Family Fun

Last weekend Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Deb visited from Florida!

It was so wonderful to have them here with us for a few days. The last time they saw Sierra, she was only 4 months old and she had just learned to roll over. They were so excited to visit with a busy little "moving" kiddo now and Sierra had a blast spending time with them. 

Here are some pictures and video from our visit...

Sierra relaxing with Grandma Deb

Sierra and Grandpa

Where did he go?

Grandpa is fun to climb on!

And sit on!

Sierra and Grandpa feeding the ducks

Trying out our Wii skills (during nap time, of course!)

Playing with Grandma Deb

The Snack Trapper

How to properly "use" a snack trapper:

1. Hold snack trapper with hand and position thumb (or finger) to hold down one of the "flaps" that are suppose to keep the snacks "trapped"

2. Shake arm wildly

3. Eat snacks!

Sierra has perfected this art; thus the reason why she has to sit on her play mat to eat her snacks during snack time. Watch and learn...

Also notice how she favors her left hand. I am not sure it is totally apparent in this video, but Sierra eats with her left hand, turns the pages in her books with her left hand, holds things in her right hand and uses her left hand to manipulate them. It is very interesting for us to watch. Are we going to have a "right brained, left handed" kiddo? Only time will tell!

Slacker

Sorry I have been a blog slacker this past week. We had family visiting last weekend through Monday, then I had a group project to do on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday had me all day in the classroom and before I knew it, it was Friday again. Here I sit, yawning, and wondering where in the world the week went. The good news, I am 3 weeks closer to summer vacation!!! We are heading into week 4 of my 8 week session, which means I am almost half way done! Praise God!

Aside from school, I can't forget my main calling in this life and that is my responsibility as a mother and a wife. Brian has been super supportive, I love him very much and can't thank him enough for all he does for me. And this little monkey definitely keeps me on my toes.

Life is busy, but wonderfully blessed. We love and serve a wonderful God!

Blessings

ANOTHER BABY!!!

That's right folks...my sister, Katie and her husband Shaun and their little man, Pierce have GREAT NEWS to share!!!

Check out their blog HERE!

At this rate, Mimi and Papa will have more than enough Grandkids to keep up with!

I am beginning to think I shouldn't drink the water these days.

We are currently praying for 8 friends/family members that are pregnant right now and our dear friend Jaime just gave birth this past Saturday...she was number 9! 

God is so great!!!

Please pray with us over the next 9 months!!!

Happy Spring!

Praise God for day 2 of no fever! I do think we have kicked this one to the curb!!! Thank you for all your prayers. Now if only this pesky "mid-night" cough would get out of here too. 

Brief updates...my Mother-in-law is still in the hospital, but it is just for logistical purposes (as far as I understand); she will be discharged in the morning and is feeling well. My father is also doing well. He is healing great, but getting a little bored at home all day; what is he going to do when he retires?!?!? 

Now onto the wonderful day that yesterday brought us....SPRING!!!! I love Spring and I am so happy that it is finally here, now if only the weather would also look at the calendar, then we would be good to go! :) Until the weather warms up, here are some pictures of Sierra welcoming in spring...Hope they warm your heart! :)

Quick Update

Thursday's are crazy busy for me and yesterday was no different. I just wanted to post a quick update about Sierra. Thank you all for your prayers, your kind words and thoughts. It is no fun having a sick kiddo! She seems to be doing much better though. Praise God! No fever to report all day on Thursday. She still has a silly lingering cough and snotty nose, but the fevers are gone!  She woke up at her normal time of 9:30 am on Thursday, didn't really nap well, but then was in bed at her regular time. I did have to give her some Tylenol around 12:30 am (this morning) because she was coughing, having a hard time getting comfortable with all the congestion, etc.

I have no fun pictures right now...sorry! We did go for a walk yesterday, as the temperatures got up to 70 degrees here; however, a cold front moved in (literally, while we were walking) and we had to head home fairly quickly. The temp dropped a chilling 17 degrees in about an hour - yuck! I will have fun pictures coming soon.

Please keep praying for total and complete healing for Sierra. Please also pray for my Mother-in-law who had surgery today. She is doing well and should go home from the hospital tomorrow. Also, please pray for my Father-in-law and his girlfriend, Deb. They will be traveling up from Florida this weekend to visit with us. We are very excited about their impending arrival. The last time they saw Sierra was in August for Brian's Academy Graduation; she was only 4 months old then. Oh how she has changed! I am sure she will be super excited to see Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Deb! We can't wait to see them either...should be a fun and full weekend!

Love to all! Thanks for the prayers!

Sleepy / Silly Wednesday

Sierra continued to be a bit sleepy today and she didn't get out of her crib until after 12 (noon). She was coughing and talking several times through out the night. So even though she "sleeps" until after 12, she really isn't "sleeping" that whole time. Thankfully she is getting some rest time though. She woke up with no fever and no need for any Tylenol - Praise God!!! She refused to nurse last night, but then drank a ton of milk this morning and ate a pretty good sized breakfast (even though it was after noon). She napped well too, about 2 hours, but when she awoke she felt very hot again. The thermometer read 102.7 degrees. Bummer! I thought we had gotten past it. I gave her more Tylenol and she seemed fine. We played, cooked dinner, welcomed Daddy home, and then she ate a very good amount for dinner - BBQ chicken, potatoes, and beans - YUM!!

This whole thing is very interesting, but a friend of mine told me today that last week her little girl had a fever for 5 days with no other symptoms. I guess it is just something crazy going around. Please God heal Sierra quickly!

Despite all that, I did get some pictures of her today while she was playing. She is growing so fast and just so precious. :) We love her so very much and are so blessed by her little personality! Thank you Lord for our precious Sierra!

Shake It!

Something seems to really have a hold of Sierra and I pray that she will just "shake it" SOON! I don't know what it is. Please pray for her. Sunday she was EXTREMELY tired and slept probably 60% of the day. Then on Monday, I was gone all day and Brian said she was fine in the morning, but when I got her up from her nap around 3pm she was burning hot!!!  Our ear thermometer read 103.4 degrees so of course I got worried. That seemed really high to me and I have never seen her with a temp higher than 101 degrees. I gave her some Tylenol and then called the doctor to see if there was any more I should do. Due to her recent ear problem, they thought it was best that we bring her in.

We spent the afternoon in the Doctor's office - just where we wanted to be!!! Yuck! However, every thing checked out clear. In fact, and we totally Praise God for this, the doctor said he couldn't be happier with the way Sierra's ears look. We were jumping for joy when we heard that. We knew the Lord would heal her without the antibiotics and sure enough, He did! Praise God. 

We still had the fever issue though. The doctor really couldn't explain it. He said he didn't see any reason to take blood and run more tests, but just to keep an eye on her. He said it was probably a viral thing. Ugh...it is so frustrating to not get a definitive answer. These fevers just really scare me. I don't know how many days a child can go with recurring fevers before it becomes a concern.

Monday night sometime around 9pm Sierra woke up and was fussy, so Brian went to check on her and took her temp; her fever was back and this time around 100 degrees. He gave her more Tylenol and she went back to bed. This morning (Tuesday) she woke up much earlier than usual with another fever of 100.6 degrees. Then at bedtime tonight she was warm again and the thermometer read 102.4 degrees. :( It seems as though the fever will only stay away for about 6 to 8 hours at a time (long enough for the Tylenol to wear off). I am frustrated and for once in the past 11 months, really showing some "1st-time Mom" anxiety. I prayed over her tonight, just as we do every night, but tonight I was just pleading with the Lord to take away these fevers and heal her little body from whatever is ailing her. Good news is, at least we know it isn't an ear infection! Then again, not knowing is half of the frustration...I will keep you all updated.

Just praying.

Baby food

Around here we make our own baby food. It has been such a wonderful experience for us. Not only does it help with our finances, but it also has been wonderful for us to control what Sierra is eating, the portions, the nutrients, etc. For anyone thinking about making their own baby food, the book that was recommended to us and that we HIGHLY recommend is called Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. The book highlights the "4 day wait rule," what foods are okay at every month increments, several recipes, tips on growing your own foods, and even fun games to play with your toddlers. I have referenced this book many times during the past 4.5 months that Sierra has been on solid foods. It has been a blessing! Thanks to you ladies that recommended it, namely Cristen and Sara-Beth. I have to give a "shout out" to Brian too, because honestly over the past 4.5 months he has made about 96% of Sierra's food. He is awesome and only wants the best for his preicous little girl!!! We love him dearly for all he does for us! 

Just for fun, I took some pictures the other day. Happy Monday everyone! :)

One tray of food and the trusty Cuisinart 

in the background that helps in the making of most of it.

As labeled - Front row, Left to Right - 

Peas, Carrots, Brown Rice (ground and cooked), and Avocado

And what blog post would be complete without a picture of our little monkey?

Friday Prayers

**UPDATE: My dad went into surgery around 9 am this morning and discharged around 1pm. The surgery went very well. I was able to meet the doctor with my mom following the surgery and he was very pleased with how the procedure went. He said the tumor looked conclusive with the findings in the biopsy several weeks ago, that it is benign. The final pathology report will still take about a week to get back. 

After leaving the hospital, Sierra and I ran a couple errands and picked up some lunch for my mother, who had taken my father home. When we got back to my parent's house, my dad was very groggy and highly medicated. I asked him if it hurt to talk and he only hand signaled "so-so." We knew it was important for him to rest, so after we ate lunch with my mom, Sierra and I packed back in the car and came home. Aside from the nasty, cold rain and sleet, and the yucky rush hour traffic we arrived home shortly after 5pm.

I am glad to have been there to spend the day with my mother. It was a nice day of visiting. I am exhausted and heading to bed very soon. I am taking the Praxis II Test tomorrow and I have to be at the testing facility at 7:30am, which means Sierra has to be at the sitter's at 6:45am. All that is very early for a couple of girls that normally start rising around 10am! :)

Thanks for all your prayers. Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had class last night. Whew...that is all I can say. I sure do have my hands full this session. Lesson plans, observations, presentations, morning meetings, videos to watch, lessons to teach, classes, chapters, essays, group projects, reading...the list can go on and on. Let's just note, one week down...seven to go!

Today though, not much school work going on this morning. My father will be headed into surgery around 8:45am to remove a benign tumor located behind his ear. Sierra and I are headed to Richmond to hang out with my mom at the hospital while we wait for the surgery to be completed. (In my past life...err, just a couple years ago, I could have been a "professional hospital sitter and waiter" - I know how it all works, unfortunately)! Sierra and I will hopefully bring some joy to my mother who seems to get a little anxious about things like this; especially when the man she loves is going under the knife.

I am confident that the doctors will work with great precision and the Lord will be watching over my father during the entire time. Dad will be sent home with a "shunt" that will drain for a few days and prayerfully in just a couple weeks time he will be fully recovered. Please join us in prayer for my father, the doctors, the nurses, and my mother (and travel for us) as they all go through these next couple of days.  Thank you. 

I promise, more updates and pictures of our growing girl, coming next week! :)

A girl and her Cup

A girl and her Cup

At 6 1/2 months old we started Sierra on solid foods. At this time, the doctor also suggested that we think about introducing a cup. Our pediatrician recommended that if we use a sippy cup, we take the valve out of the top (you know the ones they have these days that make the cups "spill-proof"). She said that when the valve is in, children need to suck the same way they do when they drink a bottle or nurse; therefore, they never really learn to drink from a cup - same concept, just a different container. She suggested that the best way to teach drinking from a cup is to use a sippy cup that allows water to flow freely. 

At first we were afraid this was a bad idea, from age 6 1/2 months to about 9 months Sierra would just dribble the water back out of her mouth or cough it up. It was very frustrating! However, around 9 months she finally started to "get it." She finally started drinking, swallowing, and enjoying her water. Since that time, we have started to allow Sierra to use a cup that doesn't have a valve, but leaks very minimally (they are actually cheapies, "Take and Toss"). Now, using these cups, she has really started to understand the concept of picking up the cup, putting it in her mouth, and tipping her head back to drink. 

To watch her drink from her cup like a big girl makes us so proud of her. This is such a big accomplishment and we are so thankful that she has achieved this. For awhile there, I was thinking maybe we needed to mix some juice with her water to convince her to drink from her cup; thankfully though, that was not necessary. Sierra currently only drinks water from her cups and we are not anxious to give her juice any time soon. Our pediatrician does not recommend it and that is fine with us; water is much cheaper! :)

Drinking her water like a big girl! Tipping her head back!

She can multi-task; drink and look around the room!

Yay! I did it!

11 Months Birthday!

Sierra had a fabulous 11 months birthday yesterday! First we went to the park in the morning with some friends and Sierra had her first try at riding in the swing. She seemed to really like it!

Hold on tight!

Enjoying the ride.

Honestly, this girl is happy doing pretty much anything, it seems.

Then we went to this really great pizza place (a bit pricey, but we shared with friends)! It was glorious to get out of the house for a little while and spend time with the precious Godly women God has placed in my life. I haven't talked much about my moms group, "Moms 4 Christ". It is a wonderful group and I am grateful for the deep bonds God has developed in my heart with so many of the women in the group. I am thankful for the blessing they are in my life. Especially, as I seek to raise up my child knowing, loving, and serving Christ and as I, myself, continue to strengthen my walk with the Lord. Sierra and I have been a part of this group since she was 3 months old and it has been a blessing to watch her grow up and now become a little playmate with the rest of the children. So many of the older kids (and parents) just adore Sierra and it is so comforting to know that she is growing up among children who have the same morals and values that we would like to instill in her; our precious gift from God above.

Following lunch, we were in the area of the Sheriff's office, so we decided to call up our favorite PR woman; more loved by us though because she is the wonderful (Great) Aunt Paula. She actually was just stepping out to lunch and decided because we called, she did not want to eat "jail food;" rather, she wanted to visit with us. We were happy about that and were able to meet up with her at a local restaurant. 

She has not seen Sierra since before Christmas (that is too long)! Paula is a Virginia State Delegate and the Virginia General Assembly has been in session during the months of January and February. So, not only did we lose our Thursday night babysitter, but we also have missed seeing Brian's wonderful Aunt. It was great to see her and to catch up. Her short lunch break was simply not long enough for us girls to chat and for her to "oogle" over Sierra. We will definitely have to get together again sometime soon - Maybe even take Sierra over to the jail and introduce her to everyone. Sierra has never been there before, even though her Daddy and her Great Aunt spend lots of time sharing pictures and stories. Here is a picture I snapped at our 2nd lunch outing!

The day was wrapped up by a long nap (for Sierra), dinner time, play time with Daddy, stories, prayers, and bed. This special little girl is such a blessing in our life. Words can not express how thankful we are to the Lord each and every day for allowing us to be her parents. We praise you God and we seek to do your will - Always!

11 Months

Our precious blessing of a girl is growing so fast. Please God, can it slow down just a little???  My baby is not much of a baby anymore. She is starting to say words, pointing at things, feeding herself, just plain growing up!  She is still nursing 3 times a day, which allows me to enjoy some "quiet time" moments with her (for now). I love those moments! Other times during the day though, she is busy, busy, busy!!! At the doctor last week, she measured in at (finally) hitting 20 pounds. She is just a little over at 20 pounds, 4 ounces. She also is now 28 inches tall!!  Growing like a weed! 

Here are some pictures of a new found interest - pulling up in the crib!  This is pretty much how I find her these days. Also, with this new interest and moving about her crib, it seems to be taking her a LONG time to settle at night and sometimes at nap time. Currently is it just after 11 pm and after a few minutes of dozing in and out, Sierra is STILL talking and playing in her crib. I am praying she outgrows this very quickly!

This face is hard to resist though!

Standing up like a big girl!

Are you proud of me, Ma-ma?

Sierra loves to play too. Here is a little video I took yesterday of us playing. Don't mind the empty water jug...around here, everything (that is safe) is fair game for fun! We try to use our imagination, A LOT!!! Also, sorry if the shot is a little shaky at times. I was trying to film and play, tough job! :) Enjoy!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Spring Fever

The past few days have been so unbelievably nice here in Virginia. I am definitely a fan of spring and I am so thankful when it starts to appear. Everything is just so new and fresh, the birds seem so happy, the trees are budding, and the flowers are blooming. I love the smell of the fresh spring air too! I thank God for this wonderful time of year. His promise of new joys and new life are wonderful!

Once Sierra got feeling better (she still has a bit of a cough, but is pretty much back to 100% from last week at this time - Thanks for all the prayers) we decided it would be nice to get some fresh air. So the other day we took a walk around our neighborhood.  It was still a little breezy, so Sierra wore her hat to keep her ears protected. She loved seeing all the birds flying around and the ducks (we have LOTS of ducks). Currently she says "baa" for "bird" - then again, "baa" also means "book", "ball", and "baa-baa" means "bye-bye." I guess I should give the kid a break, she is only 11 months old! :) She is so cute though, pointing to the birds in the sky as they fly past and pointing at all the ducks. I am so excited for these walks to become a daily thing around here. Lord knows I could sure use the exercise! :)

Today it was a wonderful 79 degrees and breezy here. Sierra and I took a walk up to the grocery store. We needed some milk, yogurt, bananas, and potatoes (the essentials). :) It was fabulous to get out and get some fresh air.  I hear the weather is suppose to be a little cooler; however, we do have plans to go to the park tomorrow. Sierra's first time at the park. I will try to post pictures of that soon!  Until then, here are some pictures of our walk the other day....

PS - Notice Sierra's outfit? We are sooo ready for the NFL Draft and Spring Training! Is it football season YET?!?!?

Look Ma-ma! Baa! (aka - Ducks)

Ducks!

Another picture of our blooming daffodils

Spring Break

The daffodils in our front yard, our little glimmer of Spring!

Hope it is here to stay soon!

Spring Break has come and gone. It seemed to go by very fast! I am excited about this upcoming session because it is my VERY LAST session of classes until graduation!!! Can you believe that? I certainly can't! There was a time many years ago when I thought a college degree was not in my future; now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Amazing! Praise God for his provisions in our lives!

I am taking on a bit much this session and planning to take 3 classes during the next 8 weeks. I am praying that I can survive these 8 weeks. I will be taking Geography, Classroom Management, and Students with Disabilities. I am looking forward to my education classes, but not so much to the Geography class. This is a gen-ed class that I need to graduate and it was never put into my schedule, so I am taking it now to finish my gen-ed requirements. With two senior level education classes, 30 required hours in a 5th grade and a special ed classroom, plus this Geography class, my schedule is sure to be jammed-packed (and let's not forget my full-time job at home still)! I am praying that I will make it through and will be successful. 

The good news is, I have the entire summer off until student teaching starts at the end of August. We are planning two family trips to the beach, trips to NY, weekend family time, time with friends, visits from friends and family, and the arrival of our newest nephew - Jacob Michael! I am so excited for a wonderful and blessed summer! The anticipation of this summer is my drive to get through this last 8 week session.

So even though Spring Break sailed on by and I didn't get much done because Sierra was sick all week; I am thankful for the time that I was able to spend with her and Brian while not having to worry about papers, tests, quizzes, lesson plans, professors, presentations, etc. I am really looking forward to this summer and the blessings that the Lord will continue to shower on our family!

Update on Sierra

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us. Sierra had a decent night last night. She slept fairly well, I only went in to hold her and give her more medicine one time. She coughed many times during the night, but seemed to sleep well. This morning she seemed much happier even though she still was sporting a runny nose and congestion. Thank God her fever was gone and with the drops in her ears, it seemed as though she was not experiencing any ear pain. Praise God! We have decided to for-go the antibiotics again today. We give God all the glory for her healing (even for the smallest cold)! Thank you for all your prayers!

We took it easy today. I let her stay in her PJ's all day and just relax. I took this little video of her; crawling, coughing, climbing, super cute, and waving bye-bye! Enjoy!

Sad baby

We went from this...

To this...

Literally overnight. :(

Which means we saw a lot of this...

So much of the day was spent doing this (hanging out in the doctor's office)...

Sierra thinking about "self-diagnosing" while the doctor was taking awhile to get in to see us.

Trying to bring comfort to this precious little thing...

Sierra is really most content when in her daddy's arms. Praise God that Brian was off work today! He spent much of the morning patting Sierra's back and carrying her around the house.

Praying that tomorrow brings more of this...

And this...

*Update - Sierra has a cold. Praise the Lord that is all that it is. Just a runny nose, cough, congestion. However, we have been concerned about her ears. I did not write about it before, but during her 9 month check up in January, Sierra was diagnosed with an ear infection. Her pediatrician said it was at the very very early stages and that is probably why she had not been fussy or irritable; we were feeling bad that we did not know she had an infection. While we were talking with the doctor, during that appointment, Brian casually said, "Oh I had many ear problems when I was little. I think I had tubes in my ears by the time I was 2 or 3." The doctor seemed very concerned about that fact and quickly jotted down some notes in Sierra's chart. Apparently, bad ear infections and ear related problems can be genetic (based on the genetic structure of the ear).

So, back in January (much to my dismay) Sierra was treated with an antibiotic for 10 days. (I am not a big fan of antibiotics.) Since that time though, Brian and I have noticed that she is still tugging at her right ear and when my parents were here this past weekend, they also noticed that she was favoring her right ear. After talking to Brian about it, we decided to put a call into the doctor for an appointment. So this morning, before Sierra woke up, I called and scheduled an appointment for this afternoon.

It all really started last night though...

Last night before bed, Sierra was acting really funny; she completely refused to nurse, which is very odd for her. After putting her down, she cried and fussed for about a hour (yes, we are those kind of parents, letting her "cry-it-out"). Normally, this would not be a big deal, but she hasn't really cried herself to sleep in months. She usually just falls right to sleep with no noise at all. After about an hour, I went to check on her to see if she wanted to nurse (she didn't), but she did want to lay in my arms and rock. I gave her a little bit of Tylenol (another thing we don't like to do very often, but I gave in and gave her 3/4 of a normal dose for her weight). I put her back to bed and again, she cried and fussed for another 45 minutes to an hour. This time, Brian went in to check on her; he changed her and rocked with her. She finally settled a short time after he put her back down. All through the night though, we heard her several times over the monitor; fussing, stirring, crying, etc. Poor little girl.  

This morning around 11:30 am, she was still asleep, I guess given the fact that she didn't sleep well all night, she was still tired. I went in to check on her and she started crying the moment she saw me and was very fussy (another odd thing, Sierra always wakes up happy).  After changing her, we noticed she was really warm, I took her temp and it was 100.8 degrees. She was also really congested and stuffy. Needless to say, we were glad we had already scheduled the appointment with the doctor. So, after a few hours at the doctor's office it was determined that Sierra has a bit of a cold (not sure where that came from) but she also has another ear infection. :( This was extremely disappointing. 

The fact that her father has a history of pediatric ear problems and this is her 2nd infection in less than two months is discouraging. The doctor said that going to the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist) at this point is kinda "jumping the gun." She said even given Brian's history, we need to go through all the hoops; follow the protocol, treat this infection, and keep a close eye on it. Recurring ear infections in infants and toddlers can cause hearing problems and of course we do not want that to happen. 

The doctor started to discuss another antibiotic and I spoke up and stated my opposition to antibiotics for Sierra. She was completely accepting of my concern and said that she too does not like to overly prescribe antibiotics. She said there was a "safety net" we could try first. Give Motrin and prescription ear drops for pain and see if it brings Sierra some comfort over night. If it does not, then we can use the antibiotic. Of course we jumped all over that option. So tonight (when Brian finally got home after waiting for the prescription to be filled at Walmart) we gave Sierra some Motrin and almost instantly her fever, which had returned at 100.9 degrees, went down and about an hour later, she started to become her happy, fun-loving self again. Then before bed, we gave her the ear drops. She fell right to sleep with no problems. Praise the Lord! We are praying this does the trick so we can avoid giving the antibiotic and let the infection clear up on its own. 

Also, I must give a shout-out to my wonderful Sister-In-Law, Blakely. I know she doesn't expect this, nor would she think she deserves it; but I think she totally deserves it. Blakely is a PA (Physician Assistant) and is my personal "on-call doctor." I texted her first thing this morning about Sierra's fever and have talked to her several times today; actually she just called me again and she is at work tonight. I appreciate her so much for calling and helping me know what is the best way to help Sierra. Blakely has great advice about when to give Tylenol and Motrin, what do to about these ear infections, and she understands my hesitation about antibiotics, etc. Sometimes this "first time mom" thing is a bit trying and seeing my kiddo so sad and sick today really helped me understand the pains of parenting, on a completely different level. I am so glad that I have someone close to me that I can ask questions, get answers, and with whom I trust. Thanks Blakely! Love you so much!!!

Please continue to join us in prayer over Sierra. We pray that the ear infection gets better and not worse and that Sierra will have a wonderful night sleep and will be feeling 100% by tomorrow. Thanks!

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. ~1 John 5: 14-15