Happy Birthday Tayden!

Happy 2nd Birthday to my precious nephew Tayden! Two years ago today, my sister Amber and brother in law Tommy were going through one of the scariest and, at the same time, most miraculous moments of their lives. Tayden Michael was born at only 24 weeks gestation, weighing in at 1 pound 11 ounces. A "micro preemie" as they call them, the odds were stacked against him for survival, and even more stacked against him for complications leading to permanant ill effects on his health and life.




But I am happy to report that our little miracle boy is a happy, ornery two your old boy who is walking, jumping, climbing and beginning to talk. With glasses on, he's got adaquate vision to see his world and his little smile can light up a room. He loves to bang things and make noise, climb things he's not supposed to, and thow attitude at just the right moments to get his way. I miss him so much and am counting down the days until we live closer so he and Emma can have more play dates. But for now, I must take this opportunity to brag on him and celebrate his life from afar. He truely is a gift from God and it is an auntie's prayer that the Lord will continue to bless him and shape him into the man he was created to be. I love you Tayden! And Emma sends a big kiss and hug your way too! Happy Birthday!

Nana's Visit

Here's Nana and me in our Easter clothes just before church. Nana got to stay for 10 whole days, we had so much fun! I discovered that one of my favorite special things that Nana does better than anyone else is "tickles" or goosebumps. She has just the right fingernails and I can't get enough.



We also had a great time playing dress up with some high heel shoes that friend Carla gave me. I feel like such a big girl when I wear them. I'm truely a girl, there's no doubt, I even say, "oh cute!" when I try on new clothes.




And of course, our time together wouldn't be complete without drinking lots of milk while cuddling on Nana's lap, I'm a milk-aholic after all. I sure do love my Nana and I can't wait to see her in August when "baby Chloe" is born. Thanks for the visit Nana, I love and miss you so much!

20 week belly!

Okay, so I got brave and decided to let you all see my bare belly. I hope it doesn't offend. As you can see, little Chloe is growing every day in there. I can't believe we're already at the halfway mark, the time is really flying! So many big changes on the horizon. First moving into our new home, then becoming a family of four. We covet your prayers with all these big transitions/blessings.

Love, Sarah

Our new house is growing!

Here we are, standing on our new front porch in front of our new front door! The rest of the pictures are pretty self explanitory. Everything is looking great and we're still on track to close mid to late June. Thanks for sharing in our excitment, we'll keep you all posted.

Love, Sarah

We're having a GIRL!

Well, this picture is pretty clear. Two legs, a bum and dark space between those legs. Our ultrasound tec had no doubts that that we are adding a new little princess to our household! We are absolutely thrilled! I've always wanted Emma to have a sister close to her in age. I have loved growing into a best friendship with my sister Amber and I will be praying the same for my little daughters. We've already decided on a name: Chloe Paige. Travis is hoping for a boy at some point, but He knows that God's design is perfect and that he was meant to be these little girl's father. The picture after the gender picture is a 3D shot of little Chloe's face with a few fingers up by her nose. Those 3D ultrasounds are so amazing! The next one is a 3D profile of her with her little mouth open, probably swallowing some amniotic fluid. My mom and Travis both think they see my profile in her, we'll see. After having a little Travis clone, it's hard to picture us with any other combo of genes. God is amazing in the way He knits us together. Now we're just so excited to meet this little angel. The next picture is a 2D picture of Chloe's profile. The one after thatis a rather skeletal picture of her face. It's amazing how much better those 3D ultrasounds can capture what the baby looks like. These final two pictures show Chloe's little fist and thumb, the tec said it was a thumbs down to dad, "no, I'm not a boy!" and then the bottom of her little foot. Little Chloe is a picture of health according the the doctor who also checked things out. I was impressed with how thorough this exam was. We feel so blessed, that's the best way I can describe it. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17. We love you all and look forward to all your latest updates as well. Thank you for letting us share our journeys and experiences with you through this blog.

Sarah

Courtney Davis went home to be with Jesus on April 2nd at 7:00pm. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for the Davis family with us. It's so hard to understand why the Lord lets the life of a child end, but one thing we know is that little Courtney's life, though short, had such great purpose. Our God is sovereign and nothing happens outside of His will. Her story has touched so many lives, including mine, and changed them forever. I cannot fathom what this family is going through right now, but it's so good to know that the Lord carries us through the things we cannot bear and gives us peace when having peace does not make sense. How anyone goes through any of life's challenges without the Lord is beyond me! When I reflect on the lessons I've learned through sharing in the Davis's pain and struggle and watching their amazing faith, the key point that stands out is that we are all like Courtney. Our lives are all but a breath on the timeline of eternity. We haven't been promised a certain number of years on this earth and we haven't been promised that there would be no pain or suffering. In fact, it's the one thing we know for sure, living in a fallen world. But what does this fact mean in our lives? It means, we should not waste a single moment living for momentary pleasures or self-centered pity, but rather, we should live our lives in joyful service of the Savior of our souls, drawing closer to Him with each passing day! For it is with Him that we will spend eternity, if we have accepted Him as our Savior. He has called us into a personal, daily, life-altering relationship with Him. That is where we find salvation, that is where we find fulfillment, and that is the ONLY place we find our eternal purpose. What else have I learned? That every blessing, one of the greatest of which is our children, comes from our Father in heaven. We should relish every moment we have with them, recognizing that they are not ours, they are the Lord's. We have been entrusted with their care and raising, what a tremendous gift and responsiblity! But they are not ours, they are in far better hands. So I must pray for my children, love them, guide them, teach them, and live my life as a living example of what it means to abide in Christ. But the hardest part is, I must lay them at His feet, recognizing that His plans for them may not be mine, and His plans might tear my heart in two, but He is worthy of my complete trust. Please continue to pray for the Davis family, the hard days ahead of them. The body of Christ is an astounding family that I'm so glad to be a part of. If you do not know the joy of knowing Christ, it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will soften your heart to the truth through Courtney's story and other stories of His love.

Amen