Stevey Joy's Class remembers Maria...Breadcrumbs....More Balloons at the Barn!

Steven and I went to school to help Stevey Joy's class remember Maria.  Maria and Stevey Joy would have been in the same class this year.  Mrs. Anderson, the absolute best kindergarten teacher, had Caleb, Will Franklin, and Shaoey in Kindergarten.  She was supposed to have both the Chapman littlest!  When we went to school today, the mom's had arranged Balloons for the kids to write notes on and let go in honor of our sweet Maria.  We told the class a few stories and fun memories of Maria, and then everyone wrote their notes.  We then went outside to pray and release our balloons.  Steven prayed the sweetest prayer and then, just as God would have it.....It was quite windy....we let our balloons go!  They blew right up over the church right past and over the steeple which is a beautiful cross.  What a sweet picture!  All the balloons were pink, Maria's favorite color and the kids seemed to have a sweet time participating with Stevey Joy in the memory.  Shaoey also left her class to come and take part in the celebration.  Now for the bread crumb.   All along, I could tell many stories...we have seen ladybugs at certain times.  Maria loved ladybugs!  When we pick out her spot for her shell to be buried, we found a ladybug there.  Just about every time we go, a ladybug is there.  There are a ton of stories about ladybugs.  Maria's sheets in her room were even ladybugs!  At any rate.....right after the balloons were released and the kids were squealing with excitement, I heard Stevey Joy yell....hey look!  As I looked down, a ladybug was crawling up her hand!  It crawled to the top of her finger and flew away, just like the balloons!  Later that day, some family and friends gathered at our barn, had cupcakes, sang happy birthday to Maria and did the same thing again!  We wrote notes on the balloons and sent them all at once up into the heavens....Part of me couldn't help but want to go right along with the balloons...to be gathered up by the wind and be swept to heaven to be with Maria....Just for a split second I couldn't help but want to go there...Longing to have wings that would take me there.  I said a silent prayer, asked Jesus to come quickly and to give my Maria a big tight hug, and let her know I love her and I can't wait for her to so me that big big house that has lots and lots of food!  The pictures below are from the barn, I'm trying to get Emily to send me a couple more pictures so you can see the Family and friends that were there to remember Maria with us.

Comments

[q see]

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[Wholesale Electronics]

it's terrible that he consider himself as the leader...

[Mary]

I was in tears reading your blog. My heart goes out to you and your family. God is still God and He is still faithful. I pray that you will find peace in all of this.
Peace, Love and Blessings

[Sarabeth Peavey]

WOW - I am sitting here supposed to be preparing for tomorrow night's Bible Study at my house (which also needs cleaning) but you are so heavy on my heart right now.
I LOVE YOUR FAMILY and the light that is shining through each of you during this tough time. I am so upset that I missed that opportunity to share the birthday with you. It is so neat to see those pictures of pink balloons. That is EXACTLY how we celebrated our sweet girl's birthday after she passed away. WOW I totally am with you about wanting to be swept away with the balloons.
I do hope you will take the time to read my letter to you that is coming via Melanie Hall and if I get your email we can share the picutres of our sweet Hope's 1st birthday celebration - and to only imagine what kind of celebrations are CONSTANT in Heaven!
PRAISE THE LORD - we love you and are praying for you all!

[Lindsey]

absolutely beautiful!! god is so amazing and will never cease to amaze me-i love your joy and strength! your family is is my prayers...

[Nancy]

Praying for you today. God bless you all.

[Paisley]

What a sweet way to remember Maria and the ladybug gave me goosebumps. This touched my heart so much! Thanks for sharing.

[Carla Kasera ~CK Crochic]

Mary Beth,

As i read your blog I am brought to tears. My heart aches for you and your family. What a joyous day it will be when Jesus comes to bring us home and we get to see all of the loved ones we have lost. I pray for you, Steven, Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, Shoey, and Stevey Joy every single day. I know this past week and this coming week are especially hard for you. I will be praying even harder that you feel God's love and the love of your friends. You are loved.

Carla Kasera

[Rebecca Whalen]

Mary Beth,
You are one precious sister in Christ. Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of Maria's birthday. Your commitment to the Lord and to your family encourage us all to keep walking in faith no matter what happens. Your honesty is refreshing and honoring to God and to your sweet Maria.
Hugs and Prayers,
Rebecca W.
SC

[Celie]

MaryBeth and family,
Lord we thank you for the the bread crumbs you have let this family see. Oh Lord you alone are this family Shepherd. They shall not want. You Father supply everlasting love, peace their strong tower in this storm. Shelter these souls in truth through the power of the word. Jesus made flesh to suffer in the flesh. So he would know our hurts our loss of loved ones. Yet you show us the green pastures of compassion. Lord you along will calm the storm as long as we allow you to lead us beside the still waters of you word. Please fill these souls with the breath of the spirit of truth. Till they dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Come Lord Jesus come soon. Amen
Celie

[Amy Jones]

such a sweet remembrance such a deep love and deep sorrow. thank you for sharing your struggle your pain and the way that God shows Himself to you even through a simple little ladybug! God bless you MaryBeth as you go through the next week.

[Tori]

For all you who have lost sweet little ones
and loved ones. My heart goes out to you all.
There are not words to express my sympathy
to all of you. I pray you will be comforted
as you take each day without your precious
loved ones.
I pray the Lord will give you the strength
and comfort in knowing they are with Him and
He will hold them and love them until you
can hold them. I had a dear friend lose her
baby at 18 months old and I will always remember what she told me, I see her sitting
on his lap and smiling, I know that HE is the best babysitter ever.
God Bless You All!!

[amye]

having lost a sweet little boy in my life to cancer when he was only 6 years old we always sent messages to him on balloons on his birthday and also on the day he won his battle (Valentine's Day 2008)

[debbie]

Still praying, dear Mary Beth

[WendyJoy]

Our dear MB,
YOU are prayed for daily. EACH member of your family is prayed for daily. It is the highest honor we can do for you.

THANK YOU for sharing with us your heart.
As a mom whose only child went to heaven 5 years ago.....I understand some of the path that your family is on.

I also release balloons to the heavens. In the summer months I usually have a helium mylar balloon on the memorial stone for my daughter. It lasts for about 4 days and then I kiss both sides of it and release it.

Keep taking one step at a time. You ARE surviving the unsurvivable.(the title of my journal by the way).

Remembering that God is STILL God,
and HE holds our little girls.
WendyJOy
New York

[Sarah Dyck]

MaryBeth, from one mom to another mom...you are in my prayers. May the Peace that passes all understanding be with you over this next week and for all time to come.

[Karen W.]

Mary Beth, I felt bad about breaking some rules here, and I wasn't going to post again, but I just had to! You are such an amazing portrait of how much the Father loves and cares for those who are suffering. My son's first birthday in Heaven is coming up on June 1st, and I hope to manage that day with as much beauty as you seemed to have managed Maria's birthday. People on my son's baseball team are wearing his name and jersey number on their hats, and I'm trying to be as strong as you are! I'm trying to just read your words and remember to breathe! You are helping me so much through this process, and we've never even met! I am continually praying for you and your family, and I know that Maria had such an amazing birthday in Heaven with our King!

[Cynthia Y.]

That was very sweet! I'm continuing to pray for you and even more so as the anniversary gets closer.

I love your sweet family!

Cynthia Y.

[Pat McMahon]

Like everyone else, more tears, many smiles, and lots and lots of prayers.. Do you ever truely rest, I am thinking your mind is always working, thinking , planning. Praying daily for you all, and may I say also for the many bloggers who have lost loved ones of thier own..

[Teresa]

Mary Beth,
As I'm sure you know, the ladybug as become a mascot for the China-adoption community; so how fitting it is that your sweet Maria Sue cherished them.

You and your family are constant in my prayers and thoughts. I hear the desperation in your posts - I can feel the emptiness of your arms in your words. I pray that Jesus will fill up the void in your life and continue to lift you up through the days until He comes to bring us home, and you are once again united with your angel girl.

In Christ's love,
Teresa

[diane]

Hi Mary Beth,

I popped onto Kerry's blog after yours this afternoon.....Kerry Hasenbalg...you might take a peek and see some precious faces smiling at you;)

[Dan Walraven]

"Some golden daybreak, Jesus will come. Some golden daybreak, battles all won. He'll shout the victr'y, break through the blue. Some golden daybreak, for me, for you."

Lord, haste the day...

[diane]

Amen, I do believe!!! Littlest, sweet, littlest ladybug!!! So precious and such a gift from God.

Mary Beth, I just have to tell you that your heart is so pure and for that I just say thank you! Your real Hope, your Heart Hope is Jesus, and being Home with Maria and our Father who blessed your family as one! To know that He chose your family, above all others, to be Maria's family, is such a God given gift. I, too, marvel at the words in the header of your blog. Because as I'm struggling to say the words I'm feeling for your family....your header says it all. "Love of God is pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude." I've read that header over and over again trying to grasp the deeper feeling in the words....today, I'm SEEing them.

Your precious photo's are such gifts to so many. My thought when looking at them today, is if one person, just one, who does not know of the gracious, loving God who gave you both the joy and suffering....and continues to hold sweet Maria and her precious family in the palm of His Hands...if they could just read your words, and rest in the sweet pictures and SEE His reflection and just know He is God.

Prayers continue, please hug all your family from so many of us and...be sure they give you a big old squeeze hug back ;)

[Julie McDermott]

Mary Beth,

Such a special teacher your children have to honor Maria. You are in my prayers. Thank you for sharing.

[Tori]

Wanted you to know Mary Beth that I never
forget to pray for Will Franklin, he is always lifted up in prayers.
Don't always say it in my blogs.
But not a day goes by that I don't pray
for that sweet son of yours and I know
God will Bless his life. Well he already
has by giving Will such a loving wonderful
family. God Bless You All and I just wanted
you to know Will is never forgotten.
Bless his Heart he has been through so much
and he always remains loved and prayed for.
It is a such a blessing to watch him and especially with his little sisters. His love just shows through for them when I see
pictures of him with those little sweeties.
Please hug him and tell him he is a Blessing
of a young man and so loved.