More Gifts for Megan Grace

Megan Grace is a very loved little girl apparently! Last week, two days in a row, we received packages for her.

The first is from another mom who has walked this path as we are now. She wanted to send us a care package once she found me blog and read Megan Grace's story. It truly brought tears to my eyes.

The little outfit is adorable and the bracelet with her name on it will be perfect for her tiny little wrist. There was also a bath kit with lotions and soap inside. They smell wonderful! Finally, she had sent us a CD containing a lot of inspirational songs about loss, love, and hope to help carry us through our journey.

Thank you so much!!









The very next day we received another package! This one was from a couple we are very close friends with who also happens to share our love for the Pirates :) Now I have books to read Megan Grace and to cherish once she is gone. Thank you so much guys!! We love you both and the books :)

Thank You!

As I mentioned in my post below, the most memorable moment of this week was all of the wonderful ladies, gentlemen, and dogs who came out to support us at the walk in honor of Megan Grace.

It was a beautiful day for a wonderful cause and Steve, Tonka, Megan Grace, and I would like to thank all of your for your support both in person and through the donations you have made to her memorials.

All of it really does mean a lot and is much appreciated. At last count we had already surpassed the amount needed to purchase the Junior League paver in honor of Megan Grace. Any additional money is in her account and will go towards the scholarship fund we are setting up at ECU.

Hopefully, through all of this we can keep her memory alive even once she is gone but it is not without the help of many others that all of this is being done.

Thank you so much for everything from the cards, phone calls, emails, donations, showing up at events, gifts, food, etc. it really has been overwhelming. I've tried to keep track and make sure I thanked everyone personally in some way, shape, or form. If I have not please know we greatly appreciate everything down to the smallest gesture. It means a lot to us and Megan Grace.

Have a great week!

26 Weeks

How far along? 26weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: A lot :) If my math is correct I'm up about 17 pounds give or take a couple. Apparently, ice cream isn't fat free :)

Maternity clothes? Yes. No turning back now.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Last night it was wonderful. 10 hours total with only one hour of being up and restless. I felt great when I woke up this morning.

Best moment this week: Seeing all of the wonderful people who came out to the walk in support of Megan Grace. It was wonderful and we very much enjoyed it!

Movement: About the same. She just doesn't move much and when she does move its "different" than what I think most people feel. It is rare to actually feel kicks and jabs due to her condition. Its' normally a constant rolling feeling if she is moving.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Working on coming out. It has a few more weeks though.

What I miss: Martinis. The wedding on Saturday reminded me of my past love for them.

What I am looking forward to: Picking out the perfect blanket for her to have at the hospital.

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy each day of this pregnancy and don't worry about the future~A much needed reminder from someone who has been here.

Milestones: People actually commenting on the fact that I'm pregnant. It still catches me off guard but so far I haven't lost it in public.

When Reality Hits

The tears start rolling every time. It happened just a few moments ago as I was responding to an email to a friend. In the email I was outlining when my maternity pictures are and how far along I'll be and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

It happens every so often because right now this is sort of like an out of body experience. We know it is going on and what is going to happen but it will never be real until it happens. Each day further along in this pregnancy is one day closer to Megan Grace's birthday. The day that will be the happiest and saddest day of our lives all probably within a few moments.

This is why I try and enjoy each day but sometimes the reality is a bit much and my emotions take over and I cry. A lot. It hurts and will always hurt luckily right now those moments are few and far between.

The pain is real and I have to let myself go through it but I also have to fight to get to the other side. It's His plan not ours and he will give us the strength to get through this.

We just have to trust in His plan and we do but some days, moments, hours are harder than others. Right now is one of them.

Dear Megan Grace,

Today is your Daddy's birthday!! We won't tell everyone how old he is but let's just say he is getting very close to having a really big birthday in a few years :)

We are both so very glad to have you here with us this year to celebrate his birthday. Next year you will be watching down over us from Heaven and although we will miss having you here it will still be very special.

Daddy loves you very much and tells you goodnight each night before he goes to sleep. We are both very excited about your birthday this year although it is likely going to be both the happiest and saddest day of both of our lives.

We love you Megan Grace!!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and your Big Brother Tonka

A gift from friends

This is the necklace some of my friends gave me as a way to keep Megan Grace close to my heart. I wear it each day which is why it has taken me so long to take a picture. Rarely is it not one me :)

Thanks ladies and thank you to everyone else for the cards, emails, phone calls, food, gifts, etc. We appreciate each and every one of them and I'm doing my best to make sure everyone knows how much it means to us.

Anything, even the smallest gestures, have not gone unnoticed so please know it all means a lot to us.

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've got an appointment on Tuesday so I'll keep you posted :)

Maternity clothes? Yes. No turning back now.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Not going so well. Either I'm just really exhausted or I'm not sleeping very well. It could be both I guess but overall all I'm sleep deprived.

Best moment this week: "Spending time" with Megan Grace and taking her to the Farmer's Market.

Movement: About the same. She just doesn't move much and when she does move it's "different" than what I think most people feel because it is rare to actually feel kicks and jabs due to her condition. It's normally a constant rolling feeling if she is moving.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not feeling so tired all the time.

What I am looking forward to: Picking out the perfect blanket and hat for her to have at the hospital

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep when you need to sleep. I'm a busy body so it is hard for me to just lay down and take a nap sometimes but I can tell my body needs it more now than ever.

Milestones: Battling heartburn. Not really a milestone but it's here :(

A few of Megan Grace's things

Two books~One is a photo album with spaces to record memories and the other is a book a friend sent to me titled "Mommy, Don't Cry. There are no tears in Heaven."

We are going to have her hand and footprints put in the front cover of the second book along with a picture and her birth information.



Two pieces of jewelry a wonderful family member made for Megan and I. This was also an idea I got from the friend who sent me the book above. Luckily, someone in the family makes jewelry so she made it for us and we will always remember that she did this in honor of Megan Grace.




Mommy bought this for Megan Grace. It's the softest little lamb and it sings Jesus Loves Me. So sweet!

We are also going to have maternity photos done (twice) and photos done at birth by a volunteer from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

A wonderful lady from A Handful of Memories is also coming to the hospital to do hand and foot molds for us.

The organization String of Pearls sent us a care package which included the photo album above and a Christmas ornament for her prints that we can put on our tree year after year to remember her.

I'm on the search for a blanket to have at the hospital and a little hat for her to wear so I'll keep you posted :) Hopefully, I can find something Pirate related!

Oh the agony....

My heart is on FIRE. I'm still experimenting to try and find out exactly how many Tums I need to take to put it out. I'll admit aside from the obvious issues with my pregnancy it really has been fairly pleasant physically until this week :(

Ouch!

Dear Megan Grace,

I've been thinking a lot about you since we found out about your condition on Friday. Each day since then I have hoped and prayed for you not to be in any pain. If you are in pain please know that Mommy is so sorry and you will be healed in a few short months.

The situation is very difficult right now because our choices are very limited. We feel like God gave you to us to take care of you until it is time to give you back. The issue with this is that we are not willing to let you go early so if you are in pain then it is because we have chosen to hold on to you until God is ready for you.

As you can see, we have had to make some difficult decisions regarding your care but it is all done out of our love for you.

On a lighter note, we did take you exploring in Baltimore this past weekend. We showed you the water, took you to the aquarium, and ate some really yummy food. We are even going to take you back next month because the doctors there are so wonderful and we want them to help us take care of you.

Also, I've been reading you all of those books. We have to left to read you. One is Curious George and one is Dr. Suess. I'm really excited to read them to you and to go to the library to get more.

Thank you for the kicks last night!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and your big brother Tonka

Precious Moments

Last night my poor puppy Tonka woke me up in the middle of the night because he had an upset stomach. After I took him out and was laying back in bed waiting to fall asleep again Megan Grace woke up.

She was kicking me very lightly in the lower corner of my belly so I reached down to see if I could feel it from the outside because for obvious reasons normally I can't. Well, I was thrilled to tears that I could. She kicked me right in my hand quite a few times as if to say "Mommy, I'm ok". So, I cried a little and then went back to sleep after she calmed down.

It was such a wonderful feeling and one I don't get to experience often because of her condition. Each of these moments is such a treasure and I love them so much.

Easter Sunday Service

This morning as I drove to church I was reflecting on the meaning of Easter. If I had to count I've probably been in church for most of the Easter Sundays in my life. Today though it seemed more "real". Not to say I've ever doubted it was real but our current situation lends itself to actually "feeling" the true meaning of Easter.

When I entered the sanctuary I was armed with an aisle seat and lots of tissues because I was not sure exactly how this was going to go. All in all it went very well. There were a few moments where I felt the tears were going to beat me but I just stood strong and prayed for strength until it was ok again.

During the service there were many things that stood out to me personally. For one, as the pastor discussed how Jesus suffered on the cross and how his wounds were healed once he rose from the tomb I could not help but think of Megan Grace. Right now, her poor little body is badly broken however I take comfort in knowing that although we will lose her once she is born she will be healed and all suffering will be gone. We hope and pray she is not in pain but we will never know. All we can do is hope and pray that God touches her to relieve any pain she may be in right now until she goes home to Him.

The pastor also said a few other things that were just comforting to me.

• When I cry or am in pain God will be my comfort in times of sorrow.
• The Lord is the Grace and Strength in times of trials.

Seriously, I'll be the first to admit I'm not the one sitting in church every Sunday but I was raised in Church and have always had my faith. Sitting in church today although hard at moments was really comforting because I know we are not in this alone. If I had to walk this walk without God's strength to carry me on the days I can't carry myself I'm not sure how I would survive because there are some days where the tears just do not stop but there are many others where the sun shines bright and warms my heart.

It was sad to think that Megan Grace will not be here on Earth with us next Easter but I do have comfort that she will be pain free in Heaven with God. Until then we will love her and take care of her the very best we can.

Happy Easter!

Love,

Steve, Amber, and Megan Grace

Baltimore

24 Weeks on Easter Sunday!

How far along? 24 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've found that I have ridiculous cravings for ice cream, chocolate, chicken wings (random yes but this is by far the strongest one), and caffeine (which is limited). Luckily, I've had all of these in the last few days :)

Maternity clothes? Oh yes! See growing belly above :) There are some non maternity clothes I can wear but it is more because of how they are made than anything else.

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Going pretty well. Right now I can't seem to get enough though. I'm exhausted between being pregnant, dealing with the situation, and just the busy of life. Sleep is wonderful.

Best moment this week: Taking Megan Grace to the aquarium in Baltimore and reading her the books I got her last week.

Movement: She is moving but it is sporadic. We now know this is because of her condition but she is hanging in there.

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not being thirsty all.the.time and drinking as much caffeine as I want.

What I am looking forward to: Buying the blocks for my maternity pictures and finding Megan Grace a nice soft Minky blanket.

Weekly Wisdom: Try and enjoy each day of your pregnancy, children, life etc. because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Milestones: Making it to 24 weeks with our little girl still hanging in there.

The Outcome

I've been pondering a title for this blog post however the above is really the best I could come up with at this time.

The good news is the we do have a very definitive diagnosis. The bad news is the outcome will be exactly the same.

Megan Grace has been diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type II. The entire team of doctors which included a genetic counselor, a neonatologist, the ultrasound technician, and another two specialists in skeletal dysplasias were all in agreement. In fact, they met on Wednesday before we arrived as a group and were able to diagnose it from the CD of prior ultrasound images that was sent here prior to our arrival.

We are very at peace with this outcome other than the obvious fact that we are still going to be giving our little girl back to God. The entire morning went very well as far as getting the clarity we needed.

They spent over an hour doing all of the ultrasound scans again just to be very sure of what they were going to tell us. All total they were looking for five very specific markers and were able to find not one but all of them. We have images of many of them and sat down with the group and went over each and every one. It is so clear that I could explain it to anyone who wanted to see if for themselves.

As of right now, Megan has many, many fractures in her little bones. Some of her bones are measuring very small because they are literally piles of crumpled up bones. It does make me sad to think she could be in pain however we have elected to continue the pregnancy despite this concern.

My blog post today is not being written as I sit here and cry. We said we wanted to come here to get answers even if the outcome was the same and the doctors here were able to not only answer every.single.question we had they we able to show us their basis for the answer. It was simply amazing.

Another reason I seem to be better today is because as I watched the ultrasound at first I was a little upset but never cried but then a peace took over. As I watched the screen I could see things were still very wrong and that it just isn't in God's plan to heal Megan Grace here on Earth. At one point they gave us a break and asked me to walk around to see if she would change positions. During that time I just prayed a lot and told myself and God that we are fine if this is his plan and we would do the best we could to take care of Megan Grace while she is here.

All in all, we are fine right now. There will be days ahead where we are not fine but we will make it through. Thanks for all the support from all of you and we love you all!

Amber, Steve, and Megan Grace

Will the outcome be the same?

24 hours from now we will be in an ultrasound room peering in at our little girl Megan Grace. At the same time, we will literally be marking the moment in time where we were handed this this gut wrenching diagnosis in an eerily similar situation one month ago. That day was Friday the 13th. Tomorrow is Good Friday.

This is just one difference that we know tomorrow holds but will there be others? We have hoped and prayed along with many others that Megan Grace's condition would improve and perhaps it has. Perhaps it was never that bad to begin with and this set of eyes will see things vastly differently.

Today we do not know the answers to those questions however this morning as I was blog surfing I stumbled upon this verse over on Kelly's Korner and it seemed fitting so I "borrowed" it.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

This is where we are right now. Still hoping and praying for a miracle and that Little Megan Grace will be able to come home with us after all. Only God knows if he will grant us the miracle so many have prayed for in this situation.

Today, we can only hope.

48 Hours

In 48 hours we will be at JH for our appointment. The appointment is at 8:30 and it should last quite a few hours. I'll try to update as soon as I'm able to do so.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for what is ahead. We have no idea what God's plan is but we just pray for the strength we need to get through whatever He has in store for us.

This week I've done pretty well but this morning things have fallen apart. I'm broken today and simply am unable to do anything more than what I have to do to get through this week.

It is hard. Others need us to be there for them too but it just is not possible right now. I'm holding myself up and hopefully everyone else can find the strength to do the same until we can get to a better place.

This is not to say I am not doing exceptionally well most days because I am. It is just the days I feel pushed beyond what I am able to provide that day when things begin to unravel.

Let's Be Honest

The truth is I'm not sure what I want you to say. If you would have asked me before this happened I would have guessed "I'm sorry" would have fit most situations. In all actuality, it may be that it still does but it may be how it is said more than that actual saying itself.

What I guess I'm really trying to say is it hurts us to "see" pity in others as they process our situation. When you look at me, the way you sound when you talk to me, or even using words that illustrate you feel pity for us. It just does not help things as far as we are concerned.

For example, someone once said to me "I'm sooo sorry. That is so horrible". The thing is we already know it is "horrible" however we made a choice to continue on this road and focusing on how "horrible" it is not an option on a daily basis for us. Sure it creeps in every now and then and we have our moments but we do not focus on the negative aspects of the situation so it helps when those around us follow our lead.

For a few days I went back and forth as to how to post my thoughts on this. At one point I even debated if I should do it because maybe they were not even rational. This morning, I was reading a chapter from, Choosing Naia, which is a story about a family who faced a very similar situation and they actually said this exact same thing in the book so then I felt justified in my feelings because others who have been here know how it feels.

Couples in this situation do not want to feel like you feel bad for them. It makes them feel inadequate maybe or as if you are superior because you are not in the situation. The exact description of what I'm looking for has escaped me for the moment but basically from my perspective it is not a positive response in helping an individual, couple, family, etc. cope with something like this.

Sure it is not ideal but I'm pretty sure that I know not one single person who has a life where everything is ideal. Things go wrong or not according to plan and at least in my opinion that last thing someone wants to hear when they are being strong and positive is that you have pity for them in some way.

23 Week Belly

I *think* it's growing but really it could be ice cream :)

Just call him The Dog Whisperer

20 and 21 weeks pictures

The one above is from 20 weeks. It was taken in Beaufort the weekend we found out about Megan Grace's condition.


This one was 21 weeks. The stupid look on my face in these pictures is because my wonderful husband has no idea how to work electronics including my camera :)

23 Weeks ( a day early)

How far along? 23 weeks (tomorrow)!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment I was up a total of 7 pounds. I've found that I have ridiculous cravings for ice cream, chocolate, chicken wings (random yes but this is by far the strongest one), and caffeine (which is limited).

Maternity clothes? Still the same situation as last week. On another related note though I want to say thank you to the many, many generous moms who have been willing to share their maternity clothes. In my closet right now there are a ridiculous amount of really cute clothes just waiting for me to get fat enough to wear them. See there is a good reason for the ice cream :)

Stretch marks? There are some but not on my belly thankfully :)

Sleep: Not going so well. Not so much because of the pain, stuffy nose, peeing, etc. Nope. This week a new addition has appeared. I'm assuming because of everything going on that my mind is races at night. During the day I guess I have more control over my thoughts but at night my mind just lets loose.

Best moment this week: Getting books to read to Megan Grace. It's going to be so much fun!

Movement: She is moving quite a bit today. Fun!

Gender: Our little girl, Megan Grace.

Labor Signs: No, thank God.

Belly Button in or out? Still in

What I miss: Not being thirsty all.the.time and drinking as much caffeine as I want.

What I am looking forward to: Buying the blocks for my maternity pictures and finding Megan Grace a nice soft Minky blanket.

Weekly Wisdom: Try and enjoy each day of your pregnancy, children, life etc. because you never know what tomorrow holds.

Milestones: Making it to 23 weeks with my little girl just rolling around in there :)

P.S. I'm adding pictures of weeks 2o, 21, and 23 tomorrow so stay tuned :)

Dear Megan Grace,

Today is a beautiful day! The sun is out and it is warmer than it has been. You see it seems like every day since we found out about your condition it has been rainy, cold, and just plain dreary. Those days are hard for anybody but they are especially hard for Mommy and Daddy because it is so gloomy outside.

As I write this I'm sitting on our back deck that I hope to get to show you looking out over the backyard that Daddy was just mowing a few minutes ago. Tonka is here beside me trying to get me to let him go chase the wildlife. He's a funny guy!

This morning I got up early and started washing clothes. You don't know this but Mommy loves washing clothes. Sometimes I look for things to wash just because I love it so much :)

After I washed a couple of loads of clothes and got "made up" for the day I hopped in the car with you and Tonka and went to visit the chicken farm. We try to get buy a lot of our food locally to support the local farmers. It's cheaper and they are such nice people!

Daddy went to play golf with your grandpa Willy and his friend while Mommy headed to the Bargain Box. The Bargain Box is a store where people drop off clothes and other items they don't want anymore and Junior League sells them for very cheap to the local community. This in turn allows JL to help out other community programs in the area. It's a great organization that Mommy has been involved in for over a year. The women in JL know all about you and they are praying hard that the doctors are wrong and that you are just going to be "little"

On the way home Mommy stopped at the library to pick up some books to read to you. Mommy loves the library and reading and hopefully she will get to share that with you once you are born but just in case I don't I'm going to read you as many books as I can now. Today I borrowed:

• I Can Read with My Eyes Shut by Dr. Suess
• Curious George and the Birthday Surprise
• Before I was your Mother
• All the Mamas
• Goodnight Moon
• The Daddies Boat
• Guess How Much I Love You

Megan Grace~there are so many people praying for you to come home with us and be our little "miracle". We don't know what the future holds but if that is not in His plan then we will enjoy each day with you until then. It's so fun to feel you roll and kick in my belly. I can't wait for Daddy to be able to feel it.

Love you,

Mommy, Daddy, and your big brother Tonka :)

Growing Stronger

This is something I've been thinking about over the last few weeks but I'm still not sure I can put it into words. I'm going to try though because it has been hanging around waiting to be written.

While there is no part of me that is glad we are going through this difficult situation we are currently facing I'm not eternally sad either.

Through this experience I've already learned so much about myself, life, etc. that I never imagined learning. It's like a whole new world.

As I've mentioned before I had been following a few blogs but one in particular about a woman who did exactly as I'm doing right now and carried her little boy Isaac to term knowing he likely would not survive. As I read through her blog every so often I did so with amazement at her strength and grace.

Now as I literally walk in her shoes I still marvel at her strength and grace however I also see the hope with which she views the future. It's this wonderful feeling of hope even when you are in the pit of doom that makes you smile each day.

All of this brings me to another point. I've learned a lot about other people in my life since this happened. We haven't even gotten to the difficult parts yet if the doctors are correct and I can already see who I want to keep in "my circle" and who will be "cast off the island" so to speak.

One portion of this pie was already addressed in another post about how wonderful it makes me feel when people can act normal around me. This is a life changing event the last thing I need those I care about to do is turn into "strangers".

More important than this though is I really only see myself being supported by those who can be strong and hopeful no matter what the outcome of the situation. Yes, I will have bad days but even on those days I want to be supported by those who want to help pull me out of "the black hole" and into the light of the future.

It will not help me to surround myself by those filled with sorrow examining how "bad" the situation is in their eyes because truthfully this benefits only those around us who want to focus on the negative.

Anyway, I'm not sure where I was going with this but I guess the point was more to say I'm going to let myself be sad for some period of time but after that I'm going to start picking up the pieces and setting sail for the future. I'm thrilled for those that join me but won't be looking back for those left behind still reveling in "how sad" our situation is because that is not how I want to live the rest of my life.

Will you dance with me?

A good friend of mine sent this to me this morning and it has always been a good reminder but hopefully for me this is going to start to be more of a lifestyle change going forward.

"Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husbands didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour? She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get our toddler toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord..

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now....go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift.....Thrown away..... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

One year in our beautiful home!

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of when we closed on our beautiful home. We have done a few things but still have quite a few things we want to do in the future.

It's funny I've only owned two homes in my life and I closed on both of them on March 31st. At this point I think I'll have to make it a point to keep this tradition if we ever buy another home.

Yesterday, was a fairly nice day but last year it was not. It was rainy and freezing cold. We like to torture ourselves. We had to be out of our apartment and close on our new house on the same day which also meant moving ALL of our stuff in one day. Never again. There is no way it could have been done without all of the help we received 0ver the course of that long and very nasty day.

I'd link this post back to my post about the house if I knew how to do that the fancy way but I don't. Does anyone care to learn me?