Humbled...

Sitting in church yesterday I realized looking in Anabelle's backpack that everything in there was given to her by a ward member or a friend during the last month. Right down to the snacks and juice box. And glancing around the room I began to recall the meals, cards, gifts, babysitting, phone calls, and emails from an overwhelming amount of people in that room. Some that we know well and others not at all, but the love and concern was the same. It was a humbling realization that Braden and I have marveled at time and time again in the recent weeks. There has also been an amazing outpouring of support from friends & family near and far. I have had a few people tell me that they are amazed at our strength or faith. Which is interesting. I have felt strength beyond my own throughout the last few months. I have felt the power of the prayers of others literally bolster and carry me. I think of all times we heard, " We're praying for Lila" and I always wanted to say, " I know, I can feel it".

I was talking to my Mom on the phone one night in the hospital and she told me something to the effect that she was proud of our faith. If you know anything about my Mom or her life you realize what a compliment this was. I can sincerly say that I don't personally know anyone more faithful than my Mom. My freshman year of high school my Dad had an AVM rupture in his brain that left him in the hospital and unable to work. My Mom began teaching kindergarten during the day and going to school at night because she was teaching on an emergency credential. She was literally working around the clock to support us and there were times I went days without seeing her. At that time I was waking up at 4:30 every morning to attend seminary before school. I will never forget waking up and walking past the living room to find her kneeling in prayer in the insane morning hours. Or finding on the kitchen table amidst her endless school papers and projects, her scriptures open, lying on top of everything else she had to get done. What an impression this made on me. She'll probably never understand how much I appreciate this example of faith. It told me that when things are hard you pray. You do the things that keep you close to the Lord, the things that remind you how blessed you are. What I love most about this is that she wasn't trying to teach me anything. She had no idea that I snuck past her all those mornings in the wee hours. She just lives that way, that is who she is. And now that I have my own daughters there's nothing I want more for them than to rely on the Lord and trust in His love. We named Anabelle after my Mom because I want her to remember the faith of her grandmother and her stalwart diligence to do what is right.

I know it broke my Mom's heart not to be here with us recently, but every time I told her of the kind things people had done for us she would cry in gratitude that we were being taken care of. I feel like our ward and friends here were the answer to our families prayers who could not be with us. We feel so overwhelmed with blessings and overcome with the feeling that the Lord is watching over our little family and caring for us through others.