Happy 6th Birthday, Elijah & Olivia

I can't believe it has been 6 years since Elijah & Olivia were born and died. It is hard to wrap my head around it. As we visited the grave today, Nate said, "They would have been in first grade." That is hard to think about.

I remember the day we left the hospital...without them. It was on a Sunday, just like today. The weather had been cold and snowy. But that isn't anything new around here. We left the hospital around lunch time & drove home, almost in silence. We didn't know what to say or think. We just knew it wasn't right. That Sunday evening, several family members & friends came to our house with food. It was comforting. I was ready to sleep in my own bed and just be home.

That following Wednesday, we would bury our kids. As I stated before, it had been cold and snowy. But on that Wednesday, it was beautiful & almost warm. The sun was shining & I wore a long sleeve shirt without a coat. That was very rare for our February weather. I really felt like it was God shining his light on us. He was waiting for these two beautiful babies & wanted to give them a beautiful welcome. That, he did.

So another year has passed and I know we will feel the same each year after. The hurt doesn't go away. But with Isabel, Jasper & Jonah, we feel love again & know that they will always have a special brother and sister who watches over them.

Each year, we make sure to put two "Happy Birthday" balloons on their grave. We leave enough slack to let them blow like crazy in the wind. I want the whole world to see them & remember how much these two precious children impacted our lives.