Travis has now been in Heaven 5 years. Here's what we did to remember him this year. . .
Claudia (Mom) spent Monday of Spring Break walking familiar paths around our property where Travis played as a child (he and the boys used to suck the nectar out of the blossoms - they got a few ants if they weren't careful) collecting Manzanita Blossoms to make exotic flower jelly someone gave her the recipe for.
Thursday March 17th, was Manzanita Blossom Jelly making day. While she worked she listened to a beautiful Stephen Curtis Chapman CD "Beauty will rise" our friend Jill from North Dakota sent us this year. What special songs - knowing of the recent loss they suffered of their little 5 year old daughter, we know he understands suffering - it was so appropriate!!! Her other friend Shali also sent us a comforting CD she listed to as well, "to give her heart" on this special but difficult day.
She had Travis's picture in the frame our friend Jill sent us just for this special day and a dream catcher one of the students at school made for her this year on the counter while she worked, and thought of Travis . . . and our family and friends who have helped us hold Travis and his memory and the love we shared close to our hearts. Of course some tears were shed and her heart broke all over again that Travis had to suffer and since he went to Heaven we have suffered, but tears of gratitude that we had him here to share 19 years of life with, and that she had the privilege of being his Mother.
We read this recently, and it seemed to be her special saying this year..
"You can never really lose someone so long as you hold their memory in your heart and tend to it,
nurturing it with love"
Friday was pouring down rain, so we gathered with the boys and Joanna and Amie at the new house we
purchased here in Forest Ranch that the guys are remodeling with 3 white balloons - Jared wrote
Travis, Janet (Jill's sister who went to heaven 12/18/2010) and Jim (our brother-in-law/uncle that
went to Heaven 1/1/2010 and who's birthday was 3/11) on the balloons.
The rain stopped for us to go on the balconies where the boys climbed on the roof.
We had a special celebration this year - Jill coordinated sending love with the balloons to Heaven from North Dakota at the same time we did in California.
We had coffee and crackers with Manzanita Jelly, then went to the Ranch Grill here in Forest Ranch for dinner.
Another anniversary . . . one more year closer to Heaven ourselves. We can't wait to get there and see those we love and miss so much - We hope Jesus has reunited Jim and Travis and has introduced Janet to him as well. It would be wonderful if they can see how much love we hold for them in our hearts!!!
We finished the evening off with a nice dinner in Travis's memory at the Forest Ranch Grill, since Travis loved Forest Ranch so much.
We were served by someone that knew the boys as they grew up - her sons & daughter went to the same little school in Forest Ranch. I wonder what people think when they see our family together. I'm sure it makes them think of Travis, and how much we miss him, although we do not verbalize it to others unless they ask - which they never do, I'm sure out of courtesy to us.
So another year marked off for our family - another candle on the Heaven Day cake for Travis.