For Better or Worse...

I was married June 23, 1990.  I was 18 and ready to conquer all the negativity that follow a young couple getting married with no college degree and on my side, no family support.  For the first 5 years things went well, typical problems, demands and struggles of newlyweds.  To add to this, I became pregnant 6 months after I was married and had my first daughter at 20. 

Then the bigger struggles and trials bombarded our marriage.  I suffered from postpartum depression shortly after my daughter was born. Then a few years later my husband began working 2nd shift, which allowed us little time together.  Our relationship slowly became strained and we began drifting apart. 

Then on September 15, 2001, my then 9 year old daughter became very ill.  It started as what appeared to be a stomach bug, but then she couldn't keep her head up and she wasn't getting better.  After two Doctor visits and two trips to the hospital, my daugher was admitted to St. Christopher's Hospital with a brain hemorrhage and also suffered a mini-stroke.  They had no idea what was wrong with her and I was left terrified for my little girl's future.  To add to this stress, I was pregnant with my 2nd child.  I was always a worrier and this incident pushed me over the edge.  I wouldn't leave my little girls side, I stopped eating, drinking.  All I wanted was answers and to know what the future held for my daughter.  The answers didn't come until December 2002.  Due to all the stress of my daughter's illness, I developed a hematoma that threatened the life of my unborn child.  I was put on bed rest and once again filled with questions and worry about both of my girls.  My daughter came home from the hospital just in time to celebrate her 10th Birthday, she was restricted to no physical activity until we had some answers. So I laid awake most nights alone, while my husband worked, staring at her, hoping she would wake up the next morning. 

It was during this time I began attending a church looking to God for answers, hope, reassurance, something. 

To be Continued...

February 16, 2010...

On this day I lost my Best Friend, my Dad. At the time I honestly didn't think my life could get any harder, little did I know! 

My Dad and I had a bound a Father & Daughter rarely share.  I was his "teeny-weeny" and he was my Hero!  My Dad became very ill in November of 2009, he had suffered with leukemia for a few years, but in November he took a very rapid turn for the worse.  He entered hospice on February 12th and on February 16th, he lost his battle with cancer.

At the time I was struggling with the loss of my dad, I couldn't imagine life getting any harder.  Was I in for a huge surprise.  Less than 3 months after losing my dad, my life was about to change drastically, and I was not prepared to handle the trials that were about to come my way!

Moving On...

Today is my first official day as a "blogger".  In the past year, my life has taken insurmountable twists and turns and looking back on them I am finding that I am forgetting details of what has happened that has reshaped my life and who I am forever.

As best as my memory will allow, I am going to spend the next few posts reflecting on what has transpired in my life, the mistakes I made along the way, what I have learned and how I have grown. 

First; some background:

I am Christian and a Mom of 2 beautiful gifts from God.  My two girls are the most important thing to me and I cherish them every day.  I work full-time as an Executive Assistant for Special Education and I love my job.  I have also been married for 21 years, you will read more about this in later posts! 


These are the "Footprints of my Life"