moving on...

...well if you've been around this blog in the last month, you've seen some changes....and now it looks like the changes have gone away.  They have...kinda.

I have loved writing this blog & have been so encouraged by so many of you who have followed my heart in this journey of life.  Thank you for all the kind words, affirmation, & sweet comments.  I really began writing here so that I could remember our family memories, but this little space has become so much more than that to me. 

I will continue to blog...I've just moved to a new space.  You can check it out here.  I'd love for you to continue to follow along, as I've made some new friends & would love to continue on this blogging journey with you!

 

#5

It's been 16 days since Aunt Na's accident & I am still blown away by the amount of people praying, sending well wishes, asking how they can help....it's been incredible.  She still has a long road to recovery,  but every day there is progress.  To God be the glory.

In January, I started writing about my Top 10 memories from 2013.  So naturally my #5 memory is one that has to do with my #1 Auntie. 

I think it was the summer I turned 12.  I'm almost positive that was the year I had my first Yosemite camping experience.  My family...I mean my Dad...doesn't really camp.  And when I say camp, I mean tents-sleeping-bags-thin-air-mattresses-1-shower-a-week kinda camping.  The only kind of camping there is, really.

So growing up we were deprived of this privilege.  I have no idea what bet my Dad lost to end up sleeping in a tent for a week, but I'm so glad he did!  Somehow, Aunt Na got our family to commit to camping with her in beautiful Yosemite...and that summer literally started the best tradition our family has.

Our camping group has grown over the years...extended family, grandparents, friends-who-are-like-family, high school friends, college roomies...now that we kids are grown up, we bring our spouses & kids....anyone is welcome, you just can't complain about the dirt. Or the tents.  Or the bugs.  Or the no make-up or showers for a week. 

Going to Yosemite is always a highlight of my year.  Especially now that I get to take Steve.  The first couple years, he wasn't really into it.  Then he learned how to relax & now he loves it!  And we've been taking Claire since she was 5 weeks old.  Just this morning on the way to school, she was asking how long until we get to go...& I love that she still calls it "Yo-Somebody."

After asking how many days til we get to go, she said, "Maybe we shouldn't go this year until Aunt Na gets all better.  She loves to go rock climbing & she might not feel good enough to do that yet."

Yep.  She said it.  What we've all probably been thinking, but don't really want to say out loud.  Yo-Somebody wouldn't be the same without Aunt Na.  She's the most fun to bike with, hike with, cook burgers with, night bike ride with, raft down the river with, play games at night with.  She knows all the best hikes, wild-life areas, cool shortcuts, best fly-fishing spots.  She's the one we all fight to spend time with.  She's the one who makes it a point to spend time with each of us, teaching us, laughing with us, snuggling with us, laughing with us, jumping off bridges into the freezing river with, LAUGHING with us.  She's seriously the best.

Yes, we may still go to Yosemite this year.  And yes, we'll still have fun.  We'll still bike, hike, swim, sleep-in, read, make foil dinners, fish, sleep in tents, not shower, & explore.  And hopefully Aunt Na will get to go, too.  Because it wouldn't be the same without her.  She's the one who made that part of our lives what it is today.  She's made it so important for our family to have our thing we do every year.  She's been the one to go the extra mile & find ways to make it extra special & make everyone feel like sleeping on the ground is the best thing ever.

There are still so many unknowns when it comes to Aunt Na's future.  We're praying hard for a full recovery.  But that just might not be a part of God's Plan for her life.  Yosemite might not be the same kind of trip it's been for the last 23 years.  And so I'm holding on to these memories with all my heart....

intentional living || february

I've never been a big goal setter.  I more make to-do lists of things to accomplish day to day, week to week, things I need to get done at home, at school, groceries, vacation planning, etc.  But in wanting to be more intentional in 2014, I've been trying to make monthly goals for myself.  This mostly came from the idea of wanting to be more physically healthy, but overall, I want to be mentally, spiritually, & emotionally healthy.  It started out of selfish motivation, but after a lot of prayer (& some research), it's become more about my role as wife, mommy, friend, daughter, sister, teacher, co-worker....

I follow Bre from Peacoats & Plaid, & at the beginning of this year she talked about a link-up she was starting called The Intentional Life Project ...ummmm...hello!!...how could I NOT be apart of this??  It's completely INTENTIONAL & there would definitely be some accountability. Win/win.

The theme for the February link-up is health, which of course could mean a lot of different things.  For me, I need to be healthy myself so I can be healthy for others.  My goals this month aren't anything crazy, but they're what I need for myself right now.  Baby steps.  Next month I can be a little more intense if I want to, or I can re-do what I didn't accomplish this month.  Awesome.

So my goals for this month are:
*go to bed by 9:30p on school nights
*READ more...less TV
*exercise at least 3X/week

February 1-3 I spent visiting my Aunt Na in the hospital, so I wasn't off to a great start.  But I came home & got busy...I mean kinda.  Going to bed by 9:30p isn't really "getting busy."  It's made a big difference in how I feel in the mornings though.  When my alarm goes off at 5:00a, I only push snooze once or twice....rather than 4 times! :)  I REALLY want to get to the point where I jump out of bed at that time & go work out!  Even if it's just for 15 minutes...just DO IT!  And I know that if...I mean WHEN...I do, it will be easier to get up at 5:00a...vicious cycle, I tell you!

As for my reading goal...I've been doing that the most consistently of all my goals.  However, the Olympics started last night...so there may be more tv watching in the next couple weeks than reading.  Oh well...you win some, you lose some!

I'm excited for a more intentional year...

Update 3: Aunt Na

Update as of last night:

We've been laughing a lot together which is good....and this definitely made us laugh...s my Mom is out on the phone and Janet, Andy and I are sitting with Aunt Na. She's been a bit sleepy since they gave her a little morphine for pain and discomfort. As we are sitting in her room this younger guy, jeans and cowboy boots....good looking (alright Janet!!)...strolls by her door.  He looks at us and says, "So this is the way you guys spend your Saturday nights around here?  Don't you know there's a casino right around the corner??" We laugh and say…..before we can answer he assertively walks in Aunt Na's room, heads straight for the ventilator and about then Janet says, "WHO ARE YOU????" He turns and says, "Oh, I'm Dr. Cinelli and who are you?" Turns out that he's the trauma doctor that Mom had spoken with Friday. He told us "Naomi scared the hell out of all of us yesterday!! Her lungs were terrible and she was in bad shape!  But today they are 100% better than yesterday." Awesome!! Our prayers are being answered! GOD is listening!

He basically told us they will be doing a tracheostomy tomorrow or Monday.  Many of the docs have also started talking about rehab and are pushing neuro rehab.  That is a huge prayer request....she'll hopefully be to that point sooner than later and we want to get her in the best place possible for her.

As of this morning:
Aunt Na had a good night.  Her GI tract is working and she made a move last night...nothing sacred these days...  The neuro PA came in to see her this morning and said she was better today than yesterday.  So good to hear that, because we see it, too.  He said she's "definitely home".  Like she's "there."  YES!!!  We all felt that was totally the case but sometimes her eyes are open but she looks a little vacant...she definitely tries to track with her eyes and follow our voices, that is another good sign.  Her white blood cell count is down, her fever is down but still fluctuating, her lungs are sounding much better though she is coughing up a lot of junk....good get it out so they can do the traech!

Aunt Na has been giving a lot of thumbs up to us when she likes certain things.  But this morning she had her right hand up and she was using her index finger to gesture to us to come to that side of the bed.  The nurse said, "Naomi you can move mountains with that little finger!"  She also now will slowly shake her head no for an answer and not just thumbs up.  Slow progress....but good progress.

Thank you all for your fervent prayers!  Keep them coming.  God is good...all the time.

Update 2: Aunt Na

It's been a few days since I've updated, but I'm sure many of you have been following the updates my sis, Katie, has put on Caring Bridge.  Yesterday was a very hard day.  Definitely some set backs and it was discouraging.  The hardest part was that my Mom was only one at the hospital when things went a little sideways.  Read all about it here.

My cousin, Andy, and I drove up to Reno yesterday afternoon and got here late last night.  Came right in to see Aunt Na.  I'm so glad for the pictures I was able to see of her this week before getting here, but nothing can quite prepare you to see someone you love so much in this condition.  Seriously, so hard.  Honestly, it sucks.

We came back this morning to see her and she was giving us thumbs up when we asked her questions.  She still just seemed out of it, like it took tons of effort to respond in any way.  Right before we left so the doc's could do their rounds, the neuro PA came in to talk to us.  He was awesome.  Realistic, but encouraging.  He explained the injury in a way we could understand and it made so much sense.

We just came back after rounds and she's had her eyes open a lot!  Andy stood by her side and she turned and seemed to look right at him.  She kept them pretty wide for several minutes.  We're just sitting in her room, praying, playing worship music, talking to her.  Don & Shirley...great family friends....just arrived.  Shirley said she's WAY more alert and responsive than when she was here last weekend, so that's encouraging.

The nurses here are incredible.  So kind, patient, and loving.  We couldn't ask for better care for our sweet Aunt Na.

PLEASE continue to pray.  Thank you for your faithfulness to pray and ask others to pray.  She needs them.  It's going to be a long road to recovery, but we're so thankful for the progress she's already made.  It's been a long week...emotional, tiresome, up, and down.  But the Lord has been so faithful. 
He always is.  He hasn't left her or forsaken her.  We're so thankful she's knows Him, as He will be her....our....Ultimate Peace, Comfort, Strength, and Joy through this healing process.

Give me Jesus....Give me Jesus...You can have all this world...Just give me Jesus.