Praise during our storms......

I don't even know where to start....Most of you have been following the past few days with us..what a whirlwind of emotions and unknowns. While we know that God's timing is perfect in all things, sometimes it's easier said than done to have faith in the midst of strong storms. We could not have survived the past few days without each of you.... your loving messages of hope and encouragement did more for us than anything. It means more than any of you will ever understand to know that we are surrounded by people who we not only consider family and friends but dear loved ones in a community that surrounds us. We are both forever grateful for everything...the offers of help, the visits at the hospital, the phone calls just to say hello...it helped us to not think, to live outside the moment and to breathe even if just for a moment. The whole experience was summed up best for me in a moment of weakness I had. After a long 24 hours of no sleep, I was finally given a break by Adam's family to leave the hospital and go home for a minute on Sunday afternoon...I was scared but so hopeful all at once...Adam was still bad and not showing improvement just yet and I just prayed. I prayed out loud in my car...I cried out to God to heal him in ways that we had not yet seen. I asked God to take this crutch from him and to allow him to finally be free from all of this. Free of hurt and constant health issues. And if it was not in His plan to completely heal him just yet, that He would show us ways to use this crutch to help others. To show the ability that God has to turn any situation into a positive even though we may not see it in the midst of our trial. To use our story and Adam's perseverance and incredible faith to help those who might be doubting their own. I was on my way back to the hospital for the "night" shift and suddenly this song came on the radio-I had heard it 10,000 times before but never ever truly heard it's message until that moment. The moment the chorus came on, I began weeping so hard it was hard to drive. But I was weeping not out of sorrow but with renewed strength. I came back and sat in my car in the parking lot at Mercy hospital and wept in joy and cried out the lyrics to the song in my car knowing that God would carry us through this storm and bring us to a stronger place on the other side. Just as He has so faithfully a million times before. I think my favorite line says it all....
"Every tear I've cried You hold in your hand, you've never left my side and though my heart is torn....I will praise you in this storm."

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth


We are not out of the woods yet...Adam and I are finally home late on Tuesday night but he still has a lot of healing to do. Continued medications as well as treatment for severe anemia is in order now as well as a bland diet and rest rest rest. I am exhausted and Liam is a bit mad at mommy for not sleeping more...he's fine-it just means he's off his sleep pattern a bit but we'll get back on track.
We are still in prayer over what the next step is with Adam's new position at CMS-obviously his job is still fine however he has to travel for training for the next 2 weeks into Rochester, NY and is supposed to fly out Friday...we're taking things day by day until we figure it out.
We can't thank you all enough-words cannot say enough....
Just know that we are praying for an outpouring of blessings for each of you....and
Love in Him,
Amanda

Late Holiday edition.....

I'm finally getting a moment to sit and talk about our holidays. We were so blessed this year as my parents and brother were able to come to Charlotte for the first Christmas here in a long time. It was so nice having everyone around....after an amazing Christmas Eve service at Elevation, we joined Adam's family for candlelight service at St. John's. And as tradition goes, we all venture to Nancy's house afterwards for soup/chili and telling Christmas stories along with a fun game of Dirty Santa with all the fam. There was so much excitement this year as well surrounding Liam being on the way soon....He got all kinds of cute stuff from his grandparents and aunts and uncles! We are so blessed! Here are some fun pics of our time together:

I want to see your face...

Liam,
It's mommy.....I know you can hear me now....I can feel you respond to my voice....I can tell you've grown so much and before I knew it I am now counting down to your arrival. Daddy turned over this morning and woke me up by saying "Happy 7 months honey...." I am so excited to be able to say that. It feels so close and everyday I am in awe of your constant growth and change even though I can't physically see you yet. You've already got quite the personality....you startle pretty easily and you love when your brother and sister, Maggie and Buster, curl up next to you on my belly. I know you'll just love playing with them and in turn, they'll be very protective of you. You are already a huge fan of great music thanks to your Daddy. We want to introduce you to this early because music is such a part of our lives already. I put headphones on my belly and I know you love dancing around to the beats even thought you have no idea the impact the lyrics are having on all of us on the outside. I stand in your room sometimes and run my fingers over the edges of your sweet little bed. I imagine our time together and how it will feel to finally be able to hold you, smell you, take you in...the life we've created....your life. You're already starting to have quite the wardrobe and you're gonna be one cute kiddo in all these outfits. Daddy is really excited about hats and tennis shoes for you....when you meet him, you'll understand why...he's quite the style maker himself and he's going to give that wonderful trait to you. You are kicking frantically in my belly right now as I type this-almost as if you feel the same way....we are so anxious for your arrival little boy...our sweet angel....you're going to be loved beyond words. Until then, just know that we're doing everything we can out here to get things ready for your arrival and to bring you in to this big world with ease. Mommy and Daddy love you monkey!

Kicking off the Holiday season....

Our holidays started with a bang....We had an idea that we wanted to do something very different this year for our Christmas card and still somehow incorporate Liam into the picture. We looked online for a long time for some inspiration and funny enough it was found in pictures done by pregnant women for Halloween. They had painted their round bellies to look like pumpkins and immediately we knew we had to paint my belly somehow for Christmas. With the help of my dear friend Kevin, we were in touch with a wonderful lady named Margee Halsch (www.margeehalsch.com). She's an abstract artist in the area and came highly recommended by Kevin. I gave her a call and she immediately loved our idea and said this would be the first time for her as well using skin as a canvas. We were excited to see what she might come up with! The end result was so perfect....very cute  with 3 snowmen representing Adam, Liam and I. Here's some fun pictures from our day!

Halfway home....

Today Liam is 20 weeks away from coming home.....It has all gone so fast.....I feel like we just found out he was even real and now to feel him kicking and moving just makes me so happy. I lay awake at night now more recently because apparently his clock is already off from ours. But it's worth every sleepless moment....he kicks and moves, responds to my voice and tumbles in my belly like he's doing cartwheels. I don't want this to go too fast because I want to remember every precious kick but I also cannot wait to lay my eyes on his gorgeous face. We have alot to do in the 2nd half of this pregnancy....we still have to find a daycare, a pediatrician, finish the nursery,etc. Most importantly, we have to remember this sweet time in our lives....we've created a life together.... a life that will be with us in 140 days.

An amazing father

When I met Adam, I had never seen him around a child. We were both so young and so immature and to see him grow into the man he is today has been an amazing journey. The day we found out we were pregnant was the start of a spark in him. I have never seen such joy on his face, such warmth in his eyes....he was about to be a father. I get to watch him now as he talks to Liam in my belly.....I can't wait to watch him interact with his son. He's going to be a father that encourages, that his son can be proud to look up to for example, that he can talk to about anything, that will give him the tough love when he needs it, one who will encourage his dreams and be his shoulder to lean on. A father that will teach him to be strong in his faith in God and to not be afraid to share it with the world. And most importantly, he will lead by example of strength in the face of any adversity able to conquer anything that comes his way. He will raise a strong, christian young man that will make amazing strides in the world.
Recently, he's been getting excited about preparing the nursery for Liam's arrival. Here's some pics of our most recent project....Adam repainted an old table that I've had for years....it looks so great now.

It will sit beside the glider and I'm sure will be the perfect place for wonderful books to read to Liam or the perfect little lamp.

Liam's Nursery

We want Liam to have a super happy place to sleep in and play. A place where he can feel soothing when he needs it and joy in his playtime. A place of discovery, laughter, restful sleep and growth. We've decided on all white furniture and beautiful green walls. Adam and I have always been huge fans of animals, nature,etc. but we also didn't want the nursery to be "cheesy" in anyway or too themed. We've had a hard time finding a fun bedding with a modern twist but finally found one recently. We're so excited about the bright colors and the subtle hints at animals.

We have a vision of vintage toys that we're currently on the hunt for and fun little touches to decorate the walls. It's still a work in progress but everyday I walk into his room and dream. I dream of rocking him to sleep at night and singing him lullabies. I dream of first smiles, first steps, playtime with the puppies and watching his eyes light up as he learns all the world around him. I can't wait to welcome our Liam into this little haven cut out in our small place in this world. He is going to be one blessed little boy and we are so blessed to be on this journey to get him here.