Anniversary

It's hard to believe that ten years have gone by since we lost our first child, our sweet Jack.

Every year right around the anniversary our Magnolia tree blooms.  Those first blooms and signs of life on our otherwise bare tree in the cold of winter always bring a smile to my heart.  The tree was a gift to us by our dear friends and it is absolutely the most meaningful gift we have ever received.

 

But as sad as the anniversary is as a reminder of the son we never got to know, we feel so blessed to have the three always energetic, usually sweet, sometimes thoughtful and occassionally downright frustrating children that we do.  When we lost Jack and our house felt so empty, what we have now, with all the chaos and noise, is what we longed for.  Sometimes it's hard to remember that in our day to day crazy lives so the anniversary of Jack's birth and death is a wonderful reminder to us of how truly lucky we are.