A Houston Visit

So what do you do on a day that you feel like doing something for others? Drive to Houston and visit a sweet girl named Jamie.

Her story is eerily similar to mine. Jamie's story: she thought she had a bad case of the flu when she went to the emergency room on November 17, 2008.

Much to everyones dismay, she was diagnosed with Meningococcemia, a bacteria which wreaks havoc on the bloodstream. The bacteria had spread throughout her body and was restricting blood flow to her extremities.

Unfortunately, the impaired circulation to her hands and feet caused gangrene and on February 6, Jamie had surgery to remove most of her fingers and both legs below the knees. Jamie has many surgeries to be performed on her legs and hands but she is a fighter.

Jamie will be fitted with prosthetics soon and will head back to school at UT where she will complete her studies in pharmacology.

I was so glad to meet her. She is only 20 and has a lot to fight for. I hope we can laugh at our stories and share tips. :) It was such a flash back for me and made me want so much for her.

Before we got to the hospital, Nick and I had a great lunch and did a bit of Houston/Dallas comparing. The traffic in Houston? Wow, we thought Dallas was bad. We really need to get an airplane. Yeah right. :)

Love,
Jen

TOMS One Day Without Shoes

Experimental Cooking & Canvas Painting

So where have you been? Just kidding. It is me, not you. :)

Wow, a month has gone by and I've really slipped on this blog. This has been so much fun so don't give up on me. These last few weeks have gotten away from me.

I've been doing a lot of experimental cooking and finding some awesome recipes. I find that breaking eggs is the least of my concerns these days. I'm on to Dulche Leche cream bars and espresso fudge cupcakes. YUM!

I'm finding that my sous chef Hubby is learning how to watch golf in between my times of need. Good for him, he's learning to multi-task! My hardest task is to stir (unless its soup or something easy) so I just use the mixer for as much as I can and it works.

Anyway, we recently went to a fun art show and walked the streets while Sky found his "art" in all the other dogs! I love being outside and people watching. So much art and personalities to take in. We have made several paintings for our house and it's been such a great thing to do together.

I usually do the base coats or things with bigger areas while the smaller areas or fine motor skills are done by Nick or Matthew. I can totally see how those artist who "express" themselves use art it is very soothing. :)

Easter: I hope everyone had a great day. I read the best thing about this day of renewal and resurrection. "Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." I thought this could be applied to so many things. It's never to late to start over and look at the beauty of a situation or relationship!

<3,
Jen

So, How are Diamonds Really Made?

Last night was so much fun! Nick and I joined Karol and her fans at Barnes & Noble for her book signing event and were honored to meet others mentioned in her book.  Her book is about surviving the unexpected struggles of life.  

While she was talking about the book she said something that I thought was really great. You see, Karol also has had unexpected changes in her life. She used to be a science teacher before becoming an author (her first book was about planning kids b-day parties) and she learned a lot.  One of the cool things she learned, she magically transformed into a life lesson.

She explained that Diamonds are made with a lot of pressure and a lot of heat. To become a beautiful diamond you have to get through the heat and the pressure in order to become s special diamond. But, its finding how to do it, that makes us diamonds.    Would you rather strive to be a diamond or any old gem?  She was great to listen to.

I met others in the book and we introduced eachother by chapter -  ha, it was pretty funny. With all the great stories in this book, we really hope to give you the inspiration you may need. It's worth it!  

I was also very touched yesterday to be able to meet the mother of  Karen Naomi (www.karennaomi). Her mom, Delia, went through sepsis as well and has lost all of her limbs. She had the best spirit and shared some great jokes with me!  For those of you in Dallas, Karen has a fantastic voice and is having a Mother's Day benefit honoring her mom. It will be on Saturday, May 9th @ the coffee shop Opening Bell @ Southside Lamar.    It would be well worth your time to treat your mom to this special event!!!!

Enjoy the weekend!  

Love, Jen

The Kiddos

So, have you ever had any funny moments with kids? Besides finding humor in a lot of things—even in the most awkward moments—I have found that kids are such a rich source of laughter and story telling.

This first one has nothing to do with me, but it did make me think quite a bit.

I was getting gas the other day and during the normal routine of looking around or watching the gallon ticker go by, I noticed several people looking into a car making really weird faces.

Then, I discovered a little guy in the back seat. So I felt a bit better knowing there was an excuse for the embarrassment they were going through. But I realized the people staring into the car didn't even know the driver. Not such a big deal right? But, have you ever wondered what goes through the kids minds?

You know they think that people who make all these faces, play hide 'n seek behind their hands, talk in goo-goo language (might as well be talking to Star Wars characters) and go out of their way to squeeze them, must be a little off their rocker.

Seriously though, if we really knew what went through the minds of our little people and they could speak, I bet we would see a massive reduction in the squinting faces.

Here are a few funnies from the little people who can speak:

1. At a restaurant with others and Sky, a little girl walks over and wants to pet Sky. She leans over to pet him and then says "Weird, why does he have a saddle on?" (referring to his service vest).

2. We are at a grocery store and a little kid could not take his eyes off me. When his mother noticed what he was looking at, she just smiled at me while he covers his mouth to whisper "Mom, she is missing her hands." I'm not sure he realized that his "whisper" was about as quiet as a tornado siren.

3. Matthew and I were mocking each other and when he got tired of it he politely asked to stop. Of course we kept teasing each other but when it was his turn he decided to snap his fingers! How unfair. I think he cheated! :)

4. I was spending time with a friend of mine and her daughter. Her little girl kept looking and studying my hands. She went right along to inspect them and seemed so fascinated. Right when I thought she had something to say, her mom asked "Want some ice cream?" I thought my arm was going to break as she dropped it so quick and never seemed interested again. I never knew the power of ice cream.

I look for stories like this all the time. You can learn and find so much inspiration in their innocence. It is the best free gift you can find. Have a great weekend everyone. I will have much more for you next week.

Love,

Jen