Celebrating!

...another year of life...

We always do a big b-day party with Mike's family on our vacation together. We spanned June through September this party. So here are, of course, 3 of my sweet 6 gifts!

Sporting her new pink tutu! She wears it well.

One of those days...

...and its only 8:15am...

I woke up early, early this am to Anna's whimpers of "daa daa daa." I grabbed her out of her crib, fed her, and promptly tucked her in and back to sleep. Ahh...another hour and a half till my alarm goes off...

Enter Trent...

"Mom, it's 7:30, aren't we supposed to leave for school now? You have to hurry cuz I need snacks and stuff for my read-in." (As a reward, students get to bring blankets/pillows, electronic readers, and snacks out to the hallway and read for the afternoon. Yes, fun stuff for 4th graders!)

I hop out of bed, throw on yesterdays clothes...take out my retainers and swish with water.

"Hurry, hurry! We are gonna be late, boys. Trent why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I didn't realized what time it was." (yeah, because he was playing minecraft, no doubt)

We tear through laundry baskets to find Drew some socks and he says, "But, mom I have to do announcements this morning!"

"Oh great...well we've really got to book it now!"

We throw bagels in the toaster and amazingly both boys are dressed.

It's 7:45 and I snatch a sleeping Anna from her crib and bounce down the stairs to get her buckled into her car seat.

Everyone is loaded up...check.

Everything we need is loaded up...check.

"Oh good, Drew, we are gonna make it in time for you to do the announcements...wait, I can't find my keys!"

WHAT?

Just minutes before, I grabbed my purse from the unlit living room. It still sat by the computer from the wonderful duty of balancing the checkbook the day before. I begin to dig for my key chain...that's weird, can't find it.

I throw out the tic tacs, the notepad, the hand lotion...they have to be here...where else would they be!?! Seriously, I'm very good about keeping keys "in the right spot" you know, so I can find them when I need them...that's what I tell my boys almost on a daily basis, right!?!

Nope. Not there.

I dig in my coat pockets. Nope.

I call Mike. Maybe he saw them...no answer...I call about 5 more times in a row...

Boys are "looking" in the car, but at least they are ready. School starts at 7:50.

I look on end tables and counters...finally, I go back to the unlit living room and there, ON THE FLOOR, probably right beside my purse, lay my keys.

So we jump in the car...it's 7:52.

I plug in my cell phone, which had been beeping all morning to let me know it was about dead!

I call the school and let them know Drew is coming, but we are 7 minutes away, and that he is scheduled to do announcements.

"Drew I think they might wait for you, but I'm not sure."

He hangs his head in disappointment.

We sit through two red different lights...

"I can't believe I didn't see those keys when I grabbed my purse, we could've probably made it just after the bell rang. We would've at least been close."

Drew so sweetly says, "Yeah, maybe I should've gone in to look, cuz, you know, I eat LOTS of carrots!" He peeks his head around the back of the headrest and smiles at Anna.  "Anna, you didn't laugh!?! BUT that was funny."

"Thanks, Drew, for making me smile too."

I park the van and we run to the front door (well, poor Anna bounces). The secretary buzzes us in and I see the principal watching for us from behind the counter.  I smile and mouth "Thank You!"

He says, "We are ready for you Drew." I pat Drew on the shoulder and he disappears down the hall.

I sign them in, the clock reads exactly 8:00.

I exit the office and sit down on the bench outside.

I hear a sweet, sweet voice...

"Good Morning.  This is Drew K and ____ with the announcements for Friday, March 15th...where we practice the life goal of "treat people right and do the right thing."....Lunch today...Now, let's take a moment of silence before we start the day..."

Yes, Thanks Lord, for THIS day. For giving me opportunities to show grace and peace to my kids when I really just want to yell and throw the silly tic-tacs because things aren't going my way.  Thanks that Drew can read the announcements in front of the whole school...when, because of me, he almost missed his opportunity. Maybe he'll get to share and show his friends Your grace and peace today. I pray that we ALL do it more.

One Month!

Can't believe it's been a month already! Time has flown and we are trying to take in every minute. We really understand the value of time after the last 6 or so years and 3 losses and I'm trying not to be too sad as we begin hitting new milestones.  We just love this girl to pieces. We are excited she is growing and thriving...just know this newborn phase is so short!

Emotionally we are doing well. Annalise is healing the hole in my heart that I never thought possible this side of heaven.  She will never replace Noah, Joanna, or Emilie. However, she has brought us some pure joy...you know that comes naturally without effort (the can't wipe the smile off my face kind), not the kind you have to choose and work at through the grief (cause that is real too)! I know the emotions will come as we hit milestones with Anna we missed out on with the other 3...but I know His grace will continue to meet us in those moments. We've actually caught ourselves more than once calling Anna, Emilie. This can throw me for a crazy, sad, teary loop...but in some ways I'm grateful for the tangible reminder and opportunity to choose to give Thanks in every circumstance! I'm working on it...

I took some pics outside yesterday :) It wasn't so hot and the natural light was nice. Although it was a bit tricky holding up the big golf umbrella (to avoid the shadows) and snapping the shutter at the same time!

So here are a few attempts from yesterday along with some photoshop fun today:)

Thankful...

for rainy afternoons to watch Drew "work."  What a sweet little artist!