This Is The Year

Detroit, Michigan.  That's where my boy will be serving for the next 2 years.  Perhaps he won't be right in the city the whole time. Perhaps he won't spend any time in the city at all.  But the Michigan, Detroit mission is where he has been called to serve. I don't think it has completely hit me yet.  It's not really possible to comprehend the reality of Kaden being 1,600 miles away for 2 solid years with only written contact except for the 2 times a year he will be able to call/skype home.  Like, I literally can't imagine what it will be like or how it will feel.  I'm sure it's going to be hard at times, that I'll miss him like crazy and just want to hear his voice.  We've always had a close relationship and we talk about anything and everything.  It's hard to imagine only speaking in person 4 times over the next two years. But there is absolutely no place I'd rather have him be, and nothing else I'd rather have him doing than

Well here we are.  2016 is a thing of the past.  And what a year it was for our family.  In 2016, we finally saw some light at the end of the tunnel for Ambria's suffering with Post Concussion Syndrome.  MaiLee became a teenager and Brielle entered double digits.  Hollyn changed from toddler to little kid and her spunk keeps growing as well!  And Kaden - Kaden leaves in 35 days to serve the people of Michigan for 2 years. He will be serving in the Michigan, Detroit mission and we are excited/proud/sad to see him go/excited to see what he accomplishes, and every other emotion in between! I feel so ready to let go of 2016.  I think it holds the record for most tears shed by this mom!  Yet when I look back on everything that has gone on this past year, I see that I have so very much to be grateful for.  And I am ready to find the JOY in 2017. I'm not sure why I've had such a hard time finding it. The joy in life, I mean.  Just tired and overwhelmed, I guess.   But for this

I'm joining Friday Five with Emmy.  Five thoughts and five pictures. Five Thoughts: 1 - I dug out my flip flops and have been wearing them for a couple of days.  I'm SO over winter and ready for spring and the outdoors. 2 - Another spring thing I'm looking forward to is Spring Break.  I cannot wait for those days of sleeping in and not having to get my kids to school! 3 - What I REALLY can't wait for is Summer Break! Camping, swimming, warm nights, longer days - it all sounds so heavenly right now! 4 - Ambria has a consultation today that could change everything.  I'm extremely nervous.  I don't want to get my hopes up - but I'm afraid it's too late.  I will be crushed if they can't help her. 5 - Soccer season is upon us.  And although I won't have any kids playing this year - we're super excited to watch our RSL boys have an awesome season! Five Pictures: My heart broke into a million pieces when this boy was stolen to go

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 The Boy Who Loved The Girl With The Headache Ambria's story is not over.  We still have lots to accomplish to achieve her victory over this condition that has temporarily taken over her life.  It is hard.  Life is hard.  Being a mom is really hard.  But I know beyond any doubt that my Heavenly Father loves me.  And that He loves my daughter more perfectly than I can even begin to imagine. Through all of this, I've never doubted that Heavenly Father knows what He's doing.  There is a purpose, maybe many purposes for this trial.  I want to end this series of posts by sharing things that I have learned over the course of this past year. I have learned not to judge .  I try hard not to worry about what other people think of me.  It is a weakness that I haven't overcome yet.  So this experience has been quite humbling for me.  I've often wondered how our situation appears to others. Ambria misses so much school and church because of pain.  

Meet Justin.  He is Ambria's absolute best friend, confidant and hero. It is this boy's kindness, support, and heartfelt concern that has gotten Ambria through her hardest, loneliest times.  We are so, so grateful for the blessing he has been in her life through all of this.  I couldn't tell her story without acknowledging him, and what a huge role he has played in helping her endure this trial. Ambria and Justin have been good friends for about 2 1/2 years.  They met while both performing in the school musical.  She was in 7th grade, and he was in 8th.  Their friendship became even stronger about a year later thanks to some silly teenage girl drama (insert eye roll), when he stood up for her to some other (girl) friends of his that had a problem with his friendship with Ambria, and started saying some not nice things about her.  He and Ambria were pretty tight after that - but nothing would strengthen their bond like the trial Ambria was to face next, and the

Read part 1 .   Read part 2 . The highs and lows and where we're at now. I wish I could say that since summer break Ambria has just kept improving and things are looking wonderful.  But unfortunately that is not the case. There was a time that our hopes were soaring high.  After all the physical pain and the emotional heartache, one day it all started to go away.  It was July 13th - four and a half months from that horrible night of the region dance.  Many doctor's visits, different treatments, dietary adjustments, supplements and medications later - Ambria woke up one morning and sent me a message.  She asked me to come into the bedroom where she had been sleeping.  I rushed in to see what was wrong.  She looked at me with a sort of puzzled expression and said, "My headache is gone."  I heard what she said, but that didn't keep me from asking, "What?" "My headache is gone," she repeated.  I didn't know what to think.  I wrapped my