Description: This LO is for two challenges: 1. Doodle challenge; I did all the doodles around the scallops/edges, the swirls connecting the flowers, I also doodle some of the flowers (on anything with a black background except for the second from the right). I also included journaling but, due to the length of it I wrote it on the back of the layout.


2. For the Imperfect lives challenge; This picture of me was taken about 3 hours before I had a miscarriage so.... my note to self is the quote by Hellen Keller that reads: "We would never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world". Again, my journaling is on the back of the layout , please don't feel obligated to read it! Thanks for looking!!!



Journaling:
October 5, 2007. I woke up this morning with happy thoughts. It was my youngest son's 3rd birthday and I wanted it to be all about him that day. After taking Gianni (the oldest) to school, Jeremy and I came back home and put on nice clothes and got all beautiful/handsome to have pictures taken. Jeremy was excited. We had cute pictures taken of him, and on the very last one I asked the photographer to please take a picture of me before I got too big (I was 13 weeks pregnant). When we were done, we decided to have some fast food for lunch while we waited for Gianni to get out of school. We were having fun!
We picked Gianni up, we came home and we openned presents. I started feeling weird, no pain, but just a weird feeling inside of me. I went to the bathroom and the rest is history...
First I was in shock, tears were poouring down my cheeks because I knew at that point that my baby was gone. "MY BABY IS GONE!" , I repeated that sentence over and over to accept reality but it wasn't until I had to explain to my 5 year old what was going on and why mommy was so sad that I finally accepted it. I wasn't sure he understood because he just turned around and left the room. A few seconds later I heard him tell my 3 year old: "you need to go see mommy and give her a hug, she's very sad!"
My heart was broken, my soul was in agony but I realized how blessed I was to have two little men to comfort me during this time of sorrow. I know it really made this experiance a little easier and soon enough I was able to think straight. With each pregnancy, every night I found myself praying to my Heavenly Father for a Healthy baby. I guess this is one way to get the answer; this baby just wasn't ready and it was necessary for him to go back.
I'm grateful for my children, and (having no family here) I'm grateful for such wonderul friends that took care of my family and I while I was in the hospital.
Life is good, and sometimes we just need to "fall" so we can "get up" even stronger.

~~~Shirley~~~