It’s not often that Ryan and I write a personal post on this site, but we would not be true to ourselves if we did not share from our hearts regarding this last week of our lives/marriage.

This is my favorite holiday of the year! None of the pressure of Christmas, but all the great food and family. It is a great time to reflect on all the blessings we have and in particular for the family and friends we have the privilege of sharing life with.

This week brought about a great tragedy in our family. We shockingly found out Monday that we were pregnant with our third child. Shocking for two reasons: one, we were not remotely planning on another child at this point and two, because I had been having some serious bleeding for several days. On Wednesday afternoon we received a call from the doctor after more blood work that our sweet baby went to be with Jesus. It is one of those mileposts in our lives that we will always look back on as a moment where we had to draw close together and to the Lord for His peace and comfort through such a grievous time.

Of course this is very very personal to me as a mother of two I know the deep connection you have when you carry a miracle inside of you. To feel it all slip away is a very helpless feeling. The only true comfort I have is that our baby is in heaven with our Creator, perfectly formed, perfectly whole and healthy, and waiting to meet us someday.

As sad as Thanksgiving was for us, it was not hard to still have a thankful heart. I have two sweet, beautiful babies that call me “mama”, an amazing, smart, and hilarious husband to call me “wife”, and an awesome family to call me “daughter” and “sister”. Our cup runeth over with friends, we are blessed.

This holiday may have been hard for you too! Maybe you experienced loss, heartache, loneliness or the absence of someone dear to you. Although our human side has a hard time reconciling those emotions and hurts, there is still so much to be thankful for. I had the honor of serving as a missionary in Kazakhstan for 6 months of my life. I lived in a place where many of your felt needs are a luxury. How can I not be thankful when I live in the most abundant nation in the world. Cultivating a heart of thankfulness for our basic needs often plants a seed of thankfulness for other areas of our lives.

So before heading back to work on Monday give thanks, make a phone call to a family member, write a note to someone you miss, write a list of things you are thankful for. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by to sit peacefully in the knowledge that you are loved and God made a special place for you in this world. Be a blessing to others so that you may be blessed in return.

We are thankful for YOU and your support of us over the years.