The lump in my throat swelled as we rushed into the front gates of that stadium. Fans all yelling for teams running around the track, excitement thick in the air.
I see the blue & gold colors flash by as our girls team place in this race of whole state. Believing is to Be Living.

And more tears well in my eyes as we are witness to the first wheelchair race in history at a high school level. Claire cheers as they go by, my heart soars with hope knowing there is a chance she can compete one day.Believing is to Be Living.

A weekend in Columbus full of the accomplishment of many young athletes and coaches too as our own coach is honored for years of dedication to this sport of track & field.Believing is to Be Living.

 
Then to see medals placed around the necks of a poised team of four boys also dressed in blue and gold. United they are. Proud parents we are. Hard work and determination to achieve their own piece of history. A race to a set goal, just shy of reaching the record they stand on the podium to shine smiles that melt hearts. Moments to cherish, smiles to remember, races to show that Believing is to Be Living.

And today marks six years of racing with determination,faith and goals that were said to be impossible. But a special little soul has never quit running,never quit believing…She is six years old today.

Happy Birthday Claire! Thank you for inspiring me to believe because the best comes when you decide to not just believe but to be living.  Be Living full in the moments God has blessed us with. Believing is to Be Living.

Quote from Ann Voskamp @ www.aholyexperience.com

Claire’s Birthday Pictures by Kaptured by Kelly

She is Kaptured by Kelly and capture she does. Capturing moments this mother’s heart needs. Not just for the picture to be framed, but for the laughter of the day to sink deep into my soul, so that on days we are apart I can remember those special smiles we had out there in that field.

Small moments made big in my search for simple joy. Simple pure joy that fills a heart that overflows love. A kind of love that spills out when there are tough days. On days that we are separated by space or days when there is an empty house quiet and still.

On those days I will remember laughter in the field and remember God.

How much He has blessed our lives with these four. He placed them together in this world for a reason. He knows their hearts and knew they were a perfect fit to be siblings. I knew this long ago. Only did not realize how much they would rise to the occasion of being special.

On that day the youngest quit breathing they were there. There to see her lying on the ground with life fading. They were there to wait at the end of the lane to show the ambulance the way back to her. And they knew how much I needed them to be strongly calm, so that when I flew in the helicopter with her I knew they would be ok.

Hard days like that help us grow even more into the family God wants us to be. He carefully chose each of us to be together through hard, sad, happy, laughing days.

So, when the girls jumped onto the brother’s back, I smiled knowing that is exactly how God would have it. Siblings sharing the load of a world together with love, with God…four siblings growing in a field of laughter.

Copyright © 2011-2013 Hello Butter images & content

That’s how it is in a world of special.

You can find a familiar love in unlikely places. Like doctors offices, hospitals and physical therapy exercise rooms. Where braces, walkers and total gyms are excitedly anticipated after a long break off, needed time away from physical work outs since seizures stole progress away. But, we brave the risk of over exertion, tired seizure attacks and happily meet up with familiar friends that also happen to be an important part of making her world a more mobile place.

It’s hard work for her when she returns. She moves muscles that are not willing to. She says “I can’t do it” to her therapy friends and they say “We won’t hear the cant word”. She says, “it’s hard” and again the response is encouraging,

“I will ask you to do hard things, but you have to work hard to grow”.

She smiles big and puts her head down to focus on those weak muscles and with determination there is ever so slight movement in tired places. She smiles even bigger knowing she can even through the hard.

We all need days like this, hard but necessary. Working through hard to grow more.Grow more into less of who we think we are and grow more into who God knows we are. It takes hard days like these to see weakness in muscle slowly progress to the places of strength that only God knows exist. We need to journey through hard days to discover a strength that results in living full,simple peace.

God grows hearts through hard days…

Hello God…Hello Butter

I found it very fun to do, but the quality of my work was not good enough to share with everyone. So, while it is a nice hobby it is not a good business for me.

.
However, I did find a very nice company doing a way better job than the Martin family!
I have a website that allows you to go online to shop for the good stuff.

If you would like to visit this site and order I can give a 60% discount, just in time for Valentines Day, if you order by Monday.
Here’s the website:

http://www.925silvercatalog.com

All you need is to add this vendors code at check out, then I will place the order, take a payment and ship or deliver to you. Seems simple enough, let me know if you have any questions.
Vendors Code: PUR91089

The website has a side bar that includes a Holiday tab, you can find Valentines Day jewelry there, it’s a good place to start!

A little bling in the winter might help chase the blues away? Although, I dont need bling to sparkle because I have this:

As Always, saying Hello Butter and now adding Hello Butter Bling!

(I know,Butter Bling a little cheesy, but I had to say it)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
when she started to have a seizure and it’s just not fair.

As we fought the urge to arise with a clatter,
we did not rush to the ER because we knew what was the matter.

After awhile she started to awake and her wondering eyes did appear,
She twinkled that bright smile, that is ever so dear.

We took a deep breath and remembered to say,
Thank you God for Jesus and his birthday.

We retire to bed with no signs of seizure in sight,
we are happy to say Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

And if you dont mind please whisper a prayer to keep Claire seizure free,
So she can experience all that Christmas is meant to be.

Always reminded of how blessed that we are,
Our family of love the very best gift by far.

A much needed breath of thanksgiving , after a holiday seizure tried to steal it away.

There in this morning sun, she reminds me of hope, hope for days of joy, peace and a love that transcends all understanding.

It is God here in this morning. God that shines through her naked, scarred body to read words that only she can see. Oh how grateful I am for these everyday miracles, smiling small moments of brilliant light. God’s light through her. Small moments big …Moments of Hello God Given Miracles…Hello Butter

1000 gifts…adding this and still counting…

© 2012 hellobutter

When my eyes have become tired and mind fading? What will I remember about these days of living full? Of life that passes so quick, of school routines,volleyball matches and football games played? When the nest is empty and the house is quiet and still?

What will I remember?

 I really won’t remember the avalanche of homework and paperwork sprawled throughout the house, or late night suppers thrown together, dirty dishes and clothes piled high. Mini vans full of left over food,gear and Gatorade bottles empty.

  Instead, I will remember the firsts of all the moments a kindergartener has. Her first day of school, her first teachers,the making of her first friends and her first smiles of a happy heart filled with dreams and  learning.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Instead, I will remember the smiling first days of a junior high daughter,exciting and full of all things new. The changing of class,the learning of new games and new routines.

  I really won’t remember those news stories in the morning paper,that would make me wonder about one reporters views of hard-fought games.  Hard fought games under the Friday night lights that seems so big, but really in this full life how big is it?

Instead, I will remember my mom heart full of nerves but always calmed by the knowledge that God is on the football field too.

It is the small moments of the game that are the biggest. It is the small moments of this game I will remember. I will remember the small moments of Fridays with bananas and yellow tape and scrubbing white cleats clean,taking priority. The hugging of a player excited to go to the lights, the quick word of encouragement always with a “play like its your last” theme.

I really won’t remember the score, or the yards gained, or passes thrown or even the news headlines.

Instead, I will remember the heart, the character, and the witnessing of God making boys to men. God blessing the game with boys all heart, that grow up playing hard and running fast to a life that is full.

A life full of small moments made big.

Small moments of team helping each other up when they are down, moments of blood, sweat and tears. Small moments of wrapping my arms around a young man learning to win in more ways than a scoreboard will ever show.

I will remember the game,the player,the kindergartener, the 7th grader…all being full of small moments big and just how big God is, especially in the small. Especially in the living full.

I will remember to say Hello God…Hello Butter

© 2012 hellobutter

For five years we have been living this new motto of living each moment to the fullest. Last night was just another reminder of why.

Claire had a seizure while watching her big brother run fast and play hard. Life is like that. Hard times come from no where. Hard times can hit you at any time, any place and almost always when you least expect, even on the sidelines of a football game.

I hate these seizures! They can have a tendency to make me want to seize up in life. When Claire suffers through one, I suffer along with her. Any one who is witness to these horrific episodes also suffer with her. But then, there is Grace! I can only stay calm when I am breathing His Grace.

“And don’t forget to pray!”

Knowing the only way to live each moment full is by breathing Grace and praying for the peace that can only come when living full in God. Which means living full in the knowing that He is in control of this breathing life.

We are reminded life is fragile and passes so quickly. We have to play each game like it’s the last and yes it can be very hard, but the reward is God’s peace, joy and a heart full of love.

We breathe Grace, live love and just keep on playing and praying.

He holds our lives in his ever capable hands, even when I am holding her while we wait for her to wake up to shine that smile so bright. And wake up she did, all smiles, all better, all happy and all ready to say hello life with her reassuring thumbs up smile this morning I can say… Hello God in each play of this game…Hello Butter

A heart crushing reminder as I helplessly watched Claire suffer another seizure last night. While I do all I can do to aid her during these cruel attacks, I still feel helpless. I gave her the emergency med under her tongue, I made sure her airway stayed clear, I monitored heart rate and breathing…all I can do, all while I prayed.  An hour and a half later she was her smiling self again, but my ache for her to be cured was tangible.
Normal days of happy come to a screeching halt because of this disease.Every fairy tale has an enemy. Seizures are Claire’s ugly monster she will battle her whole life. Our Rainbow Princess is courageous and strong enough to fight this battle. Along with being surrounded by love, faith and soldiers of God. We will be her aid, as God can work through us. He has a plan for her life. However, it is not to be free from seizures. So we will battle on, living with so much joy and love in hearts that there will be no room for an enemy. And though it seems my heart is heavy today, I am really standing strong against an enemy that I refuse to let rob us of our happy ending.In our Kingdom a rainbow follows every drop of rain,no matter the size of the storm we see His light shine through her life.

“I will fear no evil, for my God is with me and if my God is with me whom shall I fear?”  (Matt Redman~You Never Let Go)

 I would have loved for the plan to have been to say good-bye forever to seizures, instead we will say hello to strength, faith, courage, love…most of all

Hello God…