It's a boy!

On Friday, July 23rd Brandon Kent Ford made his appearance. It was a beautiful day...

Early Friday morning Brian and I headed to Hendricks Regional Hospital. When we reached our room, my friend Barbara (who is an RN) greeted us. Her shift was just ending, but she found us a great labor nurse before she left. Susan was amazing! Having never given birth before I assumed we would see our nurse once in awhile and that most of the care-giving would come from Brian and my mom. Boy, was I wrong! Susan was very comforting and reassuring the entire day. I told her that I was not going to have an epidural, and I wondered if she believed me. In the end I showed her :)

Labor progressed throughout the morning. Brian's parents came up and brought the girls. I was able to talk and maintain my pain levels pretty well. Around one o'clock my OB came in and broke my water. Wow! Things started to move a lot faster...and with a lot more pain.

Brian and my mom were amazing! I remember telling them that when my contractions hit the highest point, is when I told myself I should get drugs! I told them that I needed their encouragement that I could make it through the pain and they did just that. My own cheer team! I spent some time on the labor chair and ball. I highly recommend both of these...it was so good to move around and find different positions for pain management. The Childbirth Center also offered massage therapy--which was amazing! My mom brought her essential oils and helped fill the air in my room with soothing scents while she massaged my aching body.

I wasn't surprised at all by Brian's gentle strength and encouragement throughout the day. He quickly adapted to my many changing needs :) We had laughed about what labor would be like, but until I was in the middle of it I had no idea how I would react. I know I sounded irritated and mad at times, but I told him that it was the sound of pain coming out. He never got annoyed and just stayed the course.

By 4pm I was ready to push. The worst part of labor was the getting to the point that I could push. My contractions were coming so fast that I couldn't rest between them. I remember focusing on the words "comfort" and "soft" on the side of my bed. Just before pushing time, I remember asking my mom if pushing hurt as bad as the contractions. Her response was right on...I would love the pushing part because I got to do something other than endure the pain and at the end would be my baby.

My doctor prepared me for pushing by telling me to "poop the baby out". That might be too much information, but it really did help. She also told me that I was a great pusher! I thought that would help, except that my body did not cooperate. My contractions were strong but got farther apart in this stage of labor. I was SO frustrated with my body! I leave other gruesome details out, but at 5:29pm Brandon Kent Ford was born. He was placed on my chest and I remember asking Brian was we had...he flipped him over and to our joy it was a boy! He was perfect and he was ours!

We had a great stay at Hendricks Regional Child Birth Center. I highly recommend it!

Here are some pictures of our new little blessing! These were taken by my very talented sister, Laurel. You can check out more of her photos on her blog listed on my site.

Summer Vacation

Snap shots of our vacation...

Katelyn traveled to the moon :)

Kaylee followed right behind her older sister...

The happy parents :)

The girls on the Navy Pier.

We had a great time at Grant's Farm.

Lots of cool animals!

The whole family, even Brandon in prego-land, on the Navy Pier.

It was a beautiful day :)

Brian with the girls at the St. Louis Arch...below the arch that is :)

Brian and I decided to take our family on a fun-filled road trip. We traveled to St. Louis and Chicago. We had a great time! Our trip took us to the Cahokia Mounds State Historical Site where we traveled up the Monk Mound...aka stairway to heaven! The next day we traveled to the St. Louis Arch and traveled down the Mississippi River on an old time river boat. On our last day in Missouri we ventured over to Grant's Farm where we came face to face with exotic animals and saw the only home built by President Grant.

After St. Louis we drove north to Chicago. We had an educational afternoon at the Museum of Science and Industry, we ventured out on the Navy Pier and enjoyed some yummy ice cream, and we experienced the wild side of life by walking the Lincoln Park Zoo.

We had a great time, but next year we might stay in one place that has a beach and a pool :)

In front of the St. Louis Arch.

Traveling down the Mississippi in style...steam boat style!

Kaylee reminds me of myself at her age, always had her baby :)

Our girls are so strong!!

My Husband, My Hero!

I love my husband!

Brian is my protector, provider, best friend and love of my life. This week he practically saved my life! (there might be a little exaggeration to that statement) Here's the story...my mom had just given me a bunch of different plants for our yard. I had to plant that soon so I jumped right into the messy digging and planting of these free gifts. As I was cleaning up around our flower bed, I picked up that water drainage thingy--you know, the thing that moves water from the gutters away from the house. Under the drainage thingy was the HUGEST (yes, I know---not a real word) snake EVER! Okay, so maybe it was a foot and a half, but I was huge all the same. As soon as I saw that sucker I screamed, leaped onto the deck and ran inside the house. You have never seen a pregnant mama run so fast. I was protecting the unborn, people! :)

Brian, my hero!, swiftly placed his shoes upon his feet, grabbed the hoe from in the garage and ran to capture this ginormous snake.

No harm was done to the snake...I'm sure it is creeping along, scaring some other pregnant mama :)

Baby Ford!

Being pregnant has been such a joy! It is a whole new experience to know that life is growing inside of me. Before I even took the pregnancy test, I knew I was pregnant. It was just a feeling I had, deep inside of me, that I was carrying a little life.

Having this baby, at this particular time, has reminded me that God is (once again) in control. Before Brian and I got married, we were advised to perhaps wait on having more children...that we should focus our attention on the family we have already. Well, our girls had already begun the questioning of when they would have a baby brother or sister, before we ever said "I Do". I have never doubted that they were not ready for another sibling. In fact, I think we have grown closer as a family because the attention isn't on ourselves. It will be such an adventure to see how our life changes with this new little addition. God has much to teach us...and I am so glad to be on this ride :)

Last week Brian and I took the girls with us to our scheduled ultrasound (this is a LOT less stressful than emergancy ones). The girls stood in amazement and wonder as they saw their little brother or sister floating around on the screen. It always brings such joy for Brian and I to see our baby, but now the girls have experienced this wonder also. It was a wonderful "Memory-Making Day".

Baby pictures :)

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...

On October 3, 2009 I became Mrs. Jennifer Ford. It was a beautiful day, the best day, surrounded by our close friends and family. When I was a little girl, I dreamed of what this day would be like...and the real thing was MUCH better than a little girls dream. I have married the most perfect, God-matched man.

After our wedding we enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing week in Northern Indiana at a private lake house. It was perfect and the best way to start out our new life together. I'm already thinking of our next get-away :)

Before Brian and I got married we discussed the possibility and hope of having more children. We prayed about the timing and placed it in God's hands. Little did we know that God would bless us so early in our marriage. In November we found out that we are expecting a little baby Ford in July. The girls are thrilled and are already preparing to be great big sisters. This is a whole new adventure with the ups (a baby growing inside of me :)) and the downs (horrible morning sickness). No complaining though...this is such a gift and we won't take a single day for granted.

Love

Wow...it's been a long time since I posted anything.
Life has been excitingly (is that a word?? If not, I just created a word--someone call Noah) busy :)


Let's recap what has been going on...in March of this year I met the most wonderful, perfect-for-me man of my dreams. We quickly fell in love and committed our lives to one another...forever! In just a little while I will be Mrs. Jennifer Ford...and I can't wait!

When I first met Brian I was impressed with how much trust and love he had for Christ. His strong walk impressed me because I knew he had the potential of being a strong spiritual leader for a family. Then I melted when he explained that he fought for complete custody of his two daughters. Then the Saturday before Easter, we went on our first date. I think we were both very nervous...but we talked for hours and hours and a deep friendship grew. Later that week Brian called me up and asked to meet for coffee. I remember we sat in a Starbucks for hours and I realized that I would some day marry him. When I got in my car I called my sister Amy and best friend LaMonica and told them I just had coffee with my future husband.

Our relationship grew and grew fast! Everything I had ever prayed for in a husband came to be answered in Brian. I was just amazed at how many prayers had been answered and realized that the many, many years of praying had finally come to be. Ladies, continue to pray for your future husband, and be faithful to God...for God is preparing the perfect time for you two to meet.

On May 4th, I woke up with a horrible sore throat. I felt horrible, achy and sick. I went to school but told the secretary that I wouldn't be in the next day. On May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, I went to the doctor and found out I had strep throat--yuck! Brian, the ever protecting and concerned boyfriend, called or text me all morning to see how I was doing. I told him that I was staying home and resting. At about noon that day, I was laying on the couch and saw Brian come to the front door. I went to get up to greet him, but he insisted that I stay on the couch. He knelt down, which I thought was because I was laying on the couch, but then he shared some sweet words while pulling out an engagement ring. He then asked me to marry him! I, of course, said yes :) More things were said, but those are too precious and private to share.

It has been a whirlwind engagement. We have set up home at my house so that the girls can start school this year--I've moved into my parents house. We are eagerly awaiting our wedding day...excited to start our life together.

When the boys left, I missed being a mom so much. There is just something extra special about being a mom to precious children. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful daughters. God has been so good to us!

We are getting married on October 3rd!

Brilliantly Beautiful

My junior year in high school I went to Florida with my church youth group for Spring Break. On this particular year, Easter fell on the first Sunday we were there. That Easter was a very important one...





On that Sunday, we woke up really early and headed to the beach. I remember it was chilly and so we were wrapped in blankets and sweatshirts. When we gathered at the beach, we sat in a circle around a cross made in the sand. We then talked about the death and resurrection of Christ. It wasn't a sermon, but a talk, a conversation of the reality of what Christ endured. Needless to say, there was a lot of silence...and then solitude.





We were given bread and juice and were encouraged to spread across the beach for a time to spend with God.





I was holding the communion in one hand, my Bible in the other, while sitting on a blanket looking out at the vastness of the Gulf of Mexico. I was taking in God...

It was a heart-centered Easter. The depth of death, pain and love that Christ has for me became more real during that day and week spent in Florida.

This Easter, this glorious Easter will be a powerful, life-changing, grace-filled Easter much like the one experienced so long ago on the beach.

As many of you know, my children (foster children) went home on January 2nd to their birth parents. I experienced such a depth of sadness and mourning over this loss...I hope to never experience that again.

However, and to God's glory alone, life has been profound and beautiful again. A little over a month ago my little Jaylin, through a series of situations, brought his mom and Aaron to church. I love this little guy! The way this story unravels, is truly a love story authored by God.

Aaron, our minister, was finishing up a series on grace. Sadness and public crying had kept me home for a couple of weeks. Not because I didn't want people to show compassion, I just wasn't ready to face church, life, friends, etc. without children. It was just hard. When I came back, however, Aaron was teaching the reality and goodness of giving grace. For two weeks, I sat in my seat and cried as he explained from scripture what it means to give grace. I didn't want to be grace-filled at that moment. I was hurt and angry that a judge would force me to show grace to people who had hurt their children...children whom I loved!

On the final week of Grace, and through Jaylin's need to be with my family, Jenny and the boys came to Traders Point. That Sunday was about salvation. I was floored by what God was pouring out through Aaron. I could literally feel the prayers of my family and friends as we sat around Jenny. I was so eager to know all afternoon what she was thinking, but I didn't feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask. My spirit was telling me to sit quietly and pray.

At 7:35pm that Sunday night, Jenny called. The first words out of her mouth were questions on accepting Christ and being baptized. I was standing in my bedroom when I got that call and I literally fell to my knees. I couldn't believe that this was happening...all glory to God!

After talking for a long time, she asked if I would mind picking her the boys up for church every Sunday...of course I said, Yes! Every week our conversations grow deeper in God and in friendship. She loves spending time with the Mayer/Hills clan and isn't intimidated by our loudness and political talks :) She craves the wholeness of being part of a family. She is our newest adoption!

Although we have been talking about her baptism for awhile, we have finally set the date for this Easter. When everything was set, the word Glorious kept running through my mind. This isn't a word I use...ever. So, to have it run through my mind constantly was a strange sensation. The dictionary defines glorious as:

delightful; wonderful; completely enjoyable; full of glory; entitled to great renown; brilliantly beautiful or magnificent; splendid

The brilliantly beautiful part rings so very true. Seeing God move in this way, seeing Jenny give her life to Christ, and seeing this family build a foundation on truth founded by God is Glorious, brilliantly beautiful.

To be brutally honest, I have struggled with understanding The Parable of the Lost Son...until now. In the past, I always resonated with the son that stayed home and was "responsible". After all, he didn't squander his inheritance and he was faithful to his family and did what was right. However, I have seen in Jenny what the grace for the other son looked like--I will not run off angry like the other son did, but will instead take hold of this grace...the same grace I need from God! And now, there is NO turning back...

"But while she was still a long way off, her father saw her and was filled with compassion for her; he ran to his daughter, threw his arms around her and kissed her." Luke 15:20 (with revisions).

So this Easter will be Glorious!