Baby Rachel's Family Visits Lily's Spot

As I have shared, my friend Stacy and her nonprofit organization, Baby Rachel's Legacy, helped me pay for Lily's headstone.

Stacy lives in New Hampshire and Lily is buried in Virginia, so we didn't know if she'd ever get to see it in person, or only in photos.

As I posted about last week, her family took a road trip to Florida and I got to meet them for the first time in person, which was such a blessing. On their way back up the coast, heading home to New England, Stacy hoped to stop and visit Lily's special spot. We didn't know for sure it would work out because a snow storm was expected in Virginia on the day she was planning on going.

They ended up being snowed in at a hotel a day longer than expected. However, they were able to go the evening before the snowstorm hit (last Friday). Why did they have to bring the cold and snow south with them lol? After traveling all day, her husband was willing to take a detour and drive a couple extra hours to see Lily's stone.

I didn't know they had been until Stacy texted me photos, saying "Look who we just spent some time with. <3 literally made me cry. It's so beautiful, Hannah... I fixed her little tree and left her a rose... it looked pretty there with all the snow and I could see her spot from so far away, it really stands out with all the pretty decor!" I think so too. :-)

I can't believe they actually got to go! I am so glad they made it. It made me tear up too. The only thing that would have made it better is if I could have been there too. I told Stacy she can now picture Lily's spot exactly when she thinks of it.

The fact they got to go at all is amazing, but what makes it extra special is that they were a part of getting Lily's stone. Stacy wrote, "Took a detour to go visit a special baby girl's special spot. Many of you remember that the year we didn't do a race, instead we raised money to help Hannah Rose finish paying for her daughter Lily's stone. So many of you helped and I've shared the pics before, but I never imagined I'd ever get to see it in person!! Brought tears to my eyes to pull up and see it and be able to tell the kids how Rachel's life spread love all the way down here in Crozet, Virginia. We saw the most beautiful sunset on the way. Truly a breathtaking couple of hours and well worth the trip. Thankful that Matt was willing to drive the extra miles."

Stacy also got to see my Aunt Rachel's headstone which is right beside Lily's. My Aunt obviously shares a name with Stacy's daughter, which I find very special. Rachel Ross was my grandparent's seventh child and passed away at three months old in 1965 because of a heart condition. My grandparent's share a stone with their daughter, which is actually a unique bench, just like Rachel Alice shares a stone with Stacy and Matt. My grandmother "Bumma" also associates daisies with her Rachel, just like Stacy does. My Aunt Rachel's stone has daisies and a lamb on it. You can read about my Aunt Rachel and see her stone by clicking HERE.

God was in the details, making sure the Aube's arrived before the snow hit and before it got dark that night. He even gave them a beautiful sunset! I feel like I got to share my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. :-) Stacy wrote, "We wouldn't have even seen the mountains, let alone the sunset over them if we weren't going to visit Lily. It was amazing! Photos don't come close to capturing the beauty!" I couldn't agree more. So thankful Lily is in such a beautiful part of the country.

One more neat thing Stacy wrote me, "I forgot to tell you that the photo of me with Lily's stone is file #5143 in my camera... since Lily's 5th birthday is coming up and 143 means "I love you" it made me smile. No coincidences!! 5 years of your love in this spot and I know she knows!"

Rachel and Lily must be friends in Heaven. I hope they smile as Jesus tells them how their lives are impacting people on Earth and how much they continue to bless us too.

Stacy and Lily's stone... never thought I'd see her in a picture with it!

Stacy and her children at Lily's spot
I love how you can see the mountain in the background

Stacy's husband and kiddos at Lily's spot

the pretty rose Stacy brought Lily

Lily's spot looking beautiful with the snow...
the "Shroyer" stone in the background belongs to my great-grandparents (Bumma's parents)

the sunset Stacy's family saw

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Gratitude to Each Person Who Helped with Lily's Stone

I have so many posts I've been wanting to write and this is one of them.

Lily's stone has officially been at her special spot in Crozet, Virginia since November 2013. It was possible because of the many generous and kind people who helped make it happen financially.

the front of Lily's stone

the back of Lily's stone

I want to thank these people, those I know by name and those I don't know by name.

I could never express the depth of my gratitude that friends, family, and complete strangers would bless me so tremendously in helping me do one of the last tangible things I can as a mother for my daughter of Heaven, Lily Katherine.

My sincere thanks goes out to:

Stacy Aube and her family who raised $823 (!) for Lily's stone through her Non-Profit organization she runs in her daughter's honor and memory, Baby Rachel's Legacy. Stacy usually hosts a 5K each August where she lives in New Hampshire, but in 2013, she decided that instead of doing a race that year, she would raise money to help me finish paying for Lily's stone. God put it on her heart to help, which was such a blessing in and of itself. And then I found out (on my 24th birthday of all days... God is always in the details!) the total amount that was being given and I was completely blown away! I never expected so much. Talk about the best birthday gift ever! Thank you to everyone who honored both Lily and Rachel in this way! Click HERE and HERE to read the posts on Stacy's blog about Lily's stone.

Stephanie Desjarlais who is an Origami Owl consultant offered to do an online fundraiser called "Lockets for Lily" where she contributed 20% of the profits raised to go towards Lily's stone. She ended up giving me a check for $77.20 and I was also given the blessing of a beautiful Origami Owl memorial locket with multiple charms of my choice, all for almost no charge (and these are not the cheapest of lockets, so I wouldn't have been able to get one myself otherwise). Thank you Stephanie, for blessing me in this way, and thank you to each person who bought something through the fundraiser.

My friend Tracey's father, "Papa Dude," who unexpectedly gave me a card with $200 in it to help out with Lily's stone.

Linda Znachko, from the amazing ministry, He Knows Your Name, who contibuted $100.

These are the names that I have of the other people who gave on the GoFundMe page I had set up, as well as in person or online, from a little bit to a lot, but really the dollar amount is not what matters to me: Brittany Mays, Suzie Smyth, Morgan Lennon, Lisa Collins, Jennifer Kehoe, Candy Rhodes, Josiah Cadle, Sarah Miller, Kelly Osborne, Angela Welliver, Melissa Lorang, Natalie Mardon, Nancy Schuck, Elisha Cooper, Judith Harder, Nancy Auclair, Lacie Zoller, Michael Cornish, and all of those who have chosen to remain anonymous (I apologize if I have forgotten anyone).

I am so humbled that others would do this with and for me, for her. It means so much to me to have given her a stone as a way to bring dignity to her life. It hurt that I could not get one for three years because of finances. God led me to a wonderful monument company across the country in Seattle, that custom-created her stone, more wonderfully than I imagined possible. And then He led me to go ahead with the process of getting her stone, though I honestly had no idea how I'd pay off all $2,160.58 of it, including shipping from Seattle to Virginia. I knew He would provide, but didn't know it would be through so many people from literally across the world, from the United States, to Ireland, to the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. I worked hard and payed some as I was able, but then God blessed me abundantly with my baby girl's stone being completely payed off. It's amazing that He would put it on so many people's hearts to give! If my calculations are correct, a total of $1,470.20 was donated!

He showed me afresh through each of you who gave that He loves Lily even more than I do and that He's still in the details, even all these years later. He's still blessing me for my choice of life.

I would love it if each and every one of you could see Lily's stone in person one day. Some of you have already seen it and some will get to in the future. :-) But for those of you who cannot, I am so pleased to be able to share photos of her lovely stone. It is simply perfect for my beautiful girl. I never felt like I had to "settle" for less than what I feel she deserves. I cannot express the peace it gives me knowing my baby girl is finally honored in this way. It was like a heavy weight was taken off my shoulders on the day her stone was finally installed. It has been precious for me to decorate her spot for different holidays and seasons, and especially for her birthday.

Each time I look at Lily's stone, my heart remembers the people who have been a part of this. It makes her stone that much more special. Again I say, thank you.

Click HERE to read more about the meaning behind Lily's stone.

Click HERE to read all the other posts about Lily's stone.

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Meeting Baby Rachel's Mommy

Thursday was very special because I got to meet for the first time *in person* one of my dearest friends, who I first connected with online because of our precious baby girls in Heaven, Lily and Rachel, both born in 2010.

I started reading Stacy's blog (one of my favorites - Baby Rachel's Legacy) a few years ago and we became friends through that. I look up to this amazing wife and mother of six in so many ways! Her Non-Profit, Baby Rachel's Legacy, helped make getting Lily's stone a reality.

Stacy and I live many states apart, but she was traveling through my area, on her way from New Hampshire to Florida, and we were able to work it out to meet! She also hopes to stop and see Lily's spot in Virginia on her way back home. I got to meet her husband and kiddos too. Her kids are so sweet and cute. Stacy was so dear when telling them that I was Lily's mommy, Lily who is with their sister Rachel in Heaven. I was able to share some of Lily's things with her (like her foot and handprints and snippet of hair), which was really special. It's one thing to see these things online and an entirely different thing to see them in person and know her tiny (yet big for a newborn) hands and feet actually touched that very paper and the outfit, hat, and blanket actually once touched her perfect little body. Stacy noticed how Lily's hair is the exact color of mine.

It was so strange to meet "in real life..." I was like "you're real, not just a picture!" lol.

What makes this meeting extra sweet is that last month I started praying that the Lord would one day make it possible for me to meet her in person. I had no idea it would happen so soon! He delights in giving good gifts to His children. We also happened to meet on my half-birthday (yes, I celebrate those) and I joked that it was all in celebration of that. ;)

Lily's life continues to bless me in so many ways, even bringing me some of my dearest friends.

Stacy and I holding our sweet girls' blankets

Drinking coffee (and hot chocolate for the kiddos) at Starbucks

With Stacy and her adorable daughter

With two of her bundles-of-energy boys

Our "us-ie"

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Rachel Alice's 4th Birthday

Today is a very special little girl named Rachel Alice Aube's 4th birthday in Heaven! Rachel was born on December 3, 2010 and spent 43 precious minutes with her adoring family before going to her Eternal home where she dances for Jesus.

Her mother, Stacy, is one of my dearest friends who has been an encourager, supporter, and someone who shares so much wisdom, love, and truth with me. She makes me feel understood and validated, while at the same time always pointing me to Jesus.

Baby Rachel's Legacy is so beautiful and she will never be forgotten, by me or anyone else whose life she has touched. I just know that Rachel Alice and Lily Katherine must be friends and must know their mommies are now friends because of them!

God used Stacy and Rachel's legacy to honor Lily's legacy by helping to provide for my girl's permanent memorial headstone (through her non-profit, hundreds of dollars were donated!)

Please take the time to read about Rachel's beautiful life and legacy by clicking HERE and be sure to check out and following Stacy's blog (one of my favorites) by clicking HERE.

Stacy and Rachel

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