Bambino or Bambina?

Bambino or Bambina? This is the burning question on our minds! With only a few weeks left to go, we are so excited to meet this little one! This pregnancy has been wonderful, so different than it was with my son though! Jared was much more active in the womb, but this baby has the hiccups about 3 times per day. When I was pregnant with Jared, I could do anything, and not be tired. This has been a whole new world, considering I have been limping or I guess you could say "waddling" since I was 5 months along!
I have to once again thank the wonderfully talented Melissa Gartner, for taking these awesome shots! www.gartnerphotography.com She and her hubby Matt, were visiting Phoenix, for church ministry, and came up for the afternoon. We headed down the road, for a quick belly shoot!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Serving our Country

While I am resting comfortably at night, I think about the soldiers, and their families that are experiencing sleepless nights. My brother in law Edwin Diaz, is a Major in the Army, and just left last week for Afghanistan, where he will be serving for the next year. Not only does this greatly affect his life, but also my sister in law, Summer, and their two precious children Gabriel and Carlie. I had the privilege of taking a few pictures of their adorable family, before he left! Thank you Ed, for serving our country, and thank you Summer, for the huge sacrifice this is on you as well! I love you both!

Happy Smooches Day!

Wishing you and your love, a wonderful day today! I thought since today is Valentine's Day, it would be fun to post a few of my favorite pictures, that the wonderful Melissa Gartner with Gartner Photography, took of our family! http://www.gartnerphotography.com

Welcome Baby "Bella"

I had the privilege last weekend of shooting this adorable newborn, Isabella "Bella" Madison Schimberg. Her parents' are friends of Randy and mine, and what a perfect newborn she was to shoot, considering she was two weeks old when I shot these. We had the space heater going full blast, to keep her asleep, which worked perfectly, but man was I sweating! Her adorable older sister Lilya, was also ready for a photo op, and was looking so cute in her tutu her mommy made her!
Conratulations Sarah and Allen! May God richly bless your adorabe family!

A hole in our hearts

Today is February 3rd. Two years to the day, when we lost our precious nephew Isaac William Sward. With each passing day, we miss him more and more. We are praying today for our precious brother and sister in law, Scott and Andrea. They now live in Cambodia, serving as missionaries. How we wish we could just be with them.
The sadness I feel brings me to the words of David in Psalm 23, and the hope that only comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil: my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Daisy's Revenge

Daisy is truly our son's best friend. Would she call him her best friend, probably not, because she is always having to endure Jared's crazy ball throwing, having her coat pulled on, and being ridden like a horse. What an awesome dog she is, to be so patient, to put up with all this.
WE had many snowy days last week, so we went sledding at our golf course. Daisy definitely got her revenge on her brother. I will let the pictures explain the rest! :)

Love at First Sight

We had our five month ultrasound on Thursday, which was so fun and such a relief to see the baby doing wonderfully. We decided to wait and be surprised, with the sex of this baby, like we did when we had our son Jared. It's like the most exciting Christmas morning!
After losing two babies, and having a vanishing twin with this pregnancy, I always feel like we are walking on eggshells, and praying to not receive bad news with each OB appointment. I try to be relaxed but it is so hard. I look back to our first pregnancy, with our son Jared, and just remember how blissful and wonderful everything seemed. I was so naive to what could happen, and now I am just thankful each day that the Lord allows me to carry this child. It is such a gift!
As we were leaving our ultrasound appointment, my hubby said to me, that though he is so thankful, and felt so joyful, he was thinking of those, who may be in the same waiting room, because they have already lost their baby, or will be receiving heartbreaking news.
Isn't this the Lord's will for our lives? To be more sensitive to others, to care for others in need, to give hope to the hopeless!

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.