Blessings

WOW. I have the best parents. As I look back now through the eyes of a mother to three children, I can say that and mean it whole heatedly. As I mentored teen Moms a couple of years ago, I started to really realized how lucky I was. My Mom and Dad always provided a loving and safe place for me to lay my head...even through the dreaded teen years and even through my own teen pregnancy, no matter what the circumstance I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my parents would always be there for me. I didn't know that everyone did not have that same blessing, I didn't know that there was sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and physical abuse. I didn't know that some parents cared more about there own needs and not the needs of their children, I didn't know that some kids came home to empty dirty homes with no food...I just didn't know. I hope that some day my kids will be able to look back and say that they too always had a safe and loving home to lay their head each night, and that no matter what we would always be there for them too. So, yes, I have been richly blessed to be born into my family! Over the past two years my parents continue to provide for me...when I was too sick to be by Dane's side in the NICU, they were there. When Dane came home, they (mostly Mom) bravely learned how to operate his monitors and deal with his oxygen requirements and home health care nurses. They learned all of Dane's exercises and helped with his physical therapy. They provide us a safe place to go during flu season and they have always made sure that during the last two years that Gage and Katie never felt less important. They have baby sat on a regular basis so I could continue to work since Dane could not be in day care. Recently they have given us yet another HUGE blessing...they gave us their van. Now they could have and probably should have used it as a down payment for their new van, but instead offered it to us. This enabled us to give my car to Gage and for me to have my a vehicle to drive...not only did they joyfully give it to us, but gave it to us with a full tank!!!! It's just too much, Chad and I don't have words to say how thankful we are so we will once again say "Thank you for everything!"



Thank you Lord for all of our many blessings, we have had some doozies this year!