thank you !!!!!!

****I'll give everyone time to let us know if they would like the DVD, so I will not mail any until Monday the 14th!!!!****** We are happy to do it, others are giving their info to us, so don't be shy!!!*********


Had a good time last night!! Dave can hardly come to a party and not be in the "party mood!!!" He had to stop and get a "little" hat for the BD meal for Elijah! I do not think "Mavie" has any idea what adventures are before her with a daddy like she has!!! It will be exciting for sure!!!! She is so precious, her little sounds and squeaks, her round pudgy body and I love to get her close up to my neck and feel her soft cheeks and head.......nothing like a baby!!! I am blessed to be with her! Us girls try not "fight" over her too much when Dave and Kate are here, that would be a bad testimony, wouldn't it??????

It was Dec. 7th, 2006 that Terry made our first blog entry. Anna came up with the weloveyoujoel address and her and Bethany got it all set up. It was to inform family and friends of the journey we now had before us. How I wish that our story, Joel's story could have turned out differently. Now as days, months and years have passed, I have a confidence in my heart because of what the scripture teaches of God's sovereignty, that Joel's story has been written according to His will. Every detail, every test, every shot, every cry, every tear, every pain, every day was orchestrated by the Hand of Providence! As much as within my mother heart would long and desire him to be here, I trust His wisdom, his plan, his heart for our family. It has been the most difficult thing we have ever been through and at the same time I can also say I see many good things that have come from it. Once again, my mother heart would desire Joel rather than the "good" things. One of the things that has come from this is the hundreds maybe thousands of people we have come in contact with because of "Joel's Journey." I would have never thought that Joel's story would reach out to so many. I have met so many other mother's that are grieving, I have met many new friends and we keep in touch via blog and e-mail, we have met many families with like mindedness, we have had so many come alongside and pray for us fervently, that encourage us with words, e-mails and comments. Since Joel has entered heaven, this blog has been a key source of help in my grieving journey. It has been an avenue to let out what sometimes seems like a depth of blackness that none can possibly know unless you have been in one yourself. It is a place where I can talk about Joel and many of you often say, how you enjoy that he is still in a sense in our daily lives as I share thoughts about him. It is a place I can keep his memory alive as any mother who has had a toddler death longs to do. And even now as we seek to go on with our lives, it is a place to share about our family happenings, adventures, and what God if doing in our midst and hopefully in the future as the Lord leads about how our family will grow with new "sons-in-laws and daughters-in-laws." I enjoy too, sharing scriptures that have guided and upheld me through this "shadow of death." Our desire as a family is that all that we do here will be glorifying to Him, will be encouraging to others, will be a help to other grieving families, will be an exhortation that children are a blessing and that God can and will provide our every need even when there is lots of us :)!!!!!!!!!

Looking at this last year, from Dec. 2008 until Dec. 2009, we have had 86,168 visits. I know many places could have that in a months time, and I am not hooked on numbers but what I am grateful for is the folks out there that our family has had the opportunity to be apart of. I want to tell you THANK YOU! Thank you for being there!!!! Thank you for letting me tell you about Joel, thank you for listening to what might seem like the "same grieving words over and over," thank you for blessing our family, thank you for carry our burden in prayer, thank you for holding our arms up, thank you for everything you have been to us!!!!! I write that with deep thanks!! Our family would like to give anyone who would like a Joel's Journey DVD as a gift to you! If you do not have one and want one, e-mail us your name and address at 13blessings@sbcglobal.net and we would like to send one to you.

You all are great!!!!!!