In His arms

I didn't want to have to do this post...but I need to do an update on Brielle Grace.
I received the following e-mail from Bonnie:
Hello again dear friends and family,

First of all, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous support and continual prayer. It has been a tough week, but we now know God's perfect will. It's hard to understand, but beautiful Brielle Grace Lackey went home to be with Jesus today, just before 6pm. Ike and Kristie are going to need your prayers to get through losing their little girl. Thanks be to God for the precious 22 days spent with her.

Resting In His Arms,

Bonnie

I've been sitting here pouring over the guestbook at caringbridge.org. 22 days. It just doesn't seem fair. I know there is a plan in all of this, I know that there are all kinds of bible verses to back that up. Our hearts are broken for them, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain. I pray for comfort and healing for their hearts.
So many miracles in 22 days, so many lives touched. And the ultimate healing even though it was not what we all hoped for.

*Updated* Baby Brielle (A Prayer Request)

*Urgent Update Letter*
Hello friends and family,

We just received a call from my father-in-law, who is at the hospital with Brielle now. Apparently, the team is in emergency mode with Brielle due to air bubble in her left lung (not sure if they are in the right). Please continue to pray for healing of the deflated left lung. Also, please pray for wisdom and understanding for the doctors and their team as they work on Brielle. Thankfully, her heart has still been doing well (Praising God!).

Thank you all again and again for your continued love, support and prayer. We all truly appreciate our brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Him,
Bonnie

I got the following e-mail from a good friend of mine yesterday (I've been waiting for permission to share this information on my blog and it came this afternoon):

Hello friends and family,

I am writing to you with a heavy and prayerful heart. Our niece, Brielle Grace Lackey, has been fighting for her life since she was born on August 8^th. As it is, she is already a miracle baby. Josh’s brother and his wife had tried for over 6 years to have a baby. Finally, they were blessed with Brielle, who has a heart problem. She underwent surgery for her heart and adjacent arteries and week and half ago. Since then, she has had a number of complications, the most recent being internal bleeding. An ECMO machine has been helping Brielle’s heart pump. The doctors now believe that this machine may be contributing to the excessive bleeding. A second “test” to see how well Brielle’s heart will pump on its own had been scheduled for tomorrow morning. Because of the bleeding, they have decided to take her off of the machine completely and hope that her heart will be strong enough to survive on its own.

Please, please pray for Brielle. Pray that her heart will be strong enough to “work” on its own, so that she may survive. Her left lung needs healing, as well. We are trusting that God is who He is. Brielle means “God is my strength.” She was named for that very reason.

If you would like to read updates on Brielle’s progress, go to CaringBridge.org. Click on visit and type in briellelackey. The password is babybrielle. My brother-in-law, Ike, has been writing updates in the journal. You can also leave some words of encouragement in the guestbook.

Thank you all for your prayer and support. You are all important people in my life, and I thank God each day for you.

Trusting in Him,

Bonnie

Since this letter yesterday, I received the following update:

Hi everyone,

I just received an update on Brielle. Praise God! Her heart did well when removed from the ECMO machine. She was put back on, however, due to her left lung not inflating. The doctors are working on trying to repair it, so that it does not create back-pressure on the heart. The doctors said they were amazed that her heart was able to hold.

Please pray that the left lung will be work properly and that Brielle's heart can continue to hold. God is definitely giving her strength. Thank you all so incredibly much for your words of encouragement and for all of your prayers. God is working a miracle...

In His Arms,

Bonnie

Isn't she beautiful?

There isn't much more that I can add to this. I can hardly think about this without crying, I just can't imagine. Please join me in praying for this family!

Thanks guys!

Seven Years...and Still Going Strong

Seven years ago today....
This is what we were doing!

What can I say, it's been an adventure. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you Ryan with all my heart.

BUT....I don't wanna go home!!!

We've been saying this all day today...but alas, all good things eventually must come to an end.
We're on the road right now. Just going through Pendleton. A full week of almost no technology...and I really didn't miss it.
Just wanted to share this one picture from the road...
This was taken with my 50mm lens NOT the telephoto. (that means that I was this close to this creature)

I guess if we have to come home, I'll be glad to get off that maxi pad table bed mattress and into my slightly more comfy bed. Even if it IS in Portland!

Chubby Chicks

So, amidst the chaos of this move, I've started Allegra's quilt. I'm trying not to notice the still packed boxes and suitcases and un-hung pictures. I'm still burned out from the move, so I'm trying to block it out of my mind.
I posted in May about picking out a pattern and some of the fabric, and I just wanted to share my recent progress with you. I'm trying to get all of the chicks ironed on so I can work on doing the blanket stitch on our vacation. I decided to hand stitch around them instead of sewing around them with the machine. My sewing machine just doesn't have any decorative stitches that I think I would be happy with. There are going to be a total of 25 of these little babies.
Wyatt has been taking unusually long naps this week (hallelujah) so I've been able to get quite a bit accomplished! Before this move, I could easily count the times he's slept 3 hours on one hand. Something about this house makes him sleep well I guess. Yay for mommy!
This bird is done except for his eye...the pattern calls for a button eye and I haven't decided if buttons are the way to go yet.
Anyway, I'm thrilled with the way they are coming out and thankful for the distraction.

We Lived To Tell About It...

So, I realize that I never posted my follow up recipes on the pork roasts...I have the pictures of some really delicious pulled pork sandwiches to post later. And the other roast, sadly, got lost in the shuffle and we threw it out on Saturday.

We moved this weekend. Do you remember this little find from "Google Street View"? Oh, this is a gem. This is where we live now....of course this is the before picture. The "cousin Eddy" motorhome is long gone, broken down old trucks are outta here, the dead Christmas wreath (that we pulled off in August)(mind you, this street view picture was taken at least 2 years prior to us taking possession, so that wreath could have been there for YEARS)...GONE, Christmas lights (that we pulled off in August)...GONE, and 40+ tons of junk (literally, in case you don't remember) GONE!!!
This is a post that I wrote last summer on our progress, and sometime soon I plan on doing a post with the final "after" pictures.
Ryan was working over here ever spare minute he had to build me a laundry room. The laundry is downstairs in an unfinished basement (where the prior tenents grew their marajuana) and I refuse to do laundry in a cold unfinished basement that smells like dirt. BUT, that meant that he wasn't at home to help me pack up the house. I've never moved with a rugrat before. A busy little rugrat at that. I had a few people offer to help me come pack up boxes, but moving from a big house to one that is less than half it's size...I needed to sort, purge, figure out what I wanted in storage and what I wanted to keep out. So, while I greatly appreciated the offers to help me pack up, I just felt that it was really only something that Ryan or I could do. I did, however, accept lots of help with Wyatt. My mom was over 2 full days last week (not leaving till at least 10pm) and also took him home with her on Friday which was one of our moving days. Ryan's mom was over after work to watch him and also took him home with her one night so I could do some work at "the little house". And then, Ryan's cousin Lynnann watched him on Saturday. Phew, so I had alot of help. (sidenote: if you want a good laugh, please click on that link to Lynnann's blog, it won't dissappoint)
Towards mid-week last week it was becoming apparent that we weren't going to have enough help for the move. People were dropping like flies. My brother Jeff tore his calf muscle and he was one of our "musclemanfurnituremovers" that we had lined up. My cousin and her hubby, Christine & Kevin, own a trucking company and offered to send us a box truck (w/ lift gate) and 2 guys to help us move on Friday. Wow, what a gift. So, we went to the title company that morning, signed our house away, and came back to the moving truck...I'm not kidding, it took them just a little over an hour. They had our washer and dryer, all of our furniture, and all of the boxes that I had packed up loaded and ready. What a blessing. I can't imagine how it would have gone without that truck and those guys. *shiver* I dont want to imagine.
Saturday, we had a crew of family out there again. Remember I was pretty much packing up by myself. So, while there was alot accomplished on Friday, there was still alot to do on Saturday. We buttoned things up and turned over the keys yesterday afternoon.
So, we left our spacious house of 1900+sq ft 3bd, 2ba w/ bonus room and A/C. In the middle of a heat wave, we wedged ourselves into this 720sq ft 2 bd, 1 ba with no A/C. The first night here was positively miserable, I need to be cool, and even though I took a cold shower right before bed and we had a fan blowing on us, full boar...it was miserable. Last night was much better, the house was cooled down considerably, and I was able to get some good sleep.
So, I'm sitting here at my new secretary desk from Ikea (I love this freaking thing)

The cabinet is an add-on to the desk so it sits right on top...When I unpack my camera, I'll have to take a picture of mine...so cute.
Anyway, so I'm sitting here at my new desk looking around at an almost unpacked kitchen, lots of boxes, pictures leaning against the wall, we live here now.
We are going to be putting it back on the market in less than a month. With baby on the way, this place is just too small for us. But there are some things to do before that, and a much needed vacation inbetween. Ah vacation...less than 2 weeks away.

Someday I'll get around to posting those pictures of my pulled pork sandwiches. They were tasty. And speaking of homemade food...I can't wait to assess my food situation and start making dinner here...if you are what you eat, then I'm a giant subway sandwich.