Angels in Blue Jeans!

Last year we went with some friends to chop down our own

Christmas Tree up in the mountains. It was so fun,

and went so well that we decided to make a Tradition out of it.

This year did NOT "go so well!"

We got stuck in a snow bank, on an unplowed narrow mountain road

because a truck came around the corner trying to pass us!

The driver of said truck left us stranded in our kid-filled van,

out of cell phone range because he didn't have a chain!

I'm not going to lie to you, we were worried.

The phrase "up a creek without a paddle"really

started to make sense to me, but barely 5 minutes passed

until these two men showed up!

These guys hooked us up and pulled us out like they had done it

1000 times, and come to find out, they have done it a ton of times.

Thank heaven for good Samaritans!

What would we have done without them?
I wish I had the sense to get their address instead of their picture,

but I didn't so I'm thanking them on my blog,

which they will never even see.

That still counts doesn't it?

So here is the tree we almost slid off a 15 foot ledge for.

-undecorated-

-decorated-

So my thanksgiving note is...

I'm thankful that we didn't fall off the 15 foot ledge,

and I'm thankful for Angels in Blue Jeans!!!

Little Layla.

I can't tell you how much fun she is...

But I'll try!

She is a girlie girl, who obviously

loves to pose for the camera,

But did you know she likes to make up stuff?

Her nursery leader in church tells me cute little stories

about her all the time.
This week she was wearing this black flower

with a great big jewel in the center that I had made for her,

(it's the one that is currently in the Sunday Morning Snapshots)

so her teacher asked,

Teacher- "That is a darling little flower Layla.

Did your Mommy make it for you?"

Layla- "Um... no, she borrowed it from the flower shop!"

Too cute!
Another day when my other friend was taking care of Lays for me,

Layla walked in the house and began to point out everything she

was wearing, saying that a different person had given her

each item. She didn't get one thing right, but she tells her

tales with such conviction it kills me!

You know,

Layla-" Do you like my bracelet? My Auntie Jacklyn

gave it too me!"

She doesn't just make up tales for clothes either.

The other day Lisa my sister in law was taking care of the kids,

and she was asking them what letter their names started with,

Lisa- "Jay, what does your name start with?"

Jay-" uh, uh, a J, J-a-y!"

Layla- " Mine starts with an L, L-a-y!"

Lisa- "Do you guys know what your last name starts with?"

(I have not taught them this one yet, so...)

Layla- "Platypus!"

I think Layla's motto is,

"WHEN IN DOUBT, SHOUT STUFF OUT!"

Speaking of shouting stuff out.

I was fixing one of her little hooks the other day, while

I was talking on the phone to my cousin Jade so I wasn't

paying attention to what Layla was saying,

but when I finally tuned her in I heard...

Layla- "Oh, thank you Mommy! Thank you! I love it!

I'm so lucky!"

Then she gave me a huge hug and kiss!

What a heart melter that kid is.

She wishes she had a SISTER, but when she talks about it

I remind her that we can be, if she wants, and she likes that.

She always calls me her BEST FRIEND, and I like that!

p.s. When we play games she makes me talk

"like a princess," if I forget she'll say,

"Mother you aren't talking like

a princess Mother."

That is the only time she ever says "Mother."

You know cause princesses are all proper,

and speak with a high English accent right?

Actually, I think I can blame Tom

for making her think that.

He always talks with an English accent

when they have Tea Parties!

This weekend!! Good times!

This Friday my friend Marie celebrated her

2_Th Birthday!

So we went out for awesome food with our

husbands. These guys have known each other since

before they were in kindergarten and somehow managed to

marry girls who think and act a lot alike!

Lots of people ask us if we're sisters, so I always say..

"we pretty much are, I'd give her a kidney!"

This Saturday I was asked by my friend Jen to pick her up

at the Airport because she went on an extremely long

day and a half trip.

When I was telling Staci I had to pick Jen

up we got the inspiration to act like she had been gone

forever out of the good Ole U.S.of A!

So we made a big ugly poster, wrangled up a flag, and

got ready to cheer as loud as possible!

We thought she might think we were too nerdy, but...

as you can see she loved it!

There's just something so fun about following through

on lame ideas.

A year ago today

A year ago today Tom and I went to the

ultrasound that changed our lives. When we were told

our little baby has Spina Bifida we were devastated.

No one wants these things to happen.
I'm writing this post today to talk about what I have learned.

I've learned the old adage, "time heals all wounds," is a good one.

When the Doctor told us about Henry she was very negative.

She said the brain didn't form properly,

the skull didn't form properly, the spine didn't form properly,

and that we "had options."

She said it like it would be cruel to keep him!

It was overwhelming to hear,

and see that so many things had gone wrong.

What if we had listened to her?

It isn't easy to face terrifying situations,

when you are terrified!

I don't think people who decide to end their pregnancies

understand what they are giving up.

A year ago today I didn't,

I was crying myself to sleep at 1:00 in

the afternoon feeling like my poor little baby was broken.

A year ago today Tom and I were wishing this hadn't happened.

But we believe that God knows what he is doing.

So we dealt with the news by fasting, praying,

and trying to accept the worst, and hope for the best.

This enabled us to let "Time" do it's thing,

but we still had ups and downs.

One particularily bad day I was worrying about

all the things that could go wrong, and praying for something

happy to focus on. That is the day my ultrasound Tech

asked me if I would be willing to use the 3-d machine because

she needed some practice!

I was speechless when my little guy's face came up on the screen.

It was exactly what I needed. What a blessing!
I was given a glimps of this...

once we held our little one nothing else mattered.

How could it? Look at this adoreable little man!

His body may not be perfect, but he is.

Sometimes God sends you an Angel.

3 months

7months

Henry is doing so well, he truly is a miracle kid

who continues to exceed the Doctors expectations.

A year ago is gone, "TIME" has healed our wounds, and

what was once the reason for our sorrow

is now our joy.

B-Ball not Football!

Logan had his first basketball game on Halloween.

It was a lot of fun watching him. He was so cute.

I am probably going to get in trouble for saying that

because he reads my blog and wasn't thrilled when

I put that video of him singing on, but he was way cute!

I could really see his personality seeping into his

"GAME"

I think people say "game", right?

He made a basket, and was a pretty good

defensive player.

It is so strange to me that some of these kids have

been playing for 3 years already!

What ever happened to playing outside after school?

Logan already has groupies, but I'm pretty sure

they thought they were going to the B.S.U. football game!

What a good sport!

This is actually one of Logan's good friends.

Aren't they cute?

Now don't we know how to pose for a great picture?

I actually had to grab Jay's coat to make him stay in the shot,

and as you can see, Tom and I weren't "shot" worthy!

First Words?

Good thing he's my fourth, or I just might have fell for it!