10:50AM… 1.2.22

One year ago on this day ( sorry! I wrote this a few days ago and was having trouble uploading it) at 10:50 AM… Journey took her first breath of air on her own….. AMEN!

WHAT A GLORIOUS MOMENT IN TIME!!!!

This little warrior has continued everyday to get stronger and stronger……

Looking back through pictures yesterday and today with the kids , we were forcefully reminded of how hard she has worked! Watching those videos after she woke up…. yikes.... Seeing how weak she was and how she basically had to help her body remember how to do EVERYTHING……. From holding her head up, sitting up, to holding a pen, brushing her teeth and hair, going to the bathroom, feeding herself, and just walking……. Her body was so weak and looking at her today….. it seems like that must have just been a bad dream…. There’s no way!? 

But it was real…… that was her fragile little body …. Her sweet hands that couldn’t hold a pencil or marker….that little scratchy whisper that said to me when the tube came out , “ ……hi mama🤍……”……. It happened! ….and the Lord carried us through it….. 

The last several months I’ve been having massive anxiety as we have been watching the calendar get closer and closer to December 23rd… (That was the day Journey and I took a ambulance ride… ) So I’ve been keeping myself busy… Trying to keep my mind occupied… It has been both therapy and a crutch… I am so very thankful for our families inner circle, who know me so well and know when to let me over commit, and when to tell me to stop committing and just finally deal with my crap!

This year, no doubt, has been full of up and down… Each of us have dealt with a handful of emotion and trauma in different waves, and in different levels… Some have been obvious, and some have come out of nowhere… It has been an amazing blessing though… No matter how hard it has been. We are abundantly grateful that we get to work through these hard things. This last year has been definitely trying… But I would do it 1000 times again if it meant we get to do it together… I am thankful that the Lord has shown us beauty in simplicity… I don’t think I’ve ever looked at the grass in my front yard and valued the beauty of the different blades there…. Or quite seen depth of colors in the sunrise or set like I have this last year… I don’t think I have soaked in all of the times I got to see Silas at bat or watched the girls giggle as they chase their friends out front like I soaked in this year… Our hugs have been longer, our belly laughs have been funnier, our conversations have definitely been deeper, and for that I am grateful. I am thankful abundantly that the Lord chose to display His glory in Journey. He rescued her and through that, he rescued me… I have found a new life and new breath and new gratitude in everything. Thank you Jesus.xo

I will forever praise you, my King! You are worthy of my praise and my everything! 

Today, we decided to start a new family tradition… Not just for this epic date January 2, but hopefully some thing we will be able to do often… We went to the hospital where Journey was at last year, we stood outside, her window as many of you did for us, and we prayed for whoever was behind that window today… I’m not sure who they are or what they’re going through , but room PICU 215…. We got you! We are praying for you, and we have you covered… May you breathe peace this evening and may the Lord bless you and keep you… May HIS favor rest upon you! And may HE give you peace…

I cannot even explain how much love I have for our community of family and supporters from this last year… As we have reminisced and looked back… We have been overwhelmed with all of you, who have so selfishly given your time and energy to being warriors for our family… All of you who prayed and covered us in the depths of our despair… those that spent intentional one on one time with my kids, made us food with hearts shaped carrots.... I cannot thank you enough… Different dates on the calendar pop out as triggers for us , one being the 23rd when Journey went into the hospital. The next is Christmas day at noon… So many of you gathered outside our window on Christmas day?! What a sacrifice that was for you and your families to stop in the middle of the day with your own personal celebrations to come down and pray for Journey! I took pictures from her iPad that day… She was too weak to make it to the window, but Geoffrey and I were blown away with all of the love and support… And still to this day she looks back on her iPad at those pictures… She sees your faces… She sees you dancing and praying And oh how we all love you… "MY PEOPLE!", she says! What a sacrifice what a beautiful declaration of servanthood… And then that night started the prayer vigil that lasted the next 24 hours… That was absolutely monumental and life-changing for both Journey and our family… We were tired and weak... your prayers covered us and filled in gaps where we had holes. The Lord heard your prayers as you petition for our sweet girl and for me, a weary, weary mama… I was was beyond fatigued… And your sacrifice to pray and “war” allowed  for me to rest… I vividly remember, laying my head down and being so incredibly peaceful… Knowing that I had mighty warriors standing guard, beautiful coverage warring over our family… I know I have written about it before, but it wasn’t just our family that was impacted by these beautiful acts of purposeful petition… Nurses, doctors, other patients, people coming and going… They all saw /experienced it and felt God’s love in the midst of it…. I will never forget our sweet nurse that night… As I rested, I still had a feel and vibe of what was going on in the room even though my eyes were closed… I heard her moving around the room throughout the night, and when she would come to check on Journey, she would walk by my bed over to the window… Every hour looking out to see a new set of beautiful people out there! Standing their post and praying…. It took her breath away several times, and I’m pretty sure she had a few conversations with the Lord that night as well… 

We are so grateful, and so humbled by your love. Thank you for petitioning with us, for the Lord's Glory to be be displayed in Journey. 🤍

Ps. I have so much to share with you all… I have been taking notes on special moments throughout this last year that I’d like to share with you all… So I will be updating this blog soon, and hopefully often… Thank you all for sticking around to hear this portion of the story… I love you all incredibly… XOXO