Mixed Emotions

We are in awe of our blessings right now!  We are getting to watch both girls grow & hit all kinds of milestones :)  Aislyn at two months was smiling, cooing, & she is really strong as well!  It is crazy how much she looks like Anslee lol.  Anslee has been making up her own songs & performing them for us and getting really good at summersaults :)  She is also out-growing most of her shoes & some of her clothes! 

And while we are so proud of both of our girls & we are soaking up every moment we can with them, we still miss our sweet babies in Heaven!  Jackson's 2nd birthday was June 29th & we lost Baby Burris 5 years ago in July.  We are so thankful that we will get to see them both in Heaven one day, but we still wonder...if they were here with us, what would they be like?  What would they be doing?  What would they look like?  Etc.  One day we will know, but for now we have to trust God each day to provide us the peace & strength we need to make it through each day & He always does :)

Our Newest Blessing :)

So I'm obviously not very good at this blogging thing lol!  I just realized that our sweet baby girl is three months old this week & I haven't even posted on my blog about her yet!!!  I guess we have just been so wrapped up in loving her that I didn't even think about the blog :)

Introducing Aislyn Rayna Burris:

She was about one month old in these pictures :)
I went in to labor a week before her scheduled C-section, so she decided to come a lot like her sister lol!  I went in to labor at 38 weeks & at 4 AM just like I did with Anslee :)  Luckily they did the C-section a lot faster this time though & we got to meet our precious girl around lunch time!  She was 7 lb 10 oz & 19 1/2 inches long.  She is such a good baby & her sister loves her soooo much!  Can you tell from this picture?

Even though these were professionally done, she didn't have to push very hard for Anslee to admire her sister so lovingly :)  I was a little worried about how she would adjust to not being the only princess in the house anymore, but she has done so much better than I ever hoped she would! She is just now starting to say her sister is annoying sometimes because she cries a lot lol :)
We are so thankful for God's blessing to us in this precious little one!  We cannot express the joy & restoration she has provided us :) 

 We want to thank everyone for all the prayers & support you have provided us through this journey so far & would like to ask that you continue to do so throughout our future! 

A Time for Healing

This past weekend I was blessed to be able to attend my 2nd Hope Mommies Retreat.  This is the 4th retreat that Hope Mommies has hosted and I have been so blessed by their ministry over the past year & a half since Jackson went to Heaven.  The team of women that God has called to this ministry is truly amazing!  They step out of their own grief in order to minister to the rest of us in a big way :)  Last year was very different for me in many ways, but both retreats have provided healing for me that I wouldn't have received any other way.  It is so nice to meet with women who truly understand how I feel through the grief of losing by babies!  The pain & emptiness never really goes away, but it can be softened and you can receive some healing along the way.
I also love that we are drawn closer to our savior!  He is the ultimate healer, peace giver, comforter...we just have to learn to trust Him through our grief.  I know I felt very hurt & felt like it was a personal attack from God when Jackson went to Heaven.  It took me a lot of searching and several wonderful Christian friends to understand that my hurt was not a personal attack at all, but that once we allowed Him to, God would use our loss for His glory.  Last year's retreat really showed me that.  We have to give it to Him every day, but when we do He truly turns ashes into beauty!  I know He has done this in a big way in our lives!  This year's retreat really showed me that God is still good, He is still loving, & He loves me & my babies very much!  If you or someone that you know have a baby in Heaven due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or similar issues I encourage you to join our Hope Mommies group.  There is a Facebook page as well as a blog and they are on other social media outlets as well.   http://hopemommies.org

Trying a Healthy Lifestyle

Our family is really trying to eat healthier this year...I've been buying as much organic produce & product as I can find in our local stores and we've been trying to make healthier snack choices.  I've found that if I actually stick to my list & don't buy any junk while I'm in the store, I've been saving a lot of money & we have been feeling much better!  We have also been more consistent with our It Works products again & they have been helping tremendously!  I can't take everything I would like to until after the baby comes, but Cody is back on his normal routine with the thermofit, it's essential bars, greens, & profit.  I can still use the profit & essential bars, which I love, for breakfast or a snack...they keep me full & give me the good energy that I need to make it through my day :)  Anslee takes a very small amount of the greens & profit as well & she loves them!  I'm going to try to share some recipes & food/health tips on a regular basis for those of you who are interested in what we are doing to stay healthy.

Here's your first recipe, a vanilla chai tea smoothie...if you try it, please let me know how you like it :)  We thought it was pretty tasty!  To get your profit, go to http://christinburris.myitworks.com

90 Day Challenge!

I've seen lots of my friends posting about how they are trying to get healthy this year…who's up for a 90 day challenge?!  All you have to do is select at least 1 product from It Works & try it for at least 3 months…really that's all :)  I promise you will see results & your body will thank you later!!!  We will start on February 3rd!  You will need to order your product for the first month by January 20th to make sure it gets to you in time to start the challenge.  If you have any questions please let me know…you can call/text me at 325-203-6384 or e-mail me at codychristinb@aol.com.  My website to order products is http://christinburris.myitworks.com 

If you are on social media look me up: Facebook (Christin Ballard Burris), Instagram (christinburris), Pinterest (cdburris), and we will start a support group and keep up with each other's progress :)  I look forward to seeing what a difference these products can make in your life!

New Year, New Beginnings!

Well, here we are at the beginning of a new year!  A chance to rethink goals, dream a little, and set your plans for this year.  We are personally trying to tackle our debt, revisit our goals on health, and prepare for our new baby girl, Aislyn Rayna, that will be here in April :) 

Our family experienced a great loss early in December, my uncle, Tim Ballard, passed away at only 52 from a heart attack with no prior health problems.  We are all still stunned...it just doesn't seem real.  He was a very Godly man, so we know he is celebrating in Heaven...it's just hard for the rest of us to make peace with why God would take him so soon.  Please pray for his wife, Kim, & their three boys as they go through this process.  We know God is in control and that He will work everything for our good, but it's hard to see that when you're so overwhelmed with grief.
Through this loss, our family has realized how precious life is.  We have refocused our priorities back to God first, family second, church third, and everything else after that.  We are trying to be faithful in our daily devotions, prayers, and family time together.  It has already made such a big difference in our lives and attitudes every day :)

The other thing we are focusing on is our debt...we went through the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University several years ago & did very well for a while, but then we went back to bad habits.  Our goal is to be very strict on our budget and get back on track over the next few months.  It's never easy, but it's always better to have your finances in good working order :)

Then there is the health & wellness goal...since I found out I was pregnant last August I haven't been able to keep taking most of the It Works products that I was taking & so my husband slacked off as well.  My goal is to help keep him on track so he can meet his health & weight loss goals as well as fixing healthy meals & snacks for our whole family so we can all stay healthy & feeling good :)  If your goal is health, weight loss, or making extra money this year, check out my website http://christinburris.myitworks.com for great products and advice.  You can also call or text me at 325-203-6384.

Lastly, we are overjoyed to be preparing to meet our sweet baby, Aislyn, in only about 16 weeks!!!  This pregnancy has flown by, but I have enjoyed most of it :)  I have had a few breakdowns with anxiety, which was expected & normal after losing Jackson in 2012.  We are trusting God and His goodness and so far we are both healthy & Aislyn is growing strong :)  Anslee is so excited to be a big sister & can't wait to meet her new baby!  She has been so good with other babies at church that I know she will be great in this new role :)

I hope your goals and dreams are accomplished this year just as I hope ours are :)  We pray blessings over you & your family throughout this new year of 2014!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!

Well, I just realized that it has been forever since I've posted anything!  We have been so busy this fall :/  I took on babysitting an infant for a friend and we have enjoyed having a baby around again, but it has kept me very busy!  We also found out at the end of August that we are expecting!!!  Our precious new baby is due April 30th & we cannot wait!  I've only had a few very emotional days where I have been overcome with worry & anxiety…after Jackson went to Heaven last year, this pregnancy has me more worried than I thought it would.  However, we know that God is good and works all things for our good so we are choosing to trust Him and accept His blessings as He provides them.  So far our baby is healthy & growing strong!  Anslee continues to grow & blossom with her own unique personality that lights up our days :)  She is very strong willed, but she is also very sweet and caring.  I can't imagine a more perfect gift from God for our family!
The Christmas season is my favorite out of the whole year!!!  We get to celebrate my birthday, see all of our family, there is sometimes snow :), I drink lots of hot chocolate when it's cold, and we celebrate the most important thing of all…our Savior's birth!  It's a magical time of year when love fills the air & I love it!  I love all the lights & decorations, but what I love most of all is celebrating Jesus Christ and what He has done for us!  I hope everyone remembers the true reason that we celebrate even through all the activities, shopping, and fun gatherings :)