Most important star in my universe

Today would be Isabelle’s 5^th birthday. Venus is situated in our western night sky just above Jupiter, and to the north of the Aries constellation. I'm not an expert on the cosmos; I only know this because of the "Night Sky" app my husband has on his iPhone.

What’s most thrilling to me about the current alignment of the stars is that I know Isabelle’s star is somewhere in that Aries constellation, and I am eager to track down a friend with a telescope that can help me zero in on the exact star.

On her first birthday, we had a Celebration of Life event and were given several beautiful gifts in our daughter’s memory. One of those gifts included plaques identifying the star that our family named in her memory through the International Star Registry.

It’s a fantastically unique gift that brings me joy each time I look at the plaques on the wall and think of the love that went into the purchase. Of course, Isabelle’s star isn’t “officially” recognized by the scientific community, but that doesn’t diminish its importance in my universe!

International Star Registry

Angel Wings

I'm excited about my recent purchase of candle angel wings from Relic They are made of tin and can be inserted into any candle.

Candlelighting events:

• October 15 - 7 p.m.: Infant Loss Remembrance Day
• December 6 - 7 p.m.: Angel of Hope candlelighting
• December 9 - 7 p.m.: Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candlelighting (2nd Sunday in December)

Memorial Garden

Spring is my favorite time of year - especially today as signs of spring have come early in Minnesota. The tulips in Isabelle's Memorial Garden are poking through the ground and soon will display brilliant bursts of yellow, red and pink along our driveway.
This memorial garden has been one of the most therapeutic aspects of healing for me. Working hard on the garden in my daughter's memory helps to keep her spirit alive for me.
In addition to the beautiful perennials and pots for annuals, there is a bench, rock walkway, angel statue, bird bath and arbor at the entrance. Here are a few pictures from last year. I'll post more of the overall design soon!