Today is my nine year wedding anniversary. I know that nine years doesn't seem like long to some people, but it is almost 1/3 of my life. Everybody says that it goes by so quickly, and it truly does. However, when I think of everything we have been through, it seems like an eternity.
Over the past nine years, we have worked together through everything. We fought cancer alongside my family...and lost. We had a failed adoption of two beautiful boys who we still miss constantly. We waited for hours in hospital waiting rooms to meet our nephews, and fell in love each time! We have collectively held 8 different jobs, watched 2 homes being built, and shared a millon laughs.
There are so many other memories (some happy and some sad) that I will cherish from these past nine years. The best part about this almost-decade is that I had an amazing partner to walk right next to me the entire time. As I have said before, we may be far from perfect, but we are perfect for each other. Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Things I know for certain...
I have learned a lot about people in these last several weeks. I am so thankful for the people in our lives and the support and love they show us each and every day. Our life is blessed, centered, and exactly where it should be at this point. These are some things I have recently observed.
1.) When someone is going through a difficult or stressful time, a good friend can display a superhuman ability to love.
2.) No matter how stressful my life may become, my big brother Bobby can always make me laugh.
3.) My sisters, Susan and Becky, are always there, quietly loving us and doing whatever it takes to make everything better.
4.) Some of our best family members aren't related by blood, and some of our blood relatives will never understand the meaning of family.
5.) My mom knows what I'm feeling without me saying a word...and usually knows exactly what to do about it.
6.) My nephew, Caleb, knows exactly when I need a hug and sometimes holds on a second or two longer than I do.
7.) My nephews, Lucas and Jackson, can give a smile that fills an entire room. They have an energy that just feeds into everyone around them.
8.) Sometimes a little ice cream is the best medicine.
9.) People who take care of a sick family member full time hold a special place in my heart. In most cases, they do not have the blessing of knowing that it's all going to be better soon.
10.) My husband makes prayerful decisions and always ends up doing what is right and good for the betterment of others. He is always more concerned about the well-being of others than he is about himself. I am unbelievably proud to be his wife.
11.) When I get caught up in finding solutions, I need to take more time to breathe and pray. God can calm my spirit and give me the answers if I just take the time to listen.
Goodnight!
1.) When someone is going through a difficult or stressful time, a good friend can display a superhuman ability to love.
2.) No matter how stressful my life may become, my big brother Bobby can always make me laugh.
3.) My sisters, Susan and Becky, are always there, quietly loving us and doing whatever it takes to make everything better.
4.) Some of our best family members aren't related by blood, and some of our blood relatives will never understand the meaning of family.
5.) My mom knows what I'm feeling without me saying a word...and usually knows exactly what to do about it.
6.) My nephew, Caleb, knows exactly when I need a hug and sometimes holds on a second or two longer than I do.
7.) My nephews, Lucas and Jackson, can give a smile that fills an entire room. They have an energy that just feeds into everyone around them.
8.) Sometimes a little ice cream is the best medicine.
9.) People who take care of a sick family member full time hold a special place in my heart. In most cases, they do not have the blessing of knowing that it's all going to be better soon.
10.) My husband makes prayerful decisions and always ends up doing what is right and good for the betterment of others. He is always more concerned about the well-being of others than he is about himself. I am unbelievably proud to be his wife.
11.) When I get caught up in finding solutions, I need to take more time to breathe and pray. God can calm my spirit and give me the answers if I just take the time to listen.
Goodnight!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
As many of you know, my husband donated a kidney to my father last Thursday. Everyone is doing well and we are all thankful!
This morning they gave us the wonderful news that my husband could go home. We were both very excited. I had to go to the hospital pharmacy before we left so that I could get Drew's meds. The woman behind the counter told me it would be 45 minutes. Although I wanted to get Drew home (and wanted to be home myself), I was kind of excited about the idea of actually just sitting in silence for a bit. For the past several days, my phone had been a steady stream of texts, facebook messages, facebook wall posts, phone calls, etc. Believe me, I'm not complaining. We felt extremely loved! Anyway, you can understand how one might be excited about the idea of silence...just silence.
So, I found a comfortable chair and I saw a man rolling a cart with some newspapers on it. He is wearing those Groucho Marx glasses that one might get from a costume shop (black glasses, large nose, mustache). You know the kind. He had long hair and an unkept beard. He appeared to have some type of physical and possibly development disability.
Anyway, I smiled and said good morning. He began to mumble a bit. He kept saying, "wait a second, wait a second, hold on" as he tried to make the funny glasses stay on his face. He reached into his cart and pulled out two band-aids and handed them to me. I realized that he wanted me to place the band-aids over the sides of the glasses to help keep them on. I obliged.
I sat back down and he decided to join me. I was going to make small talk and decided to discuss last night's Cardinal win, when he handed me a white 3-ring binder. The top of the binder said something to the effect of "The Story of Jim Stoien." He pointed to it as if he wanted me to read it. I flipped through the pages and a lump immediately formed in my throat.
Jim Stoien was a biochemist in the late 70's. He was attending graduate school in Colorado and was considered top in his class. (You can google his name to see some of his early research). Jim was struck by a car while on his motorcycle in the late 70's. He lost his ability to speak and the subsequent surgeries affected his ability to continue research. The book went on to explain that Jim is an avid Cardinal fan (I knew I liked him for a reason) and that he is now a volunteer at BJC.
The book included some poetry that Jim himself wrote after the accident. There were pictures of a vibrant young man, full of life, and his family throughout his early years. There was an obituary for his mother, who died this past January. There were newspaper clippings from a fire that destroyed his apartment complex several years ago. There were newspaper stories about his accident that talk about the "local genius" who was hit by a car and whose research would never be completed. Overall, he appeared to be dealt a difficult hand.
He smiled at me as I looked through the pages and held back the tears. He asked me if I wanted some of his candy and started to leave. Before he left, I adjusted the band-aids and helped him to keep his glasses on. He literally tipped his Cardinal baseball cap to me and went about his day.
I've never been more thankful for an interruption in my entire life. I will never forget Jim Stoien. I hope to come across his path again. I left the hospital with a renewed thankfulness. Even though these past three days have been an emotional roller coaster, I know we are blessed. I pray for special blessings on Jim Stoien for bringing a smile (and some perspective) to my day.
This morning they gave us the wonderful news that my husband could go home. We were both very excited. I had to go to the hospital pharmacy before we left so that I could get Drew's meds. The woman behind the counter told me it would be 45 minutes. Although I wanted to get Drew home (and wanted to be home myself), I was kind of excited about the idea of actually just sitting in silence for a bit. For the past several days, my phone had been a steady stream of texts, facebook messages, facebook wall posts, phone calls, etc. Believe me, I'm not complaining. We felt extremely loved! Anyway, you can understand how one might be excited about the idea of silence...just silence.
So, I found a comfortable chair and I saw a man rolling a cart with some newspapers on it. He is wearing those Groucho Marx glasses that one might get from a costume shop (black glasses, large nose, mustache). You know the kind. He had long hair and an unkept beard. He appeared to have some type of physical and possibly development disability.
Anyway, I smiled and said good morning. He began to mumble a bit. He kept saying, "wait a second, wait a second, hold on" as he tried to make the funny glasses stay on his face. He reached into his cart and pulled out two band-aids and handed them to me. I realized that he wanted me to place the band-aids over the sides of the glasses to help keep them on. I obliged.
I sat back down and he decided to join me. I was going to make small talk and decided to discuss last night's Cardinal win, when he handed me a white 3-ring binder. The top of the binder said something to the effect of "The Story of Jim Stoien." He pointed to it as if he wanted me to read it. I flipped through the pages and a lump immediately formed in my throat.
Jim Stoien was a biochemist in the late 70's. He was attending graduate school in Colorado and was considered top in his class. (You can google his name to see some of his early research). Jim was struck by a car while on his motorcycle in the late 70's. He lost his ability to speak and the subsequent surgeries affected his ability to continue research. The book went on to explain that Jim is an avid Cardinal fan (I knew I liked him for a reason) and that he is now a volunteer at BJC.
The book included some poetry that Jim himself wrote after the accident. There were pictures of a vibrant young man, full of life, and his family throughout his early years. There was an obituary for his mother, who died this past January. There were newspaper clippings from a fire that destroyed his apartment complex several years ago. There were newspaper stories about his accident that talk about the "local genius" who was hit by a car and whose research would never be completed. Overall, he appeared to be dealt a difficult hand.
He smiled at me as I looked through the pages and held back the tears. He asked me if I wanted some of his candy and started to leave. Before he left, I adjusted the band-aids and helped him to keep his glasses on. He literally tipped his Cardinal baseball cap to me and went about his day.
I've never been more thankful for an interruption in my entire life. I will never forget Jim Stoien. I hope to come across his path again. I left the hospital with a renewed thankfulness. Even though these past three days have been an emotional roller coaster, I know we are blessed. I pray for special blessings on Jim Stoien for bringing a smile (and some perspective) to my day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)