About

About Me

I am a Midwest girl at heart; I lived in the same house in IL for the first 22 years of my life. I married my high school sweetheart after I graduated from college. We both are U of I alumni. Go Illini! As an undergrad I majored in English and received my minor in Secondary Education. In 2009, I received my Master's in Education from U of I. I have put my education to use and worked as a teacher for 2 years in IL. For now, I have put that career path on hold as I pursue life as an Army wife and a stay-at-home mommy. My husband is a pilot and officer in the U.S. Army.

Growing our family has been nothing at all what we expected. We welcomed our first baby, Hailey, into the world on December 1, 2009, and said goodbye to her a little over a month later, making me a mother of a baby in Heaven. After losing Hailey, I became involved with Project Sweet Peas and started a project in memory of her called Hailey's Hope. On August 7, 2011, we welcomed our second baby, our rainbow baby, Isaac, into the world. He is now a healthy, amazing toddler. We are expecting our third baby, Isaiah, due July 29, 2014.

My faith and relationship with God is my life, just as He created it to be. You can read more about all of this and more when you visit my other pages and read my posts as all of these aspects of who I am come through in this blog.

About This Blog

I created my blog, which has evolved over the years, in honor of my daughter, Hailey Marie, who was born with Trisomy 18. On January 12, 2010, 6 days after Hailey passed away, I made the decision to start a blog.  The idea of writing a blog appealed to me because I needed a way to express my grief. As an English major and educator, I have always enjoyed reading and writing, and I find both very therapeutic. I began this blog with the hopes that writing about Hailey and my grief would enable me to handle this season of my life in a healthy way.

When I decided to start a blog, I did it for myself. I had a journal that just happened to allow anyone in the world to tap in and read. My blog is a space for me to be honest and vulnerable and share what's on my heart - this blog is me wearing my heart on my sleeve. Recording stories of Hailey's life helps me remember her and helps me keep her alive in my heart, and I am sure I will really appreciate it in the future years when more and more time has passed since I held Hailey in my arms. Also, I simply needed an outlet to express my sorrows so I didn't keep them hidden in a dark place in my heart.

 My desire is to be transparent, for you to know me, see God through my life and my stories I share, to know Hailey, to know her remarkable life, and ultimately, for you to be impacted in some way - to be inspired, to be encouraged, to find hope, to find someone who may relate to your trials and sorrows, to find God, to be impacted for the better somehow.

I titled my blog "Life In His Hands" because Hailey Marie is now in His [God's] hands in Heaven and because, ultimately, since my husband and I have dedicated our lives to Christ, our lives are completely in His hands.

About Hailey Marie

Hailey Marie was born with Trisomy 18 on December 1, 2009, but healed completely on January 6, 2010 when the Lord called her home.

This link will take you to one of the posts where I explain "Hailey's Story" - I suggest starting there. After learning about Hailey's story, I suggest you read this post that talks about understanding her life and purpose. You can also read her story on Be Not Afraid: She Was Always In His Hands.

For more information on Trisomy 18, please read my posts in that category. You may also want to check out the Trisomy 18 Foundation link on my homepage.