Maternity Leave is coming to an end, its bitter sweet.

From the moment I heard our Sweet Amaya’s cry my heart, ears, and eyes were captured; she has been the sweetest gift I have been given.  God gave us the privilege and honor of being her parents and my hope and prayer is that we are directed by His Truth daily. 

Amaya has grown so much with all the adjustments of learning things for the first time it amazes me daily.  Learning something for the first time is beyond wonder; her eyes connect with the smallest things from the crocheted blanket that hangs on our couch, to her tiny hand that cuts across the corner of her eye and moves her blanket, with her eyes adjusting to the so many lights, shadows and colors how I would love to be able to see what she sees through her eyes.  The learning that I get to embrace is her many cries the cries of needing to be changed, to being hungry, just wanting to be held, being too cold or too hot, fighting sleep, and even the unknown for the first time and getting the hang of it.  Her cries are too cute from having big alligator tears to having no tears at all and have realized the magic of the cry. “When I cry I am attended too in some way”, its mommy and daddy on speed dial, without the technology. Though if I go to the other room I have her phone “the baby monitor” with me and no it’s not attached to the hip but more like attached to my ear and awaiting when she needs to be looked upon.

It is a bittersweet end to this leave though my heart is at peace to know that she will be looked over by her daddy who she has wrapped around his little finger.  Most of the time she thinks it’s play time with daddy with his caring voice that speaks beauty into her life while holding her head and one and her little body in the other as he brings up and down, a light bounce but her eyes are amazed and she is just inhaling in all that she sees when she is in his hands.  It warms my heart to be in the other room and come in to see them bonding and the love he has for his sweetly beautiful daughter is just priceless.
 As I go to work I know in all of us it will be an adjustment.  I pray that the Lord watch over our family, may He fill each of us with Peace, Hope, Joy and Love as we adjust.  Thankfully I am only 5.5 seconds away from home okay more like 2-3 minutes but it’s a hope a skip and maybe a little bit of a jump.  So I will get to run home for lunch and get to see Our Sweet Amaya for a bit.
Sweet Sweet Smiles this Mommy has for her Sweet Amaya!!!

Our Sweet Amaya

It all started 9 months ago it felt like yesterday we found out we were pregnant and now we hold our Sweetly Beautiful Gift from God a true Miracle in our arms. God gave us a gift that words cannot truly describe the full amount of this gift but through each second, minute, hour, day we get to see our Sweet Amaya’s story unravel before our eyes.

So October 27^th I went into the hospital to be induced to have my water broken and was in labor from 10:45am to Midnight that evening.  Where I didn’t progress and dilate like they had wanted me to do even upping the Pitocin I was on to bring on labor. And Our Sweet girl didn’t want to drop she was still sitting high against my rib cage.  So when asked we can go several more hours through labor and I could dilate a cm an hour and that would been an additional 6 hours I was already tired and just didn’t see myself having the strength to deliver her naturally.  So Ben and I made the decision to go through with the C-Section so that Mommy and Baby could be healthy and as pain free as possible.

They whisked me away after prepping me for the C-Section, as I laid there Ben was then brought in to sit with me as we awaited Our Sweet Amaya.  There was pressure, a push, a pull her head was brought out, her shoulder and then I heard the Sweetest Cry as she began to cry all I could do was begin to cry with her and Thank God for Her Sweet Arrival.

 October 28, 2011 at 1:24am Amaya Scranton entered the world to make her mark to unravel her story weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and 19 inches. 

We found out why she hadn’t dropped and even if I went through trying to have her naturally we still would have ended up having a C-Section. She was sitting “Indian Style”. She truly loves crossing her legs and always wanting either a hand or foot out from under blanket.

They brought her to me to see her Sweetly Beautiful Face and gave her kiss and she was taken to be cleaned up and examined as they finished with me.  When I was brought into the recovery room Ben was standing there with Our Sweet Amaya in his arms. What an Amazing Sight to See.  I was then able to embrace our Sweet Daughter in my Arms holding her in the womb and now actually holding her in my arms.  I can’t even describe how much love that we have for her but I understand more and more the meaning of unconditional love.

The days have been amazing seeing her blossom and grow is just amazing, moving her head side to side, speak to us the only way she can is through her cries and eyes and we get to learn what she is saying to us.  She exudes Peace, Love, Beauty, Hope, Delight, Adventure, and so much more.

We were completely grateful  with all the support we had from all the staff at the hospital the nurses were so Sweet and Attentive, giving me Advice and answering all the millions of questions we had; I couldn’t ask for a  better experience. 

We were very proud parents to introduce her to family and friends and send pictures to those that couldn’t be there.

Our Sweet Amaya has stolen our hearts and We are Truly Blessed to have the Honor of being her Parents!!!

Sweet Sweet Smiles ;>)

Our Sweetly Beautiful Daughter's Name!!!

We would like to announce Our Daughter's Name...But first here's a little bit of how the name came to play.


We were running through name options with one another and that every one that came to mind just wasn't a sure fit although some very nice names with some great meanings. Then there were ones that names sounded great and looked up the meaning and the meaning did not do the name justice.

So a week ago June 3, 2011 when Ben and I found out that we were having a girl the search for a girls name began, we had dinner at my mom's that weekend and going over some names with her and mentioned that we didn't think her name would start with an A. Any who.

So we got home after that weekend looking up names on the Internet and looking up there meanings and so fourth...the one letter that we kept going to was in fact the A, go figure.
So after a week and half we finally found the name that Our Sweetly Beautiful Girl will be called and named. We definitely have felt that this name is hers and chosen by us with Our Sweet Heavenly Fathers guidance.

Her name means Night Rain in Japanese...Didn't you know that Ben and I speak Japanese!! Nah Just Kidding, but absolutely love the name...I haven't quite shared the name just yet because I want to give a little back ground on why we have chosen this name.


Before Ben and I began dating we had met at a Small Group called Tribe where we were sitting there talking over several weeks within the group and rain was mentioned and I just sighed and was stating that I just love the smell of the rain and how calm it makes me...So any who a couple weeks had passed and we were sitting in group again and Ben was telling me about his adventure that past weekend. Where he and the guys that he worked with went hiking and camping and one of the nights it had been raining and they all were in there tents going to sleep that night and as it was raining a breeze swept within his tent and the scent of rain overwhelmed his senses and then mentioning to me that it made him think of me.... I about burst... "Ben thought of me" was running through my head and so that one evening with the rain, was one reason why are story is continuing to be written.


And this is why the name has so much meaning to us and is part of an amazing love and story...

We are please to Announce Her Sweetly Beautiful Name .... Amaya Scranton!!!

Continue to lift us up in Prayer as we prepare to be Parents that have been Called by Our Sweet Heavenly Father Parents to Our Precious Amaya!!!

We're Going to Haiti/Our First Meeting

We're Going to Haiti!!!

We got the email that we have been 2 out of 10 people chosen to go and we are so over joyed to have the opportunity to go to Haiti.   We don't exactly know what we will be doing when we go but our hearts are being prepared as each day goes by. Preparing our hearts to serve the people of Haiti, to loving them well, to sharing our stories, but most of all to hearing their stories and connecting and making relationships with the people of Haiti and in doing so that they will see the Love of God and we will see the Love of God through them and all around the people of Haiti.  

Our first Meeting was January 16 where we were able to meet the team; some of the people we have never met and then there were some we knew.  All a Sweetly Beautiful Team/Body. I look forward to getting to know each and every one of them and their stories as we prepare as a whole to go to Haiti.  Our first meeting consisted of sharing a little bit about our selves ... I was completely flustered stumbling and fumbling all words nerves, excitement and skipping every other word because my mind was trying to go in  overdrive and get it all out there ... got a bit of a chuckle and was able to continue.  Our Team Leader is Tracy C whose heart is welcoming and inviting, Co-Leader Kerry G. though she was missed at the first meeting we will get to hear her heart and her stories because she has just arrived back from Haiti, and the rest of the team is Melissa F whose heart is of gold she is genuine kind and just a Sweetly Beautiful Sister in Christ, Julie H who is also a Sweetly Beautiful Lady who has a compassionate heart with warmth and love to give, Me, my husband Ben whose a one of a kindhearted Man of God with such wisdom and strength that is so compassionate and easy to be around, Ryan S who was also missed but is true genuine kind loving who is funny and great to be around, Tyler G who is a man of worship kind spirited and great to be around as well, Chris L. who has an eye for photography and heart for missions.  It is so cool how God hand picked each one of us as a piece of the puzzle. Our next meeting is January 30th and we get to continue to grow as a body.

As the preparations take momentum we ask for God to equip us with the tools, His Truth, Love, Guidance, Wisdom, Protection, Understanding, Prayer and Financial Support for He is our Provider and we Put Our Trust in Him. To become more disciplined daily and obedient to Gods Truth; through prayer, seeking Him, journaling and trusting with complete Faith.To begin to strengthen ourselves as  individuals and as a body. For us to pray for the people we will soon meet and give us the opportunity to share the Love of God and also for us to see the Love of God who is already there doing His work.

We don't know exactly what we will be doing but the possibilities are anywhere from VBS opportunities, Building/Construction opportunities, and being apart of a making difference. To Sharing, Laughing, Doing Life, and Hearing their stories and hearts.

I am forever Grateful for the opportunity that God has given myself and Ben to go Haiti. For God you are Author and we get to unravel our story that You Lord have already written for us ... For You will be Glorified and Exalted before we even step foot in Haiti ... For You Go Before Us All!!!

"and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." Isa 61:3

Sweet Sweet Smiles ;>)