Birthday Week!

Jared's 23rd Birthday is tomorrow!!!! Happy Birthday Love! I am soooooo excited to celebrate our birthday's together as a couple this year for the first time!

My 25th birthday is Saturday! Yes! A Quarter century!!!!

We are going out to the LA Philharmonic on Saturday!!! What a way to spend my birthday!

This is my gorgeous Best Friend Emily and her new beautiful baby Ailey:) I am in love with so many babies now! My nephew, Ailey, my boyfriend's nephew Tommy. Good thing I'm not having one for a LOOOOONG time. I can just love eveyone elses:)

Seriously though-this picture is awesome

Well it is all official now! Baby Ailey Kaylen Smith has entered the world early this morning on Monday April 17!!! She was 6 lbs and some other ounces...close to 7 lbs and 20 inches long with a lot of hair i am told!

From everything Andrew said, Emily was a pro and did great! I am soooo happy for you guys and can not wait to hold her in my arms in a week and a half!

Congrats mom and dad Emily and Andrew! Wow! My best friend is a mom!

Hospital Days...

There's nothing quite like a visit to the hospital-especially several visits on consecutive weekends when they are checking your boyfriend's neck to see what the painful lump in his neck is, if he has cancer...

After a month of hospital visits, a needle biopsy, and a CT scan, Jared was quickly scheduled for surgery this week when the other results came up inconclusive.

Monday morning, me, Jared, his mom, and grandpa (his dad passed away from cancer a few years ago) checked in to the hospital for an hour and a half long surgery in which the doctor thought he may simply have an infected gland, however would not really know anything until he opened him up. I did my best to keep Jared in good spirits as we waited in the pre-op room...reading the Word to him, making jokes about the warming blanket on him that looked like an inflatable raft, and holding his hand that just had an IV put into it. As they wheeled him into surgery, his mom, grandpa and I waited in this lobby area for the longest hour of my life.

The doctor came out after an hour telling us the wonderful news that he removed the lymphnode which was inflamed because of an infection in his tonsils. No tumors, lumps, or cancer!!!!! What a huge relief!!!!

When we were finally able to see him, the nurse asked us which one of us were going to stay and help Jared get dressed, and his mom and I just looked at each other and slowly started backing away and pointing at his grandpa!

Jared has been recovering remarkably well-he hates the vicadin which makes it too hard for him to focus on his school work, and is expecting to be back in Azusa on Friday-Praise the Lord!
For me, my emotional breaking point was after the surgery when we were in his mom's kitchen and it all hit me like a ton of bricks...and then later on in Blockbuster-that was fun:) The Lord is good and I am overwhelmed at His power, strength, and love.
Thank you God.

When you Feel like a smoldering wick...

Much like myself and Jared-we are reminded the Lord will protect us and care for us-not leave us to be done for...

Jared goes in for surgery on Monday for the lump on his neck...It is difficult not having his dad with us anymore...Lord, when we lack the presencem comfort and strength of a father...would You remind us that you will care and be with us all the more...