Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
2 more hours
So I’m at work missing this little guy...a whole, whole lot…2 more hours to go & counting…
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Hey Summer…where are you?
We are ready to get back out in the water & do this…
…but it has been too chilly lately! Seriously, it’s July & 68 degrees here. It’s normally at least 95 this time of year!
Monday, July 20, 2009
My Sister's Keeper
Sunday afternoon my sister, mom & I went to watch My Sister's Keeper. Before it even got through the first 5 minutes, I had a lump in my throat & tears in eyes. And did the whole time. Some movies just really hit home with some people. This was one of those for me.
My sister had Leukemia when she was two. I was six. Being so young, I don't remember a whole lot of what she went through. Also, my parents guarded me from most of it. But what I do remember was tough. Very tough. Before she was fully potty trained, Jamie had been through more than anyone ever should during their entire long life. My sister was a fighter. I only wish I could be 1/2 as strong as she was during this battle. I never once heard her complain. She just thought cancer was a normal part of life. Like everyone goes through it at some point. It still amazes me how even death never got this little girl down. Being at St. Jude throughout her preschool years & more, she made her first best friends at the hospital rather than school or daycare. One little girl I remember very well was "Tennessee". (I never knew if that was her real name or if it was a nickname she acquired along the way. My sister's nickname that some of the nurses gave her was "Wild Thing"! It fit her well! haha) Anyway, Jamie & Tennessee were inseparable. They were both very social little girls & everyone just adored them. They were partners in crime. That is, until Tennessee lost her battle with cancer. I will never forget Jamie asking my mom & dad when she will go to heaven with Tennessee. She wasn't afraid & even at 2, she knew there is something so much better than this life on earth for believers.
I also will never forget her walking around the house with a Ziploc bag picking up her strands of hair as it fell to the floor. It breaks my heart to think about it now. Since I was so young, I understood that my sister was sick, but not to its full extent. Having a child of my own now, I don't see how my parents (or any parents of a terminally ill child) did it. Mom always says that it was only by the grace of God & His hand guiding them through the whole thing that they were able to make it. My parents have a framed quote that I love and read everyday because it hung in the hallway outside my bedroom when I was young. It says "Ain't nothing going to come up today that me & the Lord can't handle." It was just a great reminder that God is in control. "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27
For 2 long years of her life, St. Jude was more like home for my sister than our actual home since she spent the majority of her time there. One, if not both of my parents were always there with her. I wanted to be with her all of the time & was whenever possible. I remember sitting in a tiny room with her literally all day long while she got her Chemo treatment through her "line"-the catheter-like tubing that went into her chest. We would sit & watch Disney movies the whole day. I think we literally owned every Disney movie ever made!
Since she was couped up in the hospital so much, she never really got to experience normal everyday things that we all take for granted. The Dream Factory (any organization very similar to Make-A-Wish) chose to grant Jamie a wish. When they asked her what was 1 thing she has always wanted to do, or where she has always wanted to go, etc., her answer was "I want to go to Kroger!" Bless her little heart! She just wanted to go to the grocery store! Needless to say, we talked her into Disney World! ;0)
We are so blessed & so thankful that Jamie was able to pull through & go into remission to stay. She just went for her last annual check-up this spring! Seeing my baby sister go through her fight with cancer has made me appreciate the small things in life so much more & everyday that I get to spend with my family is the best day ever. I am so blessed! I love you sissy!
Monday, July 13, 2009
11 Months Already?
Where has the time gone? Seriously. I cannot believe it has almost been a year! My baby boy is growing up so fast! Happy 11 Months, you little bread lover! I love you so much!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Red, White & Blue
Thank you all for the 'get well' wishes! I am feeling much better during the days, but the nights are still a little rough. I think it's just sinuses but it's still no fun. Even though I have been a little under the weather, we had a great Independence Day weekend! Saturday evening we headed to Iuka to celebrate the 4th & visit Great-Grandma Ruth. We cooked out Saturday night & shot fireworks. Riley liked them for the most part, but was a little scared of the louder ones. I didn’t get my camera out Saturday (I know, not like me at all to not have my camera!) but we did our big celebration on Sunday afternoon & I got plenty of pictures then. First we visited Great-Grandma Ruth in the assisted living facility. I am still kicking myself because I forgot to bring my camera. I really wanted some new pictures of her & Riley. :0( She was doing ok, not her best, but not her worst either. We are thankful for that. She really enjoyed seeing Riley again. It’s been a couple months since she has seen him. I do believe she knew who we were & that she was supposed to know us, but she just wasn’t herself. Alzheimer’s is so hard. We wanted to bring her back to the house to eat & visit some more, but she just didn’t act like she felt up to it.
After we visited for a while we went back to the house to cookout & celebrate the 4th with some family & friends.
Riley thought he should be included in this conversation. ;0) 
Playing horseshoes.
Trey was so sweet! Riley fell & got grass on his face and Trey was getting it off for him.
Riley naked on the Slip-n-Slide. We brought his swim trunks, but he was having too much fun to stop & put them on!
On the way home last night we stopped by a friend's house who has a baby exactly 2 months to the day younger than Riley. This was our 1st time to meet Braden in person. He is such a cutie pie!
I hope everyone's 4th was wonderful! Happy Monday!
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