Ainsley's Birthday Party

This past Saturday we celebrated Ainsley's birthday with family and a few friends.  It was a beautiful day here - 75 degrees and sunny - which made for a fun time for everyone.

Our meal...

Strawberry cupcakes with fun toppers!

Making a wish!

Blowing out the candles!

Yum!

Happy birthday!

Learning how to make "2" fingers with Uncle Kyle

Madeline enjoying the party with Da

Ainsley with Clara and our neighbor, Emma

We had lots of fun and enjoyed celebrating Ainsley's special day!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ainsley!

Our sweet Ainsley is 2!  Hard to believe that 2 years have passed so quickly.  More on her birthday celebration later, but I thought I'd share a few things about our sweet girl.

Ainsley

For her birthday dinner (which was spaghetti - one of her favorites), we went around the table and shared a few of the things we love about Ainsley.  Here are a few of the highlights...

*Very affectionate and loves to give big hugs (and bury her arms and face into your chest - she gives great hugs!)
*Says "thanks" instead of "thank you" - sounds so grown up; it cracks us up!
*Loves to wrestle (from Clara)
*Her deep dark brown eyes - just like Daddy's
*She's a good dancer (from Clara)
*Talks with her hands - VERY dramatic :)
*Her beautiful brown curls (finally getting some hair!)
*She knows her ABC's (from Clara)
*Loves to pray and say "Amen"
*Swinging on the tire swing and playing on the playset together (from Clara)
*Prances when she walks
*Loves the word "so" and uses it often..."I'm so tired...I'm so precious...I'm so 2!"
*Is a Daddy's girl :)

We love you, sweet girl, and look forward to this next year with you! Our prayer for you...

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you 

will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  

Philippians 1:6

Happy Birthday!

My Funny Valentines

Valentine's Day was a low-key event around here.  Clara and Ainsley woke up to little boxes of candy hearts and special Tinkerbell lip gloss on their breakfast placemats.  We made cards for Ed - using our thumb prints to make hearts, and Ed and I stayed in and made dinner.  The girls got a few surprises from Gran (thanks for the cards!) and Aunt Dawn (you are the best!) which made the day fun as well. 

Ed with the big girls

Clara with Madeline

Our sweet Madeline

Cards for Daddy...and loving the crowns
that Aunt Dawn made!

Sweet sisters!

Great news!!!

So...the biopsy results came back today and they were normal! What a huge answer to prayer!  When my phone rang this afternoon, I started shaking; I was just so nervous about the news I was about to hear.  As the PA shared the good news - ganglion cells on the biopsies - I immediately began to weep for joy.  There have been so many emotions over the last few weeks, and I am just so grateful to have received this precious news today! 


The last few days, we have been listening to our Seeds of Courage songs in the car as we travel about.  One of Clara and Ainsley's favorites is Isaiah 41:10...

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I love this verse, and I have experienced the truth of these words this week.  Although I have had moments of fear and anxiety, I have also felt peace and the upholding of the Lord in my weakness as well.  A reminder to me - I have no reason to fear...God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  We have also felt so much love from dear friends (as well as friends of friends of friends) who have loved us and prayed so fervently for Madeline this week.  Thank you, sweet friends and family, for loving us as you do!

As far as Madeline, we are just watching her for now, and she will follow up with the surgeon in 2 weeks for him to reassess her.  We are so grateful for our sweet baby girl, and especially grateful to the ever-present Father who gave her to us.

Ready for college?

Clara has declared that she is ready for college.  The prerequisites?  "I can read, ride my bike, and button my pajama top...I think I'm ready for college!"  However, when Ed reminded her that you live on your own in college, far away, she quickly changed her mind.  Apparently, she would like to be at home with us for a few more years....I think I'd like that too!  :)

The same yesterday today and forever

It has been a tough week.  For the past several weeks, we have been investigating some belly problems with Madeline.  It all began a few weeks ago with a swollen belly that has since resolved and an abnormal xray, and ended this week with another abnormal test and a likely diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease.  In brief summary - it is a congenital disorder that affects the large intestine...nerve cells are missing in part of the bowel and if this segment is not removed, it could lead to major problems in Madeline's belly.  Madeline has continued to be a champ - eating and sleeping well with some occasional fussiness - but she has a hard few weeks coming up with a biopsy next week, and if that is positive, a major surgery soon after that.  It is incredibly hard to process right now...she is just so little and she's my baby...but I know that I have to strong for her and also for my big girls.  I also know that I have a Lord who will be my strength when I feel I have none, which is often.

In spite of bad news this week, there were blessings along the way...an incredibly kind radiology technician, loving strangers who prayed for Madeline (and an overwhelmed me) in the surgery clinic, and physicians who were gracious with their time and expertise.  I also have a sweet baby girl who looks great despite those abnormal tests!

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about some friends who were dealing with incredibly difficult situations with their little girl.  I wrote then that the Lord is the same - before and after any diagnosis - good or bad.  He is good, He is the same, He is LORD.  I still believe that to be true, even though I had no idea that in just a few short weeks, we would be walking in the midst of trying times in our own family.  This is our opportunity to walk the walk, and I am so grateful that we are not alone in this journey.  The Lord promises to be with us...He is God with us...He is our Immanuel.  Thank you, Lord, for that comfort.

Thanks also to all of you who have prayed and blessed us with words of encouragement, emails, calls, and unexpected visits (thanks, Cola girls!).   We are so grateful for dear friends and family who walk this path with us...what a blessing you all are!

Sweet Madeline

Here is a recent photo of our sweet baby girl.  She is full of smiles and coos these days, which blesses us tremendously.  Please keep her in your prayers as we navigate these next few weeks.

A tale of 3 nativities...

One of my favorite treasures to display at Christmas is a nativity set made by my sister-in-law, Catherine.  It was a wedding gift, and everything about it is special to me...it's rustic, it has fun fabrics, and there is only one of them.  It is probably my favorite thing to unpack as I am decorating for Christmas.  Well...this year, I had it displayed just so on a table in our family room....everything was perfectly spaced and in order, and I loved looking at it every time I walked by...

Well, as the week before and after Christmas passed, I noticed that every time I passed the nativity, it had been moved...everything pushed closely together, and obviously not how I had arranged it...

This may not seem like a big deal, but with my "OCD" traits, I of course rearranged it every time I noticed it had been played with.  Now, I knew that Clara was the likely "culprit" of the remodeling, but it wasn't until a few days ago that I thought to ask her why she kept moving the pieces of the manger scene.  Her response?  "They all want to be close to Jesus...so that he won't cry or be lonely.  They want to be near him."

A sweet moment...and needless to say, I left the nativity just as she had displayed it.  A reminder to me...I want to be near Jesus too...

As for the tale of the 3rd nativity?  Well, a picture is worth a thousand words...

I guess "My Little Pony" and Barbie's sweet horse want to be near too.  :)