All Because of Ethin

It feels like just another day here.  So many are making final preparations for their Christmas celebrations tomorrow.  Some are doing last minute shopping while others are getting as much food ready as they can before their families explode into their house.  Seems everyone is smiling and anticipating waking up in the morning to all the gifts under the trees!  The only gifts I truly want I will not find under the tree in the morning.  I am trying to be OK for everyone's sake however I am far from OK.
I am pretty sure that I will not have a chance to blog tomorrow so I am going to write things here for tomorrow and then fill in when I get home from Niles. 

Back in July or August a friend of mine Monica shared the idea of writing down every year at Christmas the the things that never would have been done or happened through the year if her daughter Faith would have never existed.  So I am going to do the same this all stuff that happened because Ethin existed:
Heart Family by the numbers!
I know I have a calling to serve God
There has been $425 donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor in Ethin's name
Balloon Release raised $689 donated to the U of M Mott Pediatric Congenital Heart Center
Cuddles From The Heart Program was started in MI
538 Blankets were donated to CFTH and donated to Mott on Dec. 16, 2009
Thousands of people were brought to prayer
The 1st Ethin's heart Still Beats Heart Ball is being planned
And the #1 thing that happened becasue of Ethin is that I have learned to love every little thing in life.  He taught me to love all the little things in life and that NOTHING compares to being a mother.  I love You Ethin I am so proud to call you my son!  You have changed the world and that is something that amazes me to this day! 
What a lot of things for such a small life to have done.  I can not believe all he has done. 

So yesterday I got in my car and trekked to Niles MI to spend Christmas with Patti and her family.  I met this family at U of M so we are all very close still to this day.  As I left my home yesterday I got my mail and in there was a small package.  In the package was a beautiful heart frame with a poem and Ethin's picture from Jen.  She is Andrew's mother.  After I got on the road I called her and we talked for a long while.  It was so nice as she is a teacher so I rarely get the chance to just talk to her.  I thanked her for my gift and we also talked about how we came to find one another.  We talked about Andrew's upcoming heart cath.  Please keep them in prayer as that approaches.  Thanks again Jen I truly love it! 
Getting that gift yesterday made me realize just how blessed my life is because Ethin lived.  I have amazing an amazing heart family.  I love them so much!

Oh and I am going to make Ethin's perfect ornament!!!!  I found a piece for it yesterday!!!  Pics to come upon completion I may not have it this year, but that's OK as I do not have a tree anyhow!!!  

Here are the prayer requests!!!  And an encouragement to go to my side bar and link to the Heart Ball and the Cuddles From the Heart  site.
Derrick had his Heart Cath yesterday and the pressures are suitable for surgery.  D is home for the holidays praise God for that.  Continue to be in prayer for Derrick and his parents Shannon and Justin as surgery appraoches.
Logan will be having his heart cath at the end of the month.  This cath may be able to hold off surgery, but it may also lead to surgery.  Pray that God will hold him through this and allow it to be nothing more than a cath.  Keep his brother Wyatt and his parents Stef and Ryan in your prayers as they as a family need strength to get through this day as well.
Andrew will be having a cath in January and like Logan's this will be the glimer of hope to hold of surgery or could lead to surgery.  Prayers for him and his parents Jen and Craig as they approach this cath may God give them the peace that they will need to get through this also
Jordan will be having surgery in January.  Be with her brothers and her parent Jeremy and Tracey as this day approaches them as well.
Prayers for these kids I just feel so far away in miles and wish I could be with them all through the next month. 


Blessings,
Jessica