Random Cuteness

While I've been being a blog slacker this last month, important things have been happening!
Like:

Welcoming Daddy home at the airport from business trips. (Twice)

Performing with the Joy School kids at a local assisted living community. Trust me, this is NO "nursing home." I would give my left foot to live like these folks do!

(Good thing the kids finally started smiling when it was time to perform.)Playing, playing, playing!Channeling our inner old fogey man with the plaid shorts & black socks.Watching our baby tortise Harry sleep, swim, & eat. Oh, & sleep!Playing with #4 baby.Yep, all totally important stuff!

Toothless Boo

Sitting at the dinner table on Sunday evening.
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Emma: It's hard to eat my ribs with this tooth so loose!
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Daddy: You want me to pull it out?
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Emma: YES!!!
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Mom: WHAT???
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So, BEFORE:
(The last picture of my little girl.)
DURING:AFTER:
(It's official, she's all grown up. Cue Mommy's tears.)
She's been literally glowing for the past 2 days. I can't tell if it's because she's FINALLY just like all her cousins & classmates that have lost teeth or because the Tooth Fairy brought her a dollar.
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Whatever the reason, she's ecstatic & Mommy is mourning the loss of her little angel. I can't exactly explain why, but it's like those tiny teeth were the last thing keeping her young. Sigh.....no more hiding it, she really is a big kid now.

Choo-Choo, Jack is 2!!!

My Jack-a-boo turned 2 yesterday.

Just what exactly did we do with ourselves before we had this kiddo?

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On Saturday we ran up to Phoenix to go to the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. He was in heaven with the train going around & around us as he played.Forget the 108 degree heat- we're Arizonans, right?

(There's your pic of my 30-week belly.)

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Next we stopped by Bass Pro Shop to look at the fish (for 45 solid minutes). Jack was entranced- I think Daddy needs to take him fishing!

Daddy had fun wheeling me around places in a wheelchair- not too much walking for this supposed-to-be-on-bedrest Mama. It did get a little hairy, though, when the kids attempted to cruise me through IKEA. Yikes!!

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It's been another eventful pregnancy for me, but my Dr. has now given me some fantastic medicine that makes me think I just might make it through this pregnancy with my sanity intact. Yay for modern meds! (You never mentioned how great this stuff works, Nicole!)

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Then yesterday we took it easy & celebrated at home.

Jack got more than 1 choo-choo toy, & was in heaven.I would like you to notice Mr. Monkey (his only non-train present) sitting on the couch to help Jack open presents. Grandma & Grandpa got him for Jack from Build-a-Bear......

(LOVE THIS PIC!!!)

and now Jack won't go anywhere without him.

And since Jack is so obsessed with choo-choos, Daddy just had to make him a choo-choo cake.What a good Daddy we have at our house.

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WE LOVE YOU, JACK!!!!

Feelin' the Love

One of the BEST parts of being a Mommy:

Gotta love the sibling love!

My Testimony Today

I have been waiting for this day for almost 2 years. Because today I can stand before you and say that I no longer believe- I know.

I know that the Lord answers prayers & I know that if we do our part, the Lord will keep his promises.

To back up a little for those of you that don’t know our story, almost 2 years ago, at 2 weeks old, our son Jack was diagnosed with a bilateral mild to moderate hearing loss. We were shocked & upset, of course, but it didn’t seem like the end of the world. Then, in Jack’s blessing at 4 weeks old, our Heavenly Father, through my husband, promised us that our son’s “hearing would be made whole.” I knew that this promise came straight from the Lord, because my husband surely doesn’t talk like that!

I felt such relief & thankfulness to know that my Heavenly Father knew the fears of my heart & was comforting our family during a difficult time.

I don’t know if you can imagine my utter devastation when at 4 months old, Jack was fitted with hearing aids and we were told that he would have to wear them for the rest of his life. Is wearing hearing aids a big deal? Absolutely not. But I expected the Lord to make it all better right away, & I was so confused! It took a while for me to realize that I needed to remain faithful & let the Lord work in his own time.

So for the past 20 months we’ve endured hearing tests, speech therapy visits, developmental evaluations, 2 sets of tubes, & more hearing tests. It’s been a very long road for 2 parents who didn’t think Jack actually needed the hearing aids in the first place.

Every time we had another test that confirmed he had a hearing loss & every time a friend or stranger inquired about his ears, it was a test of my faith. I literally had to trust the Lord with all my heart & lean not unto the experts’ understanding.

I am thrilled to stand before you today & say that this last Tuesday it was confirmed that Jack has, in fact, 100% normal hearing. No hearing aids are necessary & he’s actually ahead of schedule developmentally. The staff at the Arizona School for the Deaf & Blind didn’t know what to say. They almost didn’t know how to proceed with a child that they now had to release from being eligible for their services- needless to say, this doesn't happen all that often! They’ve occasionally commented that I was in denial about Jack’s hearing loss. My only reply to that was that what they called denial, I called faith.

This week was truly wonderful. I have felt no surprise, only an amazing thankfulness to the Lord. I had a wonderful missionary experience as I was able to bear my testimony to the staff at ASDB as to how I KNEW that the Lord had promised us this & I was only waiting for the day when it would actually happen. They called it a miracle, but I think that’s a little extreme.

I really feel that Jack’s wearing or not wearing hearing aids is completely beside the point. It’s not a big deal to me. I kind of miss them & they make for a great conversation starter in the grocery store. What is a big deal to me is the feeling of thankfulness & resolution over a promise that was made almost 2 years ago.

I know that we were blessed because we did everything we were supposed to do. We did the testing, we bought the hearing aids, we met with the experts regularly. I don’t know if we would have been so blessed had we not done all of that. I know that the Lord did his part after we did ours.

So I just want to stand here today & say that I now KNOW that the Lord is aware of us. He loves us & wants to bless us. I know that my Heavenly Father is looking for ways to make us happy.

I love my Heavenly Father. I love my life, I am grateful for a calling that gives me the opportunity to bear my testimony on a regular basis.

I know that my Reedemer lives & that he loves me. I am so thankful for my beautiful family & know that we can be together forever if we are faithful.
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Today was a great day! I was able to bear this testimony & loved every second of it. The people in my ward were truly touched by our story & Jack was kissed all up & down the hallways. So many of my friends & family have made this journey of faith with us, & I want to thank you all for your prayers & faith. I feel amazing, knowing that we passed a test of sorts. I can only hope that this doesn't mean we'll have even bigger trials of faith anytime in the near future!

Today was a really great day!