Mayfield Park Nature Walk

Last Thursday we packed up the car and headed out to Champion Park to meet up with our friends for a playdate at the splash pad.  Alex loves water.  And he loves to run.  And he thought running IN the water would be fun.  Until he slipped and took a head-dive into the cement.  It took a chunk of skin and left a nice gash.  With blood running down his chin he kept insisting he wasn't going home and he would get back in the water to play.

After we got home (without getting back into the water) and had it cleaned up, it looked a little like this:

Ow.  It's nicely working on creating scar number 2 on his face as it heals.

Because of the disaster (defined by Alex as inability to continue playing in the water with his friends, blood and all) we decided to take a nice, hopefully less dangerous, nature walk the next morning.  We found some good bugs, burned off some energy, and worked up a decent Texas sweat in the 100 degree heat.  Success.

Look closely.  There's a baby turtle on the edge of the lily pad.

Fourth of July 2013

We started our Fourth of July this year with the Harris Branch Community Parade.

Ready to Go!

Tired of waiting for the parade to start after sitting still for all of 30 seconds...

...so he found someone to entertain him until the parade started.

We're hard to see but we're there.  Just look really close on the left.  Closer...(it's like trying to find Waldo/Alex).

It took A LOT (read - constant vigilance, cat-like reflexes) of coordination and patience to keep him from running over the curb, out into the street, into other people.  He even ran over my foot once, which by the way kinda hurts.

 But we made it.  And he got to sit in the front of the firetruck and now he wants to be a fireman.  And zoologist.  A zoologist fireman?  A fireman zoologist?

One the way home I think he drove in the grass more than on the sidewalk.  Well, it does say "OFF ROAD" right on the front.

 For some reason I don't understand, the fort is only ever decorated for Fourth of July.  Weird.  But it always looks good.  Maybe we'll add lights next year!

Waiting expectantly for the fireworks to start.  Which by the way, he claimed he hated fireworks even though he couldn't remember ever having seen them before, right up until they actually started.  "Fireworks are the most awesomest ever," he said, as the first one lit up, "I've ALWAYS loved them."

What is Fourth of July without GLO-sticks?

I almost forgot!  Tie-dye T-shirts courtesy of Alex.

When there are no words of comfort...

...because sometimes the pain is just too deep.

I hear the words.  I know what they mean.  And still, some part of me refuses to accept it. If you've faced the death of a child, you know EXACTLY what I mean.

Others don't always see it.  We might not always feel it.  But we are just a little broken somewhere inside.  Full of questions and entirely unsure how this whole saying goodbye thing is supposed to work.

Because really.  How DO you say goodbye when you're still waiting to say hello?

There's so much time to THINK.  About all the things that will never be.  About ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes.  And the beautiful little person they belong to.  But mostly there is time to think about all the silence.  

And that is where He finds us.  His Grace heals us and carries us along with a new, perfectly formed, tiny soul attached forever to our hearts.

In Loving Memory of our first son, Nathan - born into Heaven February 19, 2003

though we held you in our arms for such a short time

you remain in our hearts forever

In Loving Memory of our third son, Joshua - taken to heaven June 5, 2013

though we had just begun to dream of our life with you

we hold the anticipation of seeing you one day in our hearts

Blessed be the name of the Lord

See-through Zipper Bag

New in the Inspired Moments Gifts collection - a see-through zipper bag.  Pretty handy for carrying just about anything you want to be able to see!