Days of Life or Days of our Lives?

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So we are starting "day 6 of life" (as the doctors call it while doing their rounds)! I can't believe it has been more than five and a half days since Hayden joined us in this world. It has been such an emotional roller coaster. I knew this would happen, and tried to prepare myself. However, this is one of those things that no matter what you do, you're never quite ready. Even talking with friends from church, best friends from childhood, and new friends from work, their similar experiences help prepare for what lies ahead, but you never fully understand until you get there.

Casey and Lisa brought their kids down to the zoo on Saturday, so they were kind enough to stop by the house and dump some clothes in some bags for me and bring them by. On that note, I would like to thank everybody who has sent loves, prayers, gifts, and kind words during this time and the past four months. The prayers obviously worked because Hayden surprised us all and is doing much better than what I thought he would. I would also like to let everyone know that I might have missed some phone calls and not replied to some questions on Facebook. If you have a question, please send me a private message. E-mails are coming through on my phone like crazy and most of the time, I don't even go to Facebook. I just read the e-mails. However, I don't want you to think we are ignoring you. Basically, if a question is asked on a picture post, I usually forget to go back and answer your question. Thank you again for everything! On Monday, I was able to make a "quick" trip home and do some long-term packing. I hoped to be at home for no more than 3 hours. However, it is kind of hard to fit 2 days of work into 3 hours. I ended up not leaving Quincy until about 3 hours after I had originally planned. I even tried to pick up the house, somewhat....but I know it wasn't like what I should have done. I didn't like being gone and the longer it took, the more frustrated I became because I wanted nothing other than to be back in St. Louis with Kelsea and Hayden.



Dad was able to snap a picture in between taking
 out the drainage tube coming from mouth and before
 inserting NG tube through nose. It is amazing how much
 he has changed in 6 short days!

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself, but Hayden's heart and lungs look good. He does have what they call a PDA, but so does every other baby. It is a small hole between his between arteries that is critical to blood flow before birth, but, as soon as he is born, or within a few days, it closes and allows blood to flow to the lungs to pick up the oxygen. I am more and more amazed at how God has designed out bodies and how there are so many different systems that completely change the moment he was born. When you really dive into these things, there is no way that these things happen by accident. This little boy laying in front of me, everything inside of him and how these systems interact and change and adapt is living proof that there is a greater being that is responsible for life. Anyways, the PDA should close on its own, and if it doesn't, they can hear it while listening to the heart. Again, the Neonatologists (newborn medicine are not concerned.




Dr. Warner

His Omphalocele is looking good. Skin is already starting to grow up the side. Dr. Brad Warner, who is the name that continuously popped up on the Internet when doing my initial research, was the doctor who wrapped his "O" the first couple of days. It was amazing to meet him and realize Hayden had one of the best doctors in the country helping him. I felt like I was talking to a celebrity, yet he was very friendly and outgoing and made you feel like you were a part of the team. Since then, we have met many, MANY doctors, nurses, students, assistants, etc... First, you have the Pediatric Surgeons and then you have the Neonatologists. In each of these two groups, you usually have the attending doctor and a fellow, as well as residents and possibly even interns. Surgery does their rounds first thing in the morning, around 6 a.m. After that, Neonatology usually does initial rounds around 6:30. After doing their rounds, checking in with the patients/parents, and attending nurses, they all get together and cram about 20-25 people into a conference room and discuss all of the patients. It truly makes you feel blessed to realize that there is not just one person who is trying to run the show. It kind of reminds me of the three branches of government we talk about in class at different times. They keep each other in check and help each other to run the show. Too bad our government couldn't learn a thing or two from Children's hospital in St. Louis! It has the potential to be overwhelming and confusing, however, they are very caring and when a word is used that I have never heard of, they are quick to explain when I ask. They listen to parents concerns and also trust the nurses who are by Hayden's side most of the time.



Future Blue Devil right there!

The past few days, we have been trying to feed Hayden breast milk through his NG (feeding tube). However, he has not had the easiest time digesting the food. On Tuesday, he spent most of the morning and afternoon spitting up the milk that his stomach couldn't handle. It was not fun to watch, but part of the process of trying one thing to the next to find out what exactly works. They have tried different amounts, different times, different position, and even added Pepcid (I think) to help him digest. He made it about 31 hours without spitting up his food and even seemed to be digesting a little bit. Or at least there were signs that his stomach was working to digest the food. This is a common problem that babies with Omphaloceles deal with and it is just a matter of trying to get the systems to work and usually is just trial and error.

 

Whatcha talkin' bout Willis?? 

This morning, the nurse said he didn't spit up, but she could tell he was getting "full" and stopped the feeding....he was getting 2ml/hr of breast milk....not very much, so he has also been getting supplement through his PICC line, which is the IV that runs through a vein in the side of his head down to his heart. It doesn't reach the heart, but gets very close. Surgery did give him a suppository and the nurse said he had an "impressive" stool. It is still some meconium, and surgery and neonatology are very hopeful that this was still blocking his system and with this passing, will maybe help jump start the process!

He has graduated from his isolette "table" to a big boy bed and we were able to decorate it last night. Kelsea and I have a couple of "toys" in there, as well as a blanket grandma Trudy made for Hayden! He also has Ompahlo....the Seal which Kelsea and I bought at the zoo on our first trip to St. Louis last fall. All of the doctors and nurses absolutely love that we have a sense of humor and are trying to stay light hearted through this.





This is "Omphalo....the Seal" He is Hayden's
watch seal when we are not around! This was
the first gift Kelsea and I bought for Hayden
 on our first trip to St. Louis to meet the doctors.
 We went to the zoo after our visit because it was
 such a beautiful afternoon!

Kelsea and I were able to get into the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) at by 270. This is a beautiful complex which is basically brand new. It was built 2.5 years ago and was the 300th RMH, so it was kind of a big deal. However, I have to admit, last night was, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Every night for the past 5 nights, when we have left Hayden, I didn't feel like we were leaving because technically, we were still under the same roof. Even if it was a 8 minute walk to Kelsea's hospital room, it was still under the same roof. However, last night, actually having to get in my truck and drive away....it was difficult. I know we are only 15 minutes away and he is in the best care possible, it was still hard. Kelsea and I are trying to be patient with each other, but sometimes (many times!) it is difficult. We are trying to lean on God, but we are humans and selfish and we get caught up in what we want and what is best for me. When we do that, things don't work out. It is a constant struggle between what I want and what God wants. It has been easier with Hayden here because most of my decisions have been made based on him. However, at the end of the day, I still think about myself.

This what we will call "The Thinker"

I will say though, that driving down the interstate this morning, pulling onto Kingshighway and into Children's parking garage, I had a sense of excitement overcome me.....I felt like it was Christmas morning and I was running down stairs to see what gifts had been brought. That is the best part of my day once I get back into the NICU and finding God's gift to us! And like the sands in an hourglass, so are the days of our lives!!!

Sleep

Just a quick update. Kelsea and Hayden are doing well. She was discharged today and we are in a "sleep room" at the NICU. It's a bed and its good enough to sleep in! It's 8:45 and I'm already there! I hate to leave the little guy.... But he's in good hands. Will have a better, more in depth update tomorrow!

So the plan was...

Kelsea had her final NST and dr appt on Friday. Well, come to find out, God had a few other things planned for us as well!

I wasn't even going to come to St. Louis yesterday, but Kelsea wanted me there for her interview with Fox 2, and I really didn't want to miss his final appointment. I hadn't missed on yet, so why start now.

Kelsea's NST went as planned and without incident. After her NST, we waited on the MFM appointment. Her blood pressure was high, but not a concern to the two of us because she had been up moving around and packing all morning. She was moving from the Haven House in Creve Coeur to the apartment closer to the hospital. The doctor didn't like her blood pressure and stated he would recheck and if it was still elevated, send us to labor and delivery to have it re-examined. Well, that immediately put us in a "worried" state because it was not what we had planned on. We had a 2 p.m. interview with Mandy Murphey from Fox 2 out of St. Louis, and we couldn't miss it because I wanted to get ahead of traffic so I could have one last night to play with the dog.

Well, her BP was still elevated, so we got to get a free trip - thank you Tryone - for the experience - to the completely other side of the hospital. As we left the doctor's office, our doctor told us Kelsea would not be leaving the hospital pregnant. Kind of funny, but not what we wanted to hear.....I'm beginning to sense a common theme here!

He also reassured us that we would be admitted to the hospital and would probably deliver the following day, on Saturday. We were checked into an assessment room and within a few minutes, Dr. Cahill (who Kelsea had personally requested to deliver Hayden safely to us) came into the room. This was quite a surprise because we were told Dr. Shanks, who we equally loved, was on duty. Kelsea's BP was still elevated and Dr. Cahill told us she didn't feel safe, considering the circumstances, of waiting until Monday, which was our scheduled surgery date. Kelsea asked what time she was thinking for tomorrow (Saturday) and Dr. Cahill responded "I was thinking more like 2 hours! EXCUSE ME??? No, no, no. I'm sorry, that doesn't work for me. I have to get home and let Tucker out. I left at 6 this morning and he is going to have to go potty!!! And we have an interview at 2. Sorry, this just wasn't going to work! Dr. Cahill told us that the news crew had already been alerted and they were enroute. She said she could wait a little bit if Kelsea wanted to, but, she felt it was better to control the situation and deliver him when certain people were definitely available instead of waiting for Kelsea to have more problems in the middle of the night and then have to scramble to gather everybody.

I again stated that I was good with whatever she felt was Hayden's best interest. We came to ST. Louis and Barnes for a reason and I wasn't going to start questioning doctors right now! Bam.....the show just got stated. IV's, ultrasounds, paper works, consents, phone calls, text messages, and prayers.

This was  my test message to my dad at 11:50 yesterday morning. This was en route to the Labor and Delivery side of Barnes "Kelsea's BP is high. Taking to hospital side now to do blood work and monitor. Unless it goes crazy, noting will be done today."

12:09
Don't worry yet. We're good and everything is fine. Will text once we get her checked again."

12:23
"Come to St. Louis. Drive carefully, but it WILL be today."

I started making phone calls, texting people, trying to get things done before he arrived. Kelsea's parents were 4.5 hours away and they weren't going to make it. My mom was in town and was enroute to the hospital and dad was 209 miles away. He wasn't going to make it either to our 2:30 estimate.


Well....as we got closer, and I got more panicked, (not because I was worried, I was freaking out....I temporarily forgot to rely on God during my time of need and weakness), and I REALLY mean PANICKED,  we also began to realize that the mocha Kelsea had from Panera on the way to the hospital was going to buy us some time. The interview came and went, and Kelsea was whisked away to do her spinal. I was then left to somehow manage a way to get dressed in the "clothing" this provided for me.

 

About 20 minutes later, which was full of mom making fun of me in my outfit, I was able to quickly get a pair of scrubs, change, and then be beckoned to join my wife in the O. R. At the exact moment, Dad made his way down the hallway to join my mom. I entered the O.R. to 21 different faces looking at me, including Fox 2 and was told where to sit. About 5 minutes later, Dr. Cahill told me to get my camera ready, then stand up. I stood up, snapped two pictures and froze as I stared at the most amazing sight I have ever seen. At roughly 3:54 p.m. on 1/18/13, Hayden Owen shocked the world at an amazing 6 pounds 2 ounces and 17.9 inches long!

We got to hear him scream right away, which is what he is doing in this pi\cture above. However, shortly after, he had breathing difficulties and a tube had to be put in. However, by the time I got to the NICU around 8 p.m., he was already doing better breathing. He was down to 21% oxygen, which meant he was breating room air (I believe) and within 3 hours, they had removed his breathing tube. As of right now, the only tube he has in is his stomach drain. They will probably put a feeding tube in tomorrow to try and start feeding.

Kelsea is doing awesome. Especially since she was able to hold Hayden tonight for close to an hour and then had close to another hour of "skin to skin time" or "kangaroo" time. It was an absolutely amazing site to see my wife holding Hayden close to her. He didn't make a peep the entire time. It also allowed us to get a quick picture of the three of us...our first one!

As expected, it has been an emotional roller coaster ride these past 30 hours. However, Hayden is doing so much better than we ever could have imagined. We want to thank everybody for their prayers and thoughts over the past four months. We couldn't have done this, nor would Hayden be where he is today, without all of you.


I was able to get a few hours of sleep last night and I am ready for bed now. My goal this morning, as well as most mornings, is to be around when the surgeons and neonatologists make their rounds. It is tiring...and I've only done it for one day, however, it is so comforting sitting next to my son, listening to him make little noises, looking as peaceful as he does!

Home

As Farmer Fran/Old Cajun Guy from "Joe Dirt" put it, Home is where you make it.  (Sorry in advance for the crude language!)

So Kelsea has been at Haven House St. Louis for a week now and it is such a wonderful place. Mom has been staying with her and they each have their own room! came down to St. Louis yesterday and mom traded places with me, after going to our dr. appointment to see the ultrasound first!

As ALWAYS, Kim did a great job of showing off Hayden! He has grown. Not a ton in the past three weeks, but some. He was estimated at 4 lbs 5 oz. This is up from 3 bls 8 oz three weeks prior. Again, these are purely guesses because the three measurements they use are head, abdomen, and femur. However, since his abdomen has some issues (and is essentially not there), the measurements are skewed. His head circumference and femur measurements both measured at 36 weeks (which is right where he/Kelsea is today) but the measurements on his belly bring those down. Whatever his measurements are, we were thankful to hear he gained at least a little over 3/4 lb.

After the ultrasound, Mom left and we went to our MFM appointment. Another meeting with Dr. Shanks went well. It is funny, because he knows I ALWAYS have a list of questions! However, he does such a great job of answering them and making sure we are comfortable. He set up an NST for Kelsea for next Tuesday and Friday and then an appointment on Friday, so it looks as if all goes as planned, there will be no more ultrasounds. Next time I see the little guy will be in person! Because of a scheduling conflict, we missed our appointment with a social worker from the Children's. We were hoping to get the ball rolling on getting a referral to the Ronald McDonald house. However, we have plenty of time. Before we left the hospital, we also met with a representative from media relations. Fox 2 in St. Louis is wanting to do a special on Kelsea and Hayden. We have gone back and forth on this, however we both feel that this is just another thing God has put in our path and that this is a vessel that could be used to possibly comfort and give hope to others who are facing a difficult situation as well as spread a little bit of God's word and promises and how they are the ONLY reason that we are as hopeful and at ease as we are today.

We had a great meal last night at Outback Steakhouse. I had an perfect steak and Kelsea had lobster tail and scallops. Scallops.....eck!

We slept with the windows open....was about 55 degrees when I woke up at 7:30 this morning....very nice. Slowly cooled down all day. Raining here, but still too warm for snow. I think Quincy may be getting some snow/freezing rain right now, but we are not supposed to get snow until around 10 or 11 tonight.

Well, we just got back from dinner. On the weekends, food is usually brought in/prepared by families and/or local restaurants. Tonight, there was Chicken and Rice w/ broccoli, Tuna Casserole, or Turkey Tetrazzini. On the weekends, the food that is brought in is then split up into Styrofoam containers and labeled. They ask you to not open the containers to look inside  because that is obviously not the most sanitary thing! Well, we were the first down there tonight and I so wanted to look at the Chicken and rice w/ broccoli because I am not a broccoli fan, but I am a chicken and rice fan. I didn't look and chose the chicken and rice. Luckily, my smart wife chose the tetrazzini and she DOES like broccoli.....she was nice enough to trade!

I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow. We went to St. Louis Bread Co. last night after dinner for a coffee and we were admiring (drooling) at all of the wonderful pastries as we walked out the door. Well, on Sat. nights, St. Louis Bread Co donates all of their day olds.....when we returned from running errands today, the counter was full of items we dreamt about last night!

Speaking of running errands.....if I would have let Kelsea loose today, I think we could have had part ownership in Babies 'R Us after today. We had quite a few gift cards from showers (THANK YOU EVERYBODY!) and were exchanging some items we had received duplicates of and returning an item I had ordered online. Well, the first lady to help us did not do the best job of making us feel welcome at the store. That is the best way of putting it and we were there to spend an additional several hundred dollars on car seat/travel system and other miscellaneous items. In the end, after the first lady left working with us in the middle of the return transaction (not because of the way we handled ourselves....I'm not really sure why she left and made some other girl do it.....from her eye rolling and comments, I'm guessing it was due to her feeling that the difficulties she was having was somehow our fault!!) they did get the returns correct. If Kelsea wasn't 36 weeks pregnant, I probably would've let her go, but I didn't want her to worry about this situation and risk increasing her blood pressure. Quite a few of you out there know how Kelsea has a knack of getting things "comped" but she also has a way of having 99.9% of her requests/orders not arriving the way they were ordered!


Photo taken from the Haven House website!

On our way back, we got to drive up 270 and went past Mercy where my friend Nikki is currently in the hospital, for hopefully several more weeks, due to complications with her pregnancy, and then on to have Kelsea's toenails painted blue for Hayden's arrival!

We finally made it "home" and are sitting on the couch in the picture to the right. Whether it is Farmer Fran from Joe Dirt or it is Phillip Phillips, home is where you make it.

"Hold on, to me as we go.
As we roll down this unfamiliar road."

These are the first two lines in Phillip Phillips' song and I just know that this is what God is telling Kelsea and I. If we hold on to Him, even going down this unfamiliar road, He will make "this place" our home. Whatever that place is, whether it is Haven House, Ronald McDonald house, Quincy, or a van down by the river, we know we aren't alone and that He will ALWAYS be by our side.

8 days!

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Video

Oops....Kelsea let me know that the video of Tucker in my post two days ago was private and that people couldn't view it. If you're so inclined, this is one of the reasons why he is a crazy dog!

Best laid plans......

of mice and men often go awry (or something similar to that!).....or otherwise known as life!


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Photo courtesy of Stephen Cullo who is
an amazing musician and wondeful photographer!

God did it again last Thursday to us. Kelsea and my parents were less than 72 hours from leaving for St. Louis and the housing that we had planned on fell through. Dad got the call about 2:30 in the afternoon and there we were. I was sitting on the computer and I heard him talking. Before he hung up the phone, I grabbed Hayden's "Presidential" football (what I like to call my 2' binder that has EVERYTHING stored in it dealing with Hayden), went to the couch, and started looking through the "housing" section. Close to a hundred options were out there, ranging from hotels, to motels, to apartments, and hospitality houses.

This was something Mom and Dad had planned on and been working on for close to two months. However, God decided to remind us that He is in control and that His plans are much greather than anything we could ever devise. In a situation like ours, this would be one of those things that would push you over the edge. It would set many people into a frenzied panic. Kelsea had 13 friends coming over in less than 5 hours, the house was a mess, laundry needed folded, we needed a place to stay, and yet through it all, God was right there with us. As I had said the night before at the prayer service at Columbus Road, I can't imagine going through this without God by our side and on our side. After Dad and I both making a few phone calls, our nurse coordinators (Chris and Shannon) called us and started the ball rolling to get us referred to a place called The Haven House (Click on the link to view where Kelsea and Mom are currently staying).

This is a wondeful place for families living outside of the St. Louis Metro area who have to come to the area for medical treatment. It had been recommended to us by a friend, but we didn't feel we needed to look in to it because we had planned on staying at a duplex which is one of several private houses used for people seeking medical treatment needing long-term housing. God basically felt that there was somebody who was in greater need of the place we had planned on staying and you can't question that!

Kelsea and I had our "final" meal Saturday night and you would never guess what we had....... Of course we had to have a Jeff's Special, Margarita Stix, and an order of hot wings delivered from none other than Tower of Pizza! Did you really think it would be something else?

Well, Kelsea got a good night's sleep Saturday night. I told her this would be the last good night, not to mention full night, of sleep she would get at the house in a long time! It is still hard for me to imagine that in 12.5 days, Hayden will join us on the outside and next time Kelsea comes home, we won't be alone! I knew it was coming. For the past two months, after we decided Kelsea would go to St. Louis early, it seemed like this date was so far away. Even though I was ready for it to get here because I knew it mean we were taking the next step in this journey, I was scared and worried. However, right before she left, I got to do something that was one of the most powerful things I have ever done. Kelsea, my mom, my dad, and I all prayed before they left. I think that is the first time we have prayed together as a family (Sorry Kelle, we will get you next time!) on an intimate setting like that. I felt so close to them and God at the same time. I just know that He is looking after and going to take care of all of us!

So, for the past couple of days, I have come home to an empty house (not really...Dad was here last night and it was so nice to lay on the couch and watch the National Championship game last night with him...the couch was nice...not the game!!!!) and have dearly missed my wife and Hayden, but take comfort knowing she is only about 20 minutes from the hospital. It was also nice to know that other's are looking out for Kelsea. I have mentioned it before, but a former "player" of mine has continued to turn the table on me and is teaching, showing and reaffirming to me the love God has for us. Matt Cowman, and a special "friend" paid a visit to Kelsea and my mom today. They took them a wonderful home made pastry, good conversation, and prayer. It's truly amazing how God uses us to fulfill his plans. It also helps that I have been extremely busy planning for my sub that I will have when I am gone. Although it has taken over 30 hours the past 5 days, my sub has everything he could possibly ask for until March 8th! I mean EVERYTHING! All he has to do is open the binder, make a few copies, then stand and deliver. Hopefully my kids won't be like the kids in the movie Stand and Deliver! It has been stressful, but I know it will make my life (and his) much easier when he takes over. I do have to give credit where credit is due though. My "next door neighbor" and former co-teacher has helped me tremendously. It was Kim who gave me the idea to have everything laid out for the sub from when she had Cooper a few years back and also she helped me a ton these past few days filling in the holes of missing files I had from my thumb drive going down the drain 5 days before school started last August!

Even though Kelsea and I hoping to be home with Hayden WAY sooner than March 8th, I figured I would plan that long just in case. I'm just praying that God will make these plans go awry as well!


I couldn't find a place to "slide" this video in to my story tonight, but I couldn't just ignore it either...this dog LOVES the snow!

 

 

Selfish

There is one thing that separates us from God and that is sin. This picture I found tonight on the Internet is very similar to a picture that Bob Cowman drew for me probably two years ago. Man and God are separated by because we sin and the only thing that can connect the two is through Jesus.  Why do people sin? People sin because they are selfish. If we took our"self" out of the equation and were only concerned with how we could please others and God, then there would be no separation.

Tonight, Kelsea and I experienced many, MANY brothers and sisters in Christ take themselves out of the equation and put God and us at the center of their lives. Bob wanted to turn the normal Wednesday night prayer service into a special service for Kelsea, Hayden, and I because Kelsea is heading to St. Louis in four days. Two of those four days are filled with doctor appointments, dentists visits, eye appointments, massages (have to get some fun in the mix!) lists, packing, more list making and more packing!

I knew this was going to happen, but I have no clue how we are going to get everything together before she leaves. On top of that, I had planned to spend my whole break planning for my sub when I am in St. Louis. However, that has only panned out one or two nights! So, that is on my plate in about 25 minutes!

 
That is okay though because the past week and a half has been very enjoyable and spent relaxing with family. My parents and my sister Kelle and her husband Jay were all in town. It was good to see them and spend Christmas with them, but as always, the time went by way too fast. Tucker has also enjoyed this break, especially Jay and Hannah (Kelle's dachshund) visiting, as well as getting to play in the snow on a daily basis.

We were also blessed last week to be able to spend a night with some very close friends for dinner at the Patio. Their thoughtfulness was amazing and words cannot even begin to describe how thankful Kelsea and I are to have them in our lives. Tucker is also thankful that my best friend and his wife (Casey and Lisa) brought "him" a book! Be sure to check it out!

So many people have shown how unselfish they are and it continues to amaze Kelsea and I. We truly feel blessed that God has surrounded us with the friend and family that He has. At church tonight, Bob asked me to speak to everyone there and explain what was going on and what exactly Kelsea, Hayden, and I are dealing with. I was reluctant, because as I said in an earlier post (it's ok if you don't believe it...I'm not sure if I do either!!!) I don't like being the center of attention. It's hard to get up in front of a large group of people and talk about yourself. The bible states that believers should remove themselves from the equation and put God at the center. Only as selfish human beings do we sin. Bob asked Kelsea and I to make a list of specific requests that we had for our family over the next few weeks that we wanted our church to pray for. It was not an easy thing to do. Making this list made me feel so selfish and like I was doing something God didn't want me to do. I struggled a little discussing these items tonight, although tears weren't shed....at least too many! I desperately wanted to praise God for the things he has done for us. I wanted to ask our church family to pray for Kelsea's step-dad who underwent surgery today in Wisconsin to remove a tumor, I wanted to ask them to pray for our friends and family who are struggling to put God at the center of their lives and to follow his commandments, and I wanted them to pray for my friend Nikki Wright who has already faced too many difficulties in her pregnancy, yet her water broke a few days ago at 28 weeks.

However, Bob wanted this night to be about us and what the church could do for us. It didn't feel right being selfish and asking for things "for" us, but it was reaffirming and such an uplifting experience to see others put their selfish wants aside and put God, Kelsea, Hayden, and I at the center.