Halloween 2010...and a something HUGE!

We had a BUSY, but GREAT Halloween week.

Patchville at SCC is our favorite. Every year our church has a massive outreach for children of all ages. I am talking bounce houses galore, candy, hay rides, face painting, candy, rides, games, candy, oh and did I mention CANDY.

Eli had his fall festival at his school, Sammie had a party, and Alex had a fall festival too.

We are worn out...and a little full of candy!

Here are a few pictures to share. I know I am biased, but don't I have beautiful children?

As I got the kids together to take this before we headed to meet Aaron at Patchville, the stray cat came running over and got in. Eli as the Dark Knight, Sammie as Spidergirl, Alex as Spiderwoman, and Lilah as Minnie. Now, for those of you who are wondering why Lilah isn't a super hero...let me stop you really quick. Minnie IS our hero. When we went to Disney, Minnie's assistant held the line and Minnie led Lilah's hand all over her ears, face, nose, and more. (YES I CRIED) From that moment on, Minnie and Lilah had a connection...and Aaron and I fell in LOVE with Disney...so Lilah IS a superhero, too!
As you can see from this picture, Lilah LOVES her Daddy. She giggles and squirms when he gets her with his "whiskies." I am SO blessed to have SUCH a wonderful husband who loves me and our children unconditionally!

" Who me? No, I didn't eat the last one?"

She looks like she got caught RED HANDED!

My beautiful mini-me, Alex. She will be 8 next month. I love her SO much. She has the biggest servant heart I have ever seen.

Now, here is my boy. I love this little handsome devil who looks, and acts, just like his Daddy. I have had people ask me if I actually gave birth to him because he looks so much like Aaron. Yes, all 9lbs 5 oz I pushed out. Trust me, he is part of me too!

My little Sammie.... Such a sweet girl, but careful...she has a naughty streak. I love that no matter what happens, she LOVES to have her picture taken. She can be crying and so upset over a toy,then see my camera, and pose like a model. I know, I know...this one will give us some trouble. I LOVE this little one...in all her dramatic glory!

Look at this beautiful, messy, gorgeous, miracle. She was crawling and pulling up all over the sanctuary at church while "Dan, the Animal Man" was on stage.

I looked at this photograph over and over. I saw something that struck me like a jolt of LIGHTNING....look closely...

HERE...

look at it closer.....

These are some VERY clear corneas.

No, they aren't "perfect" but who cares about all of THAT...look...

You cannot look at this last photo and tell me God doesn't exist.

No surgeries, not even one, on her eyes. She went from completely blind with opaque corneas to these amazingly BLUE eyes in less than two years.

God is here. God is with us. God is healing Lilah. God is changing us...all of us.

You know, when I found out I was pregnant with Lilah...I prayed and prayed for this child. I didn't get the child I prayed for....no, I got something a million times better.... I received the child I was meant to have. The Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He placed Lilah in my care. I am so grateful for unanswered prayers. I am SO grateful that the Lord saw in me a person who needed, deserved, and would LOVE this special child.

Lilah is my gift.

Thank you, Lord, for this most awesome honor. I pray I honor YOU with all that I do with her, my older three, with my husband, my family, and all that I meet.

HE is using Lilah....I have no doubt!

Babbling Lilah!

Listen to how great this is!

Her Speech Therapist, Bethany, will be very excited...but disappointed. Lilah saves her babbles for us only. She listens and observes when she's at therapy of any kind. We get to see all of the work for ourselves.

LOVE this little stinker!

In the midst of waiting..

We got the results from the Genetic Testing and Lilah has a "deletion" on one of her chromosomes. We do not know, yet, what this means. As we wait the "diagnosis", Lilah continues to improve.

Many of you have been SO supportive and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yet, there are others out there who LOVE to make comments about me as a person, my skills as a Mother, what I should have or could have done, etc. Please do me a favor and don't judge me or my family. We know who we are in God's eyes, and THAT is all we need to know. We love you, even in the midst of your criticism. Enough of that...

Watch this video below and see how GREAT she is doing. I love you Lilah! Thank you God for her. She is a gift!

Speech is working!

In training...

Last May I ran my first ever 5K. I will NEVER forget it!

I ran the Susan G. Komen in memory of Serenity Dixon. Serenity fought SO beautifully and gracefully. She had SUCH poise, love, and JOY...even to the end.

After finishing this race, in just under 39 minutes, I did a HUGE self-inventory...at least on my athletic ability. I came to this conclusion:

If I can push and coach Lilah to learn to walk... I can push myself to run something longer and bigger. In June my friend, Melissa, asked me(before she moved away) if I would like to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon with her, at Epcot, in February. I said, " I JUST ran my first 5K, there is NO way I can do 13.1 miles." She said, "Start training now."

I did a GUT check.

Katie, you CAN do this.

I said to myself, "Everyday you ask Lilah to work hard, push herself, and do things that many said she would never do, or do next year...so, why can't you do this?"

Those words...were NOT my words.

Those words were the encouraging words from Jesus. Yep. HE said, "YOU can."

So, I paid the money(because I knew if I put the money down...I would NOT turn back) and began slowly running more and more and more.

I now can run a 5K in 30.25 minutes. WOOHOO. That is over 8 minutes FASTER than in May.

You see, running is not just my way to get in better shape and take care of myself. Running is my time, first thing in the morning. I'm talking...I wake up at 5:30 AM and get out the door by 6 to run before my family wakes up. It is my time to pray. It is my way to tell God every fear, hurt, pain, and ask HIM to take it away. It is my time to give it up to HIM. It is my time to ask HIM for forgiveness and ask HIM to give me strength to do what I do each day. It is my time to PRAISE HIM for the MIRACLE he has done in Lilah's life. In Aaron's salvation.

With each step I take, with each mile I run, with each passing minute... I think of LILAH.

I see this face in my mind and I keep going. I see how hard she works. I remember the tears. I mean the BIG, FAT, rain drop-size tears, that she has shed during PT, OT, and practice at home and I think....

If she can...so can I.

Thank you God for placing Lilah in my care.

Not only is she changing others...she's changing me.

Man, God is SOOOO good. HE knows just when to intervene and bring you to your knees to make a change for the better in your life.

I love my God, and I love my Lilah!

(oh, and I inspired my friend Mandy B. to run it with me too. Isn't God awesome?!!)

Fast walking Lilah!

The strongest woman I know: Lilah