Paul & David, Our Double Portion Covenant Blessings!

Today is Paul & David's 4 year old birthday! We celebrated their birthday Saturday with a party and some snow! They still think it snowed just for their birthday party!! We started off their party with a tour of our local fire station and then came back to our house for presents, cake, and ice cream! James, in now his yearly tradition, created them a wonderful fire truck birthday cake. I baked it (4 rectangular cakes) and he did everything else; I think he did a wonderful job and the boys were absolutely thrilled with it! They were, however, very upset when he took the remainder of it to work yesterday; we just didn't need that much cake for the 4 of us.

On this their birthday, I wanted to share my story of Paul & David and the gift of their life, so here it goes:

When James and I were engaged, my first bridal shower was a blessing shower. Everyone that came brought a Bible verse to share with me to encourage me in being a wife, shared with me some Godly counsel, and prayed over me and our future marriage. My Bible study teacher at the time, Marisa Lewis, prayed over me that we would experience God's double portion covenant blessings (remember that!). On the day of our wedding there was a double rainbow over our church! All of that was in 2000.

Fast forward to 2003, we found out we were pregnant in July of 2003 (we did not know yet that we were having twins). We found out that we were pregnant the day after my granny died, and 3 months after my grandfather died. So in that horribly sad time we were able to give my parents some happy and good news to lift their spirits. After we had told them, I remember hearing my dad say "The Lord takes one but He gives another." Little did we know!

A few weeks after we found out we were pregnant, there was a double rainbow over our house. I remember thinking that it was a sign of God's promise that everything would be fine.

In September I went for my 3rd doctors appointment. James almost did not go with me but he changed his mind and met me there. I was having some really bad pains in my left side, and the doctor was a bit concerned because he thought it was a bit early to be experiencing pain from stretching ligaments; so he sent me to have an ultrasound to make sure I did not have an ovarian cyst. Well, the lady doing the test was very quiet the whole time, and then finally she said, "Here is your baby, and here is another one!" I said "What, there are 2?! But I didn't do fertility!!" She said, "That happens sometimes!" Then she called James back and told him, and all he could say was "ok". So we left the hospital that day very excited and slightly overwhelmed! I was so overwhelmed that I could not find my car in the parking deck and James had to drive me around until we found it!!

As I was driving home, it just struck me like a ton of bricks, these babies were God's "double portion covenant blessings." There was and is no doubt in my mind that Paul and David are our double blessings from the Lord, and what a joy and a blessing they are! God has been so gracious and so good to us, blessing us with healthy, happy children; even though they were 8 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks (they came home on Valentine's Day!). God's hand is mighty upon our family and I am so thankful for His presence, His protection, His guidance, His love, His grace, and His mercy. It is my desire that Paul and David grow up to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly, and to bring Him honor and glory with their lives, and to know that I consider them my "double blessings" straight from God Himself.

Happy Birthday Paul & David!! Mommy loves you very, very, very much!!