Go on out & get your free Slurpee, cuz it’s 7-Eleven, baby!  And while you’re drinking it, wish a happy birthday to my big four-year-old, Brooke!  Four years ago today, at 12:34 pm she rushed in to our lives & hearts & changed us forever.

When you get married you wonder how you’ll ever be able to love that person enough.  Then when you have a child, you have the same fears again.  And as you add more children, you’re given the grace & love you need to pour in to each person God blesses your family with.   We couldn’t have loved Emma more, and then we were blessed with Brooke as well.

She’s our miracle, our fighter, our feisty princess.  She has the most unique voice, imagination, expressions, wardrobe.  She’s been a blessing we never expected & would never change.

Thanks for being you Brookie!  Love Daddy, Mommy, Emma, and Ruby-doobie-do

Our littlest girl turned two over the weekend!  Brooke is officially a toddler as of 12:34pm on July 11th – free Slurpee day.  Thank you to all the family & friends who made it out to celebrate with us on Saturday.  We had a great time and Brooke really enjoyed all the things that you blessed her with.  She (and Emma) made Josh open them all after she got up from her nap later that afternoon.

And as happens every year around this time, Brooke has some doctor visits.  We’ll get her official “stats” in August on her 2-year check-up (I know, August!  Her doctor is that booked up!).  This week we’ll be getting her yearly chest x-ray, and next week we’ll be visiting one of her surgeons in Baltimore to read the results of that x-ray.  We’re praying that he’ll continue to once again see the glory of God through Brooke’s x-ray, lung growth, and recovery from her congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair.  I’ll keep you updated.

In the mean time, here are some quick photos I snapped of Brooke while my kind neighbor & friend, Laura, was keeping Emma entertained – thanks Laura!  I got a few smiles after some bribes with candy.  Happy Birthday Brookie!