Carmen update: Carmen is still having some blood in her feeding tube and will start a month of Carafate. Hopefully this drug will heal her stomach.

Remember Betty Short’s prayer request for the little boy with the cleft palette and lip? Finn was born September 4th and is very healthy otherwise. Thank you for praying for this sweet baby.

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We can all remember where we were and what we were doing eight years ago today. I was at a Bible study with my good friend and neighbor, Christina (I think it was a Beth Moore study but I can’t remember that part!). Someone came in and told our group that planes had hit the Twin Towers and they were gone. I remember thinking that was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. How in the world can two 110 story buildings be gone? I could only imagine them falling over side-ways and that made no sense. Then someone came in and told us the Pentagon had been hit. Several of the ladies had husbands who worked at the Pentagon so our study was stopped abruptly.

Christina drove us home and unfortunately neither one of us had a TV. We went to a neighbor’s house to watch footage of the attacks. It was so surreal.

Dave was in England on a work project. He had flown out of Dulles in Virginia the night before. We couldn’t get in touch with each other because all the phone lines were tied up but I think eventually his brother or mom called to check on me.

The previous summer Dave had been on a work project in Manhattan and we had often stayed in the World Trade Center Marriott. We moved around from hotel to hotel in Manhattan so we could enjoy different parts of the city but the World Trade Center Marriott was our favorite (great gym overlooking the Hudson and great breakfast buffet). We often ate at restaurants near the Towers. We ate our first Thai food at the Lemongrass Grill, which was across the street. I spent a lot of time near the Towers walking around and I remember often buying plums from a street vendor who set up between the Towers.

This morning I mentioned to Lauren that today is September 11th, a very sad and important day for the United States. I told her that some men wanted to hurt our country and flew planes into buildings and the buildings caught on fire and fell down. Lauren asked, “Was the lady in that building?” I asked, “What lady?” Lauren said, “You know, the one who got burned. The one named Lauren.”

While I was pregnant with Lauren, I read the book Love, Greg and Lauren. Lauren Manning was in the lobby of Tower One when a fireball exploded from the elevator shaft. She was burned over 82.5% of her body. Greg, her husband, wrote emails updating on his wife’s condition and later those emails were published as a book. Miraculously, Lauren survived. This book is a testament to Lauren’s strength and Greg’s devotion and love.

We had always loved the name Lauren, but after reading about this courageous woman, we decided to name our daughter Lauren.

What were you doing on 9/11?