'Yearbook' photos Travis

And here is Travis' 'yearbook' photos!!

He had fun making them!

'Yearbook' photos

Funny photos that we created as if we were in a Yearbook from years past.

Pretty funny!!

I really look like my mom. I should get hers and scan it in so we can compare!!

Travis wrote 'Rachel from her Black Panther days'

I really like this one...my top pick along with the one that looks like my mom!!

CJ & Sisu playing fetch

This is my cousin David Roper and my nephew CJ Rivers. And of course Sisu the dog. CJ came up with a great way to play fetch with the dog, by attaching a rope and running with the dog.

Moving to Vancouver WA in August 08!!

Travis wrote this in May/June of this year...

'Doing What You Love
A couple of weeks after Rachel and I found out that we were expecting (in February 2008), we talked about our future in ministry. We already volunteered, at a church that we love, with the Youth Ministry. But adding a child into the mix with a job, and leading a ministry, just seemed like too much to do all of them well. We made a decision to step down from working with our Youth Group, so we could focus on our family. This was a very hard choice for me, because I loved doing it and felt God had called me to do it, but I also felt God wanting me to be a good father.

We prayed about it and I still felt God wanted me to do ministry, so I decided to put out my resume. I sent it to a few churches and began conversations with one in Vancouver, WA. About that time we found out that our baby's hearbeat had stopped beating at 17 weeks. We backed off from talks with the church for a couple weeks as we continued seeking what God wanted for us and began to heal. I still believed that God wanted me in ministry and I continued talking with the church in Vancouver. After a visit and and interview we decided that this is what God wanted for our lives.

At the beginning of August we will be moving to Vancouver to begin a new chapter in our lives. And finally, I will be doing what I love and not having to work another job. My biggest frustration with doing ministry at New Hope was never being able to put in enough time to do the job to the best of my ability. Never having enough time to invest in students, to follow up on their struggles, to adequately plan, and equipping other leaders.

It breaks my heart to leave the friends we have in the Seattle area. We have spent 13 years of our lives in this area, and 7 years at this church. It has definitely not been an easy decision, but we believe that God has His hand in all of this. '

Collman-Wagoner reception party

To celebrate their wedding of November 23, 2007, my mom Susan Waogner and Rod Collman had a party/reception on Saturaday July 5th.

Some Roper (Susan's maiden name) family came early from Tenneessee and California to visit and relax.

Rod & Susan (my mom) Collman

Jim & Nancy Lyerla, Russiel & David Roper (L to R)

David, Ron Roper, Travis Sharp, Rod Collman (L to R)


Gayle (sorry it's your backside) & Jim Roper, Marshall Kennedy, Jim & Nancy Lyerla

David Roper holding CJ Rivers, and Mollie Rivers together wetting CJ! He provoked them I am sure!!


Our lovely couple!

cake from friends at Morning Side Bakery in Port Orchard! Thank you Brad, Amanda and Sherri!!

see more incredible cakes at :

http://web.mac.com/morningsidebakery/Site/Welcome.html

Both families, immediate and extended...

My mom and Rod did a great job, with some help from friends and family, to set up a nice place to gather by the lovely garden. I didn't get a picture of the centerpieces and party favors, but maybe someone else did??

Master Bedroom Remodel

So I guess mothers AND fathers both can nest. We have lived in this house since November 2002 and the bedroom is our last room to upgrade. So once we found out we were pregnant, Travis got right to work at finishing our bedroom so that we could get to baby's room.

before

during painting

after, with redone nightstands too

closet after

Service for Jeremiah

We are having a memorial service for our little Jeremiah Asher Sharp.

It will be Sunday May 4, 2008 at 12:30, after church.

New Hope Christian Church

725 112th St SW

Everett WA 98204

We would love it if you can come.

If you aren't able to come, that is completely OK,

we know you have been praying for us to heal in this time of sorrow.

Also we invite you to our house afterwards if you want to visit a while longer.

Or if you can't make it to the service, you can stop by our house.

Jeremiah's Memory Box

Providence Hospital in Everett was a great place for us. Like I said earlier, the nurses were constantly making sure we were doing OK, and moving along with the process at a pace that was comfortable for us. We even got a card yesterday from several of the nurses that served us.

Also they gave us a memory box to put items in for remembering Jeremiah.

You can see it open:

• his footprints page on the right foldout,
• birth info page on the left foldout,
• a ceramic heart necklace with 2 pieces-inside heart to represent baby and outside heart to represent parents
• small crotcheted infant cap (too big for our Jeremiah-but I will keep it anyway)
• hospital bracelet for him, wasn't used though
• tiny baby ring (in the baggie with purple bow)
• precious blanket that someone quilted with a bag to put it in- it was what he was on as we took pictures of him, better than a plain white towel or something
• separate album with his foot and hand imprints as well as his birth info on one side of it
• several poems
• blue handkerchief with tiny footprints (about the same size as his actual ones) with the Footprints poem

'This Memory Box provides a place to keep special items that you connect with your Loved One. To hold, touch and remember treasured mementos and memories is a healthy part of adjusting to a loss. The Box offers a place to go to, to think about the individual, the good times, and the moments shared. What is put inside is up to you... there are no right or wrong things to include, only those things that are special to you and your Loved One. Tying the ribbons is a type of closure, to untie them and open the Memory Box, is to open up oneself to remember that Special Someone. "By remembering, we keep what is precious and most special, as treasures in our heart forever." '

Pathology Results

We had wanted to know as much as we could why this happened, if it could be found out. So Jeremiah and the placenta went to the pathology lab on Sunday morning after delivery to check out as much as they could.

I spoke with my OB Dr briefly on Friday 4/25/08 to see if pathology results had come in for Jeremiah. I am getting a copy of the whole report on Wed at my follow-up appointment, so I can read it word for word.
Dr Wong told me there were several issues with Jeremiah:

• he had a neural tube defect- the 2 most common forms of this defect include spina bifida and anencephaly. Basically it has to do with his spine and head, the neural tube and it didn't close up (back of his head), as it should have.
• he was missing several organs, such as his lungs and most of his intestines.

It is good to have some medical answers, and I will ask questions to get any other answers we aren't sure about.

Next pregnancy I will take more folic acid than before, 4x the normal amount in prenatal vitamins, as suggested by the Dr. This will possibly help prevent any neural tube defects in future babies. I had been taking normal amounts in the prenatals that I had been taking these past 5 years.

Miracle

My sister in law posted this on my myspace account on April 15, a couple days before we found out about Jeremiah. I still really love the picture though. After I looked at it again, I saw the wings on this little baby. Very touching picture.

The Broken Chain

A dear friend gave this to us, I thought it was beautiful and meant so much so I wanted to share it. Thank you everyone for all your calls, meals, emails, flowers, cards, texts, hugs and everything!!

You make this easier to go through.

The Broken Chain

We knew little that morning

that God was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

in death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

you did not go alone;

for part of us went with you,

the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories,

your love is still our guide;

and though we cannot see you,

you are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken,

and nothing seems the same;

but as God calls us one by one,

the chain will link again.

A Daddy's Heart

-Travis Sharp

Daddy

I am going to type this out so everyone can read it:

4/19

Yesterday was one of the hardest in my life. Rachel sent me a message from her Dr.'s appointment saying they couldn't find a heartbeat. My heart sank, but I hoped it was just hiding from them. An hour or so later she called, it had no heartbeat. I left work abruptly and screamed in pain as I drove away. 5 years and finally she's pregnant, 17 weeks in we find out it's lost. I so want to be a father! I wonder if we will be able to conceive again? I am sitting here today, waiting at the hospital. They are trying to induce her to deliver the baby. She is going to birth our dead baby. It is difficult to wrap my head around. I know there is a reason but what could it possibly be?

The baby came out at about 7:00pm. I held Rachel's hand and stared into her eyes as tears streamed down our faces. It's obvious, looking at him that he would not have made it. There was a very large growth on his belly. He is very tiny. His hands are perfect, they look just like mine. It's hard to really take it all in. We like to think that Rachel's dad is up in heaven holding him in his hands. I think we will call him Jeremiah. It's not the name we originally picked out. It means 'God will raise up.' I think the emotional healing will take a while.