Wishing you a very Magical Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

It is amazing what God has done over the past year in our family. We thank you for being a part of our lives and we can't tell you how much your comments, posts, emails, cards and prayers have meant to us. God Bless you and your family today. We are so thankful for the memories of Hogan. I am so thankful that I am able to type this Christmas wish from a warm house and that we continue to make memories today. We are very blessed.

Thank you for being a part of our lives.

In His Love,

Kip, Angie, Noah and Lily

Dreaming.

HOGAN

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all his had done. PHIL 4:6

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. PHIL 4:13

Well, it won't be long until "remembertheone.org" goes online. I will meet tomorrow afternoon to see the website. We have been working on this website for a few months and it's finally about to happen!

I did something last week for the first time. I went back and read my first 2 blogs in order to have a "how it began" story on the website. The designers wanted me to write that story. It was amazing to read my post again. It brought back so many vivid memories and also helped me realize that Hogan was destined to be used by God.... but aren't we all?!? My first 2 blogs mentioned a website. It was a website I never really got off the ground because I decided to blog instead. This website was built (by me!) so it wasn't very good.... but that vision was born. That website was named "Hogan's Heroes". The motto for the website was "remembering the ones". This "remembering the ones" thought is still on my mind and in my heart today. Isn't it amazing that a little baby boy that had a condition called Trisomy 18 started this whole thing?

Although Trisomy 18 is known for being "incompatible" with life, Hogan was full of life. His life reminded me that every day on earth is a blessing. He reminded me that it doesn't matter how old, young, tall, short, rich or poor, you can make a difference. He helped me be more aware of not taking the future for granted. I never assume much anymore. If someone makes the statement "wait until"... well, I just hope we get there! Anyone can impact the lives of others. It is never too late or too early in life to choose to make a difference. Little eyes are always watching you. You can never love your children too much. I have never heard any of my clients say to me.... I wish I would have worked more when I was young or I regret spending time with my family. There might be some people that feel that way but I have never met them.

Remembertheone.org will be a place for anyone. It will be a website that will connect people with the same conditions, or life events. It will be a resource for the people that might want to connect with others or share their stories with friends and family members without having to pick up the phone. It is something that I feel is needed. It is something that has been on my heart since I started blogging. I blogged and communicated through facebook during Hogan's life. It wasn't always comfortable to put certain posts on facebook. The hope is to create an environment that will be a place to share a journey. I will not blog from this website once we go "live" with remembertheone.org. My plan is to continue Hogan's blog on the RTO's website. Hogan will have a page on the new website. Of course, his page will be a "memorial page". I will put the important dates on his calendar like the day we found out about Hogan, the day he was born and the day he went to be with Jesus.

The dream of the website is to be offered eventually in every hospital. Of course, this will take time. I believe that God will use this website. I have no doubt that God's love will be shown by the resources that someone will be given to build there own journey page. God is with everyone on their journey. Some journey's are tougher or harder than others. I especially like the calendar. If someone builds a journey page, that person will be able to blog, join group(s), contact others, follow others, have their own web address on the site and have their own calendar. For instance, if you or your friend has cancer, the journey page will allow this person to put a surgery date and time, or an event, or special day. Someone that follows this person will be able to get notifications of posts, blogs, and calendar events. If I am having lunch with a friend, I might one day get an email from RTO letting me know that someone I follow on a journey page is having treatment or a surgery. This will enable me to have options. I could send this person a message on the website, call, send flowers, pray or whatever my heart is led to do. There have been many times that a friend will let me know about someone that is going to have surgery. I will try and remember this date and time but I would often get busy and forget about it. This website will help remind me of those events! There will also be a "fan page" on Facebook... so please pass the word. I believe the fan page will be running next week. The website will be totally social networked. It will be easy to pass along a journey to others. Although the journey pages are recommended "open" for anyone to follow, there will be capabilities that would enable a private journey page. The private page will only being able to be accessed by invitation. I want the website to be able to be used by anyone! The "ones" will drive the website.

Please pray for the website, its developers, the board, and the people that choose to use it. Hopefully it will help many, many, many people! Although I believe it could be a huge success by touching many, it will be a success if it helps one person or family. I was the father of a special little baby that helped to change lives. Hogan changed my life and many others. He is the reason that this website is going to be available. If you are reading this blog. You are important. I want to ask you to help spread the word about the website. This website is the website for Remember the One, Inc. It is a non-profit corporation that has a vision to give people hope, help and comfort during a journey. It is also a dream to turn this corporation into a foundation one day that can help individuals that need it. Yes, its a big dream. I will never believe it can't happen. I will never believe that miracles can't happen. After all, I sat beside a 3 lb., 3 oz. baby that changed many lives. He was a warrior. This website is built for warriors like Hogan. He never gave up and fought until his final breath. My prayer is that this website will be helping lives long after I am gone.

Thanks for loving us through Hogan's journey and the websites journey so far. If you are reading this blog then you are a hero of Hogan's.

In His Love,
Kip

Getting closer...

T shirts ideas that were sent to me from our web designer. I hope to be able to post the logo soon!

www.remembertheone.org (coming soon!)

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else" C.S. Lewis

We are getting closer to making this vision a reality. I have had a few meetings with the guys that are building the site and we have a logo and a design of the homepage. The next phase is to design the other pages. I was told this wouldn't take as long as the homepage design. Hopefully this website will be ready to help people in November or before.

This website will function with this domain: www.remembertheone.org The "one" in remember the one will be the "one out of X". It will be the 1 out of 100, the 1 out of 1000, the ones out of 10,000, etc. etc. I have no idea how God will use this website but I feel that is something that is supposed to happen. You will be able to search for someone by condition, name or town. Anyone will be able to create their own page. Anyone that creates a page will be able to connect with others with the same condition or situation if they wish. It will be a place will enable families and friends to keep up with important events in someones journey. If it weren't for the one's there wouldn't be a website. If it weren't for the one's then lives wouldn't be changing because of them. Thank God for the special people in our lives. I know that I would love to have Hogan sitting beside me as I type but I feel his spirit living inside me as if he was sitting here now. Hogan was used by God and I pray that his life will continue to help people and change lives through this website.

I continue to ask for prayers for this website. I see people everyday that could use this website. The one thing that was awkward to do during Hogan's journey was to put some of Hogan's information on Facebook. There is no doubt that facebook was a huge help during Hogan's journey but it just didn't feel right to me. I want to have a place that is specific to the cause. It will be intentional about connecting people that are walking through similar journey's. It will be a place that will give love and support to families that are in the midst of a difficult time in their life. It will be a place that someone can remember a journey of a loved one. I believe God can and will use this to change someone's life.

The website will be part of a 501c3 organization being started called Remember the One, Inc. I will be setting up an account next week and have already gotten commitments from Board members. A person will be able to donate to the website in different ways. You can give money to help operate the website with a normal donation. You can also give a contribution in honor or memory of a person. We will have an area on each "journey page" that gives someone an opportunity if they wish to honor or remember someone on the website. The money that is net of operating expenses will be used to help other charities. Angie and I want to help the "one's" financially if possible by supporting a core group of charities that's purpose is to help. I don't think that the website will cost much to operate initially and I am very thankful. Hopefully one day we will have so many lives being changed and helped that we will have to hire staff but we are going to give it to God and grow with it. Wouldn't it be a great problem to have to hire someone to help with the website one day?

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for loving us through Hogan's journey. I thank God for the "ones" in all of our lives.

In His Love,

Kip

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God-for God is love. 1 John 4:7,8 NLT

It's about the One....

Hogan Sayer Dominy

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't and life can't. The angels can't and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39 NLT

I wanted to update everyone that fell in love with our son Hogan over the past year and let them know what is going on with us! We are moving on with life after Hogan. Of course, there isn't a day that goes by that Hogan doesn't cross my mind many, many, many times. I am sure this will be the case until we meet again.

Noah turned 4 on August 12th and Lily turned 2 on August 16th. They both started pre school again this week and the usual tears and fears that go along with your child have been gripping us this week. It is so good to see their smiling faces every day when I get home from work. I worry about Noah and how he views Hogan's death. He talks about Hogan periodically. He is extra worried about us leaving him. I want to think that it is because he loves us and is just being a normal 4 year old but I can't help to wonder what is going through his mind. We stress to him that we are coming back to get him but I wonder if he thinks that Hogan is somewhere left alone. We have told him that Hogan is with Jesus but I wonder if in his little mind if he thinks Jesus is sitting with a class of babies in a pre school somewhere looking after him until we can come pick him up. Noah released a few balloons after his party on Saturday. As he was watching the balloons fly into the sky he turned to me and asked "Dad, are we sending these balloons to Hogan?" Noah loved Hogan so much. I guess that is why even more of my hair is turning a lighter shade.

I ask for your continued prayers for us as we move through the fall and the memories of the diagnosis and the memories. Again, I know we are blessed and many, many people are in much worse shape but it doesn't take away the pain.

I can't thank you enough for loving us and for being so good to us with your thoughts, prayers, cards and the contributions to Hogan's Memorial area in the Prince Avenue Christian School. We can't thank you enough. You will never know how much this support carried us through Hogan's journey. Thank you.

It is because of this support, Hogan's journey that I have been inspired to start a website that I have mentioned in other blogs. This website is going to be a place that I hope a family can be touched like we were touched during Hogan's journey. It will be an area of hope, love and support for the one's. I will always remember the one. It's this one out of "x" that will never be forgotten. It's the one that will never be alone. It's the one person that I hope will never go through a battle feeling alone. It's the family that will be able to communicate with people all over the world that might be going through a similar battle. It will be a success if God uses this website to change or touch one life.

I have been so worried about the website not being good. I have been wanting to make it the best website it could possibly be and that God would use it to touch hundreds and thousands of people. I know it might. I know it could. I know that it isn't wrong to wish, hope or pray for these things but a strong peace has overtaken me in the past few days. It's the feeling that it's about the one that gave me peace. If that one person can be helped then this website will be a success in my eyes. We will never forget the one. We will never forget our one (Hogan). We will never forget the one's that are fighting for their life. We will never forget about the one that is abused, abandoned or neglected. We will never forget the one's that can't stand up for themselves. It's the one's that make the statistics. It's the one's that are special to me. It's the one that will be remembered on this website.

My vision is to enable families to build a website for their loved one. It will be as private as the family wants their website to be but it will also be able to be accessed by anyone if the family wishes. There will be a calendar on each website that will enable the family to update family and friends of important dates. This could be the next cancer treatment, the next surgery, the upcoming doctors appointment, the date the loved one is scheduled to come home or even a fundraiser for someone. The website will be driven by the people that use it. Someone will be able to blog, post pictures, communicate with loved ones and connect with others that are going through the same life event. I ask for your prayers for the website. The internet was a blessing to us during Hogan's journey. We used facebook and the blog to share Hogan's story. We were told by many people that Hogan's life gave them inspiration. Those same people were inspiring to me. Isn't it neat how God works!? Isn't it neat that the phrase "Remembering the One" can make your mind go to so many different places? I have shared this vision with a few people and each one of them thought that it would help a different group of people. I pray that it will be used for God's glory just like Hogan's life was used. I pray that this website and the people that might be here to operate it long after I am gone will stay focused on the "point" that Hogan was focused.

In His Love,

Kip

Developing a Warrior Mentality...

Hogan and his warrior gear during his fight.

Noah had his first Taekwondo lesson last week!

I know this is going to be quite a shock to many of you that have read this blog. I wasn't voted best dressed, most athletic, cutest, etc. etc. (I am kidding!) at Dublin High School but I was voted the "best personality". I know that actually is a big shocker! I believe that God has quite a sense of humor too. Angie and I went to Dublin to celebrate a birthday of a friend a couple of weeks ago. We drove down on Saturday afternoon and attended the surprise party that night. As usual, my mother was more than happy to volunteer to keep Noah and Lily for us. The next morning we decided to visit Dudley Baptist Church with my sister Debbie. We walked into the Church and saw many faces that we recognized and many friends of Hogan during his journey. Like many of you that read this blog, these friends have been so good to us. We made our way to an open area and sat down to read the bulletin. The topic for the message was "Developing a Warrior Mentality". WOW.

Hogan's name means"young warrior". Hogan's entire life on this earth was about being a warrior. As you remember he was covered with accessories that made his little 3 lb. body look like a warrior that was in a battle unknown to many. It was a battle to live. It was a battle to fight. He reminded me of how not to take this life for granted. I often hesitate to mention the future much anymore. My job requires me to plan out retirement for my clients. My life revolves around planning. Isn't it a little ironic that God has put me in situations that require me to have total faith in Him? I don't mean that I believe we shouldn't plan or look forward to the future but I believe that we should do this with an awareness to not look past the present or take it for granted. I am in that battle everyday.

I have been mentioning a website that I am trying to get built. I hope that if you are reading this blog that you will pray for this vision. I believe that I am being led to do this. It was an amazing blessing to have you along with us during the journey. I believe that the journey isn't over but Hogan's journey has just taken a turn. He has inspired me to build a website that will be a resource and a tool that will be used by God to connect people. If you know of a person that has overcome a tragedy or that is going through something that has inspired you, please send me their story. If it's your story... send it to me. I am going to have a few featured stories on the website and then update the stories periodically that are on the home page. If you could please send me an email to rememberingtheones@gmail.com or sending me a message through facebook (Kip Dominy), that would be very helpful.

I feel that I am not a very emotional guy but I know that I have witnessed a battle for life. I have also witnessed a battle that ended in death. No, it doesn't seem fair but who determines what is fair in this world? Isn't it always in the view of each person? The one thing that is certain is that we will all die at some point. Some of us will die soon and some of us will die later. I am not trying to be depressing but just trying to be real. What will be said at your funeral? What will you want to be said? How do you want to be remembered? What do you think your children will say about your life if you passed away today? I think it is important to step back and think about these things. I was blessed to be able to sit beside a little boy that only lived 16 days and this little man made a bigger impact on this world than I could ever have imagined.

I was sitting in a restaurant in Dublin, Georgia having coffee before meetings yesterday and I saw an older gentleman leaving. He walked by my table and stopped to ask me if I was ready for my meetings (noticing my computer, etc. on the table). I told him that I was and then he wished me well. I thanked him and told him my name etc. and asked if he could tell me a story of anyone that he had ever known that inspired him or that's story stuck with him. He told me about a friend of his in Texas. He told me that his friend was a proud grandfather and that he and his little grandson were very close. He was blessed to see him very often. I haven't felt this love but I can see it through the eyes of our mothers as they love our children. I was told that this grandson had gotten very sick very quick and that death was emanate. He told me about how this grandfather was sitting beside his grandson during his last minutes of this earth. As his grandson laid there on the bed on this afternoon... he looked over at his grandfather and said "papa, it's getting dark, I will see you in the morning, ok?." These words would be the last he would hear from his little buddy. The grandfather's words after his grandson had passed away, "I can't wait until the morning". I can't wait to that morning either.


So think clearly and excercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God-who chose you to be his children-is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." I Peter 1:13-16 NLT

"Remembering the Ones"

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world-like a city on the mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:13-16

I hope this post finds everyone doing great. Thank you again for the comments, emails, messages, prayers and cards that you have sent our way. We are truly blessed and overwhelmed with your thoughtfulness.

Life never seems to slow down and it never seems to be easy. The one constant is change and that we can never go back and live today again. The one thing we can do is live tomorrow. It is never to late to change your future decisions. It is never to late to do things differently than you have in the past. I have no idea why this is on my mind so much over the past few days but it just seems there might be someone that reads this blog and needs a little encouragement. I know I need it often.

I named my last blog "decisions, decisions, decisions" because we make decisions every day that could have an enormous impact on our life. Some of those decisions might not seem big and some might not seem important but if you think about them... all decisions are important!

One of the decisions that I have made is to start a website that is going to "remember the ones". I am very excited about what God is doing right now with this vision. There is something that is telling me to do this. I believe that it will be a blessing to many people. I pray that God will use it for tremendous good. I started this blog in January with the "ones" on my heart and now I am going to finish the website. It will take about a month before it is ready to go "live" and I can't wait.

I believe that every baby born into this world is special and that every baby born into this world "different" than the norm is even a little more special. I know that I wouldn't have had this passion or drive to recognize the ones if it wasn't for Hogan's life. I believe that there are so many life stories out there that can inspire others.

I had lunch with a business friend of mine on Friday in Watkinsville at "Chops and Hops". I knew that my friend has lost his child at the age of 10 but I hadn't really asked many questions until Friday. My friend got married young in California. He and his wife had a child that had a disability. The child had a random condition that is very rare. She wasn't able to walk and she wasn't able to communicate much. She was only supposed to live a year after birth. She lived for 10 years. Her life was cut short by an accident. She loved water and was playing in her bath with a small amount of water. Her mother had gone downstairs to do laundry when she heard the water running. My friend's daughter was left handed and turned on the hot water by accident. This was a new house and they didn't realize that the water heater was turned up much higher than normal. She couldn't turn it off... by the time the mother ran upstairs to turn the water off.. the damage had been done. This precious little girl was badly burned. The mother called 911 and rushed her daughter to the hospital. The child lived for a while and was improving until one weekend when she turned much worse and passed away in her dad's arms a day later. I saw a picture of his beautiful daughter at lunch on Friday. I can only imagine the pain that he and his wife have to live. My friend is a special person and he had a special daughter.

This is another reason I am starting this website. I want to focus on parents and children that have beaten the odds or that are fighting for life. I am a healthy adult that has been blessed with great health so far in my life. I wonder if I am really giving God my best. I wonder if I can do more with the talents that I have been given. What is my excuse? It is never too late to change my life. It's never too late to make better decisions. I can't change yesterday but I can change tomorrow. I am so thankful for everyone that reads this blog and hopefully it isn't a waste of your time. Please pray that this website will make a difference in many lives and that it will be a good tool that will be used for good. I pray that God will use the website like he used Hogan's life on earth.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions....

July 4th at Bear Lake Reserve!

I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for him to rescue me. For salvation comes from him alone. Yes, he alone is my Rock, my rescuer, defense and fortress. Why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come? Psalm 62:1,2

I hope this post finds everyone staying cool during this hot summer! Angie and I went to the WNC mountains for the 4th and had a great time. It was actually a nice, cool weekend at Bear Lake Reserve and we were very thankful for time to relax and enjoy Noah and Lily. It was a big weekend for Noah because it was the first time that he didn't want to run screaming to the car or van to hide and get away from the fireworks. We drove over to Cashiers on Saturday night to see their fireworks with some friends of ours. I think being able to see other children playing and having fun looking at fire trucks and running around put Noah in a position to be able to handle the fireworks! He did great. Noah became an expert by the end of the night and was telling me which ones he liked the best. He even told me that the fireworks were made up of "rocks" and that was what was lighting up! I love to hear the things that little ones say!

I have no idea why this week was so difficult but for some reason Hogan was on my mind even more than normal. I always try to analyze things in my mind and maybe it was the fact it was the first time Angie and I had traveled to the mountains to stay at Bear Lake since we found out about Hogan last year. I put a few pictures of our July 4th trip on facebook and was thankful for all of the nice comments about our "family picture" and we were happy that night but isn't it interesting that although you smile and enjoy things that inside you could be hurting like nobody would guess. You just never know what someone is going through or what someone might have on their mind. I know we should be thankful for the time we spent with Hogan and I know that we have 2 other beautiful kids but it doesn't take away the pain sometimes. I believe you are either coming out of a battle in life or you are about to go into one. We are very thankful for our family and friends. We are so thankful for the people that read this blog and offer encouragement through comments, prayers, cards and phone calls. You have no idea how much it means to us.

I titled this blog post "Decisions, Decisions, Decisions" because we are always making them in life. We wake up in the morning deciding to get out of bed. We decide what to wear for the day. We decide what to eat for breakfast. We decide if we take a shower.... or not!? Hopefully you take a shower! You get the point I am trying to make. I mentioned some easy questions that we have to make a decision on every morning but they can also get very tough. I know because it seems I am always making what seems to me are important decisions! I can look back and see that some of them were good ones and I can look back and regret many that I have made as well. Some are pretty blatant that many people might know about while others are ones that I know were the wrong ones that nobody might know about. It doesn't matter how many people know what choices we make but the important thing is making a choice that honors God.

We are all human and are all going to make bad choices but if we pray about the little ones we will probably be in good shape to make wise decisions when it comes to the big ones. I mention this because many of you from Georgia that read my blog are either Georgia fans or fans that root against Georgia! UGA's athletic director made a bad decision a little over a week ago that cost him his job. Obviously, it wasn't a good one and if he could go back to that night I am sure he would now choose to make a different decision. It is easy to pick on him for making this decision but unless we were in that situation do we really know what decision we would make? The easy answer is "I would never do that"..... I think we are all human and that we could all make the wrong choice. Again, some choices are easy ones and some are tough ones. I have made many decisions in my life I wouldn't have wanted on the front page of the Atlanta Journal and I am sure that many that read this blog have done the same. The sad thing is that this probably happens many times in Atlanta and many other towns across our nation every night. It isn't easy to make some decisions. The easy decision is to "go with the flow" and make the decisions that honor others and that don't honor God. It's almost like once you decide to follow Jesus and honor God in your walk that you know that you will be tempted even more!

I have to decide that I will trust God in my walk every day. It doesn't always seem like it would be the most fun or the most exciting but every day that I make good decisions it is amazing how I feel at peace and have the joy that comes from honoring God. I had a dream about a week ago that I was sitting in a doctors office and found out that I had cancer. The doctor told me that I only had a year or two to live. I can't tell you how much that dream has been on my mind over the past few days. If you have actually lived through that diagnosis in real life or have been close to someone that has... my heart goes out to you. Although it was a dream it was real in my mind. It brought back memories of my childhood when I would wake up and it would take a few minutes to realize that the dream "wasn't real". It has been hard to decide to honor God over the past week because my heart has been hurting and because my natural instinct was to feel sorry for myself because of life events and because of Hogan's death. I could easily stick with this thought process and not be a good friend, father, husband etc. or I can decide to trust God and to honor God with my life. My desire is to be that good friend, father and husband no matter if I have one day left on this earth, 365 days or 30 years!

a couple of updates...

I wanted to ask for your prayers about the website and the book. I have gotten initial feedback on the book and am going to take the step that I was told to take. I am also getting the "remembering the ones" website started soon. This website will be to honor those babies, infants, toddlers and little ones that are special. These "ones" are the "ones" that are the "ones" in statistics. They are the 1 out of 1000 or the 1 out of 100. These are the ones that you might not think about unless you were part of the club. Hogan was one of these statistics. God used his little life to open my eyes to these "ones" and their families.

I do still miss my "guys night out" in the NICU with Hogan. I also miss writing my letters to Hogan and blogging from St. Mary's. I feel that God was with us through Hogan's journey and I pray that God will continue to be with us now that Hogan's journey took his last turn on April 18th. The thoughts that continue to inspire me to do great things are the things that Hogan showed me in his journey here on earth. When he was diagnosed I realized the only way to live was to focus on the "point" (Jesus). I also realized not to take anything for granted. I encourage whoever stumbles onto this post to live your days like they are your last days on this earth.

In His Love,

Kip

All their life in this world..... had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. C.S. Lewis, THE LAST BATTLE

It's Angie's Birthday today!

Noah, Lily and Angie taking a break at a very HOT Atlanta Braves game!

Noah and Lily checking out something while playing on UGA's North Campus yesterday!

.....more fun on the University of Georgia's North Campus!

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

I am excited that the Georgia heat is going to be a nice 90 today... that beats the 100 degree weather we have been having lately! We were able to take Noah and Lily to their first Atlanta Braves game on Sunday. We made it 4 innings in the heat but made some great memories. It makes me so thankful for air conditioning. We are so blessed. Speaking of being blessed... my wife turns the big 40 today! I know it is amazing because she doesn't look a day over 30. I told Noah and Lily it was "Mommy's Birthday" today and Noah said "Happy Birthday Mom.... can I have a cupcake!?".

Isn't it interesting the older we get the more we look back and see God's hand in everything. It isn't that everything was always the way we wanted it and there are often many things we wish we could go back and change or "delete" from our lives but those time are often the times that we grow in our faith the most. Those events can either make us decide to push away and blame God or pull us closer to God. Life events are like a roller coaster. If you aren't going through one at the moment but have just lived through what is considered a major one... then be prepared because there is probably going to be another challenge coming.

I wanted to let everyone know that there are some exciting things that God is doing with Hogan's legacy. A website is under construction for Hogan's friends. I wanted to ask you for your prayers. My prayer is that God would use this website just like he used Hogan on this earth!

I also wanted to thank the ladies that have teamed up with WeeCare. The gowns are amazing and are such a blessing. It is hard enough to say goodbye to your baby and this is one thing that is available now at St. Mary's if needed or wanted. If you would like to help with this ministry just let me know and I will tell you how to get involved. I was told that 5 babies passed away recently. I dropped off a bag of smocked gowns yesterday that Mrs. Jones gave me in Dublin over the weekend to be delivered to St. Mary's. I took them to the NICU and as usual, scrubbed down as I entered. It was good to see some familiar faces at the hospital. I had to battle my emotions as I talked to the nurses. I loved being there again but at the same time it was ripping at my heart because I wanted so badly to walk around the corner and see Hogan one more time. I mentioned how much I love taking pictures and love looking back at Hogan through pictures but I didn't realize how much being in the NICU again and smelling the soap on my hands brought back vivid memories and emotions.

Angie visited the library at Prince Avenue last week and things are moving along! Hopefully this project will be completed before school starts back. I will post pictures when it starts to shape up! We were also thankful that a local gym is going to dedicate a room in memory of Hogan. It will be a room where parents sit and watch their children while their children play in the gym. We are so humbled by how thoughtful and caring Hogan's friends have been to us. We even got an invitation to a little girl's birthday party recently that had a note in the invitation to bring a donation for Hogan's library instead of gifts for their daughter. I told the mother that Hogan would have wanted gifts for his friend but this was just one more instance of people going out of their way to be good to us.

I have also got some interesting news about Hogan's blog. I have been in contact with someone that might take the blog and turn it into a book. If this happens it will be stories from the blog and also information that I haven't put on the blog. I will tell that story one day if it happens. It was totally a God thing too. I mention the book because I would love your prayers about this too. I don't know if it will happen or if it won't but if someone can be touched or God can change a life through Hogan's story in a printed book then I want it to happen. I might be the only person that buys one but hopefully if it's printed, I can give them away!

Thank you again for being so good to us. We are so thankful for you.

In His Love,
Kip

Happy Father's Day!

Proud Father

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:13-16

Friends,

I wanted to thank each of you for being so good to us over the past few months. We have been so overwhelmed with support through your love and prayers during Hogan's journey. We continue to be thankful for your care for us. If you ever know of anyone that is going through a similar situation with their child and you think we might be able to offer any help or support, please let us know. We would be happy to help in any way. We feel that we were chosen to love this special baby named Hogan and want to be able to help others. Again, thank you so much.

Over the past few weeks since Hogan left this earth to be with Jesus I have been trying to heal my heart. The void in that "hidden chamber" of my heart that God gives a parent with each child is still open and hurting. I try to go on with life like normal but it will never be "normal" again. Angie and I have been changed forever. I look at pictures and at videos of him and thank God for the time that we spent together. It is a hard thing to explain because I would never want to go through that trial again but I can see God's hand on his journey and the impact that Hogan made in his short life on earth is just amazing. I knew that God was big but God really has shown me just how big of a God we have! I try to go back to that place in my mind where Angie and I were basically living in the hospital with Hogan. I miss the smell of the hospital lobby. I miss the smell of the soap in the rooms of St. Mary's. I even miss the food at the hospital! It is interesting to me that my emotions are so "fragile" at times and then I seem in total control at other moments. It's that tender "chamber" that is still trying to heal. In the past I would sometimes drive past St. Mary's Hospital and think about the wonderful memories we have had there.... now... I drive past and St. Mary's and it is a battle of emotions. There are the happy moments that I am trying to hold... then there were the horrible moments of watching your son pass away in your arms while there is nothing you can do to help him or save him that come into your mind.

I look at babies totally different now. I have always looked at them and loved them but now it's a feeling of "wow" what a miracle. If you are reading this blog and have had a child then you know what I am referring too. It's the entire process. It's the moment you find out you are pregnant. It's the moment you hear the heart beat. It's the moment you see the first image on the ultrasound. It's the first time you find out if you are having a boy or a girl... then its the emotional roller coaster of the health of your baby. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made. We have two healthy children right now. We had one sick child that has gone to be with Jesus. Hogan's body wasn't "normal". It was special. Although he had many different characteristics than most children he was so beautiful in his own special way. I know that is the way God looks at each of us here on this earth. God doesn't make mistakes. Hogan was beautiful in his eyes. If you are reading this blog... You... are beautiful in his eyes too. I know sometimes in this world there are people that try and make others feel inferior because of their looks, money, etc. etc. but all of these things come and go.... the relationship you have with Jesus doesn't change. He doesn't ever not love you. We are unconditionally loved. I know I searched for happiness in my life for many, many years in all of the wrong places. I have learned that a person doesn't make you happy, money doesn't make you happy, an earthly "thing" no matter what... doesn't make you happy long term. It might give you happiness at times but nothing gives you the peace, true happiness, true joy, and freedom like having a relationship with Jesus. It is just like losing a child or having a child. Although you might try and imagine what it feels like... you really can't until you have gone through it. If you have never experienced a relationship with Jesus then you can't imagine what I am talking about.

I know that I have made many mistakes in my life and will continue to make mistakes. I have gotten many compliments on this blog and it does make me feel good but I know that the words on this computer are all inspired by God through a little baby named Hogan. If Hogan had not been a part of my life, I wouldn't be typing and I wouldn't be the person that I am striving to be today. I saw what God did with a baby with one ear, an over sized heart and small lungs. I saw how many people that God touched through Hogan's life. I continue to hear of lives that have been changed because of God using this little guy. Hogan was only 3 pounds. He only lived 16 days. Hogan's eyes lit up the room like a city on a mountain glowing in the night for all to see. If a little baby can change the world and make the difference that he made in a couple of weeks.... then why can't we?? I know I could insert a laundry list of excuses but there are really no good excuses.

I thank God every day for the ability to be a father here on this earth. I know it's a huge responsibility. I know it's a blessing. I know there are so many that struggle to have children and never get to experience the birth of a child. I don't take being a dad for granted. My heart is so heavy for women and men that have had to deal with this tragedy. My heart also breaks for the parents that have gotten to experience some of the moments I mentioned earlier in this blog and then to have their little one leave early to be with Jesus. I feel like every day is Father's Day. I am living a dream. I am healthy. I have been blessed with 3 beautiful children and the most amazing wife that God could have ever picked for me! Yes, we aren't the Brady Bunch... life isn't always perfect but all in all.... life is good. Life could be sooooo much worse. I don't have to look far to know how blessed our family has been and continues to be.

I love Father's Day. It is a day that I like to enjoy more than my birthday. There were many years that I never really thought I would get married or have children so the ability to celebrate both at the same time is such blessing. I got married later than most and have had children later than most. I believe that it is a blessing to me because I wasn't ready to be a husband or a father until a few years ago. I believe it was good for me to have these blessings a little later in life because I appreciate the gifts far more than I would have appreciated them earlier in life. I am so thankful for my friends that put their relationship with God first and that love their family more than anything on this earth. I have learned many lessons from these great friends. There was one basketball coach in my life that always said "remember" little eyes are always watching you. I think about that all of the time when I am around children, especially my own. I believe that no matter who you are that "little eyes are always watching". I know there were many father's along my journey in my younger years that had no idea the impact that they were making on my life. I looked to some of them for guidance. I watched how they treated their wife and their children (my friends). I am thankful for great dad's.

I have now lost my biological father and a child before the age of 38. I never knew either of my grandfather's. I know I am not the only person that has lived through the loss of a child and a father. I have thought about the different feelings that I had through each death. My father went into the hospital almost 2 years ago to have triple bypass surgery. My father kept telling me that he was going to be one of the 97% that survives this surgery. Hogan had a 1 in 5000 or 8000 chance of being diagnosed with Trisomy 18. They both didn't survive their conditions. They both died of heart failure. They both impacted my life but did so in different ways. My dad died at the age of 68 and Hogan died after 16 days.

I always wondered what it would feel like to lose a parent. When I was young it was my biggest fear. Now that I am older it was the loss of a child that I feared most. Hogan and my dad both passed away in a hospital. My father died in the ICU in Macon, GA after a battle and my son died in the NICU here at St. Mary's in Athens in a battle of his own. When my father was passing away in August of 2008, Angie and I were at St. Mary's welcoming our Lily Rose into this world. I experienced the birth of a child and the loss of my dad in a week. Lily was born on August 16th and dad passed away on August 22nd. I remember going down to Macon in the middle of the night to be there for my dad after getting the call at 4am that he wasn't doing good and would be rushed into surgery soon. I remember getting called into the "family room" and seeing the counselors and the ministers in the room almost 8 hours later in the day. When I saw the room filled with ministers and counselors, I knew it was his time to leave this world. It wasn't long before the doctor entered the room and said "he's gone".

I had so many mixed emotions when my dad passed away. I was upset because I knew that there would never be any more "time" on this earth to try and have a relationship. I was also sad because I knew that things didn't have to be "that way". My father always told me that I would have regrets when he died. I always wondered if I would have regrets for positions that I was forced to take on things. I always tried to do what was right and always felt like I was doing more than my part to have a father-son relationship although there were times along my journey that I had to make hard decisions. The only feelings that I felt at his death was that I didn't get to tell him that I loved him one last time before he was taken to surgery and the feeling of relief I felt when the doctor said "he's gone". I know that sounds horrible for those of you that have great relationships with your father but I didn't have a good relationship. Many people knew a different person and for that I am thankful. If you are reading this blog and you knew my dad as a friend, then enjoy your memories of him because my dad was a good friend to many. I am not writing this to "bash" my dad. He was far from perfect and so am I. I write this because it all had an enormous impact on my life and eventually Hogan's journey. I am also writing this because if you are a dad and didn't have a great model of a father, then you can change things. I am trying to change things for Noah, Lily and Hogan. I remember always praying that God wouldn't give me a son because I wanted the family name to end and I knew that I had no idea how to be a father to a son. It is hard for me to imagine thinking those thoughts now when I look into the eyes of my children and especially my first born son Noah who my makes my life so much better. He is an amazing blessing and he is the one that I pray will be the most amazing father to his children one day. I thank God for him every day.

One of the greatest honors that I could imagine is for my son to get to my age and want to be just like me or for my daughter to want to marry someone like me. I just felt the enormous responsibility of this desire as I typed those words.

I also thank God that all of us have a Heavenly Father. I tell Noah every night before he goes to sleep that I love him with all of my heart but that there is someone that loves him even more than me and his name is Jesus. If you ask Noah he will tell you that I love him "infinity and beyond". I hope he always thinks this. My desire is to love my children and my wife unconditionally. I know they will disappoint me and I will disappoint them along our journey together but the love will never go away. I will never "not love" my children. I always think about honoring Angie in a way that Lily will want her husband to honor her. Again, I screw up every day but these are my goals! I have learned that when I have my eye's focused on the "point" that Hogan and I discussed during our "guy's night out" in the NICU... that these desires are so much easier.

I am so thankful for my father friends that have impacted my life. I have asked a handful of them to help me with this blog. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to me and hopefully some of you that follow Hogan's journey to read their response to this scenario....

I have asked a few of these men to picture themselves in a room with their children. These men would know that they only had 2 minutes to talk to their children before they had to leave the room. These men would know that these words would be the last words they would leave with their children because once they walked out of the room they would never see them again on this earth. What would you tell your children in those two minutes? The responses below are from these men. I appreciate these men and their willingness to participate.

* Sons, I love you. You are both a gift from God to your mother and I. We prayed for you before you were born. In your lifetime remember to listen for God's voice and trust Him with all of your heart. Live the rest of your life doing the things you enjoy doing and help make the world a better place for others. I love you and I am so proud of you.

* Getting to be your daddy is the best thing God ever let me do. You are made just the way God wanted you, and He's the ultimate perfectionist. Love Jesus, your Momma and each other, and make sure they know it. All you can do is all you can do, and that's enough, you can't do anything more and shouldn't do anything less. When it comes to others, don't compare with them. In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. Football is the greatest sport ever invented...... to watch! Go with tennis or golf, you can play them when you get old and more likely to live long enough to try... and... Ranch makes everything taste better!

* That I love them and always have no matter what, and that they should always seek God in all they do and to take care of their mother, each other and their extended families. Always do what you say you will, never take the short cuts in life, if you do you will miss out on a lot of experiences that make life exciting. Always surround yourself with Godly men who are real friends that want hesitate to call you out on the rug when you need it. No matter what is going on in your life never stop asking for and seeking the help of God and never give up because if you do, it will be the only time you really lose. Love your children like God loves you. Treat your children with respect and always discipline them consistently.

* Girls, always remember that the Lord is faithful. Live your life with conviction and obedience. I love you and will see you soon.

* "We've had a great life together. I have already taught you what you need to know. Let me just give you a few key words: REMEMBER, LAUGH, PERSEVERE, BALANCE, LOVE. Remember all that we have said and done together, including the teaching. Don't let the sadness of our separation rob the joy of our lives. Laugh often, and laugh hard! Laugh when you think of me. Laugh in the face of your troubles. Persevere. Don't give up. You know how to live. The question is, WILL YOU PASS IT ON? You must be intentional to pass it on. Balance has always been a big word for me. You can err on either side of the truth, so be careful of extremes. Look for the balancing truths of God's word--freedom and obedience, sovereignty and man's will, faith and works--these are examples. Keep your balance so you don't fall! Finally, LOVE. There are a lot of good things to do in life. Jesus said two are the most important. Love God with ALL you have. And love others just like and even while you love yourself. No matter what else you accomplish, you will ultimately fail if you don't love and God and love others. I wish I had done more, but I have accomplished God's overall purpose for me. Why? Because I love God and I love you all so much."

* I commit to doing these things and encourage you to do the same. To move from good to great in God's eyes I must; 1. Decide great decisions. (I have decided that Jesus Christ is the king of Kings) 2. Glorify Great God (Glorify God in all you do). 3. Commit Great Commitments (Commit to Believe God in everything) 4. Read Great Writings (Choose reading over other temptations emphasizing the Holy Word of God) 5. Think Great Thoughts (I will think more highly of God than ever before in my life) 6. Pray Great Prayers (pray without ceasing each day of my life) 7. Dream Great Dreams (I will dream of doing great things for God) 8. Speak Great Scriptures (Commit to memory key passages of scripture) 9. Love Great Loves (Love God and others) (Matthew 22:37-39) 10. Plan Great Posterity (I will give of my time and talents and material blessings for the remaining days God gives me)

In His Love,

Kip

WeeCare Ministry Information.....

Dear Friends,

I have posted a letter with information on the gowns that are being made for the small babies that pass away at St. Mary's. Many of you have asked how you can get involved in this ministry......... This is an amazing blessing to families. I was told yesterday that 3 gowns were used in the past week at St. Mary's. God Bless you and thank you!


WeeCare Ministry

Many of us were greatly touched by the brief life of Hogan Sayer Dominy, son of Kip & Angie Dominy of Athens. Hogan was born at St. Mary’s Hospital on April 2, 2010, weighing 3 pounds, 3 oz., and left this world two weeks later.. His father Kip chronicled his life story on his blog (http://hogandominy.blogspot.com/). We all became very familiar with “Hogan, my hero,’ as he was called by his father. We cried over his daily struggles, rejoiced over his victories, and above all, prayed for this special family. Throughout his brief life, his dad called him a warrior.

A friend of the family from Dublin realized the need for a tiny gown for Hogan, long before his birth. She had heard through another friend involved with a ministry for a Macon hospital to provide special tiny gowns for tiny babies who don’t survive birth or live only a short time. She made 3 gowns for Hogan, and then enlisted the help of friends to provide these tiny gowns for their local hospital. WeeCare of Dublin / Laurens County makes the tiny gowns in different sizes, targeting 1 to 5 pound stillborn babies.

We would like to get a similar project going at St. Mary’s in Athens, in memory of Hogan. The Dublin project was modeled along the guidelines of the WeeCare ministry sponsored by the Smocking Arts Guild of America. SAGA provides free patterns for these bishop style gowns.

The website of the SAGA says it best. For more information, go to SAGA WeeCare.

SAGA members sew and smock simple bishop-style gowns and donate them to local hospitals to clothe babies who die at birth or shortly after. Many groups also donate smocked bonnets for premature infants. For a parent holding a dying baby, sorrow is often overwhelming. Life isn't supposed to end before it's really had a chance to start. In those moments, even the strongest have their faith tested. What comfort there is often comes in simple acts - an arm wrapped around grieving shoulders, shared tears, the gentle touch of a hand. At many hospitals across the country, comfort also comes in the form of small gowns lovingly hand-smocked by members of local smocking chapters. A social worker at one hospital stated, "We use them almost exclusively for babies that have died or are going to die. We're able to cover up a lot of the medical equipment with the gowns so that the parents get to see their baby looking great. Sometimes, the parents keep the gowns as a keepsake; sometimes, the babies are buried in them. I try to let the parents pick out which gown they want on their baby. Sometimes, it's the only parenting they get to do."

These patterns are all for smocked bishop gowns, but please keep in mind that a tiny gown of any type, sewn with love, will minister to these families. And, many times, even a tiny handsewn blanket to wrap around the baby can be used for those too tiny for a gown. Please let me know if you would like to help with this ministry in memory of Hogan to provide gowns for the babies who die at birth or shortly after, for babies born at St. Mary’s Hospital. If I can just get some help putting the gowns together (done before they are smocked), I can take care of the smocking.

Please call or email if you can help.

Love in Chirst,
Jill Langford
770-725-6281

and the thunder rolls.....

Noah and Lily @ the Botanical Gardens in Athens, GA recently

Angie and Lily looking beautiful as always!

I was able to enjoy a little golf at the GOA convention last weekend!

I love this picture.... they both miss Hogan so much

I am blessed.

I wanted to post a few recent pictures of our family!!!

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him then they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make clothing, yet Soloman in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

"So don't worry about having enough food, drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6:25-34 NLT

I thought this was a great passage of scripture that we loved while we were in the hospital with Hogan. It speaks to me everyday. I tend to worry about everything and especially tomorrow. Thank God that I am starting to not worry about tomorrow quite as much and enjoying today. Tomorrow might not ever get here for me!

Dear Friends,

If you are a friend of Hogan's then you are a friend of mine!

I hope this blog update finds everyone doing great! I know that it's summer in Georgia because the extended forecast calls for a 20% chance of afternoon thunderstorms for the next 3 months!!! I have been busy over the past couple of weeks and look forward to writing an update on what has been going on with our family in my next blog that I plan to write on Father's Day. The reason for today's blog is to ask you a favor!? I have some things that are very heavy on my heart and I strongly feel that God wants me to accomplish some things while I am still on this earth that were inspired by Hogan's life.

I would appreciate any suggestions on charities that deal with children/infant death or disabilities. I have a couple of local charities that I would like to help but I would love to choose one or two "world wide" organizations to support. God is continuing to bless me with opportunities to share Hogan's story and lives are still being touched by Hogan's Journey! My prayer is that God will continue to use Hogan's journey in a way that will honor and glorify Jesus long after I leave this earth.

I can't thank you enough for all of the cards, emails, calls, notes, prayers, and financial support that has been given to Hogan's memorial children's library section at Prince Avenue Christian School. I can't wait to put pictures up when this section is ready to be used!

I also wanted you to know about an amazing ministry that a few ladies in my hometown of Dublin, Georgia are doing in memory of Hogan. They are donating baby gowns they have made to fit babies who pass away at birth or that are very small and only live a very short life. I was notified by an email from Kem Mixon of St. Mary's today that a 1 pound 1 ounce baby had passed away. This baby was dressed in one of the gowns that the ladies from Dublin made for these very small babies. My heart breaks for the family that lost their baby. The feeling is still very real to me and I ask you to please pray for this little baby's family that had to kiss their little one for the last time on this earth today. It does warm my heart knowing that he has a gown that fits him perfect though. I know that little man was beautiful. It was such a blessing to have friends that made clothes for Hogan. We are so thankful. What a blessing to know amazing people that do such wonderful things. The ladies that came up with this idea are heroes to me. The ladies call the ministry "Wee Care" of Laurens County. I believe that a group of ladies in Athens are going to start making them too! This is what is printed on the card that is presented to the parents of these angels along with the gown:

This gown was made for your precious Little Angel with loving hands by the ladies of Wee Care of Laurens County.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

I Corinthians 13:7-8

In Loving Memory

Hogan Sayer Dominy

April 2nd, 2010 - April 18th, 2010

Also, I appreciate your requests for prayer for loved ones. Please keep sending me your messages and prayer requests. Again, you can friend me at "Kip Dominy" on facebook and send me a message through that channel or you can send me an email to one of my email addresses: rememberingtheones@gmail.com or kip.dominy@wfafinet.com

Also, if you follow our blog and we have never met you "face to face". Please let us know who you are if we see you! We got a message from someone that recognized us from the blog but didn't say hello at that time. We would love to meet you!

I hope that everyone is having a great week.

In His Love,

Kip

Memorial Day 2010

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1

"I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" Mark 9:24

How do we know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog.....it's here a little while, then it's gone. James 4:14

Dear Friends,

It feels like I have been in a race over the past few months. As you can tell by my pictures I don't run in too many races.. (obviously)! The races I have attempted always seemed like I started off trying to win the race but ended up just trying to survive to the finish! I think that is what the past few months of my life have been like. I have been just trying to survive Hogan's journey. The last turn Hogan took was on April 18th. I think the past few weeks have been my "recovery period". You know that time after the race when you look for water or maybe a banana and try to catch your breath knowing you have done something that was very difficult but that you finished. There is a mixture of pain and happiness in that moment. That is what I have been trying to do. I have been trying to catch my breath from an amazing ride that Hogan took us. God has used these past few weeks to let me catch my breath and to try and get refocused on life here on earth. I will admit, I have been distracted a little over the past few weeks as I have struggled to catch my "breath". Life is like a road race.

My last blog was a turning point for me again. I have been trying to figure out if God wanted me to keep blogging or not and if I was going to keep blogging, just how I was going to do it! I loved writing letters to Hogan and I wrote a couple after Hogan left to be with Jesus but it just doesn't feel the same. I have decided to keep the blog going and to keep updating what is going on with our families life now that Hogan has departed to a better place. It doesn't change the fact that it hurts like nothing else when I think about not being able to hold him or kiss him again but I try and step back and look at the "bigger" picture and focus on what God did and is doing through that little Warriors life! My prayer is that Hogan's legacy will continue to bring people closer to Jesus and to change lives for the better. I know he has impacted my life like nothing else and he is a reminder of just how precious we should take each day!

My job involves a good amount of travel and this morning I drove to Atlanta to go on a trip with a good friend and client of mine. The drive to Atlanta is not one of my favorite trips to make but it is a time when I can clear my mind. I started thinking about how fast life moves and how fast things change. Although it has only been a few weeks since Hogan passed, it feels like it has been a year to me. I was nicknamed the "paparazzi" at St. Mary's Hospital because I took so many pictures while Hogan was in the NICU. It was true.... because any time that Hogan got to be taken out of his isolette, I was there waiting to take pictures like photographers wait to take pictures of celebrities in Hollywood! I know the nickname was probably appropriate! I am so thankful that I got to take those pictures. I look back through them often and live those moments again in my mind. I know I can't go back to that time physically but I can almost get there mentally through these pictures. I have easily over a thousand pictures of Hogan and I still wish I would have taken just a few more!

I mention taking pictures because photography has always been a passion of mine. I helped out at a local TV station in middle Georgia about 15 years ago and loved it. Shooting camera shots and video is one of my favorite things to do. Hogan's life has inspired me to get back into this art. I have been able to get some great equipment and have learned many things from some talented photographers. I am also taking night classes at UGA this summer to try get better at this love of mine. I enjoy taking pictures of "things" but I love taking pictures of people and things together, especially sports or candid photography! I mention all of this because being in the hospital sitting beside and holding a little warrior like Hogan has made me want to be the best I can be in everything. I never really thought I had any talents but God has been able to open my eyes to a few possibilities that I want to pursue. The reason I love taking pictures is because it captures the moment. A friend of mine always says "make a memory". It doesn't matter what we are doing or where we are... he says "make a memory". I can't explain how much that "make a memory" comment comes to my mind every day. Life is about making memories and making an impact. That impact can be a good thing or a bad thing. I pray that I can make a positive impact and that God will use me like he has used Hogan. The moment a picture is taken, that moment will never be able to be brought back in real life. It is truly a memory. The people will never be that "old" again and that image will capture life at a moment in time that can be cherished.

I mentioned I like video too.... well, a couple of weeks ago a friend of mine in Atlanta called me about an opportunity to hear a story about an independent film that is being made here in Georgia. The meeting was going to be at his office to hear about it. I went because my friend wanted me to be there and because what he mentioned about the story was intriguing. I sat in a conference room overlooking downtown Atlanta and listened to the presentation. My heart was touched by the story. This movie sounds very interesting and I think it has a chance to change lives that will honor God. I will mention more about it as the production gets going later this year!

I started this post on Thursday while I sat in the Atlanta airport waiting to fly out of town and I am finishing it today, on Memorial Day. As I drove home yesterday I thought about how people are all different. As I drove down I-85 and looked around and it was hard to find 2 identical cars. I also easily noticed that not many people were driving the same speed or wanted to be driving the same rate of speed! Isn't it funny that if you are in a hurry and driving a little faster than normal everyone is driving too slow... but if you are taking it easy and someone comes zooming past you.... they were driving reckless. I believe that we are all living life at different speeds and in different ways through our own journey. Our relationship with Christ is personal. It is just like the car we choose to drive and the speed that makes up comfortable. We are all on our own journey! I am thankful for a great road map called the Bible. It's the perfect navigation system. The directions never change and never have to be updated. I pray that our journey will bring us closer to Jesus and that if someone doesn't have a road map or is lost that someone comes along and helps that person get back on the right path. I am so thankful for the friends that have helped me stay focused on our "Point".

I briefly mentioned how I travel often with my job. During this time when our economy is not strong. I am very thankful to be able to have a great job. I am also thankful that markets were calm during the Hogan's journey and especially while we were at the hospital with him. My partners and office staff were so great to me during my stay at the hospital. I never worried about anything while I was there because the common theme was "don't worry about anything, we are taking care of everything". They wanted me to enjoy every moment with Hogan. I am so thankful that I was blessed to have this opportunity. Hogan's life reminded me just how fortunate I am to have such a great office and great clients. It's easy to go through life and take things for granted sometimes. I am trying to never take anything for granted anymore. I had never tried to do this in the past but now it's even more of a passion.

I mentioned making memories.... well, yesterday on my way back to Atlanta I went through the normal routine at an airport. I checked my rental car back in to the company and then went through the ticketing process. I noticed as I walked up to the computer that a couple had walked up beside me with a beautiful little baby. I am not an outgoing person by nature so I didn't say anything to them but in my mind I was wondering if this baby could have been born the same day Hogan was born. I walked off to go through security and got a cup of coffee while I waited to board the plane. I never saw the couple in the airport after our brief encounter at check-in. It was about an hour later when the attendant called our flight destined for Atlanta to board. I couldn't wait to board the plane and get back home to see Angie, Noah and Lily. I walked through the aisle of the plane and looked for my seat. I was sitting seat 9B which is the one 2nd from the window and on the aisle of this particular small Delta jet. I looked over the right of me and noticed there was the couple that I had noticed at check-in sitting in seats 9C and 9D . They were already seated holding their little angel. Needless to say it was one of the longest plane flights of my life. It wasn't long in time but it was long because of my heavy heart. I glanced over at that little girl and imagined Hogan being in our arms. I imagined that Hogan would be the same size if he were still alive. I can't explain how bad I wanted to kiss and hold their little baby! It hurt me so bad and at the same time it warmed my heart to see this couple loving on their beautiful baby. I couldn't help it... when we had landed and were about to leave the plane, I asked the father how old their baby was... he said "3 months"... the baby was born on March 2nd. She was born exactly a month before Hogan. The couple was on their way back home in New Jersey after visiting family in Alabama. I told them that their baby was so cute and congratulated them. You could easily see the love for her in their eyes. They were "making a memory" in their life. I pray that we all "make memories" that honor God and that we enjoy life and live it with a passion that it might be our last day. Thanks for continuing to be on this journey with us.

In His Love,

Kip