The past few years we have spent the second weekend in October with friends of ours who also lost a baby, Ethan, shortly after Lila and now have a daughter 20 days younger than Evie. They live in Toronto and that weekend is their Canadian Thanksgiving. It has become something of a tradition for us all to meet up that weekend. Since last weekend was also our five year anniversary, we decided to make the trip there this year.

On the way to Toronto, we decided to take Evie for her first visit to Niagara Falls. She had a great time but I think she was more excited by the puddles created by the mist and the pigeons than the power and beauty of the falls. It was a good stop and we spent some time walking around, taking pictures and enjoying the great views. I spent a little time taking some Lila stone pictures. I got a few good ones but check out the one below...

Since it was so sunny there, I couldn't tell how good this was until later on that day. This is such a beautiful and powerful picture of the falls, the Lila stone and a rainbow in between them. It makes me think of how beautiful Lila is and how powerfully she has impacted our lives. Not a day goes by that we don't talk about Lila or say how much we miss her.

Another aspect of the power of this picture is that this Lila stone is with me every day. It is the one that I held up while honoring her at her memorial. I almost lost it on a sidewalk in DC and in a couch at a friends house. It falls out of my pocket at work and in the car on occasion but I always seem to find it. It is worn a bit since I tend to rub it a lot. If I ever loose my Lila stone or break it, I'll probably go mad. It is a little piece of Lila that I can take with me wherever I go. - Mike