Random Thoughts . . .

Good News!!! London made the Varsity Soccer Team! I am so excited for her, soccer is her love and I am thrilled she made Varsity as a freshman.


That was the happy thought. The others are more contemplative based on sad news.
One of our employees was killed in a car accident last weekend. He ran straight into the back end of a very large truck that was lit up like noon day. There was no attempt at braking or turning, just straight into the truck. I don't know if he had been drinking I think he definitely fell asleep and now he's gone. I'm sad for me because he was a genuinely nice person. Everyone, I kid you not, everyone knew him and liked him because he was very likeable. I'm sad for his kids because they will now have to journey their life without their dad. But I am the most sad for him. I know how much he loved life. He was a huge HS football fan, he DJ'd, he had a ton of friends and he adored his two girls and treated his step children like they were his own. So I have spent this past week pondering his grief. Does he grieve like we grieve for him? I know he is surrounded by those who have gone before him, but does that help in any way? I know we all die. For some it is at the end of a long and fulfilling life and although I'm sure we hate to leave those we love here I think we are ready for what is to come next. But at such a young age, do we mourn this life in heaven?

My final thought is about Stephanie Nielsons blog, NieNie Dialogues. I happened upon this blog several months ago and was immediately struck by the faith and love her family has for her and each other. When I first started reading I quickly learned that Stephanie and her husband had been in a terrible plane accident August of '08 and she had been burned over 80% of her body. Her family kept her blog going, reporting on her progress and finally Stephanie began posting herself. Some posts were postive and full of gratitude for life, family, her husband, her four darling children, Heavenly Father, etc. Others were frustrated and devastated and painful to read. But last week on the anniversary of her crash she posted a picture of herself. Previous pictures of her show a young, dark haired, freckle-faced, blue eyed beautiful girl. Now those freckles are gone replaced by the tell-tale scars of a burn victim.
I had mixed emotions. I was really proud of her for being so brave. I was in awe of her for being so brave. I was happy that there is a beauty about her. But I was also mad for her. She was a strikingly beautiful woman. I know it seems petty. When you read her words, her inner beauty exudes from her. But I am so sad that she only got that body for such a short period of time and will now be faced with the physical pain and limitations she has because of all the scar tissue. The stares she will face from those who might never know what she looked like before. It doesn't seem fair. I know life is not fair. This is her trial to face and she is facing it with dignity. But that is my thought for NieNie, that it doesn't seem fair.

What we've got goin' on . . .

London is a Freshman this fall, yikes!!! So we have spent a lot of this summer watching her play with the MLHS soccer team. It has really been a lot of fun. A lot of these pictures are of her playing as I had a request from friends.

Below is London (11), her friends Hunter (9) and Cortney (3) along with the Assistant Varsity coach, Sam. They took 2nd Place in a tournament in Ephrata.

This is a nasty fall she took on her almost broken arm, I believe that girl in yellow played a big part in her ending up on the ground. Foul!!!
I love this picture, because if you look closely, neither London's feet nor the ball are touching the ground. And you can see her wrapped arm. The arm injury is thanks to a Boy Varsity soccer player. Well, my Mom always told me "If you are going to play with the boys, you will probably get hurt." True, but that didn't stop her, the DR. told her not to play:)
I don't remember exactly what was going on here, but to brag for a moment, London is FAST. She set two school records in track this spring in the 100m and 200m. So, what probably is going to happen is she will split these two defenders and go for the goal. Hopefully she scored!

Here she scores!!!

What has been really fun is hanging out with some of the high school girls. Here is Liza B. doing a happy dance after winning at a lawn game call Kuub.

We have had a lot of family visit this summer and Jeff and Stacey have moved to ML for the summer. Here is Evalie who likes dirt and Miss Isabelle.

Boys. Posing like gangsters while wearing John Deere hats. Hmmmmm?!
L-R: Jaeger, Brennan and Owen

Luke. I think he was just happy to be playing with the big boys.

Makia and Jakob visiting from AZ.

News I'd like to share . . .

Ten years ago this fall I was diagnosed with Lupus. This news was a little hard to accept since out of the litany of symtoms associated with Lupus, I had one. Joint pain. I obviously was not at all happy to receive this news and, of course, had to face every potential worst case scenario that an illness like this could bring. However, there was some comfort in the form of a very clear message of the spirit that told me I would not deal with this my whole life, and as can happen when we are told something by the spirit, I believed this as sure as I believe in the sun rising and setting.

As my doctor and I were working through various forms of medication to get control of the joint pain I found myself unexpectedly expecting. I very thankfully had an obstetrician appointment already scheduled. So I had my first prenatal visit at 6 weeks along. I cannot tell you how many times I have thanked Heavenly Father that that appointment was already in place. You see, I had no idea at the time how complicated a pregnancy could be with Lupus and on my own I would not have gone in until after the 12th week.

I was grateful because we were already in trouble and the next 8 months were filled with biopsy's, a lot of medication and several doctors with their accompanying visits.

Those who were around may recall the tell tale signs of corticol steroids, i.e. the huge face, zits and warts which brought on the whole separate issue of facing myself in the mirror every day trying to remember who "I" was, along with worrying for the child I was carrying, as the challenges he was potentially facing were huge as well.

Skip ahead, blessings were given, prayers were heard and although he came early, Brennan was fine. And so was I. Minimal damage done. Whewwww!

Now, my very smart, very active little miracle is a perfectly normal 8 year old.

Aside from a relapse a few years ago, I was a little lackadasical about taking my medication, my health is perfect.

And here is the good news I would like to share . . . my doctor dropped one of my medications and would like me to consider dropping "THE" drug that has kept me healthy these last few years. I may just not need it anymore!!!!! I may never have a Lupus flair again! WOW!

My personal mantra is "Lupus does not run my life, nor will it ruin my life." The only reminder on a daily basis that I have this disease is when I take my medications for the day. What will life be like if I don't even have that? I smile at the possibilities.

The moral for me in this is that prayers are answered. Of course they are almost never answered on our timeline but they are and of course prayers are not always answered the way we want them, but if I could have seen today from my eyes ten years ago I think I would have been okay with the outcome, but I certainly needed the journey.

"Dancers are the athletes of God." - Albert Einstein

The ballet is a purely female thing. It is a woman, a garden of beautiful flowers, and man is the gardener.-George Balanchine-

This past weekend was Isabelle's ballet recital. The director chose a Stars and Stripes theme to pay tribute to those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces. There was beautiful patriotic music and some beautiful dancing.
Isabelle is beautiful ballerina and the quote about ballet choosing the dancer definitely applies to her. We could tell very early on that she was meant for this art. She almost walked in first position and when soccer didn't seem to be exactly her cup of tea (she preferred twirling on the sidelines to scoring goals) we enrolled her at the Ballet Academy. She has been there for 6 years now.
Bless her heart too, she unselfishly watches countless soccer and basketball and volleyball games and even endured a couple of endless track meets this spring and never feels sorry for herself that she only has one recital a year. Because of this generous attitude we try to make her recital weekend a big deal. Everything is about her that weekend and everything else comes second.
I have to say I burst with pride every year as I see how much she has grown from the previous year. But it's no suprise at the improvement considering she dances 4 days a week. This year she graduated up to the pre-pointe class, which for those of you less knowledgeable in ballet is a BIG deal. This means she is that much closer to the ultimate goal of dancing in pointe shoes!
Her feet, however, need to cooperate a little more and quit growing. Hopefully next spring we'll be able to take a trip to the dance supply store in Spokane and buy her first pointe shoes! I can't wait.

Here she is (sorry it's a little blurry) during one of the dances.

This is a group shot where they dance in synchronization in a line, I think they did a great job!

Isabelle in Arabesque after the recital.

A final salute!