Together They Shall Remain

We received the call that Samuel's headstone had arrived and the boy's plot was now ready for viewing.  We are heading out of town on vacation this weekend and wanted to see it before we left, so we headed to the cemetery Thursday evening trying to beat the setting sun.  They are together in the same plot.  Merely a comfort to us here on Earth even though we know they are not in the ground.  They are together in Heaven too, which is more important and hope-giving.  

Uhhh...my baby boys, my sweet babies.  My eyes are welling up with tears knowing I missed the baby years with these little guys, the absence of birthday parties and holiday celebrations, missed out on their weddings, on being grandparents to their children.  Next time I see them, they will look completely different.  Will I feel like I missed out then?  Amazingly, the answer is no.

We are heading to the beach,

We are heading to the beach.

High-ho-the-dairy-O!

We are heading to the beach!

So, I am serious about food.  In packing for our trip, the island in our kitchen has been taken over by dried goods.  This isn't even the half of it as I won't be grabbing the cold items until Saturday morning.  Food, to me anyway, is part of a great vacation.  Don't forget the pesto in the freezer, can of tomatillos for salsa verde, blocks of sharp cheddar cheese for homemade pimento cheese... 

Sew, sew, sew

As I have expressed before, sewing and creating in general are a great form of therapy for me.  That said, I have been sewing and crocheting like crazy.  My focus as you can imagine, has been making baby wipes and burp cloths as well as everyday cloth napkins which I have realized I truly advocate. Some of the items have been placed in my etsy shop, while other items I have been able to give away as gifts.  Making and then being able to give helps my heart.

What helps your heart heal when life hits you with something unpleasant?

My Love of Gardening...

...grows every year.  Each season growing herbs and vegetables provides stress relief, education and food.  I hope to always be able to have a garden no matter where we live.  The top photo shows the first items pulled from out plot, while the bottom shot shows what is to come.  Have you ever gardened?  What did it teach you?  What is your favorite food to grow?

Special Words Can Touch Anyone

A good friend sent me the following email this morning.  I am so thankful for her, her friendship and her kind and truthful words.  As a result, I thought of my faithful readers (all seven of you) and wanted to share her heart with you also.  We all have trials, rough days and patches where we fear it will never end.  Read the below email and let the words sink in and comfort you from the inside out.

Good Morning,
Just thinking of you this morning and wanted to share something I learned at Church last Sunday that hit home with me. The opposite of faith is not disbelief, it's fear. So alot of times when I dont have faith that my situation will improve it's really fear. I fear my heart won't be content again or that pain will always persist. That's the devils work... Fear is his greatest weapon. Just wanted to share that with you and remind you that God didn't create us with a heart of fear- we are much more brave than that because of Him!

You are greiving well- don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But also remember-

"It's going to be okay in the end, if it's not okay, it's not the end." Unknown

Your in our thoughts and prayers.
Love you

Loving on a Friend

With having lost two children, my husband and I have been asked by others how they can then love on someone that has also experienced a loss.  A wise woman sent me this link to the following blog and in the land of grieving, it is priceless.  It is a lot of reading, but as an active griever, I agree with what she is saying.  Also, this can pertain to more than losing a baby or child, but contains good principles overall for loving on folks.