Our Life| The Return(ing) of Normalcy

Where to begin...

Joy. Sorrow. Laughter. Tears. Heartache. Hope. Ups. Downs. 

Questions. Answers. Adventure. Aloneness. Community. Prayer. Despair. 

Loss. Life. Uncertainty. Trust. Fear. Love.

Those basically sum up the season we've been in and are slowly coming out of. 

We've stared loss in the face.

We've confronted fear.

We've welcomed hope.

We've learned trust.

We've met peace in a new way.

We've discovered deeper love.

We've been reminded that we've been given life and life abundantly.

With things being pretty crazy and foreign for us in the last two months or so, it's been nice to be re-introduced to normalcy--not the orderly, neat, ducks-in-a-row kind. I'm talking about the kind that reminds you that it's OK to not be OK, the kind that reminds you that life is a series of different flavored seasons sprinkled with some familiar things (a number of which would normally drive me crazy, but given the recent circumstances, they're almost comforting): a sink full of dirty dishes, an unmade bed, a pile of socks that don't have their sole-mates (Get it?! Sorry, I couldn't help myself), sleeping in and knowing almost half your day is gone, a sweet husband who sleeps on the couch so that he won't get me sick, a perfectly made cup of joe...  

We gladly welcome the return of normalcy.

As I started to blog this, the song "Beautiful Things" by Gungor started playing, and I started to tear up because God's timing with that kind of stuff with me is more than I can handle sometimes (talk about provision and reminders of His promises). He does make beautiful things out of dust...and out of us, our situations, our sorrows, our fears, etc... And that's what we've been learning and reminded of time and time again.  

Excuse the ambiguity and vagueness of this post, but my plan in the next couple of months is to share with you more about the season we've been in. Unless I wuss out...no, no, I won't. Feel free to hold me to that. Thanks for listening reading. 

Family| Mommy, Daddy, & Charlotte Grace

Dave and I were walking up (I was basically skipping because I was so excited)  the stairs to our good friends Jon and Lydia's apartment with the great anticipation of finally getting to meet baby girl, and I could hear Jon say, "Who is that?" in that sing-songy daddy to daughter way. I thought he was just saying that as he was passing baby girl in her crib or something. All of a sudden, the little tiny door that lets them see who's outside opens, and we caught our first glimpse of the sweetest little face ever peek through: It was Charlotte!  I lost it--a weeping, blubbery (not blueberry) mess. Shoot, I'm losing it again now. I could barely get myself inside.  For those of you who must think I'm insane to have lost my marbles like I did, here's why:

I remember the day that Lydia texted me with the news that she and Jon were pregnant. I had told her years before that I had to be one of the first people she told, or else she'd cause me some serious heartbreak (no pressure, right? :)). In any case, she kept her word. It was unquestionably the only  exciting and welcomed 7AM text I had ever gotten. The only person I could tell was Dave, and it was such a hard secret to keep (but mind you--I did)! Auntie Liz was already thinking of what she could get for baby girl and called dibs on getting to teach her how to curl her her once she got old enough.

Fast forward two weeks after Dave and I got married, Lyd sent us a very different kind of text--one of those ones that brings everything to a standstill. Our hearts dropped when she let us know that doctors had discovered that baby girl had a very serious heart defect--one that would require open heart surgery very soon after delivery assuming baby girl would make it to full term. I still remember exactly where Dave and I were--in bed. We were crushed: I just wept while Dave started to pray. Aside from having the Lord as their strength and comfort and an undoubtedly amazing community surrounding them and lifting them up during this time, I could only imagine what they were going through. Throughout this time, I could sense the incredible strength and fervency in the prayers being offered up for Charlotte. Through all of the heartache, the prayer and the uncertainty, it seemed that day by day, more and more good news seemed to come to the surface. Baby girl was going to make it to term (praise Jesus!!), and she was healthy enough to have her surgery the day after her birthday. She is home now--nothing short of a miracle. (For more on the Little Miss' journey, go here)

Jon and Lydia, you two are amazing. Thank you for your transparency throughout your journey. Thank you for being real. You are living proof of His strength being perfected in weakness. We praise God for your testimony. We loved seeing what a great team you guys are with Charlotte. She is quite the blessed little babe.

Charlotte Grace Rosene, you are a miracle, and the Father's fingerprints are all over you and your mommy and daddy. From the time you were in the womb until now, your story has already affected so many people--advancing His Kingdom. You are such a reflection of his love, his healing, his power, and his strength. We have no doubt that you will be a powerful daughter of the King--bringing his power with you wherever you go. When you see your scar, we pray that you are reminded of His faithfulness and His breath of life in you. You are healed and whole, sweet girl. His blessing and favor are over you. I apologize in advance for being one of those people in your life that's always going to have a camera around when we get to spend time together. We love you.

Dave and I were so honored to get to take their first family pictures. We had about a solid 10 minutes before Charlie Bear went back to her baby duties of making sure her tear ducts work and strengthening her lungs and vocal chords, so this was quite the speedy shoot. Thanks again for letting us take these. We loved getting to spend time with you and see you as mom and dad--what a blessing. 

 

Here are some shots that Dave got on my iPhone of the sweet little fam bam:

 

It's obvious why baby girl is so cute, right? Apple doesn't fall far from the good looking trees.

Sneak Peek| A long awaited meeting.

We've been waiting a long time to meet this little lady, 

and last weekend we finally got to lock eyes with beautiful baby girl.

Stay tuned for the full blog post!

Until then, you can check out a few more pictures of baby girl on our Facebook page.

Our Life| A favorite.

One of our favorite things is to see people, hearts full and spirits flooding over, worshiping Jesus together. It causes our cups to runneth over. It's contagious. More, Lord.

"For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

John 4:24

E-Session | Natalie & Jared Part II

When Dave and I get to do shoots together, we typically have our own cameras. Unfortunately, the day before the shoot-I couldn't find the battery charger for our other camera. Well, instead of taking no pictures at all, Dave took the liberty of using my iPhone to get some shots of Natalie & Jared. I love that Dave sees & composes shots differently than I do. That just means that we get two different perspectives on what's going on, which in turn tends to be mutually inspiring.

Dave got some behind-the-scene looking shots, some of the lovely couple enjoying each other's company, and some of me--in action, if you will. Thanks, love! You're awesome :). 

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