Words from my father

So I wanted to share this beautiful email that my father sent me yesterday. I have reread it a few times now...God is so good and he knows all that is meant to be.
I love you so much dad and your words as well as your co-workers have blessed me a million times over. Thank you.Oh my sister has Down Syndrome and just turned 17; you'll understand that as you read this.



Hannah,

I hope this will encourage you.You are a princess in my eyes, just like your e-mail address says. You are My first born.
Your name in Hebrew means grace or prayer. The same as the Hannah of the bible, recorded in 1Samuel chapter one.
Her name means grace or prayer; and in the margin of my bible it reads ... Hannah " the ideal mother. " In bible times
names where important they were held in high regard. Ones name spoke of, and/or portrayed character, value,worth.
I want you to know. That when it came to choosing names for all you kids. Your mother an I would give the names we
picked, to God in our prayers. I then would ask the Lord which name HE wanted for each of you. And I would ask
Him, to cause your mom and I to be in agreement with each other on the name. I'm so proud of you, I love you and Jacob and little Isabelle. I also love the little baby in your womb.
While I was at work on a Monday at break-time, I was talking with a female letter carrier her name is Alfredia. We call her Freeda. Her desk is right next to mine. Her and her husband are both born again. They have visited our church a couple of times. I was sharing with her the situation of your little one. I asked her if they would be in prayer for you and baby. While I was explaining this to her tears began to run down her face. She said to me it was no accident that we named you Hannah, she immediately thought of the Hannah in the bible. She also reminded me of Hannah's' prayer, in I Sam.10:10-11. You can read it on your own... 1Sam.1:7-20. In the bible story Hannah was in the tabernacle and was answering Eli the high priest in verses 15-18. But most importantly is Eli's answer back to her in v-17... " Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant you your petitions"... This verse is what she was thinking of, as I was telling her. How you've been praying to God and seeking the Lord in all this. As Freeda heard of your prayers, and your faith toward God, that's when the tears started falling down her face. She wants you to know that God will answer your prayers. She asked me to share this with you. Just like the Hannah of the bible, her son did mighty things for God, the Lord has a plan for the baby in your womb. Expect God to use you and your child in great and mighty ways.
David in his brokenness and in humility, humbled by God through Nathan the prophet. David wrote in Psalm 51:17 "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. And v11& 12 , restore unto me the joy of my salvation.
Do you remember when your sister Heather was born? You and Josiah and Rachel were so excited and couldn't wait to see your brand new baby sister. You didn't understand why , when I told you kids you couldn't see your little sister right away. In the same way I didn't understand why, when the doctors and nurses tried to explain Heathers heart conditions to your mother and I. All I knew was, my little girl was born with a broken heart, and we didn't know at the time how long or how short or how severe her heart really was. I had to be strong for your mother as I was holding her hand. Seeing the tears running down her face, as they told your mother and I of all the possibilities of Heathers condition. I had to be strong for your kids. When I put you all to bed that night, I didn't know how to tell you, your sister had a a broken heart. I'll never forget how I had a burning bush experience with God that night.
After putting you kids to bed, I went into the front room and closed the door. The Lord spoke to me that night. Not with an audible voice, but to my heart and my mind. I remembered a scripture in Isaiah chapt. 6 where Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, in the year that King Uzziah died. I think I know how Isaiah might have felt. When he said "Woe is me! For I am undone; " I was Humpty Dumpty, my heart was broken in a million pieces, and God had to put me back together again. As I came undone, broken, and pleading with God for Heather to live and have a long life. It didn't matter if her heart was broken or not. As I wept before God, it was as if he picked me up into his lap and He held me as I fell apart. He spoke to my heart and assured me that Heather would live. That she would survive the heart surgeries. Heather was our miracle baby, and God had a plan for her. To this day I have never felt closer to God then that night, when He let me sit with Him and I felt the love of His arms holding me. I felt I just needed to share this with you. I hope that somehow this will encourage you.
Hannah,there's a song that you know by 10th Ave. North. It's called " By your side ". I would like for you to listen to it again. But, right before you listen to it. Clear your mind of everything. Then try to picture Jesus in your mind. Imagine His arms reaching out to you, and let it be as if His voice is singing to you. I love you Hannah so very much. We are praying for our little grand baby in your womb along with a great many of other dear saints. God bless you Hannah.
Dad

My dad and his first grandbaby :)Our Isabelle.

Little miss Princess

All right, do you want to be let in on a little secret?
Isabelle is princess of her domain. Let me tell ya...my sweet little girl has been letting us know that she knows exactly what is going on and yet is quick to pretend not to know a thing. 2 year olds, they are their own breed.







It starts out with little things like watching a movie. Oh and we thought it was so cool she actually was sitting through a movie and not getting up every 5 minutes. Wrong-O Mom n Dad. This movie watching is now an obsession. She picks a movie and will want to watch that movie 2-3 times a day if allowed.So we have been giving up our nightly shows to watch Isabelle's Disney obsessions. Then during the movie if we ask her to do something or not to do something, well sorry, she acts as if you don't exist. Nice huh? So we'll do little tricks since we know she's ignoring us. "Isabelle do you want a Popsicle?" And how do you think princess Isabelle reacts, oh yea, she heard that question.
She has also learned she has her own house. She knows when we are coming back home from running errands, walk, park, etc. "Look mom Isabelle's house." "Yes sweaty that's our house!" In preparation of going home to Wisconsin for the remainder of my pregnancy I have been asking/telling Isabelle we are going to live with grandma Olivia and Papa Chuck and see grandma Kim and Jim too; this doesn't sit well with our daughter. She will literally start crying saying no, no. "Isabelle stay home, Isabelle's house don't go." I try explain grandma's house has a pool and she can see her aunt's and uncles, that grandpa will let play out side with you in their big back yard and give you as much goldfish and num num's as she wants. Her reaction is louder crying and simply not wanting to leave her house. Oh Isabelle, what is going on in that head of yours? Personally, we think it's pretty funny and know she'll come around once we are up there (I think.)
Isabelle will tell me "what the heck mom, gosh" when she isn't allowed a snack, or has to leave the park. Excuse me!
She also has not given up calling Jake, Jake. She stopped calling me Hannah a while back, but not Dad. How awkward to be at the store with mom and 'Jake', oh hi people this is just my boyfriend, not Isabelle's baby daddy or my husband! She'll say things like "oh Jake your silly" when he makes her laugh...I mean give me a break child of mine! I am telling you, 2 year olds are on a whole other level.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

Wordless Wednesday

Patiently Waiting

Since the news of our baby's diagnosis I feel even more anxious to meet our bundle of joy. Part of it is not looking forward to labor, and just getting it over with. Another is just wanting the surgery/nicu stay to be done and have our baby home, and the other part just wanting to be home in Tx getting into a grove. With thinking of those few things comes all the stuff before it that can easily put me into a state of depression. I am have been praying daily for the Lord's strength and joy to keep enduring. I hear so many positive stories and that helps leaps and bounds.
However, being the OCD freak that I am is still not helping. I keep thinking of how different it's going to be to live at home for 2 months plus(should I able to deliver in WI.)
Ya'lI I moved out at 18 and went back for a few months at the age of 20 when I got out of basic training...so it's been a while. Oh mom and dad I love you to death but you know how it is to sleep in your own bed, drink out of your favorite cup of coffee and shower with your shampoo and conditioner. Double snap, all these negatives need to be erased and I need to thank God for his plan of taking care of me and my baby. I was watching Joyce Meyer's this morning and she was talking about how selfish we as humans and Christians can be. So I am taking that selfish attitude and checking it, trying to check it at the door. I mean really, are those 'things' going to get me feeling sorry for myself? Positive note: I (we) get to eat all my mommy's yummy home made meals, be at the dinner table again with my little brother and sisters, Isabelle gets to enjoy a Midwest summer, maybe a trip to the WI Dells, State Fair Park and all it's glory, church on Sundays, all delightful.
So poof, be gone...I am thinking positive. It doesn't help waiting on Dr's and insurance to be told what our next step is. Can we just get it done now please? I don't want to keep driving down town and waiting 45 minutes to get an ultra sound or see the Dr.
Nope, life doesn't work that way.
You think Isabelle wants to trade spots with me? Maybe I can run around in my pj's all morning and eat my yogurt with my fingers? Ha, that'd be to easy.
Instead I am now training my mind to think of how much my little girl is going to be loved on by her family this summer. (Lord willing we get up to WI.) That she'll enjoy wagon rides to the park, learn goofy things from her uncle and aunts. Help her grandma's cook in the kitchen and squish the ant hills outside. All the fun things a 2 year old should be doing; which she doesn't always get to do (w/ the fam) being that we are so far away.

God is good and he's providing for us in each and every step of this journey we are on. Can I get an AMEN?
Praying for more answers at our Dr appointments today and am excited for yet another ultrasound of our sweet, sweet baby.

Here are some pics from last summer on our family vacation.





she got to see lots of frogs last summer. :)



helpin great grandma put her shoes on, and then wearing them herself.

Happy Thursday

Daddy's little helper.


Super tent.


'Feeding her baby' she says (A lil Kix cereal never hurt, right?)


Riding in style.


She was ready to run errands.


Daddy's little girl.

'IZ-ems'

A new list of words (from Isabelle) that is sure to make you laugh :)

ah-lishis!!! = Delicious (My favorite word, always said with such enthusiasm)
disgus-ah-ning = Disgusting
pong-ob = Spongebob
'What the' = this phrase is said way too much. enough said.
peas = please
light-a-min = vitamin (she asks for her lightamin's every day, 10 X's a day!)
ah-pposite = applesauce
welcome = your welcome
mote-ah-cycle = motorcycle
seepy = sleepy
rocking roll = rock n roll (courtesy of aunty Sara)
laxing = relaxing ("mom lax!" is what I get told during movie time)
are-lee web = Charlotte's Web
toe white = Snow White
und-ee wear = underwear
handy manny = handy mandy
cook-en-ing = cooking
gate-er-gade = Gatorade (Jake's favorite)

Over all, Isabelle has very good pronunciation. I am thankful she can say her r's and s's...or doesn't talk with a lisp. It seems at this age half of her words or phrases are her own slang. Sure is funny hearing her say some of it, pretty soon all these 'IZ-ems' will fade away and she'll be teaching her little brother or sister how to say these words.

Don't grow too fast sweet Isabelle!

Enjoy your weekend Ya'll!

Puprle Bubble Baths

Don't you love colored bath water? (When it's NOT yellow!)