A Wonderful Surprise...

      I have to admit, I am not one who is much for surprises. I find it awkward to know exactly how to react and honestly, I often like to have everything so planned out myself, that I struggle to accept somebody else's plan. It's not necessarily a good quality in me, and I have made strives to appreciate surprise gifts, etc, but it doesn't come easily.
       Beyond this, it sometimes seems I have thought through most scenarios or possibilities, so it can also be difficult to surprise me. Just ask Brandon... our engagement was no surprise at all, but he did sweetly think through it and put great, loving effort into it all, and there were little elements of surprise. Actually.... bunny trail.... what was a surprise was the first time I thought he was going to propose and didn't! I had it all figured out, saw each step coming before it happened, and then, as my heart rate increased and the moment had come... he got on one knee... only to tell me that his booty was getting wet on the rock he was sitting on... completely oblivious to all that my mind was processing.
       Anyway... all this to say... a surprise came our way June 17th that I hadn't predicted one bit. You see, on Mother's Day, Brandon and I had a very hoped for and exciting moment when we saw those two solid lines on a home pregnancy test (in this situation, it would be better referred to as a hotel pregnancy test, since we were on the road). We were elated and even though I was really struggling to feel good and accomplish the move with my extremely decreased amount of energy, we joyfully praised God for the gift of another life. Because we were moving, it was a bit of a challenge to get an appointment at the military OB clinic, but finally, a month later, we had our meeting with one of their fabulous midwives. During the days following up to the appointment, and while Brandon and I prayed together on the way to the appointment, my mind once again raced with the possible "surprises" that could be revealed during this appointment. The fear of getting there only to find out there is no baby in the womb or that something is wrong. I voiced these concerns to the Lord and just honestly expressed that we trusted Him with whatever He had in store.
        Of course the most exciting part of the appointment is those first glimpses they give you of your precious little one, but that is also the time when disappointing news can come, so once we got to this portion of the appointment, I was eager with anticipation and anxiety. The midwife began rolling the instrument around, barely staying in one spot for more than a second. Then, she slowed down a little and started saying.. "Oh... oh...".  I didn't know what she was "Oh"ing about, but I remembered what Kaylee looked like at her first ultrasound, and the glimpses I was getting looked strange in comparison. Then the "Oh"s starting being followed by "This is exciting, this is really exciting". Finally, as if she remembered we were sitting there clueless, she said "It's twins!".
        Don't ask me why, but out of all the things I had prepared myself for, this had NEVER crossed my mind, and Brandon has echoed the same thing. It completely caught me off guard but how quickly did my heart love each of those babies so deeply. All my prayers for that one little bean I thought I was carrying quickly multiplied to rejoicing for the two little bits growing within. I honestly was so surprised, I didn't know how to react, but when I looked over at Brandon, and he had a huge smile on his face, I knew everything was going to be just fine. There will be many additional things to prepare for before they come and monitor while they are still inside and lots to learn along the way. But it's a challenge that I know He will equip us for and one that will come with sweet rewards. Ultimately, it is a time to remember that God is in control and we are overwhelmingly grateful for these two lives. We continue to trust Him with all that is ahead and thank Him for a wonderful surprise.







Once again... I apologize... I don't have any pictures... but we will have lots of ultrasounds along the way so I will try to get one on here soon. Please be praying that the Lord will protect and grow our two little ones. They are sharing a placenta which can make it a little trickier since sometimes the blood and nutrients don't get split evenly, but we trust Him and know His love and faithfulness doesn't change, even if the health of our twins does.