My Family

Here they are....my pride and joy. I love them and I love showing them off!!!

Jeff and I met in 1997 when we were freshmen at The University of Alabama. We dated for 3 years, got married, and joined staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (an inter-denominational ministry). We have been ministering to college students ever since at different places like University of Southern Miss, University of Georgia, and now our alma mater The University of Alabama. Jeff loves telling students about Jesus and helping them grow in their faith. I love being able to stay at home but also still be in the ministry alongside Jeff. He loves Alabama football, golf, basketball, and the occasional video game.

Samuel is 9 years old - my wild and crazy boy. He loves digging in the dirt and trying to figure out how things work. He also breaks a lot of things. Adopting him has been one of the greatest blessings and privileges of my life. You can go back to the home page of the blog and look for the links to his adoption story. You should read it. God worked amazing wonders to lead us to our son!

Ellie Kate is my little diva and turned 5 in February. She is high maintenance but as sweet as pie. Giving birth to her was beyond amazing and an experience I will never forget (both good and bad -ha!). She tests me daily and tries my patience, but she also gives the best kisses and I love her to death! Currently, her obsessions include (but are not limited to) her best friend Neely, anything princess, and playing mama to anyone or anything that will let her.

Abigail is the happiest, sweetest little girl.  She is 3 and so much fun right now! We prayed she would be laid back and easy because after our first two, we hoped for a bit of a break. For the most part, she has been easy and laid back and as sweet as they come.  Abigail loves to play with baby dolls, read books, and follow her big brother and sister around. What a joy it has been to have this 3rd little miracle in our family!

Anna Mitchell is our precious newborn who was born January 19, 2012.  Her first few weeks of life were very difficult with lots of fussiness and reflux, but now she is settling into a great routine and is just the perfect little {surprise} completion of our family.  We are all a little smitten by her and love to give her kisses all the time!

About Me

Hi! I'm Rachel...a.k.a Miracle Mama. Not because I'm a miracle...but because I'm the mom TO miracles. There was a time I wondered if I would have children. It took lots of prayers, waiting, money, more praying, more time, and lots of miracles...but in His time, God has blessed us (hubs and myself) with 3 wonderful children here on earth and one in heaven. Samuel came to us via adoption in December 2005. Ellie Kate was conceived through In Vitro Fertilization and was born on February 23, 2007. Our baby in heaven was our little surprise in July of 2007 but was called home on September 15 after being in my womb for a little less than 10 short weeks. Abigail joined our family in November 2008 and is "all natural"! Ha!!! God certainly has a sense of humor and works in ways that are sometimes unimaginable because He brought us one more "all natural" surprise and our 4th child, Anna Mitchell was born January 19, 2012!!!    The journey to our family has been a whirlwind of an adventure that has included lots of tears and lots of laughter.

I'm married to Jeff. We tied the knot on August 4, 2001. He's my best friend and an amazing father. I could not have asked for a better mate and I am so thankful.

So, this blog is about them. I love photography and making things (sewing, designing blogs, photo cards, home decor) and this is my creative outlet for many of those hobbies!! I started my first blog in 2005 to journal our adoption journey. Over 5 years later, I'm still going strong! I love having a place to post pictures for our friends and families (and even lurkers) as well as document my thoughts and just the everyday happenings of our little family.  I hope for this blog to be an ebenezer of sorts...a place of remembrance in honor of all that God has done.  Because that is my story...He has done marvelous things, in the midst of the messy and the mundane and the beautiful.   I also hope and pray that it continues to be a place of hope and resource for other women who are or who know someone who is struggling with infertility or pregnancy loss. I have loved hearing from so many people who read my blog or have passed along my blog for just that reason and I think it's so cool that God can use what I have gone through to minister to others.

Also, most important for you to know...I am a sinner saved by grace. I mess up a lot, but God's grace is sufficient and I am thankful for a Savior who offers me forgiveness and hope. I am not perfect...this blog is not perfect...I do not parent pefectly...and if it looks like our little life together is perfect, it's not. I love to blog about the fun and happy things that go on, but I hope that just as often you can see the real me...the real picture of what it's like to raise a family trying to follow God and honor Him in the process.

Thanks for visiting and if you do or if you have, would you let me know?! Just like any other blogger, I LOVE comments...so leave one if you can (on every post if you want:))!