Anna's First Pony Ride!

We went for pony rides this past Sunday in celebration of Hadessah's (Anna's cousin) 2 year old birthday! Anna loved riding her pony, Brownie, with daddy leading the way.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the hardworking, dedicated mamas out there! I'm very blessed to spend my day with my loyal, loving husband, sweet little girl, and soon-to-arrive baby boy. Anna slept in until 8:30am this morning, giving daddy and I a chance to enjoy breakfast with each other (a wonderful mother's day gift). Baby David has decided to not kick me too hard today, which I also appreciate. We heard a wonderful Mother's Day sermon by Pastor Dave this morning and then headed up to the Rockies to enjoy a picnic lunch at the old Loveland Waterworks. Anna was looking for "sheets" (a.k.a. big horn sheep) the whole time, telling us she saw some in the trees and river, too. Alas, no actual sheep sightings, but we had a really nice day together as a family. :) We got to spend Friday evening with Grandma Karen and Aunt Zoey (and the rest of the crew) and hopefully tonight we can Skype with Grandma Kathy.

All the world would be wise.

"I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable." -Anne Morrow Lindbergh

A fun week with Grandma Kathy!

Ready for the Ault Easter Egg Hunt!

Ice cream at Culver's after shopping with Grandma!

Having a snack at the Denver Zoo!

Watching the sea lions swim by!

Little fashionista in her new hat with grandma's phone.

Outside of the Buell Theatre in Denver, after seeing Wicked!

Feeding the ducks with grandma!

Queen of the slide!

Celebrating Jesse's 27th birthday, with a new blender! 

Strolling with grandma.

I love you, Grandma Kathy!

We had so much fun! Pictures can't capture all of the memories. We will miss you and can't wait to pick you up at the airport again (with Papa Tom) in July! We'll have one more grandbaby for you to hold.

Happy Easter!

The same God works all of them.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Blue Cake Party!

2-6-2012 - We threw a surprise "Blue Cake Party" for Jesse's family! Here, Grandma Karen did the honors of cutting into the cake to find out if it was pink or blue. They were especially surprised to see BLUE, with 9 out of 10 of their grandchildren being girls! :) I love the kids' expressions, like, 'What's so special about a blue cake?"

How Deep the Father's Love for Us (sung by Fernando Ortega).

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But, this I know with all my heart,

His wounds have paid my ransom.

It's a BOY!

We had an ultrasound on Monday and it was clearly determined that our baby is a little boy! :) We are absolutely thrilled to be adding a little blue to our lives (especially Daddy), and it was amazing to see the baby moving all around. Praise the Lord, our baby is doing well, weighing a whole 10 ounces and measuring on track!

His name will be David Isaac Griffin... we had chosen that name as our boy option when we were pregnant with Anna two years ago, but now its meaning is even more dear to us. Both first and middle names are Hebrew, David meaning "Beloved" and Isaac meaning "Laughter." I had read Ecclesiastes 3:4 a few days before learning I was pregnant with David, 

"a time to weep and a time to laugh, 

a time to mourn and a time to dance." 

After almost a year of sorrow, I wrote, "This verse gives me great hope that one day, eventually, maybe even soon, I will be in that laughing, dancing time. And I won't be so quick to take that time for granted after experiencing this weeping, mourning, 'how much longer' time." David Isaac is our Beloved Laughter, our "rainbow baby" after the storm. We still feel the effects of the storm, but we rejoice in this new little life and continue to trust the Lord's goodness in our lives.


But when do we see the magnificient, surprising rainbow? On the fairest of days? No! It takes a storm, it takes rain. But it also scientifically takes light. When do we see the promises of God and His faithfulness to them in our own lives? Not when it is peaceful and serene, but when we are in the midst of clouds. When we have the eyes of faith to turn to the light of Christ during the darkest moments, it is then that the rainbow appears in our life, a visible testimony to us and those around us that God is faithful, even in our tears. Excerpt from The Magnificient, Surprising Rainbow, August, 2011

*The term "rainbow baby" refers to a baby conceived after a loss.

Big Girl Bed!

Today, we decided to take the leap and start Anna in her "big girl bed!" I bought the bed last June at a garage sale for $5 (it was a bright, metallic blue, but I spray painted it an oil-rubbed bronze). The bed has since been sitting in our basement as we waited for this momentous day!

I rearranged the nursery this morning to fit both Anna's bed and her old crib. Anna and the baby will be sharing a room for a little while, at least, as we work on finishing the downstairs' bedrooms. I'm really pleased at how the layout of the nursery turned out with both beds! We tried to divide the two different kid areas, putting the crib and changing table in a corner of the room for the baby's section and Anna's bed by her red flowers (that she tries to smell). There is also a reading corner and play area!

We are ready for our baby to arrive now! ;) Only 5 more months... We're still looking for a few items, of course, as we're not quite prepared for our newest addition. I'm searching on Craigslist for a crib mattress and a baby swing, mainly.

As for Anna's first nap in her big girl bed, it is going much better than I thought (funny how I tend to always think the worst)! When I first set up the bed, she was so excited about it. She kept saying, "Oooh, soft," as she jumped on it excitedly. This made me a little nervous about nap time. But, when it was time for her to lay down, she actually fussed a little because she thought we weren't going to let her sleep in her new bed. When we reassured her that she was going to sleep in it, Daddy read her a book and she went down without a peep! She's still sleeping an hour and a half later. Wow. I'm sure it was helpful that she was very tired after waking up earlier than usual this morning, but let's hope this is a good sign of a smooth transition and of things to come. :)

Oh, I hear her now...

Pregnancy Update: Ultrasound Next Week!

Here's my most recent pregnancy picture, taken last Saturday, 1/28/12. I have an ultrasound in just a few days, and we shall hopefully find out if we're having a boy or girl! Then, the real fun can begin (we have been waiting to know the baby's sex before seriously discussing baby names)! We're throwing a little pink or blue dessert party for Jesse's parents, where I plan on baking a pink or blue cake to surprise them with the news.

Please pray for us and the baby, that this little one is healthy and well. We're excited to see him/her and how much growth has happened since our 8 week ultrasound in November!

"Your Hands" by JJ Heller.

When my world is shaking,
Heaven stands.
When my heart is breaking,
I never leave your hands.

My new love for Sprouts Farmers Markets!

I have recently fallen in love with a new store on my weekly shopping agenda: Sprouts Farmers Markets! Similar to Whole Foods (though I've never shopped there) and/or Trader Joe's, Sprouts has a variety of health foods as well as great deals on produce! There is a local branch in Greeley and I now go there almost every Wednesday... because, as I have learned, Wednesday is double ad day! Which means, I can get last week's deals as well as the current week's deals both on Wednesday. If oranges were $.33/lb last week and $.49/lb this week, I can go on Wednesday and still get the $.33/lb deal, as well as any super deals for this week. Then, I can go next Wednesday and buy the super deals from this week again! It's ingenius and I'm continually amazed at how much produce I walk out of the store with for $5-$10.

Above are my last two shopping trips at Sprouts (sorry they are a bit dark). The top picture includes (6) cartons of blackberries ($.77 each), romaine lettuce ($.88), 3 lbs of oranges ($1 for 3lbs); a green bell pepper ($.49); and cucumber ($.49) for $9.34! For six cartons of blackberries alone at another store, I should have paid close to $20 on average! The bottom picture is today's trip complete with pears ($.88/lb), oranges ($.49/lb), broccoli crowns ($.88/lb), red leaf lettuce ($.88), and a pound of carrots ($.69) for $4.74! I would have bought more blackberries @ $.77 each, but alas, the store was completely wiped clean of them.

Free Valentine's Day Card @ Tiny Prints!

I just made an adorable valentine for my hubby (sshhh) at Tiny Prints for free using code TPGFREE17A at checkout! There are some really cute designs for an array of recipients. Shipping is free when you ship the card directly to yourself, or you can pay the price of a stamp and have Tiny Prints mail it to your valentine.

The Joys of Play Doh!

Anna has discovered Play Doh! I refrained from giving it to her until her 2nd birthday (mainly because I didn't want to clean up the mess). Now, she loves it!

My Juxtaposition: Grieved, yet Rejoicing.

Our Baby at my 8 Week Ultrasound, 11/28/11.

I have reached 15 weeks in my pregnancy! Every week is a milestone for me, though I'm not quite sure if I will ever be able to enjoy pregnancy any more in a relaxed, naive sort of way. Don't get me wrong (and just ask my husband), I love being pregnant again and I ask him nightly if I still "look" pregnant, as I examine my growing belly excitedly in the mirror. Of course I still look pregnant, and that's what is so exciting! I still am pregnant! Yet, I know nothing is certain and safe in this life, and I'm still holding my breath for some, unknown milestone where I will be able to let out a deep sigh of relief. Perhaps when I feel the baby move for the first time, or when we find out if the baby is a boy or girl, or when I reach the point of viability in my pregnancy. I'm not sure if it will come at any of these moments, and I may just have to wait until I hear the baby's first cries.  Or, as I've prepared myself, maybe that sigh of relief won't come. Life is just too fragile.

I hold onto one essential truth that I have learned intimately over the past year: I can trust in the Lord, even when everything else I love falls away. I can still rejoice, because above all else, I have my salvation and I understand the secret to Life. I'm blessed beyond measure, more than most people, because I have my Savior and He has chosen me.

And with this new baby, I have become able to hope again, to look at other pregnant women and not feel immediate despair, to be less sensitive to others remarks, to talk about pregnancy and babies with more ease. Yes, going through pregnancy again has helped me mend in many ways. Yet, I find myself in a unique juxtaposition. I am blessed and excited about my 4th baby growing inside my belly, so far healthy and strong, but I still find myself in moments of grief over my 2nd and 3rd. I won't have a proper name for them or see their little faces until heaven, but I still long for them as any mother would long for her missing babies. I still think about how old each of them would be right now and what my life would be like with them. My children are irreplaceable, whether I have them for seven weeks in my womb, or 60 years on earth. One child cannot substitute for the other. I'm so immensely grateful to the Lord for my current pregnancy, but I find myself rejoicing, even still, with two little holes in my heart.

God's Sovereignty: A Look Back.

Billboard in Boston, 2010. 

I count it a huge blessing of God's sovereignty that I was living north of Boston in late 2008 when I found out I had two grapefruit-sized ovarian cysts and needed to have surgery. And now today, I have a beautiful, healthy 2 year old girl and one more baby on the way (not to mention the miracle of last Spring when I should have lost my ability to have any more babies, but didn't). 

Here's an excerpt taken from Winchester Hospital's website on my amazing, beloved doctor/surgeon, Dr. Arlan Fuller:

A pioneer in the field of gynecologic oncology, Dr. Fuller offers area residents the most cutting edge surgical treatments for gynecologic cancers. After spending 21 years at Massachusetts General Hospital as chief of gynecologic oncology, Dr. Fuller chose to practice at Winchester Hospital.

Dr. Fuller is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and he completed his training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is board certified in OB/GYN and gynecologic oncology.

Dr. Fuller is nationally recognized and as an expert in the field of gynecologic oncology and speaks at conferences throughout the country.

Anna turns 2!

Testing the chocolate frosting for her cake.

One decorated "Anna" Minnie Mouse cake!

The Minnie Mouse birthday balloons were a big hit!

Cousins (this is the best "posed" picture I could manage)!

Opening her presents: Play Doh!

Thank you, Mallory's, for the pretty pants and shirt!

A new broom set and snow shovel (thanks, G&G Griffin)!

Anna: "A BIG present!"

Cake time!

She was already cleaned up once after her spaghetti dinner...

Her actual birthday: waffles for breakfast!

She loves her new Legos (and so does Daddy)! ;)

Sonic birthday lunch!

Our "baby" turned 2 on the 7th! Just in time for her, "Anna can do it" independence stage! 

We had a Minnie Mouse birthday party for her on the evening of the 6th, made extra complete with her cousins (well, the local ones)! The balloons were a big hit at the party, keeping all the kiddos entertained for quite a while. Spaghetti, green beans, berries, and bread (the favorites) were served as the main meal, followed by a Minnie Mouse cake! I wish I would have caught it on video, but when Jesse first lit her birthday candle, she kept blowing it out before anyone could start singing. It was hilarious! After several failed attempts, we explained that she had to wait before she blew out the candle. See video for the final, successful attempt! 

On her actual birthday, a Saturday, we had a waffle birthday breakfast, played with her new toys including her Legos and Play Doh, and had a fun shopping trip with a Sonic birthday lunch. I think Anna had a very fun 2nd birthday. We love you, sweet Anna!