12/3-5/22

 Day 4 of getting ready to celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas😊

Kevin read the devotional today, and I was trying to save these photos for Christmas cards, but they are just too cute I had to share now!😊

We read today about how when life is hard, God is still there. God is still there and he is still good. 

These words are so true today as we get ready to celebrate Annelise's 4th Christmas with us! They were true her 1st Christmas too, which we spent in the hospital with her for a month. These words of God's presence and goodness have also been real the Christmas season where I received a voicemail from the OB's office, asking us to call back to make an appointment to come in.... and then a call from a nurse asking us to come in sooner than the appointment I had made when I returned their call the first time.

They had my blood test results, and needed to tell us about our baby girl who probably had trisomy 18.

That was hard.  Learning that there would be hurdles to getting Annelise the medical care that she would need to have a chance at surviving was hard. Watching her get poked and go through the life-giving but also painful interventions we chose for her was hard.  Life is still harder than it used to be. But there's also the cutest light in our lives that we never had the pure joy and honor to live with before she was born!  God has truly been with us just like He says he will.  I had the head knowledge from sermons and studies like the one we read today.  But these past 4 years have provided a million of learning opportunities to see how He never leaves us. He'll make a way for us and walk us through. I sure am tired during this walk, but God's still here to borrow my strength from.... And look at the  view as we go!  So cute I can't even wait to share it on the Christmas card🥰🥰🥰 Occasions like this invite all the memories and reflection.  I'm so grateful for my God, my family, and the friends he has blessed us with!