Weekly Update and a way to help...

Has it been a week already??? No, it has been more than a week...geez!  Time is just flying by these days! We are settling in more and more, and I see "my groove" along the horizon! This week has been filled with doctor appointments. Gracie had her big appointment at Scottish Rite, Owen had his bloodwork rechecked, and they both went to the dentist (with Daddy!).
Gracie was such a trooper at SR. Owen even hung in there - minus the popcorn being thrown at Gracie's head moment (but that story is for another day). This hospital is such a blessing. We have a world known doctor who we really have confidence in. And we have a plan! We are just so happy to be doing something about it. The doctor said that they don't use the term Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis anymore. Just Juvenile
Arthritis. Sounds better to me! We have to get her a cortisone shot (boo), follow up every 3 months, and try out a new med. We left with toys and got to play on the playground too. And regardless of financial status...nobody pays. We are SO thankful for that!!!
Owen's bloodwork is great! The doctor said that he should only have to stay on the iron supplements a couple more months.
And their teeth look great too!
As you can see, God is so good to us. Josh and I have had several moments where we have just stopped and thought about that. We don't deserve this life. But for the grace of God...we are blessed every day. We get to hear Owen's laugh, see Gracie's baby blues stare back at us, and rest in each other and the marriage God has blessed us with. If it weren't for HIS grace, we wouldn't have anything. We really would have nothing. We hope that those of you reading this know of this grace.
We also want to share a friend's journey with you. The Busbys became friends of ours through our adoption process. Melissa and Cody are in the process of adopting a little girl named Mercy. They were in Uganda before us and started running into some issues with getting Mercy's visa. We were able to get together (providing some candy relief) on a couple occassions and enjoy some of Uganda together. Melissa and Mercy are still in Uganda. The reasons why they are still there are very frustrating and complicated. And we are asking for some help on their behalf. Please pray for them. Please check out their blog: roadtomercy.blogspot.com. Please consider buying a shirt to support them. I posted a pic of the logo below. They are really cute and will help them fund their process. I'm sure you can understand the financial burden of being in Uganda for 4 months. Melissa's husband and 2 kids have been home in Kansas and could really use the support and prayers too. Shirts are $15 and $3 for shipping. All sizes available. Please let me know if you are interested.







Owen in his new pjs.






Me and the kiddos at the tree farm.

The Mercy Shirts!  SO Cute!!!  The Meaning: The arrows represent our need to focus inward on our own spiritual walk (white arrows), which will then, in turn, help us focus outward on our mission of serving others (black arrows). The words come from Micah 6:8, "And what does the Lord require of you? Act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." And of course, the "Love Mercy" is in red to signify their sweet baby girl.


To our sweet Owen,
We are so excited to get to be together for Christmas. This year we know how blessed we are. You just fit perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. You looked up at me a couple days ago with your arms stretched up and said "Hold me". It melted my heart. I just love you so much. We all do.
Love you more,
Mommy
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