summer summer!

we just got back from vacation about a week ago.  we went to montana for a wedding that the boys were in, but decided to make a family vacation out of it!  we are going to try to get a way for a week or so each year with just our family.  the kids always get so excited about it and we come away from the whole thing feeling pretty happy and full.  here are a few pics of our fun!!

i was really feeling the pregnancy since i was about 32 weeks pregnant, but luckily we were on vacation and erik was gracious enough to make sure i got plenty of rest while he wore the kids out with all kinds of lake fun!

we came back to a hot spokane and have been trying to stay cool ever since.

we stay cool by trying not to move around too much in the house, heading to parks that have splash pads, and running 8 fans in strategic places all around the house.

we also came back to an appointment for ella with her cardiologist.

the appointment went amazingly well.  i mean, besides trying to keep her entertained and distracted while they did the echo and placed ekg stickers all over her body.  her heart is functioning in the normal range still and shows no signs of deterioration.  there is some scar tissue, but no concerns.  our cardiologist said that his group went back and looked at her newborn images and videos of her heart just to be amazed again.  he says they still have no real diagnosis or reason for her heart failure.  they just guess it was some kind of virus (which i can't remember the exact virus he said).  he said that if this specific virus even attacked a healthy 3 year old, that 3 year old would have a 1/3 chance of living......with treatments and surgery.  the chances of a premature baby with this virus who can't have surgery should have no chance of living.  ella should not be here right now.  she should have died.  our cardiologist seems to always reiterate this fact to us when we have appointments.  also the fact that they went back to look at her images really shows me their amazement and bewilderment.  there are some things that science cannot explain and doctors who believe in jesus account it to that and doctors who don't believe continue to search.  i just pray that ella's condition and our pain will produce belief in jesus for some of these doctors and medical staff because it really does appear as though they continue to look into whatever happened to her.  what caused it and how did she heal.....because she should have died.

anyways, i am blabbering and i will blame it on my preggo brain.....because i only have 4 weeks left until we meet our new daughter, amelia!  we are preparing for her in our own ways.  the boys by asking lots of questions, ella by pointing at my belly and blabbering who knows what, erik by working hard to provide money for her birth and lining up workers to get work done on our house, and me by kicking my feet up here and there, making lists and more lists, which include pulling out some baby girl clothes to wash and put away in a girly pink dresser.

round 4 coming up.  and it will be great.  :)