goodbye (for now) to a good friend ...

so, one of my most treasured friends came and visited us! she was here all last week, but do you think I took photographs of her - um, no. I waited until the day she was leaving to finally get some pics of her with all my kids! How bad am I? She had a little good-bye photo shoot and took turns with each of my kiddos. Leslie is a very special friend to me, we've been friends for fourteen years! Those years have provided challenges and I believe we each know the best and worst of each other, she's absolutely seen me at my worst and loves me anyway ... that's why she's so special. She prays for me and I pray for her and we have a sisterly love, which is why she is "auntie Leslie" to my children! I know she'll always be there for me, and I hope she knows I'll be there for her. We love you Les, thanks so much for visiting!

please note, this is Zoey's first caught on camera smile!
she seemed to smile for everyone before she finally smiled
for me! I walked in there to take the pics and Leslie
was so excited, they were having quite the smiley chat!

and with Annicka

with sweet little Liam, he wasn't too interested
in standing still for a photo!

but this one, Jericho, was the real stinker!
he was being quite stubborn about sitting with auntie Les and
letting me take a pic, which is why I ended up with so many
of him with her! She got him smiling after planting a big
kiss on his cheek, which is when the tickle and laughing
fest began, love - LOVE - these pics!

Zoey ... you are LIFE!

I just have to share this! I was talking to one of my best friends (love you Les) the other day (the days run together, but I think it was yesterday?) and she said something to me that she's said before, she told me to pray and ask God to give me a word for Zoey. This is something my friend has done for each of her children and she said that it's just such a blessing and that her children beam when she tells them what they "are"! Well, to be honest - I didn't devote much prayer to this yesterday, but at one point it hit me ... and I know it was God!

Years ago we discussed names for our children and Zoey was one of them ... well, then I got pregnant and had a boy ... then again, another boy ... and, as we all know, I got pregnant again and certainly had high hopes that I'd get a girl - "Zoey" was always in the running for a name and once we found out she was a girl we kept going back to it, nothing else really struck us?

... then, I looked up the meaning of the name Zoey: life.

it came at a point when I needed it, I don't even want to put to print the horrible things that the medical professionals "had" to ask me, once it was determined that our little sweetheart had down syndrome and a heart defect ... but let's just say that "life" said it all - she became Zoey the minute I read that word! I believe that Gary and I, through God, always knew we would have our little Zoey ... even if at times we didn't realize it.

So there I was, driving along I believe - in fact, I think it must have been wednesday on the way here to L.A. ... and God gave me the word for Zoey: life! so, my sweet little Zoey, you are life and I can't wait for the day I can speak those words to you and see your adorable little face beam with happiness for the special word God gave you!

here are some pics from our visit tonight!

she's in there - lol

btw - her rash is essentially gone on her neck and does appear
to be improving! they did stop giving her the milk based formula
(once again, it's added to the breastmilk for calories) so who
knows if that's what it was or something else???
but, it's getting better - yay!
oh - AND - check out this little suit they put on her ... when we first
got here on wednesday I couldn't believe it, elephants - my favorite!
how did they know?

miss Tina (another of my best friends) is loving this!

I just gotta say I am LOVING this angle, I need more pics of myself
from this angle - no double chin - it's so awesome!!!