Reconnecting!

After I graduated from High School I was one of those people who ties to "hang on" to everything. My first year of college I 'hung out" at my old high school a lot and helped on with some school plays and choir events. Eventually though I started to make some big mistakes and realized that it was time to let go of the past and begin to live in the present. In doing so I completely cut myself off from everything High School related. Years later I realized that there were friends I was so sad to have left behind. I'm happy to say that tonight I had the opportunity to reconnect with some of those people I lost touch with so many years ago. I believe that sometimes we are meant to be in a certain place at a certain time because if we hadn't have moved where and when we did none of it would have been possible. At church a few weeks ago I noticed someone who I went to church with during High School and we got to talking and it turned out that her daughter whom I went to High School with is getting married. When she told Lisa she saw me Lisa was so excited she asked her mom to get my address. Next thing I know I get an invitation to her bridal shower. I was thrilled that she would remember me and think to invite me. So I went to the shower tonight I had such a great time. There were so many people there I knew way back when. We were able to catch up, share pictures of all of kids, and plan a time for all us to get together. I have been given a second chance...hopefully I'll be much better at staying connected this time around!

Extraordinary People

Meet Noah: Noah is my first cousin once removed (translation-my cousins son) and he was born with cerebral palsy. There are many links to cerebral palsy but doctors are not sure what actually caused Noah's. As an infant Noah experienced many seizures caused from his condition that only made matters worse. Despite his situation he is a remarkable seven year old boy! Imagine for a moment that mentally you were exactly who you are at this very minute but you had no physical control over your body. Terrifying isn't it? Well that is how Noah lives every minute of every day. Cognitively, mentally, and emotionally he is seven years old but he is trapped inside a body that will not move when he wants it to. Yet, he smiles and laughs and enjoys life! He is truly and inspiration to me! If he has nothing to complain I certainly shouldn't?

Now meet Lori: Lori is Noah's mom. When she was pregnant with Noah she was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors told her that because the cancer had progressed so far her best option was to terminate her pregnancy and undergo treatment. She refused...of course. I would have done the same thing. Anyway, they did what they could for her but her cancer continued to progress rapidly. Then when she was about six months pregnant she went into labor and Noah entered the world. As Noah was wheeled to the NICU she was taken to surgery. Then came radiation and chemo therapy. How she ever got through those first few months I have no idea. It would have been so difficult for me to be separated from my newborn baby. Melody is almost two and it is still hard for me to be away from her. I would have fallen apart if I were Lori. The strength and perseverance she has is amazing to me! Eventually Noah was pronounced a healthy baby and went home. As time went by they began to notice that Noah was not developing his muscles and coordination as he should. He would not reach for things and could not hold on to objects. Then the seizures began and he was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Among other courses of treatment he had to have hyperbaric chamber sessions. Due to his age someone had to be in the tank with hm but Lori was not allowed to because of her radiation. That would have broke my heart! As a mother you instinctively want to go through everything with your children and when they are sick you do not want to leave their side but through it all Lori was so courageous and determined to overcome every challenge set before her. Eventually Lori went into remission but unfortunately every treatment given to Noah had little to no effect. Noah is now seven years old, he still wears a diaper and probably will for the rest of his life, he will never walk, he can not feed himself, and has numerous other physical limitations. Yet both Noah and Lori always have a smile on their faces! When you see either of them you can't help but smile too!

We spent last weekend at Disneyland with them and they are extremely remarkable! Nothing can get them down. Sure they have their moments. Sometimes Noah gets so frustrated because he can not do something he really wants to and sometimes Lori cries because her little boy is suffering so much and there is little she can do to ease his pain or because she is overwhelmed by how demanding caring for him can be. Despite it all though they both understand that it is all a test and that they can overcome whatever comes their way. I think about the trials I face in my life and they are nothing compared to what they have been through!

Noah and Lori are both extraordinary individuals and I feel so blessed that they are a part of my life. They are such an inspiration to me. Whenever I feel discouraged I think about them and remember that I to can overcome anything. However, there is one other extraordinary person in my life I would like to mention...her name is Melody! Watching her with Noah would have melted any one's heart, but it especially melted mine! She was so loving and gentle. She would hold his hand, want to sit on his lap, and give him kisses. When he was sad, she was sad. When he was happy, she was happy. His eyes would light up every time he saw her! If only I were half as good a person as she is. Noah, Lori, and Melody have all inspired me to diligently strive to be a better wife, mother, friend, and person in general. How blessed I am to have such EXTRAORDINARY people in my life!

A Walk Through the Flowers

About a month ago Melody and I went to get the mail. She loves flowers so I thought she might enjoy to walk through the rose garden on our way to the mail box. What I didn't plan on was that she would stop and smell every single flower she saw. After a while mommy was getting slightly frustrated by this and so I was trying to hurry her along. She was not having it though and just continued to smell the flowers. Finally, I conceded defeat and sat on the bench and just watched her. As a was looking at her sweet little face leaning over to smell every flower she passed a powerful thought occurred to me. I was suddenly reminded that this would probably be one of those moments I would never forget and here I was trying to rush it. So I picked her up, ran back into the house, grabbed the camera, and returned to the rose garden to enjoy what I believe are two of God's greatest creations (children and flowers). For the next twenty minutes together we marveled at all the beautiful colors and fragrances. Every flower was just as fascinating to her as the previous one. Her excitement was infatuating and the joy which shone in her eyes brought joy to my heart. All thoughts of hurrying to get the mail were now forgotten. I now take more time to appreciate the little things and we always walk through the rose garden on our way to get the mail! We may not get as much done anymore but it doesn't matter. Life is too short and children grow up way to fast as it is...so why rush it? It amazes me how much we learn from our kids...this was just one of many lessons Melody has taught me and she isn't even two!

Dinner Laughs

Now that Melody is talking I can share all of the funny things she says! I'm actually really excited about that because kids say some very funny things! Tonight at dinner was one of those times! Here's the story...

We are sitting around the dinner table enjoying our food and Derrick has to get something from the fridge. So he gets up and Melody says, 'Daey (translated to Daddy) eat!'

Derrick, "I'll be right back to eat."

Melody, "I eat too!" Then with a big grin on her face she takes a bite of her chicken and says, "ummmmmm...ummmm!"

This was proceeded by lots of giggles from Mommy and Daddy. I guess she really enjoyed her dinner and was very happy when her Daddy returned to the table to finish his! The whole thing reminded me so much of those old Campbells soup commercials!

Wonderful Husband!

I am so lucky to be married to such a kind and thoughtful man! I woke up this morning to a very big surprise! You see to save us time and money we take a few nights a month to prepare a whole months worth of dinners and then we freeze them. Then all I have to do is defrost them and cook them every night. Well on Saturday night it was really late and we had about four more meals to go and so we decided to just finish up after Melody went to bed last night. Since it was Sunday when we finished I decided I would clean up the kitchen today. Now you have to understand that in the approximately 6 hours it takes to prepare all of the meals Your kitchen becomes a disaster. Derrick is working nights this week so to help shift his sleep schedule he has been staying up as late as he possibly can. So this morning when I come down the stairs and walk into the kitchen I can't believe my eyes! There is no longer anything on the table or counters! My sweet, sweet, husband completely cleaned the kitchen. He put everything away and did the dishes! Then upon closer examination I realized he also organized the pantry! WOW! How lucky am I? On Wednesday the 4th we celebrated our 4th anniversary and while we have had our share of ups and downs they have truly been the best 4 years of my life! My Father in Heaven has richly blessed me with someone who will always love and support me! I love him so much more today than I did the day I married him. Together we have grown together and I know there is nothing we can not accomplish together. There is no trial or challenge too hard for us to overcome (with the Lord's help of course).

Blogging and Some Much Needed Catch Up

Well I did it! I created a blog! I always told myself it was something I would never do. That was until my dearest friend in all the world (you know who you are) started one. I have had so much fun reading it and she has enjoyed keeping it up so much that I figured I'd give it a try. As all of you are well aware I am not very good at keeping in touch with people. Ok..I'll admit it I'm terrible. I do have good intentions though. I think about e-mailing or calling all the time. I just never quite get around to doing it. So the main purpose for this blog is an attempt on my part to stay in touch with all of you better. With that said here is a quick snap shot of my life over the last two years....

On August 5 2006 we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl! She weighed 6lbs 8oz and was 19.5 inches long. We named her Melody Ann! No other name would be sufficient for someone who loves music as much as I do!

Then in September someone at work thought he was being funny and he went up behind Derrick and kicked the back of his knee, thus dislocating his knee cap. After being on limited duty for a month we were informed they would be discharging him. This was very unexpected and left us in a great financial bind. After much prayer we decided to move back to California and live with my parents until we figured out what do do next. If we had it all to do over again we would have figured out a way to stay in Washington. It was truly our home and we miss it and all of our friends everyday!

When we first moved the plan was for Derrick to go to school and me to get a job. Things do not always work out as planned though. It was nearly impossible for me to work since I was now not only taking care of my husband and I baby I also became responsible for my mom, dad, and a 3600 square foot house! The whole situation with my parents was extremely frustrating and stressful. It was almost like my mom just checked out and expected me to do everything. It was so overwhelming that over time I sunk into a deep depression. At some point we began to realize that things were not going to work out the way we wanted them to and so we went to our knees again. Soon after Derrick got a job working for a pest control company. While he did like his job we knew we needed to find something that would pay more and soon. We didn't have wait long because a few months later he was practically handed a great opportunity to be a hydrogen plant operator for Air Products and Chemicals. They are a world wide company with a great reputation in the chemical engineering field as well has other avenues of business. It was an opportunity we could not pass up! His salary doubled overnight ! Yeah! Now we would be able to move out in a few months!

Just before he started his new job we celebrated Melody's first birthday! This picture was actually a few weeks after her birthday but you get the idea. At her one year check up she weighed 18lbs 3 oz and was 28 1/2 inches long. She started walking the day before her birthday and has been on the move (keeping mommy on her toes) ever since!

November 2007 became quite the crazy month for us. While on vacation in Washington vi siting everyone we left behind (sniff, sniff) I got really sick. When we got home and I wasn't getting any better I finally went to the doctor. That visit did not end well because I was told I needed to have my gall bladder out. Come to find out that a dysfunctional gall bladder can be a complication of pregnacy and childbirth and I had actually been having attacks since Melody was born. They just weren't as severe as the one I had in Washington so I didn't really pay any attention. I just thought I had heartburn! Its a good thing Melody is soooooo cute and lovable! Then the day after Thanksgiving I ended up in the emergency room with Melody. It was the first time she had ever really been sick (she had the stomach flu once but that's it) so it was a little freaked out because she had a fever of 105 and a rash all over her body. It turned out to be a viral infection and she was better in a couple of days. Thank goodness! As if that wasn't enough for our little family for one month Derrick falls down the stairs and breaks his toe! We were so grateful at this point for Derrick's new job because with out that health insurance I don't know what we would have done. So then just after New Years I had my surgery and was told I couldn't pick Melody up for a month! Yeah right! She was 17 months old. That wasn't going to go over very well, especially since she is a total mommy's girl! I made it two weeks and then it just broke my heart to hear her crying for mommy!

Once we got medical bills out of the way we saved everything we possibly could for the next couple of months and then took the plunge and moved into our own place. We've been here for almost two months now and are loving it! Life is so much more peaceful and I am smiling everyday again now. Derrick's job is going fantastic, he actually likes going to work, and Melody is happier than ever! Life is great for us right now! Slowly California is becoming more like home to us but I think our hearts will always be in Washington!