DIY Metallic Letters

I honestly am shocked at how these metallic letters turned out!

When I started looking around at how to do them I thought for sure my OCD would get in the way & I would end up throwing them out. But I managed to not care TOO much and just rolled with it. 

This is what I picked up from Hobby Lobby.

Black paint

Metallic paint

Americana BURNT UMBER

& those small sponge brushes. 

I found these cardboard letters from Joanne's that I thought would look perfect for the look I was going for.

I first painted all the letter black. Doesn't have to be perfect cause as you can see it's just a base color. 

Once dry, with the yellow sponge brush, I put VERY LITTLE metallic on the brush and even blotted it to make sure it was almost none there. Then I started with a small part of the letter (like the underneath of the "L" just to see what I was working with.

The first 2 times I put way too much metallic on it and had to cover it back up with black & start over. The look I am going for was not an entire metallic letter- but streaks of metallic that blended into the black. Once I did a small section of metallic, I took a paper towel and rubbed in the metallic a little more just to make it blend well. 

Whatever it looks like-- just leave it. I didn't know what I would think with some places but it's completely made the rustic "look" look even better.  

Once that has dried, (it dries almost immediately) take the Burnt Umber and make sure there is just a small amount to start with on your brush. I just went around the edges of the letter and made some corners darker than others. This is really where you just have to go with it. The outcome is seriously so rustic & beautiful! 

For hanging them, I'll just glue these bad boys to the back. 

There is a space right in our master bed that I needed something to put there and these will be perfect! 

A HUGE opportunity!!

A little over 2 years ago, I found my DREAM JOB. It was absolutely LIFE CHANGING for me and my family!! I want to share this with you because I never thought this would do anything for my family... but 2 years ago I decided that I wanted something MORE for my family... and I haven't looked back. 

When I had my first child, we had decided I was going to be a stay at home mom, but that decision didn't come easy as there was a LOT of sacrifice financially. 

I knew NOTHING about this business when I started. I was 30 lbs overweight from having my second son, and I was in DESPERATE need for accountability in my own life. I was not a nutritionist and I was a college drop out... Who would have thought that THAT person could have made it?? 

BUT, I had the desire to learn, and I was very DRIVEN by my husband and kids. 

And what happened shortly after that was absolutely amazing. I jumped in with both feet. I had NOTHING to lose! 

So, now it's time for me to look for people who are LIKE ME to train up to be entrepreneurs themselves. People who don't think they have a clue where to start.. I want to SHOW you how to make a 6-figure income. 

If you are wondering what traits I am looking for, they are:

- You must like to help people

- You must like working with people

- You must be open to learning

- You must want to be surrounded by positive, supportive people

- You must want to earn 6 figures

- You must think you were put on this earth to do more and make a difference in people's lives! 

I was asked, just like I am asking you, to join a fitness accountability group online, because I needed to lose 30 more lbs. I found a program that took me only 30 minutes a day, and I lost 30 lbs in 2 months of hard work and dedication to my end result. 

At age 27, I had found my passion. To help mama's feel confident and STRONG (not skinny) so that they can be and provide what they need to for their family. 

Fast forward to today: I have a growing & thriving business where I lead people who want to lose weight & get healthier through their own transformations, AND I mentor less-experienced coaches to do what I do. I am proud to be one of the top 2% of Beachbody Coaches! 

If this is something that you are even slightly interested in then please fill out this very short application so that we can chat more! http://bit.ly/JessOnlineCoaching

You have NOTHING to lose except your BIG DREAMS! 

xoxo, Jessica 

My Weight Loss Journey

Some people hear that I weighed 171 lbs at one point and gasp. I have not always been small! (remember I'm 5 feet tall!)

I was an athlete my entire life... but freshman 15 got me pretty bad (yikes!!). I gained that plus a little more my freshman year in college (pic on the left).

I was 14 hours away from my family, and food was comfort for me.

Even though I was a collegiate athlete, I would go to food when I was happy, sad, studying... everything. I was super self conscious, tired ALL THE TIME, and had a VERY unhealthy view of food.

When I got married I felt the best I had EVER felt at 120 lbs. I felt confident, I had energy, and I felt strong. Not skinny... but strong!! (which is WAY more important to me than skinny.)

When I got pregnant, the lbs came on quickly. I weighed 171 lbs the day I had my first son. I realized it was a BLESSING but a LOT OF WORK to take care of a baby & I was VERY uncomfortable carrying around that extra weight.

I could feel it weighing on me in all areas of my life.

Then, I lost ALL my baby weight in 3 months with Insanity and Shakeology, just to put it right back on again with the birth of my 2nd child. I ate super clean this pregnancy and still gained 50 lbs!

That brings me to today.

9 months after the birth of my 2nd son and I have been able to hike up mountains, run races, do pull ups (never could pre-kids!), become an Insanity instructor, also start and COMPLETE 3 more Beachbody programs!!

I have stretch marks (that I will cherish forever) and saggy skin, but feeling confident has bled into my other God given responsibilities that I have and that's to be the best wife and mom that I can be.

I feel confident.

I can chase my kids.
 
I can run at the pool and not feel like sitting on the sideline.

It's NOT about skinny for me... it's about being the best version of MYSELF that I can be for my husband and my kids.

And what was the game changer???
The decision to start. That's all.

Did I need to have a personal training degree? no
Did I need to know all the macros needed & how many oz of chicken to eat in order to burn through the fat of the breakfast I just had. um, no.
Did I need a gym membership? no
Did I need to invest hundreds of dollars in stuff that never worked? no (but I'm sure I have.)

All I did was spend $160 on 30 days of Shakeology and a workout program and actually FOLLOWED THE MEAL PLAN to see the results I wanted.

Motivation + Accountability with my challengers = SUCCESS.

PLUS the lifelong friendship I've made from mommies all around the world is PRICELESS to me.

Thank you JESUS for allowing me to find my PASSION & to be able to always pay it forward to other mommies, both physically and financially, for their family. 

PRODUCT REVIEW: Smashbox Illuminator

Whenever I find something that I love I want to tell everyone about it.

Note: I did NOT think this product would have done the trick! But I was SHOCKED!

This is for those of you moms that look half awake most of the time (because we are... duh) and you want to freshen up your face a little.

Let me know if you have used this product before, or what you use to give your self that "awake" look!!

Don't forget to visit me on Facebook for more great tips, reviews, recipes, and more!

Annnnnnnd if you liked this product review you might also like my review of Becca foundation! Check it out here.

Kitchen Hack: Can't open a Jar? No Problem!

This might be the oldest trick in the book, but I am so thankful that I don't have to call my hubby every time I can't open a jar!

Has anyone ever done something like this? I'd love to hear how YOU get your jars open!

#faithjourney: answered prayer

I have been ITCHING to write a follow up to our faith journey for well….. 8 months now.

I sit here thinking back over how finite I am. How I’m so human and God is so God.

I remember VIVIDLY telling God how He should do things.

Here was my prayer,

“God, I will go WHEREVER you want me to go. I’ve made it really easy for you. I want to go back to Florida, and here are your options for you to choose from as far as jobs. Amen.”

I want the beach. I want sun. I want my friends. I want to be comfortable.

Everyone has faith… until they actually have to walk in it.

Ouch.

So, you can read up on our journey thus far here, but here is the Cliff Notes version.

--> 1 year ago, God told us to sell our dream home in Indian Trail, NC. Kicking and screaming, we put it on the market. It sold in 6 days.

--> 8 months ago, God woke Matt and I up the same night and told us he needed Matt to quit his job. That was 9 days before Khase was born.  

Make sense to you? Me either.

At this point I felt God needed my help. So, we PERSUED many options.

He would close a door and I would be standing there with my shoulder pushed up against it trying to keep it from shutting.

Meanwhile, Matt was working side jobs from sun up to sun down.  So between him painting, coaching cheerleading, and my business, we never missed a bill. Ever.

During that time, I remember him having many interviews, sending out applications to jobs that, in my opinion, he was over qualified for, and trying to FORCE many things to happen.

A misconception of stepping out in faith, is that it’s this beautiful road paved with roses, and God will show you in like a day or two what you are supposed to do.

Not the case.

In fact, it can be kinda ugly while you go through it.

I once heard, “If you live your life by what makes sense, you aren’t living a life of faith.”

Having just had a baby, I was already emotional, but going through this gave post partum a WHOLE new meaning for me.

You know what helped get me through it?

I remember reading a chapter in Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson where he would say Build a Testimony.

Build a testimony.

To me, that meant live a life that no matter what way you look at it, God has to get the glory for the outcome, because it has NOTHING to do with you.

And if I ever want my boys to grow up being God-fearing men of faith, then I want them to know their parents showed them how.

Matt and I had an agreement that we would walk through EVERY door that opened until GOD shut it. That was our deal. No backing out.

So fast-forward to January.

Matt was scheduled to head up to Alaska to do a DNOW weekend with my cousins youth group up there. I was ecstatic for him, as he has a passion for evangelism, and he always wanted to go to AK.

2 weeks before Matt was about to leave, my cousin, who is the youth pastor there, called and asked if Matt would be interested in sending his resume, as they were looking for a worship leader.

Immediately I said No.

Remember.. beach? Sun? I don’t do winter. Especially not 364 days of the year where there is only 1 “warm” day & it’s in the 40’s. (just kidding. They have warm summers, but this was my initial thought.)

I fought this one hard. And honestly, I THOUGHT God would really do this to me, because I also said I would never marry a preacher and you can see where that landed me.

;)

Matt reminded me of our deal. Let GOD close the door. Not Jessica.

So, reluctantly, I agreed for him to send his resume, not realizing that a day later, they were going to call to have ALL of us fly up there.

Really, Lord?

2 weeks later, we packed the whole family up, all our snow gear, and headed up to Anchorage, AK.

Everything was great about this church. The people, the staff, the “family” atmosphere. They loved on us as if we were their own and treated us like royalty.  We loved it there!

At the end of the week, I thought to myself....this might be it!!

God has lined EVERYTHING up. We hadn’t done A THING.  

My biggest FEAR was missing the BEST God had for me because I was too STUPID & worried about being comfortable.

If God had the BEST for me in Alaska. Then that’s where I was going. 

No if’s and’s or but’s about it.

In my mind we were moving.

We came back from AK on a high from just having gone to camp with them. It was perfect. 

The kids were awesome, the camp went awesome….

They sent us home and told us they wanted to pray about it for 2 weeks and wanted us to as well.

2 weeks came and went and we got a call that they wanted Matt to fly back out, lead worship again, and go on their staff retreat because they had not made a decision yet.

We said we were going to keep walking through the door. So they bought the ticket.

That night we were RESTLESS.

And when I say restless, I mean, up at 2am and couldn’t sleep a lick after that. 

We had some hesitations about some things and it was like God was saying LOUD & CLEAR, “This is not it.”

So the next day, we called the church and explained the check in our heart.  We didn’t feel like God wanted us to keep walking through this door.

I was confused, because I told God, “God, I’m ok with this! YOU HAVE ME! I have accepted this and want what you want!”

Then I felt God say to me almost as CLEAR.AS.DAY…

“Jessica, I wanted to know that I had your heart. “

Right then, I had an Abraham moment.

Remember when God told Abraham to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer him up as a sacrifice? 

Without a hint of hesitation, Abraham rose early that morning, saddled up his donkey, and headed with his son to where God had told him. 

His plan was to sacrifice his son that day.  He even built the alter and tied his son Isaac to it! Just as he was raising his arm to put the knife in Isaac’s heart and angel  called to him and told him to stop.

(Genesis 22:9-12)

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’

‘Here I am,’ he replied.

12 ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’

Wow.

So, let’s go back to the 2 weeks we were praying about Alaska.

During those 2 weeks, Matt got a phone call from a church in Alabama looking for a student and college pastor.

They asked for his resume and references.

At the end of the day, they had contacted all his references and called for a first interview.

Without going into too much detail, let’s just say God was ALL OVER IT.

For the next few weeks we had interview after interview, skype after skype. God would open up another door and we would just keep walking.

Their vision aligned EXACTLY with what we believed and we were falling in love with the students, leaders, and staff and we hadn’t even been offered the job yet!

This is where I thought if God were going to close the door… it will be here.

We started looking at housing, and if you have ever rented before, you know that you MUST show proof that you make at least 3 times the amount of the rent payment.

Well, that's going to be a problem.

You see, we have been living on “faith” for the past 8 months and GOD has provided our money.

I don’t think they would buy into that story even if we would have written it on paper and gave it to them.

But, trusting God, we filled out the application and left that part out.

The Administrative pastor called us THAT DAY and told us the application went through, and we have house.

Excuse me, what?  

The house is yours.

And not only that, they were showing it to someone else that EXACT day and SOMEHOW they went with our application and not theirs.

Jessica can’t do that.

God did that.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to visit this church in Alabama I’ve been talking about.

It’s called Vaughn Forest in Montgomery, Al.

We met with the leadership, the staff, the students, the volunteers, the adult leaders the elders, and it just CONFIRMED to us that THIS is the road that God has so EASILY paved for us.

We were at home. And we could FEEL it.

After 8 loooong months, God showed up.

He went before us, and like Matt always says, God just rocked our faces off.

Cause this was HIM. Not us. We would have ruined it. We would have tried to take credit. But we can’t.

I thought it was Alaska. 

And I was ok with that, but God gave me something even better. He just wanted to see if he REALLY had my heart.

If I would do something UNCOMFORTABLE.

So, ladies and gentleman, starting May 1^st, we have accepted the student/college pastor position at Vaughn Forest!!!

We are actually packing up THIS WEEK and heading that way!

We are about to embark on a journey that we have prayed about for a very, VERY long time.

Thank you for all your prayers & your encouragement. I love that so many of you have followed our journey and have asked about it.

There is so much more to this story that I will continue to share with you guys, but for now, we are going to MY home state, and where the BEST football team in the world resides… ALABAMA!!!

Protein Pancakes!

So, as a mom of 2 boys I'm always trying to find healthy versions and alternatives to our everyday food.

You know, like trying to sneak veggies into their spaghetti or making turkey burgers instead of hamburgers.

But out of all the meals I've experimented with, this one has been an all ALL TIME HIT.

You would never think throwing together these 3 ingredients would still make pancakes taste like pancakes... But they do.

My family has these at least 2-3x a week, and I don't feel guilty about that.

Here are the ingredients...

8 egg whites
2 heaping tablespoons of cottage cheese
1/2 cup oats
*Vanilla or cinnamon optional

Mix all ingredients in a blender (putting egg whites in first).

Pour onto skillet.

Topped best with PB, banana, and 100% maple syrup.

YUM!!

Leave me a message & let me know how you liked it!

xoxo, Jessica

Costco grocery list & shopping tips

So, on my way to Costco this past time, I realized that we honestly get the same exact things every time we go. I don't usually bring a list anymore because we stick with the basics and we know what works the best for us. 

AND, so many of y'all ask what we eat all the time! It's really simple! But here is some pictures to help you! 

Now, we don't get every thing on each picture every time we go. Most of the stuff can last us a good long while. But we do choose at least 2 or 3 to have in the house all the time. 

We are on the go a lot, so for K1, these are snacks that we keep handy and can grab quickly on the way to church or out for the day. 

Veggie Straws

Organic Z bars

Organic Variety Pack Snacks

Organic Animal Crackers

Personally, I feel that Costco has more organic snacks than any other place. Plus, buying in bulk always saves you money IF you eat it quite a bit.

Here is the protein we always get.

10 lb bag of Chicken

Turkey Burgers

Salmon Burgers (we go between that and Tilapia)

Ground Turkey

This lasts us a GOOD WHILE, so we do not buy meat but about once a month IF that. 

Here is the list of dairy items we always have on hand. (technically almond milk is not dairy.)

Cottage Cheese 

(we like to add fruit to it & make protein bowls which is egg whites, PB and cottage cheese)

Greek Yogurt

Eggs (we buy 7 1/2 dozen)

Organic butter

Almond Milk

One other one to add would be mozzarella. 

Then here are all the vegetables/beans we stock up on. 

Asparagus

Organic Mixed Vegetables

Organic Baby Spinach

Peppers (the small or big kind)

Black beans

Organic broccoli

Cucumbers

These are the carbs we buy.

Sweet Potatoes

WW tortillas (you can also do WW bread or WW english muffins)

Almonds

PB (try and get natural- less sugar)

Quinoa

Salsa

Brown Rice

Olive Oil

And LAST thing we always pic up is two or three from this list. You can pick any kind of fruit but these are our favorite!

(Avocado should have been on the good fat list, haha)

Few tips for buying in BULK:

1. It only helps to buy in bulk IF you know you are going to eat it all. Otherwise, you will have a lot of food that will go bad. 

2. If you know something will go bad QUICK, eat THAT first. We've paid the consequence for this a few times. Don't put it in a drawer of a fridge otherwise you'll forget it's there! aka peppers, haha!

3. Plan your list before you get in there. Otherwise you might go a little crazy... just speaking from experience. Look in your cabinets before you go & plan out your meals for the week.

4. Don't be afraid of buying meat and produce there. It used to be scary to buy those items there but now it's one of the best and most popular places to buy meat and produce. And costco has a LARGE variety of organic and grass fed meat. They also call your cell phone if there is ever a recall on ANYTHING. We've been members there for a long time and they have only called us one time. 

5. Take a calculator to keep track of what you are spending!! Even though it's a warehouse where you can get a lot of items for a discounted price, it doesn't mean that it's rock bottom prices. Things can add up quickly, so just like I said before, make sure you only go in there to get what you NEED so you don't overspend. 

6. CLEAN OUT your fridge and freezer BEFORE you head out. Get rid of all old leftovers and food that is about to go bad. You will need room to put all your groceries in and you definitely don't want to have to come home and rearrange the entire fridge. 

4 weeks of CLEAN EATING ONLY

I'm really excited about sharing with you my journey back to my pre-pregnancy weight. 

The good, the bad, AND the ugly.

I gained a little over 50 lbs with this baby (my 2nd) and I have 20 lbs left to lose to get back to 115, which is where I originally started. 

Unlike my first, I worked out almost every single day AND ate as clean as I could (minus the first few weeks due to EXTREME morning sickness.) And even at that I STILL gained over 50 lbs! (60 with the first). 

For those of you that have ever taken before pictures before, you know that it can be sickening. All these things start flooding in your mind and can get you discouraged before you even start. 

I felt that exact same way here. ^^^

I had to be REALLY careful not to let that affect my mood or my attitude. But I TOTALLY understand why some people feel like they are "too far gone" to even try... and I empathize with you. 

But in the forefront of my mind I kept telling myself, "Jess, you KNOW the tools in order to lose the weight. You just have to WANT it bad enough and the EXCUSES will have to go."

So, before I got the OK to workout again, I decided I would start with Day 1 with my challengers, and eat CLEAN for 4 straight weeks until I was cleared. 

What made it TEN TIMES easier was that I had friends in this group that I was doing this with. I felt their pain and we PUSHED through together. Instead of just coaching them.. they were coaching me... and the accountability and support are the ONLY reasons I didn't give up. 

So, here i am. I followed the 21DayFIX meal plan to a T because it's the best meal plan structure I have found and is FOOL PROOF. 

I planned out my meals a week in advance and I made sure I had everything in my house that I needed and everything OUT that was going to tempt me. 

Thank goodness my scale was broke, so I had to rely mainly on how my clothes fit. 

After 4 weeks I felt pretty great with my progress! 

I am now on week 3 of Insanity now and can't wait to continue showing you my progress!! 

This past weekend I marked a HUGE goal off my list and got Insanity certified!!! 

My husband told me today that he would see my top abs!!!!!!!!! 

Staying LASER focused!!!!

The Pain behind the Smiles

I read a blog yesterday that had me relive one of the HARDEST times in my life thus far. For the past 5 years I wondered if anyone has ever felt the pain I did after having a miscarriage. And not just that pain of losing the baby, but the PAIN I endured ever.single.time I found out I was pregnant AGAIN.

I have talked about it with some, but I have an ENTIRE journal dedicated to that time in my life where I have literally screamed, cried & probably threw that journal across the room. 

It's a common problem, but for someone to TRULY understand that feeling- you must of had to walk in the shoes of a woman who has miscarried. 

It's been 4 years since we lost our first baby. 

I remember it like it was YESTERDAY. About 3 years after we were married, I was going in to get my wisdom teeth taken out. The Dr. told me that the antibiotic would counteract my birth control, so I need to make sure we are "careful". 

Matt and I had talked about having a family WAY before we were even married, so without even thinking twice about it, I thought let's just stop birth control altogether, and go ahead and start trying to have that family we have ALWAYS dreamed about.

Every month we waited to see a POSITIVE pregnancy test-- & each month felt like 100 years. Some of y'all might know what I'm talking about. And then to be disappointed every time it was negative just made the desire to be a mom more and more magnified.  

When I saw that positive sign come up, almost 2 years later, I might have screamed. I know that I BALLED. And I RAN into the bedroom and woke Matt up. We cried together and IMMEDIATELY thanked God for this blessing he had given us to be parents. 

We couldn't hold it in though. We told our family, our best friends and then the world. 

But everything changed a few short weeks later. 

I was at work one day when I started cramping pretty bad. I had cramped all along, but these cramps were familiar, and made me very nervous. 

As I walked into the bathroom I remember praying and asking God for everything to be ok.... but it wasn't. I tried really hard to get myself together, but I couldn't. I called Matt and a few minutes later we were on our way to the Dr. 

As they did the ultrasound, I had really no idea what they were looking at. I obviously saw there was a placenta, but the nurse kept pushing these buttons that made these colors show up on the screen. She didn't talk for a while, which made me think something was wrong. 

She looked at us and told us that the colors we saw on the screen was blood flowing, but there was no blood going to the placenta, which meant there was no heartbeat there. 

I felt like I had just died. 

I can't tell you much about what happened after that other than Matt just held me. He was so strong for me that day- but the hardest part was I knew he was not ok.  

We found out before we left that I needed to have surgery to remove everything. We drove home practically in silence. 

When we got home, Matt asked if I was ok, and asked if he could go back to the room for a little bit. A few minutes later I heard him sobbing. He had been strong for me- but now he needed to mourn.

The most beautiful thing that came out of that day was the song "Lullaby" that Matt wrote just trying to get his feelings out somehow. (You can find it on iTunes if you search for Matt Laughter- Glorify.) Share it with someone if you know it could help. 

------------------------------------------------------------

We ended up having 2 more miscarriages back to back after that one. 

And then nothing for a long time....

Then one day, I was 5 days late. 

I took another test for what felt like the bazillionth time, and before I opened my eyes I prayed over and over and over again.... God, if you are going to allow me to be pregnant, will you PLEASE allow me to keep this baby? And if you decide to take this baby away from me, will you PLEASE restore my joy in knowing this is the path that you have Matt and I on?  

Psalm 51:12 came to mind that day. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Losing 3 babies was difficult, but seeing a positive pregnancy test again was surprisingly much harder that day.

I had become SCARED out of my mind. 

Pregnancy should be a time of EXCITEMENT and JOY for what the future holds. For me, it was a daily reminder that there is nothing about this pregnancy that is in my control. 

I dreaded EVERY single Dr's visit.

I dreaded every single time I went to the bathroom.

I dreaded lifting anything that weighed more than a sheet of paper.

I dreaded having my heart beat raise just a little higher from climbing stairs. 

It was a very lonely time for me. 

People would ask "OH, when are y'all trying again", which that question never bothered me, but the FEAR of having to UN-tell them again is what made me sick to my stomach. 

And the one thing I can relate to most with the girl from the blog, is that I just LONGED for morning sickness.  I knew if I was sick then everything was "normal". When I told people I was nauseous they would say, "well, that's a good thing!" And to me, that would solidify that things were going like they should. 

But the second I stopped feeling nauseous, my mind started to remind me on how much I have no control over what is going on inside of me. 

It was a vicious cycle that took the joy out of the act of being pregnant. I was jealous of all my friends getting pregnant, throwing parties with not a care in the world, and here I was, afraid to move the wrong way for the mere fact that I may do something to cause me to lose the baby-- it was a heavy burden to bare. And it continued for 9 months. 

I am so beyond BLESSED that God's plan for Matt and I was to be parents to 2 very HEALTHY, beautiful, baby boys after those 3 miscarriages...

But it doesn't help the fact that I relive those days all over again when I hear of a friend's miscarriage. 

And there are STILL so many people who are just dying to be parents and still haven't had their miracle happen yet. I grieve with you. 

I'm so thankful for the people I had in my life who had been there to walk with us down that long road. I pray that I can do that and more to anyone who is going through that now, and know that you are NOT alone in this very long, scary, sometimes lonely journey.