"Majestic"

That is just the only word I could think of as I looked at the breathtaking views we had each day of skiing. I just love the mountains and the snow. I really hope there are mountains in heaven. Only God could create somthing so spectacular. Of course, being the anniversary of Luke's birth he was on my mind so much last week. A really neat thing happened as we were renting our skiis. They have stickers on them where they write your name so you don't lose your skiis at the resort. The skiis the guy got out for me still had a name on the sticker and it was Luke. I had to take a picture so everyone could see. It was goood to be away and to be together. I did just fine until Saturday. On the plane home there were at least three babies. One sitting right behind us who was about my favorite age - 5 months old and a bald headed baby boy in a sweet little sleeper. Then we got home and some people came to look at our house ( we listed it on Craig's list to see what would happen because we want to move but are waiting for God's guidance)and they had a darling little 5 month old boy. Then Eric and I watched an old movie that was sad and had a baby in it. I ended the night in tears because there just seemed to be babies everywhere I turned that day. It really made me want a baby so badly even though I think God is closing that door for us. I felt much better having cried and press on with life.

Happy Birthday Luke!

We were talking last night about how long it seems since this time last year... the beginning of our short time with Luke here on earth. We are out skiing in Salt Lake City and enjoying some family time together. I'll post some pictures tomorrow! We are just thanking God for his goodness and blessings here in these beautiful mountains!

Where did January go?

I can't believe January is done. We have been doing the usual running the kids to karate, basketball, guitar, piano, broadway babies and church. I am feeling a little full of emotion at this time as I think back on last year. I was trying so hard to prepare for Luke. Trying to get the house ready, his things ready, mentally preparing to have a baby after quite a few years...if I had only known I would have sat down more with him and just cherished the moments while he was still inside me. Two neat things have happened this month. One day I received a letter from Scottish-Rite hospital where Luke was. They asked me to come share Luke's story at a lunch with hospital staff to let them know how our experience had gone. I hope to be able to share how God worked in us during that time too. Also that day I received an email from a lady who had come across our blog in following up on some of Luke's charts. She read his story and emailed me to say how thankful she was and how touched she was by what she read. Her 19 year-old son died last year in June just after Luke. God is still using his story. I continue to enjoy my time with two of Luke's nurses. Their friendships will always be special to me because they knew Luke and took care of him when I couldn't.

My friend Lynne shared this verse with me this week. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

I love that God does comfort us in our sufferings and gives us his words and our own stories of how he has worked in our lives so that we can help others in their sufferings.

Oh how they change!

When we were in Kansas City over Christmas we took the kids by Crown Center on the way home from the Plaza lights. They love to climb on these big wooden vehicles they have out by the ice rink. I was taking the pictures off my camera and went back a few years to some old climbing adventures. They have changed to much! Here are Caleb, Hogan, Sarah, Sydney and Ben - 2003 and 2008.

Laughter is the best medicine!

I have always heard that saying, but really lived it this week. We all headed to my mom's in Kansas City. Four adults, five kids, one dog and lots of chaos. We had food, movies, friends. loud music, games, food, toys, fighting, food, tv and lots of laughter. We always seem to laugh when we are together. Eric even said Rob's laugh sounded like my dad. We laughed over the kids, laughed at each other, laughed over cards and just had a lot of fun. It really lifted my spirits which hadn't been very merry. I am thankful God gave us humor and the ability to laugh. It just makes the world easier!

Blessings

I feel like I have been "running" for a week or two solid and I haven't even been to the gym! I have gotten so tied up with too many committments that I found myself very edgy today. I had absolutely NO "merry" in my Merry Christmas so I ran on to one more event, a concert at our church by a guy we all love to listen to. His name is JohnWaller and he talked tonight and sang about blessings. He told how he and his family had just spoken a blessing over their new son and then we sang that blessing. It made me think of all the ways God blesses us and how we need to ask him to bless us. We have received so many blessings this year. I know God blessed us so much through Luke's life. We continue to feel blessed to have so many friends and so much family but tonight I was reminded that we can also be a blessing to others and the way I was feeling today I definitely wasn't a blessing. It was so good to sit, listen, worship and connect with God and ask him to make me a blessing this year. I left with such a better attitude and a calmer heart. I pray this year I can slow down and remember to be a blessing.

Psalm 34:1 "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

P.S. This is one of the pictures we took while trying to get a picture for our Christmas card - only the most photogenic one isn't looking right!

a lamb...

This week Sydney and I are in the Living Christmas Tree at our church. It is a big commitment (7 shows in 5 days) but always so rewarding. Sydney is just beside herself that she is finally in it. She is on the front row of the children's song and does her actions so well. She just loves to perform. She is also in the biblical part, but I haven't seen her yet since she chose to walk with her friends instead of her mom! She is SO independent at 7 years old.

Each night they put Jesus on the cross as we sing this beautiful song, "It took a Lamb". It just makes Jesus so real. First to see this innocent baby then seeing the same innocent man on the cross brings tears every night. It seems like I would get used to seeing it every night, but every night I find myself in tears. To think Jesus endured so much just to save each one of us is overwhelming. In the midst of all the hubub of the holiday season it is nice to have a visual reminder of the gift God gave us in his Son and the way he gave his life for us. I pray you will be blessed this Christmas season with some time to reflect on the gift of Jesus - an innocent lamb sacrificed so we can be forgiven.