The 18 week update is a sad one. Amelia's grandpa, Steve Crawford, passed away this past Sunday. Grandpa Steve loved Amelia so much and she brought so much joy to him in the last year of his life. I am thankful that Amelia was able to spend time with him and sad that our next baby will not know his/her Grandpa Steve. One recent memory that I hold dear of Amelia and her Grandpa is the easter egg hunt she did in Grandpa's backyard this year. I remember noticing that Grandpa Steve seemed to really enjoy watching her wander around collecting the eggs and putting them in her basket. Grandpa will be dearly missed by all of us!

I will be reading the New Testament scripture at the funeral service this weekend. The verse is from Romans 8. As I looked over it, I realized that this verse has some of the spiritual significance in the boy name that has been on my heart. If we are indeed having a boy, I think it's neat that this verse will be what I read at Grandpa's funeral and think it will be of special significance for Steve's grandson.

Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39

If God is for us, who can be against us?

He did not spare his own Son

but handed him over for us all,

will he not also give us everything else along with him?

Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?

It is God who acquits us.

Who will condemn?

It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,

who also is at the right hand of God,

who indeed intercedes for us.

What will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will anguish, or distress or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?

No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly

through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,

nor angels, nor principalities,

nor present things, nor future things,

nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

nor any other creature will be able to seperate us

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.