along came Lily...

Last night I was looking through some photos that one of my youngest daughter's professors took when he visited what was left of our home. After the tornado, people (professors & students) from her Community Art Department at her College came to help. They did something quite amazing…

In helping, they also salvaged a few remains. With permission, they took some of them back to school, & created beautiful tables out of doors, centerpieces, shadow boxes, & so many intricate & creative displays. They then had a celebration. We were the guests of honor. It was all about restoration. It was joyful. It gave my mind a break from all the turmoil at the time. It amazed me that my door became a table.

As I was looking through these photos, I noticed that my middle daughter was pregnant. FLASHBACK… one year ago, Lily had not yet come into this world. What followed only weeks after the tornado, was a fight for her little life (& my daughter's). Little did we know the day those photos were taken, we were about to embark on another adventure.

Toxemia took its toll. My daughter was hospitalized, & Lily was born at least 3 weeks early. Just a few days after her birth, she was put on a monitor & remained in the hospital while my daughter ( a new mommy went home). To say the least, this was yet another difficult time for all of us. We did the only thing we could; we took one day at a time.

So… almost 12 months later, we have this blonde & blue eyed little replica of her daddy. She has such a happy personality. She lights up more than any lil girl I've ever known. She babbles in her own precious language. She explores my home in her walker. I cannot imagine the miles those tiny little feet travel in a few hours.

Getting Lily here was one of the most difficult journeys Gram has had to face. Seeing my daughter struggle & then seeing her newborn baby compromised was almost more than a mother/grandmother could handle. BUT… amidst the cold frigid weather, the heavy snows, the ice & winds, God brought forth this little angel. She is my lil snuggle bunny. A day with Lily warms Grams heart better than sunshine.