I have been so excited to share Esther's birth story for the past two weeks. I finally have some time to sit down and type it all out. Let me start by giving some background info. In 2008, when I was pregnant with Elle at just 22 years old, I planned for a more natural … Continue reading My Supernatural Cesarean Birth
Tomorrow I will turn 31 years old. I couldn’t be more excited! In my last entry, I mentioned that I had huge hopes, declarations, and excitement for my 30th birthday. The past year has certainly had its victories and beautiful moments. But if I could really sum it up, I would describe the past 365 … Continue reading Running Toward Fear
One year ago today, Brett and many lovely friends threw me a party to celebrate my 30th birthday. Due to sickness and weather, lots of the party details changed last minute and it was a bit stressful, but we choose to have fun and stayed up into late hours of the night dancing with some … Continue reading Take a Moment to Remember
Stories of unhealthy community from my past and the redemptive healing life healthy community has brought us in our most recent trials.
The past three months have been filled with adventure, blessings, and frustrations. As a family, we have traveled to many exciting destinations, dealt with multiple unexpected hardships, and experienced huge transitions. To name a few major moments: we went on a mission trip as a family, Brett traveled to South Africa, we’ve endured quite a … Continue reading Choosing Grace
Brett and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary last week on June 2nd. That day, a friend teasingly asked us to share all the wisdom we’ve gained from being married that long. I have been pondering on that question since, and one thing keeps coming up. I have learned to appreciate and embrace the trials … Continue reading My Beautiful Scars
Dealing with unforeseen waves of grief in the midst of celebration can be tricky. Here is an example of how I'm learning to process and validate my heart with Jesus.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13.12 Hope deferred. This is the state Brett and I have found ourselves in quite often the past year. Many days, we could come up for a breathe and felt we weren’t trapped by its grip. Others, we could … Continue reading Hope Deferred
Today I awoke heartbroken for the loss of our daughter, Evelyn, that I should be meeting today. But I won't let her story end there. In honor of Evelyn's life, I am finally launching my own website/blog: shaileyratliff.com. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement.
I was surprised last month when I looked up the definition of “vulnerable”. But as I contemplated on it more, it think it is truly fitting. Brett and I have chosen to share our journey the past 15 months publicly. As we have done this, we have left ourselves open to being hurt, misunderstood, judged, … Continue reading Vulnerability
shailey ratliff 