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| 21 Weeks |
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| 22 Weeks! |
Now...this whole process has given me PLENTY of time to think about what I am most thankful for! This is kinda a hard topic for me because in years past I always failed to acknowledge the things I was thankful for because I spent SO MUCH TIME focusing on the fact that we had not been blessed by babies yet. The truth is...even then I was being BLESSED far beyond what I ever deserved! Our God has been SO FAITHFUL throughout this process that even in the hard times we were experiencing his blessing and love! I wish that I could go back to those days before and appreciate all of the things that God was doing in my life! Sometimes it takes a little distance to gain the perspective that we need! Anyways...I thought I would write out my THANKSGIVING list and share it with you all!!!
#1 I am THANKFUL that I serve a God that is FAR BIGGER and GREATER than anything that could ever be thrown our way! He has never once forsaken us or left us...despite what the devil might want us to believe! Throughout the past 6 years He has been right by my side through everything...every tear, every doubt, every shot, every pill...God is FAITHFUL!!! He holds true to his promises and wants to bless us with GOOD GIFTS! I am so thankful that this journey has led me to a CLOSER relationship and trust in my LORD and that others are able to see His goodness through our precious twins! We have prayed specifically that God be glorified in this process and we pray that He continue to receive all the glory!!!
#2 I am THANKFUL for my precious partner in this journey...my sweet Derek! I always tease that everyone just LOVES Derek and that all I hear is "Derek, Derek, Derek"!!! The truth is...I am BEYOND BLESSED with the PERFECT partner FOR ME!!! I never knew how much I needed a partner like Derek in my life until we came up against trials and tribulations! He is my ETERNAL SUNSHINE...the one who kept pushing us forward everyday the past six years. If I had not had him in my life...I would have quit this journey SO LONG ago and GIVEN UP!!! He is my humor and comfort...he has been beside me through EVERY doctor's appointment, shot, pill, tear, bad day, meltdown, and had to watch me go through unbelievable pain. He has been my number one encourager and friend...and is STILL the love of my life! He continues to amaze me everyday with his perserverance and spirit! I have been blessed the last year to get to watch him truly LIVE OUT his dream of being a basketball coach! I am SO PROUD of the way that he handles himself in difficult situations and know that he is truly doing God's work at Grape Creek! I am SO THANKFUL that God gave me you!!! Love you my sweetheart!!!
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| My FAVORITE person in this world!!! |
#3 I am THANKFUL for my PARENTS!!! They have also been through this journey with us and have had to see the pain and tears the past 6 years have brought on. They are the ones who see me at my worst...and despite it all still love me! They often get the brunt of my pain and have to listen to my explosions...yet they love me anyways! My parents have been there from the very beginning to support us and love us! They have prayed for us daily, been our sounding board as we had to make difficult decisions, traveled with us, and supported us in numerous other ways! They have had the difficult job of watching their daughter go through pain, both physically and emotionally, yet their trust in God and their fatih in God has never wavered! They always believed in us and in God's role in this situation. They knew that God was preparing us to be parents...even if none of us knew how that would happen! I am SO thankful that we have been able to share this journey with them!
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| My biggest fans! |
#4 I am THANKFUL for my FRIENDS/FAMILY!!! In our life...the line between friends and family is very blurred! We are so lucky to have such sweet Christian friends that are as close to us as our own flesh and blood! We are also blessed to have family members who have become our closest friends!!! God placed SO MANY people in our lives that have supported us during this journey and we could not be at this point without their love!!! During the hardest days of our journey we had people praying for us, loving on us, checking on us, bringing flowers, food, encouragement, and support! We have TRULY experienced what it means to be a part of God's family and are SO THANKFUL to have such a great support system! We feel overwhelmingly blessed that our babies have been SO PRAYED for, SO WANTED, and SO LOVED before they were even created by SO MANY people!!! During these times...you really do find out who your friends are and we are so thankful for all of you who have been with us! LOVE!!!
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| The sweet gift of prayer! |
#5 I am THANKFUL for my prayer sisters!!! This may include some guys too...but I had a very special group of friends and family that I would text, email, or call during the very difficult in-vitro time. These girls were ready and willing to drop everything to pray whenever I needed them! More than anything, I could feel the prayers of these sweet ladies for peace and calmness! I knew that they were all just a text away! I couldn't ask for a better gift in this world than friends who are willing to stop everything and pray! It also makes me SO THANKFUL that one of them (Loann) encouraged me to share this journey with others to allow people to pray for us!!! How awesome is the power of prayer in our lives!!! I look at prayer so differently now and encourage others to find people in your life that you will share your struggles with!!! Satan deceives us by trying to get us to keep our trials to ourselves!!! By allowing others to share in your journey, you OPEN UP the avenue of prayer and allow GOD to work in your life!!! Love you sisters!
#6 I am THANKFUL for the doctors, nurses, staff, and medical technology that allowed our sweet babies to be created!!! We have been BLESSED both in San Angelo and San Antonio by doctors and nurses that truly CARE for us and wanted to HELP us achieve our desire of children so badly! We were amazed by the staff at San Antonio and their ability to make us feel at ease throughout the whole process! They never made us feel like an inconvenience, were always interested in our lives and how things were going, and ran their office like clock-work!!! We could feel God's presence in that place and knew that He had gifted these doctors with abilities and technology to help struggling couples with their goals! We have also been blessed by our doctor and nurse here in town who go ABOVE and BEYOND their roles to help us in every way possible! Our nurse has been AMAZING...coming in on Saturdays, Sundays, early, late...calling us, facebooking, checking on the twins...whatever we need!!! She is truly a gift from God in our life and we are thankful to get to work with her through this journey!!!
#7 I am THANKFUL for these TWO AMAZING BABIES that God has created inside my womb!!! I am SO BLESSED that God has chosen us to be their parents and that God has finally granted the desires of our hearts!!! Every movement, kick, pain, and discomfort is PROOF that our God is GREATER than anything Satan can throw at us!!! I still wake up in awe at my growing belly and am in HEAVEN getting to prepare for these sweet babies!!! I can't wait to see their PRECIOUS faces, count their fingers and toes, smell their SWEET baby smell, hold them, and feel them!!! The past 6 years are NOTHING compared to knowing that we will be parents in such a short time!!! God has truly BLESSED us and we CANNOT stop thanking him for this blessing!!! I am also so thankful to get to pray for them by name!!! For all of those who have been asking...you can now put a name to these blessings! Our little babies are..
Tucker Rope Schoen
and
and
Adelyn Marie Schoen
We both thank you ALL for your support and love the past 6 years...and especially the past 6 months! We ask that you continue to join us in this prayer journey and lift Tucker and Adelyn up as we get closer and closer to seeing their sweet faces! Our prayer is that God will continue to use this journey and their lives to His glory!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!
"From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained." Jeremiah 30:19
