A Lifetime of Love

I am so cheesy! =) About 15 minutes away from my hometown (in Ohio) is Twinsburg. Every year the town celebrates "Twins Days" the first full weekend in August. It just dawned on me that next year I will get to attend as a participant, not just as a spectator. That is pretty neat as it is a big event and often receives national media coverage. The good thing is it won't cost us much considering we can stay with family and enjoy the festivities all weekend long. I am already excited and looking forward to it!

Well, today unofficially marks the end of summer in our family. Th returns back to school tomorrow. He is excited but apprehensive because he does not know which of his friends will be in his class. The friends we have seen/spoken to this summer were all placed in other classes. He is hoping at least one of his friends from last year will be in his class. The summer passed quickly by. We were busy in June with VBS and a quick beach trip, July the older 3 kids attended a science camp for 3 weeks, and August marked our Bermuda trip. I have also spent many, many, many hours working in my classroom painting, organizing, sewing pillows/other items, cleaning, hanging items, making materials, and too much more to list. Open House is next Wednesday and Thursday and then school begins the following Tuesday. I am excited yet nervous for a new school year, particularly because this will be my first year teaching. But, I had such a wonderful mentor teacher last semester and I have incorporated so ...

The last entry regarding this latest pregnancy was sort of ominous in tone. . . the "not knowing" of what was going to happen had me in a state of fear: am I about to miscarry a baby I wasn't prepared to have, or is everything okay and my dates are just off because of an inconsistent cycle? The Lord provided some answers (and much more) at my doctor's appointment this past Monday. TJ offered to go with me but I declined since I was only meeting with a nurse to handle the insurance paperwork, schedule lab work, and set up my next appointment. However, much to my surprise, the nurse wanted to begin the appointment with an ultrasound to see where I "officially" stood: pregnant or on the verge of a miscarriage. Low and behold, the Lord had much more in store for me because as soon as the image appeared on the screen, I immediately, clearly, and distinctly saw two egg sacs with two "blobs" in the middle of each. I turned to the technician and asked, ...

Greetings from sunny Bermuda! We arrived today (Tuesday) about 2pm. Bermuda is an island under the authority of the British government. It is modern in many ways, but still very traditional. Once the ship entered into the harbor and blew its horn, the Town Crier rang the bell and announced our arrival. He also met us at the pier and announced the time and temperature. So far our trip has been great. The ship is small (compared to others) but offers a vast array of activities. We have enjoyed eating, sunning, eating, playing games, eating, shopping, eating, sunning some more, and eating some more. We are doing our dive tomorrow followed by some shopping and sightseeing in the town of Hamilton. I am really excited. We bought an underwater camera so hopefully we can get some great pictures. TJ, unfortunately, is not feeling very well (neither am I, but he is worse). The kids had a cold and I think they shared it with us before we left. We have been going to bed somewhat early (by 11pm) in...

Bermuda, here we come! TJ and I are leaving today for a 7-day cruise to Bermuda. On the agenda: plenty of fun, sun, and shopping. We also have a reservation on Thursday for a dive to the bottom of the ocean where we will have the chance to see, touch, and hold many tropical fish. I am so excited and can't wait! Please check back for pictures from our trip, hopefully to be uploaded daily. If not (due to connection issues), see you in a week! ~T.C.

*Disclaimer: Before I proceed in writing this post, please know, if you are reading this, you are a dear friend of mine. However, for various reasons, what I am about to share, I chose not to share “in person” simply because I have not seen you nor felt it was the right time to share. * I found out about 10 days ago that I am pregnant again. Although this baby was not expected and measures were in place to prevent this, the Lord planned it and has given him/her to me for a purpose. I will shamefully admit that I was not thrilled with the news or the reality of the situation; however, after much thought, prayer, and meditation on scripture, my attitude and beliefs are more firmly planted in the truth of God’s Word and His promises. “Children are a gift from the Lord. . .”, “My thoughts are not God’s thoughts. . . “, “God know the plans He has for me. . .” Based on my cycle, which is irregular because I am still nursing Teagan, I am almost 10 weeks and due 2/25. The taking of the pregnan...

Below is a story that was written by Emily Perl Kingsley for parents/caregivers of children with special needs upon receiving the child’s initial diagnosis. Welcome to Holland I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability to try to help people understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this: When you are going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michaelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, Welcome to Holland. HOLLAND?! You say. What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy. But there's been a change in the flight p...