Ducks for Lucy

Today was the 8th annual Hope Floats Duck Race benefitting KinderMourn.

Our team "Ducks for Lucy" adopted 312 ducks altogether! Way to go team! The money goes toward supporting other families through their grief process, and the organization not only supports these individuals but the community as a whole. A year ago I would have never really understood the meaning behind something like this.

It was a cloudy, gray and rainy day,.. but shortly after we got there, the sun came out. 

We hardly felt a drop of rain once we got there!

It had been ages since we had been out to the U.S. National Whitewater Center. We enjoyed watching some of the rafters and kayakers before the race started.

Lyss, Elise, Avery, me and Hill:

Tony and William:

Avery was very impressed with her duck whistle - quack, quack!

Avery and her buddy Will watching for duckies:

Hillary and Brian:

Elise, Jackson & Jason:

Can you spot any duckies out there?

William (16 months), Avery (2 1/2 years), Jackson (9 months):

It was wonderful to be surrounded by friends today. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel through the event, but everything went great. I even met a new friend, and ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in many, many years.

Thank you to those of you who were able to donate toward our "Ducks for Lucy" team, to those of you who were thinking of our family today, and to those who were able to come out and support. We are hoping to make this an annual fundraising opportunity for our family.

Life unexpected...

I wanted to share the below blog post written by a mother whose daughter was born with Down Syndrome. I originally found her blog last year when I was pregnant with Lucy, and reading it I was an emotional train wreck (if you follow the blog link, be warned - you will need a box of tissues on hand).

http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html

I went back to re-read this blog post about her daughter's birth story last night when I heard the author, Kelle Hampton, had also just released a book, called Bloom.

I appreciate the honesty & raw emotion that Hampton shows through her writing. We just never know what tomorrow holds, do we? I look forward to hopefully reading her book soon.

Easter Weekend 2012

Easter 2012

~ St. James & Southport, NC ~

Avery's first Easter Egg Hunt:

After discussing strategy with Daddy, she was OFF!:

With Grandpa and BeeGee:

Train ride at Southport's Easter Festival:

Taking a ride on the gator down by the water:

Dinner on the water at sunset:

Avery's new froggy chair from Grandpa and BeeGee!:

Getting the day's scoop with Grandpa:

Easter morning goodies:

Modeling the dress & hair bow made by mommy for Easter Sunday:

The comfort found in the Easter holiday means more than ever now that I have a sweet baby girl sitting with Jesus up in heaven. We have let Avery listen to some music by The Beatles, and she walks around singing two songs in particular - "Love Me Do" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." I was nearly swept off my feet as I heard her replacing the word "diamonds" with "angels" this past Sunday - so perfectly sweet. Very thankful for all God has given us.