A Beautiful Life - Stephanie Vest

Message from Eric

A simple thank you is not enough, but the gratitude in my heart is overwhelming. I’ve been humbled by the generosity of friends and strangers over the past year. There is no doubt about it, my family could not have endured this trial without the support of the Prayer Warriors. Every kind thought, every silent prayer, every gesture (no matter how large or small) has uplifted my family.

  

It has been huge transition to our new reality at home. There have been some sad days… but God’s grace has helped us move forward every single day. We find a new level of “normal” every day.  Mostly it’s full of happy memories and plans for a bright future. During this transition, it has been comforting to resume our daily routine.  We have been busy with the normal tasks of living:  homework, play dates, school events, baths, dinner time, etc. Again, I thank all of our friends and neighbors for their help with coordinating childcare so that I can run errands or have some “alone time.” And the kindness of the folks up at our neighborhood school has been tremendous. I cannot say it enough - thank you!

 

But most importantly, it has been amazing to watch God’s miracles continue to unfold. From the gorgeous pink sunsets that just don’t seem to end…to finding a special Bible study with Stephanie’s handwritten notes tucked away in a drawer….God continues to bless our lives each and every day. 

 

I am so grateful to our dear friends Troy and Jennifer who helped care for Baby Gracie during our absence in Rochester. They created a warm and loving home for our sweet little girl for many weeks. And as God continues to work miracles, Troy and Jennifer now live in our neighborhood - right down street! This blessing will allow them to continue their relationship with our family and help with childcare needs as I am back to work. If you trust in the Lord, things really do seem to fall into place.

It would take pages and pages to thank each person who has helped me throughout this journey, but I must single out one remarkable woman: Brooke Frost. She was worn so many different hats during this difficult time. She has gone above and beyond offering her love, wisdom, resources and time. Thank you to the entire Frost family for wrapping your arms around me and my kids. Thank you for all that you have done. You are amazing.

  

Our blog master, Kim Casey, also deserves many thanks. The communication tool that she created and maintained proved to be a tremendous source of inspiration and strength for me.  And judging by the many comments made by others, it served as an amazing informational and inspirational source for family, friends, and complete strangers.  Kim’s dedication and contribution will forever be appreciated!

 

To the staff at Mayo/Methodist:  Thank you for your love and care - we will never forget you!  What you do each day is amazing!

 

To Stacy Psyches and staff of Hands of Compassion:  Thank you for your loving support through visits, prayer, and hospitality - you are a true blessing!

 

To all of the new owners of pink laundry rooms and other tributes:  Each of your tributes to Stephanie are amazing!  What a great way to honor a great woman.  She would absolutely LOVE every single one of them - she loved little details!  Thank you.

 

To all of the folks that have provided food:  Thank you!  Your gift of food was WAY better than what I usually prepare (PB&J, nuggets, etc). 

 

To all that contributed to organizing events on Stephanie's behalf!  Absolutely incredible!  I can't thank you enough for honoring Stephanie's life with such great events!  We plan on continuing events in the future to honor Stephanie's life and help others through a few foundations.  We'll keep you posted.

 

It's probably impossible to thank every single person for everything that has been done for us over the past several months...  Please just know that we are absolutely thankful for everything, and thank God for each of you every day!  My continued prayer every day is that God blesses you all with closer bonds with family and friends and most importantly, with God!  I also continue to pray that one good thing happens each day as a result of Stephanie's battle... this blog has been an excellent source to prove that great things happen every day. 

 

Although the resource (blog) will be gone, I know in my heart that many good things will continue to happen daily, in each of our lives, because we shared the beautiful life of Stephanie Renee Krider Vest!

 

My initial hesitation in writing a post was perhaps a survival mechanism. As I work through the grieving process, I have found comfort in looking forward rather than dwelling on the past. I love this blog and the wonderful friends who have supported our cause.  Forgive my delay…it’s not that I didn’t want to communicate, or that I wasn’t appreciative of the support that you all offered through the blog.  Basically, the fact that “thanks” didn’t seem like enough, caused the delay in saying anything at all.  So, please don’t mistake it for being rude – certainly not my intention. 

 

With all that said, I have made the decision to end the personal updates on the blog with this last post.  There are many reasons for this.  I would love to provide regular or even periodic updates on how the kids are doing etc., but leaving this as a possibility naturally allows people to set specific expectations as to how often that should occur.  The purpose of the blog in the first place was to support Stephanie in her fight for life.  In the interest of preserving those precious memories and with respect and dignity, closing this outlet seems like the best thing to do.  I hope and pray that each of you will understand. We invite you to share our story with others and to return to this website to reflect on memories.

 

There will be some foundations for Stephanie set up in the near future.  So we will be able to continue celebrating her life through these foundations as they benefit others. 

 

 

We made efforts to have the service posted to share with those who were unable to attend…but technical difficulties prevented that.  But we have included a link to one of the slideshows that was presented at Stephanie’s memorial. It was a beautiful slideshow created by Steph’s dear friend Janelle Ringgenberg. We hope it offers your peace and closure.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvGZyQ6JQkk

 

One last time… Much LOVE to the prayer warriors!  We BELIEVED IN and SAW many MIRACLES!!!  I will always treasure the thousands of comments shared on this blog – absolutely incredible!

 

Always praying, and wishing the best, for all of you.

Make it a great day!

Eric

our friend Shawndra Turner

Dear Prayer Warriors-

We ask that you keep Shawndra and her family in your prayers today and always. Please visit her blog to learn more about her story and her courageous battle with cancer. We learned today that she started hospice on March 10th, and she is requesting only comfort care from this point forward.

http://shawndraturner.blogspot.com/

Please pray for peace for this remarkable woman and her family.

And to steal a line from Shawndra's blog: "Enjoy today, let God handle the rest!"

God Bless!

another inspiration - channeled through writing

From Nydia S.:

"I did not paint my laundry room, but as I love to write, I wrote about Stephanie in my blog.  I know this address is for submissions of pictures, etc, but though I didn't change the look of the world around me, the Lord has used Stephanie's story to renew my perspective, and change my heart on several important issues.  The blog address is: www.justanordinarymom.blogspot.com  It is the entry labeled "Weakness - Part 2."  I hope it is of some encouragement to you all, especially Eric. 

 

Also, though I am sure it is easy for Eric to feel pressure about getting back to us "warriors", please tell him to turn off that voice.  Those of us who have been inspired by Stephanie & Eric's story, feel a God-given love for them, and continue to pray for him and the kids daily.  We are here for the long haul.  We know this is hard stuff, and are willing to pray Eric through this transition, and wait for when he is ready and able to share his heart."

 

Inspired confection

From Mendy L. in Bentonville, AR:

 

"I learned of the Vest family story through my friends, when they asked that our Sunday School class keep the Stephanie Vest family in our prayers.  Not a day has went by when I have not thought about her and her family.  I felt particularly connected with her story as a mother of three, wife and friend.  I am so grateful that her story was shared in such a beautiful way -- as I have grew so much over the last few months as a Christian, a more attentive friend, a more patient mother, and a more loving wife.  

 

I am sharing my "pink laundry" cake photos as a tribute to my group of friends.  A couple of weeks ago I had an accident which earned me an ambulance trip through the ice storm, staples in my head, and a concussion.  I have lost my memory of the three days following the accident, but thankfully am close to a full recovery.  For nine days I could not be left alone and when my loving husband had to briefly step away, a stream of faithful friends came to care for me and our 1-year-old.  One friend, Ellen, who has also been touched by Stephanie's "pink laundry" blessings, brought me this yummy, homemade cake when she came to stay with me.  Each friend that came to visit knew exactly where the inspiration for the cake came from.  Just as my friends and family helped me during my couple of weeks of need, I am sure that Stephanie and Eric's friends continue to uplift and support the entire Vest family.  I am so grateful that I have been touched by their story and will keep them in my prayers."

 

 

Another Inspired Laundry Room - "A Second Chance for Life"

From Robyn in MO:

"In 2007, I was diagnosed with cancer.  It was a very scary and devastating experience even though I made a complete recovery.  As I was going through that experience, I kept promising God that if he healed me I would become a better Christian as well as a better friend, wife and mother.  I knew how very blessed I was however, life sometimes gets away from you….

About a year later, when I found out about my sorority sister, Stephanie, my heart was broken.  Her illness hit very close to home as I read the blog and prayed for her everyday.  I was inspired and amazed by her love and especially her strong relationship with God.  It was then that I realized that God gave me a second chance…

At Stephanie’s service, as I paid my respects to her, I also renewed my faith in God and vowed to take care of myself spiritually, physically and emotionally.  Since then, we are attending church and I joined a Christian book study.  We also joined the gym and I quit procrastinating on painting my laundry room. :)  It is finished and I love it!  It helps me remember how precious life is…and that we must Live Laugh and Love each and Every Day!"

    

 

 

The Super Steph T-Shirts are in

Yes, that's right. They have arrived!

And for the kind "prayer warriors" who placed an order, please note that Christa Fitzgerl will be mailing them out in the next 7-14 days. It was a large order, so be patient...it may take her a few days to get them sorted, bagged, shipped, etc.

Thanks again for your loving support of the Vest Family!

The Dragonfly Story

For anyone who is struggling with the loss of a loved one...or for those who are still trying to make sense of Stephanie's passing, here is a sweet story that offers wisdom regarding death and dying.

___________________________________________________________________

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles.  They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again.  They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem.  However, he was determined that he would not leave forever.  He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap.  As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.

So, fly he did!  And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead.  He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before.  His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water.  He could not get back to tell his friends the good news.  Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew.  So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

~Author Unknown~

For anyone who is struggling with the loss of a loved one...or for those who are still trying to make sense of Stephanie's passing, here is a sweet story that offers wisdom regarding death and dying.

___________________________________________________________________

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles.  They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again.  They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem.  However, he was determined that he would not leave forever.  He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap.  As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.

So, fly he did!  And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead.  He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before.  His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water.  He could not get back to tell his friends the good news.  Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew.  So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

~Author Unknown~

Inspired in Colorado

Jody R. - Ft.Collins, CO

"Far from a laundry room, but not far from the inspiring thoughts of The Vest's. Amazing how one beautiful family can be so flamboyant to so many, even those they never met.

 

I love creative & interior design. Although I tend to stay on the neutral side of life. I have decided after following Stephanie's blog daily & faithfully, going out there & expressing yourself is the greatest high there is in life. I followed her blog when my sister-in-law pleaded for prayers for her friend. I never knew how it would or could change my way of thinking.

 

The photos included are a basket that was an inspiration for a Valentine Basket for my daughter's School Sock Hop silent auction donation. This also set off a series of mini & multi basket creations for my business and Valentine's Day.

 

Amazing how the world is so large, yet so small.  Thank you Vest's for sharing & inspiring us all."

 

 

   

 

 

one day at a time

Dear friends-

As we wait for Eric to post a message...I encourage you all to send more pictures and stories of how Stephanie has inspired or changed your life. It doesn't have to be a pink laundry room...it could just be a new outfit, the courage to try something new, planning an exotic vacation or organizing your garage with "flair!" Anything that has made you feel more alive and thankful for your time here on Earth. Please share. And please be patient...I really hope that in the next few weeks we get an update from the family.

Stay warm!

Submission #9 - Another pretty pink LR

From Kellie D. in Jefferson City, MO:

"I fell in love with Stephanie in 7th grade. We were placed next to each other in Mr. Gerling's Social Studies class, and I had know idea from that day on that she would change my life forever!  Stephanie has been a friend I will honor,  love,  and cherish for the rest of my life!!  Because of her and her story I am a better person!  So,  painting my laundry room seemed the best way to honor her and her beautiful life.   I am reminded everyday that life is so short and to live life to its fullest,  because you don't know what God's plan is.  I  love listening to my 10 year old daughter,  Shelbie, bring her friends into the laundry room and  tell Stephanie's story to them.  It is truly one of my proudest moments!  It motivates me to keep up on the laundry  so it stays clutter free!  The finishing touch to the laundry room is a picture of Princess Gracie!!  I look into her eyes, and I can see her mother's beautiful soul!!  I look forward to watching her grow into a beautiful woman just like her mommy! Pink Laundry - In honor of my beautiful friend Stephanie Vest."