Happy Day

 If you click on the picture above it will take you to Kristy and Howard's Blog, who are Asher's parents.

Last year I wrote about how special Asher was to me (and the rest of his amazing family) and you can read that post HERE

You, sweet boy, are STILL making quite the impact on this world...those little feet are truly miraculous.  So tiny, yet so large all at the same time.  Just the other day I was looking for a t-shirt and just grabbed into the drawer, only to come up with one (of many now) of my Team Issac and Asher shirts.  It brought a smile to my face and reminded me that spring really isn't that far off and it's about time to wear one again.  The things that are being done in your name...it truly is amazing to see.

Last year we send you balloons, we hoped you liked the colors.

 and then we ate some deee-ishious cupcakes according to your buddy Fionn.

This year...we did something a little different.  We didn't want to just let balloons go, we wanted something that would last a little longer and then would just dissolve back in nature...and mother nature provided us with the perfect palette last night.  

We drove to the highest point by our house, one with a clear view of the sky (and downtown) so that you'll just be able to look right down and see your little present.  

Happy  3rd Birthday Asher Joseph, thank you for our Happy Day!!

tiny feet, HUGE footprints

Two years ago today I had the pleasure and privilege to help our friends Kristy and Howard welcome their fourth child, Asher Joseph, into this world. Two years ago today, I also joined them as they said good-bye and watched him go home to his heavenly father.

Asher came a little faster than expected, and by the time we made the two hour drive to Erie and made it to the hospital, he had already went to meet our Lord.  His brief 36 minutes on this earth were spend literally SURROUNDED by love.  Not only were his mommy and daddy, big brothers, grandparents, and aunts and uncles there to meet him, but so were a multitude of friends and other family.  Walking into the waiting room of the L&D floor, you would have never known we were all there to say goodbye...because we weren't.
We were there to CELEBRATE his beautiful little life.  No matter how short it was, HE was a part of us, a part of our "family".  For those of you that do not know this story, Asher was not only greeted in Heaven by our Father, but by his big brother, Isaac as well.  It is quite the road our friends have traveled, and if you would like to read more, I urge you to go read their blog to read the story from their persepective.
This story, is from my perspective.  It is about how one little boy can make such a HUGE impact in this world.  I know he and his brother have in mine.  In 2008 I joined Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep in their honor.  It is in their honor that I go, when called, and join other families as they say good-bye as well.  It is in no way easy, I carry a little piece of each child I meet with me.  They effect me, change how I see life, and I could never truly explain the emotions I go through while helping these families.  And if I am having a hard time with a session, I just think about my sweet friend, Kristy, who deals with this grief everyday, and I realize that I have my crazy children to come home to, and it helps me get through.  To remember the grief isn't mine to hold onto.

Every time I walk into a hospital room, I try to think of these parents as I would my friends, I remember the little things that were important to Kristy and Howard, and try to capture the small details for these families as well.  And yes, I think of Asher EVERY time I'm with another family.  I didn't take the pictures of Asher for Howard and Kristy, but I helped them edit them, and put a few things together for them. 

Just for a visualization, let me show you just how big of an impact these Bolte Boys have made in all of our lives.  This was team Isaac in 2007 for Walk America in Erie, Pa. 

 

This was our team picture in 2008, when we became Team Isaac AND Asher.  

and this my friends is our team picture from last year.  There were OTHER Team Isaac and Ashers as well, at other March for Babies across the country.  

These two little boys have left some mighty BIG footprints.  They have helped raise large sums of money for the March of Dimes and in their honor we are getting ready to walk again. 

Today is Asher's 2nd birthday, and if you feel inspired to do so, please help us honor him by donating to the March of Dimes.  Our widget is now up on the sidebar, you can either donate here, or over on Kristy and Howards blog. 

So today we want to wish Asher a sweet 2nd birthday, and thank him for impacting our lives so greatly.