Do you love it?

Here is the bedroom set we're now the proud owners of! (not our actual room)

This is a picture of the dining room table we ordered, we absolutly love it. =)

Walk for Lauren Grace

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello. I am participating in WalkAmerica because I believe in the March of Dimes mission to save babies. Please support my fundraising efforts by sponsoring me in WalkAmerica today. Contributing to my walk online is fast, easy and secure. You can donate directly from my personal webpage with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my webpage. The money we raise helps save premature and sick babies. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn death and the biggest threat to babies’ health today, and through WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes is funding important research to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it. I’ve joined with millions of compassionate people across the country who support WalkAmerica each year. Won’t you please help me in this worthy cause? Visit my webpage and sponsor me in the walk that saves babies! With your support, there’s hope.

My personal Web page address for donations is...http://www.marchforbabies.org/steecampa

Would you like to see what March for Babies is and why I’m walking? Click hereto see the video.

The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Love,

Sarah, Bryan, Ashley and Lauren

Do you read my blog?

Does anyone read my blog? If so, leave me a comment letting me know you stopped by. I just want to know that I'm not writing or posting pictures for my own viewing! =)


Thanks!

Sarah

Walk for Thought

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.

This year we joined the walk, for my handsome little brother- Ricky. He is a 23 year old single father. In December of 2005, he was in an accident on his quad and by the grace of God he is still with us today. It has been a long road and he is still dealing with the challenges people deal with when they injury their brain, but for the most part he is doing well. We're all so thankful with the progress he has made since his accident. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues on his lifelong journey with a traumatic brain injury.

Here are some pictures of us at the walk.

Thank you god for my brother Ricky.
I love my little brother!
Our little family! =)


My older sister Amy, Matt, Matthew & Ash.

Grandma, Bry, Victoria, Matty, Amy & Matt.

Bryan with his girls!




Facts About Traumatic Brain Injury


What is a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from "mild," i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to "severe," i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.

How many people have TBI?
Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States:
50,000 die;
235,000 are hospitalized; and
1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.1
The number of people with TBI who are not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is unknown.

What causes TBI?
The leading causes of TBI are:
Falls (28%);
Motor vehicle-traffic crashes (20%);
Struck by/against events (19%); and
Assaults (11%) Blasts are a leading cause of TBI for active duty military personnel in war zones.

Who is at highest risk for TBI?
Males are about 1.5 times as likely as females to sustain a TBI. The two age groups at highest risk for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds.
Certain military duties (e.g., paratrooper) increase the risk of sustaining a TBI.
African Americans have the highest death rate from TBI.

What are the costs of TBI?
Direct medical costs and indirect costs such as lost productivity of TBI totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000.

What are the long-term consequences of TBI?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 5.3 million Americans currently have a long-term or lifelong need for help to perform activities of daily living as a result of a TBI.
According to one study, about 40% of those hospitalized with a TBI had at least one unmet need for services one year after their injury. The most frequent unmet needs were:
Improving memory and problem solving;
Managing stress and emotional upsets;
Controlling one's temper; and
Improving one's job skills.

TBI can cause a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, language, learning, emotions, behavior, and/or sensation. It can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age.

Simple mom blog- Giveaway!!!

Oh my gosh, so fun! My friend always leads me to the coolest blogs!

Have you been to the Simple Mom blog yet? Go take a look.
http://simplemom.net/crocs/comment-page-5/#comment-40032

Happy 5 year anniversary to us!

Bryan and I went to Las Vegas last weekend for an early Anniversary getaway! We had a wonderful time. It's the first time we've really gotten the chance to spend time together without our girls. We missed them, but knew they were just fine without us for a few days. Our alone time was way overdue.

We stayed at the Venetian, on the 33rd floor. It was Beautiful! I highly recommend this hotel. Below are some pictures from our trip. Enjoy!