A Big Thank You!

I haven't quite finished telling Avalyn's story.  I will at some point but today I wanted to write about how thankful we are for everyone that has been there for us in this difficult journey.  We have had such a huge out pouring of love from so many people and I could never truly do justice to how much we appreciate it! 

I think it is a true testimony of how Gods people can come together and be there for each other in really hard times.  From the very moment we found out we had lost Avalyn we knew we could call on our friends and they were there for us!  This is something that I have learned from hearing other baby loss mama stories is not always the case. 

So here is a list of all the things I am thankful for from the last few months:

Tim and Delrea, Ron, Becky, Sarah and Jess for coming and physically being at the hospital during the worst time of my life.  

The Youngs for watching my boys.

Jess who cleaned my house while I was in the hospital.

Bri who set up the rest of my guest room for my parents to stay in. 

Kelly for coming and being there for us!

The nurses that took care of us and tried to make sure we had everything that we possibly could to make the situation less miserable.  

Jane for having knowledge of what we would need and being on top of helping us to get pictures, hand and foot prints and molds, the box to hold all her things, making sure we got to spend time with her.

Family for coming.

Lindsey you will never ever know how thankful I am for the pictures that you took!  I look at my baby girl every day because you dropped what you were doing to come!  You did a beautiful job!

Travis for all that he did for Avalyn's funeral.

The praise team for doing the worship service I will never forget for the funeral.

Naomi for making the trip out here to be with me.  Seriously sister I love you and am so thankful you came!

All the meals that were given to us.

Jess for filliing her freezer with all that food because we didn't have enough space for it!

Friends that send me text messages with verses to help me stay focused on The Lord and encourage me to keep going!!!

The flowers that were sent.

All the cards with words to help us make it through!

And little gifts given to remeber our sweet baby girl.

The random card or stop by that always seems to come when I most need them still!

And friends who send us gift cards for food and whatever from far away.

A few days ago I booked a trip for our family to go to Florida!  This is something that was paid for by lots of people some that I don't even know!  If you only knew how special this trip is to us!  We never take trips! Ever!  Unless it is to a grandparents house that is about it.  We are so thankful for everyone who gave money so we could go! Ian and Eli have been talking about going to Florida for months and can not wait to go to the beach and legoland!  I am so excited that they will get to experience this trip! As well as getting out of the frozen tundra of North Dakota and soaking up some sun and warmth. 

Well, I am sure I left out someone and I am sorry if I did but know that we would never make it through this without all of you and your support.

Hope That Stands The Test Of Time and other news!

Happy New Year that is what you say... right... It's a new year so everything can start over and everyone can be happy.  Well this year that phrase has had a different impact on me.  I find myself really not wanting to say it.  I am not "happy" right now.  I am sad and it is hard but I have to say I have joy and that is something completly different.  I have a joy from The Lord that will always reside in my heart.  

I posted on facebook the other day a passage from

1 Peter 1:3-5New International Version (NIV)

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

I am working my way through the book of 1 Peter right now.  I love these verses! I love that I have been choosen by God to be His child.  I am so thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus made for me to be able to spend eternity with Him!  At the end of verse 2 it says Praise God for a Living Hope.  Thank you, God, that I can go through the worst year of my life and come out on the other side Praising You for giving me a Living Hope!  My baby girl is in heaven and I get to look forward to the day that I get to meet Jesus and my baby face to face!  I am excited for that day!  That gives me Joy!  That is a hope that no matter how much time passes I will always have!

So this year I am clinging to my Saviour more than I have ever done in my life and praying that I can be used by Him in ways that will promote His name and give Him glory!  I know He has big things going already for this year and I would like to share some of those things with you now.

First of all, we want to let everyone know we are expecting our fourth child!  We both new that we wanted to have another child but like before we just left it up to God as to when that was going to happen and here we are.  We are excited but I am also scared.  I am learning yet again that I need to trust in The Lord and know that whatever happens I can praise His name. We told our family on Christmas morning and everyone was very happy and surprised!

Last year I had kind of given an update on Shaun's job and what we "thought" was the plan.  Well, this last year also had big changes in that department as well.  He worked for Sackman Electric as an electrical apprentice.  Although he liked his job there, he heard about a different position that would benifit our family financially and his "career" better.  So he applied. 

In May, he took a job at Lufkin Automation as an automation technichian.  He really liked his job there and it was definatly a step up for him.  It was really neat to watch as God gave him abilities to learn very quickly.  I have had conversations with some of his coworkers and they can not believe that he had only been working in the oil feild for that short amount of time that he has.  I know that God has had His hand on us in moving us out here and in the jobs that Shaun has taken but it is really cool to see in big ways like that!  

So after only a short time at Lufkin he was approached about a position to work at Conoco Phillips as an Electrical and Instrumentation Supervisor.  They saw his potential as well and wanted to use it.  In November he moved over to Conoco and that is where he will be until The Lord moves him.  He again is loving his job and is challenged on a daily basis in good ways.  We love it because he still comes home at decent hours and gets every other Friday off!! 

At the beginning of last year, I had also talked about our remodel projects.  Well things changed from what we thought was going to happen.  We didn't end up doing the bedroom in the basement.  When I found out I was pregnant with Avalyn we chose to finish the bedrooms upstairs instead.  But before we started on those rooms, the ceiling in our bedroom collapsed on us in the middle of the night and put the remodeling of our bedroom at the front of the line.  

We finished our room and then quickly got started on the guest bedroom and Avalyn's room.  Those rooms have been completed and now progress is still going on the boys room (we are sooooo close to being done with their room!)  This year I am sure that we will have more projects.  We have been thinking the kitchen but I really don't want to say it will really happen until we actually start it, so we will see :)

This year I see us serving where God leads us.  I can already see Him leading us to ministry with others who have lost babies.  It is so hard to see how many people do lose babies and there is so much pain that doesn't get noticed!  

I also plan to help in whatever ways I can with the new crisis pregnancy center that is getting started in Dickinson!  God placed abortion on my heart from the time I was a little girl.  I have always desired to help in giving women the truth and I long to see abortion stopped.  It was a passion of mine to see a care center open here so that women would have a safe place to turn for help and I am so excited to see it actually coming together.  There are some great people getting it going!  What a blessing!

I pray we all have a Joy Filled 2015!