![[The first bloom on Gabriel's magnolia]](magnolia.jpg "Gabriel's Bloom")
Gabriel was due on 4 June 2001.
Unfortunately he was not ours to keep, and on 1 Feb 2001 he came and went, quietly, and without pain, back to God’s arms.
Some friends donated some money in his memory, and we planted a magnolia in the church courtyard in his honor.
Just after 1 November 2001 (All Souls’ Day) we began telling folks that we were expecting (Ethan as it turns out). The magnolia showed its first flower around that time. I guess Gabriel was excited about the news too.
Gabriel will always be in our hearts. We have a small site set up in his honor and memory.
On the first Sunday that we brought Ethan to church with us, we got a picture of all of us our near Gabriel's magnolia, which has grown quite a bit.