Saturday, December 31, 2011

Resolutions

2012 is our year!

We are going in strong & excited for our sweet family!

Very soon Jade turns 32
We head South to Florida for a much needed vacation & plan to hug on Mickey & Minnie too
We celebrate Ollie Faith's 1st birthday!!!
We celebrate 8 years of marriage
I turn 30 - what?!?
We celebrate Ollie's one year heart hero day!
Everett will be 5 & Aubrie Grace 7
It'll be 5 years in our beautiful home

We've had a rough go this year & are really looking forward to a year of big celebrations!


My resolutions:
Date my husband much much more because he makes me happy
Wear smaller pants, yes even smaller pants
Help more people start healthy lifestyles - I addicted to it!
Live for the moment - savor today because tomorrow my kids are a day older


Happy New Year dear friends - may God bless you abundantly in the coming year!!

~Annie

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Six Years

It goes by in the blink of an eye.


You bring home the most adorable bundle of joy that smells so sweet.


Before you know it she has teeth and sits in a big girl car seat.


Another year is gone, she is a big sister to one and sports her own set of glasses.


Then, she's 3 years old and she seems so grown up!


At four she's in preschool and such a big girl.


Then she turns five and she becomes a big sister again, and is such a big helper.


She has experienced a lot!  Kindergarten all day, new friends, the school bus.  Every year she grows and changes - here is to six - may it be the best year yet!

We love you Aubrie Grace!!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas Angels

I have two more Christmas Angels to blog about today.

Daniel is half way to his Christmas goal of $1,000 - help him reach that goal!!


and Abigail who is also half way to her Christmas goal of $1,000.


Please if you can donate, make a gift to their fund.  They are beautiful kiddos just like my Ollie Faith patiently waiting to be loved and adored!

Here is a link to the fundraising efforts of their Christmas warriors - they are selling blankets to help bring these babies their families.

And if you can't donate - PRAY, POST, SHARE!  Ignorance is bliss, but don't let your eyes be shut to this need anymore.




Sunday, December 18, 2011

Par-tay!

Last night we threw a shin dig. 


It's Aubrie's favorite time of year!!


She has a count down paper.


She turns 6 on Tuesday!!


Can you believe it!!??  Six years old!!


We celebrated turtle style.
(PS.  Jodi Large makes cakes that are the business!!)


Maggie turns 25 on Monday so she celebrated too.


Birthday cake hat was out in full force.


We sang...


We laughed...


We did a pinata in the bathroom...


Everyone had a great time!


Especially the pinata participants!!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

His Tool...

I had an epiphany today.

Have you ever stood in church, head bowed, praying so hard that God USE you.  That he make you a tool for his will?  That he will show you your true purpose.

I have many times.  I always expected that answer to come in the form of  "Sunday school teacher, sing in the choir, welcome team, etc, etc."  Don't get me wrong - all amazing jobs, but they never have came to me.

Today I realized that sometimes God answers this prayer through a storm.  He gives you the biggest storm of your life and calms you through it, and how you react is how he uses you.

I realized he is using me & has been for some time.  He handed us a diagnosis of Down Syndrome & heart defect for our sweet child.  He watched us mourn, he watched us fall apart, he watched us put back the pieces, he watched us bring her into the world, he watched us fall in love with her, he watched us hand her over for surgery afraid to lose her, and he held our hands as we waited for her to heal up and head home.

It was a storm.  It was brutal to my heart at times.  The memories make me cry, and some of the thoughts I had during that time make me ashamed of myself.  BUT through that storm I praised him.  I knew he knew what he was doing and I knew he knew what was best for our family, and did he ever.

She is the perfect child, the child we wanted so badly.  Even when society sees her as imperfect & pities us for they know no better - I pity them because they don't have a child like her.  We are blessed!

Through this journey he grew our faith so we could be his tools.  If you can survive through the worst you can sure as heck appreciate his best!!  

Now I get to pray for friends going on the same journey I was on.  I get emails & I get to encourage these other women & Moms who have breaking hearts like mine once was.  I have made friends with women I would never otherwise know.  I can look into the eyes of another family and have an instant connection because they too know the blessings in our lives.

It's amazing how God has been using me, and how I have been blatantly unaware that I was his tool & have been for some time for a unique purpose.  I advocate for special needs, I pray for heart hero children, I donate money to bring home orphans (orphans merely because they have Down Syndrome), I mourn hard when someone in this community has a loss, I cry happy tears when someone shares something amazing.  

My heart has been changed for the better.  He has used this storm to shape me into a better woman, into a better Mom, into a better Christian.

So when you get handed a storm, praise him.  Just praise him.  You never know where he is going to lead you, but you do know that his will, his plans will be the best.


Friday, December 16, 2011

Ollie's Christmas Wish

Girlfriend has a big Christmas wish this year...


We were browsing Reece's Rainbow's Angel Tree and stumbled upon another Ollie.  He's sweet as pie.  He shares a name and a chromosome count with our sweet Ollie Faith.  But he has no mama to kiss his cheeks at night.   He has no brother or sister to make him laugh to light up a room.  He has no Daddy to rock & sing to him.  He lives in an orphanage, and when he turns 5 he will be sent to an adult mental institution.


The larger his fund is, the more likely his family will step forward to adopt him.  So I ask you this Christmas to do something for Ollie.  Help him get his home, because an orphanage then a mental institution is no place for sweet babies to grow up.


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Compromised...

Well it happened...

at some point our credit card was compromised by a vendor.  Apparently Discover card had been watching our account closely & someone finally decided to use it and blow some fast cash.

Where did the thief decide to do their business?

Naturally, QVC and Bath & Body Works!

Seriously, who steals a credit card number and thinks you know I really need some new lotion, and maybe I'll splurge on a wall flower too!

It cracks me up - you'd think they'd be at best buy blowing some fat cash, but no - Bath & Body Works is where it's at folks!  All the purchases were made online - how do you do a sniff test online for lotion?!?

And the good news - Discover card caught it the day it happened & we are responsible for zero charges - boom that's why I love you Discover card!!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Merry Merry

Merry Christmas!


The best way to spread Christmas cheer,


is by singing loudly


for all to hear!


XOXO

Love,
The Reid Family


Monday, December 12, 2011

Her First Performance

Do you think she loved it?

Where is Aubrie?!?


I videoed the performance and forgot the camera - oops - thankfully my friend shared her photos!



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Workin' Man

Oh yes, boyfriend has some coveralls.


When I was little, I had a pair just like these, but I didn't wear them nearly as well.


He loves going along with them men.  The rule was you couldn't ride til you could wipe your own butt...


ummm yeah he's still not doing that, but apparently when you look this cute in coveralls it doesn't matter!


So you wanna know what he's doing?  Typical man work around here:  chopping firewood, feeding & bedding cattle, building a house - you know the usual!

And yes - he is supervised so no freaking out.


Saturday, December 10, 2011

Happy Happy Joy Joy

This girl is happy 99% of the time.


I'm not talking about your regular happy either...


I'm talking filled with glee to the point you clasp your hands in happiness all day long!


It's been said people with Down Syndrome suffer from it.


Do you think she's suffering?


Heck no - baby girl is rocking that extra chromosome.


She's finally feeling better and I'm loving her big eyes.


She's absolutely gorgeous and looks so much like her brother & sister!


She's learning something new everyday.  Now she can wave!!


I just look at her and think how lucky are we?


You know you want to kiss those chubby cheekers of hers!

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