Joshua's Birthday

Today is not the day we would have chosen it to be.  We desperately wish that we were busy throwing a big 1st birthday party and watching Joshua eat his first bite of cake along with so many other firsts that a first birthday entails.  The year has gone by so quickly since Joshua's birth.  It has been hard and there are so many things everyday that remind Nathan and I of what we are missing.  We miss Joshua everyday and everyday James asks me what I think Joshua is doing in Heaven or tells me how much he wishes his brother was here.  With all of that said everyday we also thank God for blessing us with the wonderful gift of Joshua's life.  We thank God for the time He gave us with him and for the graces we have been given through our suffering of his loss.  Today we didn't know how to celebrate/remember Joshua.  Here is what we ended up doing and it was perfect because today we were a family and we just spent the day thankful for each other and thankful for Joshua.  This morning we went to Mass at 9 which Julie was gracious enough to have had said in Joshua's name.  Then we drove out to the cemetery where the boys brought Joshua windmills and bluebonnets "that won't die".  After that we drove out 290 and found bluebonnets to take family pictures.  This is something we did just days before Joshua was born last year.  If you want to see pictures from last year you can click here.  Then we went to the Bluebell factory for a tour and ice cream.  This is something we did my first day home from the hospital to get out of the house.  After that we spontaneously decided to drive to Austin for dinner and then went to see the bats.  It was a long, bittersweet day full of tears, and laughter.  Thank you for everyone who made us feel loved today.  Thank you for the texts, calls, cards, gifts and prayers.  We are so blessed to have such amazing support and we are so grateful for everyone whom God has placed in our lives.  Here are some pictures from the day and I apologize for this post and any errors it may have.  It was a long day and it is very late.

"Every promise has been fulfilled for you, with not one single exception."  

Joshua 23:14

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces mush fruit.

John 12:24