Birthday balloons

Joshua and Erik with Westley

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I love this picture. Joshua adored Erik and Westley when they would come to visit. He and Erik both look so happy.

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Joshua's birthday was very busy. Work and school for the family. Then off to Church for Wednesday night dinner and programs. We brought a happy birthday cake to the dinner in honor of Joshua. It disappeared very quickly. :) Jeff and I are going to a parenting Bible study while the kids are at Awana. Our group brought some flowers and balloons in honor of Joshua. We let the balloons go with our group. :) It was really nice and let us know that others are still thinking about us and willing to remember Joshua with us. Jeff bought balloons earlier in the day for us to release with the kids at home but it was too late when we got home so we planned on releasing them on Thursday.

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When we came downstairs Thursday morning....GASP!!!! All the helium was already gone and the balloons were laying limp on the ground. What to do? What to do? So begins a new tradition....

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Thursday night we all sat around in the living room and divided up the balloons. One at at time we all said something we remembered about Joshua and then...POP! The kids had a blast and couldn't wait for their next turn to say something about Josh and POP their balloon. We never would have planned that, but it worked out good and the kids will look forward to doing it again next year.

Birthday Poem from Aunti Terry

Aunti Terry giving Joshua his first motorcycle ride

Thank you Terry for this lovely poem on Joshua's birthday

I'm singing a song
For a loved one who's gone

But I picture his face

Ever smiling

We think of his joy

Our sweet handsome boy

Of Joshua Cute and beguiling

I think of his family

of Sally and Jeff

Micah, Erik, Jacob Lynn Marie

And Westley as well,

Their grief blends with love

As they join hearts together with me.

Happy birthday dear Josh

Happy birthday from us

We miss you with each passing day

Happy birthday to you

We celebrate your life

Whose spark still gives out Lovely rays.

Thinking of you today on Josh's birthday.

Love and hugs,Terry

memorial sign

This sign was donated to us by Acker Signs.

computer

Micah watching a Zelda video on the computer

Lynn's jeep

Some day this will be real if I am a good girl.

Thank you letter

This is the thank you letter that will be placed in the obituary on Sunday.

Preschool girl

Our Little Preschool Girl

Lynn seems to really enjoy preschool. Her favorite part is playing on the playground and riding home on the bus. She also likes to play in the kitchen station. They put the babies in time out in a kitchen cabinet. She did get a new bike for a late birthday present.

new cross

We had to put up a new cross because someone vandalized our other one. They broke it in half and threw it in the spillway. how sad.

Joshua's chest

This is the chest all of us decorated to put Joshua's belongings in. It was the hardest thing we had to do.

Kitty Scared

Now this is funny

vbs

Joshua at vacation Bible school. I think he was pretending to be happy. No I think he actually liked it.

separation

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord

To live is Christ and to die is Gain...

I have read and thought on these verses many times. I believe with my brain, Joshua, that you are happy and yet I feel miserable in my heart. I can't talk to you or hear you tell me how happy you are. I can't see you smile. I can't touch you and hug you. I can't hear you tell me that you love me. I am completely separated from you.

Is this how Jesus felt when he cried out "My God My God, Why hast though forsaken me?" When Jesus experienced complete separation from God? Is separation from those we love and from God the worst possible thing to experience in all of heaven and earth? God (3 in 1) created us in his image. Could part of that image mean that we are connected to each other with stronger bonds then we can understand? We need to be within reach of each other to be complete. Josh is not just a person in my family. He is a part of me. We have grown together into a unit and the separation rips me apart. I can not be whole again until I join him with the Lord in Heaven. Josh is complete now. I don't know if he is out of time and already at the end of time? Maybe he just jumped forward to when we are already there to? Or maybe he is watching time and history take place? I don't know for certain. I just know that he is present with Christ and it is better then living here on earth.

What a smile!

Here you are Joshua, wearing your Safe Kids shirt and smiling a toothless grin. I wish you had stayed safe at the spillway. I miss your enthusiasm for life and excitement for all the things you wanted to do. We had a family night and watched the movie "Cats and Dogs" last night. You loved family nights. You would have brought all your pillows and blankets down and snuggled up. It is so hard for us to understand how wonderful Heaven is. How you don't need to be here with us. I think, what could be better then to be here together as a family and yet we are assured that "to live is Christ and to die is gain. " You have gained a perfected sanctified body with the Lord in Eternity. You are living out what we can not even begin to imagine. I can't wait to join you. :)

Senator

Joshua would have thought it was cool that a senator would write about him

All snuggled up

The weather seems to be changing. It was really cold the last few days!
I see that some sweety-pies have found a way to stay warm in a chair the neighbors were giving away. :)

Midna was very naughty and chewed up one of the disks from our camera yesterday!!! grrrrr !!! It had all of my past Joshua pictures on it that we took with our camera. Ohhh! I was mad at her. Poor Joshua was soooo mad at her when she chewed up his twilight Princess game. She has been chewing everything.

Well, I'm off to my new job at Carenet this morning. Jeff, Micah and Lynn already took off for Micah's counseling appointment. Lynnie is excited because she gets to ride the bus home from headstart today. She is looking forwards to riding the bus. I hear a tongue busy licking Jacob. ewweeeee. I think it is gross to have a dog lick you. Hope y'all have a great day.

Her birthday cake. "how cute"

Birthday Girl

My dearest wife at her birthday party. "a few day's early"

Our new Trail Blazer

Here is our new trail blazer that the Wallmart Pharmacy donated to us. :) We just got it today. It was a little embarrasing because we had a huge group of people all standing around shaking our hands and taking pictures. We still can't believe they gave us a 2004 trail blazer.

We have been so lucky to have wonderful support during this hard time. It is just hard to accept so much when the cost has been so high. We would gladly trade it all to have our Joshua here with us right now. He would have thought the new truck was really cool if he was here.

Our stay in Laramie 2004

Aren't we all cute.

We sure miss these day's.

We didnt have a photo with Joshua in the barn. boo hoo

little Micah

little jacob

Fall grave site

September is here. A new month without our Joshua. He would be 11 this month. As the seasons turn we add new colors to his grave site. A small memorial and tribute the to young man we love and miss so much.

I wonder whats wrong with this picture? "hmmm"