Joy

Moments of the last two weeks have been our family's nightmare imagined; we have cried; we have ached; we have struggled to find meaning and purpose. It has been hard, and it continues to be hard. To be honest, I don't think we have quite wrapped our minds around our loss- I know I haven't- it just doesn't seem real. But amidst all this- the loss, the sadness, the hurt- in the midst of all this, God has found little ways to show us light and happiness and His grace.

Psalm 30:5 assures us that "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning", and that joy has been found in our little family of five, with these two little ones who continue to make us laugh and smile and show us that the world is indeed filled with wonder and love.

I didn't take very many pictures while we were in Houston; in fact, I didn't get a single picture of the kids with their cousins or Harper and Jack all dressed up- it just didn't seem fitting to snap pictures in those moments, but here are a few that I did take in the days leading up Mimi's passing and the week following. I hope that these pictures will serve as a reminder that while we grieve in one breath, we can also rejoice in the next breath. I continue to be in awe of all the gifts we have been given.

Here are pictures of the kiddos before they got their got haircut (shout out to Deb for fitting them in on short notice for us). Harper looks so grown up to me in this picture and Jack is helping me cook (he really needed a haircut, for sure).

 The only pictures I have of the kids playing while we were in Houston, but they did play A LOT and filled the house with squeals and giggles and laughter- I know Debbie would've loved it.

A big shout out to these guys who had dinner with us on Sunday night after the visitation. Harper was thrilled to have the attention of both Jeff and Rob, and dinner with friends was a great way to end the night.

Another big shout out to Andrew, Marysia, Jenn and Casey, and Brett for driving all over the place to get some books and stuffed animals for the kiddos to play with after the funeral. The books with wheels were a hit and the giraffe and tiger are still being carried around the house. Here's a shot of Jack growling like a tiger and then giving "Tiger" a hat at dinner.

My final shout out goes to Uncle Tanner who drove home with me and the kiddos so I could have some help on the drive. He drove us the whole way home and was a good sport helping the kids with their hamburgers at dinner. He even woke up "early" the next morning (10am) to play with Jack and Harper before we headed to Nana and Pop's for the Thanksgiving weekend.

So, as I go back through the photos I've taken the last few days, I realize that we do have quite a bit to be thankful for- a lot to be thankful for actually between our two little miracles and all our friends and family who have shown us love and support, we are very lucky indeed.

I'll post pictures from Thanksgiving weekend on Sunday and then I'll be back to my normal blogging schedule. Thank you for the outpouring of prayers and support for our family- we appreciate you thinking of us.