One whole year of Chase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What can one say after a year like this except, "Thank you, Jesus!"

We had Chase's birthday party yesterday with all of our close friends and family, which you might as well call all of them family because they've stuck by us like family this past year. So friends? Welcome to the family!!!!

I'm still completely overwhelmed and a mess of emotions. It's really hard to believe that this day last year, July 6th, was the day that the docs told us that our son had no chance of survival. The same day that we had to sign a DNR. The same day we had to come to grips with the fact that our son was going home to be with Our Father. And yet, here we are today.

And just one year and three days ago, one of the most beautiful little boys ever was born via emergency C-section with no idea that there was something wrong. The only thoughts when he was born were "look at that curly hair," and "how beautiful," and "oh I already love you so very much. How is it possible to love someone completely that you just met?" (same thing I thought when Colton was born.) "When can I hold him?" and "who does he look like?" And ironically, the docs had the radio on and the moment Chase was born "From This Moment" by Shania Twain and Bryan White was playing, singing exactly what I was feeling: I will love you from this moment on. But soon the question turned into "what's wrong?" and that's when it all began.

And yet by God's Love and Grace, Chase is a healthy, thriving little boy eating hands full of birthday cake today. A little boy who laughs at EVERYTHING, who clings to mommy all day long, who's smile is angelic and mischeivous at the same time, who dances to the "Hot Dog" song, who wants to keep up with his brother so bad, who wants to be outside ALL day long, who flirts with ALL the ladies, who sings to the Choo-Choo Soul song (I'm totally not kidding), who's story brings people to the Lord every day, who melts mommy's heart every time he puts his hand on my face, who looks so much like his daddy he might as well call him mini-me, who calls his grandparents by name, who once was diagnosed with death and is now completely and totally ALIVE, who was diagnosed as deaf and can now hear EVERYTHING, and who's future holds so many wonderful things only the Lord knows what's to come.

But you know what?

They WILL come.

A far cry from a year ago.

What can one say but "Thank you, Jesus."