From 18 to 30

This is my husband (then my boyfriend) and I celebrating our 18th birthdays. In 1998. When we graduated high school together and headed off to separate colleges. We had no idea where our relationship was going to go. We had so many new adventures ahead for us bringing new challenges for us both. Surviving 4 years of college as a couple, living away from each other was definitely not easy. But we made it, somehow.



This September we both celebrated our 30th birthdays. We decided to celebrate and invited our friends and family for a night out. I really was hating the idea of turning 30 (and feeling old) for the longest time, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I should be thankful for another year.



Recently we returned to my alma matter (North Park University in Chicago) and walked around the campus. We walked down the same streets and paths where I had lived for 4 years and Ryan had driven once a week to visit me, towing our little two year old behind us in his wagon. It was pretty surreal, thinking about how unsure we were about things then and how blessed we are now.





Here's to 30 more birthdays...and then some!

Full circle

In February of 2008 my world turned upside down forever. I was told that my baby boy had a birth defect called spina bifida. I was scared, sad, and felt like I had nowhere to turn. Although family and friends were very supportive, I didn't feel like they could really understand what I was feeling.

Throughout the rest of my pregnancy I was able to find peace in God's word and tried to rest in knowing that he was in control. We named our baby Nathan, which means "gift of God" because we truly believed that no matter what he was a gift and a blessing.

After Nathan was born and I entered (or was forcefully thrown into) the world of medical terminology, specialists, tests, procedures, and surgeries for my brand new baby I started to lose that peace. With every night that passed that he wasn't able to be off oxygen, every test that was run with undesirable results, and every milestone that wasn't met on time I began to withdraw to a dark place. The feeling that no one could really understand what I was going though returned. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle all this, how we were going to make it.

So I started searching. And that's when I found Owen and his mom Jen. I had randomly come across a video of him on you tube. Then I found his caringbridge website that chronicled his whole journey with sb and a bi-lateral cleft lip and palate. I'm pretty sure I read his whole 2 and a half year story in about 48 hours. He was (is!) such an amazing little boy and the way Jen wrote his story and captured his joy in those videos inspired me. I reached out to her and she reached right back. And things started to get better. The more I learned about Owen and Jen the more renewed I felt.

Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend, 2010. Jen and I had already spent a short weekend together at a conference for mother's of children with special needs. But Nate and Owen had never met. On their way through to Chicago, Jen, Owen and the rest of their family stopped for a visit. And this is where my whole (long-winded) story comes full circle. Nate and Owen were able to meet each other! It was such a wonderful experience to have Nate meet someone who was "just like him". And Owen was excited that they both love the Cubs! It was truly a very special time for me. And Jen, I hope you know how grateful I will always be that you chose to share Owen's story. I have since found such a large and amazing support group. I am thankful for each and every one of you!



Jen and Nate



Nathan and Owen playing together :)



The whole gang: Owen, Liam, Zane, Nate and Kate



Cubbie buddies



This one just melts my heart!

The Yellow Bowl

I'm not sure how or when it started. The family feud, that is, over a bowl. A yellow bowl. I don't know too much about it really, other than it was my Gramma's and it was coveted by her children (my dad, his brothers and their wives). I also know that my mom really wanted it, but my uncle got it. And likes to remind us whenever he can, that he got it. Even going as far as labeling it in photos on facebook. Well. As I was uploading photos, I realized that I have a yellow bowl in my family on the Burnett side. And it is nearly identical. Surely you all can appreciate the irony of having a yellow bowl show up on ravioli day (post to come later). However, nobody other than my parents, aunts and uncles can understand what it meant to me when I realized that I could someday be the proud owner of this yellow bowl. Once I filled Ryan in on the whole story, he decided that we must have it. First thing tomorrow morning I am going to call my wonderful mother-in-law and fill her in on this decision too! Hopefully she can tell me the origins of her yellow bowl and in reading this my parents, aunts and uncles can fill me in on the history of theirs. I, for one, think it makes for a great story. How about you?