Another Great Recipe

Cheesy Pasta Bake:
http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/cheesy-pasta-bake-126141.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbecaen-_-20110831-_-1114&cm_lm=A83DCDF268B3E4886D7F26A3D07FD9BC

Brecken's 2nd Birthday

I'm a couple days late, but Happy Birthday, Brecken! I can't believe our little peanut that started at just 2 pounds is now a big two-year-old! On his birthday, it's incredible to remember the journey he has had. I look at him on his 2nd birthday and just cannot believe that he was born 3 months early, yet never had a single surgery, and he is a completely normal two year old in size AND development. We are just so thankful that he his able to live a perfectly normal life. Miracles DO happen, and we are so grateful that God blessed us with a huge miracle!

Here are a few pictures from his birthday party with the family, last Sunday, 9/18.

It was a full living room!

Cake made by Great-Grandma Schmidt

And here are a couple pictures from his actual birthday:

Baseball cake that Mommy made

He ate a whole piece of cake!

 And a little video :) You'll have to pardon my singing!





Oh, and his daycare lady e-mailed me this picture from his lunch party with his daycare friends -





Hallelujah - No Matter What

Last Saturday, I attended a women's conference titled,  "Hallelujah!--no matter what...The journey from hurt to hope." The keynote speaker was singer/songwriter Heather Williams, and she has quite the inspirational story! Heather had a very rough childhood to say the least. She was abused and neglected. After high school she turned her life around and got married to a strong Christian. They got pregnant after trying for 5 years, and after the baby was born, he died of a medical issue at the age of 6 months! If she can still praise God after all she has been through in her life, I think almost anyone can!

Here is a video of her inspiring story (definitely worth 7 minutes of your time!)...
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=91B1E1NU
(I hope she can inspire you in a similar way that she did for me.)

Here is a link to a shorter version of her story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG3n0htT-2Y

For more information, you can visit Heather Williams' website:
http://heatherwilliamsmusic.com/Home

I would love to share my personal reflection to her story and how I can relate it to our experience with Brecken's premature birth, but I'll save that for another day. He's up from his nap, and I'm off to play with that miracle boy now :)

Oh, and I have to say THANK YOU to D.J. for encouraging me to go to the conference even though I didn't know a single other person that was going. I was definitely glad I went!

God bless,
Laura