Teach Me To Sing "Hallelujah"

One of my dear college roommates and I had our baby boys 11 days apart. It was such a blessing to be pregnant during the same time and then have babies at the same time AND live in the same city to walk alongside each other through the good days and the hard days. There is a song by Bethany Dillon called "Hallelujah" and some of the words say..."Whatever's in front of me, help me to sing hallelujah". We have quoted that verse in the song on more occasions than I can count...and I thought that lyric would be an appropriate title for today's post! 

Baby Nelson helping his buddy Baby Crawford move!

We've been a bit MIA on the blog front for the past two weeks as we have had a lot going on are trying to LIVE IN THE MOMENT! Since we last wrote... our little snowboarder went back into his casts, we celebrated our first Thanksgiving with our precious son, we traveled to "LA" (Lower Alabama) to visit Brandon's family for the holiday, we put up our Christmas tree, sent out the Christmas cards, B & I have had the round of the sinus/allergy crud, Nelson is "talking" more than ever (making cute sounds that seem like he's trying to talk!), helped our dear friends move (the one mentioned in the top paragraph & photo above), annnnnnd as of today...Nels has his snowboard back on! Whoo!! Never a dull moment! Here is the update on that front: (a few photos to show before we get to the update)

Happy boy in front of the Christmas tree!

He is too good to be true!

Today at Nelson's appointment, his casts came off and the doctor was pleased at the progress. When she went to put his shoes back on, she said they fit MUCH better this time around! Praise the Lord!! [Note: He went back into casts for the past two weeks because he kept wiggling out of his shoes during the first go round and it was because his heel wasn't stretched enough and they were not fitting properly] He will be wearing these shoes for 22 hours a day (yay for bath time now at night!!) and will be wearing these for 3 months (December, January and February) ... She showed me how to be stretching his feet before each time we put the shoes back on. If they ever get tight again or to the place where he is sliding out of his shoes like last time - she recommended we bring him back in and he may have to be casted again - we will play all that by ear. The prayer is that his feet will continue to fit in the shoes and that he will get in a groove with his snowboard like he did with his casts. I am convinced that this whole process is harder on the mama than it is on the baby ... so continued prayers for me would be greatly appreciated when the Lord brings us to mind! I feel a peace and know that this is the "missions trip" the Lord has me on and there is no where else I'd rather be. For those of you that have known me, I have had a heart for missions since I can remember. I went on my first trip out of the country in 7th grade and my eyes were opened in a whole new way. Where the Lord has me now is my "Uganda"...I love it! What an answer to prayer!! 

Legs lifted high in celebration!

The casts are OFF!

FREEDOM :)

Yippee!!!

He hasn't skipped a beat. Legs lifted high in the jungle!!

There are so many times throughout the day that an analogy of the snowboard pops up and parallels to our walk with the Lord, but we will share that another time. In the meantime, just know that your prayers mean so much as we literally walk this out...one step at a time! Pray that God will continue to draw Brandon and I closer to HIM and to each other ... as even becoming parents is a huge adjustment to our marriage, let alone everything else with the snowboard and such! As we have taken care of each other these past couple of weeks "in sickness and in health"...we have had many times where Brandon will say, "Thanks for saying 'Yes' " and I will say "Thanks for asking me!" ... There's no one else we'd rather be on this journey with! To God be the glory!! "Whatever's in front of me...I choose to sing hallelujah!" We will close with this verse from 1 John 4:9-10, "God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love -- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." May this promise resonate deep in our hearts this day...