Like so many women, I have struggled with pregnancy and miscarriage. I miscarried my first baby. My husband and I were broken, but we continued to trust in God.

My second pregnancy went well, but resulted in my son being born at just 32 weeks. After three long weeks in the NICU, my husband and I were able to take home our healthy baby boy.

I entered my third pregnancy full of hope, but like my first, it ended in miscarriage. By this point, I wasn't sure I wanted to keep trying for another baby. Pregnancy after loss is terribly hard. However, just four months later, God blessed my husband and I with a fourth pregnancy.

This pregnancy was different. I was so sick throughout the first trimester, I thought I must be having twins! Then, one terrible night, I began to bleed as I had in my previous pregnancy. I was so scared that I would lose this baby, but I prayed to God to let us keep it.

At the prenatal clinic, the doctor examined me and did a quick ultrasound. The baby's heart was beating! Still, due to the bleeding, he wrote me a note so I wouldn't have to return to work, and he scheduled me for a thorough ultrasound the next day.

Due to Covid procedures, my husband was not allowed to go with me. I was nervous to go alone because my last visit was to confirm the death of my unborn child. However, I knew my God was with me whatever the outcome.

The technician was quiet for the first few minutes. Hesitantly, I asked, "Is my baby okay?" The technician responded, "Yes, they're both just fine. You're having twins!" God is so good! I was so excited to share this wonderful news with my husband. He was shocked, but just as pleased as I was.

This began my hardest pregnancy of all. It was full of doctor visits and appointments with specialists, moderate bedrest, daily pills and needles, and an emergency surgery to insert a cervical cerclage. All of this only to go into preterm labor at just six months pregnant. However, thank God, the doctors were able to stop it. I spent a week in hospital over Christmas, but it appeared both babies were fine.

I returned home only to go into labor again just three weeks later. This time, the doctors were not able to stop my labor. However, God gave me peace in knowing that he would look after my babies, just as he had my son. I gave birth to twin girls by emergency c-section. We spent six very long weeks in the NICU, but on a snowy day in March, we finally got to take our girls home to meet their big brother! Covid restrictions had meant no visitors, so grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were all excited to meet our twins too!

Throughout my twin pregnancy, I was faced with challenges and doubts. God helped me to choose joy in the midst of it all, and he gave me hope for what the future might bring. This hope and joy inspired my twins' names, and the name of my business: Hope & Joy.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him." Romans 15:13