Sage's First Birthday

Crystal and I knew that Sage's birthday was and will always be a difficult day for us so we decided to celebrate it in a "Big" way.  We knew if we didn't fill the day full of activities then it would become one of the hardest days yet...and that isn't what we wanted.  We wanted to celebrate the life of our little Sagebrush.  So here is Sage's Day in photo's.

Crystal wanted cake but we knew a traditional cake with a candle would be to sad so she came up with the neatest idea.  She made 246 red velvet cream cheese cake balls dipped in white and dark chocolate!  Each one was decorated differently to represent the 246 individual day's Sage was with us.  She did all the baking and rolling two days before then froze them.  Then Amanda, Crystal and I spent the next day melting, dipping and decorating.  As we placed a finished cake ball sucker into the styrofoam tray we counted off a day.  I have to say the room got quiet as we approached 246.  Every ball that was dipped we would think...it's Halloween...it's Christmas...it's March...he only has ten days left, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.   Yes we cried and as we stood back and looked at all of his completed cake ball suckers we realized how blessed we were to have had that much time with him.

This is a cake made out of bird seed, popcorn and peanut butter.  Sage is burried under a big beautiful ficus tree and it is always full of singing birds...so we left the birds a special treat.

Spencer offered the most heartfelt prayer...

Aunt RaLee read the special birthday wish attached to each balloon.  This is what it said...

This Balloon was released in memory of Sage Lawrence Eldredge who was born on July 17, 2008 to Spencer and Crystal Eldredge. Sage has four older siblings…brother’s William-8, Wayne-6, Treyton-4 and a sister Jayden who is 2. Sage was born perfectly healthy and had a wonderful life. He was happy everyday and rarely ever cried. He loved watching life happen all around him and he woke up happy every morning. His mother nursed him and put him to bed as she did every night and in the morning when his daddy went to get him from his crib to take him to his mommy he found him not breathing. Sage had passed in the night of SUID- Sudden Unexplained Infant Death on March 19, 2009. Our hearts are broken and we miss our happy little man but we are also celebrating the 246 days we got to be in the presence of an angel! So today we are at his grave sending birthday wishes to Heaven. Since Sage wanted you to have one of his birthday wishes we would love to hear from you. You can visit his memorial web site and leave a comment for his family…let them know how and where you found his balloon and if you want how receiving his birthday wish today has touched you. We would love and look forward to hearing from you! His web site is http://sagelawrenceeldredge.blogspot.com or email us at teeleliz@msn.com

Then we released Sage's balloons.

Jayden takes "Bear"  everywhere and she told me Sage could play with him a while.

I Love these beautiful Sunflowers!

We left the cemetary and went to Crystal and Spencer's house to celebrate.

Cake Ball Suckers all 246 of them!

Uncle Royal ran the snow cone machine!  He made perfect Snow Cones!

Then there was a huge water slide...the kids and adults had a blast on this!  They played on this in the heat, wind, rain and even in the dark.

We blew up more helium balloons to release.

We went into the backyard and released more balloons.

Don't these balloons look like they are floating above the clouds?  They really look like they are floating to Heaven.

Crystal and Spencer LOVED playing in the wind/rain storm!

There was a precious little 5 year old girl at the party.  Her name is Berlyn and she has OS or brittle bone disease.  This little tiny girl is just beautiful and reminds you of a little princess fairy.  She is so sweet and innocent.  She has had more than her share of pain and suffering.  Her little bones break so easily.  She has just recovered from yet another broken back but despite her trials she smiled and played all day even though she couldn't play on the slide. 

Just before the summer storm rolled in Berlyn came in and sat down beside Crystal and told her, "Sage is Very Happy in Heaven today"!  Then she proceeded to tell us that when the wind starts blowing that means that Sage is VERY Happy!  Then within the hour the clouds got dark and the winds came...we even had a power outage.  Then this sweet little Child of God came in and sat between Crystal and I and said, "Sage is Super Dee Dooper Dee Happy Happy Happy!  The stronger the wind blows the Happier he is and he is going to send the rainbow."  Now a rainbow in the desert is really kind of rare so Crystal and I just listened to her.  She jumped off the couch and went to play.  Then the winds got stronger and the rains came and Crystal and Spencer went outside and played in Sage's "Happy Storm"...

Can you see how the wind chimes are blowing.  Berlyn told me that it was Sage singing.

Although we never doubted her any doubt we might have had left when we saw this...

Crystal said, "Happiness is something that doesn't just happen to us...we must make a conscious effort to be Happy!"  It's strange to be able to say that this was the funnest party we have ever thrown and yet one of the saddest days we have lived through.  Yes this birthday party was different.  There was no baby to blow out his candle and get messy from head to toe eating his own special little cake.  There were no presents no Happy Birthday song.  But what we did have was the love and support of family and friends. We are blessed to know that we are an Eternal Family and that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father.  He may send the storms and they can be hard to endure but then he shows us that he has not forgotten us and he sends the Rainbow.