Our little miracle arrived early Monday morning and her birth could not have gone more smoothly. It was an amazing, painful, incredible experience and one I am so grateful I was blessed to have.  Her name is Edith Hope, after my Great-Grandma.  She was an incredible woman, strong and brilliant, and someone who has had a major impact on my life.  We lived around the corner from her for years and spent a great deal of time learning from her. Jason was able to get to know her as well; she died after we’d been married for a few years but was mentally sharp until almost the very end.

This new little miracle has already brought so much joy to our family and we are thrilled to see who she becomes.

 I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless ways my Heavenly Father has blessed me. Each of these precious children is evidence of His love and His plan for me as an individual.  I am constantly working to turn my life over to Him, because I have seen throughout my life that His plans for me are so much greater than anything I could possibly imagine. It’s easier said than done, but when I need a reminder, I need look no further than my own miraculous family.

Because life is so full and time is limited right now, I will be taking a break from this space for the next few weeks.  During that time I plan think about what I want A Lively Hope to look like in the future.  I am looking forward to having time to make plans and evaluate what I love and don’t love about blogging.  I have a few small projects planned, which I look forward to sharing with you here in the future.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your input, as well.  What kinds of posts do you like to see here? What do you want more of?  What would you like to see less of?