Our Family: Celebrating our boy’s birthday

As I’ve said before on the blog, Paul and I decided on what would have been our boy’s first birthday, that we would always celebrate their lives, not mourn the day that we held them, no matter how short the time. So each year, we do something as a family. This year we came home from church, packed up a picnic lunch with goodies that we don’t get every day (brown cow yogurt with cream on top – HELLO!), and drove to Emerald Park off of River Road. We ate our lunch in the freezing wind, but then the sun came out when it was time to play on the playground.

Despite missing two of our children, we are incredibly blessed parents. I love my life.

Gracelyn looks so much like Jessica in this picture. Love all the faces in this picture! We learned something about Gracelyn on that day. If she gets scared, she just throws herself off and makes you look like THE WORST PARENT in a park full of happy, laughing kids. Like WE pushed the swing too high or too fast and made her fall off! Lincoln: “So this is all you got?”

This is all Lincoln wanted to do. Before we left, we went to the grass to take some family pictures. Take note of how well they do with Daddy and how not-well they do with me. This is take 1. Gracelyn is crawling to Daddy. Daddy’s turn. Then I said “I’m doing it again!” Lincoln ran off. Gracelyn is trying to do my hair. I think we’re done. Then Lincoln walks right over to Daddy and sits down like this. Yes. Paul and I are blessed.