I am overwhelmed by all the kind emails, texts and messages we received on Gavin's birthday. Friends and family you are so good to us and love us so well. Thank you. Lyndlee was blessed with a sweet package from cousins that included water balloons and a fun music card for her to dance too. They know her heart well.
About a week before Gavin died I came across this phrase another blogger mom had made into wall art for her little girls room. It was simple and perfect, "Love God Love Others" taken from Matthew 22:37-39.
So I wanted to make this for Lyndlee and Gavin's room. Joy, do you remember how many hours you tried to hang it up, simply trying to make it straight for me? You are the best.
I still have it up in their room and I feel it has become our hearts passion this past year. We want to love God and love others.
So this was what we wanted to do for Gavin's birthday.
So we chose to thank the people who helped our family August 9th. We thanked the church friends and our parents who came to the hospital the minute they heard the news. And they all stayed with us for those 6 hours. We sent food and cards to the ER workers and the EMT workers in Branson; and the funeral home in Joplin. We were so blessed by all their work, love and care for our son and our family. They were amazing. We sent thank you cards to two very special families that have taken us under their wings this last year. They have loved us and walked hard days with us. They have welcomed us into their family and have loved us so well. But this doesn't even come close to thanking all the people that have loved and blessed us during this time.
Thank you friends. You have given us food, grief books, special gifts for Lyndlee, airline tickets to Taiwan and have made us family scrap books. You have given donations to the Home of God's Love in Gavin's name. You have called. You have come. You have emailed. You have given donations to orphanages in Guatemala and have bought Bibles for children in St. Vincent. You have organized sending letters in the mail to Lyndlee and this blessing went for 5 months. You have walked toys over to Lyndlee that you think she will enjoy. You hand wrote Scripture verses for us. You prayed and sang praise songs over our house. You made donations to hospice in Gavin's name. You made a special book of memories of Gavin that we can read and read again. You gave us a special marble set of children of the world, reminding us that Jesus loves all the children of the world. You mailed a sweater to me one day. You mailed a Bible and Scripture verse bracelet. You gave Lyndlee a Chinese Bible. You gave Lyndlee a special Minnie Mouse purse that she loves dearly. You bought balloons on special occasions to remind us you remember and love Gavin. You bought us Silver Dollar City and White Water tickets to enjoy as a family. You gave us plants and flowers. You arranged the whole funeral service. You wrote a song just for us and Gavin. You drove from Texas to be with us. You practiced and sang a beautiful song to us in Taiwan at Gavin's service. You took Brennan to a baseball game. You wrote words of encouragement on index cards. You made a huge meal for all our family at the funeral. You babysat all the kids for free at the funeral. You mailed worship CDS. You made a special CD for Lyndlee and even put a horse picture on it. You fixed our car. You mailed a necklace that says Gavin. You made picture necklaces for Lyndlee. You mailed a cross. You bought me shoes. You gave all your toy horses to Lyndlee that you played with as a kid. You mowed our lawn, cleaned our garage, stocked our fridge, and painted Lyndlee's room with horses and balloons. You made a memory collage of Gavin that hangs in our bedroom. You had your students write encouraging letters to our family. You painted Lyndlee a unicorn. You drew endless pictures of horses for Lyndlee. You bought her numerous books and you became the book lady at church. You met with me every Wednesday at Panera to talk with me, pray with me, and cry with me. You take Brennan out for hunting, coffee, food and prayer. You fixed our porch although to Lyndlee you are the one who put a hole in our house. You took me shopping for clothes. You paid our expenses at the funeral home.
You love us and love us so well. Thank you.
We spent Gavin's birthday wanting to do this in return, to love others. And it brought us so much joy doing these things in Gavin's honor. And then we had a nice dinner with our parents. We have some amazing Godly parents. They have done so much for us. At dinner they brought a needle and thread to fix Lyndlee's stuffed animal. They brought a plastic bag full of turkey bacon and packed an envelope full of paper, markers and stickers. They love her and know her so well. It was hard knowing we were all missing Gavin but we all shared the peace knowing he is with our Lord.
We came back to Branson to find surprises for our princess on our porch. A sweet family from our church brought balloons, cupcakes and princess things for Lyndlee. It made her day, thank you friends. Balloons are special at our house as Lyndlee likes to let them fly to the heavens to her brother Gavin. So she chose a green balloon because that was his favorite color and she let it soar to the clouds. And we also do silly games with balloons as we get kitchen spatulas out and hit the balloons.
We missed Gavin deeply and ached to be with him on his birthday. However most of the day felt like every other day, a day without our son, a day without a brother and best friend, a day longing to be together again.
God is so faithful. He met us all day long with blessings from you friends; and with the deep love and grace that comes from His goodness.
We will keep loving God and loving others.
I am overwhelmed by all the kind emails, texts and messages we received on Gavin's birthday. Friends and family you are so good to us and love us so well. Thank you. Lyndlee was blessed with a sweet package from cousins that included water balloons and a fun music card for her to dance too. They know her heart well.
About a week before Gavin died I came across this phrase another blogger mom had made into wall art for her little girls room. It was simple and perfect, "Love God Love Others" taken from Matthew 22:37-39.
So I wanted to make this for Lyndlee and Gavin's room. Joy, do you remember how many hours you tried to hang it up, simply trying to make it straight for me? You are the best.
I still have it up in their room and I feel it has become our hearts passion this past year. We want to love God and love others.
So this was what we wanted to do for Gavin's birthday.
So we chose to thank the people who helped our family August 9th. We thanked the church friends and our parents who came to the hospital the minute they heard the news. And they all stayed with us for those 6 hours. We sent food and cards to the ER workers and the EMT workers in Branson; and the funeral home in Joplin. We were so blessed by all their work, love and care for our son and our family. They were amazing. We sent thank you cards to two very special families that have taken us under their wings this last year. They have loved us and walked hard days with us. They have welcomed us into their family and have loved us so well. But this doesn't even come close to thanking all the people that have loved and blessed us during this time.
Thank you friends. You have given us food, grief books, special gifts for Lyndlee, airline tickets to Taiwan and have made us family scrap books. You have given donations to the Home of God's Love in Gavin's name. You have called. You have come. You have emailed. You have given donations to orphanages in Guatemala and have bought Bibles for children in St. Vincent. You have organized sending letters in the mail to Lyndlee and this blessing went for 5 months. You have walked toys over to Lyndlee that you think she will enjoy. You hand wrote Scripture verses for us. You prayed and sang praise songs over our house. You made donations to hospice in Gavin's name. You made a special book of memories of Gavin that we can read and read again. You gave us a special marble set of children of the world, reminding us that Jesus loves all the children of the world. You mailed a sweater to me one day. You mailed a Bible and Scripture verse bracelet. You gave Lyndlee a Chinese Bible. You gave Lyndlee a special Minnie Mouse purse that she loves dearly. You bought balloons on special occasions to remind us you remember and love Gavin. You bought us Silver Dollar City and White Water tickets to enjoy as a family. You gave us plants and flowers. You arranged the whole funeral service. You wrote a song just for us and Gavin. You drove from Texas to be with us. You practiced and sang a beautiful song to us in Taiwan at Gavin's service. You took Brennan to a baseball game. You wrote words of encouragement on index cards. You made a huge meal for all our family at the funeral. You babysat all the kids for free at the funeral. You mailed worship CDS. You made a special CD for Lyndlee and even put a horse picture on it. You fixed our car. You mailed a necklace that says Gavin. You made picture necklaces for Lyndlee. You mailed a cross. You bought me shoes. You gave all your toy horses to Lyndlee that you played with as a kid. You mowed our lawn, cleaned our garage, stocked our fridge, and painted Lyndlee's room with horses and balloons. You made a memory collage of Gavin that hangs in our bedroom. You had your students write encouraging letters to our family. You painted Lyndlee a unicorn. You drew endless pictures of horses for Lyndlee. You bought her numerous books and you became the book lady at church. You met with me every Wednesday at Panera to talk with me, pray with me, and cry with me. You take Brennan out for hunting, coffee, food and prayer. You fixed our porch although to Lyndlee you are the one who put a hole in our house. You took me shopping for clothes. You paid our expenses at the funeral home.
You love us and love us so well. Thank you.
We spent Gavin's birthday wanting to do this in return, to love others. And it brought us so much joy doing these things in Gavin's honor. And then we had a nice dinner with our parents. We have some amazing Godly parents. They have done so much for us. At dinner they brought a needle and thread to fix Lyndlee's stuffed animal. They brought a plastic bag full of turkey bacon and packed an envelope full of paper, markers and stickers. They love her and know her so well. It was hard knowing we were all missing Gavin but we all shared the peace knowing he is with our Lord.
We came back to Branson to find surprises for our princess on our porch. A sweet family from our church brought balloons, cupcakes and princess things for Lyndlee. It made her day, thank you friends. Balloons are special at our house as Lyndlee likes to let them fly to the heavens to her brother Gavin. So she chose a green balloon because that was his favorite color and she let it soar to the clouds. And we also do silly games with balloons as we get kitchen spatulas out and hit the balloons.
We missed Gavin deeply and ached to be with him on his birthday. However most of the day felt like every other day, a day without our son, a day without a brother and best friend, a day longing to be together again.
God is so faithful. He met us all day long with blessings from you friends; and with the deep love and grace that comes from His goodness.
We will keep loving God and loving others.
