Good News for Gretchen

The doctor's have said Gretchen has made nothing less than a miraculous recovery. Yesterday, they put a smaller tube in her trech so she is now able to talk (at a slight whisper) and all of her vitals are now stable and everything is looking up. They are now working on a plan to transport her from Chicago to the rehab floor at Kennestone Hospital on Monday (via ambulance), so she will be in Atlanta for Thanksgiving. She will most likely be in the hospital there for 2 or 3 weeks in rehab, but this is amazing! Please continue to keep Gretchen and her family in your prayers seeing as how she still has steps to full recovery. Thank you for praying for Gretchen and her family:) The power of prayer is amazing!

Update on Gretchen- Good News!!

I have some good news, the antibiotics have cleared Gretchen of the sepsis and she is now fully off the sedation medication, awake and aware. Because of the trech she can't talk yet, but her Mom said they gave her some "coke swabs" today (coca cola on a q-tip) and she really enjoyed them. Yesterday they did a small surgery to put a drainage tube in her lung to help her get rid of the rest of the fluid there, and steroids have helped to soften some of the scar tissue. It looks like over the course of the last 7 day's Gretchen has made a great turn!

Please keep the prayers coming!! Nothing is impossible with God and miracles happen every day. Let's hope and pray that her forward progress to recovery continues. Thanks!

Gretchen

My friend Brigid and I were talking last week when she asked if I would pray for a co-worker/friend of hers named Gretchen. To which I said of course and I asked what was going on. Gretchen was in Chicago on work and while she was there she became infected with the swine flu. However, the swine flu progressed very quickly and turned into double phenomena. She was admitted to a hospital in Chicago and while in Chicago her lung failed and they put her into a drug induced coma and on a ventilator. She has experienced acute respiratory distress syndrome, blood clot in her left arm, Kidney problems, Lungs are filled with scar tissue which is hindering her from being able to breathe on her own again, She was diagnosed with sepsis a very serious blood infection.

As of today:
They were able to get a trech in last night, although they think that just gives her a couple extra days. Her lungs did not respond to the medicine to soften the scar tissue. The doctors are not giving much hope and are preparing for the worst.

I ask you right now as your reading if this to pray for Gretchen. She is my age 26-27. I believe in the power of prayer and miracles.  I have been praying for Gretchen and her family since Brigid shared this with me last week. Prayer for Gretchen's parents and her boyfriend; prayer for comfort and peace at this very confusing time.   

"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14

So it hit me today...

I was driving into work today and I started thinking about the Holidays coming up. I always look foward to this time of year. Every aspect of it I love. It allows me to show God how thankful I am for everything and celebrate the birth of Christ my Savior. While thinking about this I thought about all of the traditions my family has. Decorating, Watching Christmas movies, attending the Christmas Program at church and shopping with mom, Jenn and Honey:) All wonderful traditions. The one that brings a big smile to my face is thinking about my family picking out a tree. This is an act of Congress for my family. It has gotten better over the years but I wish that I had a video of some of the earlier years...Pure comedy.

I tell you all of this to say it hit me today that I have my own home to decorate this year and my own tree to buy. Please know that I am so excited to do all of this with Chad for the first time this year but it does not come without a little bit of sadness. Tears actually came to my eyes this morning driving in realizing I wouldnt not be waking up at the home I grew up in. I will not be the first one waking up my entire family to open presents. Yes even as a 24 year old the excitement of Christmas is more than I can handle. I literally have to take a Tylenol pm to help me sleep on Christmas eve. Don't judge! :) I won't be sitting in the floor while my dad videotapes the family opening presents. I won't have my Precious ( my dog) to distract me inbetween gifts. I have tears in my eyes once again just thinking about it. For those of you who do not know I am very close to my family so this will be weird for me.

However, I am so looking forward to waking up next to my wonderful husband on Christmas morning for the very first time. Chad and I have our very own traditions to start up and I am truly looking forward to them. Chad has no clue what he is in for when it comes to decorating...:) (Evil laugh) haha!!

I'm acutally hoping that TBS will not be playing A Christmas Story all day long...What on earth is that about?

Cherish each and every moment with your family while you are at home; even if your mom wants to play Kenny G while you open Christmas presents every year. Believe it or not; You will miss it one day:)

Halloween/Fall Decorations so far...

We had a carved pumpkin but it went bad. We are planning to get another one this week:) We also have spider webs to put up along with some other things:) I'll post more pics mid-week:)

No Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
1. Position two oven racks in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
3. Divide the dough into 24 portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Roll each portion between your hands to form a smooth ball. Place the balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. You should get about 12 cookies per sheet. Using a fork, press on the dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.

YUM!

Truly Blessed

This weekend was wonderful. Saturday morning I received my first ever professional massage and I must say it will not be the last time:) It was amazing! I was able to experience a complete salt scrub as well as a Swedish massage:) Both were awesome! It was wonderful being able to do this with my mom and sister. I don't think they realize how much getting to do things with them means to me. We followed that by lunch at the only restaurant I think my family knows of, the one and only; La Parilla:) We met my dad, Honey and Aunt Cathy. After that it was a day with the ladies. I was on a mission to find a fall work wardrobe. It has been a mission. When did clothing companies quit making brown work skirts? Did I not receive the memo? Silly of me to think that brown was a fall/winter color...After traveling for the past month near and far to find this amazing brown skirt that does not exist we ended up at Macy's. When I had lost all hope and it just seemed inevitable that I was going to have to do without a brown skirt; I see Jennifer (my sister) sprint to the right out of the corner of my eye. That's when I saw it, like a beam of light came out of the sky and landed on a brown skirt! There were two left and they were both on the mannequins. I had my fingers and toes crossed that one of them was my size! Praise Jesus one of them was!! Finding this skirt has been an act of congress. Finally, a brown skirt with no jacket...Almost there!

On Sunday, Chad had to work so I went completely domestic. I went to the grocery store for the week. Got home and unloaded. Started the laundry. Got a pot of homemade chili and baked peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies:) Both homemade! I wanted to have both ready for when Chad got home so we could enjoy them during the Falcons game. Falcons rocked that stadium on Sunday! After the game we went to WalMart to purchase extension cords and a pumpkin. We needed both to start the decorating process for Halloween on the outside of the house:) It looks so good! We carved the pumpkin Tuesday night and put up the decorations outside:) Pictures soon to come as well as the recipe for the chili and cookies!

Next Monday I will be in the new building Chick-fil-A is moving Marketing and Operations too, Oakmont. I will be the back desk Receptionist and I am really excited about moving to that building. It's not permanent but I am so excited about being able to be familiar with both buildings:) I am so thankful and blessed to work for such a wonderful Christ Driven company. Blessed to work for a corporate company that offers devotions to their staff every Monday. Blessed to work with the amazing women on my team. Blessed to be meeting all of the wonderful people that work here. Blessed to have lunch provided everyday. Blessed that God has given the opportunity for work for a company that I believe in. I am learning so much and meeting wonderful people. Our department has our outing next Friday and I am so excited! I'll be able to do an update on that next weekend:) I'll post pictures and recipes tonight:) Hope everyone has a wonderful day!