A Smile from Ali

Many of you have been asking how last weekend went. Even though this was a difficult time and we missed Ali terribly, there were many blessings during the weekend.

We did the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Saturday night. We had a wonderful team there with us, supporting us so much just by being there. This was a beautiful walk through downtown Grand Rapids on a beautiful fall night. I’m not sure how many walkers there were but all you could see was this steady stream of lit balloons moving along the river, around the museum, over the bridge. It was quite a sight. The route was wonderful and over $125,000 was raised for the cause. Thanks to all those who joined us this year.

Following that, we had a bonfire in the field next to our house. We have had a pile of stumps there from the trees cleared to put in Ali’s Make a Wish pool. We had told Ali when she was healthy enough for it, we would have her friends over for a fire. We had quite a fire going. They might have even been able to roast marshmallows in heaven on that one.

Then, on Sunday, Ali’s birthday, we met family and friends at the cemetery for the balloon launch. What an amazing time that was. Because of a mix-up at the store, we had LOTS of pink balloons, but that was great! We each wrote a message on a balloon. Then, after a time of prayer, and a count to 16, we released them to heaven. We watched them until you couldn’t see them anymore. Then, the most amazing things happened. First, there was a "rainbow" in the sky. It was the sun dog effect where it looked like a bit of rainbow between a few clouds. After that, the clouds shifted a bit and they formed a flip flop. That must have been for us!! We will put some pictures in the gallery. They don’t quite capture the moment, but it was amazing ~ a gift from God and a smile from Ali. God knew we needed something that day. We felt her presence in a special way.

Also, in case you missed it, there was a poem in the Sentinel on Oct. 12 for Ali’s birthday sent in by a friend. If you get the Sentinel, you might want to check it out.

We felt carried through the weekend. Thank you to all who were at each event, to those who helped prepare everything, to those who gave us hugs, and to those who prayed us through. We love you all.

Julie