Doing Great!

Today we had a great update from Katelyn's pediatrician... she is gaining weight and her bilirubin levels are getting back to normal. Big sister Kalena also got checked out while she was there, and the doctor said that her cough and other symptoms were from a sinus infection, and not contagious! Which means that we were able to finally let Kalena spend some quality time with her new baby sister. Jenny got some great photos, too!

Katelyn Anna Lyon has arrived!

We're a bit late on the blog update, but unfortunately Kaiser Walnut Creek didn't have wi-fi! Katelyn was born at 2:14am on Sunday, November 29th! God was so merciful and gracious to provide a very quick delivery, family in town to take care of Kalena and Sara, and so many good friends to visit with while in the hospital.

In fact, really good friends of ours, Peter & Lisa Maclennan, had their daughter Emelia the day before us and were just a few steps away from us in the Mom & Baby wing! It was really fun sharing the joy of newborns together, and they were so cute when we put them next to each other in a bassinet.

Jenny and Katelyn are doing great at home, now, and we're so glad to be back together as a family. With flu season in full force, the hospital wouldn't let anyone under 14 or with any symptoms in the hospital, so we had to be without the girls for a couple of days, and that was the hardest thing!

Katelyn also has a little jaundice and she might have to be readmitted to the hospital if that doesn't improve. We will keep you up to date and try to post more pictures as we are able. We thank God for His goodness expressed through all your love and care for us!

Reflections on Pregnancy

I am two days past my due date with "Pops." I am realizing more how these last days or even hours of pregnancy could be my last ever because of our desire to do foster care and adopt another child. There are certainly things I will miss about being pregnant. I will miss the extreme joy and excitement of taking a pregnancy test and doing a double take when it comes out positive. I will miss thinking about all the ways I could tell Justin, and I will miss the way his face danced with excitement every time I told him. I will miss that first ultrasound where you see a little heart and all it's chambers beating wildly. I miss the feeling of love for a little being you have not really ever seen, but who you come to know and think about constantly. I will miss the kicking, jabbing, turning, and rolling of a little one experimenting with her arms and legs inside me. I will miss the little hiccups that distract me just enough to not let me sleep. I love the looks of sympathy, compassion, and the smiles of joy that my belly bring to the faces of those around me in the neighborhood. I love the way people go out of their way for me in the grocery store, and all the questions about when I am due and if it is a boy or girl. I love the stories strangers randomly begin to tell me once they notice I am pregnant. I will miss the smile that brightens my day from the girl at the frozen yogurt store when I come in for the 5th night in a row.
I thank God for the wonderful pregnancy experiences I have had, and although it saddens me for it to come to an end, I can't wait for the joy of finally holding my new daughter in my arms!!

Thank You Jesus!

This year I have so much to be thankful for! With the delivery of our third little one coming soon, I can truly say I am so thankful for the three great pregnancies the Lord has given me. I am even thankful for the times of horrible morning sickness, that He used to grow and stretch me in ways I never imagined possible.
Because of my deeper understanding in the past few years of God's sovereignty, I can say I would be equally as grateful to Him had the outcomes of my pregnancies been different, if there had been trauma, pain, death, or sickness. God orchestrates the events and situations in our lives for our spiritual good. Every situation is a gift from Him to those who love Him and follow Him. The anxiety of not knowing what will happen with this little one inside of me can creep up ... will she be healthy? will she have the cord around her neck? will she even be alive at the end of the birth? Because God's ways are too high and lofty for us to even begin to comprehend, I can rest in the fact that He is sovern and whatever he wills to do, it will be for my good, for the baby's good, for Justin, Kalena and Sara's good. I praise God for that this Thanksgiving. I am thankful that I can relax no matter what happens, and I will give thanks to him in all situations. For those who love and follow him, there are none who have their days cut short, who have there heath taken away, or who are outside any situation that pleases God. God sends death, sickness, trials and tribulations for our good. It pleases Him. Earthly sorrow is can be very appropriate in a believer, but great joy, comfort and thanksgiving come with knowing God has caused all things.

Kalena's First Recital

Kalena had her first recital last week. It was a "Reformation Recital" at our church, NorthCreek, and Kalena was the youngest participant.

As I stood on a chair in the back of the room to get a clear shot of my daughter's sweet face... I realized that I was fitting perfectly into the stereotypical "dad with a video camera" role. But, all of that faded away when Kalena spotted me and said with her loudest voice and biggest smile, "There's my Daddy! HI DADDY!!"

Unfortunately, I didn't get that part on camera, but I grabbed a few other clips and threw together a quick video over the weekend. It's crazy how easy it was to do... less than 2 hours.


Click here to view or download the video.

Fall Festival / Halloween

Had to post a couple of pics from our evening tonight! We went to the Fall Festival at our church, and had a great time playing games, getting candy, and being silly.
Click a picture to see more!





Afterward, we did a bit of trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. The first two houses we went to had dogs... which completely terrified Kalena. Every house we went to she would say as we were walking up: "This house probably has a dog... Daddy, could you carry me?"

It was pretty cute.

There is Victory Over Anxiety!

Sometimes when things happens unexpectedly we can struggle with fully trusting the Lord. This is hard but can be overcome by dwelling and memorizing scripture. We can be more than victorious over anxiety with Jesus Christ and His spirit helping us to direct our thoughts to things that are true and pure, and helping us to put His living and active Word in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
The living word of God pierces our soul, sprit, and down to our joints and marrow. Wow! The marrow is the very center of your entire body... literally the center of your bones and the place your life giving blood is made! Your joints are also deeply entrenched into your bones and make every move of your body possible. God's word can change our entire being, our thoughts, desires, hopes, dreams, actions and entire disposition! What a powerful God we serve, and a powerful book we possess. Thank you God for this gift of such power, the power to change!


These are the verses I dwell on and memorize when I struggle to trust the Lord.
Isaish 26:3-4
"You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he
trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an
everlasting rock"
Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"
Phillipians: 4:6-7 ...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

It is cool to be able to know that God will give us everything we need, and if we don't have it, we don't need it...and He actually want's us not to have it. It is a hard concept but so peaceful when you finally are able to fully trust it.