Don't forget to check out Astrid's blog to: http://rocasvida.com/
So we had a little party for Ms. Astrid (Kim) to meet the whole gang before she had to leave us. Quite an adventure with my closest friends and family. It is all laughs and hugs at our little backyard shin-digs. Here is a peek inside....OPA!!!! Don't forget to check out Astrid's blog to: http://rocasvida.com/
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A path to the light has been found, a new beginning has emerged from all the pain. I can not begin to tell you all that the last couple of weeks has brought to me. Another doctors appointment and Kim coming to the Big Easy! First thing first Kim (aka Astrid) came to stay with me in NOLA! I can't tell you how excited I was for her to come. I was like a giddy little school girl the whole time, waiting impatiently. When she finally arrived Robbie & I swooped her up and took her for a stroll in downtown. I do say I wish we would have had more time there as we were having a grand time. We visited shops, saw the sites, watched local dancers & musicians, revisited places from the Tomboy years and made great plans. It was a magical day and I was so happy she got to meet all the wonderful people in my life. We headed out to the doctor the next morning and of course mother nature was dishing out some freezing temps with sleet and snow. It was beautiful and serene to see the snow falling through the pines. We had a plan to listen to her playlist the way there but the music quickly faded as we were chatting away. We went through our checklists for the doctor because...we forget. I teased her about her "SURPRISE" after we left the doctor...I know she was so excited that I planned this without her knowing anything! We talked and talked about everything and anything. It was a great drive there! Arriving at the doctor we got all checked in and had some laughs with their Valentine Bag display. Drop a little sweatheart into the bag you liked the most. Good Times! Well we finally got called back and Kim went first. Before doc came in she shared with me some truly inspiring words from her book that left us both in tears. We held hands and prayed as the moment sank in. Doc came in and we shared with him her words of inspiration and we all hugged it out. LOL<3 She broke out her list and started firing questions as I took notes in the corner...again we forget. Then it was my turn and I started firing away with my questions and Kim was in the corner taking notes. We came and accomplished the goals we set out for our recovery and left with our hopes and hearts filled! I have to say each visit to see him is very emotional. We laugh, we cry and we PRAY! Words can not express the true depth of how much I have been blessed to have Kim & our LLMD in my life. They are both truly an inspiration and my saviors. All three of us will do great things...you just wait and see! So the moment yall have been waiting for....THE BIG SURPRISE!! As soon as we left doc's office we headed to our surprise destination. Kim was so excited and we talked about all that we accomplished in our visit. We finally arrived at The Paragon Casino!! Kim was SO EXCITED!!! We got checked into our room and I did my last IV treatment while she got ready. She helped me fix my hair because it is sooooo dry and frail from all the antibiotics it just looks like a big rats nest most of the time. She worked her magic and BOOM brushable hair!! I was one happy lady! We got dressed and headed down to see the gators in the lobby and off to the casino. I did not have a care in the world that night I was free from my port & IV and with a true friend. Kim says I was walking tall that night, beaming with confidence, I personally did not feel so confident...I just didn't care. I was not there to impress anyone just wanted to have a great time and unwind with her. I was kid free, hubby free and stress free...could not ask for anything more!! We played the penny & nickel slots most of the night and we met some interesting people. THANKS to W for the great service lol! After we were done in the casino we popped back to the room to freshen up and then headed for dinner in the little 50's diner they had. We brought the food up to the room and talked some more. We came up with some great ideas ( I will be sharing after my visit to Austin...so stay tuned). I had the best night hanging out with her. I felt free for the first time in a long time. The next morning we packed up and headed down to check out. While we were checking out I stopped to take some pictures of Kim in the lobby and out of nowhere an older gentleman asked who she was. He assumed because I looked all professional that she was someone famous getting her pictures "did". Funny enough the man was the piano player for Crystal Gayle...GO FIGURE!! So I captured a few shots of our up and coming star Kim and Mr. Dunlap. Just a side note, did some researching and he and his brother also played for Loretta Lynn and are in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame! On our way home we were passing an old PIGGLY WIGGLY and we both looked at each other and said "I haven't seen one in ages, lets go!" So, we went and in that split second decision changed the course of our lives forever. We went in to buy some shirts and ended up making some new friends. Kim was telling the ladies all about Lyme and I was talking with the cashier and coming up aisle 8 was a Cajun as true as they come. He was speaking in that Cajun tongue and my messed up brain was having a hard time keeping up. He then asked me if I knew God's name...and I just looked puzzled. He then said God's name is HOWARD. I turned and looked at Kim and said you have to hear this. One thing led to another and before we knew it we were in the back of the store where he was smoking some turkey necks. It smelled sooo good. He was so sweet and asked if we had time and I said of course. He said to meet him upfront and so we headed up. On aisle 8 of the Piggly Wiggly a new mission and dream was born. I can not tell you the details of this yet but you will know all about it shortly. After a short while he came up aisle 8 bearing a big gift. He had brought us some yummy ribs to take home for dinner. Now Kim and I both know he bought those for us and we are truly grateful for his generosity because he did not have to. One of those moments in life when you know a kind and giving soul and makes you feel the urge to Pay It Forward! Thank you for showing us your true soul, we love ya Mr. Gautreaux!! <3 To say the least Kim & I talked of our new plans the whole way home. I took notes of our conversation and all the details from our trip. This is one of the best days of my life, I will never forget the birth of this new beginning. Our lives and the people around us will forever be changed because of this day. There will be more to come on all the developments but just keep this in mind BIG things are happening for these two ladies...BIG DREAMS COMING TRUE! Our path to the light has begun. 2-7-14 New Beginnings Pinky Swears LOVE YA SWEETIE <3 Here is to US and our NEW future!
Life has thrown another curve ball my way and brought me to my knees for guidance from above.... Life is precious and short. In the blink of an eye... a lifetime could pass you by.. everything can change... So forgive often & love with all your heart... You may never know if you will have the chance again As many of you know already my husbands grandmother passed January 21 unexpectedly. Her passing has caused me great pain inside that I have not shared with anyone. From someone who lost their grandfathers before I was even born and to loose both my grandmothers fairly young she became my Maw Maw. She had been battling dementia in the last few years of her life and was enjoying her new life in a great home that catered to her needs. She had an accident that left her with a broken hip and broken femur but she pulled through and had started physical therapy. All in all I thought for sure she was going to be fine, but sadly it did not turn out that way. The morning she passed she went to her PT as normal but asked if she could stop early because she was tired. The nurse said it was fine and took her back to her room to rest. The nurse got her all fixed up and said she would be back to check on her in a little while, when she returned she had passed in her sleep. I am forever grateful that she passed on her own terms and peacefully in her sleep. My heart is saddened from the loss. She was a very interesting woman and I loved to hear her stories. She would tell me all about her days as a child on the strawberry farm and her life up until Paw Paw had passed in 2004. The great adventures they took and the love of her family and church. I watched as her memory faded and she slowly forgot the things that meant so much to her. It was hard to watch my husbands family loose her that way. The service was wonderful and the pastor made all the difference in the world as he knew Maw Maw Ruby personally. He brought an intimate setting to her service that I will never forget. It touched my soul and left me thinking. In a day that brought such chaos from the icy weather, closed bridges, freezing rain, nurse coming, infusion and my picc line dressing coming off a beautiful soul was laid to rest and a fire lit in me. My emotions from the service impacted me so intensely because of my own internal battle with my mortality. After finally receiving a diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease and Lupus my life has changed dramatically. I feel like I have went through stages that has left me where I am today. Not all are sunshine and happiness and not all are dark and depressing. Somewhere in between I had a breakthrough, but this loss set me back. I started out with bittersweet emotions finding out I had Lyme Disease. I was grateful for FINALLY having an answer but saddened at the grandeur of the disease. I struggled with the acceptance from close family and friends. Still till this day there are people in my life that do not wish to learn or acknowledge the depth of Lyme and its impact on my life. I moved past the bitterness and tried to focus on the healing. This is easier said than done. Things that were going on in my personal life and in my family at the time just broke me. My whole world ceased to exist as I knew it. Things had changed and my heart was broken, my dreams shattered. Something profound came out of this catastrophe, a new me. I had been broken for the last time, I could not fathom another moment of the past to haunt me. I had hit my rock bottom of emotions. Everything that I held dear was slipping from my grip. If it were not for a few true friends I do not know how I would have fared. Their words and guidance brought me from a place of darkness to a warm place in the Lyme Light. (Kim, Kara, Deb & Jess I am forever grateful for your kindness & endless support <3) I have described to my friends this experience that I had in a unique way. It was like being led to the water by the congregation for a cleansing of my soul, to be reborn. To be in the river and have my body thrust into the depths to wash away every bit of hurt and resentment that I carried with me. It was purifying and at the end everyone rejoiced in my new found empowerment. I have never been more clear on my path than I am now. To me I was given the greatest gift. A gift of true forgiveness. Do not get me wrong I did not forget the terrible and unthinkable things that have been done to me but I no longer were going to let them define me. I have moved on from the hate, resentment, pain, isolation, betrayal and regret. I feel I have been unburdened by these debilitating emotions. I made it to the other side and I am so grateful. My conscious is finally cleared and my heart purged for a new beginning. My purpose and calling now is on healing my broken body and elevating my mind to utter peace. For the first time in my life I need to focus on ME. It is not about everyone else right now. This time...this time I need the help. I need the troops to rescue me. I do not seek your pity. I seek your wise words on your experiences, your words of encouragement, a helping hand when I can not get up on my own, an understanding that you don't understand how this feels and offer support regardless without judging me, I seek unconditional friendship and love. I am realizing how fragile my life is after the passing of Maw Maw Ruby. How in a blink of an eye it can be over. So why would I want to spend it dredging up the past and living in pain. I have moved on from that place but it brings me back to a sense of urgency to get well. I do not want my life to end on that note and this disease is not going to define me but RE-DEFINE my life.
I mean that only good is going to come from all that I am suffering and going to suffer. This disease has brought people from my past back into my life and started new friendships that will never be replaced or forgotten. A beautiful story is unfolding right before my eyes and this roller coaster is going full speed ahead! Hold on tight...it's going to be a bumpy ride! I have decided it is time to start my "Bucket List" and start making some memories. There are things that I have wanted to do all my life and there are things that I wanted to accomplish in life on my list. This list is not complete by any means but it is a work in progress. Hopefully, no one will laugh to hard at my ambitions but some are kind of crazy and very adventurous but that is what a bucket list is for...right? I want to go outside my comfort zone and experience life in a whole new light. Maybe some of my friends and family will want to join in and start knocking all these things off our lists. Don't you want to experience life to the fullest? I mean we only get one life, don't we? Well here is the start of my never-ending bucket list:
I hope everyone takes the time to make a bucket list so you can feel accomplished at the end. The feeling that you didn't leave anything undone. That is the purpose of mine, making my dreams come to life. Remember that you can do small bucket lists for the seasons or just for a specific thing. You don't have to start out with your whole life plan! There is a great website that helps you create a bucket list and stay organized. It also shares other peoples ideas and things they have accomplished. The name of the site is www.bucketlist.org Go & Create Some Memories!! I would love to hear some of the things on your bucket list, PLEASE SHARE! Just comment below :)
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