Life as Paul and Gina

A letter of thanks

2012-01-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and family:Owen turned one year old on December 31st!!We just wanted to take the time to update all on how Owen is doing. Well, the lack of news tells you that he is doing GREAT! No news is GREAT news. We are thankful for Owen's health and healing. There are no words to describe the emotions that were felt in 2011. From Owen's birth, time in the NICU, the apnea & bradycardia, and then the hydrocephalus- there was plenty to be emotional about. However, the peace, oh the peace, that we felt through it all is only to be described as a miracle- praise be to the Lord. Although emotions were hard to handle at times, we would do it all again for Owen and the joy it is to be his parents. All parents can attest to that joy- there is nothing in the world like it.We especially wanted to thank all of you for your prayers, encouragement and the love that you have shown our family. During the time he was in the hospital (and since then), your comments, calls, texts, and visits were what got us through it (even those of you we never get to see in "real" life). Sometimes Facebook is the worst, but during those times, the love that you showed us made me want to kiss the creator of Facebook- his name escapes me at the moment.Owen is a lucky man to have people like you in his life. So, if we haven't thanked you yet. THANK YOU!Now, on to Owen's birthday. The theme was... New Years Eve! So creative, I know. Owen has the sweetest disposition ever. He is so awesome- we couldn't ask for a better child! We love you Owen Clement Manifesta! If you don't know the whole story of Owen & Hydrocephalus, look back on our old posts from 2011- it isn't letting me hyperlink right now!!!

We love you all!The Manifestas

Christmas

2012-01-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season was amazing this year. I feel that this year was one of lots of love, more focus on Christ and family, and less focus on the "things" that aren't important. I am SO SO SO thankful for this year and what we have learned. Owen turned 1, which brought about lots of thankfulness and reflection. More to come on that in the next post. Thank you Lord for coming to this earth and showing us how to live.

Fall

2011-11-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

Owen is 10 months. We have had zero problems with the shunt, and it makes me so happy I don't even have words to express it. My posts are always full of random pictures and thoughts; this one is no different. I post things that I never want to forget. The moments that I want to remember are rarely captured in pictures. However, sometimes we are lucky enough to get a few images. These are the images that I try to post on this blog; for me to remember always.I want to thank everyone who thinks of Owen, prays for Owen, and loves Owen. The Lord has been so good to us, and showed us so much about His love through our little boy's life. Please, continue to pray for him. God is so good. May you remember His goodness in this upcoming holiday season.

Washington

2011-10-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Pictures from gina

2011-10-08T14:35:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Wyoming!

2011-09-12T17:41:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

In-between

2011-09-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

In-between the doctors visits, we have a lot of laughs, trips, fellowship, and every day-ness that make our lives great. We love all of it.

We live for the in-between. Those times when stress levels are low, the woes of this world are forgotten, and it feels like Saturday- even if it isn't.

We are thankful for the good times. We are thankful for the bad times that make us appreciate these good times all the more.

Thank you, Lord. You are good.

Emergency room, stress & peace

2011-08-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Owen had his first fever.

Moms of babies without hydrocephalus and a VP shunt would just think "Aw, poor baby is sick."

This mother has to think, "Is this a shunt infection?," and rush to the emergency room.

The problem with shunts is that they are finicky, and the signs of shunt failure and infection are EXACTLY the same as the flu. Therefore, each time O gets sick... ER, here we come.

We spent a glorious 12 hours in the ER on Friday. Owen had a catheter, a LOT of blood drawn, an IV put in, a CT Scan, an ultrasound, and other tests taken as well. Needless to say, there was a lot of crying going on- from both O and me.

There is nothing like having your baby screaming while strangers poke and prod him. He would just stare at me through his tears. It felt like he was asking, "Why are you letting this happen?"

I do the same thing to God, I cry and ask Him, "Why are you doing this to us?"

I have to believe it is for the same reason I allow these tests to be done on Owen...

When the tests were all done, they still hadn't ruled out shunt infection. However, they didn't think that it was one, so the doctors sent us home and said to come back if anything "got worse."

The problem with that advice is the responsibility it places on Paul and me. What if we don't think he is worse, but he is and we don't make it in time to the doctor? (a mere hours makes a HUGE difference with this stuff)

This is where the stress comes in. This is where the asking God for peace 1,000 times comes in. This is where I get mad, sad, angry at God for letting this happen.

There is a lot I do not understand about theology, the church, about God. There are a lot of questions I have about the horrible things that happen in the world.

However, I know my God is GOOD. He is working all things out for His glory, and He loves His people.

On nights when I can't sleep because I don't know what is going to happen with my son, I remember this and it gives me great comfort; it gives me much needed peace.

The next two days consisted of Owen's fever going UP and then DOWN. With the changing temperatures, we would decide to go the to ER once more, and then change our minds.

Finally, to our complete joy, Owen's fever went completely away on Sunday evening and didn't come back. Hallelujah.

Thank you all for your faithful prayers for our little guy.

On a lighter note, to prevent future illness, I have made the executive to decision to have Owen be the next bubble boy. The sad thing is, I really wish I could. He would be happy enough.

Owen is the cutest.

2011-07-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

See? He is the cutest.

It has been almost 2 mos. since Owen's surgery and he is doing great. We are so thankful to the Lord, and to you guys for your continued prayers for Owen. Please, keep them up!

Owen Clement is in his 6 month of life. So far, this boy is all mommy. Those Manifesta genes are strong... but mine were stronger.

Since Owen's diagnosis and surgery, I feel like I have grown exponentially in my faith in the Lord.

I know that life is fleeting, but I have tried not to think about that very much because, well, it is kind of depressing.

I think about the most amazing days of my life thus far and maybe a handful of days come to my mind.

Christmas', my wedding day, Owen's arrival...

But, what about the rest of the days I have lived? I'm 28 now, so I have lived some days. I only remember a few here and there... how weird is that? I can't wait for the weekend to get here so I can go see friends, go to the beach, pool, BBQ, but two weeks from now...

I don't even remember that weekend.

Makes me think the point isn't to have fun. Makes me think that the point is bigger than that.

Makes me know that the point is Jesus.

I am still learning how to live like Him, but I am enjoying the journey.

If you don't know Him... you should. It's easy and free (regardless of what those televangelists might try and tell you). Just ask Him into your life; it's the best thing ever. The End.

Spread the love

2011-06-13T12:25:00.001-07:00

When I first found out about Owen's condition, I was desperately seeking the internet for others who have found themselves in similar situations. I did this to find community with people that could relate to the pain that I was feeling. In doing so, I stumbled upon this website: Bowen's heart.

You can read more about the story of little Bowen by following that link. Briefly though, Bowen is the son of Matt Hammitt, one of the members of the popular Christian band, Sanctus Real. He was born with a congenital heart defect that is still in the process of being resolved. They found out about this when Bowen was still in his Mommma's belly. The website is about their journey.

The words that were written in each post about their struggle with their son's condition spoke to my heart. It was exactly what I needed when I felt like I was going to collapse from fear of the unknown. It is what has inspired me to keep you all posted on Owen's condition. I hope that I am able to encourage somebody out there the way that I was encouraged by the Hammitts' faith and trust in God in the midst of their struggle.

Matt Hammitt wrote this song shortly after he found out about Bowen's condition. It is a grrrrrrreat song and I think you should all download it from iTunes. A portion of the proceeds support The Whole Hearts Foundation- an organization that supports individuals and families with congenital heart defects.

Again, listen here & keep Bowen & Owen in your prayers ;)

First Doctor Appointment

2011-06-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we had our first doctor appointment at Loma Linda with Owen's neurosurgeon Dr. Sadanand. We had a whole slew of questions for him, and he was wonderful and sat patiently with us and answered them all, and then some. I had a good feeling about him from the start when I met him in the hospital before O's surgery. He is a really sweet, intelligent man and we feel lucky to have our little man in his hands.

Owen is doing great and showing no signs of rejection or infection. The first 6 months are the greatest risk of shunt failure, so let's all keep the prayers coming that Owen stays as healthy as a horse... or just a regular human is fine, too.

Below are out of focus photos taken by Paul's cell phone to document our first visit.

(The last photo is actually a portabella mushroom burger that I made for dinner the other night. It was awesome, so you should be jealous)

Thoughts...

After the doctor appointment, we had a great boost of confidence that everything was great (which it will be). However, I woke up this morning feeling anxious and asking myself all the "What if?" questions I could think of:

What if his shunt fails and we don't catch the signs in time?
What if something else is wrong?
What if this is somehow all my fault?
what if?, what if?, what if?

When I feel this way, I am thankful to have a husband that I can turn to that can provide me with comfort and wisdom. Paul's love for me has been the greatest example of Jesus' love that I have ever seen exhibited from a person; there are not enough words to describe how amazing he is. He is amazing because of Jesus.

We prayed together and peace fell upon me once again. I know my God is sufficient; Owen is His.

For You

We know that God hears the prayers of His people. So, we are asking you to continue to pray for Owen. We know that it is easy to forget to pray, especially since Owen is doing so well and the surgery is over. However, we are asking that you not forget. Maybe you could remember every time you are at a red light, or every time you sit down to a meal with your family, or each time you look into the eyes of your own sweet children, to lift up Owen's health in your prayers. Thank you.

Owen & Hydrocephalus

2011-06-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Owen has hydrocephalus.

We discovered this through measuring his head at home and realizing that he was out of the "normal" range for his age in head circumference. After this, I researched the possible causes of large head size and read all about hydrocephalus. After reading a million horrible articles, Paul and I decided to take Owen to the pediatric emergency room at Loma Linda University Medical center. From there, we were admitted.Owen had a VP shunt put in 5 days later.

Our time in the hospital was full of waiting, Owen unable to eat, CT scans, MRI's, waiting and more waiting. Despite all of the challenges, Owen was absolutely AMAZING through the whole thing. He was smiling through it all; we are so proud.

side note: I recommend that you read only the hydrocephalus information that is from credible sources... the other stuff will just freak you out.

Our Epiphany

At first, there were plenty of "why me's?" coming from Paul and I when we found out about Owen's condition. During pregnancy, I never missed a prenatal vitamin, ate lots of veggies and fruit, I didn't drink caffeine, I slept 8 hours and exercised regularly- I even took bee pollen daily!

Our hearts literally ached when we thought of Owen having to endure any sort of pain and/or limitation. It wasn't fair.

Then we asked ourselves, what does "fair" even mean? We live in a sad world; one full of hunger, disease, depression, sickness, alcoholism, and the list goes on...

Despite these things, or moreover, because of these things, we turn our hearts to Jesus.

The epiphany that Paul and I had, in short, is that we do not love God so that He will make everything in our lives perfect. Rather, we love God because He gives us the strength to endure even the most difficult trials. We love Him because He first loved us.

I want to share what I wrote in my journal only a few weeks after Owen was born (before I had any clue of Owen's hydrocephalus):

I am fearful of the possibility of Owen enduring any sort of pain or ridicule in his life; this fear causes me to draw near to the Lord. I pray that our lives as a family would do nothing but glorify the Lord. Give me the strength, Lord, the courage to follow you regardless of the outcome.

God, indeed, has answered, and continues to answer this prayer for our family.

What this means for us

We came out of all of this feeling thankful. We are thankful for living in a time where shunts (although flawed) have made it so Owen can live a normal, happy and healthy life (free of playing contact sports). We are so thankful for family and friends praying all across the nation for Owen's surgery and health. We ask that you would continue to pray for our family, and join us in continuing to pray for Owen's complete healing so that he would no longer require a shunt. Regardless though, our lives are Christ's alone.

We pray that this experience would help any others going through a difficult situation. Please feel free to share our story with anyone you would like. Give them our contact information if you want!

We will continue to update everyone on Owen's condition.

This is the first time I have ever felt the need to share my personal experience with an audience. I don't like being dramatic, or drawing attention to myself so please do not take this as anything but a person wanting to encourage others to know Jesus.

I pray that you would take our experience and tuck it away in your memory for a time when you are struggling, and wondering "why me?". God is there.

A few answers to some FAQ's

What caused this?

Well, the doctors don't really know. The fact that Owen had an infection when he was born, and that he was 5 weeks early seem to have something to do with it. Also, it seems to be more common in boys. So, he had sort of a trifecta. However, we won't ever really know the exact cause of it.

Will Owen have to have the shunt forever?

As long as his condition exists, yes. There is an alternative surgery called a Third Ventriculostomy that does not require a shunt. However, this surgery is not done on children less than 1 year of age, and is fairly new. We may address this option in the future.

Can you see the shunt?

Yes, right now you can. He has two fairly large bumps on the top of his head where the valve of the shunt was inserted under his skin. In the future, when he gets thick locks of hair like his mommy and daddy, you will not be able to see the shunt. For now, hats will be a regular part of his wardrobe to avoid a million questions when we are in public. Plus, he is super cute in hats anyway.

So now that he has the shunt, what is next?

Unfortunately, shunts have their fair share of problems. We have to watch for a list of signs that the shunt may be working incorrectly, or has failed all together. If Owen exhibits any of these signs, we have to take him to the nearest emergency room immediately. (Needless to say, this kid is going to be well attended to- even the slightest whimper and we come a’ runnin).
Our first check-up for the shunt is this Friday, and then every 6 months after that.

Is there anything we can do for you?

Yes, you can continue to pray for our family. Also, if you see any really cute baby boy hats, give me the name of the store/website. I notice there is a real lack of cute baby boy clothes in the world, a real tragedy.

Also, feel free to NOT share tragic stories of children that have had hydrocephalus in your friend’s family, your uncle’s family, or something you saw on the news that was horrible, etc. They really aren’t that encouraging to our situation. Thanks. We welcome positive stories however, and hope to encourage others to stay positive.

Finally, these words have given me great comfort these past few weeks, and I thought I would share them with you.

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me."
— C.S. Lewis

Life is gooooood

2011-04-12T16:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures to demonstrate life's goodness.

Dedicated to Allison

2011-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Allison,

This blog is dedicated to you.

To my five other readers:

You should all read Allison's really great blog. Found here. Allison a dear friend that I met in my study abroad adventure in Spain. I wish that I could post one of 1000 photos that we have together, but that was when a digital camera cost too much to bring overseas.

She has a really awesome twin sister Amanda.

They saved me from being home sick the entire summer and we had a great time. Both are really talented writers and suuuuuper funny. You should read both of their blogs, and become followers so that they become rich and famous.

Thanks!

P.s. Allison, I didn't just do this to hopefully get something for free... wait, yes I did. But, I love you and your blog so I was happy to do it.

Love,

Gina

February

2011-02-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

Owen

2011-01-19T19:15:00.000-08:00

Owen Clement Manifesta was born on December 31st, 2010 at 2:36am. I was 35 weeks pregnant. I began really feeling that I was in labor at around 4 o'clock on the 30th. Paul timed my contractions and when they were consistently around 2 minutes apart, we headed for the hospital. Theresa, my sister-in-law was working that night-she is a labor and delivery nurse- and she told us we should probably go ahead and come down and get checked out.

We got checked into the hospital at around 10 o'clock where it was discovered that I was already 5 cm dilated and that I was, in fact, in labor. Theresa got to be my nurse the whole night- we were so blessed.

My water broke at 1:30am and Owen arrived an hour later! It was the most amazing thing I have ever done. I was able to do it just like I wanted- without the use of any pain killers. Paul was a great coach and partner. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.

Owen had to spend some time in the hospital afterward, 11 extra days to be exact! It was very hard and stressful, but through it all I felt the Lord with our family.

We are home now, and Owen is doing wonderfully. Rylan loves his baby brother. We are so thankful to the Lord for being with us always. Praise be to the Lord in this New Year!

Baby Shower

2011-01-15T16:09:00.001-08:00

This is my baby shower thrown by my best friends. They are awesome. I was 33 weeks pregnant in these photos... 2 weeks later, Owen is born!

28 Weeks

2010-11-15T14:17:00.001-08:00

Lauren, my best friend, took some pictures for us of the family/belly. She is the best.

I am BIG, as can be verified from the photos above. We are so excited for the arrival of our little man. Praise be to the Lord.

24 weeks

2010-10-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

24 weeks! Yay, we are getting closer. I'm just starting to put some ideas and things together for his room. Did I mention that it is a boy? Yep, it's a boy. We are excited. Names? We are thinking Lincoln, as of right now.

The other picture is of Rylan; it is there just for kicks because he is the cutest.

4 and 3/4 months

2010-09-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

Summer

2010-09-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

This summer has been great. I have gotten plenty of time off of work to go to the beach, go to the pool, go on vacation, and spend time with family and friends. We celebrated our 4 year anniversary in LA. First, we took Rylan to a pirate show... we ate and watched a show. HE LOVED IT! Then, without Rylan, we went to Universal Studios and then spent 3 days in Redondo Beach. I have loved every second of it. Work starts tomorrow, so I wanted to get some photos up before things got too busy and I neglect my blog until Christmas :)

Pregnancy Update: Not much to say. I am feeling good for the most part and just starting to show now. I will post a picture soon to show progress.

Portland/Seattle

2010-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

I went for a visit to Portland to hang out with my beautiful sister and my nieces and nephews. It was a wonderful time, and such a nice change in weather! I got to explore Portland a bit with them, and even take a trip out to the Oregon coast. Then, Mary and Ashley picked me up from Portland and we headed North to Seattle. The weather was perfect, and there was water everywhere. It is a gorgeous city. It was a perfect summer vacation. I have great family and friends! Thank you Lord.

2010-07-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

We are having a baby! YAY!

I had morning sickness pretty badly from weeks 7-10, however, it has subsided significantly. We are so excited.

We are trusting God and excited to see what He has in store for us with a growing family!

A taste of everything...

2010-06-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

So, a little catch up. As I am ALWAYS doing on here. There are some pictures of a lovely ladies weekend we had in Laguna to celebrate Ash's finishing of her teaching credential. There is the Cherry festival with Rylan, and there is one photo of an 80's party we went to... yes, one photo. Also, the one where Paul and I look semi- dressed up (if you can tell from the head shot) is Kevin and Rosie's wedding... we took one photo there as well! The one of the family is up in Oak Glen, and the one of Paul and Rylan making mean faces at the camera is in San Diego.

Praise the Lord for his goodness in our lives always. Praise the Lord that He is with us in good times and in bad. The name of the Lord be praised.

2010-05-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

dear people, sorry I had to send you an invite for my blog when I didn't even post anything cool. I just changed my privacy settings and so I had to do that.

K, ummm, so "knock knock"

you say, "who's there"

I say, "boo"

You say "boo who?"

I say, "stop crying you fool, its a joke"

Hammock

2010-03-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Warmer weather is finally upon us... so we spent the day lounging. Rylan, if you ever read this, I hope you know how much joy you bring us on a daily basis. You are absolutely amazing.

Well well well

2010-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

Hello 2010. It's February, and we haven't updated since October. I ran my first full marathon, we had the holidays, we got a new niece (emma) and now it's time to have a wonderful new year. I just got back from a visit to see my wonderful friends up in San Fran.

We are hoping to move out of yucca in 2010, but if not this year, let's hope by 2020. Here are just a few photos of recent and some not so recent. Hey, I haven't updated since October so there are some gaps to fill. Blessings to all this year. Love Jesus more than anything else and the rest will be great.

I am not cut out for blogging...

2009-10-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

summa

2009-08-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to update this stuff. Summer has been A for awesome. Went to Europe, as established below... san fran, the beach, weddings, birthdays, etc.

Europe, Briefly

2009-06-05T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well, as most of you know, we are back from Europe. It was a grand time. Austria was just like I imagined, and of course, I did run through the hills that were in fact alive, singing the "sounds of music." You can see from the pictures that it is breathtakingly beautiful.

Other than getting a fever and sleeping for 3 days straight, the trip went just swimmingly. Paul also got sick, but I must have weakened the flu virus before he got it because mine lasted eternity, and his lasted 24 hours. I included a picture that Paul decided to take during my 72 hours of hell. He would wake me up to drink water so I wouldn't get dehydrated. He said I look cute in this picture... love is blind.

Also, we were conserving money, and the photo of the cup full of sick stuff is muesli that we found in Austria at the "Billa," and that is Paul eating it with a q-tip that he pulled all the white furry stuff off of (no, he did not use it first).

Rome was impossible to describe with words. The photos don't do it justice whatsoever. You, yes you, should go there as soon as possible.

If you want to know more details, call me up. We did our best to take pictures, but it's very difficult to do so when there are only two of us. Here are just a few.

pictures

2009-05-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

lauren took some cool photos for us... she is nice.

2009-04-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

the past few months

2009-04-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ash and I road tripped up to see Mary, went wine tasting, hiking, got to see Jenny a bit, and had so much fun.

I went to Red Rock with Erin, drove out there... arrived at 2am, climbed all day and then drove back.

Joshua Tree with Paul and Rylan; it was a beautiful day. We hiked and had a picnic. Life is good.

Rylan- he is just wonderful.

2009-03-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

Holidayzzzz

2009-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Josh and Karina's new house in San Clemente... food, food and more food!!! New Years in Redlands with Tim, Theresa and Lauren. We are so thankful for our friends and family. God is so good to us... our prayer for 2009 is that we would draw near to the Lord, and that we love and serve others passionately as a result.

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:6-8

December

2008-12-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

December has been lots of fun. We went to Disneyland for Rylan's 3rd birthday, and had SO MUCH FUN! It was like being a kid again... seeing it through his eyes. We also decorated the Christmas tree, had about a foot and a half of snow, and have done lots of fun Christmas activities. Lauren also finished school this month and we got to celebrate that!

Las Vegas, November 9, 2008

2008-11-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

Paul, Rylan and I went up to see Steve and Cara for Steve's b-day. Paul and Steve played tennis, Cara and I and the kiddies played at the park. We all went out to dinner and ate yummy mexican food. Rylan LOVES Collette and calls her his "best friend."

Mary's wedding- Monterey Road Trip

2008-10-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend we drove up to Monterey, Ca for Mary's wedding. We all met at Lauren's house and drove up early Friday. It took about 8 hours to get there. We stayed Friday night at this huge house on Pebble Beach with everyone, and then Saturday had the wedding.

We all ate breakfast together Sunday morning and then left for home. The car ride was so fun. We have the most amazing friends in the whole world. It was a wonderful time. Mary looked amazing, and the wedding was perfect. Congratulations Mary & Tyler.

ROAD TRIP

2008-10-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

Leah, my mom and I went to San Fran, Berkeley and Concord this weekend to see Leah's culinary school. It is an all natural, organic, and whole foods school that focuses on the healing properties of food for illnesses like cancer, aids, candida, etc. I'm jealous. She will be going up in March of 2009. We had so much fun. We went to Solvang; walked a million miles around SF, saw the blue angels fly, drove hours and hours, and had great family time.

Daily Life

2008-10-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some photos of daily randomness... Lauren's 25th birthday, Paul and me, and Paul and Rylan being silly.

Ashley's Birthday-2008

2008-10-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

GREAT EXAMPLE of why I wanted to do this. Ashley's birthday back in February, was great. As you can see, many of us showed up wearing green, unplanned mind you. It was quite remarkable, and should be noted as such...

Utopia Yogurt

2008-10-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Most of you have seen the shop, but if you haven't... some photos for you. Paul, Tim, and various others worked very hard to get this thing going. It's beautiful. The stories we have about the Lord's hand in getting this thing going are amazing. ALL the glory goes to God.

Awwww yeah

2008-10-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we are starting this blog. Mostly it will be updated by me, Gina.
Paul is with me in spirit, since we are soulmates.

I wanted to do this because I feel like life is going entirely too quickly. For my own enjoyment, I want to have entries and photos to remember the good, bad, important and not so important moments. You dont' have to look if you don't want to.

My life is more full of love and joy than I could have ever imagined. Thank you Lord for my family and friends. It's more than I could have ever asked for or imagined, and I am excited to see what else You have in store.

Make yourself a warm cup of joe, or pero, or hot chocolate, and feast your eyes upon our exciting lives...