Life

This has been a very long and eventful week and I think today has been the most bizarre of all. First, an update on Erica and Grayson. They are both still in the hospital, but everyone is doing fine. Erica was going to be released yesterday, but started running a fever the night before, so they've kept her for a little longer. Grayson is out of the oxygen tent, off of his feeding tube, and is eating on his own. Erica and I went down to see him in the NICU this afternoon and we got to see him with his eyes open for the first time! So much fun! Now Erica thinks he looks like her! We also got to watch him eat from a bottle for the first time. He's a little jaundiced, so they've got him in the 'tanning bed' for the time being, but he continues to do well. I haven't heard when they'll release him--not soon enough, but I'm thinking pretty soon. Tonight, Erica got to feed him for the first time. I sent my camera with Damon so that he could get a few shots. As usual, they have very subtle mood lighting in the NICU, so the images are a little blurry and grainy, but we'll get PLENTY more pictures later!

My, what big hands you have!

"Hey Mama!"

Mama is slobbering all over the baby! ;)

"This eating business is HARD work!"

Awwwhhh, finally getting to cuddle!

And then there were other things that happened today as well. My friend Tracie called me today to tell me that our friend Stephanie Wright had been killed in a car accident yesterday (Dec 23) on her way home for the holidays. Stephanie was 31 years old and worked for Lifeway as an event coordinator with the Beth Moore/Women's Ministry department. I've known Steph since college, but we really became friends at seminary. I wanted to BE Stephanie when I grew up (and I still do!) She was a great person. She was Allen [Jackson]'s secretary for my first two years at seminary and I had the chance to help her with lots of YMI stuff. She was also my director the first year I worked Centrifuge at Panama City Beach in 2001.

I loved Steph. She was a natural red-head and definitely lived up to that reputation at times, but we always got along really well. I could relate to her weaknesses and I admired her strengths. I loved her voice and the way she'd laugh and talk at the same time. She loved 'hip-hop' music and N'SYNC (back in '01) and she loved to dance. She always seemed to know what she was doing--even when she didn't. And Steph liked to "have it all together" but for whatever reason, she always let me in, even when she didn't have it all figured out. I treasured our relationship because I felt that I had the opportunity to see a side that most people didn't see. It made me respect her even more.

As friends often do, we'd gone our separate ways and kinda lost touch, but I had the chance to visit with her for a while after I returned to Nashville at the end of the summer. It wasn't a life-altering conversation or anything, but I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to sit and visit with her one last time. While she was not a part of my daily routine, it's hard to believe that she isn't there anymore. Her presence of mind and abiding faith are something that I will always remember when I think about her. I've included a couple of pictures that I dug out of a rather haphazardly arranged photo box. These were taken during a trip to the Texas Youth Ministry Conclave in the fall of 2000. [For those of you who knew Stephanie, I'll keep you posted on funeral arrangements and all. I'm thinking it will be in Baton Rouge on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I'll post when I know more.]

(l to r) Amanda and Steph

(l to r) Steph, Tex, and Jason--the redheads on the trip (and yes, Tex is wearing a (really bad) wig