Hope on Wheels

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and for us baby loss mommas this can be one of THE most difficult days of they year.  I am so excited to share with you about an experience that you won't want to miss!  My friend and mentor, Kathe Wunnenberg has started on organization called Hope on Wheels.  She is a fellow baby loss mom, and she is one of the most encouraging women I know!  If you are dreading the upcoming Mother's Day, allow yourself this day away to prepare emotionally and connect with other women who understand!

May 5th is her 

3rd Annual Mother's Day Hope on Wheels Bus Trip!

You can experience TRANSFORMATION through heartfelt sharing, a worship experience, women who can relate to your loss and restoration in a serene 30 acre lush setting along Oak Creek in Arizona.

If you are dreading the upcoming Mother's Day, allow yourself this day away to prepare emotionally and connect with other women who understand!

For more information and to sign up visit

www.hopeonwheels.net

You can also underwrite a seat on the bus for a women by clicking Give a Seat on the website. 

A Tale of Choice

I have been attending a Bible study at my church based on the life of David.  During the past 8 weeks we have watched David as a young boy sling a stone and kill a giant, rise as King, and fall in times of sin and despair.  Bits and pieces have spoken to me more than others, one event of course standing out- when David loses his son.  He was "the man after God's own heart," and yet he made oh so many mistakes, and if I can be honest, he could possibly be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for how many times he majorly messed up.  The one thing I kept noticing throughout the study was how many people were affected by things that he did or didn't do.  I think at times, he was completely unaware of how his actions were affecting others.  If only he could have lived in the iPhone age, then maybe his many wives, servants, and children could have tweeted or Facebooked him to keep him in the loop.

Reality is everything we do or go through- the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly- has the ability to affect so many people, especially in our social media obsessed world.  You can now notify every person you know the moment something occurs, and you can even snap a photo of it, thanks to smart phones.

I have learned to embrace where I'm at, and to own my mistakes and celebrate my victories.  People can relate to you if you are real.  I have never been one to have many "girl-friends," perhaps because I didn't really feel like I connected with them.  I was always better at being friends with the guys.  When Ferrari and I started dating in high school, all of that quickly changed.  For some odd reason he wasn't ok with me hanging with the guys anymore ;)   Yet now meeting women seems to be a main part of my ministry.  Unfortunately, I now have a lot of "girl-friends" and I'm not saying that I don't treasure each and every one of them, because I love them all; I'm saying that the field of loss and infertility that I'm in, seems to be growing out of control.  There are more and more women in my field everyday.

I am contacted through this very blog, by email, and even by phone all the time.  I never in a million years would have thought that what I have been through, or my decision to start a blog could affect/help so many women.  I thought I was doing something for myself, creating a place to write about my emotions and the things that I was going through to help me gain a better understanding of my crazy life.  I had no idea God was knitting together a network of women that could care for and support each other.  I have been able to meet a few different women that have received Owl Love You Forever boxes in the hospital.  I can't even explain to you the feelings I get when I see the organization come full circle, like when I can hear each mother's story, see pictures of their baby wrapped in the blankets, or that they can't sleep without their stuffed owl in their arms.  God did not put us on this planet to live our life in solitude, not affecting others.  He purposely allows us to go through things, knowing that they will change our lives and those around us forever.

We may not have a choice on what He allows us to go through, 

but what we CAN choose is how we react moving forward.  

It would be very easy for me to sit in my bed and cry with the lights off, and trust me I have been tempted to do so on more than one occasion.  Satan can creep into my mind and assure me that I don't deserve all this heartache, and he will have me believing that God doesn't care about little 'ole me anymore.  I have to stop that thought process before it starts, because the mind is a very powerful tool the devil uses to destroy us.  I have to remain in God's word so that I can fight Satan with the Truth.  God has a bigger plan than what I can see or understand.  He allows each and every event to occur, because He is working them all together for my good.  I have to trust Him knowing His plan is pure perfection!

If you prefer to keep what you are going through a secret, I don't blame you because I have been there.  I never wanted to discuss my miscarriages or awkward doctor appointments, but I urge you to try.  You just might find healing in connecting with someone that has been there, or you might be able to help someone else get through what you have already been through.

The Things We Used To Whisper

    I can't even explain to you how excited I am to let you in on this NEWS!  First off, no I am not pregnant, this is possibly even BIGGER! Ok, maybe not, but close :)
   All of us in the baby loss community know and understand that society views our situation as "taboo."  If it weren't, we as mom's of angels would answer this question truthfully when asked by strangers, "How many children do you have?"  Instead, we keep our real number of babies in our head, and give a forced smile with an answer that is socially acceptable.
   There is no question, people don't like talking about death in general, but when you bring up the loss of an infant people get really quiet.  No one knows what to do or say, they just sort of stare at you and try and fill the silence with anything that comes to mind.  Well, frankly I am TIRED of it!  This type of loss happens everyday, and it will continue to happen everyday because of this sinful world we live in!  We can no longer sit in awkward silence, but get up and do something about it!  We need this cause to be more socially acceptable to discuss, so we can make a difference!

Join me, Owl Love You Forever, and Hosanna Wong in bringing awareness to your community!

Hosanna Wong is an extremely talented spoken word artist that has written a piece specifically for this cause!  

Let me tell you, this girl GETS IT!  She has started a movement called

  The Things We Used To Whisper.  

She has the desire to spread compassion and hope to those suffering!  

Please check out her brand new video!

Visit The Things We Used To Whisper!  There you will find all the info on how to help!

 Help us spread the word by showing her video, post it on your blog, email it to your friends, do whatever it takes!

Let's make 'Infant Loss' no longer 

something we have to whisper about!

The Liebster Blog Award

Wow, it's hard to believe that a whole month has passed since I blogged last.  I must be in a writer's funk or just too busy.  Ferrari and I had our 4 year anniversary, and thanks to leap day we got to celebrate for TWO whole days instead of ONE!  Getting married on March 1st has its perks :) Ok, now that we are caught up I want to get to the real point of this post!

I received a comment from a fellow blogger nominating me for the...

Liebster is a German word which means "dearest" or "beloved". It is also used to refer to as someone's "favorite" and the idea of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers that deserve more recognition and encouragement.

I was nominated for this award by Kristin DeYoung over at DeYoungs in the Dominican!  I am going to be honest here and let you all know that I was completely surprised & humbled to receive her comment and the nomination!  I headed straight to her blog to learn more about her and her growing family and to see what this award is all about!  Kristin is just as sweet as can be, and if it weren't for similar struggles we have experienced we might not have ever crossed blog paths!  One more reason why I am beginning to love technology and social media, and quickly forgetting my hesitations with sharing my life so publicly.

There are certain rules that come with the Liebster Blog Award:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Hope that the people you've sent the award to forward it on to their five favorite bloggers and keep it going!

Here are my Top 5 Picks:

The Smith Family

Moments from everyday life written by my fabulous sister, Shannon!  I count on her blog for comic relief when I read what my mischievous nephews are up to!  Her unique party planning ideas are always a plus too!  

Soup Of The Day 

Whitney does an amazing job letting her readers in on the nitty gritty of dealing with Hereditary Pancreatitis, and the procedure that is giving her life again!  Her amazing amount of FAITH in God to get her through it all, is such an encouragement!  She is such an inspiration to me!

From Tears To Healing

When I read Ashley's posts, I often feel like she is writing from my very own thoughts.  We so often have similar emotions and reactions to life's circumstances.  We have a unique bond, as we have both experienced multiple miscarriages.  Her blog is raw and honest.  She lets you read what we so often feel but don't discuss openly.  If you know someone who is or has experienced a miscarriage, Ashley's words might help you understand what they are going through.

Leigh's Blankies

Andra is a true inspiration of how to turn grief into something positive.  After losing her best friend, Leigh Ann, Andra started this non-profit in her honor.  She wanted to make her friend's memory live on and with a beautiful purpose, to show God's love to children by giving them a handmade blankie!  Through her organization, hundreds of blankets have been distributed all over the world! 

Small Bird Studios

This blog is one that I connect with on so many levels!  The writer, Franchesca, has also experienced the loss of her firstborn baby.  She has picked up the pieces and is living her life with joy, despite her loss.  She is very creative and makes many projects inspired by her beautiful daughter and focused on healing, grief, joy, and love.