Dream Small

I had a whole thing I wanted to sit down and write last night, but after I got Cooper in bed I went to check on Aubrey.

Her light was still on.

She had been FaceTiming one of her best friends who moved to California a few months ago.

She had been upstairs all afternoon quietly working away at making a bunch of different things on the brand new sewing machine my mom got her for Christmas.

After being blessed with a desk for her and moving around her entire room, Grandma Sue had come for a few hours to help her get it all set up and show her how to use it.

I walked into her room to find her on the floor pinning on pockets to a vest she had made special for Cooper to wear on his first day of preschool today.

I couldn’t believe it.

She had made her own pattern, cut out the fabric from an old blanket we had, and had it completely sewn together all by herself.

She’s eight. About to be nine next month. She had learned how to use her brand new sewing machine just six hours prior.

I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly proud I was of her.

It was wayyyyy past her bedtime, but there was no way I was going to stop our determined little girl from completing this absolutely adorable project for her brother’s big day.

She finished up the pockets on the front and marked “Little Dude” on them.

She was beaming with pride as she wrapped it up for him to open this morning.

With a mess still on the floor, she and I finally crawled into her bed together around 10:30pm.

At 7am you could hear Cooper yell “mommy! Daddy! I’m awake!” From his room.

Aubrey shot up out of bed and ran to open his door.

My battery had totally died from her lengthy FaceTime conversation so I wasn’t able to capture the video when she gave him his special new vest.

But it went something like this:

Aubrey: “hey Cooper I finished your present last night!”

Cooper: “Can I open it!?? Please can I open it!??”

Aubrey: “Yes! I hope you love it!”

Cooper unwrapping: “I do! I do! I do love it Aubrey! Can I wear it?”

Cooper running to me: “Mommy can you put it on!??”

With that, Aubrey’s eyes sparkled as she watched me put the perfectly fitting, absolutely adorable, most amazing thing I have ever seen her make, on.

Cooper beamed with a smile from ear to ear.

He ate his breakfast and we took him to his very first day of preschool.

Later today, Aubrey made a coordinating vest for her baby cousin. I can assure you it was equally amazing and adorable. She also made Brady’s battle pup, Nutter Butter 2.0, a hoodie from the same matching fabric.

Sometimes we sit around wondering what we can buy to show someone we love that we are thinking about them.

Sometimes we try to find the monetary gift that will somehow help them through whatever it is they are facing.

Sometimes it isn’t the cost of the gift, but the heart of the giver.

Cooper proudly wore his homemade vest for his first day of school. He made sure to tell his teachers that, “my sissy made this for me!”

And while I’m certain he could have made it through the day without it, I’m also positive that having something so special to wear made by someone who loves him so much helped to bring him confidence and joy feeling connected to his family as he embarked on his very first day away from us.

Because what he took with him was something far greater than any outfit I could have ever bought from a store.

It was a gift of love. So. Much. Love.

Each battle pup we have the honor to send out leaves our hands with the same amount of love, peace, and joy that Aubrey poured into her gift for Cooper.

We read the stories. We feel the pain. We hear the hurt. We pray for the sick. We pray for love and peace to be magnified through our pups. We pray that joy goes with them.

We hold the promises of God in our hands as we carefully select each pup to travel to their new warrior.

It is a gift of love. So. Much. Love.

From our family to yours.

May the love and impact of these heartfelt gifts be multiplied to reach those who desperately need to know they aren’t alone.

No one battles alone.

Shields up.

Swords out.

We are with you, Kristin

“Don't buy the lie you've got to do it all Just let Jesus use you where you are One day at a time Live well Loving God and others as yourself Find little ways where only you can help With His great love A tiny rock can make a giant fall So dream small”

#waytobattle #waytobattleAubrey #awesomelikeAubrey #sewing #giftoflove #homemade #littlesister #bigsister #sistertoafighter #childhoodcancerawareness #childhoodcancer #everyonebattles #battlepups #armedwithstrength #noonebattlesalone #shieldsup #swordsout #joshwilson #dreamsmall

**** in case anyone is wondering, I only almost cried like ten times today. ****