Do You Trust Me? Part 2

I have always wanted a “quiver full” of babies to raise in a godly home and shoot them out into the world to spread the love of Jesus Christ. After all, that’s what the Bible tells us to do in Psalm 127:4-5.

But we got pregnant with Bryleigh after struggling through infertility for 2 years, and I was insanely sick for 40 weeks. And then we got pregnant a second time, but I miscarried our sweet babe. Then we got pregnant with Will after another year and a half struggle, and  I went into preterm labor at 31 weeks. Not to mention both of our babes have suffered with some pretty tough health issues that I have major mom-guilt over, feeling like I “gave” it to them. ( I know I didn’t, and we praise God for how far they’ve come and how much we’ve been able to share about His love for us through that part of our journey. So much goodness.)

All of those things, and a few others, are the reason that in the MIDDLE of our pregnancy with Will, we would tell every single person (whether they asked or not) we were 100% done. Like, completely finished, never ever having another biological child.

I’m not sure when the first time God punched me in the gut with it, but I heard Him whisper, “Are you sure? Did you even ask me?” And I didn’t. We didn’t. We never once asked God if we were done. We were consultations away from permanently taking that option away. We had doctors recommendations that I physically alter my body to where that was no longer an option. And I had ZERO peace. I knew it wasn’t right. Not yet at least.

Once I wrestled with the question God asked me about checking with Him, which was an easy answer since we had not at all, I began to hear a second question, even more clearly: “Do you trust me?” Wholeheartedly yes, I absolutely do.  For months, I heard this same question. 

So then, I had the difficult task of going to Brad and saying, “Hey, you know how awful and scary and terrifying it’s all been? I don’t think we’re done yet.” Just as much as I didn’t want to relive any of the past, Brad absolutely didn’t want to watch me relive it either. He was there for the 36 hours of magnesium to keep Will in (for as many days and weeks as possible) where I puked my guts up and couldn’t even cry because it literally burned my eyes so bad... but to me, an entire day, 24 hours of it is as if it didn’t even happen because I was SO out of it (Praise God).

Thankfully, Brad knows when to take me seriously and when God has really been working. After the shock wore off, he agreed to pray and talk about it with me. We knew the decision was clear. We had to at least try. We knew God was asking us to trust Him, and our step of obedience has been to just TRY.

I’ve been blessed by God with a dreamy little side gig where I get to help beautiful brides plan their big day. I have THREE coming up in the next nine months, and because we KNOW those came from God too, we felt like we really only had a small window to “try,” but that if it was God’s will, He would do it. (Cue: I’ve seen you move, you move the mountains, and I believe I’ll see you do it again! 🎶) A two month window to be exact: July and August. Anything earlier and I’d risk being “too sick” for the early weddings, anything later and I’d risk being “too pregnant” for the third one. (Remember the whole preterm labor at 31 weeks thing?!)

Once we said yes to Him, we were all in. We were excited about the possibility and started to dream a little about what it would look like. July came and went with no pink lines, plus signs, or a digitally printed “pregnant”. 

This was it. One last month to turn our world upside down in the best possible way. But then something completely unexpected happened. On August 15, my father in law asked me to pray about going on a trip with him to Haiti. So I did. I prayed a lot. Brad was worried about a sick-pregnant me going on the trip. I just KNEW I wasn’t. But at the end of the day (actually at the end of the week...), I felt like I heard God say, “Say yes.” So I did.

But after a little bit of research, I realized I actually could absolutely NOT go if I was pregnant due to Zika risks. So, I was all in with my yes, even texted my father in law, under one condition: a negative pregnancy test.

And that’s what I got on August 21. I took it and it read “Not Pregnant,” plain as day and identical to the one I’ve seen more times than I can count. I remember telling my mom it was the least disappointed I’d ever been in a no, because the alternative meant I was headed to serve God in Haiti.  Within days, my online portal was set up and I was raising my funds to go. God moved quickly with me being almost fully funded in 24 hours. I felt like it was his affirmation of this trip.

However, a week later, I couldn’t shake this strange feeling (some might call it hyperemesis round 4). I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was off. I could barely sleep, eat, think straight. I hadn’t even done the math on my cycle, but by the time I checked, I was a week late. 😬 8 days after that negative pregnancy test, on our last “official” day of summer, I made a quick trip to Walgreens and bought a box that held a test whose results would forever change our family... in the best way possible.  I took it as soon as I got home, and there it was: PREGNANT.

So here we are, 9 weeks later. The shock has (sort of) worn off. We have heard and seen the heart beat with big sister AND big brother in tow. It will hands down be my most favorite moment as a family of four. We made a lot of good memories as a family of two, then three, and now four, but I’m looking forward to all the ones we will make as a family of FIVE! There have also been lessons and challenges at each of those steps as well, and we know there are more to come. But we also know the God we serve is for us and He has a good plan for our family, so we can trust and follow Him whole-heartedly.

Just a little FAQ for inquiring minds:

1.  Were you trying?  I think this blog answers that question, but YES! I still feel a bit like this is our "Surprise" baby because I definitely never expected to be doing this again.

2.  How are you feeling?  Obviously the biggest fear I had, or at least one of them, was being sick for an entire 40 weeks and not being able to care for the babes God has already given me.  He has been SO gracious to me this time around and I haven't been anywhere near as sick as I was the last 3 pregnancies.  I am nauseas all day, every day, with it being much worse as the day goes on, but... I HAVEN'T THROWN UP ONE SINGLE TIME!!!  I started on diclegis, which I took with Will, and it makes a HUGE difference.  My two sickest days happened the days after I forgot my medicine.

3.  What about high-risk?  At the end of my pregnancy with Will, Dr. Harris let us know that any future pregnancies would be considered "high-risk" because of how things went with Wild Man.  We absolutely love Dr. Harris and know that we are in the best hands! After our heart-beat appointment, he let us know he was taking our entire file home with him that weekend to review everything and he'd be ready with a plan the next time we see him.  It doesn't guarantee the same thing won't happen, but we're going to do everything we can to prevent it. (I will be doing the same!!)

4.  Will you find out what you're having?  Absolutely!! We can't wait to know if we're adding a brother or sister to the mix, but we'll wait until our anatomy scan halfway through!  We've never done the 10-week blood test, so we're okay passing on it again.

5. We know how momma is feeling about the pregnancy, what about everyone else?  Obviously grandparents are super excited, but I think the MOST excited is a Big Sister!! Sweet Will has NO idea what's headed his way, but he was absolutely MESMERIZED at the sonogram!! He didn't move a muscle as he watched/listened. And B-dad, well... he's still trying to catch his breath! He's super excited, and a little shocked!

6. Are you going to do a bump tracker?  Duh.  You can't do something for the first two and NOT do it for the third! ;) But don't expect to see it on a regular basis, because...well...TWO KIDS. AND PREGNANT.  I've been doing a weekly pic, super laid back, super casual, and something I can easily do throughout the whole pregnancy!! (Currently baby is the size of a cute green olive.)

(If you're wondering why this is "Part 2," that is because I wrote "Part 1" about going to Haiti the night before I took the positive pregnancy test.  I was going to share it the next morning, but as soon as I took the test, that positive let me know I was no longer headed to Haiti.)

2016 - A *CRAZY* Year in Review

You know all those memes and funny Facebook posts (and some not so funny) about 2016 and how crazy it's been - like how can there be so much good and so much bad at the same time, like how we REALLY need 2016 to be over and for 2017 to be a little better behaved?! Yeah, that's SO us!!  God has given us SUCH good gifts in 2016 and we made some incredible memories, but to say it's been a tough year of growth would be an incredible understatement.

10.  Life with our big girl!  It is such a blessing to be Miss Bryleigh's momma and daddy.  She is such a joy and we have loved watching her grow up over the last year, which included turning 2, going to her first movie, starting school, and learning all kinds of things!  (Here's to hoping year 3 sees the end of the pass and the beginning of panties!)  I am thankful for the little beautiful life God blessed us with when He loaned us our Bryleigh Girl.

9.  Diaper Daze.  Along with growing and learning, our big girl had a tough year with all of her tummy issues.  She had lots of appointments with her doctors at Cooks and several different tests, including a sweat test to rule out Cystic Fibrosis, an endoscopy and colonoscopy, and a big genetic test.  We spent a lot of the past year focused on trying to find out what was wrong with Miss B and how to help her, even without a diagnosis.  Although we are ending 2016 just like we did 2015, with no diagnosis, we are PRAISING THE LORD that these last weeks of 2016 have been (mostly) tear free when it has come to changing diapers and all things diapers related.  God is so good!  I am thankful that God is faithful and He sustains us, even on our toughest days.  I am thankful that He knows Bryleigh's tiny body inside and out. (And insurance. I'm STILL thankful for insurance.)

8.  Our Teams.  2016 was a fun year for sports in our family, starting with cheering on Carrie's Broncos and Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl!  We spent a lot of time at the Ballpark cheering on our Rangers, and it's been such a fun season cheering on the Cowboys.  One of us is happy to have cheered on the Big 12 Champion Sooners, and the other isn't as pleased with how the year went (on and off the field) for their Bears.  We LOVED getting to visit the Nationals' park again and watch two games, including a Scherzer gem!  We even found ourselves cheering on our alma mater (UTA Mavs) in a men's/women's double header.  I am thankful for the fun we get to share as a family, making memories together whether our teams win or lose.

7.  We're pregnant! And it's a boy!  On March 24, we found out that we were expecting a sweet little baby that would join our family around the first week of December.  True to each of Carrie's pregnancies, there was lots of sickness to start things off, but our sweet baby was healthy and growing!  On July 26, we found out the exciting news that the sweet little baby was a BOY!  We had a fun year of dreaming and planning for our little guy.  I am thankful for the miracle of new life that is a blessing and a gift from God.

6.  Sweet Sister.  We weren't the only ones adding to the family in 2016! Our sweet little sister got engaged on July 3, just 2 months after they both graduated from UTA.  Erin has already started working as an ER nurse and we are SO excited for March to get here so that we can officially add Luke to the family.  I am thankful for the little sister I got when I married in to Brad's family and for all the blessings He has given to her!  What a blessing she is to all of us.

5.  A San Antonio Get-Away.  We had a blast exploring San Antonio with Carrie's family in May to kick off a fun-filled summer.  There was time on the River Walk, lots of good food, a trip to Sea World (in the middle of a monsoon), and a 1000 piece puzzle.  I never get tired of seeing Bryleigh with her cousins (and she never gets tired of seeing them).  I am thankful for the fact that God saw fit to put our sweet Tate, Olivia, and Bryleigh in our lives, close in age, so they can grow up together.

4.  BCinDC2016 AND BryleighsTrip.  2016 was an awesome year of travel for our family with a return trip to DC for Brad and Carrie AND our first (and last) vacation as a family of three where we took our big girl down to Galveston.  I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my husband and my little family this year

3.  Bed-Rest Days.  The last quarter of our year was spent in and out of the hospital, complete with a 17 day stay in the antepartum unit at Baylor Scott and White in Dallas when our sweet little boy tried to make his grand entrance at 31 weeks and again in isolation for a few days while being tested for TB and again after giving birth (that part was a much funner stay!).  I am thankful that God sustained us during such a scary and frustrating time.  I am thankful that he took care of and protected our sweet boy.  And I am thankful that we got lots of extra time with our B-dad at home with us!!

2. William Bradley.  Our sweet little guy was born on Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 am after a quick-ish labor and delivery.  We fell instantly in love, as did Big Sister, and our lives will never be the same.  What a gift he is!! I am thankful for the incredible blessing it is to be Will's mom and to get a first-hand look at Bryleigh being his big sister.  What good gifts our Father gives!!

1.  Life as a family of FOUR.  In the short 5 weeks we've been a family of four, we've already deposited some incredible memories in to the memory bank, including Will's first days at home, his first Christmas (and all the fun involved there), his first hotel stay, his first trip to the zoo, and so much more.  We are looking forward to all the adventures that are in store for 2017.  I am thankful for the incredible family God has blessed me with and all of the days and all of the things...every single one of them, no matter how tired, or gross, or long, or "boring" they may be.

37 Weeks - And a Full Term Party!

How far along? 37 weeks...Beginning of the pregnancy, full term was NO question (Bryleigh was 40 weeks 3 days)...until it was the biggest question ever!! We are definitely celebrating over here!!

Due Date? December 1, 2016 (21 days!! or 3 weeks)

How big is baby? Will is (according to Ovia) over 6 pounds and 19 inches long...the size of a honeydew melon.

Total weight gain? I have gained about 25 pounds

Maternity clothes? I pretty much have LIVED in my maternity leggings since the hospital days.

Stretch marks? I got them bad with Bryleigh (right at Thanksgiving...33 weeks), so some of those have showed back up, but not nearly as bad this go around.

A little 37 week comparison - Bryleigh on the left, Will on the right

Sleeping? If my nose weren't so stuffy, I didn't have to pee 500 times a night, and it wasn't so painful to move...then I'd be sleeping a heck of a lot better, but honestly I'm getting enough sleep (and getting prepared for the whole newborn stage).

Miss anything? Driving.  I haven't driven since the Tuesday afternoon we went in to the hospital...5 weeks ago.

Movement? You've heard his nickname, right?! Wild Man Will.  The dude NEVER. STOPS. MOVING!  I am so thankful for a healthy, active baby because I always know he's doing just fine, but it honestly gets exhausting...and painful.  His movements can be SO painful.

Food cravings? This pregnancy, the two main things I've craved are cinnamon (again) and chocolate milk.  I'm sure there have been other things at different times, but those are the big ones! And I ALWAYS want breakfast - pancakes, cinnamon rolls, sausage balls, waffles, cinnamon toast, coffee cake, bagels, chick-fil-a's whole morning menu...  I've also craved ice, almost all 40 weeks. (Shout out to the anemic mommas-to-be out there! My hubby is officially over it.)

Food aversions? Not any that I can think of

Gender predictions? All blue and all boy here!  (We got a LOT of sonos in the hospital. He confirmed it for us daily.)

Symptoms? This week - contractions that are hours long, fevers that spike 4 and 5 times a day, and the ever present nausea that will be gladly be on its way in a few short weeks!  Thankfully the hyperemesis has been much more manageable this go around...yay for boys and less hormones! ;)  I'm also in a heck of a lot of pain, but I draw the line on TMI,  and this is a line I draw!

Belly button – in or out? The more Will pushes out his tush, the more my belly button is an outie...if he moves around some, it's an innie.  I'm pretty sure half the time, he's trying to come OUT of my belly button.

Wedding rings – on or off? On

Mood? Changes daily...hourly.  Overall I feel really good. It's been crazy, especially the last 5 weeks, but the whole "you get to (have to) push this baby out" fear has started to creep back in...not to mention I know what to expect this time, and I'm PRAYING we deliver before he hits the 9 pound mark.  We've had our share of super stressful, super emotional moments in the last month, but the last week has been really good!

Labor signs? haha - Oh yes, those signs we have had for the past 5 weeks (and beyond...I started contractions at week 14.)  I am dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced, based on my last appointment.  I have contractions that pick up to about 2.5 minutes apart for an hour, sometimes 4 or 5 hours, every day...and then nothing.

Best moment(s) this week? Time.  (We'll ignore the fact that the most insane election of our country's history happened this week, because I don't even have words for that yet.) But I am SO thankful for the time we have had this week...to get to FULL term with this little guy, to spend more time with my baby girl before she isn't the baby anymore, to have time with my hubby to slip away for a dinner, to be with my momma during such a crazy time in my life...I'm just thankful for time.

Looking forward to? Meeting our little guy and bringing him home to start his life with our little family.  Watching Bryleigh become a Big Sister.  The holidays with all of our families, especially our TWO littles!!!!

God is Our Ultimate Storyteller

I'm a storyteller. I live for the details.  And that right there is how God woo's me.  He woo's us all differently, based specifically on how he himself made us.  And He made me a storyteller and lover of details.

I love to see Him in the tiniest of places, knowing there's no other way "that" happened except by the hand of God.  So when Baby Hammons number two showed up on that pregnancy test in March of 2015, the story of their life had already begun.  God was writing a story for me that included surprising Brad, a perfect due date of Thanksgiving Day, and Easter weekend (with ALL of our family) falling right in line with the 8 week sonogram.  But before we were even able to see the baby on the blurry monitor, we got news that I was actually miscarrying, if I hadn't already.  Our beautiful story was as short lived as Baby Hammons #2's life.

Through grieving that loss, I began to dream again.  Apprehensive at best and very hopeful.  But I often wondered how God would redeem and restore this part of our story (because I KNEW He would).

As a lover of details, I would think of certain milestones and think, "oh, it would be so sweet if we were able to actually know we were pregnant by X date."  You know, you hear about women finding out on their due date that their new miracle baby is on the way?  That's what I hoped for.  I really hoped that Baby's due date that would already leave my arms empty wouldn't also leave my womb empty.

But all those dates, events, and milestones came and passed, and I told myself how silly I was being, and how much God did NOT have time for my little made up fantasies.

But then, as that all too familiar wave of nausea creeped up on me, I realized we were getting close to when we found out we were expecting a year ago.  I had avoided trying to find out the specific dates because I didn't want another milestone to come and go with an empty tummy and a broken heart.

On March 24, 2016, we found out we were 4 weeks along with a 3rd miracle baby...only 2 days before the one year anniversary of finding out about our 2nd miracle that is waiting for us in heaven.  God writes incredibly beautiful stories, and I am so thankful that this is one way He pursues me personally.

Live Intentional in 2016

Each year, I spend a little time looking at the year ahead and setting some goals for myself to shoot for in the new year.  Over the past few years, I've honestly been able to achieve more of those goals than I imagined I could as I let go of being "perfect" at each goal and just strived for progress in each area.  Those goals have looked a lot like this:

The thing I have loved more than setting these goals for myself is choosing a word to focus on in the upcoming year because they've always ended up being the perfect word for that year.  Some years, they've come in at the last second, and other years they're as obvious as if God lit up a neon billboard with blinking lights and a large arrow saying, "This is your word, Carrie." (FYI: That's pretty much what happened this year.)

One thing I have learned in claiming these words (I would have said "choosing" them, but I feel like God has declared the words for me) is that you have to be very careful.  It's like praying for patience and you end up feeling a little more like Job than you ever expected, like every day is a new test more difficult than the one before.

Two years ago, my word was endurance - I ended up being 4 days overdue, in labor for over 18 hours and in delivery for about 2 more hours, had a newborn baby with the obvious lack of sleep and daily life lessons, and we rounded out the year with 3 surgeries and 100+ days of home health.  This past year, my word was joy - and although most days were fairly easy to find joy in some way or another, I never dreamed I'd be challenged so much in such a short amount of time when a very wanted pregnancy became a very unwanted miscarriage.  I fought to find joy in the days and months that followed.

As 2015 is coming to a close, I have had NO trouble knowing what my 2016 word should be.  God has been making it obvious for a few months now, and He has continually confirmed and reaffirmed it in various ways.

I remember at the end of my first year in BSF (May 2015), my summer-long prayer request was to be INTENTIONAL with my time.  That one word has continually come to mind time and time again since then.  I'm not sure when exactly God put it on my heart, but I know it is right where He is really working in my life right now.

...And there it is, right there at the bottom of that screenshot above - BEING INTENTIONAL.  So apparently my 2016 word came all the way at the beginning of 2015, and I'm just now realizing it at the end of 2015.  Sometimes God just works like that ;)

So for 2016, I'm not focusing on a whole list of goals in different areas of my life, I'm just focusing on one thing: LIVING INTENTIONALLY - with our finances, with my health, with relationships, with parenting and my time with Bryleigh, with my prayer life, with my relationship with Christ, and every area of my life in between.  And of course, I will continue to find JOY and give thanks in each and every moment, of each and every day the Lord gives me.

2015 – A *JOYFUL* Year in Review

I have loved sharing our life with friends and family on our blog over the past few years, and one of my favorite posts each year is our “Year in Review.”  This year was full of blessings from God coupled with His mercy and grace through some tougher times.  It’s always so amazing to look back and see how God continually took care of us along the way.  So without further ado, here’s our Top 15 in 2015…

15.  Celebrating Bryleigh.  We kicked off 2015 celebrating our sweet little girl at her 1^st birthday party.  We had so much fun making new memories, starting traditions, and celebrating her life with friends and family.  It was truly wonderful to top off her first year of life with a Onederland birthday party, complete with Christmas trees, snowflakes, and Hopkins County Stew.  I am thankful for a beautiful baby girl that reminds me of God’s miracles and great love every single day and thankful to be celebrating her sweet little life to kick off 2016.

14.  Growing Pains.  Bryleigh's 1st birthday also meant the dreaded Well Check visit.  These had been pretty routine for us during B's first year.  She was meeting all her milestones and doing great with all of the recommended vaccines, but her One-Year well check ended up leading to some follow up appointments regarding her size and a year-long question that we still don't really have answers for.  (Bryleigh's growth had fallen from 95-99 percentile down to the 60's.)  We followed up a few times as her growth started to level out and our pediatrician was sure Bryleigh was just getting settled in to a new percentile.  (Let's face it, if you have been around Bryleigh, you know she is very happy and healthy!!) However, over the summer, Bryleigh began to have some other health issues that have left us with more questions that answers at this point.  We've spent a lot of money on diapers, a lot of time at Cook's, and ZERO (almost) time researching related issues on the Internet.  I am thankful that we have incredible doctors we are working with, modern technology and medicine at our disposal, and most of all, that we serve the ultimate Healer.  I am thankful that although 2016 will have more follow ups, God is with us and knows every detail about Bryleigh's body.  (And insurance.  I'm thankful for insurance.)

13.  Getaways.  Last year, we focused a whole lot on “Bryleigh’s First,” from her first smile, to her first steps and everything in between, but we celebrated a big FIRST this year ourselves…our first night away!  Mimi and Pappy came and stayed with our little Miss while we headed to Dallas for a Valentine’s dinner and a night at the Ritz, followed by brunch at Crossroads Diner.  It was the perfect getaway for us (for me), and Brad was still able to spend some time with Bryleigh while he was home over the weekend.  (We LOVE celebrating the holidays…all of them, both together and as a family.)  I am thankful for family that steps in to help out with our little one, and I am thankful for a husband that takes time for us and makes me feel so special.  I’m thankful for all the moment’s he’ll steal away for us in 2016.

12.  No More Years.  Not only do we like to celebrate holidays in our family, we just like to CELEBRATE in general.  So when my mom retired after teaching at Sulphur Springs ISD for 25 years, we had to celebrate in a big way.  I was so glad to be able to be with my mom for her last week before her Endless Summer began, and I loved being able to pull off some fun surprises for her, along with my brother and dad.  There were parties at her school, a dinner with family and friends, and a surprise trip from my brother and his family.  There were also a few “prizes” along the way!  I am so thankful that God provided my mom with a career that she loved and was so gifted in but also allowed her to be home with my brother and I any time we were out of school.  I’m also very thankful that 2016 will bring lots of new exciting things with mom’s new freedom in her time, she’s already making the most of it!

11.  New Car (New Freedom).  After 2.5 years of only having one car, we decided to make a BIG purchase and get a family car!  We celebrated paying OFF Brad's car in February, and went two months without a car payment.  Now that is something to celebrate!!  New cars are always fun, but when schedules are as crazy as ours, with early morning/late night trips to and from the airport, adding a second car was SUCH a blessing for us.  We made the whole "One-Car" thing work for us, but it has been so nice to have the freedom a second car allows for.  (And we finished up the night we purchased our car in the closet due to tornado warnings...something we won't ever forget!)  I am thankful for the Lord's provision for our family over the years and for all He will provide in 2016.

10.  Snow Days.  Not only did we spend quite a few moments in the closet this spring due to tornado warnings, but we also enjoyed several snow days!  Thankfully, Daddy was even home to enjoy a few of them with us, and he had a few of his own in North Carolina.  We made a lot of memories in our little back yard on Velvet Antler this year, and the snow days were some of my favorite ones.  Our little girl's love for the outdoors completely blossomed over 2015.  What we did not love was driving to one of Bryleigh's follow up doctor's appointment in blizzard-like weather, turning our 10-15 minute drive in to almost an hour, and the ride home was even longer!  And you better believe we made snow ice cream. ;)  I am thankful for unbelievably fun memories with our little family (and for the two of them that are along for the ride every step of the way).  I am so thankful for all of the memories we will make in 2016.

9.  Living for the Weekends (Still).  I never knew that my husband could be gone Sunday/Monday through Thursday and I would be okay.  It used to terrify me, but somehow, we've made it work for our little family.  Although we would LOVE more time together and a little bit easier schedule, we definitely make the most of our time together and it has taught us to appreciate each other more.  I am thankful that God has sustained us during this season of our lives and all the time we've spent apart, and I'm thankful that He has gone before us in 2016 to make the days apart quick and the time together very special!

8.  Our Teams.  We obviously love sports, and cheering on our teams always brings a little more joy. We were able to cheer on the Rangers at the Ballpark some great games including Opening Sunday, Josh Hamilton's comeback, Cole Hamel's first start, and the Rangers WINNING the AL West.  Brad has enjoyed going to the Cowboy's games with his dad all season, and I even got to go to one with him!  There hasn't been much to cheer for their, but we love them anyways! ;) And one of our favorite games of the season was traveling all the way to DC to see Bryce Harper and the Nats!!  I am thankful for all the things Brad and I have in common, including our love for sports, but I'm thankful that on years like this one (FULL of disappoints), we know life is so much more than our teams winning a few games.  I'm really thankful that 2016 is a new year with a few less quarterback injuries (we're looking at you - cowboys, bears, and broncos).

7.  Will Run for Chocolate.  The number 1 reason I started running was to run in the Dallas Hot Chocolate 5k with my momma!  It was well worth it and such a fun experience.  I'm proud to be a runner (although I'm not much of one these days), and I look forward to all the miles I'll put on my Asics in 2016.  I'm thankful that my mom has taken her health and staying in shape seriously and the impact it has made on me, as well as the memories we've made sharing in all kinds of experiences.  I'm thankful for the 2016 Hot Chocolate and all the other miles we'll run together in the days ahead.

6.  Bryleigh Girl's First (round 2).  Just because Bryleigh's first year is behind us doesn't mean our lives aren't full of "Firsts" on a regular basis.  Our sweet little trooper, who is always along for the ride, went on her first flight and had the flu for the first (and hopefully last) time this year.  She's also sported her first ponytail, attended her first, and second Rangers games, and she's tried a whole lot of foods for the first time (including chocolate chip cookies and ice cream)!  She took her first trip to the zoo and her first trip to Waco, Baylor's campus, and the Bear Pit.  The biggest first this year - STEPS.  We celebrated a new year with our new little walker, and she hasn't slowed down since!! I am thankful for the firsts we celebrated in 2015 and the ones to come in 2016!

5.  Glory Baby.  I've mentioned before that the "top moments" aren't necessarily the "best moments" from the previous year but rather the ones that have shaped our family the most, and losing our precious little baby is definitely something we won't ever forget - nor is it "just a moment." I wrote back in April when I shared the news that for the first time in my blogging history I "didn't have the words," and that maybe at some point I would...well, I still don't  I've learned a lot over the past 8 months, and I've learned more about finding  JOY than I really bargained for at the beginning of this year, but I just still don't have the words...So I'll leave you with some pictures of that time instead ;)  I am thankful that we serve a God who heals our broken hearts, and I am thankful that He will minister to us in 2016 through all the highs and lows that come our way.  I am thankful that He has far better plans for our family than we do ourselves.

But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. Ps 71: 14

4.  2015 Holidays.  As I mentioned early, we like to celebrate EVERYTHING in this family, so we make the most of all the holidays.  The older Bryleigh gets, the more she understands, and the more she gets in to all the celebrating as well.  By the end of Christmas she was singing the songs, opening her presents, and getting excited over all the lights.  I am so looking forward to making more memories with her, and the rest of our family, in 2016.  I am so thankful for all the memories God allowed us to create in 2015 and thankful for the ones ahead of us in 2016.

3.  BCinDC.  Brad and I celebrated SIX years of marriage this year, and we decided to take a little anniversary trip.  It was our first time to be away for more than one night, so we decided to go over a weekend.  We also used it as an opportunity to check some items off our bucket list - including a trip to DC, two ballparks, and crab cakes at Jimmy's Famous Seafood.  We loved our time away, just the two of us, and we truly fell in love with the city.  We still have days where we miss being there, and we can't wait to go back again soon.  We LOVED getting to see this years NL MVP, Bryce Harper, who played in MVP fashion - great base running, great fielding, and to top it all off, a home run!!  I am thankful for 6 years of life with my husband and for the "Lucky Number 7" ahead of us!

2.  MPBCBinNYC.  My absolute most favorite place on the planet is New York City.  I'm normally ready to go back "next time" before we even leave "this time," and this trip was no different!  This year, we got to do a lot of things we had never done before, including the Central Park Zoo, Serendipity 3, ice skating at Rockefeller Center, and a trip to Eloise in the Plaza.  Of course there were a few repeats like Shake Shack, Ellen's Stardust Diner, and the best view of The City - Top of the Rock.  We won't talk about the fact that Bryleigh got the FLU the day before we left.  She was such a trooper and loved her first trip to The City!!  I am so thankful that God allowed us to go on this memorable trip this year and for the countless ways He took care of us while we were there, and I am thankful for the unexpected blessings for 2016 He has coming our way. 

1.  Family Fun.  We have the BEST family in the world.  Bryleigh is blessed with 2 amazing aunts, the coolest uncle, the funnest cousins, and the most incredible grandparents.  She is surrounded by love, as every little girl should be.  There are obviously a million (and that's probably not much of an exaggeration) pictures I could have filled this collage with below from all the memories we made this year.  We were blessed with lots of time over the past year with our families, and we are looking forward to all the time together in 2016!  I am so thankful for the incredible family God has blessed us with and the memories we made this year, and I am thankful for all He has in store for our family in 2016.