Doug speaks on the news about Vanessa

I just wanted to share this video.  Doug was on Portland's local news sharing about Vanessa.  I'm amazed at how their story has been shared and the people wanting to help.  Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

Framed Fairytales... Finished!

My Fussy Fairytales quilt is finished.  I'm calling it "Framed Fairytales."  I'm still in love with this Heather Ross Far Far Away line.  The fabrics are gorgeous and I love them in this quilt.  

For the quilting, I chose to stitch in the ditch around each block and frame.  For the frames, I used free motion quilting.  I still have a long way to go to get my quilting to look the way I want it to.  The boarders are also quilted "in the ditch" along each strip.  

Now I just need to get on a plane and get this quilt to baby Georgia!

Morro Bay Mini Vacation

On Friday afternoon, Phil and I felt that we needed a change of scenery.  We decided to take an impromptu trip to Morro Bay and stay at my Grandma's condo.  I quickly threw a load of laundry in the wash and started packing.  A few hours later, we were on the road.  We got there late on Friday night.  The next morning, we started our day with a late breakfast at the Coffee Pot.  This restaurant is a favorite of my mom and dad's as well as my sister and Dana.  They have a bottle of Pepper Plant hot sauce on each table and my family is hooked on it.  

The boys colored while they waited for their food.  We had an awesome waitress.  They made chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes for the boys.  

They were thrilled and ate a lot.  Phil and I shared the country benedict and the cinnamon banana french toast.  There was a ton of food.  Both were good, but we are still partial to Kitty's Kitchen for breakfast in Morro Bay.

Next, we need to walk off some of that breakfast.  We went to the crab tank first.  The boys love looking at the crabs and watching them fight.  

Thankfully neither one fell in.  

We then decided to walk out to the walk.  My boys are obsessed with bodily functions so when they saw a "No Pooping" sign, we had to take a picture.  They were pretty thrilled with it.  

We also saw this truck seat that had been bronzed or something.  Ryan loved it and wondered how to get all the tools unstuck.  He didn't think it was a good idea that the tools wouldn't come off.  

Next, we checked out the boats.

Finally, we made it to the beach and the boys immediately started throwing mud and getting filthy.  They were in their element.  In fact, when Jack woke up Saturday morning, he looked out the window and saw the sand spit.  He said, "Wook, Mom!  A big giant dirt pile!"  

The big giant dirt pile worked well for him.  After getting totally filthy, we started walking back.

Jack was exhausted at this point so Phil had to give him a ride.

The boys got a second wind when they realized that we hadn't seen the seals yet.  The seals were in rare form.  They were energetic and LOUD.  The last few times we have gone, they have been a little lethargic.  One in particular was really enjoying performing.

He would pose and clap and catch food in his mouth.  The boys LOVED feeding fish to him.

The aquarium also had a lively octopus.  He was moving around his tank constantly.  He was really fun to watch.

Jack spent a lot of time looking at him.

Apparently it was interesting for Phil too.

When we got in the car to drive home from the seals, the boys were a mess.  They wreaked of dead fish from wiping their hands on their clothes and they were covered in sand.  They were also exhausted from so much walking.  Phil and I were happy knowing we would have a calm afternoon since we had tired them out.

On Sunday, it rained off and on all day so we didn't head out to the beach.  When I noticed a break in the rain, I took the boys and Rita out for a walk since the boys were climbing the walls from being indoors too long.  

We headed to the big chess board and played our own little game.

Even though this didn't wear the boys out, Rita had had enough and crashed when we got back to the condo.

We finally had the bright idea to take the boys to the SLO Children's Museum to play.  It was so much fun.  Ryan loved using the microscope and playing an interactive video game.  He could control his avatar by jumping and moving to win the game.  It was really cool.  They also had an indoor climbing thing that the boys loved.  The top floor has a big Brio train table and a giant Brio train engine.  The room is really small with low ceilings, but it's a favorite area with the kids so it was FULL of people.  We stayed up there with the boys for quite sometime.  Eventually they got ready to go, which was nice because the room was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.  I would highly recommend visiting this museum for a fun kid's outing.  Sadly, we had to come back home and get back into the daily grind.  Our mini vacation was short and sweet and much needed.  

Vanessa Ogden Recovery

I know I've posted a little on my blog about what's happened to my sister in law, Vanessa, over the past few weeks.  I wanted to fill you all in on the whole story, along with some pictures of Vanessa so you can get to know her better.

I remember before I even met Vanessa, Doug called Phil and me and told me, "And Jenny, you will LOVE her."  I'm always skeptical of declarations like that, but from the second I met Vanessa, I did love her.  We had a great time together and I was super thankful that I had another girl as an ally when I was with the Ogden brothers.  Every year since we've met, we've probably seen each other twice a year.  We usually go up to Portland for a week, and they come to California for a week.

We've always had a lot of fun on our vacations together and the boys absolutely adore their aunt and uncle.

As you can see, they don't take themselves too seriously.

A little over a year ago, Vanessa and Doug had their first baby, and my first niece, Carolina.  We went to see them all last November.  Carolina was born seven weeks premature and gave us all a little scare by arriving so early, but it was so sweet meeting her and holding her for the first time.  

This summer we got to see them all again on a vacation to Morro Bay.  

Vanessa and Doug told us that they were expecting again and due sometime in February.  My main concern was that this baby didn't arrive so early like Carolina did.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time together again, even though Vanessa wasn't feeling so great.

Oh brothers.  At least I know what my two will turn out to be like.

Vanessa works at the Clackamas mall in Portland and was at work when the shooting occurred a few weeks ago.  I was so scared when I heard the news and was frantic to make sure that she and the baby were ok.  I was so relieved when I was finally able to talk to Vanessa the day after the shooting.  Vanessa is always very together, capable, and cool under pressure, and as she told me what happened and how she handled her employees and customers during the shooting, I could tell that she was no different in this terrifying situation.  

A few days passed from that event and I got a phone call from Doug saying that Vanessa was not doing well.  All she would do was sleep.  She wasn't eating or drinking anything and wasn't caring for herself.  He was extremely worried and asked their friends, Geoff and Shanna, to come stay with Vanessa while he had to go to work.  He had taken her back and forth to her doctors and they had thought that she was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder from the shooting.  Two more days passed of super erratic behavior.  On Saturday, Dec. 22nd, Geoff called and said that he and Doug had taken Vanessa back to the ER after she had gotten worse and that they were running an MRI to help determine what was going on.  It was then that the doctors discovered that Vanessa had suffered 60-70 mini strokes over the course of the past 3-4 days.  The doctors thought that the cause was her blood thickening from her pregnancy and then clotting.  They started a treatment of blood thinners.  Vanessa was 32 or 33 weeks pregnant at this point.  She ended up going into labor that night.  The doctors stopped it, but said that if she went into labor again, they would let her deliver.  

After starting the blood thinners, Vanessa showed signs of improvement.  She starting responding to commands and answering "yes" and "no."  She was also able to write something to Doug on a piece of paper.  She was the best when Doug was in the room.  We were encouraged by the improvement.  On December 28th, her condition worsened and another MRI was ordered.  The doctors had previously thought the strokes had stopped, but when they saw the new MRI, they saw new damage.  Vanessa shortly went into labor again.  The doctors did not want to do a  c-section because of the blood thinners that she was on.  They allowed her body to labor.  When it was time to push, the doctors had planned on using a vacuum and forceps, but somehow, Vanessa was able to push and delivered baby Georgia.  

Georgia James

5lbs., 10 oz.

19 1/2 inches

Dec. 28th 2012

She's beautiful and healthy and after only ten days in the NICU, she was able to go home with Doug.

Tonight is Georgia's first night at home.  Be praying for her and Doug, and big (but still a baby) sister Carolina.  Sadly, Vanessa has not made improvements since delivery like we had hoped.  She is on a feeding tube and is now not speaking.  She is not strong enough to go to skilled nursing and remains in the neurology ward of the hospital.  The doctors have said that they expect a recovery in 6-12 months.  Meanwhile, Doug is trying to care for Vanessa, Carolina, and now baby Georgia.  My heart breaks that I can't be there with them to help in some way.  I know the hospital bills are and will be tremendous.  Doug can't go to work with all the care that he needs to give and I don't know what his work will do for him.  Doug has an amazing hope and faith in Jesus Christ and is relying on Him to get their family through this.  Our family covets your prayers throughout this ordeal.  We are praying for a miracle.  We hope you will join us in this.  

Vanessa also has a recovery page on Facebook for those of you that would like to follow this journey.  Please follow the link to her page and "like" it.

https://www.facebook.com/VanessaOgdenRecovery

If you wish to donate to Vanessa and Doug to help out with their expenses, there is a link on Vanessa's recovery page to do so.  If you would like to share the link to Vanessa's Facebook page or would like to link this story to your blog and encourage prayers and support, please comment below and let me know.  We are grateful to everyone for their help and prayers.