I can't bow low enough

Well, our sweet Grace made it through both surgeries and is doing extremely well. She is like a new little woman...she can hear and is sporting a new tummy accessory.
I had a dear friend remind me of Psalm 23. While Grace was in surgery and I was in the waiting room I kept reciting it over and over and was struck by the end of the passage:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
That is exactly what has happened. It seems that no matter what we have experienced or gone through as a family, God's goodness and mercy have always followed us. And to that I am so incredibly grateful.

The song Cielo by Phil Wickham has meant so much this week and captures exactly how I feel when it comes to praising God for all that He is and all that He has done...
I can't sing loud enough
I can't bow low enough
I can't reach high enough


Thank you Lord!

Surgery #2 this week!!

Well, we are off to surgery #2 at CHOC this morning. Grace is getting a new tubby tube, called a Mickey button. This will be much smaller than the tube she has now and much cleaner! Yay!
So, again, if we may ask, would you please pray for our little Gracie as she has to go under anesthesia again and have surgery on her tummy. Josh is working, Gavin is with Mimi and I'll be there with her in the hospital. Please pray for peace.
THANK YOU! How beautiful is the body of Christ?! To join together and lift up little Gracie in prayer before the Lord.
Love you!

Grace update

The surgery was a success! Thank you for all of your prayers!
We definitely felt them. Gracie couldn't eat before the surgery(8 hrs total), so when the Dr was 2 hours late, I started hoping that God would give her strength to get through it. What's neat is that the staff was so impressed that she was so happy and smiley that we got to share that there were a ton of people praying for her and that God was giving her His peace. They all agreed. :) One of the nurses also shared that because the surgery was pushed back Grace ended up getting the best Anesthesiologist in the hospital. God is so good! The Dr. let me go in with her while they put her under, which was an amazing privilege. So, I got to hold her hand and be with her. She had her eyes locked on me, so I was so glad I was there. She was a champ, a little groggy/sad after surgery, but recovered really quickly. They discovered that she had two severe inner ear infections, which we are now giving her antibiotics for. It amazes me, how happy she has been while having 2 ear infections...unbelievable. It was at home around the dinner table that we noticed her darting her head back and forth looking at each of us when we spoke, with eyes wide open, like she was hearing us for the first time. It was emotional and really precious. We are so blessed and so excited for our little girl to hear fully!

Thank you, thank you for your prayers and for loving our little Grace!! All Glory goes to God!!

Surgery tomorrow

Hello sweet friends and family! It has been a whopping 1 1/2 months since my last blog...that's because it's Christmas portrait season and these fingers have been editing away! :)
Thank you for your continued love and support. I've gotten many inquiries on how the kids are doing. So, I'll take this moment to catch you up really quick.
Gracie is 8 months old! I know, can you believe it? She is 13 lbs 12oz and 25 inches long. She is so happy and is definitely getting an opinion. We love it.
She is headed in to surgery tomorrow, her first since leaving CHOC 6 months ago. She is getting ear tubes placed. It's a little bigger deal when its an 8 month old getting them, so she will be admitted to the hospital for the day, with surgery at 12. She has really narrow ear canals so we are just praying that that doesn't allow for any complications. The most exciting part of all of this is that she is going to hear after this, Lord willing. We can't wait to see what a difference this makes in her little development...speech, and otherwise.
We are so proud of our little girl and feel so blessed to get to have her as our daughter. She is one of the best things that has happened to us!!
The other best thing...Gavin is 3 1/2 and a whopping 42 lbs. He is a giant and really seems to have just grown into a little boy these past few weeks. He is a cuddler and I am totally taking advantage of that while I can. He has an encouragers heart and is starting to love to do things on his own to help out around the house. He is so funny and is constantly keeping us all laughing.

Tonight Josh had both his babies on his lap reading stories and every time he spoke in the little bird voice, he came up with, Gracie would just crack up. So overhearing giggles and silly voices I grabbed the camera. My kids are so blessed to get the best dad in the world. They just adore him and so do I!
Thank you Lord, I am overwhelmed with your blessings today!

Love you all and we are so grateful for your prayers for Grace tomorrow!

One world government

I studied Revelation for a full year, 2 years ago and it completely changed my life. I couldn't be the same "Christian" or person as I was before studying it, nor did I want to be. Revelation became so much more than a "scary" book that I avoided. It became a book of God revealing Himself to me. I learned of God's Sovereignty, His plan, His grace, and that He is coming back SO soon.
That being said, I am not an expert, by any means, just a child looking forward to her Dad's return.
Due to biblical prophecy being fulfilled in recent decades, we have all heard that these are the "last days", the days before Christ returns for His church. Yet, many of us have grown weary. The thing is, these last few years seem to be moving through bible prophecy at warp speed.
I saw this last night on YouTube and was reminded of how close we are.
I don't care how you feel about global warming...it doesn't matter how we get there...it's just that we are there.
John 14:1-3
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Copy the link below and paste into your web browser...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMe5dOgbu40&feature=email


By Jerome R. Corsi


A former science adviser to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher says the real purpose of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on Dec. 7-18 is to use global warming hype as a pretext to lay the foundation for a one-world government.

"At [the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in] Copenhagen this December, weeks away, a treaty will be signed," Monckton told a Minnesota Free Market Institute audience on Thursday at Bethel University in St. Paul.

"Your president will sign it. Most of the Third World countries will sign it, because they think they're going to get money out of it. Most of the left-wing regimes from the European Union will rubber stamp it. Virtually nobody won't sign it," he told the audience of some 700 attendees.

"I read that treaty and what it says is this: that a world government is going to be created. The word 'government' actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity.

"The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries, in satisfaction of what is called, coyly, 'climate debt' – because we've been burning CO2 and they haven't. We've been screwing up the climate and they haven't. And the third purpose of this new entity, this government is enforcement."

http://bible-prophecy-today.blogspot.com

Gracie is 6 months old!!

 
 
 
 

My precious little girl is 6 months old!! She loves to smile and kick her feet down hard, she is just fitting into her NB shoes, she LOVES laughing at her big brother Gavin, and is completely her mothers' pride and joy.
The picture of me holding her on the wood fence, while she tugs at the leaf made me cry the first second I saw it on my camera screen. I felt it perfectly captured how proud I am of her and I hope she can always see that in my eyes.

I decided to take her 6 month pictures at an apple grove in Oak Glen! My FAVORITE Fall tradition is apple picking and I have tons of memories of picking apples with friends and family in Oak Glen, every year.
The day was full of adventure. Though, sometimes a little rough, ie. the 1 1/2 hour detour and the hornet sting, laughter seemed to be the main theme of the day. We had so much fun. It was just my mom ( Can you believe how beautiful she is?), me, and the kids.
The weather was gorgeous and Gavin had a blast! Yay! That's all that matters.
I can't believe how many pics I was able to get with my kids(Thanks Mom!).
I loved this day, and it really was this picturesque. Thank you Lord!

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

I received really sad news today. I was at bootcamp with Jen, a member of the development team at CHOC and a good friend, and she told me that one of the babies that was in the NICU with Gracie just died. It instantly broke my heart and made me cry. Little Savannah wasn't just there at the same time. She was Gracie's little neighbor, she stayed right across the hall, and she had the most beautiful smile. When you live at the NICU, you become very close with your neighbors. This little girl had a really hard time and I remember praying for her and her sweet parents because I couldn't believe all that little Savannah needed. I remember all the love that the CHOC team gave to Savannah, and I watched them celebrate her little achievements. She had been in the NICU for 9 months and was so bored with her surroundings (can you imagine?). So, the nurses, would take her on walks around the floor and wheel her around on her little wagon. She was the sweetest little girl and I'm so glad we knew her and her amazing family.
I have to admit it instantly made me SO incredibly grateful for my time with my kids and especially little Gracie. God has been so good to us. He is so faithful and He heard my cry for Grace. I am so grateful for the amazing medical community at CHOC and so grateful for Gracie's continued care and monitoring.
The beautiful thing is that this baby is now with Jesus in heaven, & has a new body, with no more pain, no more struggle.
Revelation 21:3-5
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Please pray for little Savannah's family today, while they celebrate her short life at the memorial service today.

BFP + Shelly Young Photography= Christmas cards on time this year!!

This year for my Christmas shoots, I will be working with my dear friend and business partner, Becky Fisher. We will be shooting for 3 days at 3 different locations: BEACH (Newport), PARK (Central Park, HB) and STUDIO (Tustin). Spaces are already filling up, so if you'd like to sign up, please contact me at youngshell@gmail.com as soon as possible to reserve your sitting. BONUS: This year's shoots will include Christmas Cards + other goodies!

Celebrating Clarice!

Amazing friends.
Amazing Day.
You know, I've heard it said that in a lifetime you could count the amount of true friends you've had on one hand...well, two of those slots are filled.
These two women, have made my life rich. We are so different and yet we love each other just as we are. We share honestly, we laugh, we cry, we play, we love!
This day was a day to celebrate Clarice. Clarice, my compassionate, kind, Clarice was one of my first friends at Calvary. I'll never forget she invited me to eat lunch with her and her friends and I loved her for that. We visited all of the old places we used to hang out, reminiscing, and laughing. Chrissy put together a soundtrack filled with Alannis, The Cranberry's, Journey, etc. It was awesome. Followed by...Wahoos, 56th st, and a little shopping at Crystal Court!

Sweet August

August! Sweet August has been a great month. Not just because of the warm sunshine and massive amounts of pool time, but because I used August as a "Revamp my priorities month". I stepped back and reevaluated. I wish I could go into every detail of how God guided me through this month, but here is a quick overview...
I played with my kids.
I stacked legos on top of one another at random, without over thinking a design.
I was silly, and laughed.
I surrounded myself with things that make me happy, and minimized things that emotionally drained me.
I said no to events and play dates and didn't apologize.
I made time for people I wouldn't normally give a second glance.
I read my bible.
I enjoyed photography.
I danced.
I listened to God and witnessed his direction.
I took naps and went to bed on time.
I went on dates with my husband
I exercised...hard!

You know, living purposefully has been hard work and I realize it is going to be a daily process. But, I have to say that this month has made me feel alive again, and I've felt more myself than I have in months! Thank you Lord!
It is no coincidence that this decision is coinciding with my 30th birthday, coming up in October. I learned so much in my 20's and now I'm really looking forward to living a healthy, purposeful life in my 30's!!!
Bring em on!!!

5 months old!

Gracie is 5 months old!! She is happy and healthy. Still eating ok, but gaining weight and growing long! :) She is completely entertained by her brother, laughs, and is chatting up a storm. Ever since we left the hospital we had the expectation of Gracie's big 5 month appointment. The appointment where she meets with 10 specialists in one afternoon. After the appointment all 10 of the Dr's. reconvene and discuss Gracie and a plan of action. It's AMAZING!!! It seemed so far off and I could only imagine how big Gracie would be and how she would be developing. I can't believe it's here. In fact now that it's here, I'm thinking wait...does this mean surgeries are looming...uh oh, maybe I'm not ready for this.
I'm so glad she is in the God's hands and my arms. :)
I love you my sweet little Gracie!

Compassion

Where is the compassion?
Are we not all fellow travelers in this life? Are we not all students, are we not all seekers, are we not all discovering, learning, growing? Don't we all feel lonely sometimes, lost sometimes, vulnerable sometimes? Weren't we all "There" at some point in our life? A low point. An expectation unmet. Aren't we all at this stage in our life, for the first time?

Where is the grace?
Haven't we all made mistakes? Said the wrong thing. Done the wrong thing. Felt the wrong thing.

Where is the gentleness?
Aren't we fragile? We crack and scratch easily.

Where is the patience?
Aren't we all exhausted and behind sometimes?

Where is the Peace?
The only place I've ever experienced true peace is with Jesus. Period.

He ALONE can offer all of these things because He IS these things.
Jesus has compassion...
Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd.

Jesus shows Grace...
John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Jesus is gentle...
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Jesus is patient...
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Jesus is Peace...
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

We are just here to REFLECT his compassion, grace, gentleness, patience, and peace to one another!!

So let's START right now!

Let's LOVE those around us.
Let's Smile and offer a hand.
Let's listen.
Let's effect someone's life for the better.
Let's give and not take.
Let's encourage one another.

Thank you Lord for these gifts that you gave us, gifts that we can in turn give to each other.

Priscilla Ahn Dream

I think this is beautiful...


I was a little girl alone in my little world who dreamed of a little home for me.
I played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream

The Bruins Fan!

My husband, as you may well know, is a HUGE fan of UCLA football...Huge. He is also an avid reader and secretly loves writing. May I say, he is really good? He is. For weeks, maybe months, now he has been writing and www.bruinsnation.com has been publishing his work on their home page, over and over, now. His alias is captainqtp (Captain Q-tip...from a nick name in highschool referring to his white, blonde hair.) I have to brag for him, because he would never mention it...thought you might enjoy!
www.bruinsnation.com

Summer Fun!

The Babcocks are our long time amazing family friends. They all made it over for a BBQ followed by Settlers of Catan. It was so much fun...I think we got them hooked, especially Christine! :)
Gavin also had his very first Preschool event...a meet and greet at Peppertree park, Daddy and Christine came too!
The kids are so cute and Gavin had so much fun...the funny thing was, Gavin was a head taller than all of them. :)
School starts in September! Yay!!
 

 
 
 
 

 

The Donally's visit!