Peru Bound!

Normal life interrupted......to be continued on January 2nd!

May you all have a wonderful and safe New Years Eve! I'll be back next year! ;)

Walking through the Valley

The events of the past two weeks have caused me to be grateful for the everyday blessings. All those little things and even the big ones that I so often take for granted. Even a normal routine of everyday life can be a huge blessing!

Two weeks ago, I lost both a great uncle and great aunt. I was closest to my uncle, but neither loss was particularly hard for me. I felt more sorrow for my maternal grandparents as they'd each just lost a sibling only days apart. Both had lived to see their children and grandchildren grow and both had died from different forms of cancer. The only plus was it brought my parents and youngest brother to our house once again. Making a new record of four times in less than a year! :D Sorry, can't help but be happy about that detail! It also gave me an opportunity to see one of my very dear friend's one week old baby about two hours away when I took my brother to catch his flight early Sunday morning.

That was a week ago this past Sunday. Yesterday we said our final goodbye to two week old Autumn Sage.

You see back in June or so they found out that their fourth little girl would be born with a severe case of Spina Bifida. Many, many, many people have been praying for healing for this precious unborn baby girl. But after a long difficult pregnancy on November 3 Autumn was delivered into the hands of a medical team that was ready to fight for her. Within a matter of hours she'd had surgery to repair her spine and close the hole in her back. She made it through four or so hours of surgery and was doing good. Not many days later she underwent surgery to have a shunt put in to drain the extra fluid around her brain. She became dependant on the ventilator and later suffered a few seizures. The reports that came back weren't good and the difficult decision was made to take her off life support. She passed away about 20 minutes later at only 2 weeks old.

Such a short life, but one that has touched so many! I know that I have truly touched an angel! She was beautiful in every way and now she is perfect and free of all pain and disabilities! I don't know that I have ever hurt more over a loss, not even my own miscarriage. Something about praying and praying over a child and hoping and dreaming and the answer still being "no". It's was a part of His perfect plan and we can share in that hope of what's to come! I can't imagine how people face a loss without a faith in the one true and living God!

Autumn has truly touched my life. I was asked to take pictures both the Sunday we went to visit and then again on the day that they took her off the ventilator. It was a privilege and an honor, but at the same time so heart wrenching. I'm glad I was able to preserve memories that will last a lifetime, but it still feels like so little.

So this is my little tribute to Autumn Sage born Nov. 3 and passed away Nov. 17. You were loved by so many and will be missed for years to come!

If you'd like to read more about Autumn's story and give Kim, her mother, some love and words of comfort or encouragement, please stop by her blog at Journey.... blessings in disguise....

Autumn is gone from this earth, but she is more free now than she ever would've been here, just like the balloons released in her honor!

Let's all take time to enjoy the precious moments we have today, because life truly is a vapor!

It's a girl!, sky watch, and other tid bits

From the time I was a young girl, I imagined a daughter of my own someday. That dream has been denied five times over and for the most part I've come to terms with it. Only every once in a while do I feel that twinge of disappointment.

I love each of my boys and wouldn't trade a single one for a daughter!!! I am truly grateful I'm raising five sons and NOT five daughters! However a few days ago that all changed. After almost 12 years of marriage there is now another female in the family! (Oops! I take that back, I forgot we did have another girl for a short time about nine years ago.)

She will be three years old in October and has thick black hair and brown eyes. She loves, loves, loves attention...what girl doesn't?! Ha!  She is so obedient and really has a great personality! We adopted her from a family that's moving to Florida and her name is Palin...meet our "big" baby....

Ok, it was fun to write all that, but honestly, I'm NOT the dog lover of the family. I will give her this though, I love her gentle personality compared to the three hyper overactive German Shorthaired Pointers we've previously owned!!! She's like an oversized cat that loves to rub up against you, hoping for some lovin. :) A real big baby! She's great with the boys and....we won't have to deal with raging hormones or pay for any weddings! ;) LOL!


The sky over our place lately has been absolutely beautiful! I stand in awe of the Creator of such masterpieces! Such splendor...even in the storms...

I'm pretty sure I photograph these every year. I'm not a lily lover, but these somehow catch my fancy.

The undersides of flowers can be just as beautiful!

That's it for now folks! Have a great Tuesday!

My First Mission Trip

***I interrupt my regular blog "theme" to bring you snapshots from a recent mission trip.***

It's been silent in my corner because we've spent the last week in...

Lost Creek, KY to be exact. In seven days time this place became very special to us...

We went with a group of 37 people (including us) from our church. *WARNING* really bright shirts ahead!

In the mornings we did this...

Songs...

 Even Jr. High & High schoolers came! AWESOME!!!

 Visits from Pandamania Pam...

Crafts...                                                                                                                                                       

Games...                                                                                                                                                      

 Snacks...

 And I think this one is just precious! This little guy is praying over the wordless book he made to send to China.

And an awesome bible story time inside the belly of a whale! It was so cool!

Our afternoons were filled with...

And most of our evenings weren't much slower...

We did have plenty of down time though to rest and visit with each other.

One thing for sure, our group knew how to have a good time!

Many friendships were made...

Many faces and places have become dear to us!

I could go on and on as there are so many things to share, but I think you get the idea. We had an amazing week that goes beyond description! This was the perfect family mission trip and I pray we get to go back next year and the next and the next!!!!

Yours truly...

***This post was started the Sunday we got back from our mission trip and was slowly worked on for several days till we took off camping for five days. I had a whole lot more pictures I wanted to share, but I knew at the rate I was going it'd be next month till I'd get it posted! Besides, I'm sure there are plenty already here to give you a good idea of how awesome our week was! ;)