Nothing Matters More Than Family!

   I had great plans for this week to get lots of things done but it all got put on hold as our Rachel's health took a scary turn after being home for a few days after having baby Steven.  She ended up in the emergency room on Tuesday night and has been at the hospital ever since then.  Poor girl had multiple infections, pneumonia and sepsis.  We are so thankful that they caught it when they did and that they have been treating it very aggressively.  I took baby Steven back to their place Tuesday night and stayed with him while Jaysn stayed with Rachel.  The next day they decided that it would be easier on them to have Steven stay with them at the hospital since she was not a threat healthwise to him.  
  
   Our girl has been poked, prodded, pricked and stuck with needles, given tons of blood, and had multiple tests, scans, etc. run on her.  Despite being miserable, she has still tried to be the best mommy she can be throughout all this to her son.  I've spent every day and evening with them at the hospital to help with baby and give Jaysn and chance to take care of other things at home, run errands and even get some much need sleep himself and to be a support system for them all.  Rachel and I have had plenty of time to talk and get to know even more about each other and that part, has been wonderful.  Oh how I love her!  I have been so blessed by both my girls...my sons Jaysn and Chris did well when they picked Rachel and Heather as their wives.

   Today was a good day and we can see that she is making that turn around the bend on the path to being well and getting to go home within a few days time if all continues to go as it has been today.   She reached some goals they had for her there and is close to meeting another.   She finally felt good enough to allow a few friends to visit and to meet baby too.  Heather and the little boys made cards for her and Isaiah even made her a bracelet.  They would have loved to come a visit too, but their family is ill right now and they did not want to risk giving something to baby, Rachel or Jaysn.  I picked up the cards on my way into town to see Rachel and delivered them to her...she loved them!

   Chris decided this afternoon was a good day to slice his wrist open on a broken crockpot and get 10 stitches.  I have been giving him a hard time about taking drastic measures to get a day off work.  Funny thing is that earlier in the day I was telling his sons to please be careful when they were climbing on things not to fall and get hurt because Grammie could not take anyone else she loved getting hurt or being sick right now.  

   I have a dear friend who is also going through a very scary health issue and was able to go with her to see her doctor and get the results of some testing on Wednesday when I was already at the hospital with Rachel.  After seeing the results, she came with me to Rachel's room so she could meet baby and we prayed over her as a family.  Even upon arriving back at the room with Rachel not feeling well at all and finding her shaking from a high fever, she still reached out in love and compassion for my friend who is like a sister to me.

   Today I finally broke down on my way in to see Rachel and cried out to God to please heal my girl, and my friend.  I have been praying all along, but today I was sobbing and begging.  I had no idea that I would find out within a few hours how close we had been to possibly losing Rachel if she had not gone into the emergency room when she did.  

   Our family has rallied together to support one another throughout all this.  There are so many people praying across the nation as we have let friends and family know and they have added Rachel to their prayer list at church and in their groups of friends.  My parents, cousin and our Josh have been checking in to see how she is doing and offering their love and support.  Chris and Heather call on a daily basis (sometimes more) for updates and to encourage them.  My friends that I have let know what is going on have been so wonderful and encouraging as well.

   I have learned through this that nothing is as important as family and that our family is closer than I could have ever imagined and that we all gather strength from one another.  I have seen sacrifices made to be there for one another and everything else set aside to make sure that Rachel, Jaysn and baby have what they need.  I have seen Rachel and Jaysn grow closer as a couple throughout all of this.  I have seen them reach out in their time of their own health crisis to others who needed compassion, prayers and love as well.  Spending 12 hours or more with them each day at the hospital and driving home late at night when I am dead tired, just to get up and do it all over again without ever even considering not being there has stretched me to my limit physically, emotionally and health wise but I would do it all over again and will continue to do it until she is able to go home.  My family is everything to me and are my treasures here on earth.  Nothing is more important to me than they are.