Jackson in Arizona

 

Jax's been in Arizona for almost a week now.

Today I asked Rob and Steph to send me some pictures of Jackson's life in Arizona and here's what Steph sent...(she was even nice enough to label them)

 

Dinner

 



 

Watching some dumb sport on TV

 

Jackson made these!

(by made she means took them out of the package and placed them on the cookie sheet--which he learned how to do from his mother)

Glad to see he's being helpful!

 



 

Speaking of being helpful.

Janie begged Estabon to let her help with the dishes.  He's now her favorite brother.

 

I spent a few hours last night working on a little project for the kids.  It's a gift we'll give each of them on Baby Kevin's birthday this May.  As I worked away, I was flooded with so many memories and feelings I had the day of Kevin Jr's birth and the week or so following.  I went to bed emotionally drained, but grateful for every moment of his life. 

I came across this article about grief earlier in the week and I've been thinking about it ever since.  The following paragraph from the article really hit home to me... 

 

“You don't want to get over it. Don't act surprised. As awful a burden as grief is, you know intuitively that it matters, that it is profoundly important to be grieving. Your grief plays a crucial part in staying connected to your child's life. To give up your grief would mean losing your child yet again. If I had the power to take your grief away, you'd fight me to keep it. Your grief is awful, but it is also holy. And somewhere inside you, you know that.”

 

Steve (the guy who wrote the article) goes on to say,

 

The goal is not to get over it. The goal is to get on with it.

 

and that is precisely what I have been trying to do and I think we're on the right track.