Welcome Ayla Meadow— our sweet miracle arrived right on her due date September 8th at 4:56pm. 8lbs 9oz & 18.9 inches long.
It feels like a lifetime we waited for you. Your name means a halo of light. In the Hebrew translation, your name means halo of light around the moon— only fitting mom went into labor on the blood moon. In Spanish, it means the halo of an angel— you are truly heaven sent. We prayed tirelessly for you and trusted God to deliver you to us in his perfect timing. You are loved so deeply and we can’t wait for what lies ahead.
#happybirthday
It’s been about 4 years since I’ve posted anything surf related. Trying to get in the water more as of recently. This sequence is from an early spring south swell runner captured by @whattheschnell
God’s blessings are pouring over us. HE is redirecting our lives for this next chapter— we move to Carlsbad in just a few weeks!
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It’s been on my heart to just keep sharing our story, and this journey of faith we are on…
In this season, I truly learned the power of prayer, and complete surrender. Give all your worries to the Lord, cry out in your pain and allow God to show up & speak through the most difficult experiences. Let HIM be a connection you go to at all moments. In my darkest moments, I truly felt so helpless on my own, so I surrendered everything to HIM and made room to listen.
… We prayed for a child, and though the journey was not easy or straightforward, God challenged us to persist and trust. HE answered.
… We long prayed to own a home, and in a way we never imagined God created a silver lining and took our most difficult circumstance and provided us a home and car for our growing family.
As we navigated the saddest year in our lives, God heard our prayers and worked everything for HIS greater plan for our family. While incredibly tough, as a family we supported each other and stayed rooted & faithful that at every road block, loss and heartbreak there was purpose for everything.
Although it’s a big change to move away from our hometown, friends and family, I know God is doing something amazing. Even in my third trimester exhaustion, already, the work to prepare the home for our move feels incredibly healing. I feel emotional healing from the weight of grief and back in touch with things that bring me joy. I can’t wait to watch our life unfold.
I sincerely pray for everyone who is suffering now. Know that no request is too big or small for God. You are not alone, HE is with you step by step and already planning something amazing for you ahead.
“Jesus replied, You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
John 13:7
#moving #glorytogod #faithoverfear #godisgood #pregnancyafterloss #nextchapter
We are grateful & excited to share… our little miracle babe is coming late summer. 🤍
Ayla,
Through losses and heartbreaks, we remained faithful and trusted the Lord with our dreams of you. We love you so much already. True to your name, you brought the light and hope into our lives at just the right moment. Sweet girl, we cannot wait to hold you and make endless memories together.
🤍Endless Love,
Daddy, Mommy & Alivia
“Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” — James 1:12
#babycomingsoon #babyafterloss #pregnancyafterloss #miraclebaby #growingfamily
No easy way to share this but my mom lost her battle with cancer last week. I’m sure this comes as a surprise to many as mom has been in perfectly good health until as of recently. In August, she had a shoulder injury while walking her dog, this caused her a lot of pain for weeks but after countless appointments with different specialist there was still no answer. Labs, tests everything came back normal but after my mom pushed to have an MRI it revealed in November she had stage 4 metastatic cancer in her lungs, brain, and spinal cord. It felt like someone had flipped a switch and her entire life was tossed up side down. Given my mom’s history of being a nurse and working in hospitals she understood the reality of what was to come. No amount of chemo or surgery would be able to help turn this around, and we were given a 3-4 month timeline. I am so thankful to be able to have that time these past couple months to spend with her. But to see what cancer had done to her in such a short period of time was absolutely heart breaking.
My mom was one of the most intelligent, strong-willed, caring and loving humans I’ve ever met. The amount of people who have reached out and talked about the impact she had in their lives has been amazing. She didn’t take shit from anyone but would do literally anything to help a stranger and would stand up for anyone if saw them be mistreated. I could go on and on about how special of a person my mom was. The memories I have of her I will cherish for the rest of my life. But these past few weeks have been a brutal reminder that life is short, tomorrow is not guaranteed and we must live our lives to the fullest. I know my mom certainly did ❤️
One month later… finally posting from our Hawaii vacation. The best family trip yet! Livvy’s first flight & trip to Hawaii. She wants to live there. Memories for a lifetime. 🤍🌊🤙🏼
The words in this song ring unbelievably true. It’s ok to not be fine. You don’t have to move through hard seasons alone and you can always find reasons to smile through darkness.
I am so grateful for my little family. We took this summer weekend away together after we lost our baby. It was a piece of the healing and joy we all needed. It was a reminder of Gods blessings. Little did we know, this trip would be the glimmer of light and happiness we would cling to as we entered into another dark chapter of tragic loss.
Sometimes we experience waves of misfortune, and it’s important to remember God is not the author of evil, he may allow pain, but only to transform it into something for good.
I don’t know what you’re going through today. But cling to your hope, your tribe, your faith. Choose love over bitterness. Seek joy amidst the chaos.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Milestone moment today 🤍Alivia Sage is officially a kindergartner. We couldn’t be more proud of the confident, kind and beautiful young girl you are. We love you so much!
