Just checking in...

It's been a week since I've posted, and I don't really have anything special to write about so I just thought I'd check in with the latest things going on in our lives...

• A new student joined my class this week from Chile...and he speaks basically no English so that has been an adventure! Fortunately, I do speak some Spanish and we have been able to communicate well and I'm enjoying getting some practice with the language! I was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing, but so thankful that the transition has been better than I was anticipating.
• Tony went on a 4-day road trip last week up to IA with some youth to visit the college that we both attended. They spent 40+ hours on the road and I'm praising the Lord for their safety on the road.
• Tony will graduate from seminary in December and we are just praying and seeking the Lord's direction in where/what he wants for us in the coming year. We would appreciate your prayers for us as well!
• We continue to miss our babies each day but have had a good past week, by the grace of God.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Visit to Iowa

Here are some photos from my trip to Iowa a couple of weekends ago. I flew there on a Thursday evening and came back on Monday afternoon. We had that Friday off of school, so I only had to take off one school day.. it worked out perfectly!

Lots of fun, quality time with my nieces, Isabelle and Kindra...

Big sis Isabelle with 6-week old baby brother Nehemiah

It was great to be back in my "home state" and see many family members and a few friends.

I really enjoyed some quality time with Charissa!

The only 2 things that I looked forward to coming back to were the warmer weather (it felt like winter up there and even snowed a little bit!) and my husband!

4 generations...daddy, great-grandma, baby Nehemiah, and grandma

He is such a sweet little guy!

One of the highlights of the trip was being able

to attend the girls' birthday party!

Their birthdays are about a month apart (Isabelle-4, Kindra-2) but

why not celebrate them together, especially when Aunt Charity is in town? :)

Sweet little Kindra with her new princess umbrella!

The theme of the party was "Dora" and Aunt Jamie even made cupcakes that looked like Dora's face! So cute.

My wonderful grandparents

Sweet little sis Natalie... people keep telling us we look alike. I just don't see it, especially since we are 6 years apart. What do you think?

Nehemiah helping Uncle Nathan study for his exam :)

I was fortunate to be able to spend lots of time with this little guy, cuddling him, feeding him, and just cherishing his precious life.

My trip was bittersweet and emotional at times...as I constantly thought about my 8-month old Alethia Joy playing with her cousins and how much fun they would have together.

I know she must be having such a great time in Heaven

with soo many other babies.

Nehemiah was the first newborn I've held since my own little daughter.

I just soaked in every moment and loved on him as if he was my own.

Thank you, Lord, for these precious children

that you've placed in our extended family.

Please bless us, Lord, with little ones to fill our arms

and our hearts and our home.

Lighting a Candle...

To my sweet babies Alethia Joy and "Grace,"

Tonight we lit candles in memory of you in an assembly of many others who have also had to say good-bye to their precious babies. It was truly an amazing experience to, for the first time, be surrounded by others who (though each story is unique and different) can share in our grief and loss in a special and specific way.

Alethia Joy, when I heard the two songs tonight, "Glory Baby" and "With Hope," I was vividly reminded of the memorial service where we played both of these songs. I was also reminded of the beautiful words of hope in knowing we will see you again.
Every day I think about what you would be doing at this age of development...8 1/2 months old. What an active age, so full of life...I can just imagine you crawling around, maybe even standing up next to our furniture and getting into everything!

Baby "Grace," I think of how I would be about 17 1/2 weeks pregnant with you...getting ready for the excitement of the "big ultrasound" right around this time. Even though we never had the opportunity to see your sweet face and feel your little kicks and movements or hold you in our arms, we miss you just the same.

My heart goes out to so many others (many of you!) out there who have lost their precious little ones...we will never forget these precious little ones, who even in their brief lives, have impacted us for eternity.

International Wave of Light

Tomorrow at 7:00 p.m., we will be remembering baby Alethia Joy and baby "Grace" in a candlelighting ceremony.
October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, and all over the world at 7:00 p.m. in many different time zones, candles will be lit in memory of babies who have gone to Heaven through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss.

Join us and so many others around the world by lighting a candle and remembering all these sweet babies who we miss with all our hearts and who are now safe in the arms of Jesus.

8 months

8 months have passed since we said good-bye...



I miss my baby girl so much and I can't wait to see her in Heaven one day.