Author: Christine Goodsell Page 5 of 15

October 7, 2021 is a day I will never forget. I had just had my 8^th kidney stone surgery in a single decade (80+ stones removed and counting), and it was the day we finally had some answers from the doctors.

Some people will remember the days and months leading up to this day. Some will remember how difficult 2021 was for our family, and how the joke was that 2020 covid had nothing on us compared to the following year. My parents, siblings, my husband’s youngest sister, and our close friends were right by our side that year with all the things that seemed to hit. Two more surgeries seemed to be icing on the cake after all that had (and would continue) to go on that year. I will never ask to repeat a year like that, but I will always be so grateful to those who were there for us and prayed.

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September 13, 2022. September 21, 2020. September 11, 2018. None of these dates are any of my children’s birthdays, however they are still dates I will cherish.

The due dates—the point we are fairly certain that the baby will either be here, or will be here very shortly. It’s the first date that the doctor tells you and what shows up on the ultrasound. It’s the day as mommy’s, daddy’s, grandparents, friends, and people look forward to. It’s what we plan for. And if you’re a planner, an organizer, or a teacher like me, you bust out the colorful pens, doodle in your journal, and make those dates extra flashy on your calendar. 

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Relaxing. Beautiful. Unpredictable. Productive. Fun. These five words could capture my summer, but of course, like any other turning point of one season to another, it is time to write.

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Dear Baby,

Last night I went to a journaling class at church and we studied Psalm 139; verse 16 stood out to me, and I constantly thought about God’s miracles of life and of His goodness. We were encouraged to journal on this chapter throughout the week, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than to write you a blog. Both of your brothers have a blog post dedicated to them and a snapshot of the pregnancy. Now, it’s your turn!

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It was 7:45 on Monday night. We had a great weekend spending time with family and friends, but we were all tired. The boys were in bed, and I felt like I could fall asleep as well. I glanced outside and saw the beautiful clouds and the soon-to-be sunset. As relaxing as the couch sounded, being outside sounded better. I still had flowers to plant! After a few minutes outside, it started to lightly rain. I looked to the sky—the colors, the movement of clouds, and rain was incredible. The faint thunder and light flash of lightning in the distance just added to the beauty. What better time to plant flowers than during a little storm. The air had cooled off, too!

While walking from the backyard to the front yard with my flower pots, I heard a tiny noise near the bush. Looking down, I saw a tiny baby bird that had likely fallen out of its nest. This little creature wasn’t mature enough to be out of a nest. It only had a feather or two and was opening its little beak in search of food. Where was the mama bird?

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