Special memories...

It was a beautiful day to send up messages to our little man...

The little guys totally got into releasing balloons this year... The 3 littles chased them all the way across the field as they lifted off... It was really sweet!

What a special day we had yesterday celebrating Samuel's precious life... We all went and saw Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day.   (our tradition each year to go see a family movie) 

Oh my goodness did we all laugh... It was really cute:) We had the theatre all to ourselves except for one gentleman in the back with his phone out the whole time... We joked that maybe he was pirating the movie... That part was kind of weird.... But we had a great time...

This year as we decorated Samuel's cake I was so thankful to the Lord for the growth of the older kids... Of course from the little kids, we got lots of precious or funny things that they were thankful for... But for the older kids, I am amazed at how insightful and thoughtful they were...

Evidence that God really has used Samuel's sweet life in their lives...

My prayer has always been that somehow the Lord would use all that my kids went through (losing their brother Samuel, the stillbirth of Joel that we were going to adopt just 8 mos later, a miscarriage, and an iffy adoption) in those early years of our losses to make them more compassionate, tenderhearted, and bold to reach out to others especially when someone else experiences a loss of some kind... Thank God He is answering those prayers... I see them do or say things often, that never would have been said had it not been for the Lord working through these hard things to refine and grow them all... I am so thankful for that!

Here is what my sweet Louis posted on facebook yesterday... It warms my heart to see and hear how he feels about his brother Samuel in Heaven... 

6 years... 72 months... 2,191 days... 52,584 hours... 3,155,040 seconds... Since I've seen your precious face, since I've held your tiny hands, since we've been together. It seems so long yet so short at the same time. I miss you so much and think of you all the time. I wish you could be here so I could teach you how to play soccer. I wish you could be here so I could take pictures of your cute chubby face. I wish lots of things, but they aren't things for this life. God had a different plan for our lives! I know one day I'll see you again, and boy oh boy will that be a glorious day! I love and miss you so so so much lil bro! Until that beautiful day when I see you again! Samuel Mark Hintz 10/30/08

 — with Caleb Hintz and 2 others.