Happy 2nd Birthday to ME!

Two years ago today, I received a new chance at life. My sister, Alicia, unselfishly donated one of her kidneys to me. I don't even know where she found the courage to make such a tough decision. I will never be able to repay her or express my gratitude enough! She will forever be a part of me. (Kind of creepy, huh!?).

I was lucky enough to only be on dialysis for a year but a year was more than enough. I hope I never have to do it again. Now, I pray every day that my new kidney holds up. Alicia not only gave me a new kidney but she gave me a new lease on life. Aaron and I don't have to schedule vacations around dialysis or try to find a local dialysis center wherever we go. (Not always an easy feat!)

I can't tell you how the transplant changed my life. You would be reading for hours. All I can say is without Alicia's courage and the support of friends and family, I am not sure where I would be today. I relied heavily on everyone to help me not lose my mind. I was really sick so I am not sure I was being reasonable or seeing things clearly. Aaron was deployed at the time and we didn't know if he would make it back to the states in time. (The good news is that the Army got him home from Afghanistan 3 days before my surgery.) I kept telling my family I wasn't going through with the surgery if he wasn't there but I fear I would have had too. Without these people, I wouldn't be the healthy, blessed, full of life person that I am today.

I also relied on the prayers of random strangers. I had so many church families and random people praying for me I fear I will be always known by my new nickname. I have on several occasions been introduced to people my family knew that I didn't and have been met with the response 'Oh, your the kidney girl! We prayed hard for you!" I know without these prayers things might not gone as smoothly as they did. And it goes with out saying that I had some amazing nurses and doctors!

I also couldn't have made it through without Aaron. He is my rock! He was my friend, confidant, nurse, and psychologist. I never knew that there was a love big enough to get me through something like that and now I know that whatever this life throws at us we can make it...as long as we have each other.

God was watching over Aaron and me. People have always told me God won't give you more than you can handle. Was he testing me? I don't know. But I know he gave us both the tools to make it through the difficult situation. And he gave me the faith to believe everything would be alright.

'Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.'
Lamentations 3:22

(My sister Alicia is standing to my right in the purple shirt.)

Happy Birthday Alicia!

Welcome to the 30 club! Love you!

2nd Grade?

Where have the last 7 years gone? How is it that my niece, Sydney, started 2nd grade today? Where the heck does the time go?

She was just baby, developing her own little personality. Turns out she is a little ham!

She was so talented, she didn't even have to stop watching her favorite movies to take a picture!

And now she is a second grader. She has grown into an independent little thing!

I wonder how old she will be when she decides she no longer wants to watch The Little Mermaid with her Aunt Jackie?

I wonder how old she will be when she decides her Aunt Jackie isn't as cool as she thought?

I dread the day. And maybe even pray a little that the day will never come. I talked to my sister last night and she told me about something Sydney said at church yesterday. I guess she was being a little crazy (as all kids like to be) and a friend told her she was just like her mother. Syd quickly responded with "No, I am like my Aunt Jackie!" I find it funny and flattering!

If she is anything like me she will be getting into a lot of trouble for talking in class and Math will be her nemesis. But I am sure she will be a lot better at school than I. I can't wait to talk to her and see how her first day of 2nd grade went! I better cherish these days while they last. Before I know it she will be graduating!

Bailey's Island

So a week or two ago I took advantage of the beautiful day, and went for a ride to Bailey's Island. If there is one thing I can say is that it is beautiful! I wish my pictures did it justice but alas they do not. If you ever get a chance to visit Maine you definitely should do it! There are many hidden treasures around here to explore.

Here are some pics from my ride:

The bridge from Orr's Island over to Bailey's Island.

Doesn't this look like the coolest place?

This was a "memorial to all the Maine fisherman who devoted their lives to the sea".

I couldn't go down there to see if there were any there. The road was private!

A cove filled with boats. I couldn't even get all of them in my shot.

A feathered friend. He let me walk right up beside him. But once my camera clicked he flew for the hills.

I can't get enough of the peninsulas around here. They all lead to some place amazing! I love the smell of the ocean, the noise of the sea gulls and the houses up on the rocks. This state really is something out of the movies. I am so grateful we have gotten to experience it!

Still Trying to be Crafty

Since I managed to create a key chain with relative ease , I thought I would move onto a project that involved fabric. I found this tutorial for Rag Ball Ornaments on-line and so I gave it a try. I will admit that although it required fabric, there wasn't any sewing involved. Baby steps for me remember?

My interpretation of her tutorial:

I still have to create one more ball. And I also have to find something to fill the basket with to make it look more full.
And instead of making them for the Christmas season. I added sayings that will allow me to keep them out all year round.

It isn't as great as the tutorial but I must say I feel I did an OK job!

I still have no idea where I am going to put these in our home. I know what you are thinking Karen, very country! :o) But I still like them. Maybe I will give them away as a gift. I guess with crafting the possibilities are endless.

Up next...a tote bag! Wish me luck.

Our Bike Trip

This weekend Aaron and I went on our very first bike trip together. I'll be honest; I wasn't real keen on the idea when Aaron brought the trip up to me the first time. I had never been on a long ride before. The longest I had gone was 4 hours and I was sore when we got home. But I thought why not. Once I agreed to go, we went to LL Bean to get some wet weather gear. And boy are we glad we did! All day Saturday it rained off and on but it was still a lot of fun. The wet weather gear worked great and I had enough layers on to stay warm.

Saturday, bright and early, we headed north to meet up with the rest of the group. There were 9 bikes and 11 people on the trip. The first day we went all the way to Presque Isle and stayed at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center overnight.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed north. We went all the way to the top of Maine! For about an hour or so we rode parallel to New Brunswick, Canada. There was only a river separating the countries. We could have swam there easily!

This is how north we were!

It was awesome seeing Maine on the Harley. The state is beautiful! Aaron and I both commented on how much northern Maine reminded us of PA. We had such a great time! I will be the first to admit I am surprised I made it all in one piece.

The whole trip was about 800 miles and each day we rode about 11(+) hours. We had a lot of stops in between...thank goodness! We stopped about every hour / hour and a half so people didn't get too sore.

I didn't take a lot of pictures on the ride because the camera spent most of the ride in the case. But I did manage to get a few.

Here is the crew in Millinoket, ME. You can see Mt. Katahdin in the background. OK, so if you squint and really look closely over Aaron's right shoulder you can see it in the distance.

Some of the riders in front of us. This picture was taken the second day. It looked like it was going to rain but it didn't. It was a nice day for a ride. Not to hot, not to cold.

Us on the road.

A random windmill farm we rode past. I think they are so cool!

Aaron and I at a stop in Frenchville, ME.

My babe on his bike.

I saw a lot of strange things on the ride. And I certainly wasn't expecting to see the planets. I thought they were picking on me when they told me to be on the look out for the solar system. But alas, they were not! I am not sure why but up north along route 1 you can see the Maine Solar System Model. I missed most of the planets but I did manage to get this picture of Uranus. I got one of Saturn too but it is really blurry so I will spare you. They each have explanations below them on the ground for you to read. Weird.

I had such a great time on this trip, I told Aaron that we should explore all states we live in this way. On the Harley I really looked around, smelled the great outdoors (the good and the bad) and I was really able to take it all in. A bonus was that we figured out how to put my iPod on underneath my helmet so I even had music to listen too while enjoying the sites.

Some bad parts of the trip were that we lost a rider along the way. She was a novice rider and around going around a corner she lost control in some dirt. She wasn't going fast at all so she didn't hit very hard. She ended up with stitches and a brace on her right leg. It was scary seeing her laying there! And scary when they put her in the ambulance. I am so glad she is alright!

Another not so good moment was me seeing my first moose. I did finally get to see a moose but not quite how I wanted. Next time I hope to see a live moose on the side of the road, not a mushed one in the middle. Gross!

I am happy that I went. I never could have seen so much of Maine otherwise. I really am looking forward to our next bike ride!

Happy Birthday Allison!

The Phrase

Today, for about the 15^th time since I have been married, I have heard the phrase “Oh, you are newlyweds…” The response was most recently spoken after someone asked me question “How long have you been married?” and I responded “3 ½ years."

The phrase “Oh, you are newlyweds” always seems to be spoken with a sense of superiority, a hint of condescension and a twinge of jealousy. Why do people feel the need to utter this phrase? I have no idea. Are they trying to prepare me by letting me know marriage is full of ups and downs? This, I have already found out. In the 3 ½ years since Aaron and I have been married we have moved 3 times to 3 different states. We have been apart for 16 months during his deployment. And countless other times for Army training. I spent a year on dialysis before I received a kidney transplant. Aaron spent every day of the 10 days at the hospital after the transplant and was my nurse when we got home.

What I have learned so far in my 3 ½ short years of marriage is that life is hard marriage has not been. Life has thrown us challenges that could break up any marriage but our marriage is stronger for it. After being married for 3 ½ short years. I can say without a doubt that Aaron is my best friend and the perfect husband for me. We have faced challenges head on together and will continue to do so throughout our life together.

Am I naive to think that marriage is easy? Not a chance. I know it’s hard. I am a product of a few divorces. I have seen almost ended marriages and have seen the toll life can take on a marriage. I know life will continue to challenge us and throw roadblocks at us but instead of dreading our years to come, I am excited to see what they have in store for us and how we will face these challenges together.

I don’t know if these people are trying to tell me that once the ‘newlywed’ period ends that things go downhill. I hope not. I hope not for their sakes. If so, what do they have to look forward too? Do they really think they best years of marriage are behind them? What an awful thought. And I hope this is not the case for them.

I have decided that when people are talking about their wedding, or talking about how much fun they have with their husband, or how much they love being married (These are the things I have said that prompt them to ask how long I have been married.) that my response will be “Oh, your newlyweds… marriage will only get better!” I don't want to start them off in their life together with negative words. I am sure (as I will learn in life) they will need all the positivity around them they can get.

I am sure some of you are reading this thinking the same thing I am writing about “Oh, she is just a newlywed, she has no idea what she is in for” but I hope not. I hope not for your sake.

My best friend and I just 3 1/2 short years ago.

EVOO

I was in the pet section today in Wally World and came across Rachael Ray dog treats. No, I am not kidding. I had to look twice to make sure it was her! I found on-line where she has started Rachael Ray Nutrish.

I used to watch Rachael Ray all the time. I had to quit because I got Ray overload! And now she is on magazines, all things cooking as well as dog treats?! When will this woman run out of energy?

Click to Enlarge

I went for a ride today to Bailey's Island. I took some pictures which I will post soon, but I wanted to try my hand at photo stitching again. You can see the seams in the sky. But that can't be helped. I will have to try again at a different time of the day. But the smaller version looks good! But I did think it was a pretty enough picture to share.

Click on the photo below to enlarge it.

Sorry I can't make it any bigger here on Blogger. I don't think they enjoy the panoramic pictures. Or it could be I just haven't figured out how to post them yet.

Happy Birthday Erin!

(Fran, Erin and I)

I hope you have a great birthday! I miss you lots!

Wanted: Some Sunshine

I haven't really been paying attention to the rest of the world but here in Maine, all it has been doing is raining. Until Sunday, I had almost given up hope that it would stop raning. There are records being set all over around here for the number of inches we have been getting. (Click Here).

For the most part this weekend Aaron and I were inside. We don't mind it too much because it allows us to read, watch movies, eat, etc... All things we love to do! However, Sunday (when there was a brake in the rain.) we decided to go to the closest state park, Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, and do something we hadn't done yet just sit there. We have walked/hiked a lot of the state parks around us and they are awesome. But we decided to take a book (me)/magazine (Aaron), sit and enjoy the calm that comes with the end of the day.

It was so calming to sit and read as the waves hit the rocks around us. We weren't on the ocean but we were close in Casco Bay. While reading I was still able to take in the sounds and smells that surrounded me. Aaron really liked it too! As we were hiking back to the car he said "we will have to do that again!" It was the most calm I had felt in awhile. I suggest a night of reading/sitting in a calm place to anyone!

I didn't get any good photos because it was still cloudy out but I was able to capture this mushroom. Aaron spotted it amongst the trees.

Does anyone else think this mushroom resembles the colors of the sun? I do! And then I got to thinking that although the sun hasn't been showing itself much around here, maybe this was God's way of telling me that you can find beauty/color even on the dreariest of days not just the sunny ones.

Start Simple

I started my craft train today! I hope I can keep it running. I have so many ideas in my mind that I want to try. I started out simple with a keychain. I followed this tutorial (somewhat) : The Super Easy Keychain Tutorial.

I really like her ribbon. I had a hard time finding something I thought was really cute. I ended up using ribbon I already had. That figures, right!?

Here is my new keychain:


I know it doesn't look like much but a lot when into this little guy. First, I had to find all the materials needed, then I had to thread the sewing machine and the bobbin. I am not a fan of the bobbin, let me tell you. Then I had to master a straight line. I did pretty well with the lines. (Don't look to close!) I even remembered how to put the machine in reverse which made me proud. I think it came out ok for my first try!

Next, I am going to attempt this Quickie Luggage Tag tutorial from My Longest Year. After these two simple sewing projects, I am going to try and sew an apron. I think I am one of the few women on the planet who doesn't own one. I can't wait to give it a try.

I will keep you posted on my progress!

Go Army! Beat Navy!

We got a new flag today. I plan on displaying it out front proudly! And maybe if we are lucky irritate our neighbors in the process (we live in Navy housing). Ha ha...just kidding...well, sort of!

(USMA Black Knight)

Princess Crime Fighters

How did I not know before how cool Jo-Ann Fabrics could be? I went today after work to get one more thing so I could start my key chain. I walked around for at least a 1/2 hour. It seemed more like 5 minutes. I just wondered around thinking about all the cool stuff they had and how if Karen were there she could give me some great ideas.

Along with my supplies for the key chain, I purchased a yard of fuzzy fabric for Boone. I had been trying to find another great deal on a blanket for him but couldn't do it. I didn't want to pay $10 for a blanket that the dog would just drag around the house and slobber all over. I found in the corner of the store fabric that was 50% off so I grabbed some. The fact that it had dalmatians and fire hydrants all over it is a bonus! Although, I am sure he doesn't care about the print. He got a new blanket today for $4.00. He was happy with gift and I was happy with the price!

The best part of the trip was when I took my fabric up to get cut. In line ahead of me was a mom and her two little girls. The little girls were telling the sales lady that they were making capes out of the fabric to fight crime and do good around the street. Have you ever heard anything so cute!?! They were so excited that their mom was buying them a yard of pink fabric each to make them into princess crime fighters!

It put a giant smile on my face instantly! And then I wished more people would bring their children to the fabric store to spark their imagination. I guarantee a yard of fabric and a little imagination is less expensive then buying one video game. I hope someday to be able to take my child to the fabric/craft store. Who knows what great childhood memories could come out of it!

Beware...

For awhile now, I have been reading craft blogs. I find it very interesting that they can create such cool things on their own, from scratch. I always look at the finished product and figure I could never replicate it. Well, last week I found a blog that had a lot of fun crafts featured on it. I decided to try a few, a few of the easy ones of course. But I was so excited I went right out to Jo- Ann Fabrics to find supplies.

Beware, attempt to craft at your own risk!

Don't worry all those supplies are not for the same project! I will let you know how my attempt at making a few things goes. I am starting with a homemade key chain. Sounds easy enough, right!? Let's hope so. It will involve using my sewing machine. And the girls know how bad I am at straight lines on that thing! If it comes out well I may post it for you and if you're lucky, I might even share with you my disasters!

And if you see nothing on the blog, well...that means my attention span wasn't long enough to complete a project. ;o)