Here is a little video that we took of Cheyenne a few weeks ago. Every morning (for weeks) she has gotten out of bed and immediately asked if today was her 'mouse dirthday'!! She is longing to have a Minnie Mouse birthday party :)
Her 2nd birthday was actually on Friday, although her little party isn't until Monday on daddy's day off from work. I will be posting more pictures and videos after her party. For now, enjoy this little clip of her getting all excited about swimming :)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Please Pray For This Precious Family
Please lift this family up in prayer...
Yet another family is faced with the terrible pain of having to bury a child...oh how my heart aches for these young parents.
On July 9th, their precious 18 month old daughter fell into a canal. Little Preslee fought long and hard...
Today she is in the arms of our Heavenly Father.
Please lift Patrick and Ashely, as well as their family in prayers as they head down the difficult journey through grief.
((I dont know if I can actually link to their blog..im not very savy with this technical side of blog land yet..so you might have to cut and paste if it doesn't work. here is their address, please pray for them... http://patrickandashley.blogspot.com
Yet another family is faced with the terrible pain of having to bury a child...oh how my heart aches for these young parents.
On July 9th, their precious 18 month old daughter fell into a canal. Little Preslee fought long and hard...
Today she is in the arms of our Heavenly Father.
Please lift Patrick and Ashely, as well as their family in prayers as they head down the difficult journey through grief.
((I dont know if I can actually link to their blog..im not very savy with this technical side of blog land yet..so you might have to cut and paste if it doesn't work. here is their address, please pray for them... http://patrickandashley.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Liberty = Freedom
Happy 4th of July everyone!
I wish I had some catchy post for today. I wish I could write about important facts and history for this very special day. However, today isn't going to be 'that' day.
My 'mothers heart' is coming through today. You see, today is a very important day for our little family on so many levels. July 4th holds so much meaning to us and can often bring tears to our eyes.
You see..We actually had Liberty's name picked out way, way before we knew that she was on her way! We had Liberty's name picked out when we were pregnant with Aspen..yes, two years prior to becoming pregnant with Liberty - we knew what her name would be!! So when we found out in October 2006 that we were indeed pregnant again, we immediately knew her name would be Liberty! Yes, we still had to wait many, many months to find out we were officially having a girl - but something deep inside our hearts told us our second born child would be a girl and that she was meant to have the name Liberty. Looking back now, I know that 'something' was indeed God. It was His still, quiet voice that brought us to the name Liberty.
I remember the day we found out we were pregnant with Liberty. I remember sitting with Brett calculating the due date. We were BEYOND excited to be pregnant! We immediately began planning and day dreaming about our newest little princess to be. We laughed and giggled that we already had HER name picked out - she wasn't here and yet she already had a place in our family.
I will never forget the moment the computer pulled up her due date;
JULY 4, 2007
We looked at each other and burst out laughing..how very fitting that our sweet baby, two years in the making (so to speak) would have the name Liberty and would have the due date of July 4th!! We immediately knew this was no coincidence - this was far too big - this truly was something amazing! We knew God had something very special planned for our sweet Liberty..and yet, we didn't have a clue as to the magnitude of these plans.
Liberty didn't reach her due date. She was born on May 24th after a very rough pregnancy. I remember when her actual due date rolled around. Libby was still at Children's Mercy Hospital. Brett and I brought Liberty balloons for the 4th of July. We wanted her to be part of the celebrations coming that day - even though she was still in the NICU. We spent a lot of time getting Liberty dressed up that day. I put a little dress on her. It was red with little white stars. This outfit was so precious to us because Aspen had also worn it.
((Aspen and Liberty weighed the same at birth. They both weighed 3lbs. 11oz and were both 17 1/2 inches long. They were both preemies and both born in the month of May))
After getting Liberty in her dress and putting a little white headband on her - we took some pictures. Then we spent some time holding her, kissing her and thanking God for her. She was so tiny and so precious. We always prayed over her before we left..and today was no different. We had been praying for many weeks that she would reach 5lbs. The doctors needed her to reach 5lbs so they could do surgery on her to place a feeding tube in her stomach. Well we found out that she finally hit that 5lb mark, so surgery was scheduled right after the 4th of July holiday. I remember the anticipation of this surgery. The doctors explained to us that she would have this surgery, we would learn how to feed her through the feeding tube and then she would finally get to go home with us. Honestly, taking her home was the only thing I could focus on. I didn't allow myself to focus on the fact that we would not get to give our baby bottles, or watch her make a mess out of baby food..or that she might not have a bite of birthday cake on her first birthday. All that really mattered to us was to get this sweet girl home so we could once again be a family. I will never ever forget this particular 4th of July holiday because it was the only one we ever got to spend with our sweet daughter...
I remember I cried as we left the hospital that day. I basically cried every day I left the hospital without her in my arms. It's not an easy thing to carry a child for 34 weeks, deliver the baby and then spend the next few months leaving the hospital without that child. Holidays and special occasions made leaving the hospital even more difficult. I desperately wanted Liberty to be at home with us. I desperately wanted our baby to be safe and sound in her crib. I wanted to spend the 4th of July in celebration, at home..WITH our baby girl. But more than anything I wanted our baby to be healthy. I didn't want to see her suffer another day. I didn't want to see her tiny body fight for life each day.
It has been three years since that very special 4th of July and looking back, thinking about her name...thinking about her due date..thinking about what today means...
everything comes to mean one thing;
FREEDOM
We are free on so many levels because we live in America. I could not even begin to imagine living somewhere else. We are free thanks to countless men and women who serve our country. Brett and I spent our first year of marriage in the Air Force. Being a military family is NO easy task...it's a whole lot of 'give' and very little 'take'. I am so very thankful for the families who continue to give so the rest of us can be free. Our freedom gives us so much to be thankful for each day!!
And even though we do have freedom here...nothing could possibly beat the freedom that Liberty received the day she went to Heaven. No amount of freedom will ever be able to top that of which our Father gives to us. Liberty is comepletely free of pain. Her little body no longer has to fight. Liberty is completely free of heartache and tears. Liberty is completely free from sadness, confusion, guilt, anger, exhaustion, worry..the list could go on and on! Liberty has been completely set FREE!!!!
So even though my mommy heart is missing her today...I am thankful for the freedom she is experiencing each and every day! I look forward to the day when the rest of us will rejoice in Gods everlasting freedom!!!
I wish I had some catchy post for today. I wish I could write about important facts and history for this very special day. However, today isn't going to be 'that' day.
My 'mothers heart' is coming through today. You see, today is a very important day for our little family on so many levels. July 4th holds so much meaning to us and can often bring tears to our eyes.
You see..We actually had Liberty's name picked out way, way before we knew that she was on her way! We had Liberty's name picked out when we were pregnant with Aspen..yes, two years prior to becoming pregnant with Liberty - we knew what her name would be!! So when we found out in October 2006 that we were indeed pregnant again, we immediately knew her name would be Liberty! Yes, we still had to wait many, many months to find out we were officially having a girl - but something deep inside our hearts told us our second born child would be a girl and that she was meant to have the name Liberty. Looking back now, I know that 'something' was indeed God. It was His still, quiet voice that brought us to the name Liberty.
I remember the day we found out we were pregnant with Liberty. I remember sitting with Brett calculating the due date. We were BEYOND excited to be pregnant! We immediately began planning and day dreaming about our newest little princess to be. We laughed and giggled that we already had HER name picked out - she wasn't here and yet she already had a place in our family.
I will never forget the moment the computer pulled up her due date;
JULY 4, 2007
We looked at each other and burst out laughing..how very fitting that our sweet baby, two years in the making (so to speak) would have the name Liberty and would have the due date of July 4th!! We immediately knew this was no coincidence - this was far too big - this truly was something amazing! We knew God had something very special planned for our sweet Liberty..and yet, we didn't have a clue as to the magnitude of these plans.
Liberty didn't reach her due date. She was born on May 24th after a very rough pregnancy. I remember when her actual due date rolled around. Libby was still at Children's Mercy Hospital. Brett and I brought Liberty balloons for the 4th of July. We wanted her to be part of the celebrations coming that day - even though she was still in the NICU. We spent a lot of time getting Liberty dressed up that day. I put a little dress on her. It was red with little white stars. This outfit was so precious to us because Aspen had also worn it.
((Aspen and Liberty weighed the same at birth. They both weighed 3lbs. 11oz and were both 17 1/2 inches long. They were both preemies and both born in the month of May))
After getting Liberty in her dress and putting a little white headband on her - we took some pictures. Then we spent some time holding her, kissing her and thanking God for her. She was so tiny and so precious. We always prayed over her before we left..and today was no different. We had been praying for many weeks that she would reach 5lbs. The doctors needed her to reach 5lbs so they could do surgery on her to place a feeding tube in her stomach. Well we found out that she finally hit that 5lb mark, so surgery was scheduled right after the 4th of July holiday. I remember the anticipation of this surgery. The doctors explained to us that she would have this surgery, we would learn how to feed her through the feeding tube and then she would finally get to go home with us. Honestly, taking her home was the only thing I could focus on. I didn't allow myself to focus on the fact that we would not get to give our baby bottles, or watch her make a mess out of baby food..or that she might not have a bite of birthday cake on her first birthday. All that really mattered to us was to get this sweet girl home so we could once again be a family. I will never ever forget this particular 4th of July holiday because it was the only one we ever got to spend with our sweet daughter...
I remember I cried as we left the hospital that day. I basically cried every day I left the hospital without her in my arms. It's not an easy thing to carry a child for 34 weeks, deliver the baby and then spend the next few months leaving the hospital without that child. Holidays and special occasions made leaving the hospital even more difficult. I desperately wanted Liberty to be at home with us. I desperately wanted our baby to be safe and sound in her crib. I wanted to spend the 4th of July in celebration, at home..WITH our baby girl. But more than anything I wanted our baby to be healthy. I didn't want to see her suffer another day. I didn't want to see her tiny body fight for life each day.
It has been three years since that very special 4th of July and looking back, thinking about her name...thinking about her due date..thinking about what today means...
everything comes to mean one thing;
FREEDOM
We are free on so many levels because we live in America. I could not even begin to imagine living somewhere else. We are free thanks to countless men and women who serve our country. Brett and I spent our first year of marriage in the Air Force. Being a military family is NO easy task...it's a whole lot of 'give' and very little 'take'. I am so very thankful for the families who continue to give so the rest of us can be free. Our freedom gives us so much to be thankful for each day!!
And even though we do have freedom here...nothing could possibly beat the freedom that Liberty received the day she went to Heaven. No amount of freedom will ever be able to top that of which our Father gives to us. Liberty is comepletely free of pain. Her little body no longer has to fight. Liberty is completely free of heartache and tears. Liberty is completely free from sadness, confusion, guilt, anger, exhaustion, worry..the list could go on and on! Liberty has been completely set FREE!!!!
So even though my mommy heart is missing her today...I am thankful for the freedom she is experiencing each and every day! I look forward to the day when the rest of us will rejoice in Gods everlasting freedom!!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Liberty's Wagons...leaving a trail of love behind!
Hello everyone!
We wanted to share something very special with you. This is a fundraiser we have put together in memory of our sweet baby girl Liberty Lee. This will be our first year of "Liberty's Wagons" though we hope to continue it on her birthday each year. Please feel free to email this on to family and friends, as well businesses, churches, facebook, myspace and blogger accounts,etc! God bless and thank you so much for your time!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Liberty's Wagons…
On May 24th our precious daughter, Liberty , would be turning 3 years old. Sadly, we will not have the opportunity to celebrate this very special birthday with her.
When thinking about the best way to celebrate the life of our daughter, we came up with the idea of " Liberty 's Wagons"! You see, Libby spent 4 of her 5 months of life at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City . She died of a very rare genetic disorder; so rare that there is no known medical documentation for it. During her time at the hospital she took countless rides in their wagons going to and from various procedures and tests. It made getting around the hospital easier and made it feel a little more like home.
Now, three years later, we can only dream of giving Liberty a bright, shiny wagon for her birthday. Instead, in Liberty 's honor, we are raising money to donate wagons to children's hospitals. We see this as a wonderful way to sprinkle little bits of love to other families facing hardships. Our goal is to donate 10 wagons. The cost of each wagon is $217. We are hoping to raise a total of $2,170.; so even a one dollar donation would be a tremendous blessing! Would you please consider making a donation on Liberty 's behalf?
Here is a video we put together in memory of Liberty Lee...
If you would like to make a donation towards Liberty ’s Wagons please click on or copy and paste the following link ~ or simply click on the ChipIn link at the top of this post!
http://libertyswagons.turnerfamily.chipin.com/libertys-wagons
Please feel free to spread the word of Liberty ’s Wagons to friends and family!
God bless
Brett, Kelly, Aspen , Cheyenne and Savannah Turner
Liberty's Wagons, leaving a trail of love behind....
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My three little ladies...
Here are some new pictures I took of the girls a few weeks ago. I cannot believe how fast they are growing....oh how my heart glows because of my sweet ladies!
I can't wait to frame these and hang them in our dining room!!
My soon to be 5 year old Princess Aspen!
My lovely little pumpkin..Cheyenne Hope!
My littlest lovebug, Savannah Faith!
I can't wait to frame these and hang them in our dining room!!
My soon to be 5 year old Princess Aspen!
My lovely little pumpkin..Cheyenne Hope!
My littlest lovebug, Savannah Faith!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Hope after Heartache
A dear blogging friend of mine named Kristin has had a deep impact on my life... especially after reading her latest post.
From the outside looking in you would assume that all was well with her family. If you walked into her home you would see pictures hanging across her wall - beautifully portraying happy memories. You would see picutes of her and her husbands wedding day. The pretty white gown...sleek black tux and vows of foever. You would find pictures of the moment she gave birth to her beautiful precious twins. One boy and one girl - a dream come true for anyone!
But we all know life isn't always as it appears to be...
from the outside looking in.
You see Kristin and her two little ones have experienced terrible heartache. Kristins beloved husband and very best friend suffered from Cystic Fibrosis. His strength and determination impressed everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him, and even those who didn't get the chance to meet him in person - like myself. Ryan certainly fought hard each and every single day, sadly his lungs couldn't withstand against the CF. Ryan was called home by our Lord on June 6, 2008.
Since then, Kristin has pushed foward, through the pain and heartache. Her strength in the Lord is an insperation to all who meet her. She openly shares her heart with the rest of us, blessing us along the way. She goes above and beyond to care for and raise their beautiful little children 24/7.
You see..grief is NOT an easy thing to journey through. It comes knocking and you have NO choice but to answer. It often hits when you least expect it, leaving you feeling confused, frigtened and weak. But you wouldn't realize this - from the outside looking in because Kristin continues to march on.
Kristin is in the process of doing a fundraiser called Great Strides. She is raising money to find a cure for CF. None of her efforts will ever bring her precious husband or the father of their children back - but there is great hope for other families living with the devestation that this disease can bring. Please join Kristin as she raises money for this wonderful cause!!
Today she posted a message on her blog titled Whose Face Do You See. It gives a wonderful testimony of the Mighty God we serve and her strength to carry on with Hope! Please stop by and show your support and pray about donating to Great Strides in memory of a wonderful Husband, father, son, brother and friend.
http://sweeney4.blogspot.com/
From the outside looking in you would assume that all was well with her family. If you walked into her home you would see pictures hanging across her wall - beautifully portraying happy memories. You would see picutes of her and her husbands wedding day. The pretty white gown...sleek black tux and vows of foever. You would find pictures of the moment she gave birth to her beautiful precious twins. One boy and one girl - a dream come true for anyone!
But we all know life isn't always as it appears to be...
from the outside looking in.
You see Kristin and her two little ones have experienced terrible heartache. Kristins beloved husband and very best friend suffered from Cystic Fibrosis. His strength and determination impressed everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him, and even those who didn't get the chance to meet him in person - like myself. Ryan certainly fought hard each and every single day, sadly his lungs couldn't withstand against the CF. Ryan was called home by our Lord on June 6, 2008.
Since then, Kristin has pushed foward, through the pain and heartache. Her strength in the Lord is an insperation to all who meet her. She openly shares her heart with the rest of us, blessing us along the way. She goes above and beyond to care for and raise their beautiful little children 24/7.
You see..grief is NOT an easy thing to journey through. It comes knocking and you have NO choice but to answer. It often hits when you least expect it, leaving you feeling confused, frigtened and weak. But you wouldn't realize this - from the outside looking in because Kristin continues to march on.
Kristin is in the process of doing a fundraiser called Great Strides. She is raising money to find a cure for CF. None of her efforts will ever bring her precious husband or the father of their children back - but there is great hope for other families living with the devestation that this disease can bring. Please join Kristin as she raises money for this wonderful cause!!
Today she posted a message on her blog titled Whose Face Do You See. It gives a wonderful testimony of the Mighty God we serve and her strength to carry on with Hope! Please stop by and show your support and pray about donating to Great Strides in memory of a wonderful Husband, father, son, brother and friend.
http://sweeney4.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 8, 2010
April 9, 2004 (6 years and counting...)
Six years ago...
*Brett and I flew to Jamaica
*Picked the flowers, cake and location for our ceremony
*Counted down the days, hours and minutes until our BIG DAY
Six years ago...
*My dad walked me down the isle
*Gave away his only daughter
*Probably fought back many tears
Six years ago...
*My mom watched me grow from a young woman to a wife
*Watched her only daughter move 500 miles away from home
*Shed many tears
Six years ago...
*I stepped out on a leap of faith
*Married a beautiful, loving, hard working, Christian man
*Began the next chapter of my life
It's hard to believe it has been 6 years since we said 'I do'. I was 21 years old, Brett was 26 years old. We thought we had it all figured out back then. We honestly loved one another and that was all that mattered. We were beginning our very own perfect fairytale, working towards forever.
Looking back I am so very thankful to God for bringing Brett into my life and my heart. It was no small chance that we even met. Brett was just in town for the weekend on the night we met. At that time he was actually stationed at an air force base 500+ miles away. I honestly believe it was 'love at first site' for both of us because from that night forward we were basically inseparable (you know... despite there being 500+ miles separating us! lol) There is no doubt in my mind that God led us to another another and there is also no doubt in my mind that Brett led me towards God.
Six years ago I couldn't have even told you who Jesus was. I had heard of Jesus, yes..but I didn't really KNOW Jesus. We started reading the Bible together, going to church, praying with and for one another..etc. My love for God quickly grew and it was clear to see just how much I had missed out on all of those 21 years of my life prior to meeting Brett! I felt such a sense of worth when I read Gods "love letters" (aka; the Bible) - like I had finally found a place in this world. Life in general was starting to make more sense to me and certainly had a more profound meaning to it all.
I meant every word I said as we committed ourselves to God and one another on the day of our wedding. I took those vows to heart on so many levels. I meant when I said "for richer, or poorer...in good times and in bad..in sickness and in health..til death do us part" - though certainly nothing could have prepared me for the story that was yet to be written.
In the past six years we have;
Dealt with terrible financial hardships...
Been blessed with 4 absolutely beautiful daughters...
Made many joyous memories...
Laughed so hard we cried...
Loved when it didn't even feel right or easy...
Had the foundation of our marriage leveled to the ground...
Cared for a very sick little baby for 5 solid months...
Helplessly watched as she took her last breath...
Felt the sting of death as we said our goodbyes...
Found comfort in knowing that the "whys" won't matter when we see her again...
Kept pressing forward when we wanted to give up...
Moved at least 9 times...
Fought without words...
Fought with words...
Almost lost another baby due to a heart problem...
Started over from scratch...
Felt the burn of depression...
Made priceless memories...
Still learning to forgive without having to forget...
Still working on trust each and every day...
Still trying to love, laugh and smile even when its difficult...
Felt the tremendous amount of joy of having a healthy, full term baby...
Started to feel the warmth of the SON even when its raining...
Still working hard at loving selflessly...
Learned that sometimes its better to crawl along rather than make a mad dash...
Learned that the heart of a man can have more impact than the mouth of a man...
Witnessed that Gods hands are bigger than any of our problems...
And last but not least we have learned...
That we still have a lot of learning left to do!!!
(((To my darling husband. I love you. I love being your wife and the mother of your children. I love walking hand in hand with you through this wonderful, confusing, sometimes heart wrenching journey called life. My love for you is so much deeper than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving me and these precious little girls each and every day. We love you to the 'moon and back'!! X's and O's)))
"Mr and Mrs"
"April 9, 2004"
"Can't figure out why we are sideways, but still love this picture! lol"
"I DO"
"Dipping our toes"
"Feeling like a princess"
"Washing away the sand"
"Honeymoon"
*Brett and I flew to Jamaica
*Picked the flowers, cake and location for our ceremony
*Counted down the days, hours and minutes until our BIG DAY
Six years ago...
*My dad walked me down the isle
*Gave away his only daughter
*Probably fought back many tears
Six years ago...
*My mom watched me grow from a young woman to a wife
*Watched her only daughter move 500 miles away from home
*Shed many tears
Six years ago...
*I stepped out on a leap of faith
*Married a beautiful, loving, hard working, Christian man
*Began the next chapter of my life
It's hard to believe it has been 6 years since we said 'I do'. I was 21 years old, Brett was 26 years old. We thought we had it all figured out back then. We honestly loved one another and that was all that mattered. We were beginning our very own perfect fairytale, working towards forever.
Looking back I am so very thankful to God for bringing Brett into my life and my heart. It was no small chance that we even met. Brett was just in town for the weekend on the night we met. At that time he was actually stationed at an air force base 500+ miles away. I honestly believe it was 'love at first site' for both of us because from that night forward we were basically inseparable (you know... despite there being 500+ miles separating us! lol) There is no doubt in my mind that God led us to another another and there is also no doubt in my mind that Brett led me towards God.
Six years ago I couldn't have even told you who Jesus was. I had heard of Jesus, yes..but I didn't really KNOW Jesus. We started reading the Bible together, going to church, praying with and for one another..etc. My love for God quickly grew and it was clear to see just how much I had missed out on all of those 21 years of my life prior to meeting Brett! I felt such a sense of worth when I read Gods "love letters" (aka; the Bible) - like I had finally found a place in this world. Life in general was starting to make more sense to me and certainly had a more profound meaning to it all.
I meant every word I said as we committed ourselves to God and one another on the day of our wedding. I took those vows to heart on so many levels. I meant when I said "for richer, or poorer...in good times and in bad..in sickness and in health..til death do us part" - though certainly nothing could have prepared me for the story that was yet to be written.
In the past six years we have;
Dealt with terrible financial hardships...
Been blessed with 4 absolutely beautiful daughters...
Made many joyous memories...
Laughed so hard we cried...
Loved when it didn't even feel right or easy...
Had the foundation of our marriage leveled to the ground...
Cared for a very sick little baby for 5 solid months...
Helplessly watched as she took her last breath...
Felt the sting of death as we said our goodbyes...
Found comfort in knowing that the "whys" won't matter when we see her again...
Kept pressing forward when we wanted to give up...
Moved at least 9 times...
Fought without words...
Fought with words...
Almost lost another baby due to a heart problem...
Started over from scratch...
Felt the burn of depression...
Made priceless memories...
Still learning to forgive without having to forget...
Still working on trust each and every day...
Still trying to love, laugh and smile even when its difficult...
Felt the tremendous amount of joy of having a healthy, full term baby...
Started to feel the warmth of the SON even when its raining...
Still working hard at loving selflessly...
Learned that sometimes its better to crawl along rather than make a mad dash...
Learned that the heart of a man can have more impact than the mouth of a man...
Witnessed that Gods hands are bigger than any of our problems...
And last but not least we have learned...
That we still have a lot of learning left to do!!!
(((To my darling husband. I love you. I love being your wife and the mother of your children. I love walking hand in hand with you through this wonderful, confusing, sometimes heart wrenching journey called life. My love for you is so much deeper than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving me and these precious little girls each and every day. We love you to the 'moon and back'!! X's and O's)))
"Mr and Mrs"
"April 9, 2004"
"Can't figure out why we are sideways, but still love this picture! lol"
"I DO"
"Dipping our toes"
"Feeling like a princess"
"Washing away the sand"
"Honeymoon"
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