For such a time as this...

Lord willing, a week from tomorrow we leave for Boston!  We are doing our best to prepare for a journey that is full of unknowns, but God has been SO generous to us by providing reminders all along the way that He's got this...  There have been cries and conversations that only God has heard and He has met those cries with comfort and reassurance in ways I would have never imagined.  He has called and equipped people to come alongside of us and provide for some of our biggest needs.  The most amazing part is that the people He has used to bless us are people that we have never even met before or hardly know!  A super special friend of ours has really stood in the gap for us, encouraging us all along our journey and sharing our story with anyone that would listen :-).  Some of her family, friends, and church family felt led to help us out in various ways, making our trip to Boston more and more of a reality and less stressful.  We find ourselves on our knees thanking the Lord for how He meets needs and we pray blessings over those people that have so generously opened their hearts to our sweet Grace, whether by praying for her and/or us or meeting our very tangible needs.

I hope this smile is a glimps of our gratitude!  THANK YOU!!!

I also stand in awe when I think through how God has knit our lives together in preparation for "such a time as this."  I remember sitting on the balcony of a beach house in Galveston with Suzan Parle in October or November of 2011 as we were reflecting on what God was up to in our lives.  I remember saying that I was confident that God had David and I in the roles we were in (myself working full time and David in Seminary and being home with the kids) for a reason, He just hasn't  revealed the specific reason yet.  I would have NEVER dreamed that just a month and a half later we would be pregnant with Grace (we weren't even considering a third child at that time).  Now I know!  God was preparing us all that time for such a time as this!  The fact that David has had the time and energy to lead our family through this journey (as I've mentioned before, in God's strength, he is the backbone of our family) and is able to stay in Boston with Grace as long as needed (of course I pray that it will be shorter, not longer :-) is a blessing that can't be described in words. I have always loved my job, but I have never been more grateful for the medical benefits that my company generously provides and the incredible support I have received from my manager, counterparts, and upper management.  There are so many other details that I know are no coincidence, but instead are a divinely orchestrated plan that has been devised for such a time as this.

Once we arrive in Boston, we are suppose to have a very full day of pre-op "stuff" to take place on Monday, March 4th, a sedated MRI and 3D echo on Tuesday and surgery on March 6th.  We sure could use your prayers that the additional images provided by the MRI and 3D echo only confirm that she is a candidate for the biventricular repair and that surgery is a huge success with no complications. You know the saying that it takes a village to raise a child?  That saying has never been more true than right now in our lives, so thank you all for being our village!

"Did someone say surgery?!?!" - this is one of our favorite new faces that Grace makes...  We call it her Grandma without dentures face :-)

Our family did the Campbell Elementary Bunny Hop Fun Run this morning (it is Abigail's elementary school's big fundraiser) and we ran the 1 mile portion of the race.  David and Abigail ran the whole mile pretty hard, without taking any breaks, while Andrew and I... well, we ran about half of it with Andrew on my back or with Andrew saying his legs were tired.  However, the last quarter of a mile I said to Andrew that I needed him to push it for Gracie because she is one tough cookie and has been through way more than just having tired legs.  At that moment, Andrew got a determined look on his face (eyebrows down, starring intently ahead) and he took off practically sprinting the remainder of the race while saying "I'm running for Gracie...  I'm doing it for Gracie!" I was surprised that I didn't lose it crying at that moment, but I sure did have a huge lump in my throat watching him run hard for his baby sissy.  We were so proud of them both!

Here is a little extra sibling love...