This is our most recent family photo. It was taken on June 14
th. What I love about it though is I am 23 weeks pregnant in it. So, it is a picture of our WHOLE family. We are a truly happy family awaiting the arrival of our daughters. We didn't know at the time that in ten days our lives would be changed forever. We would not keep Aubrey and Ellie after all.
Life continues to go on for us though. We have settled into our new house and enjoy more living space despite the lack of furniture. Kirk is back at work and has recently transitioned from
Miramar to
Pendleton to take on his new job as a flight instructor. He will not be deploying for a few years and I am happy to have him home for a while. Dustin is growing like a weed. He is talking in full sentences and has been potty trained for a few months now. He is God's gift to us in every way. His presence in our life has helped us cope with the loss of our girls more than any other. He is smart and sweet and truly a special boy. Kirk and I adore him. I am healing well from my c-section and feel physically better everyday. Kirk and I have decided to run a half marathon in November. It is a lofty goal, but we are committed. As I type this I am fatigued and sore from training, but still determined. I have also started my own personal blog at
http://www.aubreyandellie.blogspot.com/. It is more of a journal than a blog. You can read about my journey through grief as I slowly make my way out the other side. I miss Aubrey and Ellie immensely. We all do. We always will.
Dustin made the costume himself with just a little help from mom.
Super Dustin!
He fell asleep in his stroller while on a run with Dad.
Out like a light.
He is so sweet.
We had a little party with his friends Sarah and Marky.
He got new train cars for his birthday. 
Then we celebrated again as a family.
You heard right. My friend Kasey and I had this great idea to throw a girls only wine tasting party in December...and it was a blast! We will be doing it again. We invited friends from far and wide and I was impressed with how many drove hours to join the fun. The only rule was to bring a bottle of wine. First we made wine glass charms (it was girls only so we are allowed), and then the wine started pouring. We ate tons of food. We sat and talked next to the fire. We enjoyed sharing stories and laughing surrounded by Christmas lights and music. Next year I would like to make it a couples party instead of girls only. Let me know if you want to join. The more the merrier!
We did it! Kirk and I both completed the Silver Strand Half Marathon. I ran it in 2 hours and 32min. Although I missed my personal goal by two minutes I beat Kirk! I never beat Kirk at anything! It was 92 degrees by 8 am and we ran directly into the sun. Not exactly the conditions we hoped for. And those water stops are too far apart if you ask me. But at least we all finished. That was the most important thing. We were pretty sore the next day though. I think Kirk is done, but I would like to run another one someday. I want to improve my time. It felt so good accomplishing such a lofty goal. Especially under the circumstances. I will keep you posted on any future races.
Dustin remains our joy. He is getting so big! He has become super proficient at peddling his tricycle around our kitchen table multiple times a day. He used to like to run his trike into the doors and walls at full speed, but Kirk and I put a stop to that rather quickly. He behaves now.
This is our most recent family photo. It was taken on June 14th. What I love about it though is I am 23 weeks pregnant in it. So, it is a picture of our WHOLE family. We are a truly happy family awaiting the arrival of our daughters. We didn't know at the time that in ten days our lives would be changed forever. We would not keep Aubrey and Ellie after all.
