Courtney's 21st Birthday - May 11, 2018

May 10th 1997 - I can still vividly remember that night.  We had come home after eating dinner with Jennifer's parents and her Mom had said it looked like the baby had dropped and didn't think it would be much longer.  We discovered how accurate that was when not long after we had been home, Jennifer's water broke.  It was late that night and we had to make a decision on which hospital to go to.  If she went into labor on Saturday, we were to go to Baptist, but if it was Sunday, we were to go to Vanderbilt, since her cardiologist was out of town.

We decided to head to Baptist since it was still technically Saturday.  Courtney was born early Sunday morning, May 11th on Mother's Day.  We were expecting her to have problems with her heart when she was born, but we were not prepared for her having issues with breathing.  Within 7 hours, the Angel team took her to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and I had to leave Jennifer at Baptist and meet with the surgeon alone to discuss our options and probabilities.  We were given a 30% chance that she would make it through her open heart surgery.  We were told later that the surgeon was being generous and it was really closer to 10%.

Courtney beat the odds that day and continued to beat the odds on many more surgeries and procedures over her lifetime.  We celebrated 16 birthdays with her doing the things that she loved doing the most (skating parties, bowling parties, bounce parties, musicals at TPAC, singing, making videos).  We have continued to celebrate her birthday spending time together and cherishing our memories of her.  

This year Courtney would have been 21 years old and I can't begin to know what her life would be like, but I know that she would be spreading her love and bringing a smile to everybody's face.  She would have loved being an aunt to Fox.  Since many of our birthday celebrations were on Mother's Day, this year will be extra sweet since Kelsey is now a mother as well.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we celebrate her memory and carry on her legacy of love and joy.

Kelsey - My Little Girl

As I reflect on the beautiful wedding ceremony that took place last night, I can't help but think about what a lovely young lady my daughter has become. She was a beautiful bride last night, but to me she will always be "my little girl". Thank you to everyone who followed my reverse chronological journey of Kelsey's life. I would like to put an exclamation on the journey by sharing a video presentation I put together for her Christmas gift her Senior year at DCA. It is still relevant today, even though she is a few years older.

God works in mysterious ways

I know the phrase is used a lot, but God surely does work in mysterious ways.  Courtney, spent her first 6 months in the PICU at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and had many more extended stays there during the first few years of her life.  During that time, we developed a close bond to the staff in the Family Resource Center and Child Life group.  They helped us gather information about Courtney's genetic disorder and prepare us for surgeries that she faced.  They also helped explain things to Kelsey in a way that she could understand and used dolls and puppets to let her see simulated IV insertion and other procedures.

Kelsey became very close with the staff, writing letters to Mrs. Beth after she left and made visits to the Family Resource Center when we were in the hospital with Courtney over the years.  Jennifer and I have worked with their Families as Mentors (FAM) and Families as Classroom Training (FACT) programs, allowing Vanderbilt medical students from a wide array of disciplines to come into our home and discuss Courtney and how to better care for families while in the hospital.  Jennifer has also given several speeches to nursing students at Peabody and made a video with Courtney for the 20th anniversary of the Family Resource Center.

After Courtney passed in February last year, we have not made as many trips to see them, but they kept in touch to make sure we were doing okay.  Kelsey started her college career at Western Kentucky University in 2011 with a Musical Theatre major, but always had her eyes on being a nurse or working with kids.  She transferred to Union University her sophomore year and changed her major to Nursing.  Her junior year, she decided that she would rather work with the kids on a more personal level instead of providing medical care and changed her major to Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Development.  Her senior year she learned that she could get a Theatre major by using her transferred credits from WKU.  This combination of degree and experiences allows her to pursue several different career choices.

That brings us to the mysterious.   While interviewing for a different position at Vanderbilt, she learned that there was a position open in the Family Resource Center and applied for the position.  After going through the interview process, she was offered the job today and will now be working with the people who have meant so much to us over the years.  She will have the opportunity to touch the lives of other families and children like her and use her experiences to make a difference in someone else's life.

As she prepares for her wedding in 12 days (she reminded me of the # of days today) LOL, I can't help but be so proud of her and know that God will use her in wonderful ways.

Courtney's 18th Birthday

Today (May 11, 2015) would have been Courtney’s 18^th birthday.  I still miss her so very much…. seeing her sweet smile, hearing her yell “Daddy….” anytime I came home (but especially after a day at work), and spending time with her (bowling, Predators games, Titans games, playing Wii, or singing songs).

 

When Kelsey turned 18, I wrote her a letter telling her how much I loved her, what I admired about her, what I was proud of, and gave her some words of wisdom and advice to use as she faced this new phase in her life.

Although the context and advice would have been on a different level, I had always planned on doing the same thing for Courtney.  Although she is not here to read it, I decided I would still write it.

As it was with Kelsey, I have no problem finding things that I was proud of Courtney for or expressing how much I love her.  However, when it comes to the advice part, I find it quite difficult and realize that I should probably be taking advice from her.

·         Courtney loved everyone, unconditionally

·         She wanted everyone to be happy (evidenced by her love of Peace signs and not wanting us to even horse around with each other thinking we might get hurt or were really be mad at one another)

·         She lived EVERY day to its fullest

·         She persevered through so many procedures, surgeries, and medical inconveniences and NEVER complained

·         She brightened the lives of others just by being in the same room

·         She shared a bond with Kelsey that is stronger than most twins that I know

·         She was determined to do her best at whatever she attempted, regardless of her limitations

·         She loved Jennifer and I and always tried to please us

You see, basically Courtney lived a life that was modeled after Christ himself and she brought out the best in everyone around her.  What other advice could I possibly give her?

After raising Courtney and being around so many other “special needs” children over the last 18 years, I often have wondered why we say that they have “special NEEDS”.  Although they do have needs for things that are different from the rest of their peers, they have so many more traits and attributes that we all could use in our daily lives.  Maybe we are the ones that have the special needs and not them.

I am blessed to have a daughter that had to mature a lot earlier than kids should have to.  Kelsey had to share her sister with nurses and doctors in hospitals, nurses in our home for 9+ years, experience things in hospitals that were hard to bear, but through it all has become a beautiful young lady that will be graduating from Union this coming weekend and is the best big sister Courtney could ever have hoped for.

I am also extremely blessed to have a wife that has been so much more than that.  She is a loving mother of 2 daughters, a primary care provider for Courtney, chief organizer of our family, my best friend, and the glue that has held our family together for many years.

Although it is painful that she is not here with us, we were blessed to raise such an amazing your girl and have her in our lives for 16+ years.  I don’t know if she is celebrating her birthday in Heaven today, but I want to wish her a very HAPPY 18^th BIRTHDAY and let her know that one day we will all be able to celebrate with her once again.

I LOVE YOU Court Court

Easter 2014

I don't know how many people actually still read this, but thought I would keep posting since it is somewhat therapeutic to me as well.

We knew that Easter was going to be difficult this year, so we changed up the routine to see if that would help ease the emotions.  Kelsey, Jennifer, and I went camping at Tim's Ford State Park and had some friends join us in the adjoining site.  We got there Thursday afternoon and left Saturday morning.  Christy, Phillip, and their kids came down Friday morning and we spent the afternoon playing games and had a Scavenger Hunt.  Glen and Peggy also came over Friday and had lunch and dinner with us all.  Jennifer and I stayed at the campsite Friday night, but the rest of the family went to Peggy and Glen's so that they could get ready Saturday morning for our family Easter lunch in Liberty, TN.  That was the first time in a very long time that we have camped without at least one of the girls.  Although we enjoyed being out in nature and sharing time with family and friends, there were still moments of heartache and pain realizing that Courtney was not there to share in the fun.

We normally have a family Easter lunch at Glen and Peggy's the Saturday before Easter, but this year we had it at Jennifer's cousin's house in Liberty instead.  They did a tremendous job preparing the meal and there was plenty of things to do outside for all the kids and young adults.  The weather was amazing all weekend and it was good to enjoy time with family.  However, once again there were still moments of heartache and pain without Courtney there.

We went back to Peggy and Glen's house to spend the night and go to church on Sunday.  Courtney had enjoyed going to the Sunrise service with Glen and Peggy at their church the last few years and then we would meet them there for breakfast and go to the early church service.  Kelsey has sung during that service for many years, but just wasn't sure she was ready to do that this year.  She went back with Phillip on Saturday afternoon to Jackson and sang with a praise team on Sunday morning.  Jennifer and I did not make it for the breakfast and I had a hard time walking into the church and especially into the room where we usually ate breakfast.  During the service, I had a very hard time concentrating on the message because all I could think about was not having Courtney with us.  I know she is in a much better place and realize how awesome it was that she was celebrating Easter with our risen Savior, but I still miss her here.

The next couple of weeks are going to be difficult as well as we travel to my parents' house for the first time, have our family get together at the community center at the cemetery, and then Mother's Day, which would have been Courtney's 17th birthday.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and I will update as I am able.  :-)

Sunday, April 6, 2014 - God's Not Dead

So many times I hear the question "How are you doing?" and although I know people mean well, I don't really know how to answer that question.

Sometimes I will say that we are doing fine or doing okay but that is only relative to the moment they are asking the question.  Most of the time I will say "day by day" because that truly is how we are approaching our lives right now.  I don't want to drag them down by saying that we still struggle every day at some point because of something we hear, see, or think that breaks our heart and reminds us of how much we miss Courtney.  However, there really are no "good days" right now, but we have some "good moments" and "not so good moments".

I know that this is a journey and we cling to the promise that God will provide comfort as we need it and that one day we will see Courtney again in heaven.  I know that God has a plan and we don't always know what that plan is or how it will be revealed.  Courtney touched a lot of people in her short lifetime, many that she never even met.  I am sure that many more have been touched since her passing and that many more will continue to be touched in the years ahead.  I pray that we will be able to bring honor to Courtney's memory and the legacy she has left behind and that one day we will be able to bring honor and glory to our Heavenly Father the same way that she did.

We have been overwhelmed by the support from family, friends, churches, and people we did not know before this happened.  I find myself thinking who or what do people turn to that do not have a personal relationship with Christ.  Jennifer and I watched "God's Not Dead" this weekend and it brought that thought more to the forefront.  The professor in this story who is an atheist makes the comment that some of the most devout atheists were once Christians.  If people who were professing to be Christians can turn away from God because He did not answer their prayers the way that they thought He should have, then how can people who do not believe in Him at all ever survive the trials and tribulations that they face each day.

I have truly felt the presence of God in my life and I know that He has a plan and He will comfort us.  Although I would have liked the plan to have been different and to have Courtney right here beside me right now, I have to trust that He will provide the comfort we need and direct us in the path that He has laid out before us.

I ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers that we will continue to be comforted and be willing to allow God to use us to fulfill the plan that He has for all of us.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

I haven't posted anything in a while, but wanted to say Thank You again to everyone for your continued prayer support and understanding during this difficult time in our lives. That is the most important thing you can do for us right now. I know that you may want to know what you can do, but it is okay to just be there and listen or lift us up in prayer right now.

This morning I heard a song by Jason Gray called "Not Right Now" that really hit home and thought I would share the lyrics. The chorus at the end is repeated after each verse, but I removed it to condense space.

"You could see the smoke from a mile away
And trouble always draws a crowd
They wanna tell me that it'll be okay
But that's not what I need right now
Not while my house is burning down

Tell me if the hope that you know is true
Ever feels like a lie even from a friend
When their words are salt in an open wound
And they just can't seem to understand
That you haven't even stopped the bleeding yet

Don't tell me when I'm grieving
That this happened for a reason
Maybe one day we'll talk about the dreams that had to die
For new ones to come alive
But not right now

While I wait for the smoke to clear
You don't even have to speak
Just sit with me in the ashes here
And together we can pray for peace
To the one acquainted with our grief

I know someday
I know somehow
I'll be okay
But not right now
Not right now
No, not right now"

May God bless each and every one of you who are grieving with us and supporting us. You have no idea how much it helps and I hope that you never have to experience it yourself.