We have watched our kids grow and are so blessed that they love the Lord and each other and are so close. My favourite thing to do is watch the kids spend time together and be there for each other. We have had so many milestones in the last years. Josh has been married for two and a half years to our Riley and is a Correctional Officer in London. Micah has been away at Redeemer. Natalie has done her first year at Mohawk and has been dating Austin for a year and a half. Josiah is finishing off highschool. Grace is almost done schooling at home. Tessa is growing every day and is doing well at the end of the line. (: 

We have three graduations this year: Grace grade 8. Josiah grade 12. Micah university. In September, Grace is going to school for the first time at PRC. Josiah is leaving home and going to Redeemer and Micah is going to work at Covenant for a year as a TA before he goes to teachers college. Our home changes yearly as our kids get older, but this year is significant. There will be some tears for me in September. Happy, excited tears and sad ones too.

Micah's graduation was May 25th. I was going to post some of Micah's grad pictures on Facebook, but I couldn't do it. I don't have the words to say why. A graduation, especially from university is always an event to recognize. These kids have worked hard for their BA and it's the culmination of an important block of 4 years in their lives. It was a beautiful ceremony, with the biggest graduating class in their 39 years. James Kelly's speech was fantastic. The content and delivery was stellar. It wasn't a rah rah rah speech.  It was convicting and it pushed us forward to fulfill the call to create and to be a faithful servant in the Lord's Kingdom. The community and comradery that we saw between the students was so enouraging to see. We also got to see some kids that Ken taught graduate as well. Ken loves watching his former students progress and move on. It's special to him.

But this was so much more for Ken and I. 

It was actually a celebration of life.  

We sat there for an hour before it started and just over 2 hours during and my heart was exploding. I had a hard time keeping my tears in. I was exhausted afterward from the effort to stay steady. I am emotional person, so no matter which one of our kids is graduating, I am sure to cry. I have cried at all the highschool graduautions so far. But to see Micah hit this milestone is something that we never thought that we would see.

Each year after December 2007, and each day after March 25th, 2010 has been a gift for Micah and for our family. These are days that humanly shouldn't exist for him. So to see him thriving and healthy and moving forward is a stunning gift from the Lord. We don't talk about it often anymore, but it's always there in the back of our minds. There will always be an ache at the rememberance, but the deep pain and the dark trauma associated with them has been mostly worked through and has faded to a large degree. But the experiences, what we have learned and the perspective we have gained stays with us. In the last 17 years, we have learned so clearly that the Lord has a plan for our lives that isn't necessarily what we would choose for ourselves, but it's the one that He has chosen for us. It's best for us.  And it's good. He is always kind and faithful and His gifts are many. We praise Him and in Him we rest and trust. 

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.

 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

    your judgments are like the great deep;

    man and beast you save, O Lord.

 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

 They feast on the abundance of your house,

    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

 For with you is the fountain of life;

    in your light do we see light.

Psalm 36:5-9