Drum Roll Please!!!!!! Most Exciting, Awesome News Ahead!!!!!

So, we just received the "go ahead" to publish

our most exciting news that we've been anxiously waiting to share here!!!! 

(Well, for most of you, you've probably already heard this news on facebook . . .but I have more additional pictures of this special event!!!! ; -) 

 

The Lord has blessed our family with an amazing increase!!!!!

A little itty bitty tiny TEVIS!!!! 

Yes!!!!  Richie and Lydia are expecting this most precious gift to

make his/her grand debut around Apil 15, 2017!!!!!

But here's a little sneak peak at him/her!!!

 

The first photo is of baby Tevis at around 5-6 days old,

on *adoption day!!!!

(*scroll down to the bottom for a note from this little one's Grandpa Bowes)

 

This next one was taken around 7 weeks old.

 This one was taken just this past Tuesday at 12 weeks old!

He/she is growing right on target! 

On Monday, August 8th, we got a phone call at 7am from Lydia telling us that her home pregnancy test said she was PREGNANT!!!!  After we cried many happy tears and prayed many thankful prayers, and sang and worshipped the Lord from the depths of our hearts,

we decided we just had to go hug on her!

So, we loaded up the van, and gave her a big surprise visit!

(We were so thankful that our family's good friend, Evan, happened to be staying over the night before, so was with us when we went for our visit.  He brought his camera along and captured these most amazing moments for us!!!  We are so grateful to have these pictures!!!  Words definitely can't describe what this moment was like!  It was so precious!!  Thank you so much, Evan!!!)

And then we each proceeded to give and get the best hugs of our lives!!! 

 Lydia's facial expressions and tight squeezes just say it all!

We were all pretty speechless!

Joe just still can't believe the news in the picture below . . . : -)

(I think he was still crying happy tears in this picture!)

 

And now . . . a note from the heart of a new Grandpa (Mr. Bowes : -)

 

What is embryo, or “snowflake” adoption?   Many couples who have trouble becoming pregnant pursue in vitro fertilization in order to have a baby.  This involves fertilizing “eggs” outside of the woman and then implanting some or all of them for the mother to carry until birth.  However, in many cases not all embryos are implanted and those that are not are frozen.  To most Christians, and others who believe that life begins at conception, these embryos are actually tiny human beings deserving respect, protection, and a chance at life.  Some parents of such tiny humans decide to give them up for adoption . . . “snowflake adoption”.  One (or more) embryo is implanted into the adoptive mother who then carries the baby until birth.  

What do we think of embryo adoption?  We’re so grateful for those that saw this problem of modern medicine as an unusual opportunity to follow the Lord in caring for orphans.  We believe that if we’re consistent in our conviction that human life begins at conception, we have no choice but to consider these tiny human beings as God’s handiwork, made in His image, and therefore precious to Him. . . and us!  I’m so proud of Richie and Lydia for stepping out in faith and compassion to rescue one of these little ones.  I can’t help but think of the story of the man walking on the beach after a storm where hundreds of thousands of starfish were washed up on shore.  He was throwing one back into the sea when an onlooker asked, “What do you think you’ll accomplish, you can’t possibly make a difference?”  As he let one fly, he smiled and said, “Well, I did for that one!”  No one can rescue all of the frozen embryo’s and not all rescue attempts will succeed, but Richie and Lydia are making a difference . . . for this one. 

 

Thank you so much for all your prayers for them!!! 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(Photo from the Tevis reunion in August!  Thanks so much to the family photographer who took it!

I just stole it from Lydia's facebook page!)