I'm trying to catch up on the blog by recording what we did in August as October is quickly approaching. We were all blessed as Graham was able to take three weeks off in August. We spent some time with family and were also blessed with a week at a cottage at Braeside, a Christian camp that's not far away from us. The boys had fun swimming in the pool with Graham and we all enjoyed ice cream from the tuck shop.
Additionally, Isaac took some swimming lessons at our local pool, we went to the Brantford Zoo, friends came over, we went to a farm, we slept over at Graham's parents' property in the trailers (enjoying a campfire with s'mores), and we had our fourth annual trip to Centre Island on the Saturday before school started. I will leave the school update for my next post but suffice it to say that Isaac is loving grade one French Immersion at his new school.
I was thinking back on July and realized that I didn't mention what we did on the third anniversary of Josiah's passing. Isaac was at camp during the day and Graham had a number of off-site meetings he needed to attend so it was a little less memorable this year. We went to McDonalds for dinner (in honour of the blessing of Ronald McDonald House) and then we took flowers to Josiah's gravesite. This is the first summer that we haven't visited Ronald McDonald House. I had forgotten until recently that Isaac had written that on his wish list for things to do this summer but he didn't bring it up all summer.
I think this was also the first year that I didn't relive what happened on July 31st in 2012 when I had to rush Josiah to the hospital. I think it's a gift that it turned out to be the same date of Lily-Anna's dedication to the Lord.
It looks like Isaac may have high standards for his future wife. For some reason I was talking to him about how we pray he'll marry a godly woman one day. He replied, "Hopefully there will be a godly woman around here but if not I may have to go to a distant land and find her. You'll be able to visit though and we'll visit."
Kohen has figured out what we do when we see or hear emergency vehicles. We were sitting in the kitchen and he heard an ambulance so he said we needed to pray. He was in the van last night with Graham and Isaac and they passed a vehicle burning on the highway. He said they should pray.
Kohen has also started us on a new tradition. Whenever we pass Josiah's cemetery, we will say something out loud like, "We love you Josiah. We miss you. We wish you were here." Or, we'll sing our Josiah song. The other day we passed a different random cemetery and Kohen said, "We love you Josiah."
Though this is August's update, it is counting as my September entry as I won't be able to blog on the 30th this month as I am speaking the next morning at my church about our journey with Josiah. So, September's update will be late.
Lily-Anna is lovely. I will probably soon have to train her to sleep in her crib in the day time but the nights have been quite good. I'm hoping she doesn't have sleep digression like Kohen did after he learned to roll over.
I'm very thankful to God that my friend no longer has cancer in her body.
Thanks for any prayers!
Blessings,
Elizabeth
“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”
Psalms 59:16 ESV