Thanksgiving/Black Friday!

I am so VERY VERY GRATEFUL that we were able to come home with Lauren from the hospital on Tuesday and that made for a very Happy Thanksgiving at our house! Since Lauren is now on 24 hour continuous feeds it is making her feel much better and her mother much more nervous...since we came home, I get up every hour or so throughout the night to check the tubing, bloodsugars, add more formula, flush the j-tube and so forth. We have put some safeguards in place and are working on others but in the meantime, I am just so glad to be home in my own environment with my family!!! I ALWAYS go Black Friday shopping with Momma and Emily so even though I am really tired, I still HAD to go! I slipped down one step yesterday (don't even ask me how because I don't know...) and my foot bent in half underneath me. At first it hurt like heck but I thought it would go away and I was determined a few hours later to go ahead with my shopping plan. We left the house at 11 pm on Thursday evening, hit Wal-Mart first then moved onto the other stores and I arrived back at home at 7 am this morning....needless to say my foot was THROBBING and when I took my sock off I knew I had done more damage than I thought! I did, however, get the bargins I went hunting for with the help from the son of a woman I met in line...bless him! It was another fun time (even with the foot pain) and I'm hoping my insistence at going out on Black Friday has not ended up with a broken bone in my foot! I love being home though and so glad my Lauren is feeling better! It's been a long 2 months with lots of emotional rollercoaster ups and downs but this year I cannot be more thankful for my wonderful family and the blessings that are mine...the Lord has blessed us to be home and Lauren to be on the road to recovery! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! :)

Emily and I on our way out the door

Shopping in Wal-Mart

My "hero" of the day, Trevor

Waiting in the checkout line

My poor swollen aching foot

Scary

Yesterday was a frightening day for our family! Yesterday morning Lauren's monitor went off at the nurse's station and when the nurse came to check on her, she was unresponsive and not moving! She immediately called a "Code Blue" and I prayed so hard. They were able to get her stablized and made the decision to move her down to the PICU so they could watch her closer. We spent 24 hours down in the PICU and came back up to the room today! I am so thankful for the power of prayer and for the love and support of so many. I don't know how I would have gotten thru this day without my family and friends. Jeff and I are grateful for the power of the priesthood that blesses not only Lauren's life but ours as well. We are thankful for the many prayers and fasting that have and are being offered in Lauren's behalf. We feel the strengthening power of prayer and know that the Lord is in control! It has been a long 2 days but tomorrow we are happy to celebrate Lauren's 16th Birthday! She is a fighter in every sense of the word and I am very thankful!