Precious Gracie

These are pictures of the little Gracie that I have been posting out. She is just so sweet and there are so many of us that have just fallen in love with her! Tomorrow is a pretty important day for her, so I ask again for the prayers that Heavenly Father will bless her on this very important day. Pray too that her family will be blessed with the peace need. This is very difficult on her big brothers and sister. I remembered praying for all the medical staff that would interact with Ryker and that I would be able to handle all that came our family's way. So also pray for the medical staff. Thank-you for all that are praying in her behalf. This is a very special family.

Gracie Gledhill

These heart kiddos truly are amazing. Gracie is giving it her all and I know that whatever happens, the prayers that everyone is/are saying in this family's behalf are really working. This is such a roller coaster for them but I know they are appreciative of every prayer. It helps to strengthen them. Also, Ryker's little buddy and former next door neighbor Kaidence is keeping her parents on their toes. So I feel that an extra prayer for them probably would not hurt. I worry so about all the heart babies, at home or at the hospital. Mike tells me not to get so involved so that I am not so sensitive when they have hard days, but I can not help it. There were so many people who were praying and pulling for Ryker and our family when Ryker was at Primary's, I just feel the need to pay it forward and try to be a strength to others in any way I can. Anyways, hopefully it will be a peaceful night for the Gledhills.

Gledhill family

The Gledhill family are in need of some much needed prayers in their behalf this week for their little Gracie and the family themselves. They are making some really tough choices, and they need the peace that only praying can bring them. It is difficult to deal with everything at times, no matter who you are or what you are going through. After the difficulties we have been through, I continue to be a firm believer in prayer. It blessed us so many times, especially with Ryker and Lilly, to know what was best for them. This family is truly a special family.

Baby Gracie

There is a little girl up at Primary's that is need of some extra prayers at the moment. She is a sweet little girl with HLHS, which is the same thing that Ryker has and is just having a tough time right now. I am a strong believer in the power of prayers. Prayers are what helped our family get through everything our family has gone through. If you can fast, that would be an extra bonus and much needed in behalf of this little girl and her family. Thank-you all!

Hard night.

Last night was a tough night at the hospital. It seems like we seem to always be walking the fine line of life, and just trying to stay balanced on the type rope of life. Then there are those events that bring you strong gusts that try to blow you off the rope. Last night was one of those nights. I got to work and I was waiting to get report (I work at American Fork Hospital on the Mom/Baby unit) when they called overhead for a baby code blue up in one of the c-section rooms. Now anytime a code blue called (specifically baby codes) it sends a chill directly down my spine. So some of the nurses went running and because the code was not cleared, you could hear what was happening at the nurses station. A nurse picked up the phone to listen in and started to give a play-by-play as to what was going on with the code. She told us how they were counting compressions and shouting for different medications. I sat there, and all the rush of Ryker's last day on this earth came flooding back, in the form of tears. I started to cry, so went into the bathroom and just released the tears that I think so often I push back. I wiped my face with cold water and went back out. The nurse had thankfully stopped listening, but the impact did not quickly go away. I went into the nursery to get some formula and one of my nurse friends saw my red cheeks and nose and stopped me. She asked why I was upset, and the proceeded to sob on her shoulder while she hugged me. It is hard when those emotions just surge up and you feel like you really have no control. The baby was intubated and life flighted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and was doing well over the night. One of the pediatricians that was there was telling us how one of his patients had passed at PCMC just earlier that evening, at the tender age of two, after living a very hard life. And he was telling us how another little 5 year old was diagnosed last Friday with unsuspected Leukemia and passed away the next day. It just really brings to mind how we are constantly told that the generations to come are more and more valiant. I could not see how this worked growing up, but now after having two perfect children, and seeing and hearing about precious babies and children passing so young, I am beginning to understand. The world gets uglier and more beautiful, all at once these days.

Grateful for Easter!!!

Today, as you all know is Easter. I feel blessed, because last week Mike's family celebrated Easter (the dinner, Easter egg hunt, candy, etc.) So today, with it being Easter Sunday (without the easter bunny aspect) it just makes me reflect on the true meaning of the day. How truly grateful I am to the Savior, my brother, for giving his life for me. I am so far from perfect, so it is only through my Savior that I can return to live with me Heavenly Father. I feel so spiritually full. We were fed well in church with messages that shared into Easter, and also thoughts shared about being slow to anger. Sadly, this is not something I am very good at. So it gives me a resolve to do better, which I feel we all need. It was a much calmer week in the G homes. Mike and I went to Ryker and Lilly's grave, to see if their headstone is in yet. Sadly, it is not. But I sure gave them a thorough talking to about things going on in our life. Mike or I would say something, and then Lilly's pinwheel would start to whirl. It made us feel like they were listening, and just smiling saying "yes Mom and Dad, we will try our best." And that is all I want to hear, that they hear us and are trying their best to protect and watch over us. What amazing children I am blessed with!

Genetic Link?

Well, yesterday was a pretty tough day for the G family. Mike has an identical twin Jason, and he and his wife Deanna are expecting their second (a litttle girl!) come this July. Because of the problems with our two, and Deanna being worried that there could be something wrong with this little one, they decided to go and see the perinatologists down at Utah Valley. They are not 100% sure, but they think that this little girl may potentially have the same condition as Ryker, Hypoplastic Left Heart Sydrome, which is a pretty significant defect. They did not get the best pictures, so they are going in April to see the cardiologists to do a fetal echo and will find out more then. This is really tough for our family, especially Jason and Deanna. I am blessed to see a lot of babies born and living and thriving with HLHS, but the only experience that our family has with HLHS is with Ryker and a brother-in-law's niece that lived only 11 days last May-June. Their is so much hope to me. If you live life always expecting the worst to happen, you become a glass-half-empty kind of person. I prefer to see the glass half full, and place my faith and trust in our Heavenly Father that he truly has a plan for each and every one of us. There really was no physical reason for Ryker to pass away. I truly believe with all my heart that he was called home, and he was not here a moment longer or shorter then what Heavenly Father wanted. So now, we put our faith in Heavenly Father, that he does love and know Jason and Deanna better then anyone, and that he has a plan for this precious little girl. Your prayers are asked for to bless our family that we will have peace and hope that this little girl will fight whatever may come her way, and that Jason and Deanna will have the mental and physical strength to fight too. What a special family to be blessed with such strong little babies!

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Had a blast!

Well, we are back and the trip was great! We went to the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and the San Diego temple (which was absolutely beautiful!) I had my Mexican food, and Mike had his fish and chips! It was a beautiful hotel, and was so relaxing to be away from everything and everyone, to just have time for us! We had some adventurous times (California driving is insane!) but are happy to be home! I think it will help us a lot, it just makes life that much easier to have had some time away from the every-day grind. I pray that the year to come brings some much needed happiness and peace in our life, that our family will continue to grow and that Mike will continue to do well in school. I pray that Lilly and Ryker will watch out for us, and help this year to be a truly wonderful year!