Monday, April 30, 2012

Three years

April 30th will forever hold so many emotions.  It is Ashlyn's birthday and also a day that changed us.  It is date that is so significant that it is impossible to just breeze through it without remembering.  Remembering all that happened that day, because that day changed your life.

Troy had to be away today at an annual meeting for pastors.  The meeting actually started last night but he drove back last night just so he could be here in the morning to see Ashlyn.  He knew he would have to be away all day but just couldn't bare not seeing her on her birthday.  When we woke up this morning, we were laying in bed before the girls were awake and talking about all this day means.  I had already cried the night before and felt the emotions again as soon as I woke up.  Not bad tears, just tears of the anniversary of a life changing day.  As we laid in bed we talked about how on the morning of April 30th three years ago we didn't know that we would be meeting our second daughter that day or that later that night we would be huddled together in a little hospital bed, holding onto each other wondering what was going on.  As we sat in bed this morning Troy kept saying, "God has been so faithful to us."  He has been so faithful.  I think that is also a big part of the emotions.....remembering that day three years ago and the intense grief that followed it compared to the joy of today.  Remembering that three years ago I was handed something I thought I would never be able to handle compared to the feeling of being so thankful for this precious child given to us.  It is a full circle feeling....that is what so much of today was.

Happy Birthday morning to our precious girl

Morning cuddles with the man of her life.  The man who had to see her today.

Last night as the emotions of today were beginning to hit me and as I began thinking back to all that April 30th three years ago held, I remembered my lunch plans on April 30, 2009.  My friend, Tracy, and I were supposed to get together at Chick Fil A for lunch that day.  The only thing was that I was starting to have contractions but nothing too bad at that point.  I called her and told her what was going on and we decided I should stay home and rest, having no idea what the next hours of my life held. 

Tracy and I met soon after our family moved to Lafayette.  We met at a local MOPS group.  I decided to go to MOPS to try to meet some moms my age and to help with the lonliness that can come with moving to a brand new town.  It just so happened that God had planned for Tracy and I to be assigned to the same table and sit right by each other.  We exchanged phone numbers and the next day she called and invited me over to her house for a play date.  From the very beginning, it was easy.  It was just friendship in its truest form.  When Ashlyn was born, we were only about nine months into living here and it felt so out of control for our world to be turned so upside down in a place that still felt new to me.  We had so many loving people come visit us and our church family was so gracious to us and held us up.  There were many times when I had Troy go visit with people outside of our room just because I was such a mess.  I couldn't stop crying.  My face was so swollen......a mixture of just giving birth swollen and unstoppable crying swollen.  I knew Tracy had tried to call me a couple of times and I never got the chance to call her back in between all of the craziness going on around us.  One day during our hospital stay Troy told me that Tracy was calling him to just see how I was and if she could come see me.  I immediately said yes....I really wanted her to come.  I knew I looked horrible....face all swollen, no makeup, bathrobe wrapped around me but I just needed to see my friend.  She had walked through my whole pregnancy with me.  As soon as I heard her knock on my door, I opened it and buried my head on her shoulder, sobbing.  I remember just blurting out to her, "How could God have let this happen?"  She held me and said, "I don't know.  But, I think He knew that you and Troy are the perfect parents for her."  And we just stood there and hugged as I cried.  I had no idea that when I walked into a MOPS group nine months earlier that God was placing in my life a friend that would walk with me through one of my darkest times.  Thank you, Tracy....I love you.

So, last night I sent her a text that said, "Hey, remember how on April 30 three years ago we were supposed to meet for lunch at Chick Fil A but couldn't because I was having contractions?  Well, do you want to go tomorrow to celebrate Ashlyn's birthday? And, this time I promise there will be no labor pains" :)  She texted me back and said of course!  So, today we sat at Chick Fil  A with our kids, three years later, and a friendship that I am so thankful for.

Happy to be at Chick Fil A for a birthday lunch

Ashlyn and Tracy....Ashlyn adores her

There is just something about looking back that makes you realize how full circle you have come.  Today on April 30, even the routine things were magnified as I remembered just how not routine they were three years ago.  As we sat at Kyla's gymnastics class tonight I was remembering how at that very time three years ago I was in full on labor, not knowing yet how much my world was about to change.  But, today we sat as Kyla tumbled around and I watched Ashlyn sing, run and wave to everyone in sight.  The shock wore off, the crying that I thought would never stop did and here we are three years later so thankful for what God has given us.

Me and Ashlyn.....April 30th just before 6:26 p.m., the time she was born

Happy Birthday to our three year old girl.....we will never be the same because of you and that is the best thing that could have ever happened to us.


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Wild Chilld

I have been calling Ashlyn a wild woman every since she first started moving around.  She is just wild....in a great way.  She keeps life really fun and we are always laughing.  How can you not when the first thing you see when you open her door in the morning is this......


That hair is honestly just an insight into her personality, which is why I started laughing as soon as I opened her door.  Best way to start your day....laughing.  And the laughter just keeps coming.  Sometime in the late afternoon Ashlyn figured out that she could take the shirt she had on today off all by herself.  She loves to pull her shirts up over her head and run around like that while laughing....again, insight into her personality.  Here she is showing off her shirt over the head trick at dinner tonight.....


But why stop at just the head when the whole thing can come off?


And it is off!!


Shirtless supper....what fun! 


Wild child....there is a never a dull moment and we love it!  Her wild ways keep us laughing everyday...love this girl!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter

Our family had a really special Easter.  Because of what Christ did for us and all that Easter means for our salvation, it is so special.  This year was particularly special for me because I could see Kyla starting to get it more.  She talks about Jesus dying on the cross and the events that happened that surround Easter.  She asks questions and talks about it from her point of view.  As parents, we pray everyday that our children will choose Christ as their Savior and choose Him always, which is why taking the time at Easter to be intentional with them is so important to us.  We started our Easter celebration the night before by making Resurrection cookies, which is an interactive way to get your children involved in the Easter story.  Kyla helped me with each step.

Beating pecans with a wooden spoon, representing how Jesus' body was beaten before being crucified

After all the steps, we placed the cookies in the oven and shut it with tape to represent the tomb being closed

Easter Sunday morning, opening the tomb

The inside of the cookies are hallow, the tomb is empty.  Jesus has risen!

A big part of every Sunday for us is church.  But since Easter Sunday is really special, we decided it might be nice to do something extra special with our hair.  Enter the hot rollers!

Kyla experiencing hot rollers for the first time

Pretty curls for Easter

I decided Ashlyn should have a chance for some curls on Easter too

She was less than impressed.  At this point, the curls are not worth the trouble for her!

Once we got past the tears of the hot rollers, it was time for some Easter Sunday morning pictures in our pretty matching dresses....






Then we left to meet Daddy at church.  We had a wonderful service at church and I was so proud of my husband, who like every Sunday, faithfully preaches the Word of God.  I am so thankful he is my pastor. After church we were so blessed to go share Easter dinner at the home of a very sweet family from church.  We had a great time with their family and guests and the girls loved it because there was a big Easter egg hunt for all of the kids

All the kids.....ready to go hunt

Ashlyn is looking....

Kyla found one

Checking out what she has so far

Action shot....finding eggs at the same time

Our family

Hope your Easter was blessed.