~Baby Gracie

Back in April I had a prayer request post about Gracie. I couldn't even bring myself to post this yesterday. Baby Gracie lost her battle to live Wednesday morning. I'm am completely utterly heartbroken for Amanda & Todd . (Todd and I go back about 25 years). They just might be the bravest people I know. They have been so strong in their faith thru all of this. 7 months of having their little baby in the hospital on the brink of life, brink of death, whichever way you want to look at it. What they've been thru makes my daughter, Courtney's open heart surgery seem like a tonsilectomy. I just can't even imagine.

Todd & Gracie

From Todd and Amanda:
The last few hours have been a whirlwind!! But, please do not be shocked and saddened--we are rejoicing. Gracie has been given the victory! We were fighting to keep her here and she fought with us each minute of each day without looking back....back when the Lord Jesus called her name, she obeyed and everlasting peace and comfort began for her--to never end!!

~Thanks alot Hurricane Ike

I thought that I left the whole 'hurricane' thing behind when we moved from the Carolinas to Ohio.....maybe not. Usually by the time a hurricane moves across the states and reaches middle America, it's just a measley lil storm, but Ike held on and gave us some hurricane force winds. Several people in Ohio actually died! We were lucky and only had a 90 foot tree hit the roof of the wrap around porch (2nd time!). The wind was nuuuuuts, so we're lucky that a tree on the porch is all we got, considering that we are surrounded by woods! I was standing outside (holding the phone ready to call 911, just..in..case) while Duane was up a ladder cutting the limbs into pieces, and it literally sounded like I was standing right beside the freeway or the ocean on a really stormy day. The wind was that crazzzzzy loud!!! I'm not complaining tho because we were some of the lucky few that didn't loose power. Been there, done that. We went a week without electricity in NC - in the August heat! So I'm counting myself lucky this time since only the very tip top of the tree hit the house and didn't cause much damage. The schools are still without electricity so I'm hoping the kids go back tomorrow :-) The morning news looked like a blizzard hit because there were 100's of school closings. I love my kiddos but they've had a loooooong surprise weekend and they are suppose to have Friday off for a fair day too. I'm keepin my fingers crossed that the school has power by tomorrow!!!

~Prayers for Nie Nie

~blue lilly photography

Ever since last year when I googled "Silhouettes", I have checked Stephanie nielson's blog everyday. I went to see vintage portraits and stayed because she was just so charming. But now I check her sisters blog since she, Courtney, is the one keeping the blogging world posted on Stephanie and her hubby Christian who were in a plane crash a several weeks ago, surprisingly they survived. "Survive" and "plane crash" don't seem like they go hand in hand, like they could NOT even possibly be in the same sentence. Unfortunately the pilot, Doug Kinneard did not make it. But Stephanie and Christian were very very blessed that day and they did indeed survive!!! But now they have to take the road to recovery and it looks like it will be a long and winding often bumpy path. I have been following their story over the past few weeks and was quite mad that I missed it going national yesterday. Every single morning I watch the Today Show, every day I tell you! But somehow I got busy yesterday and missed it. And wouldn't you know it.......... Stephanie's siblings were on, talking to Matt Laurer and I missed it! (but I found it here on youtube.com just now yay!) It's not every day that a fellow blogger makes the headlines! When I first heard the news, it was jarring, my heart dropped into my stomach. Isn't it amazing how someone can make such a huge impact on so many others lives when you've never actually MET them (in person). I had no clue that she had such a following, I actually didn't even know that my BF followered her blog until I told her about the accident and she started bawling. But apparently she has a huge following. Personally Stephanie has a way of inspiring me to be a better mother, I always feel so cheerful after reading her blog, I mean after all, she has twice as many kids as I do and she still seems to be sane, happy as a lark even. She ran a marathon this year, she's super faithful, she's a vegetarian (her food blog is Here) and she's got great style, the words Classic Beauty and Classic Mother come to mind. She is just an all around beautiful person. She has a wonderful extended family and friends (like Here and below) who are reaching out and helping in so many ways- Keeping the blogging world updated, and organizing benefit concerts, fundraising, auctions, etc. Her sister Courtney is taking care of the 3 older children and her younger sister Lucy is taking care of the baby. They had a huge balloon launch, sending up their prayers & wishes for the Nielson's. Actually there have been several balloon launches for them, all around the world. Christian was burned over 30% of his body, Stephanie over 83%, they have massive hospital bills already (over $2million last I heard) So please please PLEASE keep Stephanie, Christian (aka mr. nielson), their 4 children, and their families in your prayers.

*Stephanie's family had a cute tradition of letting off balloons as seen here for her birthday.

*Massive balloon launch from friends and family Here (i love this song!)

*(sister) Courtney's blog Here

*News sept. 4th Here

*Original newscast about the crash Here

*Blissfullliving.com post Here

*Today msnbc Here

*Stephs sister on the news Here

*Nie Recovery Blog Here

*Nie's Dad's Blog Here

*Article in the NYT Here

*Benefit Blog, you could win an auction or make donations Here

*One of my favorite posts of Stephanies Here
*I'm adding this one just because her brother cracks me up! Here
*Stephanie taught Silhouette making (& yoga) HERE , that's what I wanted to make for my dining room---which I why I googled Silhouettes and found Stephanie's blog :-)

~ummm Thursday night lights?

Cody had his first game last week :-) I'm really not into football all that much, so the only thing for me to do is take pics during the game. So let me just apologize in advance because there might be alot of football pics on the blog for the next 2 months. But hey, I can't help it I'm a proud Momma, it's my job :-) One thing I discovered........I'm old, my booty hurt from sitting on those bleachers for so long. TMI?

pre-game huddle

I can spot my boy from a mile away

Courtney was just there for her friends and the concession stand

I need to take more cash next time!

Ok I'll spare you the other 50 pics for another time LOL

~Michigan Labor Day

hailey & breck

slide surfing

cousins: justin, hailey, courtney

lil miss hailey & grandma schrier

My sweet sis-in-law's family

i cant write right now im grouting the new tiles (waitig 10 mins 4 it to set) i'll write more later when im usig 2 hands

~New

Oooh and Aaaaah.......I (finally) got a haircut & a stormdoor. :-) I'm still itching to paint the door red, but I don't know now that there is a stormdoor. whatcha think? Other than a lil length you probably can't tell I got a h/c because all the layers blend, why don't my grays blend in too? I also found a cute fall welcome sign for the front door and a hooked rug that I just fell in love with. I love hooked rugs and I guess Ozzy does too! Why is it the white cat likes to sit on the black rug and the black dog likes to sit on my white rug????? To drive me nuts?