Beautiful.....

Oh to see those pretty little legs again.....so precious. Lauren has been moving her legs around quite well today, (her casts were removed around noon)....however, she has not had the nerve to stand on them yet. She doesn't seem to be in any unusual pain, and I'm sure her muscles feel tight for being in one position for 3 wks. 

She is really excited to have her legs back, but really scared to put any weight on them yet.  Patience has been on the forecast for our family for quite some time....God's grace pours down on us.

We took her swimming in our neighbor's pool this afternoon....she of course loved it. It was so wonderful to see her splashing around with a smile on her face. 

This experience has lead me to pray with Lauren much more often throughout our day than I normally would have. Whispering prayers in her ears as she sits on my lap....praying that God would heal her and help her feel better....praying that He would help her to be strong and not to be afraid. 

Sometimes praying is the only thing I know to do when she gives me an unsure or nervous smile, when she wants me to hold her and clings to me because she is scared. Prayer is special to her.....perhaps a little prayer warrior in the making.

Please pray that God will give Lauren the courage to stand on those beautiful little legs and take her first steps....and that those first steps will eventually lead into her running through our yard where I will hear her giggling with pure joy as her brothers chase her.

Peace and Blessings to you all.

Too Funny....

 Ok...so today I was trying to get a cute group photo of my 4 lovies. I am weird in the fact that I wanted to get a photo of Lauren in her casts with her brothers.  Lauren gets her casts off tomorrow....Woo Hoo!

They were all doing great, being so good for their mama. I'll be honest...I promised them all candy if they would smile for me....I'm horrible I know.

Then Luke basically punched Lauren in the nose....he's such a brute.

It must not have hurt her too bad because she didn't cry...she just yelled at him...then he started to cry.

And like the good mama I am....I just stood there taking pictures.

Ok...ok....this was the last photo and I did put my camera down and hug the little ones. Sometimes it's just so hard not to laugh at them....Nate's face cracks me up and Noah was trying to be the peace maker...see him holding Lauren's arm so she doesn't bop Luke.

I love my kids!

The Way Nate Sees It.....

 I haven't written a post about my lovie Nate lately and what he has been up to.  I know a few people who read my blog who are especially interested in Nate and his overall progress and development.

What can I say?.....Nate is Nate.....and if you have never met him, he is a bit hard to describe. I am smiling as I write this....because to really know my son....as I have said before, you have to experience him....and those of you who do know him well, know exactly what I am talking about.

Nate was diagnosed with autism this past November, shortly after turning 5. And after doing a bit of research of individuals on the autism spectrum, Jared and I had some wide eyed moments of finally understanding a little more about Nate's communication quirks and how he processes the world around him.

Of course no two people on the spectrum are alike, but reading about others did aid us in encouraging Nate in some otherwise difficult areas of learning. Just one example would be that, although Nate does have a sense of humor, he most definitely is a literal thinker.....and that is something very important to know when trying to explain something to him.

After reading Temple Grandin's "The Way I See It" (A book written by a woman who is on the autistic spectrum....if you have never heard of her, google her name and be amazed.) Anyway...she talked about how she thinks in pictures....like she has a whole rolodex of images stored in her memory and links them together when trying to process information....even a simple conversation. Only then did we realize that Nate too was more than just a "visual learner", but that he actually relied on the visual images to understand simple concepts and conversations with others.

Nate was a whiz with puzzles at a very early age, however, since we have moved to Indiana we have yet to unpack his puzzles....so his new love....Legos.  He has always loved to build things in general....blocks and lincoln logs are also a favorite.  All of the lego directions for  building a house, (a very detailed house I might add), are all picture directions......perfect!

He just follows the directions and goes to town. The only help I have given him on the house you see below was helping him find some of the pieces...we have them all laid out on a cookie sheet so I help him to sift through them. I also helped straighten a couple of shingles and the wheels on the little mower....that's it.

He'll leave it up for only a short time then wreck it and do it all over again.....the following photos are of house #4 and it's only been a week or so since we've found the Legos.

I don't want this post to seem like I am boasting about my son's awesomeness with Legos....because I know lots of kids who are talented with Legos and building their own creations....it's just Nate has struggled in some areas for a really long time, and it is refreshing for me  to share some of the positive things that he enjoys and that he is good at. He will most likely never be a multitasker, but I think that it is great that he can stay focused on something.

I absolutely love his face when he puts the very last Lego piece on....it's the same face I see when he is placing the last piece on one of his puzzles, he is so proud of himself.....not to mention the fact that he is super cute and has the most adorable freckles! 

One More Week!!!!

Great news from the orthopedic doctor yesterday.....our little lovie Lauren will be saying good bye to her bright pink legs next Wednesday...which is less than a week away!  If you haven't read the post about how she came to be in this state, read here.

 The doctor said that her bones looked great and were healing really well. He felt confident that she will be perfectly fine once the casts are removed....no physical therapy even necessary. So this means that she will have only had the casts on for 3 wks. We were preparing for a much longer duration (they told us 4 wks. minimum)....so this was a most pleasant surprise.  Praise God!.....so many answered prayers.

I can't begin to tell you how strong Lauren has been through all of this. I am in awe of her tenacity and perseverance.  Yes, she had went through an awful time of pain....but that did not weaken her.....her spirit is as vibrant as ever.

Literally, in one moment Lauren was a very active independent two-year-old, and the next moment she was unable to walk....not allowed to put any weight on her legs at all. She scoots around on her tush and does a mean army crawl....this gal is going to have some serious upper body strength.

Of course I was a mess when this first happened...I couldn't help but tear up every time I looked at her....then I had to turn my back so that she wouldn't see how upset I was.  Here was a little girl....broken and in pain....and yet she had the warmth in her heart to say these words to me, (on more than one occasion)..."Are you ok Mommy?"  And I would answer, "Yes, sweetheart, Mommy's ok...I'm just sad because you got hurt." 

God made me pull myself together, get my emotions in check, and take care of my little girl.  It amazes me how God works....how the strength I see in my daughter inspires me to be stronger....on so many different levels in life.

I am grateful....

..... that it was only a couple of broken legs

....that we were near a hospital at the time of the accident

....that Lauren has adapted better than I could have ever imagined

....that my Mom was able to come and stay for 5 days, (she was a huge help and an enormous blessing)

....that we were able to experience the love from a church family, (most of whom we had never met)

....that she looks absolutely adorable in these casts

....that I was able to see a raw tenderness from her brothers, especially when this first happened, (all of the boys were crying in the emergency room....it was really hard for them to see their sister in pain)

....that God gave me a strong husband to make all of the decisions. He takes such good care of us....we are so blessed

....and that God is so faithful and gracious in His mercy. 

Our Kitchen....

My hopes were to give a photo tour of our new home to family and friends once we were settled....well....since life has been a bit of a whirlwind I have been slacking on my blog posts...tisk tisk.  The main living area is pretty much in order....now I have to tackle all of the bedrooms and get our clothes organized.

I have been taking some photos, (not as many as I normally would), but I wanted to give a little sneak peak of one of my favorites rooms in the house. This is a view of the kitchen of course....a main hub for our family. I have already enjoyed cooking in here...but I haven't had to do too much since our wonderful church family has been graciously providing meals for our family.

I plan to post much more often...I have so much to share about our new life here in Indiana. We feel unbelievably blessed in the midst of a very difficult transition. Lauren is doing really well...I am going to do a post soon about her progress and what she has been up to. The boys are truly enjoying their new home.....and have already made lots of new friends. And we absolutely love the neighborhood.  Jared is gearing up to teach his very first class next week!

I look forward to spending many hours in our kitchen making meals for my family, baking with my children, and watching them through the window play out in our back yard while I do the dishes.  This feels like home....it feels right.

This is Luke in a Nutshell....

Jared and I have come to learn that a sense of humor is absolutely essential while raising a busy and very curious toddler.  Luke has this tender quality about him that makes me want to laugh and pull my hair out all at the same time.  I do love my Lukey and would be lost without him....he keeps me on my toes!

I know you are laughing right now Mom....Luke was saving this escapade until after you were gone.  What's worse...him dumping out the salt shaker...or every crayon he could gets his hands on? (Thanks for cleaning up the salt by the way!)

Welcome to Indiana.....

Where do I begin? How about life has been a whirlwind....and we have a daughter with not one, but two broken legs! A complete freak accident that involved a shopping cart and the pavement in Lowe's parking lot....a trip our family will never forget.

I will clarify...because I am sure you are curious. We had just stopped at Lowe's to pick up a couple of things. Lauren was in the cart sitting safely in the part where she is supposed to. Upon entering the parking lot, Noah and Nate got on the cart as well, (picture them between Jared's arms facing Lauren as he pushed the cart.) I was pushing Luke in a cart behind them.

This is something we do every week, (we always shop together as a family)...however, normally we have a heavy cart full of groceries. This day the cart had very little weight in the front, so when the boys got on and Jared took a couple of steps, the cart basically popped a wheelie....everyone hit the pavement....and poor Lauren as well and she never fell out of the cart but landed on her legs which were pinned under the cart. (This is difficult for me to write...so I will stop there...I am sure you get the picture.)

We rushed her to the emergency room. (Both of her tibias were broken...the larger of the two bones below the knee.) Nothing can describe how awful we all felt for our Lauren. Seeing her in so much pain was gut wrenching, but our gracious God got her through the initial trauma, she was put in casts the next morning, and God is continuing  to give her strength to endure the next 4 to 6 weeks.

So now we have a little gal with bright pink casts on each leg. 

This happened last Wednesday and we are still getting used to this new way of life, (at least for the next month or so.)  Lauren really has been a trooper despite everything that this injury entails.  My Mom drove out here and will be staying with us this week....I love my Mom!

We are still unpacking of course. We absolutely love the house and neighborhood. And have been abundantly blessed with a wonderful church family who have already reached out to our family helping us through this difficult time...more about that later. All I will say is how blessed we are to be here.....despite the unfortunate circumstances our family is going through. 

Oh, and Jared started his new job today. I have so much in life to blog about, but I have to get this house in order. I will be sharing cute photos of my lovies in the near future....got to get back to blogging...it's good for my soul!

Please pray for my sweet girl and our family as we get settled. 

Peace and Blessings to you all.

We're Home......

Well...we did it...we bought a house! The closing was yesterday and went ultra smooth....thank you Lord.  Our family has felt your  prayers  through this transition...we appreciate each and everyone one of you.

Our lovies absolutely love the house. I was praying that it would feel like home....and after seeing them explore their new surroundings....it already feels like home. Remember...this is the first time even I have seen the house, (other than in photos.) My hub did a great job picking out a house for our family.

A bit of a change going from a dirt road to a neighborhood...however, I love the area and have got a really good first impression. Everyone seems so friendly...which feels comforting. Something...or should I say someone else who is making this transition comforting is having my mom with us....thank you Mom.

Right now we are staying in a hotel...a bit of a glitch with the moving company. They picked our stuff up in NH on Mon. the 1st....we were hoping to have it by today....however it looks as if they will not be arriving until this Monday....God's providence. We decided since we have time now, that it would be wise to paint all 4 bedrooms. It is an older home and needs a bit of TLC...so fun to put our own touches into our house.

More photos later, as it is a bit of a whirlwind right now.... in a good but exhausting way.

Of course Noah wanted to do the honor of being the first to turn the key to our new home...from there they ran through the house exploring....I expected nothing less than that from my lovies!

Amazing.....

Our 4 little lovies and I were overjoyed this afternoon when their Daddy pulled into the driveway of the home where I grew up. We have been here in PA visiting family, while Jared was finishing packing and tying up loose ends in NH. He has been away for over a week...the longest he and I have ever been apart, (we have been together since we were just 16 yrs. old.) We missed him so much.

We will be heading to our new home in Indiana on Wednesday. Life is about to become a whirlwind...we are all super excited for this new chapter in our lives to begin.  I have missed blogging this past week and hope to get back into the groove soon.  I have been journaling like crazy since we've arrived...such a great outlet for me to release all of my thoughts that are swimming around in my head.

I hope to post some photos tomorrow of our time here in PA. But before I say good night...please enjoy this breathtaking photo Jared was able to capture yesterday morning at the farmhouse. This was a beautiful blessing to have witnessed such a sight. I just can't stop looking at it...I wish I was there to see it in person, as Jared said it was absolutely amazing.....however, I think he did a pretty good job capturing the beauty of the moment.