Home Sweet Home

Changes

2011-04-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Adelyn Grace turned 5 months this weekend! 5 MONTHS!!!

I can't believe it. It has been such an incredible 5 months. I love being her mom.

Along with the changes that the last year has brought (job change, moving, having a baby..etc) my heart has been making some big changes too. Slowly God has been challenging me to reorganize my life and priorities to line up with where I know they should be. There are so many time wasting temptations out there....and here....in the blogging/internet world. I have been constantly asking myself why I am doing certain things. Why am I updating this blog? Why am I logging onto facebook? Why am I reading certain blogs? Why am I not cuddling my precious baby and instead having her stare at me from her little Bumbo studying my every move as I type type type?

There are good reasons for doing these things at times but I am still trying to figure out where my heart is in all of this and where I need to be. So, as I attempt to figure out what to do with all of these thoughts and challenges, this space may see some changes. I have actually been planning on making changes for a few months now and have been working on some stuff, but I am still not completely confident in my direction.

Thanks to all who have encouraged, loved and prayed for me through this blog. :o) We will see where this all goes.

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend was just what we needed after spending a week apart.

Addie and I picked up Tim from the airport. I send Tim little photos of Addie often and here is one I sent right before we left for the airport ready to welcome him back to Cali when he turned on his phone after landing.

She fell asleep by the time we picked Tim up, but once we got home she woke up in his arms with a HUGE smile on her face. It was precious.

We had a big breakfast at noon on Saturday (just the way I like it) after some Saturday morning family time in bed. It basically consisted of Addie sitting in between us singing, smiling and waving her arms with gusto as Tim and I talked about how tired we were.

We had to hit up the big Old Navy sale on Saturday. We practically stole clothes from them! Our dinner plans with friends were cancelled so I whined a bit and was frustrated that I had to make dinner with the limited food in our kitchen. I made some homemade BBQ sauce (YUM) and chicken strips. I will share the recipe in the future...it's gooooood and easy and it makes our whole home smell fantastic.

Yesterday was church and then lunch at Baja with a coupon. I am becoming quite the coupon-er and I still have so much to learn! We ran to a different Old Navy and found more awesome deals and then did a BIG grocery trip. We saved $140. It was SO much fun watching her scan all of the coupons. We have so much food now. I just need to work on being more efficient. Using coupons can definitely take up valuable time.

Now we are back to Monday. I am so happy that Tim is back in town this week! :o)

Have a happy Monday!

Since today is Friday...

2011-04-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Well hello blog. It has been a while.

We have been out of town this week and we are finally home (well, Tim will be arriving home soon).

Tim had a business trip and I took the opportunity to take my girls to my parent's house. We had a fabulous week and I just didn't get around to posting on the blog.

Oh well....

Here are 10 things that I am thankful for:

1. My flexible baby. I am so glad that she is easy to travel with. You can tell that she needs a little time to adjust to new surroundings, but a few days into our trip it was like we were home.

2. Tim's job. He had an awesome week. He probably enjoyed a break from his girls but we know he is eager to come back and see us.

3. Reality checks- they aren't always fun but I was able to do some soul searching while at "home" and it was productive. Now I need to make the changes.

4. Addie's uncle was on spring break while we were there and she is seriously smitten with him. They had some precious time together this week.

5. The sunshine. I love spring because it means we are one step closer to summer!

6. Micah is continuing to heal and we have connected with another family who is facing a very similar situation. We are praying for sweet Alyson. You can read about her here.

7. Our two bedroom apartment. It has been an adjustment to downsize so much and to be patient when it comes to our next move, but it has helped me simplify. I am thankful for a roof over my head regardless of the room count.

8. Addie outgrew her little bassinet so we set up a co-sleeper/pack n play that was gifted to us by the guy who we bought our car from. We had NO idea that it is an extremely valuable and awesome it was.

9. My dad and his love for Addie. He was snuggling Adelyn alone in the living room one night and I heard him telling her all about Jesus and how very loved she is. I have overheard him whispering prayers into her ear multiple times ever since the day she was born. It brings me joy to see my parents as grandparents for the first time!!

10. A nice camera. I love photography and we have a great camera but I have been dealing with camera envy lately. I need to stop it and enjoy what I have!

I am so happy that it's Friday and our little family will be reunited today.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

Spring Fever

2011-04-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

We have spent so much of this week outside. It's a good thing because the weather report says it's going to cool down and possibly rain in the next few days.

We have been enjoying the pretty spring plants outside too.

Addie LOVED the feeling of the wet grass on her feet. She rubbed her feet on the grass for a long time.

She also had some drooling that needed to be done.

It was so beautiful that she even enjoyed a meal outside right after I got back from a run.

Spring always makes me happy.

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-04-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

It's Monday night (almost Tuesday morning) and I am finally sitting down to update. It has been a busy time for us lately.

Friday evening was relaxing. We watched Tangled and ate Pizza. I told Tim I felt like I was 10 again. I don't particularly enjoy animation but it was a cute movie. The best part was doing nothing for a few hours.

Saturday consisted of sleeping in (both of us have been under the weather lately) and eating a large breakfast at noon. Then we packed up and went to the beach. We took the pup and she LOVED it. She has always been a beach kind of dog but her perma-smile was infectious.

We had a lunch/dinner at a diner on the beach and then came home. We had a lot to do that night to prepare for this week so what did we do? We decided to walk to the grocery store and then a local restaurant for some dessert. We enjoyed procrastinating.

Sunday was church. Adelyn went to the nursery for the second time at our home church (but third time in her life) and as we settled into our "Parents of Little Ones" - aka POLO group- we got the call. Addie had a meltdown. The poor thing was a wreck when I went in to soothe her. It's nice that she knows me well now and wants me to be around, but we are hoping this is just a short phase. We have loved that so many people have held her and loved on her during her short almost 5 months here. I hope we can continue to do that.

We enjoyed the excellent weather this weekend. Adelyn is a Cali girl through and through. I love it!

Since today is Friday...

2011-04-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for/that:

1. Baby clothes are cute. I am starting to put away some of Addie's 0-3 month clothes and the only thing that keeps a smile on my face are some of the adorable clothes that she is about to grow into.

2. My hubby works close to our home. This means I sometimes get to see him during his lunch breaks.

3. Frozen yogurt dates and meeting new friends. Last night I spent some time with a close friend of mine and met a new friend. I love meeting new people.

4. This insanely awesome weather. Addie is ready for her first ever swim and we are off to the beach this weekend.

5. The shopping center less than a mile from our home. It has everything I need...Babies R' Us...Target...and so much more. This makes up for the first four years of our marriage when we lived no where near ANY good stores.

6. Weekends.

7. Our home..even though it's small and it's hard to find a place for everything.

8. A new little project that has been keeping me busy.

9. A good book. Yes, I am starting to read again.

10. The way our pup Sadie has interacted with Addie lately. It has been so entertaining!

I hope you have a great weekend. What are you thankful for?

Facing Adversity

2011-03-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

I smile when I think of my cousin Micah at home with his newly expanded family. I love that their precious children have a dad to run to hug- dance with- laugh with. My heart was aching when we didn't know if this sickness was going to take Micah to heaven and leave his wife to take care of three little ones and a newborn baby girl. I can't even imagine. That girl was really close to never meeting her dad.

During Micah's sickness my Aunt's profile picture on Facebook was this one:

My aunt Judy is a published author. She has written some incredible Bible studies. She had just come back from speaking at a retreat when she found out about her son's fight for his life. She had put this photo up before and befriended some of the people she met at her speaking engagement. It has sat as her profile picture since then all throughout Micah's battle for his life. It always caught my attention when I was scrolling through Facebook to find updates about my cousin. She was being challenged to walk her talk...and she did.

Walking through Micah's situation with my extended family has made me rethink so many things. I have a different perspective on prayer and the way that the body of believers functions. Micah has even taken the opportunity to share some details about his relationship with Christ to the over 1,000 people in his prayer group on Facebook.

I ordered the Facing Adversity book from Amazon before I was pregnant and worked through some of it. God got my attention with Micah's situation and I finally started spending regular time working on my relationship with God again. It's hard to admit that it took so long and that it took such a terrible situation, but it did. I started the study again right where I left off.

I love that this Bible study is guiding me through so much scripture and challenging me to apply it directly to my life. I can't help but think of what the Gerry's have recently been through as I work through the book.

Today I read about God using adversity to get your attention. How fitting.

I am praying that many have been challenged to grow due to this adversity.

If you are interested in the book, then click here.

No Smiling Allowed

2011-03-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Self portraits are so much more common now that we are in the digital age. Can you imagine using up film and hoping that you got a good shot? Yikes! I can't even remember the last time I had photos developed from film. Maybe freshman year of college?

If you know me well then you are aware of the fact that I take thousands of photos. Every day. Just kidding. Kind of.

Anyway, we took Sadie out this afternoon to soak up some of the 80 something degree sunshine. I took my camera with me.

Why is it so hard to get a good family self portrait? I can imagine how it will just get more and more difficult as our family grows and we may as well forget about getting Sadie into a photo with the three of us. Especially when we are outside.

I gave up during the second one. Addie would not look at the camera no matter what. She also will NOT smile outside. That needs to change. I am thinking sweet bribes will be effective when she starts eating solids....which is rapidly approaching.

Some day we will take a self portrait shot that I like. Hopefully.

Half of a Pregnancy!

2011-03-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl is 20 weeks old today! This photo was taken a few weeks ago at her 4 month appointment. She got her shots at the end of the visit and then we headed to the incredible breastfeeding room that is right there in the office. I lounged, listened to the music and calmed our little one. After eating I got her ready to go and snapped this photo.

She weighed in at 13lbs 10oz but preceded to empty herself out when we got home so I think the weight was a tad bit off. She had been storing up for a few days.

She is healthy and growing just perfectly. She is a little under the 50th percentile for her weight and above average for her length and head circumference. Tall, lean and smart?? I hope so! :o)

We are going to enjoy the nice weather today and get some errands done.

Happy Tuesday and happy 20 weeks to our precious babe!

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-03-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend went by too fast!

On Friday Tim completed his first large project with a very important presentation at work. He did an incredible job (that's what all of his feedback said) and then the company hosted a celebration dinner/game night at our local Dave and Busters. It was a BLAST! Adelyn LOVED all of the lights and music in the game area. My little sis was still in town. She was Addie's nanny for the evening. :o)

A toast for a job well done!

Addie was sporting a bow with the company's name on it.

She was mesmerized the entire time.

At an after party. Thanks Auntie Rae for loving on her!

I don't know how I managed to not get a photo of Tim. He was busy mingling with his colleagues and playing the games at Dave and Busters. :o)

All we did on Saturday was hang around our home and make a Costco trip. Costco is one of our regular date places. Addie just stares at the bright lights and we grab some samples and chat as we make our way through the warehouse. It's so fun.

Yesterday was church and then Tim's final soccer game of the season. They ended the season as the team with the most wins but they did not take the championship. Addie and I cheered Tim's team on and then we stayed to cheer on the team from our church.

We are looking forward to the next season!

We hope that you had a happy weekend.

Since today is Friday...

2011-03-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for/that:

1. We got to spend time with my parents this weekend. I am so happy that some of their friends live down here so we have another excuse to see them.

2. My sister has been staying with us during her last ever college spring break. :o) We have had some FUN!

3. Although I have mixed feelings about my baby growing up, Adelyn is SO much fun right now. We just love our little bundle.

4. We had a little cousin reunion this week. I will share one day why Fisher Price shopping carts hold a special place in our hearts.

5. My herb garden is growing and we used our "mojito" plant this week. :o)

6. My sis and I did a little plant project this week. I love that we both enjoy plants and gardening! The photo below is of Addie watching my sis working on our gardening project. I will share what it was later.

7. I got to spend some time with one of my best friends last night. I love that we live so close to each other now. I also love that Adelyn just loves her!

8. I get to watch Tim play soccer one last time this season. They made it to the playoffs and are currently in first place. I'm so happy that he has this outlet.

9. SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Well, the weather is still a bit cold for me, but warm weather is on its way and that means days at the pool with my baby. I'm so excited!!!

10. This is the day that Tim completes a program that he has been in since he started his job. Tonight they are hosting a party at one of our favorite local restaurants to celebrate. I'm so excited.

Have a very happy weekend.

A Beautiful Disaster

2011-03-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about this time last year. I have such mixed emotions about 2010. It was the best year and the worst year all rolled into one. It was beautiful and ugly at the same time. It was dark and it was bright. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions and experiences.

I have spent the last four months since the arrival of Adelyn just enjoying each and every moment. She is an incredible baby and I have been able to soak it up without sleep deprivation or many of the other challenges that new moms face. I didn't do anything to make her that way or deserve such an easy baby, but it is just a fact that she has been that way...so far (I am waiting for the bomb to drop!).

I noticed that my mindset slightly shifted when we hit March. It was March of last year that we found out we were expecting. It was also the start of my unending battle with nausea and excessive throwing up that lasted through labor. Anytime I get a twinge of nausea these days my mind quickly goes back to my pregnancy.

I was also beginning my 9 weeks of bed rest this time last year. I struggled through my preschool teaching job for the first few weeks of sickness and then realized that I had to take a break. My body could barely physically get out of bed anymore.

I am still learning from everything that we walked through and the big changes that we experienced last year.

My battle with HG was very real and extremely painful, but I am thankful for the opportunities it has brought me. I am still learning from it.

I didn't have many photos taken during the beginning of my pregnancy but I was scrolling through my phone photos and found this one. I thought I would share...

and for a more current shot of her outta my belly...

Thank you Lord for the blessings of a new year, a new life and new health.

Family

2011-03-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another day full of relaxation and enjoying time together.

Addie got some great snuggles with her Mimi and Papa:

She also enjoyed falling asleep in Papa's arms:

I love that when they are here all they want to do is hold her, watch her, tell her how much they love her and study everything about her. They know how to soak her up. It makes my heart happy. I will leave my dad in the room with Addie and hear him whispering truths about life and God to her. It melts my heart.

Of course there is always time to work on her developmental progress as well- reading, playing, tummy time and learning how to study God's word ;o). They just choose to spend their limited time connecting with her as a person on a deeper level and it's so fun to watch.

It's hard to believe that one day my little Addie might give us grandchildren too. I hear this life goes by fast. I guess it's never too early to think about what kind of grandparents we want to be. For now I will choose to focus on enjoying today and the blessings and challenges that motherhood brings with the hope that it will shape me into a wonderful grandparent in the future.

I am thankful that Addie has a papa, mimi and maimie who are crazy about her!

Weekend Wrap Up

2011-03-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

We cancelled our Disneyland plans for Friday night and rested.

We did nothing on Saturday but some light cleaning and then we rested.

Yesterday we went to church, spent some time with my parents, had a mini date out...then rested. It was kind of nice that Tim's games were cancelled due to weather.

I did quite a bit of baking and cooking this weekend too.

Now I feel ready to face this week.

It's nice to have a weekend with nothing on the schedule.

Just for fun...here is a little video of Adelyn hanging out in my luggage as I packed for one of our more busy weekends last month:

I hope you had a restful weekend!

Since today is Friday...

2011-03-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to everyone!

It has been an exhausting few weeks. Micah's situation has surfaced so many thoughts and I am constantly evaluating my heart as I walk through each day. The devastation in Japan is heartbreaking. I get to the point where I choose to stop thinking about it because I can't comprehend what has happened to so many thousands of people. It blows my mind.

Each day is a gift- even difficult ones.

I am thankful for/that:

1. My husband. He has been a source of support and encouragement during both the jubilant and devastating moments of these past few weeks. He has been there through the random tears of desperation and has held my hands and prayed with me as our hearts have been breaking for so many people.

2. Micah is doing well. Not just well- but FANTASTIC! He may even be out of the ICU right now. We are waiting for a morning update. He is talking (a little), swallowing, drinking and starting to realize all that has happened for the last 12 days. The hospital staff is dumbfounded. I am certain that my family will be sharing their faith with so many due to this trial. What a blessing.

3. The miracles (even the tiny ones) that are happening in Japan.

4. Slobbery kisses, sweet cuddles and huge smiles from my daughter.

5. Extra time I got to spend with Tim yesterday. It was a fun surprise.

6. Time to exercise with one of my new mommy friends and her one month old Logan. Adelyn and Logan will be friends. I love that.

7. My creative outlet: Lillian Ray

8. The warm sun. Addie and I are going to have fun outside this spring/summer. She will be the perfect age for swimming and going on picnics. I can't wait!

9. A relaxing weekend ahead.

10. The generosity of others and how it encourages and challenges me to learn to give selflessly.

Addie in one of her many Disney items (a little big still). She is going to grow up enjoying the FUN of Disney!

What are you thankful for?

Have a beautiful weekend!

Happy Day!

2011-03-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We hope that you don't get pinched today :o)

Today has been a wonderful day. Micah was taken off of the ventilator today and he is breathing on his own! This isn't the luck of the Irish...it's all because of the power of prayer and the Lord in our lives.

Our family is rejoicing! Thank you for all of your prayers. Please continue to lift him up when you think of him.

Burgers and Fries

2011-03-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

I am overdue for some posts. So here we go...

Weekend Wrap Up:

Friday night was a great evening celebrating my cousin's birthday. It was nice to be with a few of my cousins as we could relate and talk about how we are dealing with what is going on with Micah. He is still on life support but has been stable for a few days now. We are hoping for big improvements soon!

Here we are after downing our burgers and fries (Thanks for taking the photo Tim).

On Saturday we had a nice morning at home and then had a Wii date with our neighbor/friends. We enjoyed burgers and bottomless fries at our local Islands for dinner. Yum! Next time I will take some photos.

Sunday was a busy day. We had church and then lunch with some new friends that had their first baby 2 weeks after we did. They chose to have lunch at Red Robin...so burgers and fries it was. ;o)

They have a precious little boy and I so wish I had a photo of them!

We raced home and played with the pup and then went to Tim's soccer game. It was the last game before the playoffs. They won (they are in first place)! After the game we went to Disneyland for some fun. We did take photos but I won't be sharing them since they are all blurry. Seriously- when you offer to take a photo of people remember the basic rule of almost ALL cameras: hold the button down half way to focus it. I still don't know why people can't take a clear snapshot when every setting is on automatic.

Oh well, I will keep some of those blurry photos as memories of our sweet babe during her first few times at Disneyland. She doesn't know how lucky she is.

She went on Pirates of the Caribbean this trip. She LOVED the first half. She was looking around and enjoying it. The second half was another story. I honestly wanted to jump out of the boat due to her screams. She apparently doesn't like it when the boat stops. Luckily you could barely hear her since the music was so loud.

Next trip we will try It's a Small World....

And no- we didn't eat burgers and fries at Disneyland. Instead we had burritos and salads. Awesome.

Time to head out and go on a run with one of my church friends and her one month old baby boy. I need to work off all of those burgers and fries.

Dear Addie..

2011-03-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

You reached four months this week! You have brought us so much joy and I am thankful that you're in our family. This month has been a big one as we have seen you hit quite a few developmental milestones. You are growing up at the perfect pace- just as God intended. It keeps us on our toes and we LOVE to watch you learn each and every day.

We started cloth diapers this month and you still love your diaper changes. You made the transition so easy. We are all stocked up on size 2 diapers so that when we finish using up the size 1 you will be wearing the bigger ones. I look at the newborn size diapers and can't believe that you wore them for so long!

You are intentionally playing with your toys now. You look at them, smile and then grab them. It's fun to see you interact with them- shaking the rattles, brushing your fingers along the soft toys, spinning the toys that spin, etc.

You don't cry very much so we know there is something definitely wrong when you do. Most of the time the tears are from little tummy aches or other pains you might have.

Despite our efforts to make you a socially flexible baby, you are starting to get a little fussy when others hold you. You take a few minutes to warm up to people and you stare them down as you study them. You look for me or your dad and as long as we are around you tend to do well.

Your smile is HUGE and you display it often. When we make eye contact you smile about 90% of the time. It brings me SO much joy. When all else fails you always smile when I sing a certain song and dance for you. You sometimes even let out a giggle.

Your sleeping habits are a new mom's dream. You have slept through the night for many months now and you rub your eyes when you want to nap. You are napping often right now- every couple of hours during the day. I just lay you down and you soothe yourself to sleep. You wake up and quietly wait for me to come get you unless you're hungry. Thankfully the monitor helps me know when you're awake because I hear you moving around or singing to yourself. Your smiles when you just wake up are so cute.

You are liking being on your tummy more now. You used to hate it! You have pretty much had the muscle tone to hold up your head since birth but you would only use it when we would hold you in the air or lay you on our stomachs. Tummy time still isn't your favorite but you are learning to like it.

You talk SO much. We have numerous conversations daily and they are full of giggles and lots and lots of high pitched squeaks and squeals. I wish I knew your language because it seems like you always have a really happy story to share.

You love to suck on your hands and sometimes you stick them far enough in your mouth that you gag. Dad thinks it's really funny.

Your back is ticklish. You LOVE the rocket ship game that we play and we typically get the biggest giggles during the tickling part of that game.

Your hair is getting more strawberry and I'm still debating whether or not I like that.Your eyes are getting a little lighter and they are now the feature that most people compliment when they interact with you. They sparkle in the sun. ;o)

You love to hold my hands when you're in the Bjorn carrier and anytime you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror you smile a huge grin. Even through tears. I have to wash the Bjorn all the time because you LOVE to suck on it.

Adelyn, you are precious and I love that you are my daughter. You first and foremost belong to the Lord but we are so in awe of His creation and are happy that he gave you to us for the time being. I am praying that as you grow up you will know about God's love for you and that you will be a light to those who know you. We love you deeply miss Adelyn Grace!

Since Today is Friday...

2011-03-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever prayed so hard that your body experiences complete exhaustion?

I have found myself in that situation this week. Between my cousin fighting for his life and now the horrific situation in Japan, my heart is broken and the tears flow freely.

I thought about ditching my Thankful Friday post for this week. Not because I'm not thankful, but I just thought it would be too hard. Then I was convicted:

I Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

So here we go...

1. Micah is still alive. He is not only alive but we received good news this morning that he has taken a turn in a good direction and doctors are amazed. Our God performs miracles.

2. God is in control. I'm thankful that I am NOT God. Despite the destruction and sadness taking place in Japan and surrounding countries, God is sovereign. Tragedy like this reminds us that our time is limited here and brings us back to what is truly important.

3. Sleep. I haven't been this sleep deprived since I was pregnant. Sleep is a wonderful restorative thing.

4. Babies. During some of the most difficult moments of this week I have looked over to my precious little girl and watched her sweet smile form as she makes eye contact with me. Her precious squeals and laughter make me smile despite my aching heart. The innocence of little ones is deeply refreshing.

5. Friends. I have sweet friends who have been SO encouraging this week. Knowing that they were praying for our situation put me in a place where I could rest.

6. Facebook. I said it before but I have been so encouraged by the way that facebook has worked to spread the word about Micah (and now Japan) to get people on their knees and praying. My news feed has been FULL the last few days of friends of friends and family who are praying. Logging on has never been so encouraging.

7. Spring. We have had spring like weather for a while now. Tim and I took a break from the craziness of this week and set the baby and dog by our door to watch us as we gardened. There is something very refreshing and clean about spring.

8. Julia. Julia is another one of my fabulous cousins (there are A LOT of us). Today is her birthday and I am so thankful that we are cousins/friends. She has a heart of gold and I am excited to be living by her. We are celebrating her tonight and she has requested that we spend some of the time together praying for Micah. I lover her selfless heart. Happy birthday to my sweet cousin/friend.

9. Generosity of people I don't even know. We have received some awesome baby items from people I have never met before and this week we were blessed with some items that have been in my wish list for a while. Addie has already enjoyed them.

10. My hubby's sense of humor. It has obviously been a trying week and although the tears have been flowing my hubby has somehow found a way to balance them out with some laughter. I love him.

Psalm 95:1-6

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

What are you thankful for this week?

Another Micah Update

2011-03-10T12:41:00.001-08:00

Straight from his wife. This is GOOD news! Praise God!

We just received very encouraging news showing Micah's lungs are making slow improvement in response to the oscillatory ventilator. They have gradually lowered the pressure from 100% yesterday, down to 35% today. This is a HUGE answer to prayer! Praise God as we wait another day at this stage of treatment. The specialists do not plan on changing anything until they reassess him tomorrow morning, giving Micah's lungs even more time to recover. His white blood cell count is also improving, showing that infection is leaving his body Although he is not out of the woods, we are all so encouraged and continue to covet your prayers. Thank you for your supportive texts and emails, and please continue to lift up Micah to our Healer.

Micah Update

2011-03-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

The last few days facebook has been a huge resource and blessing to my family. It may possibly be the fastest and most effective prayer chain out there!

People all over the country and different parts of the world have been praying for my cousin and so many words of encouragement have been shared.

Yesterday was rough starting with a 2am phone call that went out to our family. The doctors had said that they had done all that they could do and they should say their goodbyes. We all woke up and got on our knees and prayed for a miracle.

Micah is still with us and is still fighting for his life. He is on life support but his oxygen levels are improving. Here is an update straight from his wife:

Micah had a stable night with his oxygen levels. They just took another x-ray of his lungs, and we are waiting on the doctor to read the results. If the damage looks like it is beginning to repair, they might possibly try moving him to a le...ss powerful ventilator. While the ventilator is still fully breathing for Micah, they are hoping a less pressurized ventilator will be tolerated to show his lung capacity is improving. Please have others pray that this is the case. The move can be quite scary and traumatic since it didn't work the first time and his O2 levels dipped so low. We recognize this is a battle not of flesh and blood, and that Micah's life lies in the Lord's hands. Pray for Micah to remain here, that the Lord may be glorified through a modern day miracle, but ultimately that His perfect will be made complete.

Thank you for your prayers and for spreading the word. Prayer is a powerful thing.

Please continue to pray for a miracle.

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-03-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

To my praying friends out there...

We need to gather the troops. Please stop right now and take the time to pray for this sweet family:

My cousin Micah (the dad) is very ill right now with complications with pneumonia and it's not looking good. Please pray for his wife Carrie and their 4 children (Carrie is due to give birth in 12 days).

My heart is aching and I would ask that you take a few moments to pray for our family. We know that God is in control and He is bigger than any illness. We are boldly asking God to heal Micah.

Thanks for lifting them up in prayer.

365 Days

2011-03-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

One year ago on this very day our lives changed drastically.

I took a look at the double lines on a little pregnancy test and then I gave a goodbye kiss to my hubby as he left for work. Once our house guests left that morning I was left alone in our home ready to process my little secret and how I was going to tell Tim.

The first thing I did was take a photo:

Then I remember sitting down and praying for the little tiny baby inside of me all while bearing a huge smile on my face.

So many thoughts and emotions go through your mind when you find out that you're expecting. Especially for the first time. I didn't know what the road ahead of me was going to be like (that was probably a good thing). I had no idea that pregnancy would rock my world more than actually having and taking care of our sweet daughter.

As I think about the last year and what a crazy roller coaster it was the only thing I can really do is be thankful. I am thankful that during my sickness a healthy baby was forming inside of me. I am thankful that God knew my limits and gave us a baby that has made our transition to parenthood so incredibly smooth. I am thankful that although I felt like I had a stomach flu that would not let up for 9 months that I stayed healthy and somehow my body had what it needed to get through labor and delivery.

I am most thankful that this little girl was given to us by the Lord. He created her and allowed us to parent her and love on her. That is so much bigger and so much more important than having a lousy pregnancy.

Thank you God for our precious baby girl. We will do everything we can to be the best parents to her. We will fail along the way but your grace covers all of that. THANK YOU!

What a difference a year makes! Adelyn Grace is 17 weeks old today and brings us joy beyond what we ever could have imagined.

An Eventful Weekend

2011-03-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

I just love weekends.

Why do they ever have to end?

On Friday we enjoyed delicious pork, apple and cheese sandwiches and played Yahtzee with friends. I love Yahtzee. It makes me think of my grandma. We used to play that all the time during our visits.

Saturday was supposed to be full of a Wii double date but the other couple got sick. Instead we bought our car new tires (NO fun and NOT in the budget), had an In-n-Out date and went shopping for plants for our porch and front. I am excited to garden this week. I will finally have an herb garden at this home. Unfortunately I had a roaring headache for the afternoon so Addie and I napped together while dinner did not get made and the laundry did not get done. I woke up excited though because I knew that...

On Saturday afternoon our friends Jessica and Dave got engaged! We went to a party to celebrate with them during the evening and it was so much fun!

Let's have a look at the bling first!


I love her!


The future Heims

Addie and her daddy were there too.

Congrats to our sweet friends. We can't wait to continue to celebrate with you!

Sunday was full of the usual- church, soccer, Chipotle with friends and then game night! We played Bang and it was fun. I get nervous when I'm the renegade and of course I chose that card twice.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I am off to continue to get our place pulled back together from last week since I got nothing done this weekend.

Why can't weekends be longer?

Baby Headband Giveaway

2011-03-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

We had a busy weekend and ~~all~~ most of it was fun. It included Yahtzee, plants, a headache followed by a nap, In-n-Out, an engagement(!), chocolate covered strawberries, church, soccer, Chipotle and Bang. I will share some photos soon but before I do I wanted to get a quick post up about my other blog.

I have a little Etsy shop where I sell some handmade goodies (mainly jewelry) and I recently added my baby headbands to it. It has opened a whole new world of creativity to me and I love it. I am also doing wedding jewelry on the side and it has been probably my favorite part of this journey so far!

Anyway, to kick off my new baby headband section of the store I am hosting a giveaway on the Lillian Ray blog. Check it out here!

I made it super easy to enter.