Ashley's Christmas Cave

If you have to live in a hospital room you might as well make it as personal and "homey" as possible. This is what I have tried to accomplish in Ashley's room. We have affectionately named it the "Christmas Cave". When you walk into her room you automatically notice a lovely aroma that comes from her Glade plug in. This alone has made her room a favorite here on the floor. The pleasant smell just greets you at the door and invites you to come on in and stay a while. The next thing you will notice is the sound of beautiful Christmas carols playing on her pink CD player at the head of her bed. This is personally my favorite part. The sound of Christmas music just puts me in a happy mood, and the fact that it comes from the cutest baby girl pink player is just the icing on the cake for me. If you begin to scan the room to the left you will see one of those standard hospital tables that are found in every room, but ours is so much more than just a table. This our little piece of home. On Ashley's tabel sits her Christmas tree. Again this is not just any tree, but it is a baby girls Christmas tree. The lights are purple and white and they twinkle just like the light in Ashley's eyes. She loves to stare at them for hours. On the branches of the tree are tied pink ribbons. Each ornament that we have chosen for Ashley is hung not by just any hanger but by pink ribbons instead. The ornaments themselves are all designed for a special little girl. Along with her ornaments hang pictures in tiny silver frames of Blake, Allison, and Ashley. We also have hung the words faith, hope, and noel all over the tree. They are also silver and are hung on pink satin ribbons. The rest of the tree is covered with silvery, white snowflakes that sparkle in the light and we have just added some long silver icicles to top it all off. They are spirals covered in silver glitter and hung on ribbons. Under her tree sits a silver frame that holds a picture of my three most precious gifts from the Father. Blake and his two sisters sit smiling at us from under there. I have many precious hours as I sit and "ponder" in my heart all that He has planned for our family. Oh! how we love Christmas time.

Living in this room is not all bad. I have seen many answered prayers take place in this room. My sweet Ashley has recovered from six trips to the OR on the bed in this room. At night this room is where I watch my little one rest safely in His arms. This room is also where I have laid my head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep as I pour out my heart to Him night after night. After 7 weeks of living in this room it has begun to feel like a home away from home for Ashley and I. Through out the day and night people who have become our friends poke their heads in to see how we are doing. Some of the nurses and the doctors have become like old friends to us, and I am more than grateful for the ones He has placed here to care for our Ashley. I have watched Ashley recover, play, sleep, clap, and say Mama in the walls of this room, and every moment of the time spent in here with her I count as precious.

As I think of where we are tonight in this hospital so far away from friends and family I am counting Ashley's Christmas Cave as a blessing in our lives. Of all the rooms in this hospital I am glad that Ash and I get to live in this one. Together for another day and another night. What a gift it is.