Must Read

Brooke’s angel wings

November 28, 2011 By Priscilla 21 Comments

I have a giveaway! I have a giveaway!!! I’m so excited. I have a giveaway!

Creative Mamma was done for a day, so you get an extra day to enter and the choice between the amethyst necklace shown or this Longhorn necklace shown in the etsy shop.

We all know how life can change in an instant. Some of us have experienced it, knowing first hand just how true those words ring.

Others have only read about it, or heard about it.

It has been just over a month, but on October 18, 2011 I read a story that changed my life. On October 31, 2011 I met the little girl, Brooke, that fought all odds and lived so her Mommy could tell that story.

Have you read the story written by Michele and Laurie?

It’s FIXED

If not, please do so now. (It’s required to enter the giveaway!)

Read

Ok, so you’ve read.

I was already friends with Michele, that’s how I found the story. I quickly became friends with Laurie, too.

Would you like to own one of those BEAUTIFUL necklaces?

Would you be willing to spread the story? Maybe save a life?

Would you like to own THIS beautiful necklace? (modeled and photographed by yours truly)

You know you want me.

Well, I can’t just GIVE it away. I have to make you work for it. It’s only fair.

Here’s what you have to do. (I’m going to assume you were all very obedient and read the story. It’s a must. Really. I’ll kindly wait why you go read it if you didn’t the first time I asked.)

Visit Laurie’s new Blog.- It just went LIVE on 11-28. It’s THAT new. Subscribe to her blog, follow her on twitter or like her facebook page. Tell me which on you did. If you did all 3 then by all means post 3 times. I just want to make sure you stay in the loop.
Share her mending wings story on twitter or facebook. tell me about it.
Share something awesome in her store on twitter or facebook. Tell me what it is.

For each thing you do, you get an entry. It’s that easy.

I will pick a winner (by random draw) on Tuesday December ~~6th~~7th. That gives you ONE FULL WEEK!

Be sure to share this giveaway with your friends and loved ones. They may just win it FOR YOU!

Keep in mind you will win the necklace pictured in this post!

Filed Under: Must Read, Networking

That’s life. My life.

November 2, 2011 By Priscilla 7 Comments

Here is something I wrote in 2006 and never published.

It's short and sweet and tells why I wouldn't change my paralysis.

I have been a paraplegic since 1999. I won't lie. I hate it. It sucks,

but I am not going to let this define who I am or tell me what I can

and can't do. I am changed, but still the same. I have the same dreams.

I am married and a mommy. My son and husband are the best things

that ever happened to me and no one can gurantee that they would be who

they are if this hadn't happened to me. You can say I can't be sure of

 that, I love what I have so much, can't take that chance. I can't think

about how things might have been. There is no way they could ever have

come even close to being this wonderful.

Yes, I am stuck in this chair forever. I will never walk, dance or feel

again. I've gotten over it. I've moved on.

Yes, that's life.

My life.

Filed Under: Family, Must Read

Starflight

October 21, 2011 By Priscilla 3 Comments

Okay, so on Monday I promised a post in regards to a tweet. It was also a facebook status. This might all make bit more sense if I had my complete story up.

I’m a slacker so I do not. Yet. I will.

Okay. Here was the tweet.

I’m not really sure what happened.

It’s been 12 years.

I live with what happened every day. I talk about it every day in some form or another. I think about it every day. It is my every day.

I NEVER ESCAPE IT.

So, why did seeing starflight UP CLOSE have that effect on me?

I mean, I saw starflight last month, when my state was burning. They were dropping water on a fire less than a mile from my house.

I can’t really explain what I felt. It happened so suddenly. We saw the helicopters in the parking lot. The boys were jumping out of their skin with excitement. We made our way to them. I was less than 10 feet away. I was standing off to the side to take pictures. Kids were climbing in. They were giggling. My kids were about 3 families back. They were now 2 families back. My heart started pounding. My breathing got heavy. My hands were shaking. I almost started crying. I had to take several deep breaths and smile. MY kids were up. I had to get close enough to touch it. I took the pictures but everything was foggy.

It was time to roll to the other side. MY boys were smiling.

Then they wanted to go to the back and see where the patient goes in. I wanted so badly to scream.

I managed to whisper to Charlie what I was feeling but there was nothing he could do. He was juggling Nathan and the boys were running off to look at the police helicopter. The exact same helicopter. Just a different paint job and different layout on the inside. I immediately calmed down. The feeling passed. It lasted no more than 5 minutes. Max.

Later, when it took off, I felt nothing. It was loud and I briefly thought about how loud it was from the ground and compared it to how loud it was actually being IN one but the racing pulse, heavy breathing, all that was gone. It didn’t return.

Filed Under: How do you..., Must Read, Networking

A little video

April 18, 2011 By Priscilla 10 Comments

I thought I’d go ahead and share this video I made for my scrap friends. It’s good timing considering there may be a few NEW READERS this week. (more on that in a sec.)

The video is mostly focused on us and not scrap so everyone should get a kick out of it.

I just wanted to give everyone reading a head’s up to be on the lookout for not one but TWO guest spots this week. I will be posting elsewhere on Thursday and Friday this week. I will be providing a link to WHERE on that day.

Filed Under: Family, fun, food, & hobbies, How do you..., Must Read Tagged With: vlog

if tomorrow never comes

April 14, 2011 By Priscilla 2 Comments

This song was played at my grandma’s funeral. .. in the early 90s.

I still can’t listen to it without bawling.

I’m not sure what made me think about it, since I avoid it like the plague (really! If I am anywhere and it starts playing I stick my fingers in my ears and act like I’m 3).

Do you have a song that just really speaks to you? In a good or bad way?

Here is a LO with Grandma and Grandpa CJ (he died earlier, probably 88?)

Kit: Eva Kipler’s All The little things
http://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/sw…amp;amp;page=1

template : sara gleason freebie and DJB Jenna font

If you are not familiar with the song, here are the lyrics.

If Tomorrow Never Comes By Garth Brooks

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She’s lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she’s my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

‘Cause I’ve lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she’s my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you’re thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

Filed Under: fun, food, & hobbies, How do you..., Must Read

she was my best friend

April 7, 2011 By Priscilla 25 Comments

The woman that caused my accident? She was one of my best friends at the time.

I’ve only “spoken” to her through letters when I was pregnant with William. I can’t even remember if I told her I was expecting.

She was also married to my brother, at the time.

Where is she now? I’m not really sure. I’ve heard a little bit here, and a little bit there. When her oldest son, my nephew, got married, I saw her in the background of one of the pictures.

That’s where it’s stopped. I’ve heard rumors that she’s made snarky comments about having “served her time”. It was lead to imply no one should be angry or upset and all should be forgiven. I have not heard this first hand, so I have no idea how many times it may or may not have been twisted “telephone” style before it got to me.

Do I blame her? YES.

Do I forgive her? I suppose that I do. That’s a question I struggle with answering. Saying NO implies I want to go back and change everything and that is far from the truth. Saying yes implies I should “forget” about it. I know people are often “forgiven but not forgotten” so maybe that’s where we can leave it?!

Do I want to be her best friend again. Not hardly.

Do I want to know her again? Yes, I think so??

Will I take the action to reconnect? No.

It’s really a bizarre situation. She took my life and turned it upside down. I didn’t let it stay that way. I wouldn’t change any of it because I adore the life I have today.

My mom and brother? That’s a completely different story. They don’t get it. Not entirely. My brother looks at me like a pitiful invalid. It’s really funny. The stares, shaking of his head. It’s actually insulting. My mom is still just devastated that my life was changed so drastically. I know that she sees how happy I am but I don’t think she gets it the way I do. She always talks about how things have to be so much more difficult for me but yet I do it anyways.

The funny thing? Things aren’t difficult for me.

I’ve really gotten off track with this one, so I will go ahead and close for now. If there is ever a reconnection, I will let you know.

Filed Under: How do you..., Must Read

Lisa

February 14, 2011 By Priscilla 26 Comments

I just finished crying because of this post.

I was rambling in her comments and decided I should write my own post before tomorrow just in case this baby is a boy and not a girl and I don’t have the chance to do what I want to do.

In 1986 my 18 year old sister, Lisa, died of an aneurysm. It was sudden. We are pretty sure she did not suffer. I was 5. I remember so clearly every detail of the funeral home. I don’t really want to get into that though.

When I was pregnant with Lucas, I was headed to the mall with William and a Kenny Chesney song came on. I was listening to the words and bawling. Instantly. The lyrics made me think of Lisa. Would she have had kids? boys? girls? Would she be married to the same man? Would we be best friends?

Here is the song.

Kenny Chesney’s “Who you’d be today”

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
Wear the pain like a heavy coat
I feel you everywhere I go
I see your smile, I see your face
I hear you laughing in the rain
Still can’t believe you’re gone

Chorus:

It ain’t fair you died too young
Like a story that had just begun
The death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell that I’ve been through
Just knowing no one could take your *place*(instead of ‘love away’)
Sometimes I wonder who you’d be today

Would you see the world?
Would you chase your dreams?
Settle down with a family?
I wonder, what would you name your babies?
Some days the sky’s so blue
I feel like I can talk to you
And I know it might sound crazy

Chorus

Today, Today, Today
Today, Today, Today

Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
The only thing that gives me hope
Is I know I’ll see you again someday

Someday, Someday

I will never know. Her name was Lisa Ann. I did not yet know if Lucas was a boy or a girl. I decided RIGHT THEN that if we had a girl her name would have some form of Lisa Ann. So that is why if this baby is a girl she will be named Chloe AnnaLisa. I could NOT look at my baby every day and call her Lisa. It would hurt to much. I can’t imagine what it would do to my mom. My mom does know my plans and she thinks it’s beautiful.

There she is on her wedding day; one month before her death.

The other women are my sisters (except for Karen, not sure where she was) and our mom.

Here is another one with of all my mom’s daughters (she had 5 girls and 4 boys for a total of 9, just in case you didn’t know that)

Filed Under: Family, How do you..., Must Read

I have a story?

February 10, 2011 By Priscilla 17 Comments

I was reading my friend Katie’s blog the other day and I started rambling in the comments. I would like you to go read her post and watch the video before I continue.

Are you done? Awesome. Did you comment and subscribe to her blog? YAY!

So. My story. Someone actually asked me my story this past Saturday. I am always at a loss for what to say; especially on short notice and in the middle of a parking lot. I told her I was paralyzed 11 years ago and that was about it. Then she asked me if she could pray for me. Sure, if it make you feel good to pray for me I don’t really care. Then she wanted to know if she could pray WITH ME, RIGHT THERE. I had to tell her NO. My kids were in the van waiting (WITH DADDY, STOP FREAKING PEOPLE).

When I got back in the van I was telling my husband that this actually made me laugh. I couldn’t care less if someone wants to pray for me. That’s fine. What gets me is that they don’t know me and if they did they would realize that they DID NOT need to pray for me to be healed. I have a wonderful and amazing life. Yes, I am paralyzed. That doesn’t mean my life isn’t great because it is. I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I do everything everyone else does. I clean my house, I do the grocery shopping, I run my kids to all their fun activities. If you see JUST MY face, you would never guess that I couldn’t walk.

Why do you need to pray for that? There is nothing special about it.Praying for me is not going to suddenly make me walk. Trust me. I would know.

Now if you saw Katie’s video you’ll see how amazing she is and how she made me realize that we have both overcome so much, yet we stll do all the things we want to do. She’s an amazingly athletic women now and she was before. She didn’t let her injury stop her from doing the things she loved. She spoke of having Faith that things would be all right. I knew that too. I knew that I would be okay and while prayer is very important it doesn’t change whether or not we can walk. It doesn’t change OUR STORY. It may make our story easier to overcome. It may guide us to still be who we want to be. It may not. I prefer not to express my religious opinions on here but I will say it’s fantastic that we’ve both overcome so much and it takes having someone ask us for “our story” for us to even realize that we have one.

I’ve often thought about going to hospitals as well, but never have. Maybe I should look into that??

Filed Under: How do you..., Must Read

I’m 30 today.

January 15, 2011 By Priscilla 16 Comments

Yup. 30. It doesn’t
bother me at all. In all honesty, I’m happy to be out of my 20s. I
haven’t lived the life of a 20 year old since I was, well, never.
People always immediately tell me I’m such a baby when they find
out how old I am and it really drives me crazy. I wasn’t your
average 20-something and I’m not your average 30 year old. I’ve
been through so much more in my lifetime then I can ever wish on
anyone. When your life changes overnight when you are only 18,
everything is different. (you can read about me and FAQs if you
don’t know what I am talking about) My biggest problem is that
these people are usually my friends. My friends are usually older
then me. Older in number anyways. There is a reason THEY Are my
friends and not very many people the same age as I am or younger.
(I DO have friends my age and younger, I’ve just always had more in
common with people that are older). Some of that is probably
because I am the baby of 9. My oldest sibling is about to be 54.
I’ve never really been around that many people MY age (except at
school). ANYWAYS. Back to my birthday. Charlie and the boys are
taking me to
KONA. It’s probably my new favorite place.If you ever go,
get the sweet and spicy shrimp appetizer. I think we will probably
have to order 2 orders. It’s the best thing ever. The macadamia
chicken is divine, too. The shoyu-cream sauce is just mouth
watering. I have NO IDEA what is in it and I am afraid to ask. I’m
getting a diamond band that almost IDENTICALLY matches my wedding
band to go on the OTHER side of my engagement ring. (i have two
though. a gold one like hubbies and diamond one to go with
engagement ring). I’ll post a before and after.

Filed Under: fun, food, & hobbies, How do you..., Must Read

I thought you couldn’t have anymore?

December 29, 2010 By Priscilla 3 Comments

That’s the question I am getting now that we are pregnant again.

It’s not that I COULDN’T. It was that I SHOULDN’T.

If you know me, I don’t take no for an answer when I want a YES. So…… If you read this post, where I got a “green light”, it will clear things up a bit for you.