It is Finished....

Caden's garden is FINISHED.

Grandpa and Grandma Carlson have been brainstorming with us for months about a bench for the garden.  We talked about several different ideas, and then they sent us a picture of this bench....and we knew instantly that it was perfect.  The bench was purchased right around Caden's birthday this year.

"Those we have held in our arms for a little while, we hold in our hearts forever."

This year, things bursted in full bloom, filling our yard with bright colors and flowery smells.  We can see it directly out our kitchen window and it brings a smile to our faces every time we look at it.

Many friends and family members helped bring Caden's garden to life...we love the garden not only because of what it means to us in remembering Caden, but because of what it symbolizes in terms of those who love and support us...in good times and in bad.  We look at each plant and remember who gave it to us....and it warms our hearts every time.

So, once again, thank you, friends and family.  We love you!

Happy Birthday, Haddie Lou!

Apparently, when you're the third child, your birthday pictures don't get posted until almost a month after your birthday. :)

We had a wonderful time celebrating Hadley's 2nd birthday in late July.  Family gathered for an Elmo-themed party.  We ate a meal, watched Hadley open presents, and chowed down on some amazing cake pops (made by the incredible Trena).  We recalled, again, how blessed we are to have Miss Hadley as a part of our world.

I can still easily recall the debate that we had after losing Caden...should we try again, or not?  Could we bear the pain of loss one more time?  Would we ever be able to be truly experience joy if we didn't try again?  Stinging, hurting, but knowing we couldn't live in fear, we took the leap.  And we are so very grateful that we did.

To those that ask about our journey, I refer to Hadley as our "healer baby".  Our pregnancy with Hadley was filled with uncertainty...and incredible healing.  I will never forget the moment she was born...she came out screaming loudly, announcing her arrival in just the way we were praying that she would.  After Caden's silent birth, the sound of Hadley's lungs filling with air was the best therapy we could ask for.  We held a perfect, healthy, little girl in our arms.  It was the culmination of the most difficult 2 years of our lives.

Since that moment, we have truly reveled in every aspect of having Hadley around.  We treasure every smile, lavish her with kisses, and still refer to her as "the baby".  This off the charts love also comes from Connor and Kylee.  The gift of Hadley has restored their souls in a unique and wonderful way, too.  We have applauded every landmark, kissed away every tear, and truly treasured every moment with her (even the ones that have meant less sleep for us).  We do this not only because of our experience with Caden, but also because we have seen how quickly these years go by.  We feel so very blessed.  Shortly after Hadley's birthday party, my husband went up into the nursery and transformed the crib into a toddler bed...and I cried.  The tears from feeling incredibly blessed to be able to watch our children grow, and incredibly sad...because, well....the crib is gone for the last time.  The changing table came down, too.  Ouch.  In its place went Hadley's pink chair, transforming the space into a reading corner...and the nursery into a toddler's room.  We are transitioning out of babyhood.  It is bittersweet.  I stared at the room thinking of all the memories one has from a nursery....and I anticipate memories to come. 

Hadley is her own unique being.  I think with the 3rd child, I thought that perhaps she would very closely mirror one of her siblings, especially given that Connor and Kylee are so different in personality.  God gifted us with another, totally incredible, individual.  Hadley is kind, sure of herself, and very opinionated.  She is smart, playful, and will hear NOTHING of not being allowed to keep up with the big kids.  She adores Elmo, playing on the iPod (sheesh), chocolate, and shoes.  She loves to giggle with Connor and Kylee and has an AWESOME belly laugh.  She has a smile that will light up an entire city block, only made cuter by her signature toddler mullet.  With each day that passes, we see more and more physical resemblance to Connor, but her personality is all her own.  She is almost completely unfamiliar with what it means to not get her way, but at the same time, is incredibly flexible. 

Happy Birthday, Haddie Lou.  Thank you for being our sunshine that broke through our family's cloud of darkness.  God blessed us with an incredible light when He gave us you.

4th of July and Lemonade!

Our Fourth of July weekend was low key, which was alright by us.  We enjoyed lunch at the Blakemore's and then came home to eat dinner and do some fireworks with Aunt Mandy and Uncle Jordan.  We roasted marshmallows in the blazing heat and gorged ourselves on S'mores.  Heaven!  Parachutes, popping thingies, and worms were among the favorites this year.  Here are some shots of the action:

Kylee and her friend Braden have talked and schemed for literally months about having a lemonade stand.  Braden's mom, Becca, is a good friend of mine, so in an attempt to brighten up a summer day and put an end to the asking, we arranged a time to set up shop.  The kids planned to sell muffins and cookies along with their lemonade and set up their table one afternoon.  A highlight of this entrepreneurial experience was the kids' kindergarten teacher, Miss Mac, being our first customer.  We loved it that she took the opportunity to make a mini-lesson out of having the kids figure out what she could buy with the amount of money that she had!

They actually made quite a killing thanks to good friends and generous strangers who stopped by.  This exercise has made me resolve that I will stop next time I see a child's lemonade stand (I believe this is one of Life's Little Instructions, isn't it?):

Summer is winding down...only two weeks until school starts!