A Beautiful Life - Stephanie Vest

Wine Tasting Fundraiser Results

November 15th Fundraiser update via Heather Keitges, the event coordinator:

A great time was had by all!  Thank you to all that made the Event at the Broadway Roasting Company possible!  We were able to raise over $5,500 for the family.  We had several folks that were unable to attend, send in a donation ~ We were still receiving checks last week!  We wanted to give a special thanks to Planet Sub and Joe Joe's catering for supplying the delicious food, Gomers Fine Wines (on 103rd street) for providing the beverages, the Broadway Roasting Company for providing the space as well as fabulous coffee drinks and Chad and Company for the music. 

Here are a few pictures of the evening. 

 

 

 

Temporary Address

For all of you who've asked...here's a mailing address for Eric and Steph in Rochester.

Eric & Stephanie Vest
110 W Center Street #257
Rochester, MN 55902

belated turkey day wishes

email from Eric:

Happy Thanksgiving!  We are so thankful to have each of you supporting us in our fight for Stephanie's life!  We pray for all of you to have a very blessed Thanksgiving day/weekend with your own families - we consider you all to be our extended family and will pray that your family time is the best you've ever had! 

We are also thankful to report that Steph's billi score continues to drop!!!  PTL for that!  It's at 4.9 - the absolute lowest it has been in many, many weeks!  She had a great day yesterday - good appetite, great physical therapy session (moving her legs on her own), and she sat up for the first time unassisted!  HUGE strides for her in one day!  Today is a great day too!  She had a great physical therapy session and she's eating very well!  We are praying for "boring" days (as her docs like to call it)… boring means that she is healing and moving the right direction without any new "surprises"!

Drive slow and eat fast!  Make it a great long weekend!
Eric & family

Go Mizzou!

Wow, our girl made the evening news. Here's a link of a story that ran on Fox4 about Stephanie and her family's love of the famous MU/KU game! Enjoy!

http://www.myfoxkc.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7965814&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

2008 Pink Laundry Ornament

SOLD OUT

Due to popular demand, we are pleased to announce another wonderful fundraiser for the Vest Family:

It's the Dazzling Pink Laundry Mini-Chandelier Ornament!

This elegant metal chandelier ornament is accented with hanging faux-crystal acrylic jewels and glitter! It measures 7"H x 4"W and comes ready-to-hang on a decorative ribbon. Your stunning mini chandelier ornament will add sparkle and elegance not only to your Christmas tree, but to any room you choose throughout the year (especially your pink laundry room)! This is the same mini chandelier ornament that Stephanie has lovingly displayed in her hospital room in Rochester, given to her by Kim Casey. Each mini chandelier is $20, with all of the net proceeds going directly to Eric and Stephanie. 

This fundraiser was created by Leslie Mallot, Steph's cousin. The same wonderful gal who coordinated the Barbie auction!

To order, you may send cash, check or money order (made payable to Leslie Mallott) to:
Leslie Mallott
1102 Brookedale Ct.
Columbia, MO 65203-6216
 
Orders will be filled as payment is received due to the limited quantity available. Please include your name, address, phone and email address with your payment. Payments need to be received by Saturday, December 6th. The ornaments will be available for local pick-up in the following cities: Lee's Summit, St. Louis area, Springfield, Jefferson City, and Columbia in early to mid December. However, if you need your ornament shipped to you, please include $5 with your payment to cover the cost of shipping. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Leslie at jlmallott@hotmail.com or by phone at 573-239-6739. Additionally, if anyone would like to volunteer and assist with the local pick-up/distribution of the ornaments in any of the above cities, please contact Leslie. Thank you all for your continued support of Eric and Stephanie!
 
I would also like to thank Sarah at Christmas Central for her undertaking of such a massive request and for her contribution towards Eric and Stephanie!

Introducing: Gracelyn Isabelle Vest

Ok, we know that this is just a few months delayed - but better late than never, right? Just before Stephanie headed off to Rochester for the first time, she started working on her birth announcements with her dear friend Janelle. But due to circumstances, they never got printed and mailed out.

However, Stephanie requested that we post the announcment today, so that each one of the warriors can celebrate the miracle of Gracie's birth. It is also a perfect timing, so that we can all give thanks for the gift of family, life and love. Enjoy these beautiful photos!

And if you thought Steph's laundry room was sassy...well, you haven't seen Gracie's nursery yet. Gorgeous! The cute mural was painted by Maci Crossland and the exquisite bedding was sewn by Jennifer Stodgdall. And of course, the whole thing was orchestrated by style diva - Stephanie Vest!

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Update

email from the b-day boy, Eric:

It may not be a "party" everyday in Rochester…  but everyday is definitely a celebration - a celebration of LIFE!  What a birthday it has been - already!  Thank you for the many texts, FB entries, blog posts, e-mails, and phone calls!  Zach and Cole called with the Frost family early this morning and sang the birthday song - which was awesome!  And, Zach asked Mrs. Piedimonte, his 2nd grade teacher, if the class could call and sing happy birthday to me!  What an awesome treat - it's hard to beat the sound of 20+ little voices singing happy birthday to you!  To all of Zach's classmates:  Thank you so much for making my birthday very special!

There is a "Happy Birthday Eric" sign over the door to our room - with streamers hanging down over the entry - compliments of our nurse today, Sarah - Thank you Sarah!  It makes for an interesting logistical challenge to get in and out of the door… but it's really cool!  My lunch was also provided by 2 very special people that shall remain nameless just in case they might get in trouble..  ;)  You both are great friends!  I also got some great looking cookies (one says, "Happy Birthday Steric") from my "other wives" that keep my life in KC going - Thank you, Angela, Brooke, Janelle, Kim and Lisa!

Now, for the true VIP for the day - Steph!  She has progressed nicely the last few days!  PTL for that!  Her billi continues to drop - it was at 5.9 yesterday - the lowest it has been for a very long time!  We had an X-Ray done on Friday of her lungs, and the results show that the fungal is improving in her lungs - DOUBLE PTL for that!!  The real fungal concern, medically, is in her nasal cavities…  So, we need to go ahead and keep praying that there's "no more fungus among us" (that's a great quote - don't remember who started it…)!

Fevers have popped up a little bit over the last few days, and we are uncertain as to why that is happening.  There are several possibilities.  Multiple tests are being done to pinpoint the culprit. 

We are still delicately balancing the cancer and the fungal issues - treating both at the same time is a challenging task!  But nothing is too challenging for God!  We continue to trust his plan that is in place - and we, as all of you, continue to ask that His plan includes complete healing for Stephanie's entire body! 

I owe some HUGE thanks to everyone involved with the Barbie fund raiser, the event in KC, and the Pink Laundry Run in The Lou + video!  Sorry for the delay!  Part of the delay was due to things going on around here, but the other part was from not really knowing where to start and how to capture our complete feelings in words - I was at a loss for words to fully express the appreciation that we have for all of you!  With that said, we'd love to hug each of you if we could!  What we can do is say, "Thank you and God bless you all"!  Thank you for taking time to organize, and/or participate in, each of these events.  And thank you for the financial contributions.  The love demonstrated through both is incredible!  We pray for you all, and thank God for you all daily!   

It seemed like I shared the letter from Michelle Meeks regarding the Barbie, the video from the St. Louis run and the book of notes from the KC event, with Stephanie within a 24 hour period…  She was deeply touched!  I believe her exact words were, "the support is so overwhelming - I had no idea."  She had to fight back tears since she still had packing in her nose from the surgery - you don't want to cry with that stuff going on!

Several of you have commented on how amazed you are at what is happening here in Rochester… let us say that we are amazed by what you all do for us - from our new found friends here in Rochester to others all over the US/and other parts of the world!  WE LOVE THE WARRIORS!  I know that God has blessed this entire situation in making the blog an open communication line between us here in Rochester and all of you - we are more thankful for that than you could possibly know!  One day, we will all celebrate together - I'm sure of that!

Make it a great Monday!  We're making it a great day in Rochester!  
Eric

mmm mmm - is that birthday cake?

Yep, it's Eric's birthday! Let's all wish this super dude a delightful birthday. Hope you have a fun day lovin' on your beautiful wife.

Go crazy up there in Rochester! Have a party.

Much love- from the Warriors

simply amazing

Please click on the link below to see a fabulous video documentary of the Pink Laundry 5K - St Louis. It's amazing and inspirational! And you might want a box of Kleenex sitting next to your monitor. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnR7fO36hY4

Many thanks to Scott Smith for coordinating this effort!

Keep expecting miracles.

and the winner is...

For those of you who were following our Ebay auction - we had a fantastic outcome! Over $2,000 was bid on the beautiful Pink Laundry Barbie. The winner was Virginia Crossland, who not only paid over the amount of her winning bid (so sweet), but she is also giving the Barbie to baby Gracie (super-duper sweet!)

Here is an email from Virginia's granddaughter Michelle detailing their relationship with the Vest family:

Hello,

My name is Michelle (Crossland) Meeks.  Stephanie and I were in the same sorority (Sigma Sigma Sigma) at Southwest Missouri State University.

I was in the pledge class of 1996, and Stephanie was my pledge trainer.  As a Freshman in college, at the young age of 18, new to college life, sorority life, and being away from home, Stephanie was an AMAZING role model to me and so many others in my pledge class.  Words cannot describe the respect and love we all had for her and still do. 

Along with so many others, I have followed Stephanie’s journey the past few months and have continued praying for her daily.  Her life has changed so many others, including my own.  There is just no one else like her.  She is truly one of a kind just like this fabulous Barbie that you had made for her!

My Grandma, Virginia Crossland is the one who purchased the Barbie.  She asked me to bid on it for her through my Ebay account.  I have shown her Stephanie’s website and she has been praying for Stephanie and Eric and the kids also.  She would like to give the Barbie to baby Gracie to have when she gets older.  I am sending a check today in the amount of $2,300.00.

Thank you for all of your hard work to make this fundraiser possible.

Sincerely, Michelle