Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mother's Day

I had a mixed bag of good and bad on Mother's Day. We finally got our family pictures done yesterday. I can't wait to see them! I was waiting for that to happen before I started Gavin on the steroids. Sunday morning we started him and it gave him a tummy ache. I've been told that it's very unsettling in your stomach and he kept saying he was going to throw up. We need to get a routine down and his body needs to get used to the medicine. On a positive note, he is really excited that he gets to take medicine everyday.
I did have a wonderful Mother's Day. CJay made me a folded 1 dollar bill ring, which was really clever. Conner gave me a pottery cup and paper book that he made at school and a card he made in church. Karl gave me a beautiful antique looking garnet ring with small diamonds surrounding it. Garnet is CJay's birthstone. He said I will probably get a different ring representing the other boys birthstones the next two years. It is our version of a Mother's Ring(s). :-) I will try to post a picture with this post soon. He is so good to me!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad would have turned 79 today. I decided to celebrate with an ultimate chocolate cake from Wegmans...which is a family favorite. We sang Happy Birthday and it was a sweet, touching moment.
I've been feeling pretty good the past week. When I think of the things we've faced, I am amazed that I am not in bed with the blinds closed refusing to get up. I have a strong testimony that Heavenly Father is carrying me at this time. It reminds me of that poem called footprints and it makes my heart smile. I am extremely grateful for all of our friends and family, especially my darling husband and boys. I feel very blessed. I've been asking for a few years for ways to build my testimony and know that the gospel is true...well, be careful what you wish for. I have no doubt in my mind now.
It's been just over 2 months since we found out about Gavin and I feel like it's been 10 years. I am living in the moment, enjoying every minute and concentrating on being happy. It is working!
Thinking of my Dad today...he is missed, but I feel him near. Happy Birthday Dad! I love and miss you tons! xoxo

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Struggles on the Horizon

Okay, this is going to be a short and very uncomfortable post. It's been a very hard year for us. They say bad things happen in three's and if that is true...I thank goodness that we've had our third!
On Valentine's Day of this year we learned that our youngest, Gavin, has muscular dystrophy. We were also given the strong impression from the doctors that is was most likely Duchenne, which is the worst kind. It was definately the worst day of my life and I've said that 3 times in the last year. Our fears were confirmed yesterday, he has been officially diagnosed with DMD.
I've been wanting to post about it for weeks, but I've been too busy denying it. It has broken my heart. But I must carry on for my children and my husband. We are finding our new normal...with lots of guidance and information from the several special needs families in our ward. I believe that we were meant to be here and we have SO much support from our friends and family.
I am learning so much and have been relying on Heavenly Father to get me through each day. I am sad that Gavin won't have the life that we wanted for him but I feel very blessed to have been given the sacred job of taking care of one of His most valiant spirits. Gavin is loved by everyone who knows him and will be his whole life. Our bodies aren't meant to last forever. It is what we learn and the bonds we form that will carry on into eternity.

PS. If you get a chance to donate to MD, please do so and think of Gavin. <3

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Help! We have a teenager in the house.

CJay's birthday was today and he got one of his wishes...no school! School was canceled due to "inclement weather". We got 7-8 inches of snow today and I think the county will be shut down until Monday. He received money and a model airplane from Timm, Andrea and her mother. We gave him a set of knives Karl picked up on steep and cheap last month. They are called "kiss" and "peck"...I know, strange names for knives. Conner gave him a world of warcraft mount and Gavin gave him an itunes gift card. His BIG present from us was a trip with Karl to the Higgins museum in Massachusetts. I think they will have a great time and we hope CJay likes it. I think he had a good birthday and is happy about it. I can't believe he is growing up so fast. Time does fly the older you get. The last year milestone I looked forward to was 25 when I could rent a rental car and my insurance rates dropped...that was 8 years ago!
So, we are taking suggestions on how to proceed with raising a teenager. Any tips will help...anything I'm serious!

Friday, January 14, 2011

1 Month

Well, I can't believe it's been 1 month since my Dad passed. One of the first things I thought about was him. I touched my grandmother's ring that he wore for years and I did my little soliloquy. Sometimes I think he is just a phone call away, the separation seems to be getting harder. Also, we've lived in Virginia for 4 1/2 years now and I've never seen a funeral procession...today I saw one driving down the street and I had a mini break-down. Of all days, geesh!
It's been a tiring week, I am so glad it's Friday. Tomorrow is pretty booked for me though with church meetings/activities. I'm looking forward to the day of rest on Sunday.
On a better note, CJay's having a sleepover tonight and one of his friens brought a WII dancing game. I've always wanted to try one of those. I let the boys fight it out for about 6 songs...by the way, don't ever play with CJay...that boy has natural dance ability! I then got up and smoked them all! Glad to see I still have my moves..hehe. I am totally feeling it now though, maybe that's why I feel so tired. It's a great workout though. I want to try the Michael Jackson game. I'd love to get his moves down pat!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Well, it's 2011 and a year that is full of hope and promise for us. At this moment in time, I am excited!
To catch everyone up a bit, my last post was done on the day of my Dad's funeral. It was a beautiful day full of sunshine, we couldn't ask for better weather this time of year. Dad is buried at the Veteran's Cemetery at Camp Williams. It has breathtaking views of Mt. Timpanogos to the right and the Wasatch Front to the left...even more striking with snow on them. It was a lovely graveside service with a group of family and friends. His casket had a flag draped on it and taps was played by an enlisted Army officer. The flag was folded and presented to me, it was so touching. Many people shared stories and thoughts and we left, simple and to the point! I am so proud of my Dad today. I hope he was happy with the way we handled his last tribute.
We visited with as much family as we could before leaving on the 19th to return home to our boys. Christmas came in a hurry as Karl and I furiously worked to prepare. It all came together and it was a wonderful day. We are so thankful for all that we have. We are especially thankful for the opportunity we have to celebrate Christ's birth together as a family.
I was doing fine with the mourning until Christmas night when I was up late thinking of everyone I had called or needed to call to wish a Merry Christmas. Before I knew it, I had thought that I had to talk to my Dad. It hit me hard because I wasn't prepared for that moment. It is the first holiday without him and I miss being able to pick up the phone and say, "Merry Christmas!".
Today I am taking it day by day. It's been a rough week as my emotions are finally starting to let go. I believe that the many blessings I received throughout this experience helped me through, but now is the time for healing. It is day to day.
Karl and the boys worked outside in the yard today and I took down the Christmas decorations. I love having the decorations up because they are beautiful to look at. It was hard taking them down this time. We are getting rid of the tree and the ornaments this year because they are in bad shape. Seems like a great thing for a new start to the year. We had visits from Kathy Kilgannon, who is Karl's co-worker and from Karl's cousin Justus Adamson, his wife and their boy. It was wonderful to again see family and so nice to have them in our home. They are the #1 cousins in our book now. :-)