It's been too long!

Today as I was sitting at my table drinking coffee, I remembered writing on our blog.  It had been so long that I had forgotten the name of it and the password.  But ....... Now here I am, logged in and typing.  I really can't remember the last time I wrote in here, but it's time to start again.

It's funny to look back on life and realize the many twists and turns that come at each and every one of us.  None of us face the exact same struggles and some may appear harder than others, but it doesn't change the fact that we all will struggle.

So here's the question I want to plant in the mind of my kids....Since this blog is a bit of a "Baby book" of sorts.  What do you do when your life is great?  How do you remember your times of struggle and who was able to come in and surround you with comfort?  How can you be that person for others?  So many of us on a very regular occasion will offer our assistance to someone who is struggling, with words like "Please let me know what I can do to help" or "Just let me know if there is anything that you need".  These statements are made often by many and as the receiver of these comments you do truly appreciate them.  But I want to tell you about the people that went one step further.  The people who didn't ask what they could do or ask what is needed.  They simply looked around, assessed the situation and did something to make a difference.  They pushed beyond the surface and made a difference in our lives.

As things are looking up for all of us.  I would encourage you (us) to always be on the look out for those who may need a helping hand, and go beyond the words and act.  Make a difference.

I am a pretty lucky guy to have the family I have and the many blessings I have been given.   Once again, life is grand and I look forward to many more great memories as a family.

Love you all - Dad

Half Marathon - Check!

I did it.....I ran a half marathon....something I thought I would never do.  I did it in memory of my beautiful little man who I miss so much!  Thoughts of him carried me through.  My amazing friend Candi carried me through.  A huge thank you to all of my friends and family who showed your amazing support by encouraging me and making donations!  You ROCK and I am one blessed woman!  Love you all!

 

Life

It's been a while since I've been on here.  Kind of lost my motivation to keep it going.  Life in general has been emotional, busy, emotional, uplifting, emotional, insightful, emotional....you get the idea.  I started training for a half marathon that I will run on Oct. 13th in Baltimore, MD.  I am running in memory of my amazing little man who fought so, so hard and with little complaint and so much bravery.  When I'm hurting from my run, I think of him. The pain I go through is nothing compared to what he went through. It keeps me going.  He keeps me going.  I miss him so much.  My daily routine is not the same and I miss that.  I run and clean and wander instead of being a full time nurse.  I am blessed to have amazing family and friends.  My husband and kids are amazing and lovely.  I am thankful for that.  They keep me strong and positive and proud. 
I am raising money for Cure JM to help aid research to find a cure for that horrible, awful disease they call JDM!  I don't want anymore kids to go through all of that pain and suffering.  It's heartbreaking and horrific.  If you are feeling generous, please consider donating to my fundraising page for the marathon.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/KristenSmedley/Cure-JM-2012-Educational-Conference-and-Fundraisin

Our garden

I planted another garden this year. Mason helped me pick out what to plant. He loved it as much as I did. He helped me plant the seeds, water them, watch them grow. It was a special thing that he and I shared. He would have loved to see the results of all of his hard work. I miss him so much, miss spending time with him, miss him making me laugh.  The garden just isn't the same without my buddy to get excited about it with me.  Mason, your special sunflower looks amazing.  I love you, little man.

Mason's sunflower

Just a smidgen of what is out there

 Spaghetti squash

Pumpkins

Sadly, my maneuvering killed this one :(

Straight neck squash

We also planted mini watermelon, different tomato varieties, parsnips, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, sugar snap peas, green beans, and we still have strawberries and blueberries in abundance. 

We will miss you so much Little Man

For those of you who don't know, Mason passed away on June 19th.  He fought a long, courageous battle with JDM and there was no little man more brave or heroic.  We are so proud of who he was and will treasure all of the memories we hold in our hearts.  He taught us so much about life and what is important.  He leaves a legacy of love that is unmatched.  We will miss him more than you can imagine, but we are comforted in knowing that he is running around, playing and no longer suffering.  We love you so much, Little Man.  You are such a gift!

http://video214.com/play/8A6ogfudazGTJaLtW73ctQ/s/dark
http://video214.com/play/U74IgevASra7bVTCKpJQxg/s/dark
http://video214.com/play/FUnJWJAayfMGUKNTWCmyBg/s/dark
http://video214.com/play/b3gbaw1F08TPilFc3aokXg/s/dark

oh boy....

Obviously I am WAY behind, yet again.  Here is a short recap since my last post this summer...eek!  (If I can even remember)
-Brock turned 16 in August and is on his way to getting a driver's license and considering colleges.  Where did the time go? :(
-Alec is loving 8th grade and played football again this year.  He loves it....it scares me.  Too many kids get injured! 
-Abby LOVES second grade and ADORES her teacher!  She is all girl and is constantly entertaining us by singing.  She wants to be famous, you know :)  
-Mason spent some time in the hospital in September due to an infection caused from an abcess in his arm.  He's had a rough few months.  He is in lots more pain, is having some serious issues with his bladder due to the calcium that is essentially invading it.  His kidneys are dilated due to the pressure put on them by the lack of the bladder to drain appropriately.  We tried straight catheterization which worked for about 2 days, then we either couldn't get any urine return or couldn't get the cath to pass into his bladder.  We took him to the urologist and he couldn't get it in either.....stupid calcium!...I hate you!   Our next step will likely be a surgery to put a drain through his stomach into his bladder...probably in the near future.  We are holding out as long as we can, but it is looking like we need to do it soon.  We are hoping all goes well and it will alleviate the pain and anxiety he has when he tries to urinate. 
-My older sister and her family came for Thanksgiving.  We had so much fun!  All 3 sisters and our families makes for a really great time!  My brother in law brought some of the things he pickled from his garden...so delicious and it took me back to my childhood when my Grandma would make the same things.  Loved it! 
My brain has been on overload these past couple of months.  I had this awesome goal to get all my Christmas done before Thanksgiving.  I made a good dent in it, but didn't get it done so now I am scrambling this week to get things done.
I took Mason and Abby to see the Nutcracker yesterday.  It was great!  Abby loved it, Mason thought it was too girly...hehe! 
We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Smedley Family Reunion

We attended the Smedley family reunion a couple of weeks ago. It was at the old Albion College in Idaho. A couple of the buildings have been renovated. It was really beautiful and a lot of fun! It was great seeing everyone again and meeting new, sweet baby faces :) The trip was short, but sweet :)