Ryker's Rainbow

08/16/2026

The inserts we use inside our Blessing Boxes have been updated to match our new aesthetic and we are in love! 🤍

It feels so special to see every detail of Ryker’s Rainbow begin to reflect the softness and intention behind our new look.

08/08/2026

A new look for Ryker’s Rainbow. 🌈

When Ryker’s Rainbow began, we never imagined it would become what it is today. In fact, we quickly went on Fiverr and paid $5 to have a logo designed for us. We thought it would only appear on a form we were completing to set up a fund in Ryker’s name and probably never see the light of day again. We certainly weren't planning to start a non-profit, but God had plans far beyond our own.

Six years later, it felt like time for our look to grow with us. Our new rainbow is simple and intentional and the three lines represent our three children, Ellis, Ryker and Adler. The softer palette reflects the peace and gentleness of the Lord throughout this journey and the calm He has brought even in seasons of deep grief.

The rainbow and the "Be the Light", of course, remains. It has been part of Ryker’s story from the very beginning and always will be.

As part of this refresh, we also created a logo specifically for the Ryker’s Rainbow Community Prayer Garden. It features three butterflies, again representing our three children. Butterflies hold so much meaning for families who have experienced loss, and they are often found throughout the garden. We love adding this gentle nod for all families served through RR.

Over the coming weeks, you’ll slowly begin to see our new logos replace the ones that have been with us from the beginning, and our new website will be live very soon. This refresh feels like a reflection of how much Ryker’s Rainbow has grown, but also of the community that has been beside us since day one and has grown right alongside us. And we can't thank you enough.

The look may be new, but the heart is the same: Remembering Ryker, loving families in their hardest of days, serving our community, and continuing to follow where the Lord leads us.

Thank you for loving us so well over these past six years. And a huge thank you to Huntsville Design House + Gari-Ann Kia for being so patient with us as we walked through this refresh, and doing it all with such gentleness and care.

08/04/2026

I spent a little time at the garden early this morning. It was just me, the fog and a desire for a quiet place to speak and pray about what was on my heart. As another school year soon begins, my heart has felt a little heavier. I know so many of you feel it too. We celebrate the beautiful milestones of the children who are here, while missing the ones who should be.

If you haven’t visited the garden lately, I hope you will. It is overflowing with life right now. Nearly every shrub and plant is in bloom, and it is beautiful. Hans and I were so excited to see its first bloom this year, and it has exceeded our expectations.

We recently added a new arbor at the entrance that will one day be covered in climbing roses, and we have more meaningful additions planned throughout the year as the garden continues to grow.

We are also incredibly honored to receive a City of Huntsville Beautification Award. What began as a place for grieving families has become a place of peace for our entire community.

If your heart feels a little heavy in this season, for whatever reason, come sit for a while. The garden has a way of meeting people exactly where they are.

Praying for you, friends.

07/31/2026

I know it’s only July, but we couldn’t wait to share this year’s ornament for our Five Candles Dinner of Remembrance!

This year’s ornament is a colorful peace dove. A little different than years past, but it’s reflective of what we have planned for the evening.

Each ornament will be personalized with the name of a baby or child deeply missed and will be available for purchase exclusively for families attending the Five Candles Dinner.

For the past three years, Five Candles has been a free, adults only evening of remembrance during the holiday season, and has quickly become a favorite event for many. Including us! This year’s dinner will be held on Tuesday, December 8 at Burritt on the Mountain.

Registration opens in October. We hope you will join us. 🕊️

07/13/2026

💙🌈

Ryker's Rainbow Athens-Limestone Hospital Crestwood Medical Center Cullman Regional Medical Center Decatur Morgan Hospital Helen Keller Hospital Highlands Medical Center | Scottsboro, Alabama Madison Hospital Lincoln Health

06/22/2026

This photo was taken yesterday of my sweet husband as we visited the same lunch spot we go to every year on Ryker’s birthday, Domaine South.

Seeing Hans sitting in the sunlight as we talked about our precious son moved me to tears.

The day after Ryker died was Father’s Day, and over the past six years, I have often thought about the unique burden fathers carry after the loss of a child. They are not only navigating the heartbreak of losing their son or daughter, but are often carrying the weight of everyone else’s grief too. They are grieving while supporting their spouse, showing up for their family, and somehow finding the strength to keep moving forward. I vividly remember Hans checking on me, or wrapping me in a comforting hug with his own tears rolling down his face.

I can’t imagine walking this journey with anyone other than Hans. There is a deep bond that forms when you experience something so heartbreaking together. We share the same loss, the same love for Ryker, and the same longing for the life we thought we would have with him. Yet grief has not always looked the same for each of us.

One of the things loss has taught me is that two people can be grieving the same child and still carry that grief differently. While our sorrow is rooted in the same love, it often takes different shapes. Neither way is right or wrong. It is simply the unique way each parent carries their child.

Through it all, I have watched Hans love Ryker fiercely, honor his memory faithfully, and carry both joy and sorrow with remarkable strength.

Today, I am especially grateful for him. And today, we are thinking of all the fathers missing a child. We see you. We honor you. We remember your children.

Happy Father’s Day to the dads who carry both love and loss. 💙🌈

06/20/2026

6 years ago today, our sweet Ryker was born.

It was the summer solstice, the longest day of light in the year. To us, it is no coincidence that he was born on this day. A day that so beautifully reflects the legacy he has left behind… light.

We will never forget the day he was born. Neither Hans nor I had ever known such heartbreak. But we had also never experienced the nearness of God the way we did that day.

The oversized hospital room held only us, our medical team, and our pastor, Rev. Wren, yet it felt crowded with the presence of heaven. The veil felt so thin that day. It was a nearness of heaven we had never experienced before and one we have not experienced since. It’s something I think about every single day and that Hans and I talk about often.

We were living through the deepest heartbreak we had ever known, yet at the very same time experiencing the nearness of God in a way we never had before. Somehow grief and peace occupied the same space and sorrow and holiness intertwined. The ache was overwhelming, suffocating even, but so was the certainty that God was there. All of it is difficult to put into words and thoroughly explain. But we will never forget the feeling that heaven was near enough to touch.

Six years later, one of the greatest gifts Ryker’s life gave us was a deeper understanding of who God is. Not a God of easy answers or neat explanations, but the God who sits with us in suffering and hurt. And even in our questioning. The God who draws near to the brokenhearted and the God who carries us when we have no strength left of our own.

There are many things we do not understand this side of heaven. We still wish Ryker were here. We still wonder what his laugh would sound like and what kind of little boy he would be….although I often imagine him playing in the dirt and with an ice cream stained shirt. But through the ache, God has remained faithful. He has met us in unexpected places, spoken through unexpected people, and brought beauty from ashes in ways we never could have imagined.

Ryker, we miss you.Every year we move further away from the day you were born earthside, but one year closer to our heavenly reunion. What once felt impossibly far away is now six years closer. I am now sure how six years have passed so quickly but also so slowly.

Today, we are especially thankful for a Father who never abandoned us in our grief. A Father who took the darkest day of our lives and, little by little, taught us that light still shines in the darkness.

Until Heaven, sweet boy. Your mama loves you.

06/17/2026

The garden is beginning to bloom for the very first time and it makes our hearts so happy! From the hydrangeas to the butterfly bushes, we love seeing it come to life. And seeing it bloom this week, Ryker’s birthday week, makes it that much more special. 💙🌈

05/30/2026

We were so honored for the Lambert family to plan and host Wheels of Remembrance benefiting Ryker's Rainbow.

We were blown away by the event and all the details that were planned. I think we are officially car show people now and can’t wait until next year!

Thank you again to the sponsors that helped make this years car show possible! I look forward to working with you again next year, together we will be able to do even more for the community and provide greater support to Ryker's Rainbow. Every sponsorship and donation helps them to continue supporting families through some of life’s most difficult moments.

Thank you for your support!
Outlaw Offroad - Huntsville
AutoworkZ
Static Coatings
Work It Out

Thank you Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium for allowing us to have the first annual Wheels of Remembrance Car Show at such an amazing venue!

05/27/2026

It means so much to be invited to speak at Church on The Lake-Guntersville and to share a little of our story and about the faithfulness of God through it all. We are grateful for every opportunity to continue speaking Ryker’s name and sharing how deeply the Lord has carried our family.