Preparing...

How does one spend the week before her son's heart procedure...getting rid of THINGS!  Oh my word, I have been on a roll!  There is little right now in life that I can control, so I am sure this crazy nesting is just my way of trying to control something, but I feel like I have to prepare somehow...and this is just one of those ways!  I have been trying to go through each room in the house to just purge it of STUFF.  The goal of course is to have a clean house...but I went the DEEP CLEAN route!  Which means it will still look messy for a bit...but once it is clean it will feel SO good!

We were actually CRAZY BLESSED to have a friend come over and power wash the outside of our home, clean ALL my windows and re screen my windows (because my cats literally put a hole in EVERY one).  I can't even...walking up to a no spider web entryway is the BEST!  Thank you Moody family...I appreciate you more than words can describe!

As I am attempting to "prepare" for his Cath procedure, I feel like I need to get things in order for the BIG DAY knowing his open heart surgery is sometime right around the corner.  So, I find myself scrambling to get things in order not knowing if he will be going back 2 weeks from now, 4 weeks, 6 weeks...etc.  All I know is that the surgery will happen within 2 months of Monday, and as much as I NEVER want it to happen, I am just ready to have a date and be on the other side of this already.  The anticipation and the thoughts are the hardest and I just want it to be OVER.

As promised, we scheduled this procedure after baseball season so Stephen would not have to miss a game.  So tonight he will get to play in his play off game and tomorrow he will get to be a part of closing day ceremonies and his team party before we venture down to San Diego on Sunday morning.  

But on a light note, I wanted to share a few INCREDIBLE photos our friend, Jeremiah, took of Stephen  playing his favorite sport.  These pictures are SO precious to me.  They perfectly show Stephen in his favorite element and I just LOVE them!

This is my new FAVORITE picture EVER!!!

This boy gives it EVERYTHING to run!  He is so much slower than the other kids...but he is working SO much harder...evidence in his sweet  blue lips!

Catcher is his favorite position right now!

Honestly, I think I will miss his blue lips!  But they should be pink after his OHS!

He may be on the Cubs...but he sports his Angels helmet!

This smile...this is SO Stephen!  Mostly serious on the field, but so excited and giddy too! 

See...aren't those photos INCREDIBLE!!!!  Such a gift!!!

In other news, we got word today that we have a room at the Ronald McDonald House...YAY!  And the hospital called today to confirm Monday...it's happening.  We check into the hospital at 6am on Monday and his procedure should start at 7:30am.  We would really appreciate prayers during that time!

The reality has been tough for me.  I want to just assume everything will be fine but I can't.  I am not naive or ignorant of the inherent dangers and Joe and I will have them ALL read to us again.  And I know that sometimes REALLY faithful people get REALLY hard results.  So please, hold us all in your prayers.  We know God has been at work in Stephen's life since before he was born, and that  irregardless of the outcomes, God will continue to use his special heart for His kingdom.  But prayers for peace, strength, and protection would be greatly appreciated!

Jesus, we trust in you!