On the Move: Take THAT Spina Bifida!

Guess who decided to move just a few days before we put heavy casts on her legs!?!! And she did it when Mommy wasn't home, the little booger. I can barely watch this without crying my eyes out.

I wish I could describe the overwhelming sense of gratitude my heart feels, but words could never do it justice. I am so very, very proud of our rock star, and I am so very, very thankful for a God who answers my prayers.

I'll let the video say the rest.



"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Romans 12:12

Small Style: Making It Work

Back in the day, I used to do a weekly blog post called Fashion Friday. It was fun way to make sure I was taking photos of Emma regularly. Then Kendall came along, and I had a hard time keeping it up.  Really, I was just happy if we made it out of our pajamas every day.

By the time Brooklyn entered our world, I did master the whole getting dressed every day thing, but fashion wasn't much of a priority. I depended on bins of hand-me-downs and clothing gifts from friends and family. Needless to say, we are all about second-hand around here.

As much as I'd like to shop for my girls - I drool over Zulily and The Mini Social on a daily basis -- I just can't justify spending money if we already have bins full of perfectly fine threads. Emma is about the only one that gets anything truly new, and most of it is from her birthday and birthday money. Funds are tight and, really, how much do we need?

With all of that said, I do say that I've gotten sloppy. I've relied a little too much on predetermined "outfits" and just rewash the same old things over and over. A quick look at my Facebook pix will show you I've fallen into the same trend with my own wardrobe.

How did I get so boring? I love clothes. I know there are more important things in the world, but getting dressed should be fun and should make you feel good. I mean, I have THREE GIRLS!!! I should be having a blast. Just because I don't have a huge wardrobe budget doesn't mean we can't get a little creative.

Sooooo... I've been inspired to get out of my fashion pity-party and make the most of what we have.

Here's the plan: every Thursday I'm going to try and  link up with Small Style at  Mama Loves Papa. But I won't be bragging about labels here. My goal is to try to update some great oldies. I'm not saying that I will be offering you any inspiration. Really, I'm using this as a way to get me inspired...and an excuse to take more photos of my girls.

So here is the first installment. We'll title it, Bo-Ho Brooklyn.
Clothing stats at the bottom. Have a great weekend everyone!

Pants:  Kee-Ka Organics, Kendall hand-me-down

Shirt: Sonoma, Ava (niece) hand-me-down

Hat: Old Navy, Ava (niece) hand-me-down

Amber teething necklace: gift from Aunt Jenni

Quick Update

So, yeah, no surgery again this week due to Tuesday's fever and what appears to be an ear infection that never quite went away. That's three canceled surgery dates in one month. Annoying, yes, but really, I'm okay with it.

Granted, I was beyond frustrated Tuesday morning when I felt Brooklyn's hot head, but as the day went on, I realized it was absolutely ridiculous to be upset about not taking her in for surgery. I mean, who wants to take their kid in for surgery?

Last night, as I nursed and rocked Brooklyn to sleep, I thought about the fact that I could have been doing the very same thing in a hospital rocking chair. I could have been kissing my hubby goodbye as he headed home to our girls.  Our girls could have had someone other than me tucking them in for the night and sending them off to school in the morning.

But instead, I was nursing a snuggly, sweet-smelling baby as my other two babies slept soundly next door, and my hubby waited on the couch with a cozy blanket. And I got to start my morning with all four of them piled into my bed. Really, there was no where else I wanted to be -- and for that, I was grateful.

Yes, I want to get this surgery done and over with. But it isn't an emergency (thank God!), and I don't want to send my baby off to the OR if I have even an inkling that she is not at her best. I will wait until the time is right, whether that takes another week or another month (although hopefully not another month... :)

As always, thank you for your prayers. We promise to keep you posted. Until then, there is a man and cozy blanket calling my name. Have a great weekend, everyone!

On a Star

I can still feel the grit of the shingles scraping my toes, the salty tears trailing down my cheeks. The promise, the hope of the stars -- reflections of something bigger than me. Bigger than my one whispered request.

Let me find him, Lord.

Little did I know that just five years later, I would find him. He would ride up on a white horse with four wheels and steal my breath while gently asking for my heart. He would see my soul, my mind, and love every inch of my awkward frame, erasing all of the painful words of childhood.

He would boldly defend my honor and reintroduce me to my Father, making me feel safe, cherished, loved.

He would ask for my hand in our favorite place away from home, and we would eat frozen raviolis every Thursday on the hand-me-down table we positioned right in front of the TV. At times it would seem there were more fights than laughter, but always – always -- passion.

He would give me three beautiful girls, every one special and a wonderful surprise in their own way. The miracle of the first. The joy of the second. The blessing of the third.

Together, we would build our dream house, our home. A living memory box of two little girls giggling on the playroom floor, of two humbled adults crying on their knees in the office. Of a family of five grateful for sleeping under one roof.

One little request, softly spoken, yet heard. Answered. Bringing more to my life than I ever imagined, more love than one star could hold.

Happy Anniversary, sweetheart. I couldn’t dream up a better person to spend this life with. Our love isn’t perfect, but it is unconditional and it is forever.

I love you. I like you. And I hope you already know, I’m so glad I found you.

Surgery Canceled

Well, unfortunately, Brooklyn's surgery  was canceled today at the last minute. We have been fighting a massive diaper rash the last week and half, and it decided to flare up again this morning, prompting our surgeon to call off surgery (right before heading to the OR). Because we think the rash is bacterial, the chance of infection and complications was too much of a risk. We are hoping to reschedule for next week.

We are so sorry for the false alarm and still really appreciate all of the prayers. We are frustrated, of course, but we are trusting in God's timing. It is always perfect!

We will keep you posted on the new surgery date. Thank you all again!

Surgery #4

Wow, am I feeling this post tonight. Trusting, trusting, trusting...

Prayer Request: Brooklyn's Surgery on Wednesday

 Once again, we humbly come to you and ask you to say a prayer for Miss Brooklyn, who will be having surgery on Wednesday. Thankfully, it is only foot surgery, but they are estimating it will take about 4 hours and, of course, she will have to be put under.

She will be having surgery on both feet, although they will most likely do more work on her left foot. The name of the procedure our surgeon will be performing is Posteromedial Lateral Release, which basically means she will be making Brooklyn's feet flat and straight. Unfortunately, the Achilles tendon surgery Brooklyn had last year to flatten her feet wasn't successful, and her clubbed feet that were corrected with the casts have started to turn in. This surgery is necessary to correct both of those things so that she will be able to properly stand and bear weight on her legs.

We also ask that you pray for Brooklyn's recovery process, as she will have pins in her feet, as well as splints and casts on her legs for 7 weeks. We aren't quite sure how this will go over with our little rock star, but we are hopeful that she will be her usual rock star self and "make it work"!

The good news is that once she is fully recovered, we will be measuring her for a stander, which is very exciting! Because she lacks feeling in her lower legs (below the knee), she doesn't quite understand that she can use them to stand. But once her feet have been corrected, we will be able to teach her body what to do by using this device. What a joy it will be to see her standing on her own two feet some day...we can hardly wait! I have a feeling she is going to love being off the ground and closer to her two big sisters!

For now, Miss Brooklyn more than enjoys sitting up and playing independently. And as of last month, she can even push herself up from the ground all by herself. We are so proud of her! She isn't attempting to crawl since her knees don't quite want to bend the full 90 degrees, but she is starting to get curious about moving around. We are working on her core strength to help her accomplish that, but it is more likely she will "scooch" or army crawl instead of a 4-point-crawl. As with all things Spina Bifida, we will just have to wait and see!

As we prepare for Wednesday, we ask you to pray for any (or all!) of the following:

1. God's protection during the surgery and as she comes out of the anesthesia
2. A successful and peaceful recovery process -- no complications
3. God's miraculous intervention to restore all nerve and muscle functions (We have to ask! :)
4. Peace for us during the surgery
5. Peace for Emma and Kendall as they spend time away from us and as they pray for their little sister

Thank you all for your continued love, support, and prayer. We cannot express how much every one of your prayers means to our family. Sending our daughter into her fourth surgery (eek!) is definitely not an easy task, but we feel God's love and power through all of you.

We will keep you all updated on how everything goes on Wednesday. Thank you so very much, and may God bless you all!

Photo credit: Erin Olson Photography

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:7

Middle

She makes me laugh, even when I shouldn't. She can rock a leotard and cowboy boots like no one else and has a charm that oozes out of every one of her dainty features.

Her imagination and determination will take her to places far beyond both of our dreams, and those dimples will make some poor boy wonder if he ever stood a chance. (He didn't.)

The drama -- oh the drama! -- is never lost on her. The more, the better. There isn't a corner of this house she hasn't used to prove her point, a floor board that hasn't felt her stomp.

Her heart is sensitive, but it is big. Her love is freely given, but she is more eager to receive (a trait Mommy will watch carefully in the years to come...).

Her snuggles in the way-too-early hours are treasured and come second only to her awesome tight-around-the-neck hugs that linger just long enough to make you melt.

Sleep ain't got nothing on her, and the excuses for her late-night ventures outside of her room usually leave us giggling and somehow promising to change Barbie into her pajamas--and tuck her in, of course.

Yes, she is victim of many middle-child parenting tendencies I promised I'd never let happen, but thankfully she is making her own mark on this world and needs little help from me.

Her voice will be heard. Her presence remembered.

I have no doubt.

Kendall, you are the child of my heart, my joy, my sunshine. Don't ever feel forgotten or insignificant. Your light shines bright, my love, and we are all so very blessed to feel its warmth.

Different

I admit that lately I've been feeling like I've been lacking in the Mommy Mo-Jo department. I've been working a lot again and things have felt "off" around here. And when things feel "off" I tend to go off the deep end -- over-analyzing all that went wrong, is going wrong, and may go wrong in the future -- when really I probably just need a good night's sleep.

But last night was a good night. A night that told me everything is okay and maybe, just maybe, I can be good at this Mommy thing after all.

I have said before that my Emma is a complicated child. She is passionate and expressive in many ways, but when it comes to the deep-down feelings, she tends to tuck them away. But as with all of us, I know those emotions will find their way out one way or another, so I do my best to pay attention.

I could tell something had been bothering her all week and after a little probing about why she didn't want me to pack a rice milk box in her lunch, she revealed that she is embarrassed about her food allergies. Actually, she told me that she doesn't understand why God made her with allergies.

Now, we've already had the talk about Brooklyn and why God made her the way He did (I may or may not write about that some day), but this wasn't about Brooklyn. And, really, I loved that. As much as my mind wanted to go there, this was about Emma and only Emma. It was about her feelings about being different, which are just as important, just as real, and just as valid as the ones Brooklyn will have some day.

I know this seems obvious--and it is--but I have been worried lately that Brooklyn's special needs have been taking priority over the girls. So it was just really, really nice to focus on Emma's feelings. To know that I could still see them lurking beneath the surface and, more importantly, help her express them.

So last night, at her bedside, we had a nice discussion about how God makes us all different and unique, and how we should try our best to be proud of those differences. And if for some reason we don't like or understand some of the decisions He makes, we have to choose to trust Him and focus on our blessings. We can either choose to sit in the corner and be sad about our allergies -- which won't change a darn thing -- or we can choose to be happy and be thankful that we have lots of other foods we can enjoy.

She understood, cried, asked a few questions, and we ended it all with a few hugs. I honestly thought we had a Full House moment -- I swear there was music playing the background -- and then I asked her, "Do you feel better?"

Her response?

"Not really."

Okay then.

But somehow I think she did feel better. And if she didn't, I know she at least learned something. I know I did.

I can do this.

I may say the wrong things most of the time and at the wrong volume -- and God knows I will certainly do my share of messing up in the future -- but I am learning to see her heart. To ask the right questions. To listen.

I can do this.

Take THAT Spina Bifida!

Make

So I'm not really a crafty person, but I have to admit that I've had the itch to make something with my hands the last couple of years. I even asked for a sewing basket for Christmas a few years ago and was ecstatic when I also got a sewing machine. Okay, yes, it is still in its original box and collecting a whole lot of dust, but I WILL learn to use it someday. (It's on the life list, right next to learning to play the piano and touching a letter on Wheel of Fortune.)

Anyway, when I started planning Brooklyn's birthday party, I decided it was a good excuse to go a bit "Martha Stewart" and try my hand at some DIY party stuff. You know, do the whole "theme" thing and actually buy materials to make things like banners and cupcake toppers...things most sane people would buy from the store.

If there is one thing I have learned this last year it's that life is something to be celebrated. And although the party preparations totally stressed me out and only about half of the guest list ending up attending, I don't regret one of those crafts or little touches that I knew I wanted at this party. Something inside of me wanted to express -- with my own two hands -- just how beautiful life is to me these days.

How simple pleasures can mean everything.

How something as simple as tissue can turn into a beautiful flower. How colorful paper can dress up a cupcake. Or how fresh flowers in the middle of a table or a bag of gummy worms might make somebody's day a little brighter.

Yes, Brooklyn's 1-year mark gave us a lot to celebrate. "Big" things like successful surgeries and a functioning shunt, and "little" things like kicking legs and contagious giggles. But, what we have really learned is that EVERY day is a gift that should be celebrated. And perhaps more importantly, that joy is not found in what you are given, but what you make of it.



 

Ignore the fact that the pink flower on the left is hiding the letter "b" in "birthday." It's not a big deal...really. I mean, it doesn't bother me at all. Not at all.

(*Note: I did not make the pinwheels. Those were purchased from this crafty lady.)







A HUGE thanks to my Mom who helped me make a ridiculous number of tissue pom-poms. XOXO

The absolutely gorgeous dress made by my friend Katie that Miss Brooklyn tolerated for almost the entire party.

My three garden fairies...

Big sister making sure little sister inhales as much sugar as possible.

Not sure if she ever found the cake, but she sure did love the icing.

"Yeaaaaaahhhhh!" (One of her favorite words...second only to "Hi!")

And the big finish... showing off her latest trick -- pushing to sit!-- that managed to squeeze out a few tears from her adoring audience. (Video later this week.)












"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:14

A Year of Faith, Joy and Hope

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn! We love you more than words could ever describe.

Seek

They are as blue as the sky, but run deeper than the ocean. They look straight past your weaknesses and pull out hope and strength and faith and the I-can-do-this will you never knew you had lurking beneath the surface.

They pierce your soul and make you search, dig, and discover that what makes you "special" is hidden inside your heart and has nothing to do with the way you look, what you have, or what you can't do.

They are strong and determined and gentle and breathtaking. They inspire my heart, keep my mind focused, and encourage my spirit.

In one glance, I am reminded of the artistry of this life, of His creation. The beauty He carefully placed in all of us.

You just have to be willing to look for it.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:18

Seeing the Promise

Remember this post? Well, the other day Emma spotted this in the sky, and I'm not sure if I was more captivated by its beauty or the fact that He allowed her to see it before any of the 100 other people at the park. She spread the word, and we all stood in awe.



Yes, this photo is real, and, yes, I actually took it. But, honestly, I just clicked. The beauty...well, that's God's doing people.

Enjoy.

(Linking up to You Capture: Pretty today.)

First

Today, as we played outside, she disappeared inside for a while. Just when I was about to worry, she reappeared with three cups of water in hand and the proudest smile on her face. "I got us all water," she said, glowing.

The other day, at 4pm, she asked to take a shower all by herself. At 4pm. It was important to her. I could tell. So I helped her get her stuff together, gave her a quick tutorial on how to wash her hair, and closed the door.

On Friday, she graduated from Kindergarten. My baby graduated from Kindergarten. I bought her a cross necklace as a small gift, and I was so afraid she wasn't going to like it. It was just so simple. No sparkles, no frills, no pink.

She told me she loved it. And I know she meant it.

I don't write about her much because I'm not sure it's my place anymore. She's been growing (up) so much lately. She feels so deeply and yet lives so freely...she's complicated and words just won't do her justice. She is truly the big sister, and I am convinced she is a big reason why God decided we were special enough to be blessed with Brooklyn.

I am so very proud of my baby. My first. Her Faith inspires me, her passion challenges me, and her smile reminds me of why this Mommy thing is the best thing I ever did.

I love you, Emma Kay. I see you reaching, stretching, finding your wings. And as much as my heart is aching, it is also beaming with pride and waiting to embrace you whenever you need catching.

Climbing

So I realize that I haven’t been very good about updating all of you on how Brooklyn is doing physically. It hasn’t been on purpose. Most of the time, I’m just too tired to type it all out, and sometimes…well, I just don’t want to. Or, rather, I’m not ready to. But after seeing all the wonderful comments about the photos I posted a few weeks ago with Brooklyn sucking on her toes, I feel I at least owe you a quick explanation of how our little Rockstar is doing.

She has been a busy girl the last few months. She has physical therapy once a week for her gross motor skills and occupational therapy once a week for her gross and fine motor skills. She is delayed a tad on both, but that is to be expected since she is still building up her core strength. Her casts and her head size put her at a disadvantage from the start, and because she is missing leg mass (muscles), her center of gravity is off. Needless to say, she is working hard to catch up.

She can roll over from belly to back, but when it comes time for back to belly, she struggles. She tries so hard to do it, but her legs get stuck and she needs a little help getting them out of the way.

She is definitely kicking and can bend her legs at the knee, although both take some effort. It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t have any feeling in her feet or toes, but that doesn’t keep us from tickling, rubbing, and praying over them every chance we get. We’re not sure if she has any feeling between her ankles and her knees, but she definitely has feeling in her quads, as evidenced by her giggle every time they get tickled during a diaper change. According to our physical therapist, quads are all that she needs to walk.

She is THISclose to sitting all by herself, and I am so proud of how far she has come in just a few months. She no longer cries through her therapy sessions and is happily interacting with toys and her therapists. She still, however, hates tummy time, but she is starting to tolerate that more and more.



We have done some weight-bearing leg exercises, but because she lacks feeling in her feet, she doesn’t quite understand that she can support her body with her legs. So we are going to have to teach her legs what to do—and that will take time.

She will also need to have surgery in the next two months since her first foot surgery didn’t take, so she will be back in casts right around her first birthday. A bummer for sure, but the good news is that once she is out of the casts, she goes right into a stander, which gives us a huge incentive to get her feet where they need to be.

I have to admit, watching her work isn’t always easy. I know what my other girls were doing at this age – Kendall was practically walking – and I am trying hard not to go there. There is just so much that I took for granted. And then, of course, I see other babies her age crawling around and standing, and we aren’t anywhere near that.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it…all of that hurts. Up until now, the differences have been minimal. Brooklyn has been just like any other happy, kicking baby. But now…now the things we feared the most are starting to surface and, well, that can take its toll on a mama’s heart. Honestly, it has been taking a bit of a toll on all of our hearts.

But as I am learning, this is all part of the process of acceptance. I am learning it is okay to hurt and not be Miss Positive all the time because if I am really going to work through this in a healthy way, I’m going to have to admit that I do get sad. I do get frustrated. And I do get disappointed.

In many ways, I feel like we are climbing a mountain. Sometimes we are full speed ahead with our eyes on the prize, while other times we are exhausted, trying to find our way around a bump, or just need a break. All of that is part of the journey.

At this week’s physical therapy session, our therapist did something new. She propped Brooklyn’s arms up against a chair as she held her legs straight, and it looked like she was standing on her own. And in that moment, I got to experience a new part of the journey—the mountaintop.

I can’t tell you what an awesome feeling it was to get a glimpse into Brooklyn’s future. My heart felt like it was literally going to burst. I was so proud I could barely contain myself—and she wasn’t even really standing by herself.

Not yet, that is.

This journey is rough and I know it will be long, but I now know that it will be those mountaintop moments that will make every rough patch, every bump, every stumble more than worth it. As a man I respected very much used to say, “Onward and Upward!”

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed

Happy Mother's Day everyone!!!!

To Not Forget

Confession time...

My girls do not have baby books. Well, Emma has one, but I think I spent one day filling it out when she was like 1 month old, and Kendall's is totally empty and downstairs in the basement near the wrapping paper. (I think.)

And, well, poor Brooklyn didn't stand a chance.

That was truly why I started this blog way back in 2005. I didn't start it to become some celebrity blogger or get all sorts of free stuff (which is a good thing cuz none of those things even came close to happening); I started it because it was an online stat keeper, memory logger, and photo holder. But then I had Kendall and I realized that as much as I loved writing about my girls for fun, I couldn't do it if it meant sacrificing the time I had with them.

Now I could get all noble and say that I purposely decided that experiencing life with my kids was more important than blogging about it, but really, the decision was more along the lines of I'm-totally-overwhelmed-with-this-mommy-thing-and-I-can't-take-on-one-more-task-without-losing-my-mind.

But I'm starting to forget stuff. I can feel the little nuggets of cuteness, the stories -- their stories -- slipping away, and it scares me. Somewhere in the midst of "getting through the day," they went from my babies to little ladies that are starting school, losing teeth, and spouting the word, "whatever." And it's not so much the milestones I'm afraid of missing, it's what is sandwiched between the milestones. Those little moments that define them much more than any milestone ever will. Those moments that I know I will miss. Heck, I already miss them.

So, here is a list of random things I don't want to forget. Things I remembered today and hope I will always remember, but just in case I don't, I'll have this nice little list as a reference. Maybe I'll do this regularly - since these are clearly very short lists of the majorly cute things my girls do (a-hem!) - but I'm not making any promises. I like to keep you guys on your toes after all. (Translation: I never can seem to follow any sort of blogging schedule.)

So without further a-do, a random list of Forget-These-Not:

Emma

• The way she used to say "applepines" instead of "pineapples" (still not sure how she found out the correct word...)
• The way she narrates when she plays with any sort of figurines or Barbies ("Wait, Ken, wait," she said, as she ran down the stairs.)
• That she read me an entire Fancy Nancy book at the age of 5 (and continues to blow me away every day)
• That she prayed for Brooklyn literally every day until she was born
• She lost her first tooth on April 25, 2011...when she should have been sleeping but instead was informing me that she and her sister were in fact not sleeping but were playing and she thought I should know
• The way she wraps her blankie around her head like a babushka every night before bed.

Kendall

• That she says "berry" instead of "very" (Our berry own Strawberry Shortcake.)
• She calls leprechauns "leppermens" (and will never be corrected by me...)
• Her opposing desires for all things action-packed and beautiful (i.e., she wants to either be a pirate or a ballerina for Halloween; would like her birthday theme to be cars; and wants Barbies and a pink or purple Power Ranger -- the one with the dragon -- for Christmas)
• How she needs to give me "a hug, a kiss, and a mah" before bed (which is followed by a few dozen "Let me tell you somefings")
• That she reminds us to do the prayer bucket every day and loves to pray for other people (especially "the people in Japan")
• The way she brought down the house at her Christmas program this year (The girl has moves!)

Brooklyn

• The wide goofy grin she gives me as soon as she's done nursing
• The way she grips my "Mom" necklace like it's her lifeline
• The giggly cry that tells me I must hold her N-O-W!!
• The way she lights up when she sees her Daddy or her sisters
• Her pink blanket that is now her trademark at Children's Memorial (Just ask any nurse...)
• That it only takes that very blankie, a few snuggles, and the chorus of "Here I Am to Worship" to get those eyes ready for dreamland

Today

We take nothing for granted around here.

Nothing.



Every smile. Every giggle. Every roll. Every kick. Every kick.


 
Every kick.

They are victories, every one of them. What may seem small and insignificant is evidence of a big, big God that can move mountains...and our little girl's legs.

Today, He died for my little girl. For all of my little girls.

For all of us.

He died so that one day we can have more blessings than we can fathom.



So that one day she will not only be able to feel her toes, but dance on them and praise the One who gave His life because He loved her that much.

I will make sure she knows that Truth and all that He promises her in Heaven.




His sacrifice, more than we can ever imagine. His gift, greater than we could ever deserve.

Don't take it for granted.

Foto Friday: Silly Reminder

I love this picture so much I had to share it. It is just so my girls. Anyone who knows them, knows that they love to be goofy. Like ALL. THE. TIME.

At 6am... during prayer... at bedtime...

I admit, most of the time it drives me nuts.

And that is exactly why I love this photo so much.

It reminds me how much joy their goofiness can bring me...if I let it. So often I get so stressed out about what they/we could/should be doing that I forget to take a step back and enjoy the best part of my kids...

Their youth.

They are goofy, silly, at times absolutely cra-zy, but you know what?

They are fun.

All too often do I find myself squashing the silly aound here, and for what? Life is just too short.

I now have this photo as my screen saver as a reminder to make room for the silly in this house.

For laughing as I drink my morning coffee. For allowing my girls to share their joy when talking to God. And for ending the night with a giggle or two (even if, a-hem, Daddy has been out of town for 4 days...)

So a very happy weekend to all of you. May it be filled with lots of silly!