Sad News

I found out today that our baby has died. The ultrasound measurements indicate that the baby was seventeen weeks when death occurred. That was three weeks ago. I am in a dazed or weepy state of shock. It's just so sad, sad, sad. Anyway, tomorrow we are going to the hospital to induce labor. The drug they will be using scares me a little bit. It has some risk. Please pray for all of us as we figure out how to cope and how to accept this undesired reality.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

I really wanted to post pictures with very, very few words. That would be far more effective and poignant. Alas, it is not to be. It seems my computer doesn't like the high capacity card from my camera. Bryan, our computer savvy friend, told me how to upload from the card in an alternate way, but that's not working now either. Argh.

So, what I want you to know is that James - all by himself - gave me a dozen pink roses for Mother's Day. They are gorgeous, but you will have to imagine because a picture is not going to appear here today.

Also, John took a picture of Jason Sunday that we whole heartedly agreed should find its way to the blog. Not happenin' either. We had corn on the cob for lunch. Jason asked me to cut his corn off the cob - more than once. John hadn't heard his requests nor my dissent and suggested that Jason might need me to cut the corn off his cob. I asserted that maybe we should have him try and not baby his slight handicap. He ate that corn off the cob with the greatest of ease and efficiency. It's amazing how little things that we take for granted and all do are such victories for Jason. (Though he is blissfully unaware of that.) The picture - again - is much better than my story, but you will have to live without.

What I Think

It seems my thinking cap is stuck on my head. So many things go 'round and 'round in my mind as I sort through and try to discern wisdom and truth. Recent events send another wave of thoughts surging through, so I'm going to share...

I think that people (me too) should live cheerfully and with noble purpose.

I think complaining is destructive and depressing.

I think funerals and them that mourn are interesting and worthy of pondering.

I think we should really live like there's no tomorrow, not just say we should.

I think God's standards are perfect and full of peace.

I think friends aren't always "friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them," but they should be.

I think God said on purpose that children are a gift from Him, even an abundance of them.

I think that sin is sinister and creepy, slinking around inconspicuously, ruining lives and leaving the masses blaming something or someone else.

I think we should say sin more and not feel old fashioned or embarrassed about it.

I think we should hate sin passionately even when righteousness brings about greater (temporary) suffering.

I think I should live all the time like the dead people did whose loved ones go on and on and on about their impeccable character.

I think we should remember that nobody, not one person save Jesus, has been or ever will be perfect, even our beloved and cherished dead.

I think it's the pits to disagree with others.

I think it's equally the pits to be falsely accused and never given the chance for redemption.

I think I've probably contradicted myself.

I think God is simply and complexly wonderful and definitely worth enduring the waiting room we live in on earth.

I think my mom is a terrific person who doesn't get near enough credit for being so.

I think my dad is an amazing prayer warrior.

I think the Bible is fascinating and exciting, never dull and irrelevant.

I think we should do really hard things just for the character it produces.

I think that very few people are still reading this list =)

I think I should go to bed with a sincere prayer of thanksgiving on my mind.

The Little One

I was trying to think of a way to announce to any who read here that we are expecting a baby this coming fall. I decided to find a picture of a baby in utero to accompany the announcement. This picture gripped me because the baby is fourteen weeks, just the same gestation as our new, growing little one. We have an awesome Creator!

A Good Picture

Joshua took this picture of he and Jason. I thought it was sweet. John thought it "bloggable," so here you are.

The Fun

Some of the boys after finding their eggs...















































Nancy coming down the stairs Easter morning for the egg hunt...

Colored Eggs

We bought neon food coloring this year to color our eggs. They turned out very nice. Nature did her work too. Some were quite interesting with the patterns that nature manifested. You can see Jason's Spider Man egg. He was really excited about that.