Erin Alcorn has a ton on her plate. Ty Alcorn, the love of her life and dad to Dylan Alcorn, Wyatt Ackmann, and Hunter Alcorn, passed away in September. It doesn’t seem fair, as Erin and Ty were just married a year ago in November, and the boys really need their dad. It’s hard to deal with your own grief while making sure your kids are healthy and well-adjusted, but Erin tries her best, for their sake. She’s trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for the family, and that includes giving them a normal Christmas, but the family is down to one income and finances are so tight. Amy Springer, Erin’s cousin, and her stepmother, DeEtta Mayrose, feel that Erin and her brood deserve more than a normal holiday; after what they’ve been through, some magic is called for. UBT and the Magic Moments team are 100% in agreement.

Feeling the loss

Ty was an incredible dad, and his passing has left a major hole in the family. If he were here, he’d be putting his own spin on Christmas traditions. In fact, Ty put his own spin on everything, and his family loved him for it. They loved doing all kinds of activities together, including movie night, game night, and bowling; camping, boating, and really anything outdoors were also biggies. It was from their love of the outdoors that their landscaping business came about.

Love and time

Erin’s nominators spoke of her great strength and courage. Erin just knows she needs to be there for the boys — especially for Wyatt, 6, and Hunter, 3, who lived with Ty and Erin. The boys like activities, so she tries to keep them busy, even though there’s not much money in the budget. During quieter moments, cuddling on the couch enjoying popcorn and watching movies is their favorite way to remain close. She wants her guys to know she’s there without putting too much pressure on them. There is really nothing like the love of family. She finds the support of family and good friends healing, and she knows love can heal her boys — love and time.

The people of UBT understand how tough those first holidays without a loved one can be, and we want to add some much-needed sparkle to this family’s holiday. Thanks to a collaboration with our incredible partners, the crew will be enjoying fun family outings galore, including passes to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo and Children’s Museum, a trip to Great Wolf Lodge with gas cards to help them get there, and more! Erin will be enjoying some much-needed pampering in the form of a spa trip and basket, and the boys unwrapped lots of fun gifts that spoke to their interests (spoiler: balls and trucks are super-popular with this crowd!). We’ll also be helping out with some groceries, as we don’t want Erin to be worrying about anything but healing her family.

We’re wishing Erin and all the boys some magic this holiday season, and we’ll be thinking of Ty, too. It won’t be easy, but we hope we made it a bit brighter. Happy holidays, Erin and family!