginning, tests didn't show me pregnant with her until 6 month along. We had a bit of false alarm of her coming on Christmas Eve, maybe she was telling us something? Very short labor time and there she was. My beautiful baby girl! 

The day we brought her home from the hospital there was an earthquake. We were staying with my parents until our house was ready. Jo Ann was in her bassinet and there was a large picture hanging on the wall above her. The picture was swinging back and forth and I was afraid it was going to fall on her. I was trying to get up when my Mom ran in and grabbed her up. The picture did not fall all the way but wound up hanging sideways. 

So besides being a ground hog baby, we connect the big Southern California earthquake of 1971 to her.  In with a Bang!

Christmas time had always been special to my daughter JoAnn. When she and her brother Brian were very small, we made all the decorations. Slips of paper and foil, cotton balls and crayons were our medium. Macaroni wreaths, paper angels and sugar cookies rhat looked like stained glass adorned our tree. JoAnn would get upset because Brian would sneak up in the middle of the night and take bites out of the cookies! He only took bites and left the rest hanging on the tree. There were no presents under the tree until Santa brought them. My hiding spots were not discovered until they were much older. When Christmas Arrived Dad and I were woken usually around 5 am by the kids yelling "Santa Came!" The light in their eyes and smiles on their faces would make me cry. JoAnn was always the brightest little bulb, happy for days.
Some years passed and Brian was beginning to doubt Santa. He did not say so for fear of no more presents. JoAnn on the other hand truly believed. It was Christmas 1979 and JoAnn was eight. We had a feeling this was to be the last true childhood belief in Santa. Dad and I knew this one had to be the best Christmas ever. We had a ton of small inexpensive presents and of course the one big one  Santa had been asked for. The outside of the house had already been decorated some. Dad and I hung lights on the mantle and that end of the family room. The tree sat near the fireplace.  All the presents were laid out and looked like more then there really was. We had just finished when the kids woke, we were almost caught!
What they found was the whole room lit like a warm fuzzy dream, footprints leading from the fireplace to the tree and what appeared to be a whole toy store. Looking at the two of them beaming with delight and amazement brought back the tears from years back. As I mentioned Brian was beginning to question Santa. The two of them stood in the middle of the room for quite some time taking it all in. Then Brian took JoAnn's hand and quietly said, "Jody, there really is a Santa Clause." That made it all worth the effort. When JoAnn discovered the truth about Santa she was very upset with her Daddy for lying to her. But after a while and her thinking on it, she understood. She thought all kids should have the Christmas memories she had. She wrote a story about that lst special Christmas that was published in the Fresno Bee. My copy has been lost unfortunately but that night is forever in my mind.
JoAnn loved Christmas and over the years collected hundreds of ornaments and decorations and she always wanted more. Her whole house was full of decorations from Thanksgiving to New Year's. That light she had for Christmas was a part of my beautiful daughter until the day she died too young. I now imagine her God's Special Angel instead of mine.