EMILIE'S DEDICATION

Hi everybody!!

Emilie was dedicated on June 24th at Lawson Heights Pentecostal. Here are some pictures of the dedication. Also, something else important happened the night before (the 23rd). We had her overnight for the first time and things went great!! This is just one more step closer to bringing her home. Also, my mom and I took her for the night on July 1st as well. She went to see the fireworks and she was really interested in them.

Our homecare meeting on June 28th was cancelled due to the pending strike, but they told me not to worry it's going to happen - PRAISE GOD!!

Please continue praying for Emilie's health. She was running a fever, but I believe it to be just a small cold - it didn't last very long. Darwin, Taylor and I are taking off for BC in a couple of hours for a short holiday. We wish we could take Em, but maybe next year. Pray that her home oxygen situation will get sorted out etc. Thanks everyone!! Each one of you is special to us and we thank God for all of you that are praying for Em's healing - He's doing it!! Little by little she is beginning to move more and more. Thanks to all of you especially God!!

EMILIE CAME HOME - JUNE 11TH!! -just for the day:)

I apologize for the shape of my yard. We are never home to really take care of it.
We all just look thrilled!! We were pretty tired. Taylor didn't want to sit still (what else is new?)
Emilie just took in everything. She just looked and looked and looked.
Just lounging at HOME!! Yay!! Finally!! Very long awaited!!
(I love my sister!! I cried and cried when she had to leave. I thought she was home forever!)

Well everybody!! Our long awaited day has happened!! Emilie was finally able to see where she lives. It was so exciting, even if it was just for the day. We left Saskatoon at noon and arrived in North Battleford at 1:30pm. Our first stop?? We took her to see Dr. Urbani - the doctor who delivered her and looked after my pregnancy. We took her away from the hospital and the doctors and nurses just to see another doctor. He was thrilled. It has been a long time. After that we took her to Lawrence Elementary (where I teach French) - just for a few minutes to show her where Mommy works. We then went to Heritage where we stayed for awhile. She had her feed and a 2 hour nap.

Soon we went home. Unfortunately, we didn't stay at home long, but we showed Emilie our house, her room, Taylor's room etc. Then we went to Grandma's for supper. At Grandma's she started running a fever and was ill for most of last week with a strep in her trach.

We left North Battleford at 10pm and arrived in S'toon at 11:30pm where we got her ready for bed.

It was an awesome day and I thank God that she didn't get sick on the 10th or this day never would have happened. Praise Jesus!! This is just one of many steps to getting her home. We are hoping to take her for 24 hours this weekend.

EMILIE IS BEING DEDICATED ON SUNDAY JUNE 24TH AT LAWSON HEIGHT PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY IN SASKATOON. You are welcome to attend.

Thanks everyone. Keep praying it works!!

Love Sherri

My Job!!

Sorry!! I forgot to tell everyone that my teaching position is now "permanent". I was offered the contract. For those who didn't know, I was only on a replacement contract for this past year. That is why I am not getting paid in the summer. My position was advertised and was closed on May 11th. On May 15th, I was offered the position. Praise Jesus! God literally handed me the job last summer. I never applied for it or did I have an interview. Same as this year, except I sent in my application showing them that I was still interested in it. Now, I can get paid every summer (with exception of this one). I knew that if God handed me the job, He wouldn't take it away (unless there was something better) when we needed it most. Praise Jesus!!

Thanks for those who were praying. (those who knew about it).

Sherri

June 2007

Hi Everybody!!

Here's a short update on Emilie. There is not much that is new. She is, however, starting to lift up her thighs now. (see videos on http://sdzeylion2003.multiply.com/) There are also pictures on there. Please pray for her overall health that she remains healthy and doesn't catch any colds etc. Also, we still need some equipment - her humidifier, feeding pump, home oxygen, portable oxygen. Emilie has always had very little movement below the waist, but she is gaining more and more especially now with her thighs it is amazing. God is doing wonders with her. I probably won't be updating more than once a month during the summer, unless something significant happens. We will be so busy taking her out on day passes, but I will try to update once a month. This month is very busy as the school year is coming to an end. Take care everyone!! (Also, please keep praying for our finances. I know that God will take care of us during the summer, but your support in prayer is encouraging and we are grateful for it).

Darwin and I have a meeting with home care on June 28th. Please pray for this meeting. It sounds like we are approved and they are just coming to talk to us about individualized funding and other things we need to do. (We are praying that that's what it is).

I would like to still compile a number of written prayers for Emilie in a book I am going to title it Everybody Cross Your Fingers (I mean in prayer - not the superstitious way). I will be writing about the faith it takes to go through a storm like this and to encourage people not to give up. Please help me out by sending me some prayers by email that you have prayed for Emilie. I want to be able to read these to Emilie so that she can sense how many people are praying for her and for her to come home. Please put your name and where you are from on your email. (If you would rather remain anonymous than I understand, but please put where you are from). I also want to be able to show her and Taylor how prayer spreads and how it does wonders in our lives.

Thanks everybody!!

Love,

Darwin, Sherri, Taylor, and especially Emilie

Meeting with Home Care.

Hi everyone!

We had a meeting with home care today and this meeting was a lot more positive than any other meetings that we have ever had with them. It almost sounded like we were already approved, but they weren't sure on the number of hours that we are approved for. We are not approved yet, though. No one said we were. Please keep praying for approval and that the funding comes fast. (This meeting was for Individualized funding). We now need to concentrate on praying for God to send us the right people to care for Emilie. With so many accounts of abuse on people with physical and mental disabilities all we can do is trust that God will send us the perfect people to care for her. She doesn't have a mental disability, but wouldn't be able to communicate with us. Please just pray for the perfect people to be brought into our lives. We would need at least 2 people to work nights for 8 hours. They would just be required to make sure that Emilie isn't struggling for breath, ventilator pop offs, and probably one round of chest physio and a suction. This is not hard. She will be sleeping most of the night all night so basically the person would get to watch TV or read as long as someone is awake with her, while Darwin and I sleep. Awesome job!! Please remember us in your prayers.

Also pray for our financial situation for the summer. I will not be getting paid and will need some help. We are going to check in to Telemiracle. Our optimal plans would include possibly renting an apartment or something for the summer until Emilie can come home. We need to take her out as often as possible to "prove" ourselves willing and able to take care of Emilie's needs. I'm so glad and thankful to God that the nursing manager finds us more than capable.

Thanks so much everyone!!
God Bless you and keep you!!


Love,

Darwin, Sherri, Taylor and especially Emilie:)

First time at church!!

Hello everyone!!!

Hope you are all doing well!! Today was a very special day. Today was the first day we were able to take Emilie to church. We were also given an extended day pass. Our first passes were only 4 hours, but today they said to come back whenever. I said,"never???" ...I guess not. We would have to go back for more oxygen at some point.

Emilie loved church. She loved the singing. She was dancing!! ;) We praise God for allowing us to bring her to His house. We hope to take her every week.

Anyway, things may be looking up for bringing her home. We have an appointment about individualized funding on Friday, May 11, 2007 at 3:30pm. Please remember to pray for this. You are all a real blessing to us. I thinks sometimes we forget to thank-you and tell you how much you mean to us. Prayer works and God fulfills His promises when He feels we are ready for them - when He is ready for them.

I was thinking today about what it would be like if things had turned out differently. Seeing all of these babies all around Emilie's age walking and toddling around. Then I got to thinking that God wouldn't have given Emilie to us if HE didn't think we are the perfect parents for her. I strongly believe that. There is a reason for why God gave Emilie to us. Maybe because she needed us, as well as the fact that we needed her. Wow!! Looking over the last year I've learned an awful lot about myself as a person. Looking into Emmy's eyes, I've learned a lot about who I want to be.

We thank God each day for our supporters. We can't thank you enough. Always remember that, even though we can't thank-you verbally enough, we are always thanking God for the blessing of all of you who pray for our baby. She (we) wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for your prayers for her and for us. Your diligence is wonderful. May God bless you all this month. I will be posting some more pictures on the other website sometime this week, if I can find a free moment or two.

We love you all,

Darwin, Sherri, Taylor, and especially Emilie:)


http://sdzeylion2003.multiply.com

Emilie's First Birthday - April 6, 2007

EMILIE'S BIRTHDAY!!

I can't believe that she is a year old already. God has really blessed us this year. Eventhough things aren't the way we had hoped and we have to go through this, God couldn't have given us a better daughter. If you've met her personally you know what I'm talking about.

Emilie loves everyone. Her eyes sparkle when she has a visitor and she fights going to sleep if a visitor is in the room. She has a sweet disposition and is very content and cheerful. I'm so thankful that God has given her this disposition. She has shown me that eventhough things aren't perfect there is still a reason to smile and look at the bright side of everything.

We had Emilie's birthday party on Friday, April 6, 2007. On the fifth floor of the hospital in the North Atrium. Some of the people that attended were (forgive me if I forget you); Great-grandma and grandpa Wright, Grandma Updike, Auntie Lori and Dallas, Auntie Monique and Jared, Auntie Beatrice and Joel, Mommy's friend Mimi Marchewka and Breeze, Mommy's friend Diane Nystrom and her sister Elaine, Pastor John Drisner and of course - Mommy, Daddy and big brother Taylor. Emilie had a great time!! She got lots of presents and even tasted the icing on her cake, which she LOVED!! Thanks to all who attended.

We also want to thank everyone who joined us in fasting and praying for Emilie that day. Please continue to pray for her. We are hoping to take Emilie to church the next time that Darwin is home. Thanks for all of you who are continuing to support us in prayer. We feel really blessed to have so many people in our lives who pray for us and support us in prayer. You are all really special and we hold you all close to our hearts. (yes, even if we haven't met).

We love you all!!

PS we got the charger for Emilie's external battery this past week and were able to take her to get her pictures taken at Wal-mart. We sent out a photoparade to those who are on our list. You can check out the pictures on the multiply site.

http://sdzeylion2003.multiply.com

Darwin, Sherri, Taylor and especially Emilie!!