Festival of Trees

 I wrote this for my mother-in-law explaining our experience at the festival of trees. 

I want to thank Matt and Marissa King, and the many others that also helped them. I wish there was a better word than thank you, but truly THANK YOU!

In October, I went with some friends on a girls weekend where we made quilts in honor of Sam and Tyler Fugal to donate to the Festival of Trees. The Festival is a fund raiser to Primary Children's Medical Center, all proceeds to PCMC, people donate quilts, decorated trees, gingerbread/ candy houses. Everything is purchased and the money is given to the hospital. When December rolled around we were thrilled to visit the festival and see the quilts we had made. Our family attended with Matt and Marissa King, it was the second night it was opened, the night before being the auction night. We entered and immediately headed to the quilts, but we could not find them. We found a volunteer and asked what they did with all the other quilts. We quickly found out that hundreds, if not thousands, of quilts and blankets are donated and only a few get displayed. The rest are sold in the gift shop. We all rushed over and started searching through piles and piles of quilts. It is difficult to describe the way we felt, saddened, frustration, disappointment, and more sadness. It wasn't like we were expecting to purchase the quilt but we wanted to see it, displayed as a tribute to our beautiful miracle boy. 

* A side note and important detail is knowing that one of Andrew and my biggest fears is that Sam will be forgotten. Life will move on, which we understand will happen but, to have him be forgotten hurts almost as much as losing him. As we searched through the quilts we both felt that feeling, he was a forgotten blanket in piles of many.*

We continued searching for twenty minutes or so, I even went in the "back" with a volunteer and search the stacks that hadn't been put out. I eventually showed a volunteer a picture and she told me she remembered it and was certain it sold the night before. We gave up, knowing it sold and began looking through the trees. Andrew kept expressing his feeling of disappointment and told the group that he loved the festival but wanted to tribute Sam in other ways in the future. 

As we walked thorough the aisles of trees I bumped into an old friend from high school. We quickly said hello, and she mentioned how much she loved my son's tree. I gave her a confusing look and replied that Sam didn't have a tree here. She was confused having seen the same picture that was displayed, posted online she was certain it was our Sam. She asked his name and I replied, "Samuel John Stone". She nodded and said, "He has a tree here". It was that moment when it hit me and I turned and looked toward Marissa. I knew she had to have done it and when I looked she was awkwardly walking away from the conversation. I thanked my friend and ran after Marissa. When I finally caught up to her, and Andrew with the kids, I asked if she had done a tree to honor Sam. She smiled and nodded. Andrew had missed the entire conversation while on the phone with his dad, looked at me and I said, "They did a tree for Sam". I feel bad because I'm sure his dad got hung up on and we raced to see where the tree was. 

It was beautiful. Decorated in red hearts and burlap, for our sweet heart boy. Andrew and I were very emotional and thanked them many times for their sweet gift and tribute to our son. He wasn't forgotten and it was wonderful to know that. I believe Andrew then expressed how much he loved the festival and wanted a tree for Sam every year! (He's not dramatic at all). We took some pictures of it and noted who had bought the tree. It was a wonderful night, and we were overjoyed by the love people have for us and our Sam. 

Later we looked up who had purchased the tree, it was a tire business entitled, "My Tire Guys", the store was only a mile or so from the cemetery in which we buried Sam. A few weeks later as we drove to the cemetery we stopped by "My Tire Guys", first to see if the tree was there and second to thank the purchaser. As we walked in, it was there, standing tall, again a tribute. Andrew went to talk to the employee, he explained who he was and that he wanted to thank who bought the tree. It turned out that she was the daughter of the man who bought it. She then explained why her dad wanted the tree. He had lost a baby brother to Tetralogy of Fallot, Sam's defect, too. The tree had touched him and he wanted it in his store. Andrew later wrote and expressed our gratitude, he then explained his love and loss for his brother and that the tree would stand there each year to tribute his brother and our Sam. 

There is no question in my mind that the Lord is in every detail of our lives. I feel He was showing off for us. He loves us. 

Enjoy.