A Peak at our summer thus far...

Chelsea's graduation party, started off the summer with a bang! There were so many dynamics to this party it was surreal. As many of you already know we had a very special visitor! Carrie from CandidCarrie came to visit and help us for the party. She brought along two of her adorable children. You would think it would of been awkward, we had never met in person, only online! She was just as funny, caring and down right amazing in person as she is in the computer! In fact my Mother referred to her as Internet Carrie! She helped me cook, scrub and wash while she was here...I never laughed so hard either. I'll show you some of the pictures she took (she downloaded them onto my computer thank you Carrie!) And give you a glimpse of the time she was here!

If you get a chance to meet someone, that you've been friends with online DO IT! It's wonderful, I'm hoping to see Carrie again soon along with her whole family!



Of course her cake table!
A little dancin'
A little singin'
And of course kid bowlin'

Thank you again Carrie for making Chelsea's graduation party a huge success! We all love you!!

A lot has happened since I've been here...

My girl is done with school...let's just say for the time being.

Everyone always tells young parents...

"Boy, when they start school watch out, because they'll be gone before you know it!"

Well, it's true. Ali started college 3 years ago and she's done with college this December! Chelsea starts college in the fall, she'll be done before you know it. My kids are growing up way too fast, Hannah's a senior this year and Gavin starts High School! Chloe's in the 8th grade and Rickie starts 3rd grade! The funny thing is I'm not getting any older AT ALL! At least I don't feel any older. Back to Chelsea, she did a phenomenal job in High School her last cumulative grade point was a 4.16.

We'll be celebrating her graduation soon and I will post pictures...surprise guests will be coming!

Love you Chelsea and Congratulations sweetie!!






My girl at 8 years old!

Adjusting to a new normal...

Happy times with my Dad!!


What is ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment–"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening ("sclerosis") in the region.

As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.

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My father, my rock, the man I've always leaned on was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

We've (my mother and me) been trying really hard the last couple of days to wrap our brains around this diagnosis. Fortunately my father does not understand the gravity of his diagnosis. I think that in and of itself is a blessing. He's telling everyone that there's a 95% chance he'll go into complete remission. We know that this is not true, but we will not tell him.

We all need hope, and my father has found that hope.

Who knows the mind is a very powerful thing and maybe he will go into remission. I will hope and pray for that.

Give your loved ones a hug and kiss, we never know whats ahead...all we really have is today and I appreciate every minute.

This is a therapeutic post for me

I really wish that I could write. Tell all of you what I'm feeling right now. How do you put into words emptiness, pain and hopelessness. That's what I was feeling yesterday for a bit. I say a bit, because I cannot let myself stay in that frame of mind. I have to stay positive and move forward...I have a lot of people counting on me for that.

I'm sorry to say that it's almost become part of my life for the last 8 years. One more tragedy to deal with...suck it up Carey, and deal with it.

You must be wondering...where's her faith? I have faith. Faith, that what ever happens, I am not alone, that I can deal with what's put in front of me. That there is something better for us in the future. All of us.

That being said, I am only human, and I am at the end of my rope. That's basically all I wanted to say today.


More later. Thanks guys for listening, and as strange as it might seem I feel better just putting it on paper...so to speak.

Hey, hello and I'm back!!

I've not posted in so long, I almost forgot how!

My daughter was listening to this song on her iPod, and I really like it. A. Because it's the whole mood/tone of my emotions lately and B. Because I just like Johnny Cash.

I'm going to make an attempt to get back to posting, and keeping up with my blogging buddies. I miss all of you, and I hope you're doing well!

Everyone here is doing well, we've had a quiet winter, health wise, so that's good. (knock on wood) I'm really not superstitious just don't want to jinx anything.








(Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell The Long Black Veil)