Angel Baby

9 Months

11:11 AM



Can it really be 9 months since you left us? It feels like it was just yesterday we were waking up side-by-side; getting Jenner ready for school. My heart has been aching these past few weeks more than ever for some reason. I think the trip to Colorado without you, started the slide, but it's not getting better. We had my family over for dinner on Monday and the first thing Ava did when she came in the door, was go to the picture of us with Aspen on the coffee table. She sat down, put her hand on the frame where Aspen's hand was and started talking to him. I immediately burst into tears. She misses him too! It seems everyone is having a rough few weeks, not that every week isn't hard, but for some reason, the hope of the new baby brought us all a little peace for a while anyway. Jenner woke up crying on Monday and told me that he had a bad weekend and was so sad, missing Aspen. He has never done that before. He was so quiet over the weekend - I sensed he was sad. We went to Adam and Katie's for dinner Sunday and although there were a ton of kids there, they all had a sibling present, where Jenner did not. I truly think that gets him to his core! He misses having a brother to play with, sleep with and just be with. He feels left out not having a sibling. I embraced the fact that he was actually talking to me about what was bothering him and told him, I'd let him take a mental health day where we could just hang out and regroup a bit. Everyone needs a mental health day once in awhile - God knows I've taken way more than my share over the past 9 months! He deserved to have one too! We spent the day running a few errands and picking out new flowers to decorate Aspen's grave. It was a beautiful day Monday, but Jenner won't go to Aspen's grave, and I understand. I don't like it either - I actually despise it, but I force myself to go so I can make things look pretty for the new season. I think the change of seasons are so hard. I remember back to last year, gearing up for the spring game and Easter. Decorating the house, which both boys love to do. I can't help, but think about if I had only known how short the time I had left with Aspen, I wouldn't have done so many date nights, adult trips and would have spent every single second with my angel. I spent the entire day before his accident golfing with friends. It makes me sad that I didn't even spend the day before he left us with him. And it's just so difficult to comprehend that the year of his passing is fast approaching and it literally seems like yesterday when I was screaming in terror trying to find my baby in the water. The never ending nightmare that will forever haunt me. 

I've done my very best since January, to pull myself out of the deep depression I was in over the 2016 holidays to focus my thoughts on new beginnings for our family. I feel so blessed to be pregnant, but my sadness continues as I remember the precious memories of Aspen and what an amazing boy he was. I would give anything in the world to have him back. Absolutely anything. I pray to God every night that he protects Aspen in Heaven, just like I used to pray when Aspen was alive that God protect both my kids and my family and friends. I still want him to be safe in Heaven even though that sounds so weird to say. He is still my baby and will always be. No one can take that away from me. Buddy, mommy loves you so much and will never stop! Mommy misses you so much sweet boy!  

Angel Baby

Pressing Through the Pain

9:12 AM

Pressing Through the Pain



“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (NKJV)
Devotion Graphic
Does it ever feel like the heartbreak in your life is trying to break you?
I understand. I really, really do. I’ve been in that place where the pain of heartbreak hits with such sudden and sharp force that it feels like it cuts through skin and bone. It’s the kind of pain that leaves us wondering if we’ll ever be able to function like a normal person again.
But God has been tenderly reminding me that pain itself is not the enemy. Pain is the indicator that brokenness exists.
Pain is the reminder that the real enemy is trying to take us out and bring us down by keeping us stuck in broken places. Pain is the gift that motivates us to fight with brave tenacity and fierce determination, knowing there’s healing on the other side.
And in the in-between? In that desperate place where we aren’t quite on the other side of it all yet, and our heart still feels quite raw?
Pain is the invitation for God to move in and replace our faltering strength with His. I’m not writing that to throw out spiritual platitudes that sound good; I write it from the depth of a heart that knows it’s the only way.
We must invite God into our pain to help us survive the desperate in-between.
The only other choice is to run from the pain by using some method of numbing. But numbing the pain — with food, achievements, drugs, alcohol or sex — never goes to the source of the real issue to make us healthier. It only silences our screaming need for help.
We think we are freeing ourselves from the pain when, in reality, what numbs us imprisons us. If we avoid the hurt, the hurt creates a void in us. It slowly kills the potential for our hearts to fully feel, fully connect, fully love again. It even steals the best in our relationship with God.
Pain is the sensation that indicates a transformation is needed. There is a weakness where new strength needs to enter in. And we must choose to pursue long-term strength rather than temporary relief.
So how do we get this new strength? How do we stop ourselves from chasing what will numb us when the deepest parts of us scream for some relief? How do we stop the piercing pain of this minute, this hour?
We invite God’s closeness.
For me, this means praying. No matter how vast our pit, prayer is big enough to fill us with the realization of His presence like nothing else.
Our key verse (James 4:8a) reminds us that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. When we invite Him close, He always accepts our invitation.
And on the days when my heart feels hurt and my words feel quite flat, I let Scripture guide my prayers — recording His Word in my journal, and then adding my own personal thoughts.
One of my personal favorites to turn to is Psalm 91. I would love to share this verse with you today, as an example for when you prayerfully invite God into your own pain.
Verse: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1, NIV)
Prayer: Lord, draw me close.
Your Word promises when I draw close to You, You are there. I want my drawing close to be a permanent dwelling place. At any moment when I feel weak and empty and alone, I pray that I won’t let those feelings drag me down into a pit of insecurity. But rather, I want those feelings to be triggers for me to immediately lift those burdensome feelings to You and trade them for the assurance of Your security.
I am not alone, because You are with me. I am not weak, because Your strength is infused in me. I am not empty, because I’m drinking daily from Your fullness. You are my dwelling place. And in You I have shelter from every stormy circumstance and harsh reality. I’m not pretending the hard things don’t exist, but I am rejoicing in the fact that Your covering protects me and prevents those hard things from affecting me like they used to. 
You, the Most High, have the final say over me. You know me and love me intimately. And today I declare that I will trust You in the midst of my pain. You are my everyday dwelling place, my saving grace. 
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
And with that I close my prayer journal, feeling a lot less desperate and a lot more whole. I breathe the atmosphere of life His words bring.
I picture Him standing at the door of my future, knocking. If I will let Him enter into the darkness of my hurt today, He will open wide the door to a much brighter tomorrow.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 116:1-2, “I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” (NIV)
- See more at: http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/pressing-through-the-pain/#sthash.ojpvGccL.dpuf

Angel Baby

Aspen's Angels Purchase New Rescue Boat With Donations

5:51 PM

So proud of those who donated to the Waterloo Fire & Rescue Department in Aspen's memory! The funding was used to help purchase a new rescue boat to utilize in water emergencies which will have sonar capabilities. This will help expedite rescues and ultimately save countless lives. We feel so blessed to have been given the first boat ride today - Jenner felt pretty special! I kept looking up to the sky thinking how proud Aspen must be for these amazing people who gave us time to say goodbye. They put their lives at risk everyday to save others and we will always consider you part of Aspen's Angels! Thank you for your continued support of Aspen's foundation!  

#aspendrakeseemannfoundation #waterloofireandrescue#firstresponders #aspensangels #pinwheelsforaspen #blessed






Angel Baby

If I Only Had A Spray

1:53 PM

I started my Friday with so much hope for a warm, fun-filled weekend. We bought tickets to the new Lego Bat Man movie that Jenner has been looking forward to since he saw the trailer for the first time. He woke up Friday and you would have thought it was Christmas morning. He was so excited!  I woke up with a scratchy throat and a headache. I took extra vitamin C and some black elderberry thinking it must just be the start of a cold. As the day wore on, I felt so tired. Abnormally tired. I laid down hoping to rally for the evening. I ended up staying home and went to bed early. I woke up Saturday feeling terrible. I immediately went to urgent care thinking I had strep given how sore my throat was. Tested negative for strep and was told it was probably a virus that would have to run its course. I came home and went immediately back to bed. Missed Jenner's basketball game and the Valentine's Day party that evening. By Sunday, I knew in my heart something wasn't right. I felt worse than the past two days prior. I had been running a low grade fever but now the Tylenol wasn't helping. It hit me that I probably had the flu. I contacted the after hours line at CCRM and the nurse prescribed Tamiflu but told me to go to the ER and get tested as if I was positive, Clint and Jenner would also need to be treated as soon as possible. My mom came over to be with Jenner while Clint and I went in. You could see he look of concern on Jenner's face about me and the baby. He actually said, "mom if this baby doesn't work, you promised to keep trying, right?" My poor sweet boy. Will he always have this new layer of stress lying underneath, waiting to come out at any sign of distress? Is this really our new reality? He's far too young to carry this heavy burden of life. Has he been robbed of his youth and the carefree nature of what being a kid really should be? Breaks my heart to think that may be the case now!

We arrived back home around 10pm. Jenner was in bed asleep. My mom told me that he was worried I was going to have to spend the night at the hospital. She also shard something he told her before he said his prayers. He said, "Grandma, I wish I had a spray."  "What kind of spray?"asked my mom. He responded, "A spray that would go back and prevent Aspen from going to the beach that day.  I miss him so much and wish he could come back to us."  My mom simply agreed with Jenner and told him that Aspen can't come back to us as much as we all wish he could. He's in Heaven now. They then said prayers and Jenner fell asleep. My heart breaks for my sweet, Jenner. It is clear Aspen is on his mind all the time even though he's probably too afraid to bring it up to Clint or myself for fear it will make us sad. 

I received a call from the ER today. I officially have influenza b which means Jenner and Clint will also need to be treated.I pray that God protects my family and our baby as having the flu and a fever while newly pregnant can be very dangerous to the baby. 

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:  Please be respectful of others and stay home if you are sick. You may not realize the negative impact you could have on another person, especially if they have a compromised immune system. It's not okay! Stay home! No social event, work project or errand is worth potentially infecting others. Off my soapbox. 


1111

Grow Baby, Grow

10:49 AM



Grow baby, grow!  I went in super early this morning as I couldn't sleep very well worrying about my labs today. I just got my Beta results - she's at 2,874 up from 118 last Friday. She is growing which makes my entire week! So thrilled that this little peanut is progressing! Next big step is 2/20 when we do the ultrasound to detect the heartbeat! Thank you for all of your continued prayers - we feel so blessed to be on this path. The very best early Valentine's Day gift we could possibly have imagined! Have a blessed weekend!

1111

Baby Steps

2:37 PM



Tomorrow is another big day. Another set of labs to see how things are progressing. I pray that our little girl is growing. Starting out with low numbers can mean a lot of things, but there are tons of success stories where beta numbers start low and they end up with a healthy baby. Still, I'm a natural born worrier, even before Aspen's accident so it's inherent for me to have a little anxiousness going into tomorrow. Wanting something so much, doesn't help the anxiety. Only God knows what his plan is for our future. I continue to put my faith in him and the journey that he sets forth for our family. Praying so hard for good results tomorrow. If all goes well tomorrow, the next step is an ultrasound on February 20th to detect the heartbeat. That's a big milestone. I'm trying to to stay focused on getting our house packed to put on the market in March. A lot of big changes are on the horizon, all good, but they all come with so much emotion. Aspen spent his entire life in this house, so Clint and I both have so many mixed emotions about leaving here. I think we both know it's what is best for our family going forward as I still can't even go in the backyard, much less, use the beach and the lake like we used to. We will miss our neighbors so much as our West Shores community has more than wrapped their loving arms around our family and we will never forget the comfort they brought to us during the worst time of our lives. On that note, if anyone is looking for a modern ranch on a lake with amazing neighbors, let me know. Our plan is to put it on the market in mid-March. 

Angel Baby

Goodbye 2016

11:11 AM




I have been waiting for this day to come for so long now. 2017 cannot get here fast enough. 2016 has been filled with so much personal tragedy and heartache I just can't take another minute of this stupid year! As my family has suffered, it has also been a year of suffering for so many people that I know. Loss of precious children, parents, grandparents siblings and friends. New cancer diagnosis', an entire local family perishing in a house fire, newly diagnosed diseases, mass shootings, ISIS, plane crashes. This year has rocked my word like nothing ever has. I question everything and feel a complete loss of security. It is the most helpless feeling in the world. I have slipped into what I've been trying to avoid since Aspen's accident - complete depression. Christmas took me down like I never could have expected. It was far worse than Aspen's birthday, which I still cannot believe, but it is lingering. It is not going away. I want to feel hope again and I thought that this day would bring that for me. New Year's Eve. A new beginning for our family. Hope for a new chapter in this nightmare of a book that will be forever known as the worst year of my life. Perhaps a new baby that will have Aspen's eyes and amazing personality. I want to find the strength to pull myself out of this quicksand of despair and find light to guide me into the new year. I'm praying to God and Aspen and anyone who will listen, PLEASE bring our family peace and light for 2017 and beyond. We all deserve the heaviness to lift at least a little and begin a new chapter filled with hope. 

I'm giving it my everything - picking myself up, dusting myself off and plunging into the New Year with as much hope as I can muster. Focusing on the positive and leaving the negative behind. Bring on 2017!

Wishing all of my family and friends a blessed 2017!

Angel Baby

Happy Black Friday!

11:46 AM


HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY! Aspen's ornaments are on sale at Mangelsen's, On a Whim and on our website www.aspendrakeseemannfoundation.org All proceeds from the sale of the ornaments will go directly to the Aspen Drake Seemann Foundation to help fund our upcoming initiatives. If you purchase at Mangelsen's be sure to use the TAGG app, then request the ADS foundation and a portion of the proceeds from your entire purchase will be given to the foundation! We so appreciate your support! #aspendrakeseemannfoundation #pinwheelsforaspen #angelwingornament#mangelsens #onawhim