Jameson's Fourth Heavenly Birthday Party

Another July has come and another opportunity to celebrate the life of my nephew Jameson and to raise funds for the lending library that is in his name at the ARC (which you can make a donation to if you'd like).

He was lovely and special and he touched lives where ever he went and he lived a full life in his short five years.

Now he's gone and all we have are memories so once a year we get together to celebrate his life.



We write messages to Jameson on paper and attach them to balloons to send up to Heaven.


Messages written and awaiting the countdown for release.


3, 2, 1, let 'em go!


My cousin Cheryl and Elias get to have a one-on-one about future grandbabies (mostly, how hard it is to wait for them - the conversation was somewhat one sided).


Gideon's favorite thing to do is bury cars in gravel and find them again.


Zion would probably be hard pressed to decide if her favorite part is access to a bunch of sweets or...


...playing with one of her best friends, Abby.



There was also live entertainment this year. Besides karaoke and Rock Band that is. May Palmer, the Queen of Soul has an amazing spirit and an even better voice.


She provided lots of opportunity for laughter and dancing.


Gideon wasn't sure what to think of the volume but he couldn't hold out and started drumming the table.

Elias, on the other hand, pretty much slept the whole time.


Ahoy, mateys!

Gabe found a friend there named Luke who also had short blond hair and a grey shirt and I kept mixing the two up all day. Gideon has found a different patch of gravel to bury toys in.


Elias and I found a nice place to hunker down (he's under the blanket - the blanket that I knit for him) toward the end to just listen to the music and watch everybody have fun.


Oooo, Jessa's got a boyfriend. ;)


A good friend of the family is Billy. My kids adore him. Gabe especially because Billy saved the day when they were staying at my sister's when Elias was born and her Wii wouldn't play her new game. A game that Gabe had been chomping at the bit to play. So Billy brought his Wii over along with a black controller (super cool in Gabe's mind) and made it work.


At the end, donning pajamas and a very sleepy stare, Zion can still get some hip action going. The funniest thing is, I didn't even know she had hip action.

And there ends another perfect celebration of a perfect life.

Happy Birthday, Jameson!

It's hard to believe that a year has passed since we last celebrated my sweet nephew's birthday, this his third heavenly birthday would have been his eighth earthly birthday. Blogger is apparently having issues still and not allowing me to rearrange photos so, again, in no particular order, some photos from this celebration of a wonderful life.



Zion on a brief break from the water table takes a moment to paint.


I left Gideon for a good while to play by himself. He loved this bus which had activities all the way around and on the inside too.


Gideon enjoying a ride on this little bike. He didn't figure out how to go anywhere but didn't seem to mind.


My nieces and friends dancin' on the porch.


Jamae attempting the hula hoop. I believe she won a hula hoop contest in elementary school. What happened, I wonder? ;)


For a little while Gideon joined Zion at the water table. I think we may need to get one of these.



Gideon and my dad (who is doing really well since my mom passed in May).


Gabe hit the water toy first thing.


This was the first thing I saw when I got there. Bob manning the barbecue. I think he needs bigger coconuts.

Jameson

It's been a little more than two years now that my precious nephew has been hanging out with the angels and people still can't stop talking, or blogging, about him. Thanks Kerri, for your beautiful sentiments!

Jameson's Party - Pictures

As promised...
Within minutes of getting to the West Farm Gabe finds the sand table...
and Zion finds the craft table. Here she's trying to break into the bubbles, later she paints herself with the finger paints.

Soon after Gabe starts on the blow-up climbing wall which leads to the slide into a pool.
Zion finds a new addiction - a hula hoop.
"Tantie" Jamie shows her how she can roll them as well.
Jamie and Zion dancing away.
Gabe dons the Body Boppers which makes him look like a cartoonish rodeo clown.

Zion checks out one of Carol's miniature horses.
But decides that watering her dog is more fun.
Watering dogs makes one thirsty.
My beautiful nephew Jameson.
A board with a few of the articles written about him. There are three or four panels like this there.

After writing our messages and attaching them to helium balloons we wait until the time to let them up to heaven and to Jameson.
There they go!!! Miss you Jameson, see you later.

Happy Birthday, Jameson!

I'm delinquent in posting this but if you've been reading my blog the last week you already know that delinquency has been a theme of late. So, July 19th was my nephew Jameson's birthday and the reason that I didn't wish him a happy birthday via the blog on the day was that I was away from my computer all day. First we headed up to meet with the photographers and then we went to his birthday party. Some of you may already know that we have celebrated Jameson's birthday without Jameson these last two years because he passed away shortly after he turned five (if you do the math that means he would have been seven this year).

Jameson was such a special boy, I could fill a blog about him alone. Tonight I got to talking about him at our Bible study and we were late getting back to relieve the babysitter. Jameson was the first person I ever loved so much it hurt. I remember distinctly the moment that first pang hit and I realized what it meant. I would never be the same again - thank God. Jameson had a way of changing people. I personally can experience a depth of love for people that I never thought was possible and I owe it to him. He had a way of teaching people about the value of life - all life, not just the kind of lives that The World seems to think is valuable. He had a beautiful life. Too short but beautiful. Sometimes when I picture him as he must be now I see him leaning over a creek with the reflection of his face in the water or running through a field of tall grass, things he did not get to do while here with us. The song Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of Jordan comes to mind (I guess I'll have to update my music again). He's just biding his time over there, drawing pictures in the sand, waiting for us to join him. Here's the lyrics (copied directly from a lyric website):

I'll Admit My Steps Are Growing Wearier Each Day
Still I've Got A Certain Journey On My Mind
Lures Of This Old World Have Ceased To Make Me Want To Stay
My One Regret Is Leaving You Be-hind

If It Proves To Be His Will That I Am First To Cross
And Somehow I've A Feeling It Will Be
When It Comes Your Turn To Travel Likewise Don't Feel Lost
For I Will Be The First One That You'll See

Chorus:And I'll Be Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of Jordan
I'll Be Sitting Drawing Pictures In The Sand
And When I See You Coming I Will Rise Up With A Shout
And Come Running Through The Shallow Water Reaching For Your Hand

Through This Life We've Laboured Long To Earn Our Meagre Fare
It's Brought Us Trembling Hands And Failing Eyes
So I'll Just Rest There On That Shore And Turn My Eyes Away
Until You Come Then We'll See Para-dise

When I have time I'll post pictures from his birthday party. It was a blast and more money was earned for Jameson's lending library at the Snohomish County ARC.

*ETA* Playlist didn't have a decent version of Waiting On The Far Side Banks Of Jordan so I added I'll Fly Away instead. This is one of the songs chosen for Jameson's memorial service and, honestly, the only way I can put it on my blog is that my laptop is usually on mute. I can't listen to this song or that darn rainbow ukulele song without shedding tears anymore. I still love the songs, it's just I love Jameson more and I miss him.