A New Beginning

I am very happy to tell you that Beckett is out of the hospital and at home.

He made amazing progress over the past week and a half...

and now, since he can breathe and eat on his own, he gets to be back in his own little bed.

This is a new beginning for Patrick and Amanda because the six-month-old baby they knew and had grown accustomed to caring for is now, once again, behaving just like a newborn.

As if they had never brought him home from the hospital before.

So now, maybe more than ever, they need prayer to deal with this new reality.

But how awesome that God's grace proved the doctors wrong: Beckett is alive.

In other news,

I got to be a grandmother this week.

Stay tuned to find out just what that means. :)

Beckett Update

Never underestimate the power of prayer.

According to the Facebook page that is updated often by Amanda and Patrick, Beckett is off the ventilator and is breathing on his own.

It was, however, a very rough night, and so I would guess there are many long days ahead.

What's amazing is how many people are praying.

Thousands - and those are just the ones that have identified themselves on Facebook.

The verse that keeps coming into my head is this one:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

                                                                        Isaiah 55:7-9

Thank you for praying!

I Hope I Never Write a Post Like This Again

If you're reading this, I need to you to stop whatever you're doing and pray for this baby.

This is John Beckett - he is the son of a couple that we've met several times before through my best friend, Meagan. Their names are Patrick and Amanda.

Earlier last week, Beckett was put down for a nap by his sitter in a bed instead of a crib.

He became trapped between the mattress and the headboard and was without oxygen for quite some time - he was alone in the bedroom for about 45 minutes before the sitter checked on him.

He is currently at Vanderbilt, waking up from a medicine-induced coma.

He is six months old.

If he fully wakes up, this baby will never be the same.

He will never be normal; the doctors have assured Patrick and Amanda of this.

I need you to pray for a miracle.

Pray that God proves the doctors wrong.

Pray for Patrick and Amanda.

Pray for John Beckett.

And pray for that sitter.

So, When I Was Born, He Was...12?

I married an old man.

I am so kidding.

David turned 40 at the end of last month, and I am still ribbing him about it.

What's a young(er) wife for, eh?

David's not a big party person,so we celebrated in the way he wanted to - spending time together and with Dawson.

We traveled to Chattanooga and stayed here:

The Bluff View Inn in the Historic Art District. It's beautiful, old and right on the river.

There are several houses that make up the inn, and we stayed at the Maclellan House; it was built around 1892. The furnishings are all antique and the art is amazing. It's by far one of the favorite bed and breakfasts we've stayed at.

This piano had real ivory keys - so neat!

We took breakfast in the dining room...beyond those double doors is a wide balcony that hangs directly over the river.

This was the view from our room - we actually stayed in the same room that we stayed in on our wedding night.

Getting ready to go out...we went to see "The Bounty Hunter" and ate at Tony's, a really good Italian restaurant in the District.

When we got back, this was waiting on us!

The next morning, we headed to my parent's house to pick up Dawson and take him to the Imagination Station...

...he had a blast on the "swides" and swinging for the first time!

This was the expression I got when I said, "Honey, you're 40!!" It was not about the pie, Mom, I promise.

Dawson loved helping him with the candle and with his gifts. My parents made a wonderful steak dinner, and we were joined for dessert afterwards by family, including these two hilarious boys:

Eli and Easton were so sweet and so funny - Dawson loved being right in the middle.

Happy Birthday, David! We love you!