Maternity/Mother's Day Mini-Session with Lisa Rappa Photography

Since Jack's birth, Mother's Day has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  Not only do I celebrate my own mother and thank her for the presence and influence she has in my life, but now I also celebrate myself as a mother.  I relish in the joy of motherhood, enjoying all for which it is, sacred, special and fulfilling.  Of course I also celebrate my mother-in-law and all the other wonderful mothers I know who touch and enrich my life each day, but there is something different and unique to be among one of the "celebrated" as a mother myself.

Part of my celebratory tradition includes having a Mother's Day photo shoot with Jack, and this year we expanded it to also be a Maternity Mini-Session.  So on Monday, May 7th, in a spring wind storm with rain on the horizon, we ventured out to The Marietta Square to have some pictures taken at almost 29 weeks pregnant.  I can't believe how beautiful they turned out, even with the uncooperative weather!  Discovering Lisa Rappa Photography was one of the best treasures I have ever found, and I am so happy with her work. She has become part of my family's milestones, capturing each new stage of our life together, and I truly find her talent remarkable.  I am so excited for her to take Lander's newborn photos once she makes her debut!  

Really love the textures in this pic!

It was really windy, and Jack was holding onto that balloon for dear life!  He did not want it to fly away!

Jack is so excited for his little sister, holding an "ITS A GIRL" balloon!

Jack loves trains, and we were lucky enough to be there as one raced by!

It is amazing to me that Lisa can make me look this good!  I truly LOVE this picture, and I am always so critical of myself!

Best kisser I know!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Now that is a bump!

And the wind blows...

Thank you to Lisa Rappa for these amazing photos I will cherish forever! 

Gum-Chewing-Spider-Jack-Bo

Spider Jack-Bo in his special birthday crown!

Jack's is kinda like this one.

When you turn 3 in The McQ Zoo, you get to chew gum. That is a HUGE privilege and responsibility!  Jack-Bo isn't quite 3 yet, but since we had his 3rd birthday party this past Sunday (early to be sure it was before Lander's birth), we knew we were going to allow it now.  The best part is that at Chuck E. Cheese he had enough tickets (thanks to Aunt Christie who found a 1000-count MAGIC ticket next to the ticket blaster) to pick out a mini gumball machine!  So we got to start his gum-chewing with special birthday party gum, which is just adding to his excitement each day so far.

There are rules to chewing gum though.  Rule #1 is you don't swallow it.  If you swallow it, then you lose your privilege at least until the next day.  Rule #2 is that when it loses its flavor you spit it out IN THE TRASH.  If there is no trash close by, you give it to a grown up.  Rule #3 is no gum in the car b/c if you choke the driver cannot get to you quickly enough.  Rule #4 is no sugar-free gum b/c we don't like Jack to have artificial sweeteners...but of course this makes brushing teeth even more important these days...speaking of which I casually mentioned to Jack last night that in a couple more weeks we will be taking him to the dentist.  HUGE mistake.  I am not even sure he knows what the dentist is, but he had a complete meltdown.  "The dentist is mean!"  Seriously?  How does he already know that?  I haven't taken him with me to the dentist except for one time when he was not even a year old.  Does he remember???  No way!

The party was awesome!  18 kids and 29 adults is a quite a crowd, and with so many family and friends who are near and dear to us, Jack seems to have a big birthday bash every year!  It was a blast! Chuck E. Cheese is the way to go for easy, air conditioned, low maintenance and NO CLEAN UP!  I highly recommend it to anyone who is pregnant or just stressed to find a birthday party solution. We brought in our own cake (Spider-Man, made by GRandi of course!) and ice cream, and even Spider-Man themed plates and napkins, but they also can provide all of that if you want them to. Anyway, it was cost-effective, fun and convenient, and our Party Host did a great job making Jack feel super special.  My favorite part was how proud he looked when he received his special birthday boy medal!

My proud big boy sporting his special birthday medal!

Posing with Daddy

 Blowing out his candles and picking his cupcake!

Getting ready to go into the ticket blaster and very excited!

 Riding the "Thinga-ma-jigger" and waving to Chuck 

(from a distance since he is terrified of the large costumed characters or animatronics!)

I love him SO MUCH!

Here are some of our friends and family who were able to come.  I didn't get pics of everyone, so this is just a sampling!

And here is Jack playing games, posing with loved ones and opening his gifts back at home.  He got lots of very cool toys and special thoughtful gifts!  Thank you so much to everyone!  (Oh and in the top right corner you will see Daddy driving the Chuck E. Cheese picture car to get his own pic with the celebrity mouse!  What a goob!)

One of the coolest things we did at the party was a picture sketchbook booth.  You get your picture taken and then the machine draws it like a pencil sketch.  The frame of course is a limited size, so it is hard to get 3 people into the picture, but we managed to get a hilarious photo in The McQ Zoo fashion of course with funny faces, and it is the only picture I have of me with Jack from the whole party!  I scanned it in below! There is also one of Jack with his cousin, Ethan!

So now we have had one last big hurrah for Jack before we add his little sister to The McQ Zoo!  I really wanted him to have a special time and a celebration just for him where HE was truly the center of attention. I am so glad it worked out how it did, and now we can relax and prepare for Lander and know that Jack had his special moment and that it was WONDERFUL.  Happy "Birthday Party Day," Jack-Bo!  You are Mommy and Daddy's favorite boy in the whole world!!!  We love you!!!

I am so lucky to have this precious boy and this miracle baby on the way!  Blessings from God, no doubt!  And who knows???  Maybe my next post will include our newest The McQ Zoo member!  :-)  Until next time...

FLASHBACK: "Go-Time!" - Jack's Birth Story

As I continue to prepare for the birth of Baby McQ #2, Lander Lee, I can't help but remember the experience I had awaiting the birth of my precious Jack-Bo, who by the way, will be celebrating his 3rd birthday August 4th, and today happens to be his birthday party day!  A bit early indeed, almost a full month, but with Lander due so soon, we wanted to make sure Jack got one more "big hurrah" before his little sister makes her debut.

So in honor of my birthday boy, and for a little nostalgia, here is a blast from the (not so distant) past:

"Go-Time!" - Jack's Birth Story

August 7, 2009

So Jack was overdue, and I was getting more and more uncomfy and worried that him being overdue was going to cause some issues with our birth plan.  On Monday 8/3 we went to our midwife for our 41 week check up only to find I was maybe 1cm.  Now this was the 1st time in my entire pregnancy that I had been "checked."  I thought it was going to be like having a pap-smear done.  No, it is not.  It was excruciating!  Kay (our midwife) said that the 1cm was not indicative of anything, that I could still go into labor at any point, but it would just be a harder labor.  She scheduled us for an ultrasound the next day to check the baby for any signs of distress.  Brett and I left her office feeling discouraged, but also sort of excited for the ultrasound.  We went home and decided to have a nice dinner of tilapia and rice and a spinach salad.  By the time we got done with dinner it was 9:30PM...

At 10:20 I went to the bathroom.  As I leaned forward to wipe, I heard a small "pop" and thought wow, that was a funny kick, Jack!  Then I stood up and my water gushed out!  I screamed to Brett like 5 times before he heard me b/c he was asleep on the couch.  He came in and then we sort of lost it a little in the sense of that we forgot everything we learned and didn't know what to do.  We ended up calling my mom who told us to call the midwife, who then told us that we should try to sleep b/c labor would most likely begin in the next 12 hours since my water broke first.  Had I been in public when it happened, it would have been just like the movies!

It was "go-time" though!  We were too excited to sleep.  We watched Law & Order Criminal Intent and then we tried to go to bed.  At 12:10AM on 8/4, less than 2 hours after my water broke, labor began!

Brett slept maybe an hour and a half during the night.  I did not sleep at all.  I played Tetris between contractions until they became too painful, and then I turned on VH1 and started moving with the music videos to help me through contractions.  Lying down was the WORST, so sleep was not possible at all.  We called my mom and sister early in the morning to update them and ask some questions.  We had a hard time identifying the length of the contractions b/c they were so different.  Some were in the front of my gut and others were in my back, but they were getting pretty close together!  Our birth team was ready to go!  My mom got to our condo about 7:30 and my sister was there at about 8:30.  Our original plan was for my sister to take our dogs to our friend's house and then come back to our place during the home labor part, but by 8:30 Kay had already told us to go in to the hospital.  Labor was REALLY progressing! 

We got to the hospital at about 9:30.  Kay checked me (OUCH!) and I was already 5cm!  After 30 minutes on the belt monitor I got right in the tub.  I didn’t let ANYONE touch me except for dop-tone monitoring.  I tried counter pressure for like 5 minutes tops and just did not want to be touched.  Never left the tub after that – it was my private boundary that no one could enter.  Kay came in about 2ish I think and checked me (TORTURE) and I was 9 cm.  She said I had a cervical lip she would help move for me (over my dead body) after she delivered a baby next door so I could start pushing or I could wait for her to come back.  I pushed like crazy and it just so happened she took longer than expected next door due to an emergency.  When she came back in she said for me to bend over on my hands and knees and she would move that lip and I just said give me one more chance to do it on my own.  The next push his head came out!  Then it freaked me out a bit so I stopped pushing in that contraction and his head got sucked back in.  So then I was like oops, so I pushed and his head came all the way out and the contraction was over.  About 30 seconds later (in SLOW MOTION time) I pushed again and Kay just rotated his shoulders a little and he came all the way out.  Kay gave him a little nudge and he swam over to me and I pulled him right up myself!  Jack Patrick McQuilken was born on August 4, 2009 at 4:44PM weighing in at 8 pounds, 3.6 ounces and 20 inches long.  His head was 14 inches and his shoulders were 13.5 inches!  He was a big, strong, healthy boy! 

The water was too cold though, since I had been in so long and I was not letting anyone around me.  So, they had to take Jack away and give him oxygen, but it was b/c he was cold, not b/c he wasn’t breathing (of course I didn’t know that part until later so I was freaking out when they took him!).  Then Kay got me out of the freezing tub and put me in the bed and then they brought Jack back to me and put him on my chest with warming blankets for us both.  Then it just so happened I lost a lot of blood and my uterus was bleeding out.  So after that entire time with no needles, no drugs, no nothing, I ended up with 2 Pitocin shots in my thighs to stop my uterus from bleeding out.  Brett was with Jack when this was happening and my mom was with me b/c she said she wasn’t going to leave HER baby!  Anyway, they beat up my gut in the process trying to do whatever they have to do to make the uterus do what it is supposed to do (oh and I am out of order here but the placenta delivered in like 2 minutes and didn’t hurt or even feel like anything), but I am glad they did b/c the bleeding stopped.  So finally after our hour of bonding they were moving us to the post partum room and I fainted twice, so the first night I was sort of delirious and out of it, but I was full of adrenaline the next day for all of our visitors!

Jack is amazing!  We love him more than we could have ever imagined.  I do not know how to describe my experience.  I just know that it hurt really, really bad, but I was determined.  Where there is a will there is a way, and there are different ways for different wills, so, to each her own, but for me it was “touch me, and die” so no one touched me.  I even made them let me clean myself off afterwards – Kay said she never had anyone ask that before!  No stitches either – Kay let me choose.  Brett was awesome.  He just stayed there and told me I was doing great which is all I would let him do anyway.  He bailed water once when it got too cold and he tried to get me to move around when I started to get too tired during transition.  He was worried for about 45 minutes of rest, but then I powered through it.  He was also very scared when we didn't know why Jack was blue-ish (it was just b/c the water was cold though), and he got pretty freaked out when I fainted the first time after losing so much blood.  Overall though, Brett is the proudest, most loving daddy ever!  He is so overwhelmed with emotion for how much we love our little boy!

So after 2 days in the hospital, we arrived home on 8/6/09.  We are now trying to get adjusted after our first night, and today (8/7) we bring the dogs home to meet their human brother.  We are so excited to be a family! 

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us through the pregnancy and delivery as well as every day life.  Also, thank you to all our visitors in the hospital and to the many of you who we know we will see very soon.  We love you and are so happy to share our journey into parenthood with you!

Brett and I are the luckiest parents in the world b/c Jack Patrick is the most amazing gift and blessing we could have ever hoped for.  For that, we thank God.

Now, I have to go hang out with my little champion!

Reading it makes me cry.  It is also not my best writing, so in some ways it makes me laugh b/c I can sense the excitement I was feeling and the hurry I was in to get it done.  Often, those are the most sincere pieces though...

I wonder how things will go this time as Lander enters this world.  I hope for a water birth; that is our plan.  I expect some craziness, like maybe the bleeding out, or something like that, so I'm nervous.  I worry about the pain, but I know I can do it, so that part is more anticipation than fear...maybe.  Mostly though I just can't wait to gaze into my sweet baby girl's eyes for the first time and immediately feel an unbreakable bond the same way I felt with Jack.  "I know you."  And I really do.  "Like no one else does."

Jack's party today was a huge success!  He had a fantastic time, and we are just so happy that we planned it this early and at Chuck E. Cheese.  It was super easy for me, so that was another major plus.  I can't believe it has been almost 3 years since my little cherub champion looked up at me for the first time.  The years go by so fast.  I cherish every memory I have of my sweet boy, and I know he is going to be such an amazing big brother.  I cannot wait to see and foster his relationship with his sister.

I am so blessed.  Thank you, God, for the gifts of these children.  I look forward to writing the story of Lander's birth and posting it...any day now!

Conversations with Jack-Bo

I just don't have the time to blog as much as I'd like.  Work is in the way, life is busy, I want to be a good friend, daughter, wife and most importantly a good mother...so as much as I have to actually write, the time doesn't allow me to balance it all as well as I'd like...

Still, sometimes things happen that I just don't wanna forget.  Lately so much of what I wanna capture isn't a picture or an adventure, but rather, conversations I have had with my precious Jack-Bo.  Maybe a moment he had a realization or an opportunity I used to teach him something...or better yet, something he taught me.  

B/c it is fresh in my mind, I will start backwards with tonight, but much of what happens before this will not be in chronological order; it will actually be in whatever order I can conjure it up in my mind during the writing of this post.  I hope I never forget these conversations with my boy b/c not only are some of them comical, but they are also so sincere, so sweet, and so completely innocent and non-corrupted by the harsh realities life often throws in our faces.  Someday, when life experience has set in a bit more, I hope to be able to remind him of our special talks...

Tonight, while cuddling in bed after reading "We're Going on a Bear Hunt..."

Jack: What that bear name is?

Mommy: You mean the one from the story?  

Jack: Yeah.

Mommy: Hmmn.  I don't know.  Why don't we name him.

Jack: Ok.

Mommy: What do you want to call him?

Jack: (Deep thinking look on his face) I don't know.

Mommy: Well, how about Barry the Bear?

Jack: (Nodding) Ok.

Mommy: And since they were afraid of him and he was lonely and sad, we can be his friends!

Jack: (Pouty voice and snuggling closer) No, I don't want to.

Mommy: What?  You don't wanna visit him in his cave?

Jack: (Softer pouty voice) I wanna spend time with you, not the bear.

Mommy: Oooooh, well, I understand...(and my heart both melted and broke both at the same time.)

Friday Night at Dinner, Daddy and I were discussing how good our waiter was.  We were a little unsure of him in the beginning, as he had some quirks, but as we went on he proved to be very thorough, extra nice and totally on his game.  When Jack's root beer ran out he asked if Jack needed a refill.  We said just ice water please, and he said he would bring him a fresh cup.  A few minutes later he came back with a new kid cup full of ice water.  He set it down in front of Jack, and completely unsolicited, Jack said, "Thank you, you're a really great server!"  Mommy and Daddy were reminded once again that Jack never misses a beat!

Saturday I was getting ready to go to the chiropractor while Jack and Daddy were going to run some errands, including going to Costco.  Before I left I told Brett if Jack is hungry give him some leftover pasta from last night before you go.  Jack was watching Curious George on the computer, but clearly still had his listening ears on b/c he chimed in all on his own with, "No!  Them might have samples there!"  Of course he was referring to the samples at Costco, as he is a frequent customer with his GRandi and Papa and also his Aunt Christie.  :-)

Multiple times this past week...

"Mommy, I miss you at work."

"Oh honey, I missed you too!  So much!"

"I don't like you to go to work.  I don't like anybody to go to work."

Last Monday after a stressful appointment at the midwife, I was feeling very overwhelmed and was crying in the car on the way home and talking to Brett on the phone about how freaked out I was feeling.  Jack of course was in his car seat in the back, and I should have been less emotional, but sometimes I just can't help it.  "Mama!  Don't be sad, Mama!  You're my favorite Mama!"  Of course, I tell Jack he is my favorite boy in the whole world all the time, but it is especially amazing when he says something like that to me!

Saturday again...bedtime...we were cleaning up some toys including Jack's play toolbox.  He also has a real tape measure that I wanted him to put in there with it.  "No, I not going to put it in there b/c I going to use it to measure something tomorrow."  His concept of time, both future and past is totally advanced.  The way he keeps track of morning time, tomorrow, yesterday, last time, etc. is just so radical at not even 3 years old!

This one isn't mine to share, but it is still so sweet that Daddy won't mind.  Jack and Daddy were at Home Depot on this same Saturday and Jack heard a saw of some sort.  "Daddy, that sound like framing going on!"  You can tell this kid has spent some time with Daddy at his "work-job."  Same day later on Jack names some tools while playing and/or helping Daddy do some chores and Brett comments that Jack knows more about tools at age 2 than he knew in high school!

Pretty much every time we watch TV now...

"Mommy, let's sit on the sofa together.  I made your spot!"  (Propping up a pillow on the chaise lounge for me.) 

In general, Jack is such a positive, sweet spirit.  He is always complementing people, whether it be the workers at the job site or me cleaning the bathroom or other random things he witnesses every day.  "Hers did a good job!"  Or "That's a great idea!"  These are things he says all the time, and he is always so sincere when he says them, wanting to make sure to express his appreciation for a job well done.  Honestly, these are moments when Brett and I pat ourselves on the backs and feel good about how we are parenting our child.  We are teaching him to be kind and also how to recognize people who work hard or positively stand out.  We like that he is so able and willing to express his gratitude.  

Currently, along with his goal to be a garbage man, Jack wants to be a "train dedoctor" and tell Matthew.  Matthew is one of the guys at the zoo who operates the train.  Jack really likes him.  :-)

Jack still also wants to be a garbage man, and he and GRandi have bonded with the recycle and garbage crews in our new neighborhood.  Every Wednesday they stand outside and wait for them to come, and of course they honk for such a friendly little guy!  When they drive away, Jack waves and yells "Bye Mr. Garbage man!"

Jack is very excited about baby Lander.  He says all the time that he loves her, and he gives my belly kisses or blows on it and says, "I make Baby Lander laugh!"  So far he has shown no jealousy, but really has been more helpful with setting things up and wanting to be involved.  We have been really agreeable to what he suggests or does b/c of course we want him to be included and not feel any resentment.  I am sure these are normal parenting thoughts for 2nd time moms and dads, but of course we have to work through them.  I think we are doing okay though b/c Jack really seems to understand she is in my belly and will be coming out soon!

Well, that is all I can pump out right now in this post.  I posted a couple pics below, but they are not really recent, and b/c I am having some computer issues, I can't even take the red-eye out!  Anyway, they are from our trip over Memorial Day to St. George Island...and still cute.  :-)  I'll try to get around to another post soon; there is certainly plenty more to share!

Jack and his cousin Kadyn posing together

Jack playing on the Foosball table at the beach house.

Classic tongue sticking out silly face

And another one :-)

  

  

SPRING in My Step

Almost into my 3rd trimester with Baby McQ #2, little Miss Lander Lee, I'm feeling well, but not-so-well-rested.  Still, I have more energy than I had 2 months ago, and believe me - I have needed it!  Of course we have gone to the zoo, and now Jack is learning to ride his bike with no training wheels, so it is imperative I am able to keep up with him!  Also, with this both awesome and oddly warm weather, spring has come early, and The McQ Zoo has had an itch to scratch for awhile now: CAMPING!

The calm before the storm

So the last weekend in March I took a Friday off work, and we made our way up north of Helen with 3 other couples, 2 more kids and 3 dogs...only to be rained on pretty much the entire time...which was, after all, short, b/c we left the next morning.  Our air mattress had popped the night before, so we were sleeping on the ground, which is hard for a pregnant woman who isn't supposed to be laying on her back anymore, and then to top it off the river of rain that was flowing under our tent began to penetrate through the seams and into our only dry zone. Around 2AM, we trekked through the monsoon to the cramped safety of the truck where the  benefits of warmth and dryness outweighed our inability to sleep.  Our dreams of a wonderful outdoor adventure were crushed by Mother Nature herself!  As soon as it was daylight and somewhat realistic to venture out of the truck we packed up our gear and eagerly headed home.

Reasons 1, 2 & 3 the air mattress popped: 

Jack, Aidan and Braeden jumping on it for entertainment during one of the flash flood showers!

Oh well, it was my fault for letting them!   

The next Monday Son-Day Jack and I spent the afternoon with our friends Kristin and Cora hanging out around the Marietta Square.  Jack gets to go there with his GRandi and PaPa quite often, so he is very familiar with the place and knows all about the trains. We played on the playground, got some ice cream and did a lot of walking, but we only heard one train from a distance during our entire adventure...until we were walking back to Kristin's house!  We heard a whistle, but we were not totally sure at first, thinking maybe it was the sound of traffic or sirens, but Jack insisted we wait, and I am SO GLAD we did!  Finally a super long and LOUD train blew its whistle to let us know it was on the way!  When it passed, the engineer even waved at Jack!  After the train passed, Jack was finally content to leave.  Daddy and Jeff met us back at the house and we made personalized pizzas for dinner.  It was nice to catch up with our friends, The Picken Family.  Here are some more pics from that day!

Best one I could get of Jack and Cora together!

The next weekend was Easter!  We started out on Saturday morning with Aidan's 4th birthday party!  When it was time for cake, Jack squeezed himself between Aidan and a little girl on the bench so that he could eat next to his pal!  

A bit later Jack and Aidan had a blast climbing on things and playing in the sand at Webb Bridge Park's super cool playground!  It was a great place for a party and a perfect start to the holiday weekend!

After Jack had a nice long nap, it was time for the Olanhunken Easter egg hunt and celebration.  We gathered at The Hunt House and the boys tried out their super sour Warheads spray candy (among other goodies) from Grandma and Grandpa!  Then they combed through the backyard on their quest for candy, quarters and other treats hiding in colorful plastic eggs!  They were all well-rewarded for their efforts!  Afterwards we had a big family meal at Outback Steakhouse, an Olanhunken Family favorite place to eat!

That night, the Easter Bunny visited and left a special Baseball themed basket for Jack!  

He was very excited when he woke up on Easter to find it!

Then Jack got to do another egg hunt!  The Easter Bunny was very clever with his egg-hiding!

Later that afternoon, we headed over to GRandi and PaPa's for another Easter celebration and meal. Normally the McQ girl cousins would be there too, but this year they opted to go out of town for Easter. We missed them, but no doubt, in their absence, Jack was the center of attention!  The Easter Bunny brought him more goodies and he got to do his 3rd egg hunt! He got a pair of Keen creek shoes, a new swim suit and an awesome bug catcher!  Before his nap, Jack and GRandi dyed Easter eggs together, and when he woke up, Jack helped set the table displaying his finished products!

The Easter Bunny also brought Baby Lander a special blankie and sheep wearing monogrammed bloomers!
Here Jack and I are cuddling with it!  (Not my best pic, but who cares!?!?)

The next day we got to hang out at the pool for a little while to celebrate Aidan's actual birthday with his family and have a little cookout.  Jack and I went down a bit early so Jack could test out the water...and it was C-O-L-D!  Here is a video of Jack's 1st time in the pool this season.  He forgot that he knows how to swim, so he was a bit hesitant to go out past the stairs, but in his desperation to reach an escaping toy, he braved the frigid waters!  I know it is kinda long, but the best part is at the end.  Sorry!!!

And my final thoughts for this post...I am not the most religiously educated person.  I can't quote anything out of the Bible, and aside from "Jesus Loves Me" and "Joyful, Joyful," I don't really know any hymns.  I don't go to church (right now), and I haven't made up my mind if I plan to any time soon.  Most of what I know I learned from watching Superbook videos as a kid, and although they were probably not ideal for teaching, I can't knock their value b/c I learned a lot of important lessons from them!  Still, I don't claim to really understand all the details of Easter and its meaning.  I get the big picture, that God sacrificed his son to save the rest of us from our sins, but I'm not sure how it all went down.  

But that doesn't mean I don't know and understand God.  Nor does it mean I don't believe in miracles, b/c let me assure you, I DO!  I have a beautiful relationship with God, and he continues to guide and provide for my family every day, always making sure we have exactly what we need.  And when I think we need more, He humbles me and keeps me grounded by reminding me of all the many blessings in my life.  He loves me and protects me and keeps me safe.  He offers comfort and guidance in my times of need, and He gives me courage and strength every day!  And on Easter, I once again reflect upon the amazing miracles of His son's birth and resurrection, and even though I have many unanswered questions, I am able to focus on what is most important in my life and thank God for His sacrifice and everything He has given me.  I am blessed, and THAT I know and understand.

Welcome to Spring!  It is a time for new beginnings, blooming flowers, lovely weather and family gatherings.  It is a time to be thankful...and I am.  :-)  

Oh yes, I certainly am!