Just some of my favorite photos from the last few days. 

Devotionals. Our new normal.

Emerson has been great about Abby. She loves holding her, isn't jealous, and is patient with my time. Landon... Landon is a different story. 😆

Welcome Home, Abby.

Abby was discharged from the NICU last Saturday, exactly one week after she was born.

And finally, the kids and our parents got to hold her.

And the very next day, in the spirit of being the third child, we took her to church. I just had to praise the Lord for His care over my family.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains fall into the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake." Psalm 46

Hitoshi Snyder

Last Friday, February 15, my brother in law's father passed away after battling Stage 4 Stomach Cancer for the last two years. Our families did life together and to say we miss him is an understatement. Here are a few thoughts from my sister about him.

-----

Dad.

It’s surreal to be typing this out to you, knowing that you are now in heaven with Jesus. Last week at this time you were still here, fighting cancer, fighting hospice, fighting to stay alive just one more day. 

The last few years were a testimony to the fight that you had in you. In some ways, it was your final battle, at least here on earth. I remember when you were first diagnosed-Stage 4, gastric cancer. I only heard two things: Stage four and cancer. Not the words you want to hear together. There was a period of grieving and anger, but then a fight arose within you that I don’t think you even knew you were capable of. You turned the initial doctor prognosis of four months into almost two years. And what reward you saw from that fight Dad! Healing of your relationships with some whom you hold most dear. Extra precious time with your beloved grandkids. Time to reflect on the accomplishments that you and Mom had built together. Almost 34 years of celebrated love. Disneyland and museum trips. Time to fix up the house and make sure things were straight for Mom after you passed. Birthday parties that you didn’t miss. Texts from your trusty ipad that now serve as benchmarks of that last two years of fight. 

From what I know of you Dad, fighting for better wasn’t limited to your last two years. Growing up the 5^thof six kids in Nanakuli, Hawaii, money was tight. From a very young age, you had an instinct and a fight that is rare in a person so young. Starting your own lawn mowing business at age eight, you began your fight to break the cycle of almost poverty in your family. A business degree from the University of Hawaii and 33 years of grocery management later, you sacrificed and saved-you fought-so that you could set up your own family on a stronger foundation. You and Mom eventually bought three homes on the Westside, paid each of them off, and worked even harder so that your boys, Blane and Blake, wouldn’t have to struggle as you had. 

Almost a decade ago I saw the best part of you come out when you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life. It didn’t mean that all of a sudden you were perfect, because none of us are, but I saw you fight to understand your faith, to embrace it and make it your own, and to translate what your faith meant in your everyday life and relationships. I admired that you really sought after the truth-that you took the time to ask tough questions and to find answers from the Bible, from people who had wisdom in that area, and in putting yourself in an environment where you would find those answers you were seeking. I think if you were here today you would say that a lot of your own emotional battles started to be healed on that day when Jesus came into your life. 

And now, because you fought for truth in your own life, I am proud to pronounce that Dad, today you stand in VICTORY alongside our Lord Jesus. You are no longer in pain. You are no longer in agony. You no longer have to worry or wonder about all the what ifs. You no longer have to carry the guilt of past mistakes or brokenness. You are free and forgiven, held tight in the arms of the One who created you and loves you so very much. Sometimes there is pain in the victory isn’t there? We have pain because of the void that Dad’s passing has left on our lives. But I will refuse to stay and grovel in that pain because I am sure of the truth that has set Dad free. Christ has the victory, and because He has conquered death, Dad has the victory too. And what a victory that is Dad! Dad was always a “this is the best ever” or “this is the worst ever” type of person. There was never any in between, never any gray area for him. He would have a hamburger and it was either the best he had ever had or he didn’t care for it. That simple. Well, I have no doubt that Dad is reveling in the best place ever now-heaven. I can just hear him exclaiming loudly how beautiful and amazing and incredible heaven looks. How it’s the “best ever!” I hear his booming voice proclaiming God’s greatness and faithfulness to all around him. I hear him singing at the top of his lungs in worship of his Healer, his Creator.

Dad, thank you for welcoming me into your family and for always treating me like I was your blood daughter. Thank you for sacrificing for me and for teaching me what sacrifice for my family looked like. Thank you for always making sure that I had something to eat that I liked at your table. Thank you for always stocking up on Japanese green tea and popcorn because you knew that I liked those things. Thank you for raising a son who is everything to me and to our kids. Thank you for loving my kids so hard and so well. They love you so much. Thank you for saying sorry when you did wrong. Thank you for loving me, even when I wasn’t loveable. I was honored to be your daughter. Honored. I will miss dearly our talks, text conversations, sitting with you during Cole’s baseball games and hearing you cheer “Good job Tiger!” I’ll miss hearing you grumble about all the food Mom has cooked for Christmas or on New Year’s knowing how secretly proud you were of that amazing spread on that table. I’ll miss opening our front door and seeing a bag of freshly picked lemons, or some snack that the kids liked, or even dinner that you cooked yourself for our family. I’ll miss standing on the porch with Cole, Noe and Austie and watching them “blow you to your car” as you pretended their little breaths of air were propelling you backward into your Civic and down the road back towards your house. I’ll miss pulling up to your house and seeing you pacing on your front lawn in your standard t-shirt, white socks pulled up as high as they would go and your signature plaid shorts, waiting for us to get there. I’ll miss seeing you run off with the kids down the street chasing garbage trucks, or pushing them in the little red car around the block. I will miss you Dad. Like I told you the day before you died, I will not say goodbye because I know that this separation is only temporary. I will only say, “see you later” because I know that I will see you again in heaven for eternity one day. So Dad, “see you later” okay? I love you. Your daughter, Aimee.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55, 57

“He is exalted

The King is exalted on High

I will praise Him

He is exalted, forever exalted

And I will praise His name” -Twila Paris

Hitoshi's Celebration of Life will be held this Saturday, March 2, 2pm, at Venice Church.

Josh assuming the NICU stance again.

Abby is doing well all things considered. We are waiting on her breathing to stabilize and for her feedings to be consistent. In the meantime, Josh watches over all the details like he did when Landon was in the NICU - knowing all the terms, checking all the numbers, assessing all the risk. 

Today we go home without her. Hopefully soon she'll join us but for now we resume the two-a-days to the hospital to nurse and deliver milk. Our parents have stepped in with our children but it's time for them to have us back and us to have them back. 

Please pray for us - for Abby to heal in every way, for energy for Josh and I to sustain the schedule, for the kids to adjust, for me to heal. 

Thank you friends. 

Abigail Rose

February 16. 6 lbs 10 oz. 19.5 in

We attended a wedding this afternoon during the Super Bowl for a lovely couple at church. It was simple, joyful, relaxed. And the best part, E was allowed to come too. My daughter LOVES weddings, wedding dresses, getting dressed up for weddings.. such a romantic!

Also, these two got Photo Booth game.

Hope you have a wonderful week y'all. For me? Hoping this week will usurp last week- not because circumstances are different but because my heart is. 

Pool House Update

Even if you don't cheer for the Rams, aren't we all just a bit tired of the Patriots winning? *yawn

Happy with the board and batten and the white we chose. One day I will have a roof over this deck.

We had two inspections last week and passed one. The second was about the the fire sprinklers in the house. The day of the inspection it was raining cats and dogs and the inspector decided he didn't want to walk in mud to come inside and do his inspection. So he made us reschedule...to next week...to a day it's also supposed to rain.

So the final inspection may or may not be this coming week, depending on whether or not the inspector will dirty his shoes and whether or not we pass the inspection.

We were supposed to be moving in this weekend. Thankfully, the baby is still in my tummy! At this point of my pregnancy with Landon I was having contractions and unbeknownst to me about to give birth. Praying these shots do their magic and the little one stays in there.