Big Year Already

this year is off to a crazy start!! some really great memories and some serious moments of prayer!

lets start with some of the fun memories...we ended and began the year with family!! it was so great!

over christmas we (peter and myself) traveled to michigan to spend some time with my huge family there. it was so great. it was chilly, but no such luck for a white christmas...even though it snowed in dallas...weird!! this year we were there a few days before christmas, peter left on christmas day (he had to work a few days that week) and on the 26th i headed south. being there early meant fun prep time before the big day and being the oldest of A LOT of kids, there was a bit of prep to be done. one of the highlights is always christmas eve at my grandmas southwick's house (my dad's side). its loud, there are kids everywhere, we play bingo, and everyone probably has more fun than needed :) no, it really is the best! the other highlight was pj/movie day at my brother jonathan's house. a few weeks before christmas, i had an idea of getting everyone coordinating pajamas for christmas and then helping to coordinate a fun family filled day. it was just my immediate family, but of course that was 21 people!! dad, jessie (dad's wife), me, peter, jonathan and whitney (bro and sis in law), kayla and carter (niece and nephew), grant and jim (bro and friend), olivia and brian (sis and bro in law), zoe (niece), my little sibs mamie, matilda, mila, maggie, edy, and jude and two extras, beal (jonathan's army bro) and michael (olivia's foreign exchange student). yep!! crazy!! 12 adults and 9 kids age 9 and under. we also learned that dad and jessie are expecting a new baby in september! whats one more when you have 10, right dad??!!? :) movie day was so fun! tacos, pizza, snacks, movies, lots of sugar and a few pictures. plus the kids got to open a gift...it really was so awesome!

on the 26th i headed down to marco island, florida to meet up with my mom and a lot of her side of the family...including most of my siblings (well, as grant calls us, the first batch: me, jonathan, grant, and olivia). florida was fantastic. it was warm, sunny, full of family, plenty of down time on the beach and just what i needed to recover from the cold i got in michigan. the best part of this week was the beach. we dont always go to the beach when we go to marco but with the nieces and nephew around plus michael from germany, we all ventured out. it was so fun to watch the kids play in the sand, find sea shells and to be able to lounge with the adults. second best was pool time! mom rented a nice house (not enough room for all of us at mimi and boppa's house!) with a great pool and hot tub (no i did not get in the hot tub...dont worry!) i even got to give zoe (almost 2) her first haircut out by the pool. it was so cute!! peter and i have both said a few times this week that we cant wait to retire and move to marco island! it really is one of the best places we have ever been! i am blessed to have made it a home away from home since before i was born...doesnt get much better than that!! thanks to my mom for making it so relaxing and enjoyable...it was a great belated christmas and an awesome start to the new year!!

here are a bunch of pics...then scroll down to join in praying for a sweet friend of mine!

Carter was really excited!! :)

American Girl dolls!

LOL, typical Edy skepticism! 

Jude just wanted to be a little bigger. 

Zoe trying on her mom's ear muffs

Uncle Petey liked Carter's lincoln logs too!

the guys in their pjs

cute!

Dad, Jessie and the kids

Dad and his girls

"the original batch"

all of Dad's kids

all of the girls in their pjs

Christmas eve @ grandma's. these are just some of the grandkids/great grandkids

Christmas stockings

breakfast with my grandma!!! love her!!

do we look alike?? :) love you, dad!

Zoe and Uncle Grant in the hot tub

Zoe's first haircut!!! lol

Then Aunt Aimee painted her nails :)

Mom and her kids (except Jonathan, sad!)

grandkids and their Mimi

Mimi Reva, Boppa, Mom and the kids

I love my Mimi and Boppa!! So blessed!!

Group shot

My awesome hubby and me. LOVE him!!!

Uncle Petey with Kayla and Carter (aka Raphael) on the docks! 

Peter and Michael found a HUGE mollusk!!

Zoe and Carter on the beach 

the twins loved the sunshine!! 25 weeks 6days

so, yes, 2012 ended with fantastic memories and began with awesome family time. but, there have also been things that have kept me on my knees pleading with God.

bekah and i have been friends since she started dating my cousin while we were all in college. our friendship grew quickly right after peter and i were married and she and travis got serious. we went on countless double dates, ate plenty of penny candy, and shared real life together. peter and i both had the privilege of being a part of their bridal party and watching them begin their married lives together. we were so sad to say good bye to them when we moved to texas. but distance has not kept bekah and me from still being close friends. she even made a trip down here last spring to spend a long weekend with me. we did nothing but sit on the couch and watch both seasons of downton abbey (fitting that it started again tonight!!). bekah was a huge source of encouragement and support and one of our biggest prayer warriors when we were pregnant with Charlotte and ultimately had to say good bye (in fact, trav and bekah were some of the first people that we told we were pregnant with Charlotte). i got a call from bekah just before leaving for christmas break to tell me that she is pregnant! she also shared that this fall, she and trav suffered a miscarriage, but had never told anyone. when we talked before christmas, she asked me to start praying. no one else knew, but she was fearful of going down the same road as she did in the fall. i was honored to begin praying with them and the family that God was creating. bekah called me this thursday with some devastating news, doctors told her that she was most likely miscarrying again. we were all so upset. the ultrasound showed an irregular shaped sac and bekah had been bleeding. they were told to just wait. on friday, bekah and trav rushed back because she was hemorrhaging while teaching. during a second ultrasound, the doctor found TWO heartbeats!! there are still some concerns, but the dramatic change from thursday to friday is nothing short of a miracle and answered prayer!! bekah's hormone levels are high (indicative of twins, which is good) but there are still a few concerns. she will go back again tuesday for more lab work. please join me in praying for this sweet friend of mine!! i can not even put into words how much i love her and trav and how excited i am for them. i am certain that God has some incredible things for them through these two little babies. they are already capturing so many of our hearts at such an early stage!! i cant wait to give you an amazing update!!! :)

this is exactly what bekah posted tonight along with the picture:
Fall 2012: We had a miscarriage.
December 2012: We find out we're pregnant. 
Thursday: After some bleeding, the ultrasound shows an irregular sac, and we're told we're probably going to miscarry in the next few days. 
Friday: I leave school, hemorrhaging. Trav meets me at the hospital for an ultrasound. We find TWO HEARTBEATS and are told we have TWINS.
Today: We acknowledge God is a God of miracles, and there is POWER IN PRAYER. Please join us in praying for our two precious heartbeats.
We have two requests. 1) that my hormone levels continue to increase, which shows the babies are developing 2) that both babies (but especially the smaller one) continue to grow and strengthen.

We covet your prayers and admit we're scared- but leaning on the God Who will never leave us nor forsake us!

ps. cedarville university is a small liberal arts Bible college in ohio. while i was not the most popular girl in school, i did have a few close friends. of those that i would consider a friend, not just someone i knew from around campus, 5 of us have twins!! tiffany (lived across the hall and was in choir with me) brenna (my roommate), brittany (practically a housemate), me, and now bekah. something has got to be in the water!! especially because i am the only one that has had any "help" (fertility treatments) in the matter!

thanks for praying. thanks for being a part of my new year. i know that there will be a lot going on (especially in the next 2 months!!!) i really hope to keep everyone in the loop!! :)

blessings, ALo