A wonderfully full weekend and then some!

I started this post last week and never got it finished. There is so much to share, so much to do, and so little time to do it all but I’m going to try to do better about getting these published more quickly!

The Friday before Alex‘s birthday was a huge and exciting day! Tucker’s house, who completed Alex’s bathroom renovation for us, also arranged to have a wide sidewalk poured to the back patio to give Alex an easier transition from the vehicle into the house. It was a fun day schooling outside as we watched the work, met amazing people who took their time to do this for us, and played with chickens with our new friends!

Boone is our master chicken chaser and he spends lots of time catching and holding chickens. He enjoyed sharing his skill with friends.

Brasfield and Gorrie is the company who sent a crew to do this project for us. They worked hard all day to get it done. They did an amazing job and we couldn’t be more thankful.

They even helped us get all of the kids hand prints in the concrete before it dried and took some sweet pictures for me.

We decided to do all of their prints and the verse we have claimed for Alex during this season of her life. Claimed for all of the children but specifically because of her situation. I am so pleased with how it turned out and every time I see it there it reminds me how great our God is and how he always provides. Not always in the way I think would be best but what is always best.

Two days later this little lady had a birthday. She turned six years old and we can hardly believe it. She has grown and matured so much over the last year. Birthday bananas are a family tradition at our house. They are always decorated with different items, depending on what we have lying around the house. So many friends have sent her birthday cards that made her birthday week so special. Cards came from all over the country with words of love and encouragement, drawings from children, and pictures of families. She has kept them all and looks through them regularly. Thank you for this sweet gift of love.

We celebrated her six years with friends and families in the afternoon. The kids used pool noodles and pvc pipe to make obstacle courses and swords in the yard and played for hours.

We were very thankful that Alex was able to participate. One side effect of her medication that she has been dealing with is headaches. Typically they are short and she can rest for a little bit and be ready to go again. This one wasn’t typical. It started about ten in the morning and by eleven she was on the couch crying. I was finally about to get her down for a nap and after about an hour and a half she woke up headache free. Thank you Jesus!

Alex played hard and had a great time.

Lots of fun! She said it was the best birthday ever!

A few days later we were able to witness a monarch butterfly emerge from his chrysalis. That is one event that will never get old for us. We could watch it happen a thousand times and always be amazed by the beauty and majesty of the event.

It’s always fun to watch them strengthen their wings and take flight for the first time. There is so much imagery in this process for me, especially with Alex’s story now. We chose a butterfly design for her t-shirts because she said she loved butterflies and wanted them but for Brent and me there was so much more. It is always a reminder to us of how Christ makes us new creations and how through Alex’s journey He is molding and shaping her and our entire family. What an amazing God he is.

Thank you to all who are praying for us, encouraging us and loving on us in so many ways. We are blessed.