A Series of Pictures

Just another normal at-home afternoon in Emma language.




Maaahh-ME! Out. OUT... ide? Ide? YES Mommy YES!
Booh-DEE YuhYuh! Tash!
(Translate "Mommy I want to go outside. Say yes!
Bodie, Sylvia, and Stash)



Wheeeeee!





Hi Bodie!





Oh fun - I can haul a lemon in my wagon (notice Bodie)



NO Bodie - NO yimum!



High shriek while flapping arms "NNOOOOOOO BoooDEE!NO! Nice!Nice!"



: ( 









mommy :( ?





"MINE Bodie! Memma's!"



Ahahahaha! MEMMA'S!





Bowmans at the Coast

For Christmas this year, we gave Dad & Mom Bowman a trip to the beach with the whole fam. So we all loaded up in our limo (a.k.a the motorhome) and set off for a day of fun. We left the thick fog of the valley and headed over to the clear blue of the coast.





Pa-Pa and Meggie are waaay down there!





this child has no fear of the ocean. It's a bit frightening.




the pants and skirt didn't last long





Many beach days in the future for these two :)





nothing better than toes in the sand





On to the tide pools...

Emma loved to see and touch the sea creatures
(guess she takes after her daddy)



Clinton found a beautiful pink starfish for Emma to see

so fun to get squirted by the sea anemones

Bee-yooooo-ti-ful! I never get tired of seeing these gorgeous things... and I have to take pictures of the purple sea urchins every time we go. And the orange starfish. And the anemones. They are all so wonderful. Some of my favorites I'm making extra large to see the detail. God must have so enjoyed Creation week.



lots of crabs feeding on a dead fish. Yuck.



there is an abalone hiding in there - see it?

all tuckered out ~ happy to snuggle with Aunti

not sure if this crazy Megan loves
her Uncle Stephen or his hat more!





these children are so blessed to have such fun grandparents...





The View during Our Afternoon Walk

                                                I

                                              LOVE

                                            these

                                              days.

The foggy mornings make the bright afternoons seem so beautiful...

and I can smell the first scents of spring. 

One month from now the blossoms will be in full bloom like this... 

Safe

As I was searching God's Holy Word for direction and peace in my heart, my eyes found these verses in Psalm 91, 94, and 100. God wove the words together and it felt like He picked me up and wrapped me in His arms. And I can only feel safe there.

He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust.
He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust, His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Because you have made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, your home, there shall no evil come to you.
For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Unless the Lord had been my help, my sould had almost dwelt in silence.
When I said, "My foot is slipping," they mercy, O Lord, held me up.
In the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul.
The Lord is my defense: and my God is the Rock of my refuge.
The Lord He is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Our God is Greater!

The words of praise in this song have been resonating in my heart today as we heard "She's doing great!" from the surgeon at Emma's follow-up appointment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlA5IDnpGhc&feature=related

and I love that she's twirling and dancing

with the renewed energy her Creator gave her

Even as I am praising for the healing we've seen

since Emma's surgery one week ago,

I am praying

for little Benton and his family as they wait,

trusting in our God who is Healer, awesome in power...

A very wise friend told me that the times of calm in our lives should be used

for strengthening, exercising, and building our faith,

because if we are not in a battle...

it's coming.

And we will need all the faith we can get to make it through.

Faith is there - ready -

God will pour it out when we ask in our time of need.

How great is our God.

Hospital Stay

Even though I'm sure we will not forget this past week of Emma's life, I want to be certain I won't forget the way God answered prayer after prayer to strengthen, heal, and hold. Things like this make me realize just how thankful I am when I say "Thank you God for Emma, thank You for Clinton, thank You for our families, thank you for ......"  Now I want to shout those same words as if God will hear and feel my heart more. How great is our God - He hears our prayers when all we can do is whisper and say "please God."

As we sat in the children's unit of the hospital, I realized that although this was a very scary, serious situation in our lives, there were so many more heartbreaking situations. Circumstances that no parent wants to ever imagine; and that I will remember even as I pray God's peace and comfort for them.

dads and moms carrying their children down the halls the same as past weeks...

teaching their children to walk beside their i.v. poles....

beautiful smiles from bald-head toddlers who have the hospital as a second home....

 grandmas in the next room who demand the doctor see their tiny grandson now....

a grief-stricken mother crying for her daughter as she slipped into God's hands...

So grateful that we have the assurance of a God who sees all things,

has a purpose for all things,

and will one day wipe away all tears

~ until then we praise Him for all that is past and trust Him for all that is to come ~






Memorial E.R. Thursday evening around 6:30

AMR transported Emma from Modesto Memorial to Sutter Memorial in Sacramento. The ambulance drivers were so sweet; the driver gave me her cell number so I could call at any time, and the other medic gave Emma his cell phone and let her watch Blue's Clues until she fell asleep.
We got to Sacramento at midnight. By the time the doctor examined her and got another i.v. in it was 2:30. We tried to sleep a bit on the not-so-comfy hospital room chair/bed/couch. The next morning we pretty much got up and headed down to surgery. All the doctors and nurses were so caring and wonderful.


In recovery after surgery in Sacramento Friday morning



so good to hold our girl



 two very best ever Grandmas came Friday morning





Pa-pa and Uncle Stephen came on Friday evening but she was still sleeping

Saturday morning she woke up and started talking and EATING like crazy

she kept calling this her tractor - hospital style ;)

Aunt Coreen came Satuday afternoon

Sunday afternoon ready to go HOME!