Friday, January 23, 2009

Baby Groen's Test





May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will SHOUT for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Psalm 20:4-5

This verse jumped out at me on Wednesday night while I was doing my devotions. I knew going into the test on Thursday that no matter what we found out the God was going to be victorious and he was. Everything with the test went very well. They got all the pictures they needed even though Baby Groen was a wiggle worm. After the ultrasound the doctor looked over the pictures. The hardest part of the whole test was the waiting part. He finally came back in and said that everything looked great. They didn't see anything wrong and everything was working the way it should. He told us that unfortunately this test doesn't pick up any minor problems. That if there was any of them we wouldn't know until after the baby was born and checked out. He also said that what Lindsay had was a very rare thing. He said that this baby most likely wouldn't have the same problem. We walked away feeling relieved that everything is working and no problems. Thank you all for your prayers yesterday. We really felt them all and we were very relaxed and had ton's of peace.
As I was sitting here writing this post I was thinking of Lindsay and wishing she was here so that she would be able to hold her sister or brother. This picture came into mind and I knew I had to use it. This is my nephew Ethan Houston. (sorry Jul) Lindsay loved little babies and she was aways so cute with them. She was always curious about them and she was especially with Ethan. I wish we had more pictures of her and him but we don't. We will cherish this one with all our hearts. I can picture Lindsay in heaven holding so many babies and being a little Mommy to all of them. I know she is really taking care of our 2 babies who are in heaven with her.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

8 Months


Well as you can see that Dad beat me to it yesterday. I was going to write but thought I would wait until today. We hope where ever you are reading this from you are warm and cozy in your homes.




Yesterday has already come and gone but we can still sit and remember Lindsay. We had a nice day together as Jon was home all day with us. The sun was shining and the sky was beautiful just like Lindsay. We all seem to be doing well and we find ourselves back into a normal life. Although I would rather have Lindsay in our normal every day life, we are learning to keep her memory in our daily routines and in our normal lives. On Thursday night I had to go to a steering meeting at our church for our MOPS group. On my way there I found my self going back through those days at the hospital and remembering all we went through. As well as thinking and missing Lindsay a lot. After our meeting one of my friends was asking me some questions about Lindsay. I was so delighted and happy to talk about my little girl that I jumped right in. I then found myself with 2 of my other dear friends standing and talking about Lindsay being in the hospital. They shared with me a lot about what they had all gone through while Lindsay was in the hospital. They shared with me how much Lindsay had changed not only there lives but the lives of their family. As I stood there and listened to them share my heart was overjoyed. Lindsay brought one of my friends and her husband to there knees every night to pray and now they do it all the time. To hear how even there kids were involved by praying for Lindsay and how much there prayer lives have changed was such an encouragement to me. We often sit and wonder why God took her from us, or why it had to be her, or what did we do to not have her here. But then to hear stories like this kind of gives me a glimpse as to why God needed her in heaven. I am sure there are so many other stories out there about how Lindsay has changed people. If you are reading this and this journey has somehow changed you or your family or even led you to Christ, please share this with us. Over these past 8 months Jon and I are so proud to be Lindsay's parents and that God choose us. I drove home that night not feeling sad but feeling blessed that through my little girl's time in the hospital has brought people closer to Jesus and rejoicing that one day I will see her again and hold her in my arms. Psalm 16:9-11 says this; Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.




We would like to ask you to remember us in pray on Jan 22 at 10:15. We will be going to have a fetal echo cardiogram done on the baby. I am glad that we will be having this done but also nervous and scared. But I know that God is going to be with us and that he already has this baby formed in his image and no matter what the results we can handle them.




We are still amazed how many people still check this blog. Who would have thought that when Dad started this that we would be over 60,000. With out people praying for us and without God by our side who knows where we would be. We love all of you very much and thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.




Lindsay~ Daddy, Mommy, Tanner miss you so much. Thanks for bringing us such joy while you were with us. We miss your smiles, giggles, laugh, and we miss seeing you everyday. We love you a bushel and a peck, a hug around the neck, a barrel and a heap, and we are talking in our sleep about you!!
Thanks Carrie, Jodi, and Michelle for sharing your hearts with me.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Happy Spiritual Birthday, Laura

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for the way you continue to support Laura, Jon and Tanner. Your prayers and notes of encouragement mean so much to them as well as to Warren, Phyllis, Jan and me. As of this morning, the blog went over 61,000. None of us ever dreamed that when the kids started this journey that there would be such overwhelming support that has come from around the globe.

Today is a very significant day. Today is Laura's spiritual birthday. On January 16, 1983, Laura Ruth Welte invited the Lord Jesus Christ to be her personal Lord and Savior. I won't embarrass her by telling you WHERE she was when this significant event took place, but as her Dad and Mom, we will never forget that day.
The prayer of every parent is that there kids will grow up to love the Lord and serve Him with all of their hearts. This past six months have given evidence to the fact that Laura has a deep, abiding trust and faith in her heavenly Father. The growth that we have seen in her as she has faced one of life's deepest trials, has blessed our socks off.

I couldn't help but write today as Laura's spiritual birthday coincides with Lindsay's 8th month with Jesus. Because Laura invited Jesus into her heart on on January 16, 1983, she has the wonderful assurance that someday, she will be with Jesus and Lindsay forever!
Laura, we love you and are so proud of you. Happy spiritual birthday!
PS -- Drop her a line today and wish her a happy birthday. And if you don't know what a spiritual birthday is, Laura would love to share that with you.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Here Are A Few Pictures Of Baby Groen

A side 3D picture where you can see an arm and a leg.

A 3D picture of the baby. I think he or she looks like Lindsay!


Side view with one arm strecthed out and one up in the air.




Our ultrasound went really well. The baby was moving a lot which was so neat to see. Evey thing is measuring what it should be which is also good news. The babies heart rate was 140, the baby weighs 9 ounces, and she counted all 4 chambers of the heart. Jon and Tanner were with me which was really neat. Tanner thought it was pretty neat to see the baby moving all around. In fact when she first started the baby put his or her hand in the air and waved. This brought a smile to Jon and my faces because Tanner did the same thing on the day of his ultrasound. What a joy it was to see another little life growing inside. God is truly amazing at what he does. We have one more ultrasound to go to on January 20Th. This one will be the one where they just look at the heart. So please be praying for that one with us. We know that no matter what God is in control and that he has already formed this baby the way he wanted.

We love you all!!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Happy New Year


We hope you are all enjoying the new year so far. Our family is looking forward to all the blessing God has in store for us this year. As we look back on last year we would have never guessed we would get to 2009 without Lindsay. But God knew that before she was born and here we are. We look back at all the good things that 2008 brought us. All the memories we shared together as a family, and all the hard times we have had. God was and still has been faithful to us all year and he continues to be as we start the year 2009.


We had a wonderful Christmas with our families. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in NJ with my family. We had a wonderful day and shed lots of tears. Lindsay was missed so much but I know she was watching us from heaven. We then headed back to New Hampshire Christmas night so we could have Christmas with Jon's parents and Uncle Aaron and Aunt Alyssa on Saturday.


We rang in the New Year by just staying at home and enjoying one another. We have much to be thankful for this year. As we start this year we look forward to the birth of the new baby and all of the many other blessings God will share with us. We will also still need lots of prayer and we still have some firsts to go through. But we know that with God we will get us through all of them.


I want to share this poem with you that my Grandmother wrote on January 1, 1996.


As we stand on the brink of a New Year,

Watching the old disappear.

We don't know what's in the future,

But we DO KNOW THAT GOD IS NEAR.


Let's thank Him for all the good times

And yes, for the hard times too.

For the lessons we learned through the difficult times

Made us stronger to see each day through.


Let's forget all the trials and problems,

That we faced in the previous year.

And press on by God's Grace to face the unknown,

With JOY and without any fear.


He's met every need in past years,

Exceeding, abundant, above,

More than we ever dreamed of,

Out if His heart of Love,


Let's trust Him and keep on believing,

Let Him lead each step f the way.

And follow daily the sound of His voice.

In order to serve Him each day.


Yes, another year is before us,

Like a blanket of new fallen snow.

Let's be careful just how we walk in it

For each one of our steps will show.


We love you all very much and we hope that God brings your family with lots of blessings in this New Year. Some of you may remember that while Lindsay was in the hospital we asked you to pray for a few of her friends. One of them was a little boy named Elijah. We just found out that he passed away on Nov. 29. If you could pray for the Marsh family we would greatly appreciate it and I know they would to. I am sure Lindsay was there with a smile and a hug for Elijah and I am sure she will take care of him.