It's been a difficult Mother's Day for a little girl because her mother has been missing since December.

Karen Jo Smith disappeared two days after Christmas. Her 8-year-old daughter, Stephanie Holcomb, said that nights are the hardest because her mom isn't there to tuck her in.

"It makes me feel sad," Stephanie said.

She wanted to send a special message to her mother for Mother's day.

Smith, 35, vanished last December 27. her family believes that her ex-husband, Steve Holcomb, knows more than he is saying. They continue to search for answers.

Meanwhile, Stephanie and her brother Brandon Smith, 14, continue to hold out hope that their mother will soon be home.

"I would make her breakfast in bed," Stephanie said.

Stephanie said that she wanted to fix her mom a tray with toast and cereal for Mother's Day.

"It's been very, very tough on them. It's Mother's Day. Stephanie, at 8 years old, during school last week they're preparing for Mother's Day and making up things for Mother's Day. It's been (a) very, very difficult time for her and, you know they want their mother to come home," Karen Smith's father Ed Bishop said.

Karen Smith was last seen with her ex-husband, Steve Holcomb, at her south side home Dec. 27. He reappeared Jan. 11 and has been in jail since then for parole violations.

Holcomb told police that he doesn't know where Smith is, but her family doesn't believe him.

"If he had nothing to do with this he would be sitting over here with us right now. He would not have violated his parole. He would not be in jail and his efforts would be out here trying to help us find out what happened to Karen Jo," Bishop said.

They continue to search each day for Smith or any clues as to where she is.

"Trying to rule out areas where we need to search first because there's so many areas that we can search that we're just trying to find leads to which one we need to go to first," Karen's uncle Jack Lee said.

Meanwhile, Stephanie just wants to know where her mother is.

There is a $15,000 reward for information on Karen's wherabouts. A trust fund has been set up for Stephanie and her brother at National City Bank. You can make contributions at any branch.

You can learn more information regarding Karen's disappearance by visiting a Web site that has been set up.