Tribute to Flynn

This is much more for my benefit than any of yours. It was a crucial step for me in grieving and moving forward. I need to make sure Flynn's life, though it was very short, is still recognized as a life. He was here. He was part of our family. Part of our present. Part of our future. So I made this video to capture the memories we made as a family during his short life. So I can look back and remember these days.

Celebration of Life

We set today aside as a celebration of life in honor of Flynn. Jared took the day off, and we spent the morning together as a family.

First thing this morning, we woke up and headed to Lakefront Park to feed the ducks

Next stop, the CANDY SHOP. Naturally.

Knokes





Then, off to the park...

the boys chillin at the park

Sophie Cole

The Brode Toad!

Restin with Mama

Jazi Lu

i love him.

By that time, the kids needed naps, and Mom and Dad needed some quality time alone to digest everything. So my amazing sister, Anna, came to play with the kids while we escaped for awhile. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Agave Kitchen, talked, cried together, and made the final decision on his middle name, Vidal (full of life).

It wasn't all smiles today. Many tears were shed. I broke down (again) when our onion petals arrived and this was the first one Jared picked up.

YUM-O

Chimichanga!

Me and my loves

Tonight, to finish off the celebration, I am making a big batch of banana smoothie. For the past several weeks during the pregnancy, one of the things that always sounded good when nothing else did, was a banana smoothie. Ironic, since I'm normally not crazy about banana flavored things. But I guess Flynn was ; )

Flynn Vidal

Flynn Vidal

The good Lord saw fit to invite our sweet precious baby to live with Him in heaven today. Through our deep sadness at missing out on Flynn's life here in our family, we know in our hearts that he got the best life possible right from the start. So we have cause to be jealous of sweet baby Flynn.

We told Sophia and Jazlyn how wonderful their brother's life is in Heaven, and that he is playing with Jesus, and Grandma Jan, right now. Sophia has shed several tears for her lost sibling, which is one of the first glimpses of true compassion we have seen born in her heart (and thus makes Mama burst into a fresh round of tears).

HIS NAME 

FLYNN

I was seven weeks along when Flynn went to his new home. We asked Sophia and Jazlyn if they thought the baby was a boy or girl. They both shouted "BOY!" So there ya have it. It was a boy. And when asked what we should name our baby boy, Sophia dreamily crooned, "Flynn Ryyyyder." (Tangled, anyone?) Jazlyn agreed wholeheartedly. And that's how Flynn was chosen.

VIDAL

Jared has a lot of Italian blood in his veins, so we had decided last week that for this baby we wanted to choose an Italian name. After I realized I was miscarrying, I felt an urgent need to find a perfect name to honor our precious baby. When I read the meaning of the name "Vidal," I couldn't hold it together anymore. I knew it was the right name. It was perfect. Vidal means "full of life." We know that Flynn is more full of life now than he ever would've been here.

We love you Flynn Vidal.

Family Photo

Check out our new family photo we had taken this weekend...

Oh Brody! You Shouldn't Have!

Ok, perhaps a little self-indulgent.

I'll take my thanks however I can get it right now.