It has officially been one year since our daughter was born into Heaven. Words can’t express our heartache of missing her and so deeply wishing she was here with us, but we know that in the moment she opened her eyes, she saw the face of Jesus. She was completely healed and made whole in an instant. And we can’t wait to meet her someday when the Lord calls us home.
While we grieve our lives without her in them, we cling to the promises of God. The Bible tells us that He is our refuge and our strength, ever present in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), never leaving our side (Deuteronomy 31:6), and he gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The Lord has sustained us in our grief for the past year and we’re comforted in knowing He’s not done yet. We feel such a sense of purpose in her life, still to this day, and He’s worked in ways that we know only He can.
How incredible that you can learn so much from someone you never got to meet.
To Eden on your first birthday,
I wonder everyday what you would be like; what you would be learning, who you would resemble, or what your personality would be. But on your birthday, I have more wishes than wonder. I wish I could have dressed you up, put you in your high chair, gave you a smash cake, and then waited to see if you would dig in or hesitate to get your little fingers messy. I wish I could have sang to you and reminisced on our past year of memories together. But since the angels get to sing to you now, your dad and I will light your candle year after year, admire your photo, and continue to wonder all about you.
All my love, Mama
For the past couple months, we’ve had a tradition in mind that we wanted to start for Eden’s birthday. Each year, we’re going to deliver a gift basket to the first baby girl born at Mercy Hospital South (where Eden was born) on September 10th. Our hope is to be able to turn sorrow into joy, spread love in her honor, and most importantly to get the chance to talk about her. Time passes and life moves on, but the desire to talk about your child in Heaven is always there. So more than anything, our desire is to never let her memory fade by sharing her story this way.
Our favorite part of the day was getting to open Eden’s birthday box and see what our friends at Abel Speaks so intentionally put together for our girl. They blow us away every time with their generosity and intentionality in everything they do, and this was no different. In her box was the sweetest banner that Amber promptly hung up (because it’s absolutely adorable), a journal to write to her and about how we celebrate her birthday each year, birthday horns, and a birthday cake scented candle. What touched us the most was that their gift wasn’t only for this birthday, but it extended into the years to come. We now have a birthday balloon for the next 4 birthdays and special candles for every birthday to come. How sweet is that!
For those of you who joined us in remembering our daughter; we cant thank you enough. Every parent has a desire that their loved ones will show up for their kids, and this was our way to experience that. Everyone had such creative and beautiful ways that they chose to honor Eden on her Heavenly birthday, and we want to showcase them here. We want to have all these memories put together for not only us to look back on, but also her little siblings someday, too.
Wearing Eden's Name
Yellow for Our Sunshine
sweet friends found the yellow in God’s masterpiece of a Pennsylvania sunset
Paying it Forward
Eden’s 1st birthday was a chance to remember, honor, and show our love for our daughter in Heaven. Often, we don’t have practical ways to show her all the love we still have for her in our hearts. But celebrating her on her birthday gave us the chance to do just that.
“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
Happy Heavenly birthday, Eden Rose. Until we meet again <3
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more… And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:1-5
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