Tuesday, December 20, 2016
My 2 in Heaven
My friend Emily saw this license plate a few days ago and thought of me. I'm glad she snapped a photo. I love my 2 sweet little ones who wait for me in Heaven. ❤️ #LilyKatherine #LukeShiloh #mytwoLs
A Different Perspective
Someone recently left a comment on one of my blog posts that touched my heart.
She wrote, "The whole time while reading your story, I had that big lump in my throat. Eventually, I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out crying. I can't even imagine the pain you went through, and yet you described it all so well that I felt it. I don't know how you manage to live with it every single day, and I admire it a lot. I have a little girl. She's a year and a half. I love her more than anything, and yet, to be honest, a lot of times she drives me crazy, and I feel like I can't take it anymore. Reading your story gave me the breath of fresh air I've longed for. Now I see it all from a different perspective, and definitely will be more appreciative from now on. Thank you so much."
Lily's legacy stretches far and wide. It never ceases to bless my heart to see how the Lord has used my little girl in ways I couldn't have imagined. For someone to treasure their living child in a deeper, richer, and fuller way, because of my girl and the fact that she is not here, touches this mother heart of mine.
She wrote, "The whole time while reading your story, I had that big lump in my throat. Eventually, I couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out crying. I can't even imagine the pain you went through, and yet you described it all so well that I felt it. I don't know how you manage to live with it every single day, and I admire it a lot. I have a little girl. She's a year and a half. I love her more than anything, and yet, to be honest, a lot of times she drives me crazy, and I feel like I can't take it anymore. Reading your story gave me the breath of fresh air I've longed for. Now I see it all from a different perspective, and definitely will be more appreciative from now on. Thank you so much."
Lily's legacy stretches far and wide. It never ceases to bless my heart to see how the Lord has used my little girl in ways I couldn't have imagined. For someone to treasure their living child in a deeper, richer, and fuller way, because of my girl and the fact that she is not here, touches this mother heart of mine.
Friday, December 16, 2016
For Lily - Christmas 2016
Each year, I like to do something in Lily's memory at Christmas.
In the past, it's been special to donate boxes to little girls the age Lily would be through Operation Christmas Child or The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. One year, a friend of mine hosted a baby shower for a young woman in an unplanned pregnancy and we sent her a gift. I share all this not to say look what I have done, but because I want to share Lily's legacy, even in the small things.
This year, I decided to honor her while also honoring other babies I carry in my heart, by having wood burned ornaments made with their names. These little ones were lost through stillbirth, miscarriage, abortion, and one lost shortly after birth. They are children, grandchildren, and an aunt. Because these losses impact many people and that is represented in the ornaments. And because there are many types of losses that hurt and all life is sacred and irreplaceable. The grief of other family members is oftentimes overlooked.
Over the past several months, I walked with a couple families through the losses of their precious baby daughters. All the details of how it worked out and how our lives are linked together is clearly the Lord's weaving. I knew I wanted to do something for them this Christmas, especially what should be their child's first Christmas.
These children's names mean so much. It means they existed, they were real, and they matter.
It is my hope that this has touched their loved one's hearts as much as it has mine to do this, especially during a time of year that can make someone's absence more pronounced. I like knowing these ornaments can be enjoyed again and again, Christmas season after Christmas season.
For a couple friends across the ocean, I sent images from Carly Marie's Christmas Beach Wonderland Gallery. ❤️🎄 🌟
In the past, it's been special to donate boxes to little girls the age Lily would be through Operation Christmas Child or The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. One year, a friend of mine hosted a baby shower for a young woman in an unplanned pregnancy and we sent her a gift. I share all this not to say look what I have done, but because I want to share Lily's legacy, even in the small things.
This year, I decided to honor her while also honoring other babies I carry in my heart, by having wood burned ornaments made with their names. These little ones were lost through stillbirth, miscarriage, abortion, and one lost shortly after birth. They are children, grandchildren, and an aunt. Because these losses impact many people and that is represented in the ornaments. And because there are many types of losses that hurt and all life is sacred and irreplaceable. The grief of other family members is oftentimes overlooked.
Over the past several months, I walked with a couple families through the losses of their precious baby daughters. All the details of how it worked out and how our lives are linked together is clearly the Lord's weaving. I knew I wanted to do something for them this Christmas, especially what should be their child's first Christmas.
These children's names mean so much. It means they existed, they were real, and they matter.
It is my hope that this has touched their loved one's hearts as much as it has mine to do this, especially during a time of year that can make someone's absence more pronounced. I like knowing these ornaments can be enjoyed again and again, Christmas season after Christmas season.
For a couple friends across the ocean, I sent images from Carly Marie's Christmas Beach Wonderland Gallery. ❤️🎄 🌟
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| I think this made a neat photo... this is a painting I did a couple years ago and the ornaments look like they are hanging on the tree. I love how rustic they look. :) |
A Baby Changes Everything
This is a Christmas post I originally shared in 2012:
I remember hearing this song in years past, but forgot about it until a couple weeks ago when I was driving down the road listening to the Christmas station. Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the words..."a baby changes everything," and thought of how my own two sweet babies changed everything for me.
Here are the parts of the song that remind me of Lily and Luke:
I remember hearing this song in years past, but forgot about it until a couple weeks ago when I was driving down the road listening to the Christmas station. Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the words..."a baby changes everything," and thought of how my own two sweet babies changed everything for me.
A baby changes everything...
A precious baby named Jesus came to Earth to change everything. It's because of his birth and death that my entire life is changed. He was sent to Earth to rescue me...to redeem us all.
A precious baby girl named Lily was sent to save me, her mommy.
Though I am so thankful for her life, at times I am consumed with missing her and thinking about her death. I want our home to be filled with her life. Her cradle sat by my bed and waited for a little girl who would never come home. It was only ever empty and desolate of her life. The cradle that still remains empty.
Yet, the Lord has whispered gently to my heart that my cradle that sits bereft of a child isn't empty. I saw someone who was also touched by babyloss explain it before, though I can't remember who, that because Jesus was placed in a manger over 2,000 years ago, He filled our empty cradles with hope, joy, peace, love, and life.
He alone makes the empty cradle in my heart and home bearable. His promise of Eternity with her and Him makes the empty cradle filled.
I know that though my cradle is empty and will never be filled with Lily or Luke this side of Heaven, they will fill my arms for all Eternity.
Baby Jesus was everything we all needed, and Lily was everything needed to bring me back to Himself.
I don't know if I will ever fill that empty cradle here, though I so long to. I know that the emptiness of the cradle at times will overwhelm me, but I also know my Jesus is enough to comfort me and satisfy my longing heart. Whatever your "empty cradle" is, He is able to fill it with His love and peace.
A baby changes everything...
A precious baby named Jesus came to Earth to change everything. It's because of his birth and death that my entire life is changed. He was sent to Earth to rescue me...to redeem us all.
A precious baby girl named Lily was sent to save me, her mommy.
Though I am so thankful for her life, at times I am consumed with missing her and thinking about her death. I want our home to be filled with her life. Her cradle sat by my bed and waited for a little girl who would never come home. It was only ever empty and desolate of her life. The cradle that still remains empty.
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| Empty Cradle custom piece from The MidnightOrange |
He alone makes the empty cradle in my heart and home bearable. His promise of Eternity with her and Him makes the empty cradle filled.
Baby Jesus was everything we all needed, and Lily was everything needed to bring me back to Himself.
I don't know if I will ever fill that empty cradle here, though I so long to. I know that the emptiness of the cradle at times will overwhelm me, but I also know my Jesus is enough to comfort me and satisfy my longing heart. Whatever your "empty cradle" is, He is able to fill it with His love and peace.
A baby changes everything...
Here are the parts of the song that remind me of Lily and Luke:
Teenage girl, much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything
Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
And she cries!
Ooh, she cries
My whole life has turned around
I was lost, but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything
Candle from Candy
My sweet friend Candy sent me this photo today and wrote: "I chose this gift today while playing a game at work. Goosebumps upon reading the scent...thinking of you today." Isn't that crazy that it has 3 significant names to me on there? - my first and middle names and Lily's first name. It's just missing Katherine. ❤️
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Remembering Together Swap 2016
This year, I decided to participate in the Remembering Together Ornament Swap.
I took part once before, in 2012 I think it was, and haven't since then because honestly I was disappointed with what I ended up with. The ornament wasn't really "unique to Lily." I had also participated in a Christmas gift exchange for families touched by babyloss, in 2010, which turned out disappointing for me as well. This made me apprehensive about participating again.
Anyways, with the swap, hundreds of families from around the world make an ornament for another family, and also receive one. All the families have been touched by babyloss. It is a touching way to remember and honor other babies, while yours is remembered and honored as well. You give information about your baby and details about things that remind you of them. It's also a way to do something tangible for your baby during the Christmas season.
This is the lovely ornament that was made for me by a lady named Kimberly (Phara's mommy).
I took part once before, in 2012 I think it was, and haven't since then because honestly I was disappointed with what I ended up with. The ornament wasn't really "unique to Lily." I had also participated in a Christmas gift exchange for families touched by babyloss, in 2010, which turned out disappointing for me as well. This made me apprehensive about participating again.
Anyways, with the swap, hundreds of families from around the world make an ornament for another family, and also receive one. All the families have been touched by babyloss. It is a touching way to remember and honor other babies, while yours is remembered and honored as well. You give information about your baby and details about things that remind you of them. It's also a way to do something tangible for your baby during the Christmas season.
This is the lovely ornament that was made for me by a lady named Kimberly (Phara's mommy).
Here's a video I took to show the ornament all the way around.
And this is the ornament I made for Griffin's mommy, Jennifer. Sea turtles remind her of her guy. I loved being able to do this for him/her/Lily all at once. It was therapeutic to plan out the ornament, shop for it, and make it.
Here's a video I took to share Griffin's ornament all the way around.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Wood Burned Ornaments
I've been wanting these memorial wood burned Christmas ornaments from Luminous Light Studio since last year. One for each of my L's, and one for my Aunt Rachel, who was born and died in 1965. ❤️🎄
There are snowflakes on the back. ❄️❄️❄️
Each ornament came with this sweet tag on it. :)
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