Embrace The Journey

So I have a new Mantra… a guiding principle… a motto if you will. 

Embrace The Journey…seems perfect for me, for us.  I think for the past three and half  years or so I have been avoiding this journey, in fact some days I have been running from this journey.  But, it’s our journey, our story, our life and it is about time I just accept it, better yet Embrace it. 

So I am going to do just that Embrace The Journey.  I think that this new year has big things in store for us.  I am scared, and excited and most of all hopeful. 

New Years Resolutions

Do you make them?! I always have and they have always included big, long overwhelming lists of how I was going to change myself into something I am never going to be.  Skinny, more organized, neat, perfect wife and mother.  I am sure lots of people make the same kind of resolutions and if you ask them by March how they are doing on those resolutions, they can’t even remember making them. 

I know a lot of people who have just decided to give up the tradition of making resolutions.  For me, I like traditions, I like to follow the trend, I like to celebrate.  For instance… we have heart pancakes on Valentine’s Day, Green Milk in March, Dye Easter Eggs… no one eats, Love on mom in May complete with breakfast (or at least coffee in bed) followed by a day loving on me! June…Tell/Show Daddy what a Rock Star he is to our family, July, Fireworks and seafood at Browns, August lots and lots of beach days and cold lemonade, September, New Shoes, and new school  home office supplies, soon to be school supplies. October, Pumpkin Picking and Trick Or Treating. November… Stuffing and reminding everyone what we are thankful for.  December…. baking cookies, singing Christmas Carols, CHRISMAS CARDS! and of course January …New Years Resolutions.

So for me my New Year’s Resolution is to:

sim·pli·fy

verb \ˈsim-plə-ˌfī\

sim·pli·fiedsim·pli·fy·ing

Definition of SIMPLIFY

transitive verb

: to make simple or simpler: as a : to reduce to basic essentials b : to diminish in scope or complexity : streamline <was urged to simplify management procedures> c : to make more intelligible : clarify

This life is precious, my days are busy and I have a lot I want to accomplish.  My goal this year is to prioritize and take time to enjoy my husband, Kathryn and Patrick. 

I want our home to be neat and tidy and comfortable…. we deserve it.  Our home should be our haven not our shrine of things.

Meals should be easy and healthy so that we eat more of them at home.

There are many ways I can simplify.  I am looking forward to this clean slate that for some reason the New Year just pops in my lap.

2010 in Review

Oh, 2010 I am so happy to pack you up and KICK you out the door!

2010 wasn’t all horrible, it actually had some pretty awesome moments. I grew as a person, wife, mother, friend and daughter. I was challenged and faced with obstacles I NEVER thought I would face. I rewrote my hopes and dreams. I prioritized what was really important, and what was not. I learned that I am a fighter and I can and will do whatever it takes. I learned to rely on others and accept help. My faith in humanity was renewed. I learned who my true friends are and those who were not. ( I need another word for learned)

I met some amazing people, some of who I never physically met, but who have prayed for us and got me through some dark times. I reconnected with some family, that have proven to be a huge source of comfort and support. I loved my family more than I thought was humanly possible. I stopped to soak in the moment…be it bath time, story time, dinner, or late night cuddles with my husband. I ‘ve learned that sometimes I just need a day to cry and be off, and that its OK for those days to happen, but not to let them consume me.

So really I have a love/hate relationship with 2010. I think 2011 is going to prove to be just as trying, in a whole new way. Regardless, 2010 has given me the knowledge and strength to take whatever 2011 has in store.

January

Patrick turned one!

February

We took Katy to Disney on Ice on Valentine’s Day

Mike and I celebrated 8 years of marriage

March

Katy started drop off play group with early intervention

We visited our cousins in NH for St. Patrick’s Day

Patrick had his 1st hair cut

April

Katy fell at the playground and ended up with 1 staple in her head.

May

We celebrated Logan’s Birthday Party

Another wonderful Mother’s Day

Mike surprised me with a trip to visit my Auntie Cheryl

Patrick and I headed to North Carolina

Lots of Bbq’s for Memorial Day

June

6/1/10 Our world was rocked to it’s core. Kathryn has a Cardiac Cath and MRI on the 1st and the results showed that her special heart was failing and her care was passed on to the Transplant team at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Mike celebrated his 52nd birthday with family and lobsters!

Katy fell and needed stitches.

July

Patrick said Katy!!!

Katy had an NG Feeding Tube placed

Katy was listed for a heart, status 1b on the 29th of July

August

Keys for Katy benefit at The Shannon Door was a great success! Still so very Thankful!

Make A Wish came out to grant Katy’s wish to go to Disney!

Back to NH to visit with Cousins and celebrate our newest cousin Nia’s Christening.

We celebrated Sierra’s 1st Birthday

Katy had G Tube Surgery

Patrick fell and ended up needing 5 staples in his head.

1 month on transplant list

September

Katy’s story is airing on local radio stations and in many newspapers

Amiee celebrated her 30th BIRTHDAY

Katy’s Make A Wish trip to Walt Disney Word

2 months on transplant list

October

WBZ 4 did a story on Katy

Our cousins hosted another benefit for Kate! Great to have so much support and love!

Katy gets G Tube infection

We lost one of our favorite aunties! RIP Auntie Cheryl

Katy and Patrick were Mickey and Minnie for Halloween!

3 months on transplant list

November

Quite month

Thanksgiving celebrated with family and friends!

4 months on transplant list

December

Katy had G tube surgery again… peg to Mic Key NO ADDMISSION

Katy turned 3 and had just as many birthday celebrations!

Katy’s tube infected AGAIN!

Christmas was AWESOME!

Blizzard of 2010 was spent at Auntie Krissie’s complete with sleepover!

Disney Princess’ on Ice

5 months on transplant list.

Our year in photos:

Customize your own free digital slideshow

From our family to yours I hope that the new year makes all your dreams come true ( or a few anyway)

Much Love,

Amiee, Mike, Katy & Patrick

What we do when we are not at Children’s…

I know a lot of my updates are in regards to Katy’s special heart and our days at Children’s, for obvious reasons. But, when we aren’t at Children’s we do things like:

We hang at the beach…

We jump off of rocks into the Saco River:

We relax and enjoy the sunshine:

We snuggle late at night…

We hang poolside… well past our afternoon nap time!…

We eat cupcakes…Chocolate cupcakes with LOTS of frosting!…

We play at the park…

and sometimes we pout, when we don’t get our own way…

But through it all we are loving each and every minute of our lives!!! Making good days the BEST days and trying to keep our bad days, in check.

Ahh…Normal

This weekend ROCKED! Do you want to know why it rocked? It rocked because to me it felt… dare I say normal. I am done with Saturday classes (until 9/18) and we had NO COMMITMENTS!!! I think this is the first weekend since May when we weren’t scheduled to do something or be somewhere.

You know what we did… NOTHING! I changed from one set of jammies into another. I sipped on yummy cups of coffee…and the occasional Iced Latte when Mike ran out to run errands for me us. Allowing me to keep my commitment to myself that I was going to clean and tidy my scrap space… and CRAFT!

I am happy to report that I did both, all though I didn’t scrapbook… I played with Modge Podge and my Cricut and I made Katy a potty chart and prize box… because yes, we are potty training!

Because that is what normal two and a half year olds do. (Although her high doses of multiple diuretics are proving to make potty training a difficult task)

We Mike made some delicious meals. We cleaned, we decluttered, I had a bubble bath, we read stories, we watched The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. I chatted with friends and family. I lounged… I listed to music and played cards… I knitted. I made the most of our glorious weekend at home.

I am usually not a homebody…there is rarely a day that I don’t leave the house for one reason or another. I can’t tell you when it will happen again (Most likely post transplant when we won’t be able to leave the house) I can tell you it was lovely, and much needed.

Tomorrow it is back to reality… running errands and packing up for our trip up North!

Happy Birthday Mom Nana!

Today we celebrated my moms birthday! We had a birthday dinner here! We had Crazy Noodles( Mom’s request and Chocolate Trifle) YUMM!

It was a great opportunity to celebrate my mom and the kids Nana!! We love you!

Pumpkin Picking

Today we went Pumpkin Picking with Papa, Tracy and Cole!! We went to Cider Hill in Amesbury, MA! It was a great day full of pumpkin fun!

Circus Fun

We were very excited to get tickets to the circus from my friend! Our seats were great and the kids as well as the adults all had a great time! It truly is the greatest show on earth!