This evening we took our family photos.
It was a little weird and sad without Claire.
For some reason, Christian and I have
always associated Claire with the beautiful
Great Blue Heron that frequents
the lakes, rivers, and ponds here in North Carolina.
This beautiful bird is Claire's spirit animal.
They are beautiful creatures with grace and strength, just like Claire.
Every time we see one we'll say,
"Hi, Claire! We miss you so much!"
We decided to take our photos this year on the banks of the Haw River
close to our house.
The fall color is still bright and the river is so gorgeous.
As our photographer, Melissa was setting us up together for the shot,
I happened to look across the river
where a gorgeous heron stood watching our family.
It took my breath away and I got teary.
I shouted out:
"Hi Claire, I miss you.
Thanks for showing up at our family photos!"
Heron Claire stayed nearly the whole time we were there.
It was incredible!
I'm excited to get these photos back and start Christmas carding!
