3rd Heart-Aversary

I had my "annual" visit for my heart transplant to check how everything is going with my heart.

I can not believe that it has been 3 years since I received my amazing heart. Sometimes it feels like it has been forever ago and yet really it is hard to comprehend that it has already been 3 years.

The "annual" visit takes you through a couple of days of blood draws, tests, x-rays, EKG's, Echo's, bone density tests PLUS right and left heart catherization, which checks your heart pressures and how the veins and arteries around the heart are doing. 

I DID NOT have to have a biopsy BECAUSE my Allomap tests came back really good. 

This year's Cath-lab picture pretty cool... 

Hum...do the little wires holding my sternum look like little hearts??? 

Tonight to celebrate my heart-aversary

We made heart shaped personal size pizzas.

pre-cooked dough

We had the table with everyone's favorite fixings.

They turned out pretty darn cute and really yummy.

The girls were really excited to have their own heart pizza.

Miss C was pretty sure that they were going to be cookies.

After eating pizza until we were stuffed, Kira pulled out sky lanterns.

The blue one on the table will be sent to my donor's family.

Each of us wrote a small note to them.

( My clinical social worker will send it to the donor's family. I do not know anything about my donor)

Kirk, Josh, Ali, Kira and Sergio signed the lantern,

Kira traced the girls hands putting their names and ages.

Kira always goes above and beyond to make this anniversary so very special.

I do not know what I would do with out her.

Not only did she have a lantern for my donor's family but also 3 for us to light and send up.

Yep, photo bombing Kirk and Josh lighting their lantern.

Having these lanterns are such a fun thing to do.

 Watching the lanterns start to fill with warm air from the candle inside...

and before you know it...it is up in the air and in no time out of sight,

Oh, how things have changed in the past 3 years.

These two little cousins had not even been born.

Here we are a few hours before my heart transplant.

Sergio, Derek, Josh

Kira, Kirk and myself.

Ali wasn't able to be with us because she was less than 4 weeks from having our first grand baby.

3 yrs later:

Sergio, Kira, Kirk, myself, Josh, Ali

Miss H, Miss C and Miss E

Derek wasn't able to be here tonight.

Life is good.

Tonight...like many, I think of my donor, who they where, what happen that I received their heart...

But, inside of me there is a feeling of sadness...that someone is missing a family member today. Were flowers taken to their grave? Is there a grave?  Did their friends and family get together and have a "miss you" party?

Did someone just want to stay in bed and not think about what happen 3 years ago?

Oh, how I wish I could share how grateful I am for "my hero". 

How we celebrate the way they took such good care of their body to have had such an amazing heart.

How strong it is and that it loves... it loves theirs family and mine.

I have such gratitude to them, to my family, to my friends, to those in our church but mostly to my Father in heaven who gave me this miracle. Who has helped me go through the transplant process so well.

I am blessed... I do not take these facts for granite.

Missing My Mom

I really hate the month of April...

some years more than others.

This year...A LOT...

I have cried, I have been grumpy, I have struggled.

19 years ago today, my mother Geneva Mary Berryhill Angle passed away.

I am still struggling...

I wasn't going to post anything...

because I didn't know what to say.

Then my sister 'Lene did her post.

She hit it right on the head...

I hope you will read her blog about our mom at...

http://embracethechaos-lene.blogspot.com/2013/04/we-put-fun-in-funeral.html

Easter Weekend

I hope your Easter Weekend was wonderful.

I spent my weekend giving a lot of though of the real meaning of Easter...

I was humbled...very humbled as I reflected on the life and death of our Savior.

Having family makes the holidays extra special.

Saturday morning was our ward's (church) Easter breakfast and egg hunt.

Miss H totally got into the egg hunt. She was so polite going to other eggs, when she saw others kids charging towards bunches of eggs. 

She loved having these two special men in her life helping her.

She made quite the "haul".

She really got into it when she saw that there was candy inside the plastic eggs.

After the hunt, she enjoyed opening her eggs. She LOVED the solid chocolate eggs.

We realized after we got to the church that we were all in matching clothes.

Saturday evening Miss C came over to dye Easter eggs.

The had lots of fun and we had really pretty eggs.

Easter Morning came with baskets of goodies, new Easter dresses and ties.

We were able to get a couple of pictures before leaving for church.

After everyone was done with their church meetings, all of the kids 

and their families came and ate turkey and enjoy the beautiful day.

I can not put into words how much I love these four people....

can't see the 4th person? Look up on the balcony :o)

My kids crack me up...

I don't think I have ever taken pictures of them and not had a few with them 

showing off their great personalities!

The girls where having a fun playing outside on the slide.

Miss E didn't come out because she has a little cold.

So, Ali hung out on the balcony watching the fun.

The girls loved chasing after the guys while they were playing disc golf around the yard.

Even the neighbor's dog wanted to get into the fun.

It was a wonderful weekend.

Memories were made.

Idaho Spring

Got to love Spring...

Just when we pull the yard toys out and think it is time for things to warm up...

We get snow. (I know most of the country did).

BUT, we did too and this is all that is left of our wood pile!

No that is not very much... less than a week.

So, I believe it really is time for it to warm up...

SOON!

1st Day of Spring

Today was the first day of Spring for 2013.

The day started with rain... lots of rain

by this afternoon we enjoying the sounds of thunder.

and this evening

this showed up.

no the pictures can not even begin to give this rainbow justice.

It was HUGE and the colors were so bright you felt like you could just touch it.

I love the signs of Spring.

Quiet Please

What have I been doing...Not blogging...

I have been watching these little girls that have more energy than anyone should have

 or at least a lot more than what I have!

but today...they decided it was going to be a quiet pajama day,

Pillows, blankets, "suckies" and Tangle playing on the TV.

AWESOME!

Even Evie decided she was going to have quiet day.

I got a few things done PLUS was able to blog!

It Is Official

We are pretty excited about Kira and Sergio's Announcement.

They are going to add a new member to the family!!!

Kira had kept this pregnancy pretty quiet... you can read more about her feelings on HER BLOG.

Plus watch the video of her telling Sergio!

Anyway.... back to my blog post (giggle)

I love ultrasounds of babies.

They amaze me.

At 20 weeks look at those little feet and perfect toes.

The details on the baby's nose and mouth.

SHE....yes a GIRL!

She was sucking her thumb and moving around while we were checking her out.

I just could not get enough of looking at her.

She already looks perfect.

Kira was ready to see that the baby was ok and was all grins as she moved around.

Little Hazel would just say, "baby".

Sergio's eyes were misty with just a few little sounds coming from him.

I was grateful to have got to be there for this special moment.

1st Family Picture with Sergio and his 3 girls.

Hazel is pretty sweet she carries the ultrasound pictures around showing the baby.

Miss L is due around July 12, 2013.

Have I said I LOVE being a GRANDMA? 

Because I do.