Christmas Blessings

May your Christmas be merry,

may your home be peaceful,

may your family be joyful

and may each one be blessed.

Merry Christmas from our home to your's!

Fall Fun!

Ready for church!

The Cowardly Lion has called it a night.

"Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!" Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion on Halloween.

A visit to the pumpkin patch

Childlike Faith

God amazes me at how he often chooses to reveal Himself in the simplest of ways. Several days ago, my morning devotion was on "Having Childlike Faith." It seems so easy, right? Having faith like a child. But have you ever stopped to explore the depth of what that really means?

One of the things I love most about my job as a teacher is that I am often reminded that children-although young in years-often have the wisest answers to life's most perplexing questions. I had casually mentioned to my students later that day that I had not adjusted to the time change yet. Well, this sparked a discussion as to "Why does the time change?" and then "How come the days have less daylight?" and eventually led to "Why are there different phases of the moon?" Of course, the whole time I'm trying to do my best to impart valuable textbook knowledge to my students that would make them so much smarter in life, but the best answer came from one of my students. After someone asked "How does the moon determine the tides of the ocean?" immediately he blurted out- "Because God created the universe and He can do anything. Don't you know that?" Wow, how could I top that answer? To a ten-year old, such a simple response, but instantaneously, I caught my mind beginning to over-analyze things and I stopped myself. Childlike faith? Sooo... this is what you mean, right God? As simple as that- believing without doubting that you can do anything because you are God. Trusting You wholeheartedly and obeying no matter what the situation. Not questioning the truth to your promises.

All throughout scripture, we see those who pleased God and did great things by simply trusting Him like a child. Some of them faced catastrophic circumstances, but they never questioned God's ways or plans. They simply loved, believed and obeyed Him.

It is only when we learn to trust God in spite of our situations that we can experience His goodness and mercy. May God's grace strengthen you to walk with Him in your life and may we always seek to have childlike faith.

In His Love.....

Addison turns the big O-N-E!

Addison turned one year old on October 13th. I can't believe one year can pass so quickly. Our lives have changed drastically in just one year and certainly for the better. Here are pictures from her first birthday party.Mommy, Daddy, and Addison celebrated her actual birthday with cupcakes from The Cupcake Mill in town. This was her first taste of frosting and cake, and I do believe she would have eaten every last morsel of it had I not taken it away from her in fear of it making her sick. This picture says it all!

Thanks to all of you who took part in her celebration. Our daughter is so blessed to have so many loving people in her life.

Catching Up

It seems like just yesterday, we were rushing to the hospital in Gainesville in the middle of the night to welcome our little girl into the world. The past year has been a whirlwind of heartwarming memories as we have watched our precious little miracle blossom into a little lady. We know we are so undeserving of such a beautiful gift, and we thank God every day for choosing us to be her parents. Here are a few recent pics...

Bittersweet Good-byes

As you've probably noticed, I've been MIA the past few months. Since returning back to work, my days seem incredibly shorter. By the time I arrive home in the afternoons I'm too exhausted to even think about blogging. To make up for lost time, I've decided the best way is to include everything in a series of posts. So... stay tuned.

Since my last post, there has been lots happening in our household. My little sister, Anna, who is studying in Germany, was home for 2 months on break. Addison enjoyed getting to know her Auntie Anna better and I was happy to have another babysitter to help me out. Thanks for all the help, Anna. We hope you are able to visit again soon!

Sadly, another goodbye we said was to my Grandma Edith, who passed on Sept. 27th. We knew it would happen eventually, but I don't think anyone is ever really "ready" to see a loved-one pass from this world. However, this woman was as much of a saint as St. Peter himself, so I know without a doubt, she's up in heaven right now holding my little Landon tight. There are so many things that stand out in my mind about my Grandma, mainly her quiet, gentle spirit and her ability to crack a joke even at the ripe old age of 89.

She was a blessing to anyone that was fortunate enough to know her and I'm so thankful that Addison was able to spend time with her great-grandmother over the past year. She was the epitomy of what a servant of Christ should be and she radiated God's love throughout every aspect of her life. She truly was a woman after God's own heart. She will be greatly missed, but we are already experiencing the amazing legacy she has left behind through the testimonies of those whose lives she touched during her 89 years on this earth.

In His Love...

9 months and Summer time!

The dog days of summer are fast upon us and aside from the miserable, intense heat that us Floridians have to suffer from every year, summer time has been wonderful. We have enjoyed our mornings of sleeping in (8 a.m. is considered "sleeping in" for us) and lazy days without hectic schedules to keep. As I sit here savoring my morning cup of coffee, the rain is pelting my rooftop with the force of fifty drummers and the thunder is rattling my window panes. My little girl is snoozing in my lap. Ahhhh...summer time. I only have two more weeks left at home with my little girl and I've been trying not to think about going back to work. Here are a few pics from our summer:

9 months: 1 tooth, crawling too fast for mommy to keep up and pulling up on my own


Hanging out with daddy on the hammock


Playing Peekaboo in the clothes hamper



4th of July

How to help a friend in grief

I've been working on this post for quite some time now. I have struggled with the right words out of fear that I would offend someone, but finally decided that if someone could benefit from this, then I needed to write it. It's been a while since I have written anything on the topic of grief or losing my son. I think it is partly because I just haven't felt "inspired" as of late. Sometimes God lays something on my heart and I feel the need to express it and then I experience moments of lull when the words do not flow as easily and my thoughts are shallow and not worth mentioning on a blog post. However, it seems like lately I have had several conversations with people about grief so I thought it was time I post this. Disclaimer: I am not a professional grief counselor. This is merely based on my own journey with grief after losing a child.
How to help a friend who is grieving:

1. Be very careful and selective with what you say. It's not always wise to try and impart words of wisdom on someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one. We don't want to hear "They are in a better place" or "God needed another angel" or "You are still young and you can always have more children." We cannot replace a child by having another one, nor do we even want to think about trying to have more children when we are still mourning our first one. If and when we do finally decide to try for more children, we often struggle with the guilt that comes because we fear that people will think that we are trying to replace our lost child. Sometimes the best thing to say is "I don't know why it happened, but I know that you are hurting and I am praying for you."

2. Listen supportively and endlessly. Sometimes we might just need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to us talk about our loved one. It doesn't mean that you have to have some profound words of wisdom ready to offer. Sometimes it's best not to say anything at all but simply just listen. I was very blessed to have close friends who really seemed to understand this. They never tried to change the subject or interrupt me with advice. They just listened to me talk about my son and often cried along with me. It probably even made them a little uncomfortable but they never showed it.

3. Don't put a timetable on grief. A few people actually told me shortly after my loss "You're going to have to learn to put this past you and move on." I realize they were only trying to help me feel better but that was the last thing I needed to hear. Hearing this only made me think to myself "That's easy for you to say because it wasn't your child that just died." Closure doesn't come in a few weeks or months. Grief is not an illness or a disappointment from which one recovers. It is a deep wound that must heal slowly. Unless you are a certified counselor and you have experience in helping people deal with grief, the best thing you can say to someone struggling with grief is "I love you and I'm praying for you."

4. Everyone grieves differently. It helped me to talk to close friends and family about the events surrounding Landon's death and also to talk about the memories I had of him. On the other hand, my husband avoided the subject with others entirely. I will say don't try to force someone to talk about it if they don't want to. When they are ready, they will talk.

5. Grief is unpredictable. I remember my grief seemed to come in waves. One day I might be feeling just fine and the next day I might be a basket-case. I recall a particular time when I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and there was a baby in the cart behind me. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I hurriedly paid for my groceries. Everyone was staring at me with questionable looks and all I could think was "God, please make the pain go away!"

6. The pain that comes with losing a child, regardless of their age, will be just as much as losing someone who had lived a long, full life. Losing a child, infant, or having a miscarriage is still a very painful and traumatic experience. Landon's life was very short- 6 days- and I miscarried our second child after only 13 weeks into my pregnancy. Just because our babies' lives were cut short doesn't mean that our grief was any less than someone who loses a spouse, parent, etc. It might just be a very different kind of pain. We mourn for the years that we will not have with our children and the chance at memories that would have been made.

7. Losing a loved one often makes us question our spiritual beliefs. This doesn't mean that you have to cram scripture down your friend's throat. It just means to be ready in case your friend comes to you with questions like "Why would God do this?" or "I thought God loved me."

Again, I am only speaking from my own experiences with grief and hope that this is beneficial for someone who is helping a friend in their time of need.

In His Love...

Baby Maxwell Update

I'm happy to report that baby Maxwell arrived safe and sound on Thursday. Mom and baby are resting at home now. Thanks for lifting up this special family in your prayers.

Prayer Request

Please pray for a special friend, Jill, who is having a scheduled C-section today to deliver her baby boy, Maxwell. I know she will appreciate the prayers as she faces anxiety over this delivery. Jill gave birth to a precious baby girl, Lola, 3(?) yrs. ago but unfortunately, Lola was deemed "incompatible with life" and was taken to be with the Lord. Praying that God will deliver a healthy baby and that the delivery will go smoothly.

In His Love...

8 months

I love books... good thing since my mommy is a teacher. Aside from "reading" the books, I really like trying to eat them. Who knew books were so tasty!

Cruisin' with the top down (although, my gears seem to be stuck in reverse). I haven't quite figured out how to push forward yet, but backwards...I'm a speed demon. I've also mastered the art of crawling backwards. I LOVE music and occasionally get the urge to hit the high notes. Taylor Swift is currently one of my favorites on my playlist. There's just something about her voice that catches my attention and my eyes get wide when I hear her singing. Dancing is also becoming one of my favorite pastimes. Bouncing up and down is my signature move right now.

Now that mommy is out for summer break, we're spending lots of time together. I keep her on her toes now that I'm becoming "Miss Independent".

7 months

Yes, I know..these pictures are over a month late. Addison turned 7 months old in May. The end of the school year is always a busy time for me, so my blogging has been on the backburner for quite some time. Now that summer is officially here, I'll have more free time so I can keep updating pictures. Thanks for stopping by :)

Trust

As a teacher, I often read novels to my students. It usually takes us several weeks to finish a book because we read a little of it each day. The other day, we were just getting into one of the more intense scenes of our book when we had to stop due to lunch time. They were sourly disapointed we had to stop, but I promised them we would continue reading the next day. One of my students raised her hand and asked me "Can't you just tell us what happens at the end? I can't take the suspense any longer!" I laughed at her request and told her "but that would ruin the rest of the story. The best part of the story isn't always the ending. It's all the pages in between that make it so good. Trust me," I told her "You'll be glad you didn't skip to the end."

Later that night as I sat reading in bed, I reflected on our conversation. So many times, I have been like this little girl, wondering how the story ends. In times of agony or in moments of decision-making, I have often pleaded with God to just show me how it all turns out....to just take the guess-work out of the uncertainty of the unknown and make it all clear to me. Now I am beginning to realize that if He had answered my pleas, then what reason would I have had to trust Him if I already knew the ending?
As difficult as it is to do sometimes, part of our responsibilities as a follower of Christ is to merely trust Him. Trust Him when we receive a dreaded diagnosis. Trust Him when we lose our job. Trust Him when death claims a loved one. Trust Him when a spouse walks out on a marriage. Trust Him when we have been hurt by someone. Why should we trust Him? Because He commands us to and because of who He is. He has shown us He is worthy of our trust through His unyielding faithfulness, even when we are not. He is almighty and all-powerful, yet merciful and compassionate. We may falter, but He is forever steadfast. He is the rock that breaks the crashing waves. He is the safe harbor in the midst of a mighty tempest. We may not always like what He brings our way, but through it all we are asked to trust Him. He is a God so powerful and so wise that He does things that are beyond our comprehension. However, it is all done to fulfill His purposes in ways that will ultimately benefit us and bring glory to His name.
As I sit here typing this post on the eve of my son's second birthday, I admit that this post is more of a reminder to myself. At times, I still struggle with living out the rest of my story without knowing what lies ahead on the pages that have yet to be turned. I wrestle with trusting God when I look at the pictures of Landon hanging on my walls and think about the fact that Addison will grow up without her big brother.
This morning, my devotion came from the book of Luke 12:48
"...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."
Without a doubt, I know that God has abundantly blessed my life. Through all the tears, and all the moments of uncertainty, He has graciously bestowed His mercy and grace upon me. For this, I also know that He expects much from me. Giving Him my trust is one way I can fulfill this debt.
Tomorrow, we will visit Landon's grave and take him flowers and balloons just as we did last year. We will pray over him and shed a few tears I am sure; but, this year it will be done with a renewed sense of joy. Joy that comes from knowing that because the tomb of Christ is empty, so is our son's grave. This is the poem I wrote that is inscribed on his tombstone.
Our precious angel so small and pure,
safe in our Father's arms we are sure,
Forever in our hearts you'll stay,
until we meet again one day.
-Mommy & Daddy

TRUST......a simple 5-letter word that carries so much meaning. May we always trust that God knows the ending to our story and that He will be with us as we live out the pages in between.

In His Love...

Happy Easter!

"...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness- by whose stripes you were healed."
1 Peter 2:24

May the empty tomb of Christ be a lasting reminder of God's love for us.

Happy 6 Months, Addison!

She really wanted that cupcake. Poor thing....she looked so pitiful when I took it away from her.

April...already?

I'm a month behind on pictures. Tomorrow, Addison will be 6 months old! It's almost unfathomable to think how fast time is flying by. Although it has been torture for me to be away from her while I'm at work, I couldn't ask for better babysitters. My mom graciously gives up her days off from work to watch her and Mrs. Fran keeps her the other days.It's such a relief to know I'm leaving her in excellent hands and I'm so thankful that God has provided these two wonderful people to help care for my child.

God has certainly blessed us with such a precious gift. Every time I look at her, I can't help but give gratitude to our Creator for answering our prayers. I also can't help but wonder how different things would be if Landon were still here with us. Last week, we were in Gainesville for Addison's 6 month check-up and after her appointment, we decided to do a little shopping. As I was browsing the aisles at one of my favorite stores, a little brunette, blue-eyed toddler came charging around the corner, laughing and giggling as he attempted to outrun his mother who was close on his heels. "Landon, you better get back here!" His mother called after him. That's when my heart felt a sudden jolt. Anytime I hear my son's name, it always takes me back to a place that seems so far away.Landon's birthday is this month. He would be turning two.

When I was pregnant with Addison, I was often asked, "Is this your first child?" I never really knew how to respond. If I answered "No",then the next question was usually "How old is your first one?" The questions would continue until I would eventually have to let the cat out of the bag that my son was in heaven. Immediately, I would become the elephant in the room and the person wouldn't know what to say after that. It didn't take me long to learn that the mention of death seems to make most people awkwardly uncomfortable. However, if I lied and said that it was my first child, then I felt guilty as if I was denying that my son ever existed. Crazy.... I know, but grief has a way of making situations complicated.

In His Love....

Look at me now...

Mommy has been really busy since returning to work full-time in January and she hasn't been very committed to updating her blog. But don't worry, I'm doing fantastic! I'm growing like a weed and everyone tells me I've got quite the personality. I think it's safe to say that I've got everyone wrapped around my little pinky. With a face like mine, who can't help falling in love with me? :)

Clearwater Friends

A few weekends ago, we made a trip down to Clearwater. Some of our close friends hosted a baby shower for Addison. It was such a wonderful time to reconnect with old friends. Thanks to Wendy and Ashlei for all the hard work you put into making it such a special time for us and thanks to everyone who attended!