Angels Unawares

I feel lately as if each day has held a new Heavenly Messenger who has brightened my day and made my "handcart" a little easier to pull when I have felt weary. Today, that angel was neighbors down our street (and Austin). Let me explain:

Tuesday is our trash day, so most people set out big things at the curb on Monday night for the next day. Today Austin and I both noticed that towards the other end of our street, our neighbors had set out some furniture that still looked in nice condition. Upon closer inspection we noticed the furniture was actually a nice, wooden TV stand with two deep drawers. Since we had an extra TV that we use sometimes to let Claire watch videos on (the TV channels don't work), we thought that maybe we could give this stand a try. When Austin hauled it home in our trusty van :) I set to work cleaning it up. This stand turned out to be in really good condition...there is hardly a scratch on it! As I cleaned it up, Austin and I brainstormed many uses for the stand, including an armoire in the future for clothes and such. The afternoon is usually the longest part of the day for me, and for some reason, finding this stand for free today just felt like a tender mercy of the Lord to me. It felt like He was telling me, "I remember you, Melissa. I love you, and I am thinking of you." I am so grateful for a kind and merciful Savior who made it possible for me to live with my Father in Heaven again someday. I know that every good thing comes from Him. Even though He doesn't take away our burdens, He will strengthen us, and help us to bear up by sending us angels to help us "push our handcarts." Today my angels were probably unaware of their help, but I am grateful to them anyways. The last several weeks I have noticed many angels in my life, and I am grateful to each of them for the help they have provided to me. The scripture in Matthew 6 keeps coming to my mind: "And why take ye thought for raiment? ^aConsider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, ^ashall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little ^bfaith?"

Heavenly Father is always mindful of us, and I love Him. I know He lives, and that He loves us. I know that He gives us the scriptures to comfort us and teach us, and I have drawn much support from His Holy Word the last few months. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church in these latter days, and that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are true. I am so grateful that He sends angels to us to comfort us as Heavenly Messengers when we need His strength the most. I testify of these things in the name of His Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

We're So Excited We Are Seeing Pink!

 Here is our little girl! :) Claire always said she wanted to have a sister...I guess she got her wish! :) These are some of the pictures we got from the sonogram. The top picture is of our little one's profile. You can see her head on the left.

 This picture I think looks like she is doing a pike, in the middle of a back flip...maybe she'll be a diver! ;) You can see quite a bit of her in this shot. Quite a feat, because let me tell you...she is one ACTIVE girl! Puts Claire to shame, even. :)

 This picture is a little harder to make out, but you can see her legs here going across the screen, with her feet at the right side.

 If you can see it, there are two little feet in this picture right in the very center. You can really make out the little heel of one foot, and the toes on top. The other foot is right behind it, but mostly blends into the gray fuzz. :)

 In this picture, our little girl's head is at the left, and she has turned her face to look directly at the screen. Farther down you can see her chest, and her little heart. :)

 Another shot. This picture and the one above this were taken within seconds of each other, and our little girl had flipped around and wiggled into a different position. She kept trying to run away, so it was harder to get a good clear shot of her. What a wiggle worm!

 Another shot of her face in the center, with her chest to the left. We are so excited! We celebrated last night by going to Cracker Barrel with the last of a gift card from a while back. We also got a little dress to celebrate from Kohl's like we did for Claire. :) It is a pretty pink and soft. It will be a little coming-home from the hospital outfit. :) Hooray for pink!