Riverside Park

Fall is finally here!  And today was a lovely fall day, perfect for an outing to the park.  We are blessed to have several city parks within walking distance of our apartment.  Riverside Park has quickly become our favorite for many reasons...

Swinging

Sitting

Chasing "ducks"

Mommy and Gracie walked to the park today while Daddy had breakfast with a friend.  But instead of going straight home, Daddy surprised Gracie by stopping by the park to play, too.

Running to Daddy!

Riverside Park has a great fountain area where kids can play in the water.  Usually Gracie likes to watch others play while keeping her distance to insure she stays dry.  Today, however...

 she stuck a hand in...

then she decided to walk a little closer...

until eventually she was all wet!
This picture doesn't show it, but she really was excited about it!

Daddy seemed to be the right spot to rest and dry off.

Before we left, she heard an airplane and looked up to see it.  She's not learned to say airplane yet, but she did say "bye, bye" and wave as its sound faded away.

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Date Night

Last night we had a date night and heard Need to Breathe play at the Cotillion in West Wichita.  They are a South Carolina band who is currently touring with Taylor Swift (she was not playing in Wichita...this was a NTB only show).  We thoroughly enjoyed their music.  

If you've not heard them then we encourage you to check out some of their music. 

http://www.needtobreathe.net/

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Well, we will close this post with a few more pictures of G and her friends...

trying to catch up for our month of no posts.

Riding the horsey, on loan from the Carrigans.  Gracie really enjoys pressing his ears and rocking to the clippity-clop and neighing.

Reading, reading, reading.  

This book is from Papa Jeff, and it's one of Gracie's (and Eli's) favorites.  We are still perfecting how to "orient" our reading material...as you can tell, we haven't quite got it yet.

A railroad track runs parallel to our apartments, and the kids love to watch the "choo choo" go by...especially when that means climbing on the couch to see.

Well, as you can tell, we are truly blessed with a happy, healthy, active little girl who is growing and changing with every day!

DD&G

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

We did something today that we never imagined doing.

About 4 weeks ago we found out we were pregnant.  Shortly thereafter we had an ultrasound and saw "Baby K2" for the first time.  We were excited to learn that our family was growing, but we were concerned because the baby's heartbeat was a bit slower than expected.  A follow-up ultrasound on September 1st confirmed our fears, after only 7 short weeks Baby K2's heart had stopped beating.  We were shocked and saddened with this news.

The last couple of weeks have been hard, but God has been gracious to us.  After much prayer and waiting, closure came today.  Thankfully, God spared us from complications or surgical interventions with this miscarriage.  And He allowed us to bury this little child with the words from Psalm 139:13-16,

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

 when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book

 before one of them came to be.

This leaf marks the site.

We share this news with heavy hearts.  Yet even through our tears of sadness, we still see God's faithfulness to His children and feel His comforting presence.  Baby K2's life was indeed short but was not meaningless.  Every life is made in God's image.  We pray that God will use our memories of this child to fulfill His purposes in the lives of others.

Resting in Him,

DD&G