Oktoberfest

Dear Family and Friends,

                I am in a rare moment when Daniel and I have switch roles and I get to be in the office writing you and he is spending a hour with the wee little lassies….it’s still quiet…good sign!  Sometimes I wonder how Daniel can get anything done with the wonderful fall view that is right outside his office window!  Wisconsin truly captures my story book idea of what fall should look like.  I am beginning to sound more and more like my mother, “Look at the beautiful trees, girls!  Look at all the colors!  Didn’t God do a great job when he designed fall?”  They give me the same vacant look that I know I gave my Mom.  Oh well…the trees are still beautiful! 

The Fish Boil went well as you can see

                “Erin, how are you doing these days?”  This is the question I get several times each week from friends or family on the phone, in person or through email.  I really feel cared for and appreciate the acknowledgement that I am in a challenging season of life.  I am happy to inform you that right now, this moment I am feeling more like myself and that is such a good thing.  What has changed to make me feel this way?  Nothing really – Claire is still up a few times at night and I still can’t even think of fitting into my normal clothes, but God has blessed me with the ability to see through the haze of sleeplessness and the constant role of on-demand mommy and truly enjoy the little people I am surrounded with all day.  For me, that is a big blessing and answer to prayer.  Please don’t get the wrong idea here.  I LOVE my family and I am blessed to be able to stay home with them.  I wouldn’t want it any other way, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be tiring! J So, to answer your question – yes, I have had a great couple days and I might hit the wall again tomorrow, but I am grateful for the feeling of reprieve this week has been to me – thank you, Lord!

Daniel meeting with a parishoner

                October is a big month for our little church.  We started off the month last week with a Fish Boil (something I have never heard of till moving here – I love WI!).  As you have read in Daniel’s write-up we hosted around 40 to 50 people from our neighborhood at our Fish Boil!  We set up our back yard with tables and fun fall center pieces (ok, I did the centerpieces…I was super proud of myself…is that ok to say? J).  I was a little nervous that we wouldn’t be able to pull it off in time or that I would have a complete emotional break-down due to constant exhaustion, but with the aid of sweet friends who helped from doing the Fish Boil itself, cleaning my bathrooms and lending chairs and tables it went smoothly.  I know I have said this in almost all my blogs, but there is nothing like seeing your husband doing what God has made him to do!  It’s not that Daniel is personable and charming (which I think he is), but his love for God’s people and for the lost is so apparent!  Sometimes I think God blesses us with “smoothness” in our endeavors not for Daniel, but for me….so I don’t kill him!!! 

 With that being said, it just further proof to my unbelief that He is in this – that He wants us here!  I sigh with contentment…thank you, Lord!  Then, as of last Thursday I have started leading my very first Bible Study.  This is something I never saw myself doing…ever!  I am not a nature leader.  I don’t crave the spotlight like that.  I prefer the behind the scene role, but God like he does with us, yanked me out of my comfort zone yet again.  Now it helps that we are doing a book study that I love and hold dear to my heart, Emotional Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero.  I was in this study about a year ago.  It was lead by a dear friend from CO and under her leadership I grew and learned so much.  Since then I have loved promoting it…I just didn’t think I would be leading it myself!  We had six women attend last week (including myself) and it went well!  There are several women who are not only older than me, but have many more years of wisdom built up.  I was intimidated at first, but our discussion time turned into yet another learning experience for me.  Who said the leader doesn’t learn anything herself!  Please pray for our study time each week as we dive into the importance of our emotional health and how it relates to our walk with the Lord.

The Girls Walking to School with Will

                My girls…all four of them are doing great!  I think for the next ten years I will continue to be in shock that I have four kids….four girls none the less!  So much fun around here, my friends!  The two older girls continue to love school.  They walk the four blocks there and back each day with their friend Will.  It took me quite some time and MANY conversations about safety to be “ok” with this.  I still struggle as I watch them walk off each morning and pray, but it’s important to them to do it.  I wouldn’t let them go at all if it weren’t for Will.  He is such a sweet kid!  I have prayed for years that my girls would make a friend connection with a boy their age. I never had that as a kid and always wondered with it would have been like to grow up with a boy who was a friend.  Will lives down the street and he and his older sister are just what we prayed for.  Ellie was in her first swim meet here last week.  She did a great job and even got a medal!  Morgan had her 6^th birthday in September and continues to bug Daddy to get her ears pierced…Daddy isn’t budging!  Caroline does so many funny little things that I could write ten pages worth, but I will just share the most recent funny thing she does.  Every time I change Claire’s diaper and it’s messy she groans, puts a hand to her forehead and shakes her head!   It is just constant entertainment around here!  Claire is changing and growing so fast!  She is super cubby now – I love it and smiles and coos all the time!  I just want to squeeze her!

Claire super happy

                Well, this concludes my blog!   I will continue to thank you each time for your love and support and more importantly your prayers.  I feel the effects of them daily.  We miss you all so much!  May the Lord bless and keep each one of you close to Him!

Love,
Erin

4 Girls

Dear Family and Friends,

                Well, here I am 7 weeks after the birth of our fourth little girlie!  Miss Claire is cute as ever and we are doing great…that’s what I’m supposed to say, right? J!  I mean…I don’t really sleep anymore or remember anyone’s names.  Sometimes I find the milk in the cabinet and put diaper cream on my toothbrush, but hey…baby and mom are doing fine!!!  Four girls, people…we have four girls!!! I am most certainly overwhelmed and though my cup truly runneth over with blessings I do find myself rocking in a corner sometimes telling God that it’s way too much; Has given me too much?  These precious little lives entrusted to Daniel and me. I feel super unworthy.  There was a time about two and a half years ago when we were struggling to have another baby.  We had been trying to get pregnant for quite some time and my thinking got so bad that I thought that maybe I had already messed my first two kids so much that God didn’t want to entrust another life to me.  I knew in my heart that was a lie, but at the time I believed the lie…now look at me!  I wonder what I would think if myself from two and a half years ago could talk to the me now?  I am trying to let all my expectations go and just focus on the now, this moment.  The laundry and cleaning will have to wait (though that is SUPER hard for me to do).  There is a poem my mom used to quote to me when she rocked me when I was little. “Cleaning and scrubbing can wait this tomorrow. Babies grow up we have learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep.  I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.” So, I am trying to put this poem into action and when it gets too much I take Claire for a walk up and down the sidewalk in front of our house.  Last night I did just that around 9pm and as I walked I heard the most lovely violin music playing from across the street.  I could tell it was live and not a recording, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from. It was so beautifully haunting.  I felt such a rush of gratitude to my Lord for that little gift of music and I prayed for the hands who played it.  Claire stopped crying and we listened until she feel asleep.

Ellie, Morgan, Caroline, and Stephen chillin' on the hammock

                I was very blessed during the month of July and August to have back to back help come to visit.  First, my dear sister Megan came the first week in July.  She not only helped with all the kids, but cooked for me, cleaned for me, took me shopping and even got Claire on a good eat/wake/sleep schedule.  She saw the needs before I even voiced them.  Thank you my precious sister!  After Megan came there was Christie Sidelko (dear friend from CO)!  She stayed for a full ten days (bless you, my dear)!  She was on the ball and took care of the three older girls so I could focus on Claire.  She loved my kids so well that even Caroline started to settle into the fact that everything was going to be ok.  After one week she even got me off my butt to do a little low impact Zumba!  Then came my oldest friend from Georgia, Beth (we have been friends since 3^rd grade)!  We had a great time laughing and talking till the wee hours of the morning.  She was such an encouragement to me.  Next, my little brother Stephen came up!  We all packed up and went to our cabin in upper Michigan.  Uncle Stephen is so great with all the girls! He is gentle, patient and doesn’t mind when the three older ones climb up onto the hammock with him!  He is going to make a wonderful father one day.  Then last but not least my other sister Jenna and her boyfriend Armando came for a whole week!  It was so good to see them and we had a full week of fun activities, great talks and just plain good times!  What a bless you all are to me!  I love you dearly!

                So, besides the general craziness this season of life is for me I can still say I am a blessed women!  The support system I have is a solid and a loving one and I must mention my most valuable ally and support in my life…my Daniel.  This is a man who loves me unconditional and who bares with me during this time when I am so tired and my self-image is at a low.  He still calls me beautiful and I know he means it.  We celebrated our eleventh year of marriage this month and what a ride these eleven years have been.  Baby, you are still the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Thank you for loving me so much and always pointing me to my Savior.

                Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts over these last months.  This pregnancy was a hard one, but now our Claire is here – praise the Lord!!  I can’t wait to keep you all updated on her growth.  May the Lord bless you all!

Erin

Summer Time in Wisconsin

Greetings Friends and Family,

Ellie doing some painting

        It is a lovely day here in Appleton, WI!  The sun is shining and a light breeze plays over our freshly planted flowers.  Most people seem to have a small spring in their step…everyone…but me.  You will see me waddling around with feet the size of boulders and wearing a “if looks could kill” expression on my face…that would be me, folks! Sigh – we will be at 35 weeks pregnant this Saturday and I have officially entered the “get this kid out of me” red zone.  I hope I don’t appear to scary to others….I am trying to keep it under control.  My sweet husband has been picking his battles very cautiously these days.  I get to have the air conditioner on at night already due to the massive amounts of heat pouring off me and he hasn’t said one negative comment about my cooking!!!  In fact I get a, “This is great!” and “Mom, you are the best cook ever!”  Aww, my sweet family is so good to me!  Ellie and Morgan even said in the car yesterday, (Ellie) “Mom, your feet aren’t that big!”  (Morgan) “No Mom, they are big, but I like big feet!” Ellie has been extra supportive and sweet.  My very perceptive daughter has pinpointed one of my biggest struggles in life.  She noticed me poking at my double chin the other day and said in a slight scolding tone, “Mom, are you feeling bad about yourself again?” (me), “Yes”, (Ellie) “Mom, you are beautiful!”  Out of the mouths of babes, my friends.  So, as you can see, and for those of you who know me,  pregnancy is tough on my already fragile self image.  This is a battle I have struggled with for as long as I can remember.  God has used these four pregnancies to painfully remind me that my value doesn’t come in the size of my jeans or how many chins I have, but in Him.  I would love to say I have grasped this truth and can be joyful at any size, but alas I’m not where I want to be.  We all have our demons and this is one of my biggest.

Caroline Doing the Dishes

                Daniel and I continue to LOVE our new home and relish in the joy of having people in it.  As Daniel said in his update our little house might not be up to par in size for all the wonderful people flooding into it, but I don’t care a bit!  We can all just get cozy!  It seems we have crossed from “Church Planning” to “Church Planting” this month.  We have had two bible studies in our home and they went very well.  I am overwhelmed by the tangible fact that this is happening.  It is very exciting!  I just love the way the Lord has paved the way for us and the specific ways we do ministry.  For example, I was telling Daniel on Sunday night, as we put away chairs and picked up soda cans around the house after the Bible Study, that God knew that we needed to ease into this, or maybe that I needed that.  When we came to Appleton there was already a Community Group going out from Jacob’s Well Presbyterian Church that we became a part of.  The key phrase here is "a part of."  We didn’t jump right into a leadership role, but were able to get to know the Appleton Community Group of Jacob’s Well.  I felt at home there and established friends.  Now these wonderful people know us (or know us better than anyone else here) and while we are now climbing into a leadership role I feel we aren’t alone in this pursuit.  We have a group of people here who are truly “for us” in this and support this great desire to start a church.
            I have also been blessed by a strong and amazing group of women in this group.  While we met with the Community Group this past winter and spring we had a wonderful time at the end of each study where the women and men broke off into two groups and had a time of discussion and prayer.  I was able to get to know these incredible women and see their hearts and them see mine.  I found that it really cemented our group together.  Most of these women are now a part of our church plant, so when a situation arose a few weeks ago I was able to call on them.  There was a woman who started coming to our group who was homeless and her 30^th birthday was coming up and she had mentioned she wouldn’t be celebrating it. Daniel was going out of town and he wanted me to have her over for ice-cream and cake.  It was very last minute, but I sent word out and we were able to enjoy a girl’s night and celebrate our friend as she turned 30.  I was very touched to see such a response by my friends. (Thanks, Ladies!)

                I switch gears now to give you an update on the little ladies in my life.  Ellie just finished 2nd grade.  My baby is growing up so fast!  During the last few months she has been learning some new study skills at school and she had a geography test this past Tuesday.  I had a blast studying with her…I was able to brush up on some of my geography skills myself!  See, why can’t we go to school NOW when we actually care about learning!!  Ellie continues to be a wonderful role model to her little sisters.  She plays “doggie” with Morgan even though she would rather not and totes Care-Bear around on her hip like a little pro.  Caroline has learned to say “Ellie” (comes out more like “Eeie” with just a hint of a “L” in there somewhere) Ellie’s face just lights up when Caroline reaches her little cubby arms out to her to be picked up.  My heart melts!  Ellie continues to love crafts and yesterday put together an abstract "something" with all the recycling.  We have decided to sell it on Ebay and will start the bidding at one thousand dollars!

                Morgan has been hanging in there at home with her pregnant mother and her little sister.  She was counting down the days until Ellie was free d from her 2^nd grade obligations.  Now she has her companion back for more important things like make forts and mud pies.  She did have a fun opportunity to go to New York with Daddy and the rest of the Breed family for 5 days to celebrate Great-Grandma Virginia’s 100^th birthday.  I wish you could have seen her, my friends.  She was so excited, and when I dropped Daddy and Morgan off at the airport I was bummed I didn’t have my camera with me (grated it was 4:30 in the morning).  She was so cute walking into the airport pulling her little Hello Kitty pink roller suitcase!  Ahh, it kills me! She had a great time with Daddy and the family.  Morgan continues to amaze me with her insightful questions.  She asked me the other day if people would remember her when she died.  This is a five year old....  She is really excited to be starting Kindergarten and likes to tell Caroline that she won’t be around at home for much longer. Love it!

Caroline and our new friend Samantha

                Caroline….wow, what a kid!  It’s a darn good thing she is so cute!  She is at the testing stage and she even has a look she gets when she is about to test us. “No, Caroline don’t do it!!” (sigh).  We found a little Winnie the Pooh riding car in someone’s out going trash pile a few months ago.  The little car was in perfect condition though the little song it sings is really annoying.  She has mastered that little car and now Morgan, Caroline and mommy ride and waddle around the block almost every morning.  I have to say while my kids make me want to bang my head against a wall a couple times a day there is never a lack of entertainment around this house!  I put on some good dancing music the other night after dinner when the whining had reached a scary level and when Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson came on the “rhythm” or something like it grabbed all three girls!  Ellie starts walking around the kitchen bopping her head like a chicken, Morgan got a very serious look on her face and started whipping around, arms extended and throwing a leg out here and there almost hitting the bopping chicken dancer a few times.  Then there was Caroline who had a side to side waggle thing going on and as Michael got more into his song Caroline tucked her right arm into her side and started jerking it back and forth!  It’s her special move. I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe! 
               Well, that concludes my May update.  Thank you for your prayers and messages.  May the Lord bless you and keep you safe during this summer months.  You will hear from us again soon, but probably not before this family of five becomes a family of six!

Love to all!

Erin

Let the "Story" begin on Story Street!

Greetings, Family and Friends!

Grandpa's Desk Still Being Used

                I am sitting in our new house in Appleton, WI in the little sun room we have turned into an office and to top it all off; my Grandmother Alexander gave Daniel my Grandfather Alexander's writing desk!  I am sitting at it now and the memories I have of seeing that wonderful man of God working at this very desk just bring tears to my eyes.  The many times I would visit and play around on his office floor while he worked.  He is with Jesus now, but I love to think of him looking down to see his desk being “used” to spread the love of Jesus like he did his whole life.  Thanks for joining me in my sentimental moment! 

Easter egg hunting with Christie!

                Yes, my friends we have moved….again, but this time it is for good….I hope (just knocked on Grandpa’s desk – hehehe)!  We have been in this wonderful home for just over a week and while the boxes are still strewn about and I still have no idea where the bath-towels went, it feels more like home than any house Daniel and I have ever lived in together.  I thought I was being overly sensitive about the whole thing, but Daniel made the same statement to me the night we moved in here.  I like to take that as another confirmation from God that we are doing the right thing.  The move went as smoothly as possible for a pregnant woman in her third trimester and for a family who just moved three months ago.  My dear friend Christie, from the lovely state of CO, came out for ten days to help us with this transition.  I have known this dear woman since Ellie was 6 months old.  She worked at the 24Hour Fitness in the Kids Club and we connected immediately over our love of Harry Potter, thanks Harry!  She knows me very well and we are so alike it can be creepy.  She filled in during my weaker moments physically and emotionally.  She encouraged me and at breaking moments she would just push me (softly of course) out the door and say, “Go catch your breath and get some sun therapy!”  She took care of my kids and even brought a new game that Daniel and I loved and now we must go out and buy it! All and all, God knew I needed help and he worked it out that Christie could come.  There are no words to express how grateful I am, thank you my friend.

                Now that we are here in Appleton the excitement of the Church Plant itself is starting to bubble in me!  It seems so real now!  My hard working man wrote up a huge “report” to take to the Wisconsin Presbytery this coming up week to show them his progress so far.  He has met with a lot of people from the community during the last few months, talk about a lot of coffee!  My “introvertness” (not sure that is a real word…) just makes me want to curl into a little ball and rock in the corner when thinking about all those meetings, but it makes Daniel come alive.  It has been fun to watch him in his element.  We have some fun summer activities planned for our growing Appleton group.

As the weather is warming up people are starting to creep out of their homes.  This past weekend our little street was all a flurry with the sounds of lawn mowers, weed – whackers and of course children!  We bared our winter white legs and worked on the first lawn we have ever owned! It was thrilling!  The girls and I cleaned out the designated area for our future vegetable garden.  It was a delight to have them working beside me.  They were more interested in the worms and roly-poly’s than weeding, but that’s ok.  Caroline…well, Caroline just wanted to eat the dirt so we took turns steering her back to Daddy, “Go play with Daddy, Caroline!” who would steer her back to us, “Go play with Mommy, Caroline!” you get the picture. 

Morgan Biking like a pro

Here is a small update on our girls. Ellie is in her last few months of 2^nd grade and is doing well.  We have kept her in the Kaukauna school because we didn't want to change her over for the 3^rd time in one year.  We will just make the 20 minute drive twice a day for now.  She was in a musical program two weeks ago and took her music teacher very seriously when she said to keep smiling the whole time.  Ellie most certainly kept smiling the whole time!  We did our best to hold in our giggles because she sort-of looked like a Barbie Doll up there. Then by the end of the performance the smile had turned into more of a grimace!  Her teacher came up to us afterwards and said with her eyes twinkling, “Wow, Ellie can sure hold a smile…”  So cute!  Morgan has been adding to her list of “victories” this month, but it didn't look like it would be a victory in the beginning! A few weeks ago she came stomping into the house and threw herself dramatically on the couch.  Then she cries out, “I will never learn how to ride a two wheeler bike!” (me) “Wait, did you fall off your bike?” (Morg), “Noooo, I just KNOW I won’t be able to do it!” I tried to talk to her and comfort her, but there was no consoling the child.  She sobbed for about twenty minutes then got up and went back outside.  I, of course sighed and said a few things to the ceiling and go about getting dinner ready.  When I happened to look out the window, oh twenty minutes later, there was my Morgan on her two wheeler bike just riding around the cul de sac…seriously?  We ran outside and had a small party to celebrate!  Love the drama…never gets old.  Caroline continues to suck us all in with her super cute gibberish and her drunken teetering around the house.  I love the way this kids walks!  It always looks like she has had one too many!  She loves to say, “Uh-o” at everything and my response always is, “There’s no uh-o.  You worry too much!”  She has just added “co-cu” for thank you to her growing list of communication…so cute!  “Velma” (nick-name for baby Breed) is now 29 weeks and 1 day along!  According to my “What to Expect” app on my I-Phone “Velma” is the size of a butternut squash (17in, 3.1lbs). It’s amazing that a 3 pound baby can cause this much discomfort. I feel like I have a 20 pound basketball stuffed inside my belly. I just feel…big.  I don’t like that word choice and I am the only one who can use it.  If you see me you can say things like, “Erin, your pregnant? I would never have known!” or “Erin, you are just glowing! What could be the cause?” 

All and all, I am doing a lot better.  It is good to finally be in a home we love and a place to fully settle into.  I still struggle with a bit of depression and low thinking, but that will heal with time.  God has been ever faithful and has been showering our family with His love.  I feel utterly blessed when I look around at where He has brought us so far. Thank you for your prayers and your support for our family.  We miss so many, many of you.  You bless our lives!

"Shovel Faster!"

I have stolen a moment in my crazy weeknight schedule while a wild game of “Throw” is going on behind me.  You might be wondering what a game of “Throw” entails? Well, it’s basically Daniel chasing the girls around the basement and then throwing them on beanbag chairs!  Pretty basic father daughter time in our house…lots of screaming and high pitched laughing!

I know it has been awhile since I have written and I know my last blog might have been a little more “real” than you would have liked, but it was a hard time for me.  Thank you for all your sweet encouragement.  I really appreciate it.

Ellie the professional shoveler

Our family is becoming more accustomed to Wisconsin.  It has been a very mild winter.  We have only had a few snow falls, which has been just fine with me, but the girls would like more so they can build a snow fort.  They have enjoyed the snow we have had though.  Ellie loves shoveling the driveway with Daddy.  I can’t believe how fast these Wisconsinites shovel their driveways!! We are always the last driveway on the block to clear our snow away!

The ministry itself is at a “strange” stage or maybe I should say a stage that Daniel and I have never experienced.  Our goal in moving during the winter time was to get here and try to settle our family so when Spring arrived we would know a base of people to really get things moving.  I can honestly say that is what this winter is looking like.  Daniel meets with people who direct him to more people etc… Getting to know people has always been a strong gift of Daniel’s and I think he is enjoying it.  I think it’s the pace of our ministry right now that is the hardest to get use to.  Daniel is used to working many hours and having a lot on his plate.  This is a rare and precious time on our lives and we are trying to really appreciate our slower paced days, but for two people who have been used to a packed calendar (I am sure some of your remember our crazy schedule) each month this takes some getting used to.  The funny thing is I am a classic introvert and always struggled with how busy we were in CO.  I always felt spread too thin and I yearned for something…I thought it was more time to myself.  Now that I suddenly have lots of time I find myself feeling anxious and jumpy!  Wow, we are a fickle people!  It is a very good lesson for me to learn. I have what I thought I wanted and still feel unsatisfied…ok, God just teach me and guide me to what I don’t even know I want or need! What a perfect quiet time for God to do some serious work in me/us…be careful for what you ask for, people (I say that with a smile)!

Caroline Morning Hair

The girls are doing great! For those of you who keep up with Facebook I keep it pretty updated with the funny happening of my girls.  Morgan tends to be the leading lady in the “funny” these days. Though Caroline is a close second.

 Morgan is my little open book, so like her mother!  I always know where my Morg’s radar is pointing.  She is hanging in there staying at home with a pregnant mommy and a crazy Caroline, but she has started to say how much she misses going to school.  This is a good sign.  She’s getting more comfortable here and ready to branch out.  We are going to look into getting her involved with some art class or swimming lessons soon.

Caroline and Morgan in the morning with
their favorite animals

Ellie is getting into those years where we are dealing with more serious questions and thoughts.  She has the most precious heart and is really concerned for others.  We have had to talk through a few confusing situations where girls in her class have treated her unkindly. It is hard for me to understand why this stuff starts so early, but I remember experiencing it myself.  We just try to talk each situation through and how handled it. 

Caroline is my little terror and I say this with a huge smile on my face!!! I love this age!  This morning Morgan wanted to sit on the floor next to the sliding class door in the kitchen to enjoy the snow that was falling outside.  She put up a chair “wall” consisting of all our kitchen chairs to keep Caroline out…you can imagine what the next hour looked like; Caroline making her way around the whole wall finding each small hole and trying to squeeze her little body through.  The times she did make it to the other side she just beamed with delight and crawled over to terrorize Morgan’s little space of peace.  Caroline still refused to walk though she could if she wanted to.  Sigh…patience, Mommy!!! 

“Velma” (baby Breed) is looking good!  The girls have nick-named the baby Velma.  I just roll with it and no we are not naming the baby Velma!  We got to see little Velma last week.  He/she is looking great and we got an encouraging report.  We did not find out the sex…we will all be surprised together, but as someone from Rocky Mountain Church stated, “Let’s face it, it’s going to be another girl!”.  If so, I don’t think there has ever been a man who will be loved so fiercely but 5 women!  Velma is due June 30^th

Well, that closes out my mid-February post.  This is a time of growth for the Breed family and it is good.  Thank you for all your encouragement and prayers.  You are in this just as much as we are.  Please know that we think of you often and are humbled each month by the different kinds of support you send our way.  We would not be here if it wasn’t for you. 

Love you all dearly,

Erin