Sunday Snapshot {Our Miracle #3}

All children are a miracle and a gift from God, but we feel so blessed to have Ainsley in our lives.  I know many of my regular readers know "our story."  But I love to share it because, it is such a story of God's faithfulness and perfect plan!  We really have very little trouble getting pregnant the first time-we decided to start trying and about 6 months later Ethan was on the way.  When Ethan was about 18 months old, we started trying for #2 and that is where our story really becomes God's story of faithfulness.  After almost a year, we were finally pregnant again, but we lost that baby soon after and I was devastated.  We pressed onward, doing everything WE could to make another baby, but nothing.  So WE decided to turn to doctor's for help, 2 years of treatment later WE had done it!!  We made a baby not the old fashioned way, but with the help of some incredible science and doctors. 

Disclaimer:  Please don't take this wrong, I truly believe that God has blessed some with the knowledge and expertise to help others grow their families, in this way.  And it is a MIRACLE, for sure!!  It just was not the WAY for us.  And, we did not realize it at the time.

Anyway back to the story, we were successful at IVF with the one and only embryo we had, but again we lost the baby.  This is where I really entered into a dark spot in my life.  I was so angry with God.  So angry that WE had done everything WE could to make a baby and He had taken it all away-AGAIN!!  It was a long 3-4 months after that.  But then it all changed-instead of US doing it, instead of doing all WE could, WE took a leap of faith and decided maybe OUR way was not the only way.  We turned it all over to God and that's when the miracles started happening!!!  We signed on with America World in May of 2006 and began our paper chase.  After 6 short months we were logged into China's system, and a just 7 months lately we were looking at the face of our daughter (miracle #2.)  Then 4 months after that we were holding her for the first time.  I am so incredibly grateful that God took us on that journey, the journey to our sweet Charlotte.  It has changed us and our family so much!!  Now here is a little seed most do not know, about 3 weeks before we left for China, I once again had a miscarriage.  I thought really are you serious?!?  Why?!?  In some ways I think it was God showing me that yes, HE was still in control, and yes I could still get pregnant.  So off we went and the next year was filled with everything Charlotte.  And then 14 months later, I could hardly believe it but God was giving us our Miracle #3.  I was pregnant!!!!  It was very hard to be excited at first, I really kept waiting for it to all be taken away.  But God was faithful and gave us so much more than we could have ever thought or imagined.  If it had not all worked out this way, we probably would not have Charlotte in our family.  This was HIS design all along, and there was nothing WE could do to stand in His way.  Our family is such a picture of his PERFECTION!  WE are so blessed and can't wait to see what else God has in store for our growing family. 

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21