Short Update

Hi.
We're still here, still living life... day by day. In the distance between our posts there have been a lot of good times, and of course a lot of hard times. There are hundreds of photos we've taken over the past couple months of holidays and precious memories. Such as...

Isaac chasing me with snowballs. (Yes, he's in his pajamas.)

Quality time. (Anna roses in the foreground...)

But we don't take pictures of the hard stuff. Can you imagine? Posted on Facebook or here on our blog... Here's me on the couch, bawling as I watch Anna's slideshow. Here's Matt & I having a tense conversation, frustrated at each other because we're both completely worn out emotionally. Here's Isaac looking up into my face with big, endearing blue eyes, wondering if I need a tissue because I miss Anna... again. Here I am, rocking and sobbing over the pink bear Matt made me that weighs what Anna weighed. Me again, frozen over the kitchen sink due to a flashback as a certain song plays, chills rolling up & down my body. No, you probably don't want to see those pictures. But we need to you know that those scenes happen. 

So when you see this (our Christmas card)...

...don't be fooled. Yes, we are joyful and thankful and savoring the moments. But the joy and thankfulness and savoring is hard work some days. Others, <thank GOD>, it is more natural. Or more accurately, it's supernatural. I know the Lord is helping us. We certainly can't do it in our own strength. "... The joy of the Lord is our strength..." Neh. 8:10

(By the way, the white die cut shape you see on the card is actually titled by the company "Anna Snowflake".)

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I mainly started a post to "check in" and tell whoever still looks at this that we are here, we are doing well most days, but we still need your prayers and we still need YOU.

There are many amazing things God is showing me. I plan to share some of those soon. In the meantime, on we go... Praising in the heartache, making the moments matter!