and so it begins...(again)

I have...again, started trying to lose weight. It seems as though I do this at least once a month...I usually make it about a week or so before I "fall of the wagon". BUT...I'm not going to let that happen this time. I have come to the realization that this is going to be a life long journey, and commitment. I will never be able to eat like I did in high school and still retain...or in this case regain my 18 year old body. (I don't think my 18 year old body is still available...it's a discontinued model...I must look in the "post baby section now!) Don't get me wrong...I'm aiming for that weight...but it ain't gonna be the same!

So...I am one week into my journey, and I am happy to announce that I am 2.6 lbs. lighter than I was just one week ago!!! (insert roaring crowd here!) I have made a personal goal to lose 10lbs. by Thanksgiving...and I think...rather, know that I can do it.

I have added a weight loss ticker to the bottom of the blog so you can keep up with my progress there!!

Have a great day...and...remember to drink your water, and eat your fruits and veggies!!

satisfying my need for comfort food...

I am in the process of making my favorite comfort food...Cheese Broccoli Soup...although it should be called Cheese Vegetable Soup...none-the-less...it is fabulous!!!

Here is the recipe...

1- 49.5oz. can of chicken broth
10 small red potato's cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 cups cut up carrots
1 cup cut up celery
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 10.5 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk (can be a can of evaporated milk)
16 oz. Velveeta cheese cut up

Bring chx broth to a boil. Place cut up potato's, carrots, celery and broccoli into broth. (I usually do the potato's and carrots first, they take a little longer to cook!) Once all veggies are tender turn burner to low and add crm. celery soup and milk. Once they are well combined add Velveeta until melted...finally ENJOY!!

By the way...it's not to bad for you either, so it won't hurt the waistline!!

Hard to move on...

I am finding it hard to blog about anything other than Hannah and Rose, and their family. It seems somewhat cold to just go on with life as usual...and not dwell on the loss of Rose and tiny Hannah in the NICU. It has consumed my thoughts for the past week...just seven days ago I sat around waiting to hear of their birth...hoping and praying...and now one week later I have just returned from the cemetery where we said our final goodbyes to that sweet little girl who we "held" for such a short time.

I wanted to share with you the words that Roses' daddy wrote to her...they are beautiful...

Little Rosebud,

You were only with us a short while,
but we loved you more than you ever could have known.
From the moment we knew you were in momma's tummy,
we started dreaming about you-
about how you'd look, how big your smile would be,
how loud you'd laugh and how hard you'd fight with Tessa.

We had big dreams for you, little lady.

But our dreams were simple
compared to the dreams Jesus has for you.
You went straight from our arms into His
and you're seeing things we've never even imagined.
Down here, your eyes were never open,
and I want you to know...you didn't miss a thing.
I'm so happy that the very first thing you ever saw
was the smiling face of Jesus as He waited for you
with His arms wide open.

Well, I'm getting to the end, but it's hard to say goodbye.
Just know that your momma and I love you and that
your brothers and sisters do as well--

they're always asking what you're doing in heaven.

And whenever they ask, we tell them you're laughing
and that you're running, that you're playing with Jesus
and that you're flying.

Keep flying, Princess, until we meet you there.

Love,

Daddy, Mommy, Madi, Caleb, Andrew, Tessa and Hannah


I have decided to move all updates and prayers to the right side of the blog...I'll keep you posted on the needs of this family. Though it is hard to move on...we know where Rose is, and we will one day see her again.

"How very softly you tiptoed into our world. Almost silently. Only a moment you stayed, but what an imprint your footsteps have left on our heart"

one day at a time...

I thought I would update you on the Hansen family. Everyone is doing well. The children at home are processing the loss of their sister...though they all have different levels of understanding! But I've been told they are doing well. Dan and Tami are doing well too.

Hannah continues to do well. She definitely has ups and downs...but she seems to be coming through all the challenges in a positive way.

Here is a list of specific ways to uplift this family in prayer...

For Hannah;
*continued strength and progress
*the medicine for her heart will be successful
*she will begin to gain weight

For Dan and Tami;
*strength while making funeral arrangements
*adequate rest and nutrition
*safety while traveling to and from the hospital

For Caleb, Maddie, Andrew and Tessa;
*continued understanding of the loss of Rose
*patients during the long road to bring baby Hannah home

It is amazing to see God working through this family...they are feeling all the prayers...keep it up!!

"...for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven"

Shortly before 9pm this evening sweet little Rose Kathryn went to be with Jesus. She is now perfect in every way!!

She died in her mothers arms, and was surrounded by her family. Her little lungs just couldn't handle this great big world. She had the most precious tiny little hands...and ears...everything was there...it just wasn't ready to be here.

I find it truly amazing that this tiny little life...who we've known for such a short time...and who was among us for only one day...had so captured our hearts.

Hannah is still doing well. She is a feisty little one!! I'm pretty sure she is going to be strong willed...but that is just my prediction.

Continue to uplift this family in your prayers!

They're here...**UPDATED**

Again...I have only part of the story...details to come...but Rose and Hannah are both here. The birth went well...the girls are OK...both are on ventilators...the doctors are encouraged by their conditions. That is all I have for now. Mom is doing well, she had to spend some time in recovery before she could go see the girls, but she is doing well.

I plan on stopping there after school tomorrow so I hope to have all the details tomorrow. Keep up the prayers...God's been answering them so far!!!

**I have "some" details.**

Hannah Noel; 2lbs. 13oz. length...tiny (that is all I was told!)

Rose Kathryn; 1lb. 11oz. length...again just tiny!

Hannah has been taken off of her ventilator she is apparently a little fighter(Marissa...I think it might be in the name...now I know two Hanna(h)'s that "beat the odds!!)...little Rose will remain on her vent for "a while"...what that means I am not sure!!

But a great big PRAISE THE LORD!!! for the answered prayers so far!! I am hoping that there will be pictures of the girls that I can see I won't be allowed in the NICU...and I can't wait to find out if they are indeed identical which was a possibility!! I will keep the updates coming for anyone who is interested! Thank you for being a prayer warrior for these two precious little miracles!! Keep those prayers coming!!

Prayers needed... *UPDATE*

I would like to ask everyone to pray for my cousin who is pregnant with twins. She is 28 weeks along and they are going to take the babies tomorrow. I don't have all the details...but it sounds like during a routine ultrasound...something just wasn't right. The babies are around 2 lbs. right now...and this is the start of a very...very long road. They have 4 other children at home...and to say this is scary/stressful, would be an understatement. Please pray for health, and strength for everyone involved...uplift them in prayer. Our God is amazing...lets watch Him work a miracle in these two little lives!!

**I just returned from the hospital. It appears there is a problem with the circulation of baby A (Rose). Her blood is not circulating properly throught the placenta. She is estimated to be
1 lb. 10oz.

Baby B (Hannah) has no known problems. She is estimated at 2lbs. 10oz.

They will be delivered via c-section tomorrow around 4:30 pm. Their biggest concern will be breathing. Let's pray for big, healthy, working lungs...lots of crying in the delivery room would be the most beautiful sound!! The girls are looking at up to two months in the hospital...which will be hard for their parents who will be traveling to and from Zeeland every day...and equally hard for their siblings who will have a big adjustment in their lives too.

If you can...please join me in uplifting this whole family in prayer. Especially around 4:30pm Tuesday. This is just the begining of a long...uphill journey for this family. Let's watch God preform a miricle in little Rose and Hannah's lives!!

Sara Groves - "I saw what I saw"...

it could be worse...

Haidyn has been running a fever since the early hours of Monday morning...and she has a horrid dry cough...shes been out of school for the past 2 days...the doctor says it's "post nasal drip"? I'm not sure I agree...but I don't have the medial degree!!

This is how I went to the grocery store this morning at 7:15am (to buy Tylenol for #3). Whats worse...I didn't notice it until I was walking around the store!!(I said to myself..."self? somethings feels a little weird!") Then I just prayed no one would look at my feet. My life has been a little crazy lately...the start of the school year has been kicking my butt!! (In my defence...I had been up for about 45 min., the house was dark, we all own flip-flop, they are all different colors...it was an honest mistake...?I have no explanation for the two left feet??)

But... it could be worse...I could be to busy to take the time to notice this!!! This was tonight's sunset!!! Beautiful isn't it? Gods little...(or big), way of telling me...no matter the craziness of my life He is always here...especially in the ordinary things...I just have to take the time to notice them!! I'm certain that God is the only one who could create something this amazing. I thought I'd share it with everyone...in case you missed it(or don't live in west Michigan)!!


"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, ... I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

because....well...just because...

In His image...

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-28

(This section of this post has been removed...because my dear husband thought it my be offensive to some? I found it funny and thought provoking...I personally feel that God has a sense of humor...and I didn't intend it to be sac religious or to offend anyone. You can now locate this section of this post in the comment section for this post if you would be interesting in reading it. Enter at your own discretion...those with no sense of humor...might want to skip it?)

God created ALL of us in His image. Not just everyone who looks like me...or believes like me...not just the people I like...or those who like me...EVERYONE!! The people who live half way around the world...who I will never meet...who maybe have never even heard the name Jesus...yep...God created them...and...IN HIS IMAGE, just like me.

As a mom I have gotten the "What does God look like?" question a few times. And I always come up with an answer that "seems" to satisfy? "Well...we won't really know til we get to heaven...but I'm sure He is amazing!" But...this morning the best answer came to me, I think, He must "look" like ALL of us...

but...image isn't just how we look; it's not our size or shape, it's not the color of our skin or hair...

Image; vb: meaning: to create a representation of.

In the end it doesn't really matter what God looks like, His physical appearance isn't the part of His image that's most important!!

So...those are my thoughts for this beautiful Thursday morning. Have a great day...and when you walk out your door...remember just who It is you represent!!

and so it begins...

...up early and off to school. It creeps up on me every year.

We had a great summer...so...I thought I'd share some of it with you...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The girls and I are adjusting (s-l-o-w-l-y) to this new schedule. It may take awhile to get into a good routine again. It sure was easy to fall out of the routine though?!?

Anyway, Tatelynn started 6th grade, middle school (already)...6 different classes, lockers (with combinations), her school starts an hour earlier, I think the adjustment is hardest on her.

Quincey started 4th grade. She loves school, was so ready to go back, and is right back into the "swing" of things. I think the adjustment is the easiest on her...she is a morning person.

Haidyn started 1st grade. She was ready to go back too. Or maybe her mother was ready for her to go back...maybe both? She sometimes has trouble applying herself...she is rather strong willed...someone told me she could be a future world leader? None-the-less she seems to be liking it a lot...she is very tired at the end of the day...but that makes bedtime pretty easy.

I, Shannon, started my 2nd year at Davenport University. I am taking 12 credits...I am wondering if that was a wise decision...but this time last year I was wondering the same thing about going back to school in the first place. It is going to take a lot of commitment, and even more time management. This could be interesting!!

What does $130.50 get you these days...

• 5 tickets to Michigan's Adventure
• $8 parking pass
• 2 rides on the Mad Mouse
• 2 rides on the Cork Screw
• 2 rides on the Sea Dragon
• 2 rides on the Falling Star
• 2 rides on the Wolverine Wildcat
• 4+ rides on Shivering Timbers
• a few rides on some of the smaller "carnival" type rides
• 3 Large sodas
• 1 Large slushy
• 2 hours in the water park on various slides and in the pools, enjoying the refreshing, cool water!!

and...

• 10 hours of FUN! FUN! FUN! with our friends the Roelofs.

@ $13.05 per hour...I would say we found the deal of a lifetime!

Two parks for the price of one, FUN!! FUN!!

We have just returned from a great day at Michigan's Adventure. We have a little bit of sun burn... sore feet...wet towels and suits...and some more great memories!! Everyone is fast asleep after our 14 hour "vacation" today. 10 hours at the park...wonderful weather...many rides ridden...many laughs...many screams...Haidyn's first time on ALL....yes, all of the BIG coasters, with absolutely no tears. She's a brave one!!!

What a great way to say goodbye to summer!!