Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Forever Young - Mels Show & Tell

It has been over a year since Peyton went to rest on her hill, and last week came a truly bittersweet milestone, the laying of her stone.

The old me could never have imagined having to do this. The old me could never have imagined being in a place so unfair and unnatural that I would have to design my child's gravestone. As much as the old me couldn't have imagined it, the task was before us, and as truly painful an obstacle as it was to face, as Peyton's parents, Dru and I were committed to doing it together, and committed to doing it right.

After many, many months of designing, scrutinizing, and redesigning, we finally reached a place where we felt in our hearts that our objective had been accomplished, we had captured Peyton's beautiful spirit in stone.

Today, for show and tell, I share this newest addition to Peyton's Hill with all of you.
 
Here is the full view. For those who cannot see it, the inscription along the bottom reads :  
An angel in the book of life wrote down our baby's birth, and whispered as she closed the book, "too beautiful for earth."

Our baby girl.  This picture doesn't do justice to just how beautiful she looks here.
The engraving really captures her spirit; the sparkle in her eye, and the sweet smile on her face.

In Peyton's honor, we included butterflies on her stone. We have always associated Peyton with butterflies, feeling her spirit in them as they fly all around us. If you look very closely to the top picture, there is even a little butterfly sitting on her name.



We also had them engrave her little hat. This hat was blue with a green pom on top. It is a hat that my mother in law made for her, and also the hat we chose to have her buried in.

I know it was a long time coming, our little girl has waited thirteen months now for her stone, but we feel in looking at it, that it was well worth the wait.

To see what others are showing click here.

37 comments:

  1. It's simply beautiful. I wish you hadn't ever had to create it, but it honours your sweet daughter perfectly. xxxx

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  2. Peyton's eyes really do sparkle. You did a perfect job with designing her grave marker. I wish my son's marker had a personal touch to it. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. What a beautiful tribute to your little girl.

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  4. It is lovely! I love the photo of Peyton and the hat inscription. You guys did a wonderful job of designing it. *HUGS*

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  5. You don't know me, but I found you through another blogger. I'm so truly sorry for your loss. We just past the year mark on losing our 2nd daughter. She was stillborn at 32 weeks on November 7th 2008. We are now approching the birthday of our 1st daughter Carly. She would have been 2 years old on the 15th of november. She lived for 4 months in the NICU. The pain over the years has eased. I find myself thinking of them daily though. We are TTC again now. I'm scared, but my heart yearns for an earthly child to love. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. You title got me though. "What do you call a woman who has lost her only child?" ...

    Much Love!
    Rachel

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  6. My heart breaks for you that you had to do such a thing for your child, but you honored Peyton's memory beautifully.

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  7. It's beautiful Kristin. We struggled too with Calvin's stone, it's so hard to convey all the love and hope you have for your child into just a couple of lines in granite or bronze. Calvin not having a marker was eating me alive and once his was placed with his name spelled correctly on the second try, I felt a sense of peace. I needed the world to know that my child lay in that grave and that he was loved and wanted so very much. Thanks for sharing, Peyton was so loved and her marker is a beautiful tribute to your love for her.

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  8. She is gorgeous and the stone is beautiful.

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  9. What a special remembrance for her. It's lovely.

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  10. Simply beautiful. So many *hugs*. Seeing the headstone placed really was one of the hardest things. It just made everything so...final.

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  11. Peyton is beautiful in that picture.The hat and the butterflies are lovely.

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  12. wow, it's gorgeous. i agree, well worth the wait. you just can't rush things like this!
    xxMB

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  13. A truely beautiful monument. I love the addition of the hat. And the words were just inspiring. Thank you for sharing this.

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  14. Simply beautiful. Peyton's memory is beautifully honoured.

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  15. I love the inscription. I hope this brings you some peace. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. I love the inscription! From now on, everytime I see a butterfly, I will think of your beautiful Peyton.

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  17. Simply beautiful. A lovely tribute to her.

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  18. How beautiful and touching. I hope this brings you some more peace. Thank you for sharing.
    ~Miriam

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  19. ..so beautifully done, so sweet, so sad
    Thank you for showing and telling.

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  20. The engraving is absolutely beautiful. Although obviously I never met Peyton in person, her photographs show her personality and her spirit so clearly that I almost feel like I did. I am glad that her stone captures a little of that.
    xo

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  21. It's a gorgeous tribute to a beautiful girl and a soaring spirit.

    Heartachingly so.

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  22. Simple and gorgeous, just like your sweet Peyton. Looks like a lot of thought and love went into her stone. Good for you. I'm so glad that it is in to 'complete' her hill.

    Lea

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  23. It is absolutely beautiful.

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  24. It's perfect!!!! She's so beautiful! So nice to have her picture there for all to see.
    ((hugs))
    Ashley

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  25. What a difficult task. You ended up with an amazing work of art to tell the story of Peyton's life.

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  26. Beautiful, and sad. You designed it perfect for your precious Peyton.

    xo

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  27. It is stunning. I wish you never had to think about creating this marker for her, but you did a wonderful job honoring her life. xx

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  28. This is so beautiful Kristen. I know it has been hard, I'm sorry that you had to do this. Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Very beautiful...I loved the inscription...those words are truly touching. Peyton is so missed everyday.

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  30. Peyton's stone is so beautiful. I love that you put her picture on it. Now anybody who passes by can see what a beautiful little girl she is.

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  31. This is so amazingly beautiful. You're such a strong woman. I'm thinking you and your gorgeous angel Peyton.

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  32. Kristin, it's just lovely. So beautiful. I'm weeping for you having to do this with Dru, but it is a wonderful memorial of your daughter. The engraved photo of Peyton is beautiful and I bet strangers stop to read about her. (((Hugs)))

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  33. Peyton is beautiful and this stone is such a testament to her beauty and life.

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