Category: family

Friday Praise & Prayers

Good morning…

This IS the day that the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.

{no, I’m not here right now, but isn’t this a beautiful way to start a morning}

What are you praising God for today?

I have been thinking a lot about those I know that are battling cancer and I am lifting those friends and family up in prayer today, for their healing and for their relationships with Christ to be deepened. 

We are showing our house this weekend and next. We are still waiting on the right buyer to come along so that we can make our move. So we are praying for this as well.

What are your prayers?

Will you lift them to God today?

May your weekend be a beautiful one.

Savoring the Moment

This weekend, Owen & Simon’s soccer games were over & it was our first Saturday morning we stayed in our pj’s until close to lunch time.

The kids built blocks for most of the morning.

Jason & I were wondering what we should be doing.

It is a new phase in our lives, where the kids play (most of the time) really well together.

It was a relaxing morning & a great time to sit back & savor the moment.

Family Pictures by Wes

                                                            

We had our family pictures taken by Wes (if you’re interested in having your own photo shoot with him, now is the time – he takes some great pics and the price is right).

The “Lulu Bears” are the ones we had made, out of Lulu’s blankets & clothes, for the kids last winter.

I will soon share some of my cousin’s fall family photos and how they chose to keep their son, John’s memory alive in their pictures.

 

 

Friday Praise & Prayers

“Accept each day just as it comes to you, remembering that I am sovereign over your life. Rejoice in this day that I have made, trusting that I am abundantly present in it. Instead of regretting or resenting the way things are, thank Me in all circumstances. Trust Me and don’t be fearful; thank Me and rest in my sovereignty.”

-Sarah Young “Jesus Calling”

What today, in your life are you rejoicing about?

Is it your littles that wear you out daily, but also make your heart swell so big?

Is it the BEAUTIFUL fall day that explodes with so much of His glory?

Is it Him and Him alone?

What are you praising God for today?

Take an extra minute of your day and say “thank you” to Him.

 I will do the same…

 

Savoring the moment

Dylan had a soccer game on Sunday & since the other kiddos & cousins were a bit bored with all the action we decided to take a walk around the soccer field.

We stopped part way for a little photo shoot.

And although in the moment, it was a little crazy…

Boo not wanting to share her seat with her cousin.

HJ getting his head stuck in the soccer net (I forgot to tell you that, Kelly, sorry – he was totally fine, just a little scared for about 30 seconds).

Simon & Owen fighting over the ball.

…it is a good moment, a good moment I am savoring.

Savoring the moment

I came across a blog that takes a picture to just capture a moment in their week, to slow down from life’s busyness.

I think it is a fabulous idea. 

This week has been a very busy one.

Today I want to savor a moment from our week & remind myself to always take time to slow down for the important things…

 

Birthday Weekend

We had such a difficult yet wonderful celebration for Lulu this past weekend.

Friday was a special day that we filled with new memories. We got to spend it with people who were with us when Lulu was born and even got to hear some of their memories of her. That was very special.

Saturday we blew our bubbles…

 

 

  

 and I made a strawberry pie – my first one… 

It was runny (we had to eat it with spoons) but it was delicious….

 

And something else that filled our hearts all weekend long were the cards, the visits, the emails, the texts, the phone calls,

the “thinking of you’s” – and the “praying for you’s”,

and the most helpful words to hear… the “she will not be forgotten’s”.

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

 

Tomorrow…

WE ARE GOING TO CELEBRATE LULU!

Tomorrow morning we are going to take trays full of treats (that our family & friends have been baking & putting together for us) around to the hospital, my doctor’s office and her pediatrician’s office – all the places Lulu was cared for while she was here. And then tomorrow after the boys get home from school, we are going to cater a meal to Dayton Children’s NICU and the Home Health Care. We want to say thank you.

My friend Susan, that I met at the Respite Retreat back in February, and her family catered a meal to their local NICU for their daughter, Lily’s birthday. I love the idea of celebrating and saying “thank you” at the same time. I will be thinking of you, Susan & your beautiful little girl as we head back to our NICU for the first time since bringing Lulu home.

I made up some thank you cards, to tie to the trays, with a photo of Lulu & a big “L” cut out of scrapbook paper to tie to the front with ribbon. I wanted something that could say the thank you I feel in my heart, just in case I cannot get the words out of my mouth.

I am believing that it will be a WONDERFUL day. I will choose to see the JOY in it. I will look for God’s PEACE throughout the entire day.

Family Photos

We’ve been planning our celebration for Lulu’s birthday. One way we are going to celebrate Lulu’s life each year is to have our family picture taken during her birthday week. The weekend after we got home from the NICU, Wes took family photos in our backyard. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were all together at home. We’ve wanted to do this as a family tradition for quite some time and think this will the perfect time to start.

Lulu’s Grace Race

We are working on our plans to celebrate Lulu’s birthday next week.

We’ve decided to wait on the race that we had originally planned on doing.

{This past summer was a lot harder for me than I imagined it would be.}

I still would like to have a race in honor of Lulu & to raise funds for the Trisomy Organization & Dayton Children’s, but that may be down the road a bit.

This year we’ve decided to have a different celebration for Lulu.

It almost feels like I’m planning a birthday party for her – and I like that feeling.

It will be a beautiful way for our family to remember her & I can’t wait to share more…

{This photo was taken 5 days after Lulu was born}

{Kelly had a photographer from “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep”  take family photos}

{She did an AMAZING job}