Category: Blog

Hello 3rd Trimester….Oh, how I thought you would never come. 27 weeks deep and we are alive! Woohoo. This last week was a bad one, but other than that, I have to say we have been blessed with a great pregnancy. The baby/ me-who takes ownership of this anyway? has single umbilical artery which was good reminder that healthy pregnancies are a gift. Most of these cases are fine, a few end up delivering early due to growth issues which I believe we will be doing anyway.

To answer the question of the hour: YES, we are planning to do permanent sterilization. A LOT of people seem very interested in the future olympics of our reproductive parts. Sadly, shop is closed. While I would love another and then probably another, I believe we need to be good stewards of what we have been given. And I don’t think I, as a mom, could give much more of my health away. This pregnancy was a huge surprise. And scary in many ways if I am being honest. We are still praying about exactly what to do, because it is hard to say in one breath, I trust you God with everything, but not with this. I still struggle with whether or not it is a sin issue on my behalf of wanting to control things, or if we are in fact being good stewards by preventing….it is hard. It is a hard thing to make a final call on when we both want to seek God’s will and haven’t been given a total peace with it all. We both feel like this last week was more than we could handle, or pass off to someone should I have to go through another surgery/ hospital visit/ chronic headache. So there it is.

Lastly, thank you to all of you who have been praying for me this last week. God has given me relief, so huge praise. Huge praise for our wonderful parents who drop EVERYTHING to care for us. We are blessed blessed blessed, and thankful, thankful, thankful. There are so many prayer requests that I am consumed with-it just seems as though it all comes at once. We have so many hurting friends, and we hurt with you. My heart is heavy. I love you sweet friends.

So, as you all might have noticed, I have had been an absentee blogger/ friend. It’s been an interesting last 4 months. I didn’t know quite how to say what we went through/ are going through.  I DO have a lot to say, (obviously), about what I will share below, and maybe that will help lead me to indulge you in what has been going on the last 4 months.

This last year, God graciously gave us another trial. A chance to trust Him alone, a chance to share His good news and through this we can celebrate my mothers salvation and Chad’s grandmother’s salvation. I was diagnosed with a softball sized brain tumor one month after our 3rd child was born. Through this we have learned the kindness and mercy of our GOOD God. All about Gods hands and feet. What true servanthood is. Can I share how God redeemed the trials of this past year and  covered us with His love?  (Warning, this is a 4th degree ramble.)

We are/ have been/ continue to be blessed by family, friends, and a wonderful church who we love more than anything. As of today, we have zero medical expenses and a 100% identical MRI to my July baseline-No re-growth!! There is still tumor, but only a fraction of what we were working with back in Feb. God has given us His perfect promised peace. It truly does surpass ALL understanding. My husband and I love eachother in much more unexplainable way. We are closer and our marriage is tighter. We were granted disability this whole past year. Lord knows I was/ am legit:) Formula was provided to us by our very loving parents! (and friends)! I have recovered from both surgeries with my health and little less brain, but y’all still love me, rigggghhht?? I have a humbling hair situation. 😉 Good thing they make hats. My friendships have grown in ways I never could have imagined. My friends feel more like sisters, what a wonderful gift. The encouragement is unending. STILL people email/ FB me and tell me they are praying for me, sending me scripture, or they have a similar story and it is such a great chance to remember how good our God is. and to share the good news! God had already redeemed the trial tenfold, but must have thought we needed one more surprise and blessing (all in one) in 2012: We are expecting a baby. In May/June we will, Lord willing, be bringing home our 4th child. This is another opportunity to trust our sovereign, all knowing God. We resolve to trust that what was so far out of our will, is within His.  This is not a look-at-me, “bump ahead”, aren’t we blessed?! announcement. This is a humble, cautiously excited, reveal of where we are. I am doing well, baby is well, prayers are always appreciated. God’s mercy in gifting us a pregnancy along with ZERO growth of the tumor is incomprehensible. Thank you loving friends for letting us share. Thank you for your love support and tangible displays of love this past year. We are grateful beyond our ability to express!