Today was the Louisiana Alumni Crawfish boil!

Once again we brought no camera so here is the 1 picture I took. Clark had a bite of Jambalaya and some ice cream. Both firsts. He was ok w/ the jamba and LOVED the icecream. We took a gallon bag full of tails home to make crawfish pies! Yum!
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Clark says "yes" and finds it hilarious!

Louisiana Trip

We went to Louisiana. Wee Hee! We did not bring the camera. booo. We have four pictures from our cell phones though.... ok that will work.

It was HOT in Louisiana. Dad dunked Clark to help cool him off! He LOVED the pool!

We went back for my 10 year high school reunion. It was fun, but loud and therefore hard to catch up properly. There was much shouting. I saw one of my HS best friends, Woody. He brought along his fiance, Krissy. They are getting married in October. They had an engagement crawfish boil the next day - which we went to. It was also fun. He hasn't changed a bit and that is refreshing.

Part of me wishes I still lived in Louisiana, but part of me knows that Woody lives in Arizona, and other friends live in other areas. It wouldn't be the same, Tom wouldn't have the job that he has, or really any desirable job. It is just a mild fantasy that we enjoy indulging in when we are eating snowballs, crabs, crawfish, pralines, oysters, or passing by a drive-through daiquiri shop or visiting friends and family. We would also be really fat if we lived there...

We did do a 5K with mom on the Mandeville Lakefront. I also had time to get together with my BFF, Liz. Liz and I also hung out on the lakefront and reminisced about our high school days. Overall it was really, really great. It was also an actual vacation unlike the work-cations we've been taking.

everyone but mom. she took the photo.

family self portrait.

here is me on the Bayou!

World wide baby wrestling federation

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Intimate moments in the Greenwell household

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Update - Your prayers are desperately needed.

Little Hudson went into God's arms last night.  Thank you for your prayers for her and her family. Her mom and dad are Mandy and Ed. They will especially need your prayers in the coming days, weeks, and years. 

I thank you for letting me share this with you.  I know it has been sad for many to read about, but this is why we belong to a community of faith. We need each other in hard times.  I promise to always be there for you and lift your prayers to God when you need them.  Thank you for joining us with your prayers for Hudson, Mandy and Ed. 

Love, Veronica

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Your prayers are desperately needed.

Hey guys,

We need your prayers and support.  Our friends in DC, Mandy and Ed, have a daughter Hudson, who is 18 months and was fine a week ago.  Sunday they took her to the ER because of a high fever and she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. It looks like they will be taking Hudson off life support today, and we are really in shock and sorrow for them. 

There is prayer service tonight at 6:15pm (eastern) 5:15 (central) and 3:15 (pacific). Please take a few minutes at that time (and all throughout your day) to join everyone in prayer. They will especially need your prayers in the coming days.

This is a facebook message Mandy and Ed posted this morning around 9 am Eastern time:

Dearest friends and family: First, we want to repeat again and again -- we could never say it enough—how grateful we are for your fervent prayers, thoughts, and wishes for our girl. Your messages in all forms have truly been a lifeblood for us these past few days and we are so thankful for the extended system of support all of you have provided for us and the comfort it brings. At one point yesterday, almost every single one of our friends's status posts was asking others to send our girl good wishes—we are overwhelmed by the love being sent our way from places literally all over the world.

As the hours go on, our hopes for a miracle for our sweet girl are fading. Last night around 8:30, the doctors did the first of 2 tests for brain death, and all indications are that little Hudson's brain is no longer functioning at all. Tonight, they will repeat the test again, and short of that miracle, the results will likely be the same and she will be declared dead. They will then remove all the life-sustaining equipment that has kept all her systems working for the last two days. And she will be gone.

As you can imagine, we want to spend every possible moment during this last day with her. We are so grateful for those of you who have come by and want to come by, but today is about Hudson, so we'd just ask that if you would like to visit, we will most likely be at home starting tomorrow and will welcome visitors there.

We just can't say enough how important your support has been to us. Please know that we will continue to welcome your help for a long time to come.

Of course, please continue to hope, pray, wish, meditate—as will we. We just wanted everyone to be prepared for what appears to be the inevitable. And please be thinking of Hudson this evening as she finishes her all-too-short and very precious journey here in this world and begins whatever journey may follow.

We thank you again and again for the millions of kindnesses offered in so many forms over these last days. We have been so comforted by them. While we wish that a different outcome was possible, the outcome we face is not for lack of prayers and good thoughts. We know that many people who have been rooting for Hudson are not Facebook friends, so please forward this on to anyone you think may want to read it.

All our love and eternal gratefulness,

Mandy and Ed

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PRAYERS ARE NEEDED RIGHT NOW!

Please pray for a friend's baby girl, Hudson. She is about 20 months old. She is in the hospital with Bacterial Meningitis. They are afraid she won't make it. They are asking for a miracle. Please, with everything you have, with all of your intercessors, pray for Hudson. Pray for her parents, friends and family, that they will be strong and rely on God through these incredibly hard times.

May 2010 trips

facebook Veronica Greenwell 2:06pm May 12th May 2010 trips To veronica.greenwell.gumbo@blogger.com Checkout our pictures on facebook. There's lots and they are fun! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2283410&id=24602218&l=3962476988

Shoe pool fetch step 4

Mama Throws shoes.
Step 5. Baby Retrieves shoes
Step 6. Repeat.
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Shoe pool fetch, step 2

Throw shoes into the pool.
Step 3 mama retrieves them
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Pool shoe tag. step 1

Bring shoes to the pool
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Clark's man cave

Our hotel room has a sink, fridge, microwave and dishes. Clark has taken up residence under the sink. Its a special place for him @ our house too, so I didn't think much of it. He played over by the sink for most of the morning by himself. What was suprising, when I went over to look, is that he had been collecting his treasures there! His swim hat, blocks, shape sorter and snack trap were all in the cabinet or at its threshold. :-). What a fun little boy!
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No sunburn yet!

We're still in Lauderdale by the sea (LBTS). No one has gotten sunburnt yet! Hopefully we can stay that way!

We hung out with the Threadgill/Pfost family Sat afternoon on the beach and went to their house for dinner Sun night. Matt and Jordan are really great teens and Kelly (7yold) was lots of fun. I love seeing my Aunt Carla because she looks and acts most like my mom. Its always nice to see someone you love in someone else you love. :-). Carla's last day of work is today so she may come down here and hangout later this week!

Clark and I found a local playground. Its partially shaded and has equipment right at his level. We met a ton of kids there yesterday and will go back every day. I'm trying to keep him out of the middle of day sun as much as possible. We also found the chamber of commerce and a free bus schedule so we may do some exploring or go to the library later this week.

Clark is enjoying the sand more and is sampling the delicious flavors of shells, rocks, corals and other debris found in it. He likes the hotel pool but is still not into the ocean. He doesn't like how it splashes his face sometimes.

I went running this morning and its so hot and humid, I may have to take midnight runs to be comfortable (or just not run here...)

Today Tom is giving his big talk on grants and the gov'ment. Wish him luck!
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Florida!

We're in Lauderdale by the sea. Its next to Ft. Lauderdal, Fl.

Tom's got a conference and Clark and I will be hanging @ the beach and with my Aunt Carla, Uncle John T. And Cousins Jordan, Matt and Kelly.
We went swimming yesterday in the ocean. Clark gave us the face we call, "ok if this is what you people think is fun, I'll go along with it, but I don't have to like it". But he is warming up to it -kinda... Then we walked to a nearby resturant for Gyros.the wait was long but they were delish!

We came back to the hotel and played near the pool. Clark made a game of throwing his shoes in the pool, climbing onto the first in-pool step, picking up the shoes, splashing the shoe, climbing out of the pool- repeat. We were worried about him drowining and were very careful. Unfortunately, we were not very careful a few minutes later when he fell down the steps to the beach and got a huge abrasion on his face. we are putting healing ointment on it and hope he isn't too "rough-looking" for Ray and Angela's wedding next weekend.

We slept ok in the hotel room. Clark always wakes up more when we travel and its hard on us cause we are not used to having him in our room. We have a lot of travel planned this summer so we will just have to get used to it.

This morning Tom took off to learn about genetics and stem cells and the eye. Clark and I ate a huge breakfast @ the hotel. We are now hanging on the beach. He didn't initially like the sand getting on him. Now he seems ok with it. He is raking the sand in the photo above and right now he's using a coffee stirrer to stab the sand.
My family is coming over this afternoon to hang on the beach. We'll see what this adventure brings, but so far we are having a really nice time.
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