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In 2010, our perfect *”Baby Gavin” returned to Heaven after losing a courageous battle with **Pertussis (whooping cough). We are eternally and profoundly grateful to the thousands upon thousands (upon thousands) of friends and strangers from all over the world, of all faiths and creeds, who united with our family in prayer during Baby Gavin’s horrific illness and who grieved with us and continued to petition God in our behalf during the dark days following his tragic death. You may read Gavin’s story as it unfolded by visiting my old blog here. I am committed to sharing my ongoing struggles with grief and our journey toward joy here on the new blog. I am always humbled and amazed by the continued outpouring of love and support. Thank you for sharing in our journey and inspiring us with your unceasing love! God is good!
*My brother Gavin passed away unexpectedly in 2007. With all these Angel Gavins, it can get a little confusing at times, so just know that when I refer to “Gavin” I’m referring to my wonderful brother. When I refer to “Baby Gavin,” it is in reference to my perfect son, both of whom I cannot wait to see in Heaven!
**You will periodically see me blog about The Sounds of Pertussis campaign. I am an unpaid spokesperson and am only compensated travel expenses where applicable for my involvement with this important cause. Join our fight against this deadly communicable disease at www.soundsofpertussis.com or like us on facebook at www.facebook.com/soundsofpertussis.
First day of preschool, 2009
You are worth every headache, every heartache, every worry, every fear.
Because YOU are made of magic.
You make me smile from my heart. You make me laugh from my soul. You make me LOVE in a way that is pure and fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to give you everything this crazy life has to offer.
xxoo, Mom
This is a woman who I don’t know, except that I do.
Because I have fought this fight.
I have felt the horror of these never ending hours.
I have cried the exhausted tears of day after day of relentless fear and struggle. . . and faith. . . so much faith and hope you can taste it. You can feel it stirring around you in a way that is remarkable beyond measure.
Tonight, I knelt for this family. I asked God to uplift them in his perfect grace, to steady their hearts and to clear their minds. I pleaded with Him to give them the comfort that only he can provide. I prayed that that beautiful little baby will receive the miracle that her mommy’s heart desires. . . I prayed that this family will once again be made whole, here, now.
Please, join me in this prayer. God is good. He is mindful of his children as they suffer. He is a God of miracles, and he definitely answers our prayers of faith.
xo, N
PS. Please go to their blog and give them some love. I can never express to you what your words of love, kindness, support and faith did for me as we fought for our Gavin. . . by the way, I love you. So much.
This picture of Jessica and her husband makes me exceptionally happy. It’s always an honor when another photographer hires me to photograph her (his) family, and I have many more lovely images from this session to share with you, but something about this image in particular just really speaks to me.
Somewhere in the lunacy that has been the last couple of months of my life, I turned 30. THIRTY. It’s ridiculous (and somewhat embarrassing) that it hit me as hard as it did. I normally pride myself in being unaffected by events like this. I honestly anticipated the date to come and go with little notice or care, but it didn’t. I’m not feeling old, or having a midlife crisis, or anything of the sort, but I do find myself reflecting on the last 30 years and realizing that I am, in fact, in the second third of my life. Gosh, when you think about it that way, it feels pretty darn significant. What do I want to do? Who do I want to become? Where have I been and what does that say about where I may or may not be headed? My mind is constantly dancing in and out of these types of thoughts, and I keep having to consciously pull myself back to my mantra: Make a plan. Keep it simple. Work your plan. Every single day.
So here it is: I want to love better. To listen harder. To serve and give from a deeper corner of my soul. I want to be more grateful for the abundance with which I’ve been blessed, and I want to reach out to others with greater kindness and compassion. I want to make a difference. And that’s it. Everything else can fit in as it may (or may not).
THAT is why this image makes my heart sing, because it makes me want to love, to give, to cherish, to LIVE.
I hope you’re having a beautiful Wednesday.
xx,
Me
PS. Don’t forget to enter the fun sock monster giveaway from Umba Lumba!
This week, I’m so excited to be hosting a giveaway from Umba Lumba! These hand sewn sock monsters are so fun I can hardly contain myself! Basically, every pregnant friend I own will be getting one of these bad boys for a shower gift from yours truly!
The winner will be free to select any sock monster from Umba Lumba’s Etsy, OR you can send in a pair of fun socks, and Umba Lumba will create a custom monster just for you! The Etsy Shop is getting a little sparse, they can’t keep these bad boys on the shelf, so for inspiration for custom monsters, check out some previous designs here.
1. Comment below.
2. Like or share this post on Facebook (there’s a convenient little link below), tweet, blog, tumble or coconut express about this post, and comment a second, third or fourth time to say you’ve done so, and you’ll earn yourself additional entries!
3. Entries must be received no later than Thursday, 8/11.
Winner will be selected at random and announced on Friday, 8/12. Be CERTAIN to leave a way for me to contact you should you win, otherwise, another winner will be selected.
Enjoy your weekending fun.
Find lots of reasons to laugh and frolic,
because Summer’s wrapping up faster than you can say,
“slip n’slides and Otter Pops.”
