So, last Thursday night we were preparing for the major winter storm we were supposed to be receiving. Darin called Jo at work about 4:15 or so and let her know the power had been out for about 20 minutes, ok no worries, it'll be fine, we thought. Well, we thought wrong... Jo made a few deliveries then met up with Darin and Liz after work we had a quick dinner then Jo and Liz were off to enjoy a "fun" girls night with a couple friends. We sent Darin home and continued on to our night out, our "fun" had cancelled due to weather warnings, so we made a short night of it (so it didn't count against us, for those of us with spouses, of course), Jo made her way home at a very early 8:30, wow, it sure was dark on the country roads home, oh wait, there was still NO POWER! Our neighbors didn't brave the outage with us, as they all have small children, we braved the night with no heat. Brought our mattress to the living room, shut all the doors and piled the blankets on top of us and slept until about 4 am, we turned on our small "emergency" use heater and began our day. After Jo got off work at 2pm (it's friday) there was still no power and the house was way tooo cold to stay in, she was packing for a hotel stay when the power came on. She loaded the dogs up, cranked the heat and started some laundry and left for an hour to let the house warm up. We are happy to report that we have had constant power until this morning when it flickered a few times then left us again for a few hours. Although it's a blizzard outside with some major wind gusts out there, we are lucky enough to still have power!
Although a hotel stay would have been so nice, who wouldn't enjoy a hot tub and vaca from cleaning, the pocket book would like to Thank the Power company for working so diligently to restore power, because with 2 small kids (SHHHH!!! they don't get it when we call them dogs) a hotel stay costs on average $20.00 more a night.
They send Darin home from work today due to most roads being closed and conditions worsening. Walmart and a lot of stores in town were closed today due to power outages. Anyone wanna place any bets on if we make it to work tomorrow?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIL' MAN
It seems like only yesterday, that you were brought into our lives, and oh what fun it has been. We would be lost without our Little Man! Korbin, we love and miss you so very much! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Thanks to our cell phones, Laura is able to keep us up to date on the pictures. The top is Korbin on New Years Day 2010, the middle is him on New Year's Eve, I think they had just brought him home and look at his mess, the "TERRIBLE TWO'S" should be fun at their house, and the bottom picture is Korbin on Christmas day, with the tractor and wagons that Aunt B and Uncle D bought him for Christmas! Just wanted to remind everyone, that Korbin has a Savings account in his name, to help him get started in life, that Darin and Jo are over, if you are ever interested in putting in any amount, please let them know and they will get you the information you need!
Thanks to our cell phones, Laura is able to keep us up to date on the pictures. The top is Korbin on New Years Day 2010, the middle is him on New Year's Eve, I think they had just brought him home and look at his mess, the "TERRIBLE TWO'S" should be fun at their house, and the bottom picture is Korbin on Christmas day, with the tractor and wagons that Aunt B and Uncle D bought him for Christmas! Just wanted to remind everyone, that Korbin has a Savings account in his name, to help him get started in life, that Darin and Jo are over, if you are ever interested in putting in any amount, please let them know and they will get you the information you need!
And the winner is.....
Late Thursday afternoon, Jo had a minor disagreement with the screen door, as the disagreement progressed, the level of her patience decreased. The fight ended with a fist to the handle and the door opening! However not so fast to give Congrats to Jo on her well deserved Victory, she was almost in tears with pain. She took a few minutes, rubbed and begged the side of her right hand to quit throbbing. It didn't really work, but she was not about to give in. Friday came and with it was some more swelling, throbbing, pain, and agony. But being the stubborn Jo that she is, she was not giving in to let the screen door win. Saturday came and alas she thought that the Congrats were going to be deserved until the swelling got a little worse, the throbbing a LOT worse, and the bruising began to appear! By Saturday afternoon she'd had enough and was ready to give in to the door's haunting laughter! She took herself to the Emergency Room, might I ad at this point that her hair and makeup was left undone due to pain (this should tell you how much pain there really was, for those of you that know her at all) And finally it shall be called a TIE!!! The door may have opened for Jo with the hit, however the door left some damage. Jo is bruised very badly on the right side of her hand, the Dr. was sure it was broken and informed her that it was indeed her lucky day! So with a new splint to keep it stable and immobile, and a script to be filled, Jo has admitted to defeat!!!
We should note at this time that the screen door handle is now broken and not shutting correctly at all. We think that both of them have learned their lesson and are proud to say they have called a truce!
We should note at this time that the screen door handle is now broken and not shutting correctly at all. We think that both of them have learned their lesson and are proud to say they have called a truce!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
An exciting Christmas eve
This year for Christmas Eve Darin was working, so Jo was invited to go with a friend to her family dinner. Liz has been awesome since we moved to North Dakota, and after Dog sitting for us on our quick trip to Iowa in November, she is still talking to us! She works for the local taxi company here in town, and was going to be on call that night, she needed to go into the office for about an hour (or so we thought) After making all of Jo's Scentsy deliveries she headed to Liz's office to head to the family's when she was done.
It was a busy night for Liz, only one driver was scheduled and well, a first for both of us, here's a rundown of the night.
Liz was awaiting my arrival at her office and we drove to the airport to pick up a stranded Christmas traveler due to our Christmas blizzard, the taxi's are handicapped accessible and we had a tough time figuring out the seat and turning it into a seat, finally our passenger sits down and forces the seat to cooperate. We drive him to his hotel and Liz gets out to open the door for him and POW!!! He is literally EJECTED from his seat. Luckily no harm was done and we were all able to laugh. We went back to the office to see how the lonely driver was doing, he was still pretty far behind so we went out again and yet another ride. We went to pick up an elderly woman on her way to Christmas Eve Church service, we got her to her services safely and again with no harm! We then went to a local restaurant to pick up a worker and take him home, he did not have correct change for the ride so we stopped at a gas station to make the change, when returning to the car the door didn't get shut tight and the lights kept randomly flickering during our journey to his home. I call it a journey because of the previous mentioned Blizzard we were having. The roads were very slick and Liz was driving a vehicle she is not used to driving. By this time we have received even more calls for rides, so we headed to another hotel in town to pick up a shopper, we took him to the store of his choice and picked up a couple waiting for their ride home. By this time Darin is calling and wants to know where we are to come join us for Christmas Eve. Now, please tell me how to answer that question, when we are literally traveling through town. We sent him to Liz's office in hopes of our safe return there a few minutes later. We continued on with taking our couple home for the Christmas Eve celebrations and alas we had the driver caught up enough for us to go to the office. By this time it's too late to join the family for dinner, so we met Darin at the office and told him of our adventures, as we were trying to remember all that had happened and all the calls we had received during our journey to schedule their rides for the next few days. It was quite the night, action packed and comical to say the least, I went home with my cheeks and stomach hurting from laughing so much and so hard! Liz told Darin that she was the driver and I was the brains, well Liz, I will be your brains anytime. Thanks for the fun night and not letting me spend the Holiday alone! You are a wonderful friend, and I don't think I will ever forget EJECT-A-MUNDO!!!
It was a busy night for Liz, only one driver was scheduled and well, a first for both of us, here's a rundown of the night.
Liz was awaiting my arrival at her office and we drove to the airport to pick up a stranded Christmas traveler due to our Christmas blizzard, the taxi's are handicapped accessible and we had a tough time figuring out the seat and turning it into a seat, finally our passenger sits down and forces the seat to cooperate. We drive him to his hotel and Liz gets out to open the door for him and POW!!! He is literally EJECTED from his seat. Luckily no harm was done and we were all able to laugh. We went back to the office to see how the lonely driver was doing, he was still pretty far behind so we went out again and yet another ride. We went to pick up an elderly woman on her way to Christmas Eve Church service, we got her to her services safely and again with no harm! We then went to a local restaurant to pick up a worker and take him home, he did not have correct change for the ride so we stopped at a gas station to make the change, when returning to the car the door didn't get shut tight and the lights kept randomly flickering during our journey to his home. I call it a journey because of the previous mentioned Blizzard we were having. The roads were very slick and Liz was driving a vehicle she is not used to driving. By this time we have received even more calls for rides, so we headed to another hotel in town to pick up a shopper, we took him to the store of his choice and picked up a couple waiting for their ride home. By this time Darin is calling and wants to know where we are to come join us for Christmas Eve. Now, please tell me how to answer that question, when we are literally traveling through town. We sent him to Liz's office in hopes of our safe return there a few minutes later. We continued on with taking our couple home for the Christmas Eve celebrations and alas we had the driver caught up enough for us to go to the office. By this time it's too late to join the family for dinner, so we met Darin at the office and told him of our adventures, as we were trying to remember all that had happened and all the calls we had received during our journey to schedule their rides for the next few days. It was quite the night, action packed and comical to say the least, I went home with my cheeks and stomach hurting from laughing so much and so hard! Liz told Darin that she was the driver and I was the brains, well Liz, I will be your brains anytime. Thanks for the fun night and not letting me spend the Holiday alone! You are a wonderful friend, and I don't think I will ever forget EJECT-A-MUNDO!!!
The Wooden Bowl
I received an email this past week and as I was sifting through it, I stopped and pondered for a few minutes about the story. It has been around and I'm sure that most of you have read it previously, but for some reason the story really struck me this time around.
As I was growing up my grandparents health became so bad that they ended up living with us for a short time. I remember trying to make the most of it and adjusting things in the home for them to help them be more comfortable. I remember that I had to be more careful about having friends over and make other such concessions.
Now that I am older, I realize what a huge impact this had on my parents and their lives. If you know me well then you know that I am very close to my parents, and I'm very proud of the things they have accomplished and done for themselves. And as I read this story once again this week, I realized that I have learned yet another thing from my wonderful parents; the love that they showed to both of their aging parents. It isn't something I gave a lot of thought previously. They took in my grandparents while having full time jobs, a child still at home, as well as Church callings and responsibilities. They worked it all right in to their daily life. Of course I heard them quietly complain and watched as they had to set the things they wanted aside, but never once did they allow my grandparents to know or feel the burden they were bearing for them.
I hope that as I continue through my life, I can remember all of the many great lessons that my wonderful parents have taught me. I hope that I can make them as proud of me as I am of them! I know that I tell them all the time how much I love and appreciate all that they do for me, but I again want to tell them how much I love, adore and cherish all that they have done for me in the last 30 years. Mom and Dad, I appreciate all the love and support you have shown to me, my husband, and all of my friends. I love having your ears to listen to me, your shoulders to cry on, and to hear your cheers from the sidelines! Your advice and support mean the world to me. You are both shining examples of how I want to live my life!!!
Thank you. You are wonderful parents, and I couldn't be more proud to be your daughter! I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!
Your Daughter,
BettyJo
For those of that haven't read the story, please enjoy!
The Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess..
"We must do something about father," said the son.
"I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
As I was growing up my grandparents health became so bad that they ended up living with us for a short time. I remember trying to make the most of it and adjusting things in the home for them to help them be more comfortable. I remember that I had to be more careful about having friends over and make other such concessions.
Now that I am older, I realize what a huge impact this had on my parents and their lives. If you know me well then you know that I am very close to my parents, and I'm very proud of the things they have accomplished and done for themselves. And as I read this story once again this week, I realized that I have learned yet another thing from my wonderful parents; the love that they showed to both of their aging parents. It isn't something I gave a lot of thought previously. They took in my grandparents while having full time jobs, a child still at home, as well as Church callings and responsibilities. They worked it all right in to their daily life. Of course I heard them quietly complain and watched as they had to set the things they wanted aside, but never once did they allow my grandparents to know or feel the burden they were bearing for them.
I hope that as I continue through my life, I can remember all of the many great lessons that my wonderful parents have taught me. I hope that I can make them as proud of me as I am of them! I know that I tell them all the time how much I love and appreciate all that they do for me, but I again want to tell them how much I love, adore and cherish all that they have done for me in the last 30 years. Mom and Dad, I appreciate all the love and support you have shown to me, my husband, and all of my friends. I love having your ears to listen to me, your shoulders to cry on, and to hear your cheers from the sidelines! Your advice and support mean the world to me. You are both shining examples of how I want to live my life!!!
Thank you. You are wonderful parents, and I couldn't be more proud to be your daughter! I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!
Your Daughter,
BettyJo
For those of that haven't read the story, please enjoy!
The Wooden Bowl
I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess..
"We must do something about father," said the son.
"I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Snow Day!!!!
We have been under a blizzard watch since Dec. 23, and it was set to end about 6pm Dec 26. Darin was able to make it home on Christmas day by using Hwy 10, the interstate was closed. The blizzard watch has been lifted and now it's a Winter Storm warning until Dec 27.
Jo was awakened this morning by Darin saying, my truck is stuck in the driveway, can you come help me decide what to do exactly. Out we went, (with our new warm Christms wear.) The truck was very stuck in a large drift. Darin ended up calling work and was told not to worry, there were 6 ft drifts in the parking lot at work, and the dispatcher's relief couldn't make it it, call back in a few hours for an update. So we began enjoying our Snow day! This was about before 6am! By 7:30 we had received a phone call from Jo's work saying they couldn't open and to not even try to make it in, SWEET, I can't even get out of the driveway! No worries. When Darin called into work again, about 8 he was able to report that the truck was unstuck and he could head down the road, if they wanted him to. He was again told not to worry or try, same situation as before, please report about noon, with a road report as well.
So about 11:30 we braved it, and went for a short drive, we made it to the interstate which was empty but looked to be open! We went down a few other roads since they were really ok. There was one road we had to turn around from, notice the pic of the fenceline below. We went through town and was pretty shocked at the piles of snow. The drifts were so high, I didn't include a picture but took one of some storage sheds on the way to our house, the drifts were completely blocking the doors, and was about level with the roof. Didn't seem like it had snowed that much, but blow it had for sure!
All in all, we have had a very nice day together, watched some TV and were even able to take a nap together, I'm sure we will regret it when it's time for bed tonight, but with how incredibly crazy it's been lately, it was nice to just relax and lay around together! For tomorrow, I'm sure it will be back to reality, Darin will go to work and Jo will as well, although we did get the call a little earlier, that Church has been cancelled, don't suppose work would two days in a row? HMMMMM, we can hope!!
this is a parking lot in town and the pile of snow they had on Sat. about noon, when we made the drive into town.
After getting the truck unstuck we took a short drive to give Darin's work a road report and this is one of the roads we seen, obviously we didn't try to go down. There was another car on the other side of the drifts doing the same thing we were. This is more a shot of the fenceline just off the road, but with this shot, you can just imagine how deep it was on the road.
And the other side of the house, Darin to show you how a good depth.
The backyard, normally you can see the Bar-B-Que, and the dog house, as you can see you can't even see the fence in some spots!
Jo was awakened this morning by Darin saying, my truck is stuck in the driveway, can you come help me decide what to do exactly. Out we went, (with our new warm Christms wear.) The truck was very stuck in a large drift. Darin ended up calling work and was told not to worry, there were 6 ft drifts in the parking lot at work, and the dispatcher's relief couldn't make it it, call back in a few hours for an update. So we began enjoying our Snow day! This was about before 6am! By 7:30 we had received a phone call from Jo's work saying they couldn't open and to not even try to make it in, SWEET, I can't even get out of the driveway! No worries. When Darin called into work again, about 8 he was able to report that the truck was unstuck and he could head down the road, if they wanted him to. He was again told not to worry or try, same situation as before, please report about noon, with a road report as well.
So about 11:30 we braved it, and went for a short drive, we made it to the interstate which was empty but looked to be open! We went down a few other roads since they were really ok. There was one road we had to turn around from, notice the pic of the fenceline below. We went through town and was pretty shocked at the piles of snow. The drifts were so high, I didn't include a picture but took one of some storage sheds on the way to our house, the drifts were completely blocking the doors, and was about level with the roof. Didn't seem like it had snowed that much, but blow it had for sure!
All in all, we have had a very nice day together, watched some TV and were even able to take a nap together, I'm sure we will regret it when it's time for bed tonight, but with how incredibly crazy it's been lately, it was nice to just relax and lay around together! For tomorrow, I'm sure it will be back to reality, Darin will go to work and Jo will as well, although we did get the call a little earlier, that Church has been cancelled, don't suppose work would two days in a row? HMMMMM, we can hope!!
this is a parking lot in town and the pile of snow they had on Sat. about noon, when we made the drive into town.
After getting the truck unstuck we took a short drive to give Darin's work a road report and this is one of the roads we seen, obviously we didn't try to go down. There was another car on the other side of the drifts doing the same thing we were. This is more a shot of the fenceline just off the road, but with this shot, you can just imagine how deep it was on the road.
And the other side of the house, Darin to show you how a good depth.
The backyard, normally you can see the Bar-B-Que, and the dog house, as you can see you can't even see the fence in some spots!
Merry Christmas!!!
Christmas this year was a rough one for Jo. Having never been away from family, it was very different for her to be alone for most of the day. Having been so busy lately, she spent the cleaning the house, watched a Christmas movie on TV, and was more than ready for Darin to be home, when he was lucky enough to get off and be home by 6pm. We then opened all of our Christmas gifts and enjoyed a nice evening together. We were all very spoiled this year, with roasters, homemade aprons, cute teddy-bears that sing beautiful uplifting songs, personalized bakeware, clothes, and cell phone accessories, and Darin's favorite gift a water pillow! The dogs too were spoiled as always with plenty of new toys (just in time since all the others are buried outside in the snow) and treats galore!
We miss our family and friends tremendously, and being so far from both is very hard, however we still believe this is a good move for us, and we are growing as a couple as well as growing as individuals!
We also everyone was able to take a few minutes to remember the reason we are able to celebrate this amazing day. Happy Birthday Jesus!
Lots of love to all and a very Merry Christmas!
We miss our family and friends tremendously, and being so far from both is very hard, however we still believe this is a good move for us, and we are growing as a couple as well as growing as individuals!
We also everyone was able to take a few minutes to remember the reason we are able to celebrate this amazing day. Happy Birthday Jesus!
Lots of love to all and a very Merry Christmas!
Better late than never.....
So, we took out the camera yesterday for a few Christmas pictures and I found these pics from mid November. So I thought I would give ya'all a quick post about it. Right after we moved to North Dakota, Jo went and signed her Scentsy business up with the Chamber of Commerce here in Dickinson. To help get active in the community and get her name out there. They were having a Holiday Craft Show on Nov 14. The cost seemed pretty fair, and so we signed up. It just happened to fall on Darin's day off, great help for Jo. This was our first Craft show with Scentsy and it was a Success! It seems that since then, Jo has been constantly busy with Scentsy! No complaints of course. She had her biggest month in November for sales, which in turn helped her team have a great month! And she was able to add two members to her Scentsy team during the month. She has been working non stop between working her Part-Time job and Scentsy, and was even making deliveries until about 5:30 pm Christmas Eve.
Here is one of the pics that we took of the display!
Here is one of the pics that we took of the display!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Ready for Christmas??? Ready or not here it comes.
It occured to me yesterday that we are only 10 days from Christmas!!! Holy Toledo's where has the time gone?!?!? With both of us working so many hours and Scentsy, we have been pretty busy. However, I must say that I think we are ready, sure we may have a few small things left to buy for Christmas day but nothing to stress over. The Christmas packages have all been sent to Iowa and Utah, when did shipping get so expensive? The Christmas cards have all been sent out, if you didn't get one, please email us right away, it means we do not have your address, and we would like it. The tree is up, and although we have no outside decorations this year, we are enjoying the season. I do wish we were going to be with family this year, but we are making the most of it, and going to enjoy our First Solo Christmas (if you happen to call on Christmas and Jo is in tears, it's not your fault, she's homesick for her family, just bear with her.) We hope everyone takes a few minutes during this Holiday Season to remember what it is we are celebrating. We wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Saying Goodbye...
Can you ever truly be prepared to say Goodbye to someone who has touched your life? I think the answer is no! The Friday after Thanksgiving we received the call, that Darin's Aunt Bonnie had passed away. We were saddened by the news, but felt relief in knowing she was done suffering and moved on to Heaven to be with her parents and wait for the rest of us. As we talked about Going to the funeral vs. Not Going there were pro's and cons on both ends. Darin felt very strongly that we needed to go, and so we went. We left North Dakota early Sunday morning and drove straight through, arriving in Brandon, Iowa about 10pm Central time. We woke the next morning to attend the funeral, see some family and head for home. We stayed Monday night in Alexandria, Minnesota and got home just in time for Jo to make it to her Scentsy party Tuesday. It was a fast trip, but a good trip. We were able to see a few family members, and visit, but most importantly we were able to pay our Respects to a very wonderful lady.
I didn't know Aunt Bonnie well, but as I listened to the stories that were told about her at the funeral, I was touched at how she had affected so many lives. They talked about her love for her Church and her laugh. I haven't been in the family long enough, or around enough to have heard her laugh, but I can almost hear it as everyone around me was remembering her. What a special spirit she was. She was born with Down Syndrome, and had her fair share of trials, but she came through smiling and enjoying life. What a woman, she was! At her funeral, the pastor relayed a story to each of us, afterward they had some copies made, I took one and wanted to share it.
Welcome to Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child
with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared
that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would
feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip- to Italy. you buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. you may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"HOLLAND?!?!" you say, "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. it's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, let flashy than Italy. but after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills.. and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.
I can't explain exactly why, but that lil story really touched me. I'm so glad that we were able to make it to Iowa for Aunt Bonnie's funeral, and although I didn't know her well, I feel as if I did. I enjoyed hearing all the stories shared about her personality and enjoyed hearing some of the family's favorite memories of her. Again, my only thoughts are, What an amazing Special Spirit she was! We were all so lucky to have known her! You will be missed Bonnie!
I didn't know Aunt Bonnie well, but as I listened to the stories that were told about her at the funeral, I was touched at how she had affected so many lives. They talked about her love for her Church and her laugh. I haven't been in the family long enough, or around enough to have heard her laugh, but I can almost hear it as everyone around me was remembering her. What a special spirit she was. She was born with Down Syndrome, and had her fair share of trials, but she came through smiling and enjoying life. What a woman, she was! At her funeral, the pastor relayed a story to each of us, afterward they had some copies made, I took one and wanted to share it.
Welcome to Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child
with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared
that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would
feel. It's like this...
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip- to Italy. you buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. you may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"HOLLAND?!?!" you say, "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. it's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, let flashy than Italy. but after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills.. and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.
I can't explain exactly why, but that lil story really touched me. I'm so glad that we were able to make it to Iowa for Aunt Bonnie's funeral, and although I didn't know her well, I feel as if I did. I enjoyed hearing all the stories shared about her personality and enjoyed hearing some of the family's favorite memories of her. Again, my only thoughts are, What an amazing Special Spirit she was! We were all so lucky to have known her! You will be missed Bonnie!
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