In Brief...

What can I say? I started a new job...and I'm back to working out 5 or 6 days a week (waddup wedding countdown!?). So, this whole blog updating thing has been on my mind...but I've had a hard time translating that to reality.

What I can tell you is these few things:

• Ned continues to improve, though he has had a little setback this week and has contracted MRSA again. It is our hope that once he knocks it out (which he is now so much better and more equipped to do) he will be heading HOME! It is truly a gift from God that he's this close. Just pray that we can cross the finish line!




• The new job is good. It's been a bit overwhelming these first few weeks. Trying to learn the process, the business and figure out this newly created role and what the priorities are has been...well...WHEW! That's really all I can say. Everyone I've met has been incredibly gracious, and I feel like this is the right job for me. I'm pumped about the challenge that lies ahead. And I hope that I stop feeling like the "new kid" some point soon! Oh, and the crackers are delicious!




• Alan started his dream job last week working for the new US Formula 1 team. How awesome is that!?!




• Church has been amazing lately. God is really speaking to me about some good stuff. He is amazing...all the time. I'm blessed to know every gift comes from HIM.




• I have every intention of continuing to blog...but I am working on figuring out a routine right now. I've gone from having ONLY free time to cramming a bunch in. Which feels great...but is quite a change that I'm adapting to. So please be patient with me.




• Since I did promise them a while ago...here are my 2 latest cakes that I decorated. The A cake (which is the Appalachian A) was for my youngest brother Chipper's birthday. The zebra print one (my hardest one so far!) was for Alan's mom's (Linda) birthday. Each side was different on it...so there are a few pics of it.

Fashion Friday: Damask a.k.a. My Current Mild Obsession

Basically, I'm loving the damask pattern lately. If Alan would let me...our wedding would be straight DAMASKED out (in the original black & white for sure)! So, via Etsy here are a few of my favorite damask items (which are a lot...so this might be a 2 part fashion friday).

Cute clutch - inside and out!

Lovin' the simplicity of this tiny tee.

Fun glass pendant.

I am pretty much in love with this dress. It's not super "damasky" but - I guess the green part is damaskish. Either way - it's just darling!



How about this cute cuff - silver & black damask!

This skirt is bordering on "too much" for me...but, I am still kind of in love with it.


And now to the obligatory wedding accessory portion of the post:

Ringbearer pillow & matching tie. Precious.



And me doing the garter thing seems doubtful at best...but this set is pretty stinkin' cute.

HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL!

Just a little taste...

With so much to catch up on...it's hard to know where to start. So, I think the best might be to give a broad overview of the majors mainly in picture form...then dig into it in future posts. So here we go!

Job:

That's right! As of Monday, I start work at Lance in a totally different role than anything I've ever done before. I'm going to be working in the Sales group as the Corporate Pricing Manager. Like I said - big..but SUPER EXCITING...change. And I'm pumped...and nervous. I sort of feel like Monday will be my "first day of school". Oh...and I've been saying "I've got Lance in my pants!" a lot lately.

Ned:

Here's my sweet (soon to be) nephew and sweet (soon to be) sister-in-law! He's doing so much better! A week ago, he had a tracheotomy. It has really helped him a lot and he is improving every day. They are working on getting him off of sedation (which has been tough with some withdrawal symptoms) and he's smiling...and Travis & Betsy are getting to hold him. All in all...he's really improving. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a big day for him. They are doing some tests on his heart to see where we're at - and if he can come off Flolan - which is a med we all very much want him off of. So please continue to pray.

Other Fun Stuff:

I told Alan a while ago that I generally like to think of August as more of a month long celebration of my birth...therefore "birthday month". He's delivered quite nicely...complete with a surprise weekend trip to Atlanta this past weekend. Here are a few pictures that are a little taste of some of what we've done to celebrate!

Atlanta with an art museum...visiting my college roomie & BF in the ATL...SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY IN CONCERT...cake decorating class (long story - but those are in fact our cakes after the decorating class).

And finally - yep, I've done a few more cakes on my own...one for my future mother-in-law's birthday and for my brother Chipper's b-day. But you'll have to wait on those! Sorry if this is slightly past 24 hours...but here's the update!! More to come!!

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

Geez.

I wish I could say it's been a while...but it's been longer than a while! I don't really have an excuse for not updating recently. I can say the first week (yeesh - that's bad when I have to think back to the *first* week) I was really busy. After that, it felt like I hadn't talked to a friend in a while...and I had a lot to say...and I wanted to do it justice...which I knew would take a while...and I couldn't seem to find the time...or the gumption...to do it.

So, I'm sorry. But, I am renewed...rededicated...and full of updates to share. It might take a few posts to get all caught up...but there's some cool stuff in the mix.

I'm back. I'm ready to blog. Oh...and I HAVE A JOB!!!!!

More to come (within the next 24 hours...promise!)...

Crossin' Them Fingers!

I alluded to some big news...so here goes!

I have a 2nd interview with the company I interviewed with on Friday of last week!!! It is tomorrow pretty much all day. This is as positive a turn as I've had on the job hunt search in a while. And more importantly - I'm stoked about the job.

So, say a little prayer for me if you happen to remember tomorrow. For God's will to be all up on the situation, and for me not to sweat too much while I'm in my suit all day tomorrow. :)

On top of that - my sweet fiance has told me I have a surprise in store tomorrow evening. So, I'm pretty excited about that as well!

Also - Ned continues to progress...slowly but surely. Please continue to pray for him, his family and all the hospital folks taking such great care of him.

Sorry this is so quick - more prep to do for tomorrow's big day! I'll keep you posted on all of tomorrow's excited happenings. Happy Hump Day!

I ♥ Faces – “At The Beach” Photo Challenge

So - via Cake Wrecks...which I LOVE, I came across the listing of the 2009 BlogLuxe Award winners. You can see the complete list here!

Since I love winners (really - it's more that I'm jealous of winners, and I hope to learn something from them), I decided to peruse the sites. One of the "Blogs We Learned the Most From" was I ♥ Faces, which I have spent several hours loving on.

The site has a weekly photo challenge where anyone with a blog can enter a photo. This week's theme is "At The Beach".

So here is my entry. One of the first pictures that Alan & I took after getting engaged on Sullivan's Island in March. I could not put up the first few due to the fact that I'm grinning so hard my eyes are shut! But, I really like this one - I think it captures how happy we both really were and still are!

Make sure to head over to I ♥ Faces to check out the other AMAZING photos!!

I know I owe an update or two - and there is some exciting stuff in the mix (whoop whoop) so more to come soon...like TOMORROW...on that!

Love & blessings!

Fashion Friday: Black & White

So, if you can't tell by my page background, I'm a big fan of black and white. I generally opt for black (hellooooo...slimming!), but, I love the combo of the two neutrals, and especially a bolder pattern. I love the options you have with adding color in other places in your outfit when you go with black and white. Red...for instance...or GREEN (read: black/white/green = my wedding colors...shocking? not so much)....pretty much any color...I love with the B&W. So, here, courtesy of White House Black Market (which I generally only buy sale stuff at) are a few nifty** items - from dresses to shoes, I love them all!

**Please excuse the odd words to substitute for "fun" throughout...this week I'm trying to mix it up a bit. Let me know which ones you like...so I can repeat in future FF posts!

Really like the simplicity of this. Cute!**

I think this top is marvelous** but it seems like the model does not. I'm not what she's thinking...I think she's too busy being fierce**!

Love this belt - I think it would look great with the top above!

Perfect dress for a wedding. And, I think it would be flattering on most folks. I'm thinking chunky yellow jewelry. Sharp!**

Lovin' the peep toe shoe with the white accents. Precious!**

I like how jazzy** the accent around the neck is. Great with a pair of jeans!

I just love this. Period. I'd even go so far as to say I find it dandy!**

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

What's A-Going On?!

Time for some updates!

First - sweet Ned. Things seem to be doing a little better. He remains stable but he hasn't been making a ton of progress. Yesterday, his lung x-ray looked better and he had a heart echo today that showed great heart function and somewhat less pressure in the lungs which is all great news! Additionally, it looks like some of the hypertension may be reversible. Betsy and Travis are in the process of getting a consultation from the UNC-Chapel Hill hospital which was where Ned was treated for his first 3 months, for their peace of mind. Please continue to pray for this little man and his family, as well as for guidance for all the doctors deciding on his course of treatment. We are in MUCH better shape than this time last week, let's hope and pray it stays on a positive track!!

Okay - onto other stuff that's been happening lately...

I've been fighting with a cough since the beginning of July. I finally went to the doctor last week - and of course - it had turned into bronchitis. I've been taking some medicine including an inhaler and things seem to be getting gradually better. I don't cough every time I laugh anymore...just every other time. By the way, the picture of coughing is way cuter than an action shot of me coughing. I thought I'd spare you. You. Are. Welcome.

The job hunt continues! The interview last week went well and I'm still hoping to have some additional interviews with that company. I have an interview for a different company on Friday morning...and I'm pretty pumped about it. It's a job that's pretty different than what I've been doing and I think it would be a great change of course for me. If you wouldn't mind, say a little prayer for me on Friday morning!

Wedding planning got put on hold for few weeks, but we are back in the mix! This week, we should get contracts signed for the band, the photog and the caterer. I'm also hoping to meet with the florist next week.

I'm trying to get as much done before I start my (hopefully soon to come) new job. Any suggestions on big things I should try and take care of now considering we are about 9 months out?

I really have no reason for including this picture - except that I found it when looking for wedding clip art...and thought these little guys were darling. So, I thought I'd share!

I was also perusing my pictures yesterday and was struck this beautiful picture of some lovely orchids that Alan & I saw on a trip to Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens early this year (Flashback on that to come at some point).

I opened it up full size and was blown away by how beautiful and perfect it is. I think about the things that I've made over my life be it a cake, a drawing, a powerpoint presentation for work, a dinner or anything else...it's never been perfect. Most of the time it's not even close.

I looked at this picture and remembered the verse from James which says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights" (James 1:17). This reminded me of all the amazing blessings I have in my life and how they are all truly gifts from God.

And then I remembered that he created this and every other plant in a day's work. "Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on that land that bear fruit with the seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so." (Genesis 1:11) If He can make something like this...so complex, so beautiful, so perfect...on a day when he whipped up quite a few other things (at this point we know of 297,325 others), think of the things He can do in our lives if we ask Him and then let Him.

Simply. Amazing.

Oh...and I wouldn't mind one of these!

Long Overdue

Whew...

It has been a busy and emotionally draining few days. We got back into town from grandaddy's late Saturday night, and since, I've been thinking "I need to blog..." but just haven't gotten the gumption to sit down & write about what all has happened. But, here we are. So I apologize for being a little late...and for the length of this post.

First, Ned. He made it through Thursday night with continued gradual improvement. Since then, he has remained relatively stable with a few blips in the road with maintaining his heart rate and blood pressure. In general, he seems a little better, but he is still very sick. I think the big upside is that they think they have gotten rid of the MRSA, but he still is having significant lung issues related to the pneumonia and is still having problems with the pulmonary hypertension. So, he still needs our prayers!

On that note, there has been a facebook group established for him called Praying for Ned ("PFN"). Through that group, I think the administrator (a guy from Travis & Betsy's town) will be posting Betsy's updates that she's been putting on Facebook. If you are on Facebook, please join, to show your support and to get updates. I promise, those will be far more accurate and more regular than ones on here will be!

Alan & I did get to spend some time at the hospital with Travis, Betsy & little Ned on Sunday. Ned looked so much better than when we saw him Thursday and Friday. In general, everyone's spirits seem a little lighter...and most importantly, there is an air of hope. I think this whole thing has reminded me the power of hope in any situation. We are going to see them tonight, and I'm anxious to love on them all again soon.

Okay - the other thing happening over the past few days was Grandaddy's funeral. Alan and I ended up going together to Goldsboro, NC after visiting the hospital on Friday. Due to the insane storms across the state, it took us about 5 hours. When we got there, I was immediately a ball of mixed emotions. Needless to say, Thursday had been a roller coaster of a day, between finding out about Grandaddy's passing to the whole Ned situation that happened that afternoon.

It was so nice to pull up go Grandaddy's farm and see all the wonderful, familiar, loving faces waiting on us and to get 20 big ol' hugs within 5 minutes. It was nice to be with a group that knew and loved Grandaddy as well and as much as I did. It was a mixed feeling on Friday as so many of us were gathered munching on the mounds of food that had been delivered to the house since Thursday afternoon. Everyone was happy to be together, but you couldn't help but notice that Grandaddy was missing. I did find myself reflecting on how happy he would have been to have been there on Friday night with all of us together...and then catching myself thinking, "but wait, he is here."

Saturday was the day that we did a combination of the visitation, funeral service and burial. It all happened at Grandaddy's Quaker church in Goldsboro. We got to see him before the closed the casket. He looked like a version of himself...sort of...but I definitely thought they used too much makeup. Mainly because grandaddy didn't have his trademark tanline on his face. You see, as he was a farmer his whole life, and always had on a hat (see picture from Thursday's post), the top of his head from just over his eyebrows back, was always a lot lighter than the rest of his face. On Saturday, he was all the same color...it seemed strange.

Anyway - we stood in a long line of family and for an hour greeted friends, neighbors and mostly folks that considered Grandaddy an adopted family member. Since it was a Quaker service, there was lots of quiet time to reflect on the life of Conard. There was also a time that anyone who felt led could stand and share their thoughts. I was blown away by how many people stood and told stories. A lot were funny...and I loved that. I think they would have continued to go on for a while had we more time to spend together.

After the service, we all traveled via processional to the family cemetery which is just around the corner from my grandaddy's farm. He was instrumental in cleaning it up and getting it back to its former glory. That was where we buried my grandmother in 2002. And that's where we buried grandaddy. Right next to his sweetheart of 54 years.

After the burial, we all traveled back to the church where we ate a huge meal and just spent more time together as a family of folks who loved Conard Massey.

All in all, it was about as good of a day as could be expected. I do feel like it was more a celebration of his life rather than lots of folks being sad. Before Saturday, I knew he was amazing and that lots of people loved him. After Saturday, I realized how much impact he had had on so many people's lives, and what an amazing faith he had. I will miss him terribly, but I think through his death and the celebration of his life, I have been reminded of just how simple your faith can and should be. And, that if you live a good and true life, and make your decisions according to the Bible and God's will...your impact on this world will be undeniable. He was more than a good man. He was a great man. I'm sad to have lost him, but that is outweighed by my absolute honor of having known him and loved him.

Okay - I know that was a lot, but I just felt I needed to get it out. To end on a lighter note, I thought I'd leave you with a few pictures from one of mine & grandaddy's favorite places on earth - his farm at sunset. Enjoy.

Oh...please keep my darling friend Rachel and all of her wonderful boys in your prayers. They are serving the Lord in a foreign country and just had their third little one named Judah yesterday. Praise the Lord!

Get to Work!

I was only going to stop by the hospital for a few minutes today to hug Betsy & Travis, squeeze sweet baby Ned's hands and bring them some new books to read before heading to Goldsboro to be with my Mom and the rest of the family.

When I got to the hospital, I met Billy & Linda, Alan's parents rushing in. I was told that Ned was in really bad shape.

Ned came really close to leaving us today. To say it was gut wrenching doesn't come close. I love this little one...and I've only known him 11 months of his 18 - and I'm not even blood. So I can only begin to imagine how the rest of the family felt/is feeling.

Throughout the afternoon, the doctors were determined to exhaust all options, and tried several different medicines. They also determined that he is septic - which means he has an infection in his blood. That's bad by itself - but the fact that the infection is MRSA makes it that much worse.

When we left the hospital around 8 tonight, Ned has stabilized as much as he can right now, but he is a very sick little boy. He has pulmonary hypertension, pneumonia and sepsis due to MRSA and he is on a lot of medicine. We are praying that he stays stable and improves throughout the night.

I'm asking for prayers, for Ned, for his family (especially Travis, Betsy & Jack), for his doctors and nurses, for a miracle. I'm asking that you ask others to pray. I truly believe that He hears us...and maybe if enough of us ask, and it is in His will...little Ned will be restored to us.

Once things had become a little more stable this afternoon, I realized I had been saying a phrase in my head over and over.

"Get to work! Get to work!"

I was talking to Grandaddy Conard. I know he's fresh into the whole Heaven scene and reuniting with Grandmom Ruby - but all I could think was "Get to work Grandaddy! Save this little Elijah!"

Depending on how tonight and tomorrow go - I (and maybe Alan) will be heading to Goldsboro, NC for Grandaddy's funeral. The family is doing the visitation, funeral and burial all in one day - Saturday. Please also pray for my mom and her sister as they have lost their daddy, for my dad & uncle as they support their wives, for all the grandkids, and for all the other family and friends who knew and loved my Grandaddy.

I will do my best to keep you all updated, but please take a few minutes and pray for sweet Ned.

1914 - 2009

Elijah Conard Massey

This is a picture I took of my sweet Grandaddy Conard in 2003 at his farm in Dudley, NC. He passed away at 1:30 this morning in hospice care. He would have been 95 next month.

He was a man of faith, who constantly had a bible at his side. He was Quaker and taught me a lot about being quiet and listening for the Lord. His faith was simple, pure and unwavering. He never let things that happened in this world affect how he viewed what God has promised us in the next. He worked hard as a farmer most of his life. He loved my Grandmother Ruby with his whole heart. When she battled Alzheimer's for years, he stood, unwavering by her side and made trips twice daily to her assisted living center to feed his "sweetheart".

He always had the ability to crack one liners that were funny at the core, but also caught you off guard. He always would ask me "How's my Emily?" and then really listen to what I had to say. While I'm sad he won't be at our wedding, I am so glad that he met Alan a few times and I got to hear him say "You've got you a right nice young man there," and to know that Grandaddy thought well of him.

Last time I saw him, he told me he was ready. He said he had led a great life, had a great wife, great kids and, as far as he could tell, had great grandkids. He had done everything he wanted and needed and was ready to be with Grandmom again. There is no doubt in my mind that heaven just got another angel.

He was greatly loved and he will be greatly missed.

I know I haven't given a Ned update since Sunday - and I certainly don't want to forget to mention little man. He is still in Pediatric Intensive Care at Levine Children's Hospital. He has developed pneumonia and has had a rough few days in terms of managing his blood pressure. The last day or so has been a little more stable and the doctors keep indicating that it is just going to take time. So please, continue to pray for Ned's healing and for Betsy, Travis and Jack for their comfort and strength during this process. Also, Betsy has updated her blog which is in my blog list to the right. That might be another place you can continue to check on over the next few days.

I also just realized that both Ned and Grandaddy have the same first name, Elijah, and they both are called by their middle names...which seems exactly right. I can't help but think that Grandaddy just passed his torch to Ned, and is now Ned's own personal angel up there.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

~2 Corinthians 4:16-15:8 KJV

Weekend Update

Do you ever have those weekends when on Sunday night you think, "Whew...I need a few days to recover from the weekend?!" That is definitely me tonight!

First, to the Ned Update! After my post on Friday morning, they decided they need to reintubate Ned. Not really due to any setbacks, but they think he just might have come off the vent to early. He still has a lot of gunk (yep - that's the medical term!) in his lungs and with the vent in, they are at least able to suction and help him get it out. Reintubation led to a few issues with Ned's heart rate, but as of this afternoon when Alan and I stopped by, and this evening based on what we've heard, all of that has stabilized. The doctors continue to struggle to keep him sedated, so he's a little restless. You can tell he really wants to join in the conversation in his room! So, the prognosis for now is we continue to wait and see and we keep on praying!

Friday and Saturday were spent getting ready for a couples shower/barbecue for my dear friend Jen and her future husband Aaron. Three of us bridesmaids collaborated and put it together. It was a lot of work, but we had a lot of fun. Also, this gave me another excuse to try my hand at cake decorating. Here are a few pics from Saturday night.

Here's the backyard of Amy's house. She & her husband have a great house with the perfect backyard for a party and were very gracious hosts. The weather ended up being perfect and the mosquitos left us alone for the most part!

Here's Alan & Amy's husband Brett grilling it up! They did a masterful job with the dueling grills.

Here's the couple of the evening...Jen & Aaron! They are getting married in Pennsylvania (where they are both originally from) in September. They are two of my favorite folks!

Jen & I posed for a little shot. I love this picture - mainly because everything is GREEN!! I know, I know...it's a little ridiculous, my love for the color green.

Alright - due to the number of folks coming to the shower - I ended up making two cakes. Here's the first. It was a new recipe for the Best Chocolate Cake Ever. Ever ever ever. Not my title...but I got the recipe from HERE. For the icing, I used the recipe listed at that same website, but as I know Jen loves peanut butter (as does Alan), I tried what someone suggested in the comments of the recipe and added a half cup of peanut butter to the icing. It was a big hit!

I originally had not planned to decorate this cake, but there ended up being so many crumbs in the peanut butter icing, that I thought I'd throw something on there. I was thinking the future couple's monogram...but upon a little googling, I found out it's bad luck to use the monogram before they are actually married. Who knew? So, I did their initials in mini chocolate chips, with a little border. It seemed to turn out pretty good...and, I think I have a new recipe to use for Alan's birthday cakes. He was a big fan!



Here's the other cake I did...which was a sour cream pound cake with buttercream icing. This was the real experiment with decorating to see how I could do. I was going for cute engagement cake...and had originally planned to do a little writing...like their names & wedding date, but the stick figures ended up being slightly larger than I had originally planned. It was fun to do and I was pretty happy with how it turned out. My favorite part is her cute yellow necklace! I think I'm getting a little better and smoothing it out and piping in general. I'm still toying with taking a class. Who knows?

The other stuff that's going on right now is as follows:

• I've been fighting a cough since I went to camp 2 weeks ago, and have been struggling with sleep, so I think I'm finally going to the doctor tomorrow. I'm hoping it hasn't turned into bronchitis *blegh* and that we can figure out some good stuff for me to take to get rid of it.

• I have an interview - sort of - on Tuesday morning at a company in Mooresville. I'm actually meeting with the company's accounting recruiter to discuss what positions are open in the company and where we think I'd fit best, get a feel for the company etc. I'm cautiously optimistic.

• There's some pretty major stuff going on with my Grandaddy Conard right now who is approaching his 94th (I think that's right) birthday next month. It's health related and I'm still processing how I feel about the whole situation - thus the lack of bearing my soul on this topic just yet. He is an AMAZING man and I love him so much, and the stuff that's going on is weighing heavy on my heart. So please pray for him and for my mom and Aunt Louise as they continue to navigate this situation.

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

In Other News...

It's been a bit of an eventful week. Here's part of the reason why.

I'm very excited to marry Alan...and one of the many reasons is I'm inheriting a new big wonderful family. Alan's family is so loving and have been so great to me over the past year. Not to mention the fact that Alan's brother and sister-in-law have two incredibly cute boys that I already consider to be my nephews.

There's Jack - who's four, full of life, absolutely hysterical and loves Spiderman A LOT. Then there's Ned - who is one and a half, was born with some pretty serious health problems that he's all but done with (read my future sister-in-law's blog here for an amazing story of a faithful family and an amazing fighter of a baby), has a great smile and what I like to call "mad scientist hair". Here they are at Ned's first birthday party in January.

On Sunday night, Ned was involved in a near-drowning accident in the bathtub. He was rushed to the hospital in Shelby and then airlifted to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte. He has been in the hospital all week and was on the ventilator until yesterday. In general (and I'm no doctor), he has been getting a little bit better each day, but it is still very much a wait and see situation.

Given my job situation (or lack thereof), I have been able to go spend some time each day with Travis and Betsy (Ned's parents) and little Ned in the hospital. I don't think I'm really helping the situation at all, but I'm hoping that just having more family there helps. I feel like that and constant prayers are all I can really do right now...so that's what I'm doing.

I have been struck all week by quite a few things, and now that the situation is a little more stable, I thought I'd share them.

• Love, love, love. I was thankful before for my future-in-laws, but I have been blown away by the amount of love that this family has surrounded sweet Ned with. You can feel it when you walk in his room. This is a tight knit family that really love and appreciate each other. I feel so lucky to have seen that kind of love up close this week.

• Resilience. I have been struck by watching Travis and Betsy go through a range of emotions from seeing them just after it happened on Sunday night through each day of Ned's progress. I have no idea how I would react in a similar situation, but I can only hope it would be with as much grace, faith and hope as they each have shown. They continue to love and lean on each other and it has reminded me that marriage can be a beautiful thing when you uphold the vows you take on your wedding day and keep God at the center of your marriage.

• True strength can come in small packages. This kid...Elijah Ned Dellinger...is my hero. He's been through so much in his short life, and when faced with this new obstacle, he has put his little head down and pushed on through. This kid has more strength at one and a half than I think I've ever had. What a fighter! He was on some pretty heavy sedatives over the past several days, and don't you know, he was fighting through it...wanting to lay on his side, with no blanket on his feet, just like always, regardless of what the nurses or anyone else wanted. It has truly been a quiet strength as he has spoken no words or even made any noise, until yesterday.

• Be thankful. That's been one that I have really been hit square between the eyes every day this week. To be thankful for those that you love and to tell them, because things can change in an instant. God has blessed us with so much, it can become easy to forget all of them, and how rich they are. Especially the things like family, that we are fortunate to be around so often. God has certainly used this to remind me of the things I am truly thankful for.

I would ask that you continue to pray for Ned and Travis, Betsy and Jack as they continue down this unknown path. Pray for healing and strength. I will post updates as I have them, and I sincerely hope it is only good news from now on. Here's a few more pics of Alan & I with Ned at his birthday...I love this kid!

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~Isaiah 40:28-31

Fashion Friday: Sassy Shoes

Nothing finishes off an outfit like some great shoes. Like handbags, I love me some shoes...mainly because they always fit! Courtesy of Nine West (one of my favorites), here are a few of the sassier shoes I've seen (that I would still wear!).

Love this olivey green with the metal accents. This would be a good summer into fall shoe.

If you don't already know...green is my favorite. All shades. Throw a little animal pattern up in the mix along with a smidge of a peep toe...and you have a great shoe!

How fun is this one? Neutral enough to wear with almost anything and subtle enough to wear with black pants to work. Or is that just me?

I like the bright color and the animal print on this one. Cute pump!

I like the wood combined with the fun colors of the straps. Cute for summer with shorts or skirts!

I know, I know...again with the animal print. But I love it! I really like the metal detail on these too. Perfect to kick up jeans and a white tank top!

Out of all the ones on here, these are probably the ones I would least likely purchase for myself, but would most likely compliment when I saw on someone else. Fun colors...but I'm generally not a pink girl.

LOVE THESE! So cute and fun (two words I promise I'm going to work on using less in future Fashion Friday posts)...but seriously...I might be purchasing these!

HAPPY FRIDAY!