What a difference a year makes...

What a difference a year makes...

So many special moments have been revealed over the past couple of weeks, here are just a couple major highlights...

-Andrew turned 6 years old the day before Thanksgiving!  For some reason this birthday felt like such a big one because it's just so hard for me to wrap my mind around "my boy" being older than 5 years old.  He's not technically "my baby" since we have Gracie, but he still feels like my baby and I can't help but feel like it's not that far off until he will be leading his own family someday (Lord willing of course).  I know that sounds so crazy since he is ONLY 6 years old, but it feels so grown up in my heart.  Andrew has an incredible imagination which allows him to get lost in play with any and all toys (whether it's Grace's toys or a piece of junk that he finds around the house).  He still loves to snuggle his mommy and has a gift for blessing me with the sweetest words imaginable, and serving me when ever possible.  He can be a sensitive little guy at times, especially when it comes to his own sin (he can be hard on himself, so he is learning what God's amazing grace, mercy, and forgiveness is all about), and yet he is all boy in his desire to always be wrestling and playing dangerously (you know the stuff that takes a few years off a mommies life, but a daddy says it's just being a boy?).  Last year on Andrew's birthday, David and Grace were in Boston and Grace was in desperate need of a 5th open heart surgery because she was not doing well.  I'll never forget when we were at Andrew's birthday party and I received a text with this picture, it both broke my heart and blessed my heart at the same time...

Andrew's birthday last year...

...and his birthday, this year!!!  To God be the glory!!!

-Thanksgiving this year was pure JOY!!!  I'll never forget the deep brokenness that I felt last Thanksgiving with a huge piece of our hearts missing, half way across the country. I remember trying so hard to smile and not cry all day long on Thanksgiving day.  Light broke through the sadness when I heard about the precious strangers that chose to make and deliver a complete Thanksgiving dinner to David in the hospital.  This is the same sweet couple that delivered us a Christmas dinner on Christmas day while we were in a hotel in Boston.  It still blows my mind when I think about it...  they didn't even know us and yet they were willing to sacrificially serve us on holiday's that are typically spent eating and relaxing with family and friends.  They provided a sense of home and celebration during a time that felt dark and lonely, when we couldn't physically be together.  Vick family, you will always hold a special place in our hearts!  There were others that visited David and Grace in Boston bearing gifts for Grace, necessities for David, and above all a smiling face and a warm hug that represented their genuine care and concern for our family.  Those people have become like family to us through that experience, as well as all of those that rallied around our entire family making sure that the big kids didn't feel forgotten about and that this special time of year was not full of sadness, but hope and excitement that we would soon be reunited.  All that to say, we could have eaten dog food for Thanksgiving this year and it would have been awesome because Grace is alive, we were together as a family, and God is just so good.

-As I mentioned last week, David and I both had the flu last weekend, which led to us having to miss two church Christmas events that we were looking forward to :-(, but we are super grateful that the kiddos were spared (Thank you for praying for them/us)!  Despite feeling AWFUL, I was blessed with the opportunity to watch Abigail rise up and serve us in our time of need.  David was sleeping on the couch and I was laying on the couch, trying not to fall asleep, when Abigail said "you need some rest Mommy, why don't you take a nap?"  I told her that I needed to stay awake so that I could watch Grace to which she replied "go to sleep, Mommy, I'm here, I will watch Grace and Andrew."  I felt relief come over me as I so appreciated her concern for me and the fact that she is totally capable of watching her brother and sister (with us home of course :-).  What a blessing to have a mommy and daddy in training by your side! Who knows, maybe that was a glimpse into the future...  the big kids looking out for their younger sister (as adults), that makes my heart smile. Thank you for praying for David's presentation, he still felt awful on the day of the presentation, but by God's grace he was able to make it through the presentation (he went first) and his teacher let him go home after he was finished (instead of having to stay for the all day class).

This super hero sure knows how to crack his little sister up with his crazy antics...

-Andrew had a cardiology appointment on Friday and they confirmed that he does have a PFO (a tiny hole in his heart that 30% of the population has, but shouldn't ever give him any trouble) and he does not have a VSD ( a larger hole in-between his ventricles).  We don't have to follow up with the cardiologist ever again (Lord willing of course :-).  HUGE PRAISE!  Andrew has allergy testing on Tuesday.  Will you please pray that it is not painful and/or traumatizing to him?  Please also pray that the blood work, chest X-ray, and CT scan of his sinuses are all clear and nothing scary pops up.  THANK YOU for being our most reliable prayer warriors!

-Grace is doing A TON of new hilarious (and not so hilarious) "tricks!"  Her personality continues to keep us laughing hysterically, and at times shaking our heads as we try to figure out how to best parent this chid that is so.... spunky at times :-).  For instance, our big kids learned very early on that saying "no" to their mommy and daddy was disrespectful and not allowed... then there's Grace who's favorite word right now is "NOOOOOOOO" or "no, no, no, no..."  On the other hand, when she see's someone that is sad she will immediately go to them, wipe their tears, hug and kiss them.  Her favorite things right now are school, walking everywhere, baths, singing songs, reading books, being the welcoming committee wherever she is (someone at church today called her the mayor of church because she makes sure to greet everyone with a smile and a wave), fist bumps, dancing, standing on a stool and brushing her teeth with the big kids, and outdoor Christmas decorations.  In Grace's world, the best way to solve any problem is to go outside to visit Olaf (I'm not sure what we will do when Christmas is over and we have to put Olaf away :-/ ).  While everyone around us has very sophisticated and beautiful Christmas decorations, we are rockin' Olaf and Yoda (between Andrew and Grace, I don't think we will ever graduate to sophisticated Christmas decorations, but we are ok with that :-).  That is just a glimpse into Grace's world right now at 27 months old :-).

Sorry I didn't have my flash on for this pic, but you get the idea :-)

Here's the three amigo's brushing their teeth...

Check out these precious hats that a sweet friend got for the girls!  They are Up's colors with hearts on them...  couldn't be more perfect :-)

Village, we have spent much time this time of year, talking about you and your overwhelming love and support for our family.  So many of you have left a mark on our lives that I'm confident will last a lifetime and I promise have made us better people (having been loved so well by y'all has given us hearts that yearn to bless others in the same way).  My mind is flooded with so many of your faces and names as I type this...  We pray that you are reminded this Christmas season just HOW MUCH we love and appreciate every prayer that you have said on our behalf and every thoughtful and generous gesture that you have done for us.  God has set us upon this journey together and we wouldn't want to be on it without any of you!  Thank you for being our most precious Village!