the eckel family

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Up North continued...

I just realized that I never completed our Up North trip. As I am sure that you can tell by the pictures that I kept posting, we had a blast at the cottage. We got to do some of our favorite things such as mini golf, sand dunes, Leland and Fishtown, the Leland Beach, and Glen Arbor. However, Rylan was able to do some new things this year as well. He went kayaking with Uncle Jim, Liz, and Ben and he also went fishing on the boat with Uncle Jim, Papa, and Ben. They did not catch anything, but they got "bites." He was also old enough to "drive." :) This is a tradition that my brother and I used to do growing up. When we got to the end of the road, my brother and I would take turns sitting on my Dad or Papa's lap and "drive" the rest of the way to the cottage. Rylan did not forget when it was his turn! We were leaving a restaurant one night and he said to my brother, "Uncle Jim, when we get to the dirt road, can I drive?" Can't let anything slip by him!

Rylan had so much fun playing with his cousin. My brother and I found it amusing a few times because the boys started wrestling like brothers, so of course we let them be boys and be rough and tumble. It was a perfect time to be Up North and was very relaxing. Thanks Mom and Dad for taking such good care of us and keeping Rylan entertained for 2.5 weeks!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Everything happens for a reason.

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason and once again today it was reconfirmed. God knows what we are capable of enduring in our lives and is always with us through every experience, even the ones that hurt. It was almost a year ago today that we found out that I was having a miscarriage and would have to undergo a D&C. What seemed to be such an awful and painful experience led to a year of incredible changes in my life. Right around that same time, Rylan also began school and I was introduced to an amazing group of women through our church, St. Peter's. I have since become very close with many of them and value their friendship more that I could ever express.

In addition, another great friend of mine invited me to come along with her to a MOPS group, a Christian based Mothers of Preschoolers group. MOPS is another group that is loaded with very inspirational and strong women that I enjoy having friendships with. During the first meeting one of the mom's husbands, who is minister, came and gave us an inspirational opening talk. I said on that day that I would love to go to a church where he was the minister. As of June, Scott, the husband, is now the minister of our church, St. Peter's. Now really, what are the chances of that happening? I knew something was missing in my life last summer after that miscarriage, but the more that I look back and review this past year, I know exactly what was missing. God and St. Peter's has become such an important part of my life. I love being on Council for Rylan's school, the friends I have made are so faithful and irreplaceable, and the worship service with Scott each week is inspirational and fulfilling.

Wow! What a year! And today we got the icing on the cake....we are expecting Baby Eckel #2! It still has yet to fully sink in because I have been really guarded since the beginning, but I think as the next few weeks progress, I will begin to become much more excited. As it was with Rylan, the first several weeks were a little interesting and felt like a roller coaster of emotions, but now at 11.5 weeks and a great appointment today with an amazing new Doctor, I think we can officially announce the news.

God has blessed me once again. I feel so honored to be able to be pregnant one more time and to bring another child into our family. Thank you to so many of you that have prayed for us and continue to do so. I would have been lost the last several weeks without the strength of so many of you holding my hand and your wonderful hugs. You are all an inspiration to me.