All About Sarah

Sometimes Sarah will comment that she doesn't get mentioned much on the blog space. So every once in a while, I make sure to dedicate a whole blog post just to Sarah. (Of course, once the limelight is on her, I'm not sure she always appreciates it! C'est Le Vie...it's tough being a teenager!(and the mom of a teenager!)

This has been an exciting week for Sarah!

1. Twitterpated

I'm probably going to be in lots of trouble for that pic, but I couldn't resist! Sarah has her first boyfriend! Dan is very nice and a good kid. The best thing is that Sarah is his first girlfriend, too! They both feel a little awkward trying to figure out all the "rules" of dating. It's really cute! 

#2. Puzzle

Sarah is a junior, but Dan is a senior. On Sunday, Sarah went to Dan's concert.(He plays viola in an orchestra.) Afterwards, Sarah went to dinner with Dan at his grandmother's house and got introduced to some of his relatives. Dan had a surprise for Sarah! It was a cookie puzzle he had baked. When Sarah put it together, this is what it said...............

...she said yes! (of course)

Shopping for a prom dress is going to be tough! Sarah got added to a facebook group at school where girls are posting the dresses they chose. 1/2 dresses are more like it! Thankfully, Sarah is very good about picking out clothes. I'm sure we will find a dress that is beautiful and classy...just like her!

#3. Award Number 1

There was a pro-life Mass for the diocese today with an awards ceremony afterwards to celebrate the pro-life essay winners for both the junior high and high school students and the John Cardinal O'Connor Youth and Adult Awards. Sarah won second place in the high school essay contest. The first and second place essay writers for each age division read their essays after Mass. I wish that I had recorded Sarah reading her essay! She is SO passionate about the pro-life cause, and she did a really great job on the essay. (I will share it at the end of the post in case you're interested!)

#4. Award Number 2 

 What Sarah didn't know was that she was also chosen to be the recipient of the John Cardinal O'Connor Youth Award! Jay and I knew, along with a handful of teachers, but they asked us to keep it quiet and surprise her during the ceremony. Well....surprised she was! 

I took this picture when the head of the prolife office for our Diocese mentioned her name!

Sarah is a very passionate person...and pro-life issues are one of the areas that mean a lot to Sarah. She is co-president of the Pro-Life Club at Stang(Dan is the other co-president. A perfect match!), she loves attending Pro-Life Bootcamp each summer, she has coordinated and participated in multiple drives to benefit pro-life pregnancy centers both through school and through our parish. It's a subject that is near and dear to her heart! Jay and I are very proud of her!

Sarah with Bishop DaCunha

with Jay's parents

Sister sass

Sister smiles

With mom and dad (and one of the little guys I babysit)

Sarah with Mrs. Tarentelli, who nominated Sarah for the reward.
Photobomb by Kate

Our Pastor, Msgr O'Connor, con-celebrated the Mass 

#5. Super Sister

Sarah was born into a gaggle of boys! Surrounded by three older brothers and then flanked by a younger brother 2 years later, she learned to hold her own. But she's always had a sweet and girly side, too. 

Sarah is crafty....and loves having girl time with her sisters. She's a great example to Ellie, who's another great super sister!

#6. Goals 

Sarah is a very smart girl(in the top 10 of her class) and is interested in learning about everything! We are frequently teasing her about being a nerd. (She reads a book on the brain for fun...she brought it on herself) ;) Science and Math are her favorite subjects and she often talked about being a biochemist or some other kind of scientist and trying to find a cure for Autism.

More recently, she has been thinking about going into speech therapy in order to work with special needs kids. Obviously, having a brother with Autism has made a big impact in her life. She is really good with all kids, but especially kids with special needs. Sarah has a very big heart, and she shares it with everyone!

One specific example that I witnessed happened during a grocery shopping trip a couple of months ago. We were at the check-out and there was a young high school boy working as a cashier who had a stutter, and the bagger was a mildly handicapped young adult. Sarah was just being Sarah...talking super nice and asking them questions. She waited patiently for the cashier to speak through his stutter and by the end of our 5 minute check-out, he was barely stuttering because she was so patient with him and made him feel comfortable and the bagger was beaming from the attention.(I'm sure the fact that she's a pretty girl had something to do with it, too!) 

Sarah and Pete sharing a goofy moment...

 #7. Blessed

We are so proud of Sarah...and so blessed that she is our daughter!

 (scroll down past the pictures to find Sarah's Essay!)

Sarah's Pro-Life Essay

Each life tells a story. Some are long, some are short, but each is valuable. You determine your own story, but you also influence others' on their journey. You are the main character, the supporting character, and the strange acquaintance. And every story you are in would never be the same without you.

Every life tells a story. Some span the length of a century; others last less than a year. Some stories cannot be told on Earth. Others are spread freely and often. No matter the story, each is worth telling and each is worth living. Every life is valuable; it is given to us by God for a purpose. We were not meant to wander aimlessly on the Earth, but to perform a certain mission, the path of which is already known by God.

Every story is worth telling because every life has value. We all know many stories, but we tend to appreciate those that are glorious and heroic. This is good, but not everyone can be like St. Joan of Arc or Martin Luther King Jr. With people such as this, the value of their lives is clearly seen, for they changed the world. But, is life only precious when it is well known or accomplished much? No. Life cannot be valuable for what it does, it is valuable for what it is. 

Mother Teresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." Mother Theresa spent her life among the poor, serving them as Christ and loving them individually. In her every action, she sought to comfort the heart of Christ, to satiate the longing of His heart by loving Him in the form of Calcutta's poor. She experienced extreme spiritual desolation for years. Yet, she still loved every soul as if they were Christ and cared for each person she encountered. Mother Theresa's life is clearly important and astounding, though she was hardly a celebrity. But Mother Theresa's story tells more than just about the value of her life; it also describes and highlights the value of the life in every human being, even the sick, unborn, and dying. They are worth caring for, giving up out life for, and she did just that. One does not dedicate their entire life to something useless or valueless.

St. Therese of the Little flower is also well known for her deep love of Christ. She was not known for grand actions, but for her little way. She said, "Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them." A life lived to the fullest, then, is a life spent loving our Lord with a burning heart, longing to be ever close to Him and loving Him in others. St. Therese was known by very few at her death, but her writing filled with simple love is why she is a saint today and millions look to her for guidance. 

One of my favorite stories was very short. Therese Elizabeth Hamel was born on May 20th, 1998. She died sixteen days later. What did she accomplish? Not much. She never ran a marathon. She did not sway the hearts of millions. She never even spoke a word. Why is she important? She was and is my sister. 

Our world is not the end all, be all. We exist body and soul. My sister is in heaven. She is not here, but she never left me. I hold her name and she is my saint. I pray to her when I need help. Sometimes I just talk to her. She watches over me and my family and she protects us. I miss her. I miss her a lot, but she will always be there for me. 

Her life lasted less than a month, barely two weeks. But she still left her mark on this Earth. If life is only valuable for doing great things, then she is among the many useless bodies, but if life is an invaluable gift from God, then she is among the celebrated multitude who lived. We live. If we are alive, then we exist for a purpose. Some simply fulfill theirs sooner than others. Then God calls us home, and we run to Him, He who stands with open arms waiting to welcome us into His Kingdom and the wedding feast. Our loving God longs for us; He gives our life value, for we are created in His image and likeness. He considers us infinitely valuable, so who is anyone to detract from that? The intrinsic value of a life cannot be diminished, cannot be detracted, cannot be destroyed. The almighty, ever living, omnipotent God who loves us with a heart that burns for us, who suffers when we do not ask for His mercy and love, who died so that we may live with Him forever, this God has given us dignity and a human life. Who can say that any life has no value, has no meaning, or has no purpose? That was never ours to determine! God does not make mistakes; there are no accidents. Everyone was created for a reason that He knows, and to love Him. This is why the pro life movement exists, because every life is valuable and worth protecting from conception until natural death.

Every life is a freely given gift from God. He created us, cares for us, and holds us in creation by His infinite love for us. He sent His only Son to suffer unimaginable and incredible pain, to die for us, so that we may have life and have life abundantly. He did not suffer and die for some or a few, but for all, whether their lives lasted an instant of a century. We have been redeemed by a God who longs for us and wants nothing more than to have us love Him back. We do not choose whether or not our life means anything, for that is not up to us to decide but for the one who created it. And so every life is worth living because every life has infinite value given to us by our loving God and Father. We were made in His image and likeness; we were made to be like Him. He has a plan for every one of us, and so our lives are each great stories that are worth being lived out to their glorious conclusion, their final battle, and into eternal life.

Change

Being in the decade of the "fabulous forties" is still quite an adjustment for me.(I'm trying to practice positive thinking to change my perspective. I'm not there, yet, so feel free to insert a small amount of sarcasm when you read the word 'fabulous'! I certainly have not found my groove quite, yet. Maybe by the time I turn 49....)

My thoughts are still all over the place! I still feel like I have a 'deer in the headlights' look of "How the heck am I 41?". Then, there's the whole confusion of having kids that are "adults"(mostly) and kids that are still little kids. I've got one foot in the "I'm still young enough to have a baby world" and one foot in the "we could have kids getting married before too long and having babies world". It's a bit overwhelming.

Hitting 40 was like hitting a brick wall for me. All of a sudden, I felt like I had a shelf life. I'm more than halfway to being old! Which is scary...especially since the last 20 years seemed to speed by! Like I said before, I'm still trying to figure out how I could possibly be 41!

When I googled "definition of a mid-life crisis", this is what I came up with: "an emotional crisis of identity and self-confidence that can occur in early middle age." Yeah, that fits!

I have to say that I've felt a little lost lately. I'm trying to figure out where I "fit". After 23 years of having/taking care of babies and toddlers, I'm now getting a glimpse of what a life with kids that need less constant hands on, 24/7 care will feel like. It's not bad, just different.  I've given my entire adult life to having babies, nursing babies, and caring for my kids. Now that my "baby" is 4, all that is changing. Adjusting to change is hard for me.

That doesn't mean I want to go out and get plastic surgery, buy a sports car, or any other crazy thing! I am trying to exercise more and lose a few pounds to take better care of myself. And I do dream of the day that I can downsize to a minivan! But that's as wild as it gets!

It's about trying to live more purposely. I'm hoping to not be so shocked when the next 20 years go by! I want to fill my days with memories of loving my kids, creating a home that is a place my family wants to come back to at the end of each day, and becoming the woman that I'm supposed to be in this next stage of life. I want to have more goals in the next twenty years than I did in the last twenty. There were lots of life circumstances that created periods of time when Jay and I felt like we were working to survive in the first 23 years of our marriage. I know I certainly cannot control everything in life...lots of life experience has taught me that!...but I would like to feel like I have more goals that I am trying to work towards: individual goals AND couple goals AND family goals.

Problem is, I'm not quite sure what those goals are supposed to be! So, I'm praying on it. I feel like I'm floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean right now...but I know at some point I will land where I'm supposed to! This "in-between" moment that I'm in right now is unsettling, but I trust that I'm being stretched so that I'm ready for the stage of my life that I'm entering into.

 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,(Jeremiah 29:11-13)

There are some positives to this change. Jay and I have a room to ourselves for the first time in a VERY long time. And we both manage to sleep in our own bed most of the time for the whole entire night, too! Miraculous things around the Hamel household! My body is actually adjusting to getting 6-7 hours of straight sleep each night! It's amazing. This hasn't happened since 1992!

See...I told you I'm trying to practice positive thinking! :)

When Your Day Needs a Do-Over(and it's not even 8am!)

Involuntary Penances is a topic I have touched on several times in the last couple of years. For Lent, I choose my sacrifices..sometimes with excitement, other times with trepidation. The sacrifices I choose are Voluntary Penances. But, then, there always seem to be lots of other challenging moments that pop up during Lent that I wasn't planning on! Those surprise "opportunities" usually grow and stretch me more than anything I gave up for Lent on my own!

Of course, sometimes I completely drop the ball when one of these "gifts" from God arrive! It's much easier to give up snacking/desserts/social media/(insert Lenten sacrifice here) than it is to try to give a positive response when a surprise rush of negative emotions, or a negative situation, catches me off guard!

This morning, I totally blew it. I just woke up "on the wrong side of the bed." It's been a challenging week and it's still.not.Friday. Luke woke up at 5 with a nightmare and never went back to sleep. Sarah made cookies for a friend at school late last night because his great uncle passed away, which was very nice. Waking up to a messy kitchen...not so much!

I was just in a bad mood. I was feeling frustrated and bored. I'm still getting over disappointment since we aren't getting a tax return this year because of the way one of the colleges reported scholarship information.

In reality, it's all small potatoes. I was just being grouchy about it all. I missed an opportunity to offer up some involuntary penances.

I joined Dynamic Catholic"s "Best Lent Ever"program. Today's short video talked about love...and who we lay our life down for. It was definitely a not so subtle nudge to remind me that I lost my focus this morning! If that wasn't enough, I also picked up a book recommended by my Spiritual Director...which I don't do often enough(!)...and the section I was on was "What to do when you are unable to abandon yourself." Umm...yeah.

After I was able to take a deep breath and organize a few things to make me feel a little more in control of the world around me, I was able to re-boot my day. The frustrations and disappointment haven't gone away, but thankfully I have been able to manage them in a much better way!

As they say in the Veggietales song from the Story of Jonah..."Our God is a God of Second Chances!"

Snow and Milestones!

Quick Take Friday as we get ready to jump into February school vacation week!  The last week has held a couple of big milestones for our family!

#1: Another Driver on the Road

Despite a snow storm, Sarah passed her driving test and got her license! It's an exciting achievement for Sarah! It's still a tough milestone for mom! It definitely increases my prayer life when my children get their license!

#2: Timber!!!

The snowstorm on Friday, brought about 8 inches of heavy wet snow. Our neighbor's tree fell down and fell into our yard......

 ....and onto our pool! :( It collapsed part of the side! Now we're in the process of getting quotes to have it repaired through our home owner's insurance! Oy!!

#3: Story Time

Our library recently relocated to a new space and I took Kate and Luke to story time on Saturday. They enjoyed it! Kate did the craft after listening to the stories and Luke got his first library card! He was so excited! Here's a cute "he said".

Luke: How long do I get to keep the library card?

Librarian: Your whole life!

Luke: My whole life!! Even when I'm 8, 9, and 10?!?

And these goofy kiddos on the way home from the library!

 #4: Birthdays!

Mike and Andrew were born on the same day two days apart! Their birthdays were on Sunday and our families came over to celebrate. Cakes ala Grandma Hamel!

Mike let Kate help 

Mike and Pepere

Andrew turned 21! It's SO strange when your child can legally having a drink with you! Andrew decided he wanted to try Jack Daniels and Coke...except he wanted RC Cola! Quirky kid! But, hey, it's his birthday! :)

#5: The Not So Super Superbowl

The Super Bowl was pretty boring, but we enjoyed hanging out with the kids, my parents, and a couple of their friends. Andrew was pretty psyched to save this Tostitoes blimp decoration from being tossed in the trash at work.... 

#6: More Snow

More snow and another snow day on Monday gave me a good reason to make pancakes for breakfast. I made snow man pancakes for Kate and Luke! :)  

#7: Valentine's Day Weekend

Jay and I usually do a pretty laid back Valentine's Day. Finding little ways to make each other feel special is our goal! :) So, Jay is going to make me dinner on Saturday night and then we're going to watch a chick flick together. I'm going to make him one of his favorite dinners and desserts on Sunday.  Sounds like a yummy weekend to me!  

I made some cookies with Kate and the kids I babysit this morning! They did a great job. (There were sprinkles everywhere!)

And speaking of Valentine's Day.....Sarah has a "friend" that has invited her on a couple of dates over the last couple of weeks. Sarah made cookies for Dan last night. Since they are both lactose intolerant, she taped Lactaid on top like a bow! 

And So It Begins.....

What pops into your mind at the mention of Ash Wednesday? 

I'd like to say that the approach of Lent makes me feel like an athlete getting ready to train for a big race. You know...

...adrenaline going, focused with intent on a goal, feeling strong, accomplishing my goals.

This is how some of the people in my house are feeling today.....

Of course, this cartoon isn't 100% accurate since a Church fast is 2 small meatless snacks that don't equal a big meal and then a meatless dinner. But, as one of my kids said who shall remain nameless, "It's SUCH a long time until dinner." The Hamel "hangry" genes are strong with some of my kids!

I always feel a little apprehensive about Lent. I'm always worried about remembering NOT to eat whatever leftovers my littles leave around at snack. I worry about those involuntary sacrifices that God always seems to provide each Lent. (It's kind of like an athlete thinking they can make up their workout...but then their coach shows up and it's 10X harder!)

Then Ash Wednesday arrives and I know that Lent is truly a great opportunity to take a good look in the mirror and try and work on some of the areas in my life that could use some pruning!  

I came upon this article on Facebook that got me thinking in the days leading up to Lent. In particular #3- Don't look at your cellphone while you're conversing with someone, (which I will extend to computer use and multitasking...bc I know I'm terrible about listening(mostly) to what my kids are saying while cleaning/thinking about what I need to do next/laundry/fill in the blank.) So, really, I'm working on being more present and attentive to people when they are talking to me. 

#6-Only buy what is necessary. Not that I do a lot of splurge shopping(most of the time!), but I think that a conscious effort to only buy what we need would be a good way for me to simplify for Lent. 

#12 Pray More is always a good one for me. Jay and I are trying to focus on doing a family rosary each night with the kids. I'm also adding some daily Lent reflections that I will get in my inbox each day to my routine. I enjoyed Dynamic Catholic's Best Lent Ever last year, so I signed up again. I also was surprised to find this Ash Wednesday reflection in my inbox today from ReallifeCatholic.com, but I'm glad I did! It was a good reminder for me to offer up the sacrifices I'm making today, and through all of Lent, for the people God places on my heart. It certainly makes giving up snacks much more meaningful when a "rumbly tummy" reminds you to pray for someone you love..and feeling hungry is an opportunity to "offer it up" so that God's grace blesses those family members/friends that are on your heart!

Jay also sent me a really great short video on Lent by Fr. Mike Schmitz. He is one of Jay's favorite speakers right now to listen to when he's looking for material for his talks to the senior youth group he's in charge of at our parish. Fr. Mike is a young, very engaging speaker. His short talk on The Significance of Ash Wednesday was really good! It's only 5 minutes...so if you can, head on over and check it out!

Here's to all of us having a meaningful, God guided Lent!

Luke is VERY excited that it's Ash Wednesday!

 

A Few of My Favorite Things

We were spoiled by a mostly mild winter up until Friday! Now...not so much. Winter didn't want to pass by without leaving it's mark!

I can honestly say that winter is not my favorite season! The cold and the lack of daylight make me want to hibernate!

I've tried to make myself feel better by thinking ahead to summer months and trying to research a possible mini vacation to Story Land with our younger set. I've also been spending some time starting to outline our next Disney vacation at the end of the year that my parents invited us on! My parents are Disney addicts, especially my mom, and they love to share their Disney love with their children and grandchildren! (We are so blessed!)

Since I love to plan things and Disney is a place where you need to have pretty specific plans to make the most out of the vacation...meals planned 180 days in advance, fast passes, etc...it's a great outlet for me! Planning and anticipating the vacation are almost as fun for me as the vacation itself!

Last night, I was huddled under a blanket googling "best Disney restaurants" to try and come up with a couple new places to try on our upcoming visit. Trying to make a trip special for everyone and get in their favorites can be challenging...especially with an age range on the trip from 5-69! That's one of the BEST things about Disney....there's something for everything! Lots of family time....and lots of family memories! My two favorite things!

Speaking of favorite things....Late last night, I found out that Jamberry is coming out with a Disney Collection!! I was SO excited! I couldn't help thinking that it was a funny coincidence that the Disney Collection by Jamberry got announced as I was putting together our next Disney trip!

If your family are Disney fans...or you know people that are(!)....please pass on your favorite Disney restaurants! If you want to check out Jamberry's new Disney Collection, you can find it here on my website: https://hamel.jamberry.com/us/en/shop/shop/for/nail-wraps?collection=collection%3A%2F%2F1128#.VroqIfkrLct

Here are a couple of the shots from our last Disney vaca!

Sampling from around World Showcase is so much fun! 

Via Napoli is one of our favorites!

Some of my favorites from the new Disney Collection by Jamberry!

Reflections of a Mom

As I watch EWTN's coverage of the March For Life, I can't help but think of the ways that I have been a part of or witnessed Pro Life moments in my life.  For many people, the term "Pro-Life" brings up the topic of abortion. But, in reality, being Pro-Life is so much more than that.

When I think of Pro-Life.....

1. Lend a Hand...Or a Meal

We all need encouragement in life...especially as pregnant moms and moms of littles. A smile, a kind word, an offer to help a struggling mom stuck in a tough moment with multiple littles...all these things help to create a pro-life culture. Celebrating the announcement of a new baby...especially when the baby is a surprise(God's good at sending those) and/or baby #4,5,6 or #whatever in a large family when "God bless you" from people that hear your news sounds more like "You people are crazy"! Right, Colleen?!? (p.s. Colleen, your cheesecake to celebrate will be coming soon!)

I'm blessed to be part of an apostolate through my church that provides meals for those that are recovering from surgery/illness or just had a baby. I love helping other moms! It's tough work in the trenches of motherhood....and reaching out to a tired, overwhelmed mama can do wonders to give someone a boost of hope to get through a bumpy moment! When I was pregnant with Kate and very close to delivering, a woman from our church blessed us with a surprise meal...with enough food to last for three meals! It was such a loving gesture! When I was pregnant with Luke, one of Jay's friends overheard Jay say that he had finally finished scraping together enough money to pay the hospital copay that would be due when Luke was born. That friend wrote Jay a check for the amount of the copay...and we were able to use the money that Jay saved to make up for his per diem check during the week he took off to take care of all of us after Luke was born. Such a blessing.

Even though we're not able to give financial gifts like that...at least not at this point in our lives...giving a meal or offering to babysit so a new mom can get a nap,(or a shower), is right up my alley!  

Kate holding my friend Laura's new baby girl, Grace! Kate LOVES babies! :)

2. Respect of Life Through Natural Death

We have beautiful examples that our families have given us of caring for aging parents as they make their journey from this life to their Eternal Home.

~I think of my aunts and my father who cared for my grandmother in every single way as she was dying from cancer a little over two years ago. She died at home surrounded by the love and care of her family.
~I think of my father-in-law and his 10 brothers and sisters who cared for Jay's grandmother as she was dying from cancer a little over 5 years ago. The siblings that were close by all spent time physically caring for her, while the siblings farther away offered their prayers and their gratitude for the love that was being shown to their mother.
~I think of my mother and father-in-law who cared for my mil's mom at home as she was going through the end of her life. Although dementia had changed her personality, they showed her the love and care she needed 24/7 until she passed.
~I think of my parents and grandfather who were constantly by my grandmother's side in the nursing home through the end of her illness 12 years ago.
~I see the love and care our families give to our two surviving grandfathers....helping them to be as independent as they can be and to help them enjoy their 90's as much as possible!

3. "Adoption is the visible Gospel." John Piper

I have been blessed to be a small part of our very good friends' walk through adoption. God's plan for them to become parents was through adoption. Their first daughter, Colette, is also our God-daughter. I remember the day that Bud and Kim received Colette's picture for the first time! They were SO excited to share their first glimpse of the baby girl that God had chosen for them! They brought home Colette at 10 months and about 2 1/2 years later, they brought back their daughter, Catherine. It was such a blessing to see Kim go through a "spiritual pregnancy" as they waited for the time when they were allowed to travel to China and get their baby.

In the words of Valerie Harper, "However motherhood comes to you, it is a miracle."

My beautiful Goddaughter, Colette, and her equally beautiful sister, Catherine!

4. What You Did For The Least Of These...

On August 21, 2011, my niece, Mya, made a much too early arrival into the world. My sister-in-law, Jackie, only made it to 23 weeks and 5 days in her pregnancy when efforts to stop labor by her doctors failed. Mya was only 1 lb 5 oz.  With low odds and lots of talk of all the possible problems that could happen, a 4 month stay in the NICU began. Miraculously, Mya had no major complications and came home the day before Christmas Eve....the best Christmas gifts her parents have ever received! Today, Mya is a completely normally developing 4 year old...and Kate's best friend! :)

Mya when she was born(top) and Mya at her 1st birthday

Mya and Kate

5. Welcome to Holland

Welcome to Holland , written by Emily Kingsley, is a touching story about being a parent of a special needs child. (It only takes a minute to read so click on over if you haven't read it before.)

 The joys and struggles of raising a special needs child is something that I've written about frequently in the past. Peter has challenged us in SO many ways...but he has also helped our whole family to grow in ways that we probably never would have without him in our lives. Raising a special needs child is probably the second most difficult "detour" in life that we have had to face. (Actually, it's probably the third most difficult detour if you count becoming parents the first time...but I will touch on that subject in a minute!) I say "detour", because no one plans on having a special needs child. No one during pregnancy prays that their child will have physical, emotional, or cognitive disabilities. 

BUT.."My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."Isaiah 55:8-9

Even though we don't understand the "why's" behind having a child with special needs, I know the reasons are something I will only understand when I'm standing before God and see the whole picture...not just what I think I understand from my limited view! Until then, I will try to enjoy all the beautiful things about Holland!

Our goofy guy who LOVES water parks!

6. "And A Little Child Shall Lead Them"Isaiah 11:6

We became parents when we were still children ourselves. It certainly was not the easiest road! Being a parent defined us before we even knew who we were. It's kind of like buying shoes that are several sizes too big and having to wear them until your grow into them! Lots of awkward stumbling at the beginning! Eventually we figured it out to some degree...as much as any of us parents can actually figure anything out! Even though parenthood arrived earlier that we thought it would....God certainly sent lots of blessings to us as a family!

Specifically the eight shown here........

Plus one........................ 

7. "But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, 
where neither moth nor rust consumes

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 

It's amazing that scenes from my life over a 16 day period, that happened almost 18 years ago(!), can still be so vivid in my mind! An induced delivery at 35 weeks for failure to thrive, a baby that doesn't cry after delivery, an ambulance ride shortly after delivery to a hospital with a level 3 NICU, baby on a vent, meeting with doctors to hear our daughter had some kind of genetic disorder, genetic testing, learning her genetic disorder was "incompatible with life", a crash course on morality issues like DNR, a rushed Baptism, the grace granted to us of a few extra days after storming Heaven with prayers, lots of love and support from friends and family, extreme sleep deprivation, dressing her for the first time, bringing her home, seeing her sleep in her crib for the first and last time, holding her in my arms as she took her last breath.......

Therese's life fits in a paragraph but the hole she left in our hearts will last a life time. The short 16 days she lived were not without purpose or meaning.  She touched the lives of people near and far. She touched the lives of people she met and people that were praying for our family and for a miracle from far away.

Babies with genetic disorders have a right to life, too, even if that life doesn't look like the one we would have chosen for them....

Therese lived the life that God gave her...and we were blessed to be able to care for her for that short amount of time. We are blessed to have memories. With at least one of our children, we successfully completed our most important job as a parent....we loved our daughter into Heaven!