Rainbow Baby

We are so elated to announce that we are adding a fourth baby to our brood at the end of October! Infact, we will discover the gender of our baby in less than two weeks, as I am currently eighteen weeks pregnant.  The journey of our rainbow baby began with a crippling loss last fall, but through my miscarriage & subsequent pregnancy Benji and I are learning to trust God's plan.  When we found out we were pregnant on Oct. 2, 2016, it was truly a long-awaited answer to prayer.  Because arriving at the positive pregnancy test was a journey in and of itself.  After Tessa was born I knew in my heart I wasn't done having kids.  Benji, on the other hand, did not share that same desire.  And after being diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in both of his knees and all the challenges he has faced in the past two years, he was convinced that having another child was not a wise decision.  But I continued to pray that God would change his heart, and last summer, June 2016, (after much prayer and council on his end) he decided he was open to trying for a fourth child.  We told family right away because we were so excited to find out we were pregnant, after only five short months.  I even told Bruce that I probably wouldn't coach cross country next season with the new baby arriving during summer running.  Benji and I began making plans for our future, I dreamed of buying matching Christmas stockings for our family that included the new baby's name, and we talked about everything we were looking forward to. Then, on Nov. 9, 2016 during our first ultrasound at nine weeks, our faiths were shattered when the technician couldn't find a heartbeat.  It was devastating news, especially after three healthy pregnancies and thinking I was invincible to this kind of loss.  I started to question whether we had misread God's nudging or whether I was just too old to carry another child.  I was confused and hurt, not understanding that my broken heart was still a part of God's plan.  It wasn't until Valentine's Day 2017 when we found out we were pregnant again, that we truly started grasping what God was teaching us through this journey.  We learned that God had closed a door on my first pregnancy, only to open a door on my current pregnancy in order to show us, loud & clear, that He is in control.  And with every pre-natal appointment, He is reaffirming to us this truth.  From not being able to hear the baby's heartbeat via doppler at 10 weeks & 14 weeks to feeling the baby move for the first time, I can confidently pray "Thy will be done."

October 2016

13 weeks ~ Easter 2017

Our first ultrasound.

I can't believe this girl is gonna be a big sister this fall!

Newport 2017

We took a mini-vaca to Newport last week, and rented a fabulous house right on Nye Beach.  I have fallen in love with this coastal town, and maybe some day we'll have our own little beach house in the Nye Beach District.  We packed so many new activities in our three days, but also sprinkled in some repeats of our trip last spring.   The weather wasn't the warmest, but that didn't stop the girls from wearing swimsuits at the beach.

Heading south on the 101 towards Florence.

Our first stop was the Sea Lion Caves, which is America's largest sea lion cave.  We took an elevator 208 ft down to the main cavern.

There was also a sea lion viewing area.

Gray whales were spotted earlier that day, but we didn't see any. 

This is the beautiful view looking south from Heceta Head.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

We ate lunch in the parking lot before hiking a half mile to the lighthouse.

Devil's Churn

We sat on the coastline watching for the incoming waves to crash into the rocks.

Finally we reach Newport, and we take a walk on the beach while waiting to check into our house.

This was our view from the main living area.....so breathtaking!

Good morning ladies!

Whale bones

We played at Coast Park, which had a giant pirate ship slide.

That afternoon we ate lunch on the Newport Bayfront, then walked around the docks and saw more sea lions.

Time for the beach!

Dadda gets started building a wall.

All the while, Tessa enjoyed running away from the incoming tide.

Getting warm after some sneaker waves got them wet.  Luckily we had a hot tub back at the rental house to soak in.

Later that evening we took another walk on the beach.

So long for now little beloved beach house!

On our way back home we stopped at Yaquina Head Light, also known as Cape Foulweather Lighthouse.

Hiking down from the lighthouse, we explored the tide pools.

The girls had a blast searching for sea stars and sea urchins, mussels and crabs.

Mother's Day 2017

So grateful to be showered with love & affection & hand-made cards from my littles and so excited to be expecting another little one on this special day!  Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing mothers and grandmothers in our lives!