Cookies, candies, and kiss boxes

I look for Josiah at the grocery store ... in the ice cream aisle, the candy section, amongst the baked goods and chocolate, even chips.  They've never been more tempting as I search for that which I am missing.  The Magnum bars did not satisfy, they did not fulfill their promise.  Maybe licorice will help ... or making the world's best chocolate chip cookies (I'll let you know if sea salt has been the missing ingredient).  This is not what I should do with my grief but it is the easiest thing to do.

I had wanted to make Graham a photo mug for Father's Day but when I sat down to pick the photos I didn't know whether to include Josiah or not.  I asked Graham after the event what photos he'd like on a mug but he didn't know either - so no mug. 

We had some new carpet put in our bedrooms so everything had to be moved to our living room.  Isaac decided that he wanted to be back in his old yellow room so Kohen is now in the green room (Josiah's old room).  The room is set up differently but I often think of Josiah as I nurse and rock Kohen in the comfy brown chair.  

We've enjoyed spending some time with Graham's brother from B.C.  He heads home tomorrow.

Kohen is four and a half months old.  At this stage I'd say he's our happiest, noisiest, most energetic baby of the three (of course, Josiah was intubated at this stage and had a few other issues!)  Kohen's in the 97th percentile for height and the 75th for weight so he's tall for his age. 

I realized recently that I won't always have the physical reminders of Josiah.  I like having the reminders.  One day the crib will no longer be needed and the baby toys won't be strewn around the house.  The baby swing will be gone, as will the car seat and highchair.  Thankfully that won't happen for a while.  We'll all grow older but the photo of Josiah will always stay the same.   

My cousin and her family from Northern Ireland sent the boys some football (soccer) jerseys.  Isaac loves wearing his.

Gary the goat is a new favourite character in Graham's bedtime stories.  Graham decided to test Isaac the other night.  In his story a bird went to get an avocado for Isaac and Gary but the bird fell down and was hurt.  Graham asked Isaac if he would eat the avocado or go and help the bird.  Isaac decided he would eat the avocado really quickly and then help the bird.

Isaac now has an awesome pushbike from his cousin in B.C.  I'd never heard of them before but Isaac loves his.  He even skipped dessert the first night he had it so that he could have more time on the bike.  

Isaac has been listening.  We were walking in the cemetery this afternoon and Isaac said to Graham, "Daddy, did you know that God makes good out of bad?"

At the SickKids memorial event a couple of months ago, Isaac made a memory box that he called a Kiss Box (we'd recently read a library book about a kiss box).  This week we made kisses for the kiss box.  The kisses are cut out hearts.  Each person in the family has a different colour of paper for the hearts.  We can each go to the box for a kiss (for example if Mommy isn't around for a real kiss) and Josiah is always able to get a kiss.   Here's Isaac cutting out kisses.  

  

Thanks for your prayers!

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Hebrew 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.