Hello friends,
The theme for this weeks Favorite Foto Friday is . . . Siblings. This was another bittersweet topic for me as I went through pictures trying to decide which ones to choose. I have so many sweet photos showing the bond between siblings and it was so hard for me to pick which pictures to share.
I have often said that
the best gift you can ever give your child is a sibling.
Siblings are there for each other through the good times -
to have fun with . . .
to wrestle with . . .
to laugh with . . .
to be silly with . . .
to sleep with . . .
to explore with . . .
to swim with . . .
to LOVE.
to kiss . . .
to hug . . .
to share a very special bond!
But they are also there through the bad times . . .
Showing us love . . .
Cheering us up . . .
And always helping us in such a loving way.
Teaching us how to love . . .
And care for one another . . .
Bringing JOY into each other's lives.
"Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet."
~Vietnamese Proverb
I have to admit that the tears flowed freely while doing this update. Those pictures of Jacob brought back so many memories and my heart just aches with the pain of missing him. But some days I just need to look at his pictures and see his sweet face. Some days I just need to let the tears fall as the waves of grief wash over me. Some days I just need to walk down memory lane . . . to hear his laugh, to remember his smell, to feel his arms wrapped around my neck, to feel his love. Oh, how I miss my little man. And how I ache for my boys . . . at the loss of their sibling. My heart is filled with so much pain at times, yet always with so much LOVE for all of my children. And my heart overflows with the HOPE of seeing Jacob again.
Love conquers all . . .
"All for one and one for all
My brother and my friend
What fun we have
The time we share
Brothers 'til the end."
~Author Unknown
To see more Favorite Foto Friday posts, please visit Kiss the Frog 4 Me.
Ending with a scripture and short devotional . . .
"Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die."
John 11:26
We don't like to say good-bye to those whom we love. It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don't. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God. We can take comfort in knowing that our loved ones are in the warm arms of God. And when Christ comes, we will hold them, too.
Max Lucado
Weeping with HOPE,
50 comments:
What an amazing post! The love between brothers is wonderful! Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures.
Oh Heather - I admit I have followed Sweet Jacob's fight as a 'lurker' for so long, occassionaly signing in but not knowing what to say ... my heart is broken for you and the tears flowed looking through so many wonderful pictures you have of your boys ... May God continue to hold you close as you travel this road ... what a wonderful life Jacob had - though far too short - he lived live so fully!
God Bless!
Rebekah and Jaden!
Oh Heather... I am crying right along with you. I just knew you would have some extra special pictures to post for this topic. I know the boys will always have that amazing connection with Jacob... how could they not? The love they show to each other is there by a gift from God... those B&W pics of the four boys together are so amazingly special... love them!
And, to see each of the boys developing such a loving relationship with their little sister... so sweet! Brought tears of joy to my face.
Love you, my friend.
Oh Heather,
I'm weeping with you. The pictures of sweet Jacob just melt my heart. That precious smile and just knowing all he endured just breaks my heart. But knowing that one day you'll hold him in your arms again and one day I'll meet him in heaven gives me such hope. Thank you Jesus that Jacob is in Your warm arms.
The pictures of Allie and her brothers are so adorable. Siblings are so important in our lives. Thank you for sharing pictures of your beautiful children.
Heather,
Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures. I miss Jacob too.
Lauren
Wow!! Your pictures gave me chills. You have truly captured the very special bond between your children in these photos. Each and everyone of them are so gorgeous! I also LOVE the pictures of all the boys together, especially the black and white ones. They brought tears to my eyes. All of your children are gorgeous and a special angel is certainly watching over them!
Have a great weekend!
Heather, this post was also difficult for me to read. You can see the love that your children share with one another but as a sibling that has lost a sibling, my heart breaks for them (and myself). I am so thankful that we have been given the sweet gift of Hope. What a sweet day it will be when we can see the face of Jesus. I know that He loves us so much that we will be immediately greeted by those that we have missed so much.
Have a great weekend!
Heather,
That was beautiful. I wept freely too. For your loss, for your boy's loss. But I also wept for joy, how fortunate your children are to have each other and to have had six wonderful years with Jacob.
My heart is filled with gratitude that God blessed me with 5 children. Through it all, the chaos, the noise level, the sibling rivalry (at times), it is all good. Thanks for helping me see how special my kids are to each other. Have a great weekend!
Maureen
WHAT SWEET PICTURE'S, YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT YOU HAVE TOUCHED ME. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR GREAT FAMILY.
Such lovely pictures, your kids really seem to get on and love each other so much!
Oh what a beautiful walk it was DOWN MEMORY LANE! I remember EACH of one of these pictures and yes THEY DID BRING ON THE TEARS!! What a beautiful FFF, I think this is by far the BEST ONE YET!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Ohhh Heather I know never to visit your blog without tissues on hand (not that all the tears I cry from your posts are bad tears, many are tears of joy and hope from your brave and inspirational posts), but this one warrented more than tissues! :) Like the whole box AND my sleeve! ;) Your whole family is just amazing, that's all I can say. Beautiful and simply AMAZING!
You are an amazing writer! I love those pictures. Jacob is blessed to have such a loving family. I cried looking at those pics too. Thanks for sharing not only Amazing Jacob with us, but the whole Amazing Duckworth family. We are privileged.
You always have the most beautiful and amazing pictures of your children together! These pictures were just great, I loved every single one of them!
Oh the pictures make me cry and I can only imagine how they make you feel. I will say it again your family is just Amazing!
Looking at your pictures makes me wish that I was able to give my son a sibling. Unfortunetly it wasn't in the cards. I was very lucky to even have my son. Watching how Allie has became a part of your family has made me think about adoption. Don't know if we are ready right now but it is something that I might look into in the future!
I was finally able to watch the video from Spring Break! I loved it. I loved the squeals Allie would do in the water and not to mention her face with the lemonade! LOL
Looks like the boys had a great time in the pool. I love the goggles ;)
Oh and last I bet that gorilla was giving all of you some very good laughs.
So much fun, I would still love to be adopted by your family :) LOL
Your faith is an inspiration to me! Reading your thoughts and many of the quotes/devotionals really give weight to the scripture. May God bless your wonderful family and may peace gradually smother your sadness!
First of all, Thank you God, for your gift of Eternity, that while we Miss Jacob in this Life, we will be with him for Eternity in the next. I am so grateful to God for the 6 Amazing years that they all had together, what a Beautiful and Lasting bond they have. I know your boys will always carry Jacob in their heart. And Thank you God, (and Jacob) for Blessing the Duckworth's with Allie, what pure Joy she has been to them, and them to her! You have provided that baby girl with endless Love and Brothers that will Love and protect her like no other!
Thank you Heather, for your Always Inspiring words and for sharing your Beautiful family with us.
Have a Blessed weekend.
Much Love,
Audra
((((heather))))
The thing I love most about your FFFs is that you don't just get cute pictures but a piece of your heart each week and in every post actually. You are one amazing women!
Heather, thanks for sharing so many special pictures with us. Your family is so sweet, caring & loving. My heart swells when I look at the picture of Devin giving Jacob a hug, I can see the love he has for his brother, the worry in his eyes because he loves him so much! And Brandon there to give his brother a kiss and cheer him up. Kyle, the big brother, who is right there to be silly with and lead the way.
Sweet Allie, picked by Jacob to bring joy back to your household.
Amazing Jacob will forever live on. He is so very special to me. Thanks for sharing him and continuing to share your wonderful family with us. What sweet memories you have!
FROGing-
Zhohn
Heather~
Bless your sweet.....sweet...heart. I LOVED this post.
Thank-you for trusting us enough...to share these precious photo's.
It's clear to see the depth of LOVE your family has. What a testimony!!
Kim~
BEAUTIFUL!!!
I remember seeing most of them on Jacob's site. Some of them made me laugh and some of them brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for sharing those priceless pictures with us!!!!
Have a weekend full of great memories!
I have to tell you the tears flowed freely for me just reading your post. You have the most beautiful boys. Inside and out. And I really truly adore all the pictures you put on today. Thanks for opening up and sharing them with us all.
What a beautiful post. I am glad that you are able to let yourself grieve when you need to. I wish I could say one day it will go away, but I know that is not true. You amnd your family have given me inspiration. Your strenght, courage, and love for all around you help to make me stronger. I can't get through a post with a picture of Jacob without crying for you. Then, I see a pic of you, smiling. My heart warms a bit that you can still find happiness.
Your boys are much too young to know the feeling of loosing a sibling. Their love for Jacob is so obvious in those pictures. As is their love for one another and Allie. What a special family.
I have followed along with your family for a long time. When you first started you site for Jacob. You have a beautiful family and you can always see the love for Jacob. All the pictures are so adorable and show so much love for one another. I have always enjoyed looking at your family pictures. and watching the children grow up and the times they share as a family. Thanks for always sharing them.
The quotes you selected to begin and end both fit perfectly. Your pictures flowed together so well too. You are a very talented woman, and I'm glad you share your story. The photographs are wonderful.
P.S. I want a bathtub that big!!!
Heather - your pictures and your words have me in tears. What a beautiful post. May you have peace in your heart.
Peace and Hugs,
Becca
Heather
What sorrow, what happiness, what sibbling love, what brotherly love, what beautiful pictures. All the pictures and your writing just tugged the very pit of my stomach. I can't imagine your grief at the lose of your dear son and yet the greatest joy in the adoption of one beautiful baby girl. You are an amazing woman that was created from the hands of an awsome God. Thanks for sharing the quote from Max Lucado I used it on my blog I loved it so much.
What beautiful sibling photos. Jacob must have been such a joyful child. His smiles light up the entire picture. Oh my heart aches for your incredible loss of such a sweet boy. I pray for your moments of joy to be plentiful and your moments of sadness to be fleeting.
I love your quote from Max Lucado. I am going to write it in my card for my girlfriend that just lost her husband this week from a genetic liver disorder. We are grieving very much right now and those words are full of encouragement and hope. Blessings.
Having only 2 boys and seeing the bond they have.. I can see that you get to witness that even more! How blessed you are. You always capture the best moments between you children. Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very sweet!
What a touching and heartfelt post. I too am in tears. You must be so proud of your sons. The bond between your sons and daughter is so evident and looks so strong.
What a beautiful, wonderful post. You inspire me. Thanks for sharing your precious, beautiful family.
Tears are flowing here, too...oh that smile! It was so amazing!
Stopping by to let you know I'm still here praying!
Psalms 70:1, 5 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD...But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.
Pass the tissue. I was doing great untill the hugs and kisses. I loved them all. Hugs from
Fort Worth!
I've been following your site for a long time now. I love the pictures you post and I too, cried looking at the ones with Jacob. Allie is so lucky and your story often made me think of adopting.
Just Precious, Girl!!
You made me cry.. but, happy tears!!
Bless you!!
Keisha
WOW! what a post...I'm in tears...hopeful tears...seeing the LOVE in those pictures and the LOVE in your words...knowing that "you will meet again" and knowing that there is still work here for you to do....
amazing...simply amazing...what a blessing I've gotten...I'm taking it with me the rest of the weekend!!
wow....
peace!
lori
You have the most loving family. I'm so sorry for your loss of a dear boy. I'm happy for your sweet little girl. This was such a sweet post and I feel like tearing up.
Kathi
I love these pictures Heather. You can just feel the love between all your kids when you look at them. Aren't you glad we live in an age where we have good cameras, both still and video?
I love that quote from Max Lucado too. Today has been a Catie day at our house and I've thought a lot about Heaven... It helps to read reminders like that on days that are tough... I know that Catie and Jacob understand it all now.... one day, we too will have those Heaven eyes.
Thank you for sharing your photos with us all! What beautiful children you have!
I cannot imagine what it is like for you not to have Jacob here with you anymore. I especially like the quote from Max Lucado.
Tears on the keyboard for me too. I was good until I saw the pic of Brandon and Jacob. I am so glad Jacob had siblings to love him like they do. What a blessing!
www.caringbridge.org/visit/hayden
Heather -- I love this sibling post. I especially love the pictures with Jacob. Your boys are truly blessed to have each other. I, too, need a kleenex! You are such an amazing Mom!
Pass the kleenex over here too...
Heather, this post was just the most beautiful one EVER.
You have such a gift, and you've used it to share your life, your loves, and your passion for Jesus.
Lives continue to be transformed and deeply touched by your testimony of HOPE.
I'm so honored to know you and your family.
Thanks once again for sharing your journey with us♥
You and Jacob are ever in my thoughts and prayers Heather.
Much love to you across the miles - You are forever blessed.
Carmen
Calen Vs the Big C!
Oh gosh I still love seeing pictures of Jacob. He had such a glow about him. I went to his site yesterday to read his story again. Is the story from the beginning anywhere online? The caring bridge site starts a few years into it and refers to another site that no longer exists. I'd love to read it.
Heather,
This is my first time reading your blog and the story of your son Jacob. I am crying with you, for you, to heaven on your behalf at the moment.
I am encouraged by your faith and pray Christ will count me as one worthy to speak to you and Jacob when restoration reigns - and we are finally, rightfully, forever with Him.
Of all the entries on your blog, this one is the "hallmark" of your and your family's life. It is about the love you give each other, which is the most important gift.
What precious pics!! Your children are a true example of the love between siblings!!
Robyn
These are just the sweetest pictures of your precious kids!!! Also what a GREAT blessing your family is getting with a new baby.
Heather, what a beautiful and amazing post...it made my heart smile and hurt at the same time! I have been a follower of Amazing Jacob and your amazing family since near the beginning of Jacob's caringbridge site, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it when his pictures are posted. But I can certainly understand how it must be heartwrenching for you to relive some of those times. As always, thank you for sharing your heart, pain and joy alike, and may God bless you and your beautiful family!
Oh, the pictures! This was an especially touching and moving post. As I looked at the pictures, I just wonder, "Why?" "Why did sweet and amazing Jacob have to be sick?" But I know that God knows better than all of us the answer to those questions. And I am so thankful that Jacob is definitely no longer suffering. And I am amazed that one little boy could touch the lives of so many. And I am glad to have "known" him and to be a part of his journey. God bless you Heather!
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