Garden state………………

Garden state………………

The garden state is my home, when people say, “where are you from”?
I always reply, “I am originally from the Midwest, and now live on the east coast, in NJ.”

Well, a long road from surgery, infection, recovery, to airplane trip home. Last night at 8:15pm I landed in Newark, never so glad to call something HOME!!! Hello, sweet New Jersey J

Life is very interesting from a rear view window, things look so clear………………………….. I am pondering life, and its mini-miracles. Nobody is promised an easy life, it is always filled with joy, and sorrow. Some children experience sorrow at an early age, others are in old age. I fall somewhere in the middle. I am most grateful for all the joys, and sorrow, for my rear view window is clear. I may not understand all that has happened on this earth. But, I can appreciate and be grateful for MANY things.

GOD IS GOOD, life is hard, I am blessed,
Xo,
Carrie

Not Really?

Ok folks, I am still here..................... Life is not perfect:( To cut a LONG story short, I am Ok. As planned after northern Michigan the children and I arrived back to Ann Arbor, MI. We were all excited to spend more time with our friends the Cohen's, and wait for our friend's, (the Collins-Catanzaro's) from NJ to arrive in Ann Arbor. It was art fair week in Ann Arbor. I wait all year for this eye candy event. It has been a part of my summer life for MANY years. Well, we enjoyed a couple of days with the Cohen's. I thin picked up our friends from NJ, and had a fun day. The following morning my friend Kim Collins and I had a "big day" of art fair plans. We had mapped out our favorite artisans, had quick breakfast, some yummy iced coffee and off we went. It was quite a warm summer day, and I was feeling sluggish, but fine. We decided to go back to the rental house for a few hours, and take the kiddos to a play date. Towards the end of the play date I felt really yucky , intense abdominal pain, that came and went. I prayed, and tried wishing it away. Well, it continued, later in the day my friend Kim drove my to the University of Michigan hospital, we waited a LONG time to be seen, about 5 hours............................. After many exams, and 2 teams of doctors, they decided I had an ovarian cyst that was rupturing, and that they should do a periscope , the doctors did say if they went in and found more of a problem, they would need to "open me wide up." That is what happened........................

Much to my surprise when I awoke I had a tube down my throat, oxygen, and my entire abdomen cut open and stapled. This happened after the doctors were unclear what was going on inside my body. Apparently I had a large ovarian cyst, this twisted my tube, but I also had an endrometriosis cyst that wrapped my ovary, uterus, and bowel, then ruptured, leaving sticky stuff all over my lower abdominal cavity. Five hours later I was in the clear, it has been 10 days, and now I am battling an infection. This only after the 42 staples, and 15 stitches were removed. I now have a 4 inch long, 3 inch deep hole in the middle of the incision that needs to be packed 2x per day by a home nurse. My spirits are up, I am thankful to my friend Kim for being there, holding my hand, sitting all night waiting, making decisions, now organizing meals, my friend Jennifer and her family for entertaining my kiddos, my parents for taking time off work, and caring for me, my husband and au apair for making sure the kiddos fair well at home until my return.

God id good, LIFE IS HARD, I am blessed,
xo,
Carrie

Old Home Week...

I really don't come "home" to Michigan but once a year, unless there is a tragedy.
It has been a year since my last visit to my home town of Midland, Michigan. Much has changed, and yet many things are the same.
It was quite a surprise to visit with an old childhood friend and her family this evening. The memories came flooding back in my mind, funny things like summer back yard plays written and directed by ME. Silly things we would try to do, like check genders of gerbils. Elementary school basketball games, and the "big" wins.
When I come back here it is a mixed bag, I love many of the things that have happened here. My early, middle, and high school years. My girlfiends, and first boyfriends, my church youth group. My husband and I were married here nearly 15 years ago.
Yet, I burried one of my children here, every year I say, I am at peace with the time I had with him..................... Somehow, there is always saddness, as I once again drove up to the cemetary, gazed at the markers, and began to walk the tears flowed.
My first son, how much I wished to share, to watch you grow, I should have been at your kindergarten graduation this spring. We should be talking about your upcoming year of first grade. It will have been 6 years next month.

Old home week, full of memories.................

God is good, life is hard, I am blessed.
Carrie

Greetings from Northern MI, I am 35

Hello all,
We are in beautiful Northern MI. It has been a
delightful week of nature, family and fun in the sun, with a crystal
clear spring fed lake. It is Glen Lake, one of the top 5 cleanest lakes
in the USA.
And drum roll please....................................
Today 7-11, I turn 35. Wowie...............
I have always been the youngest amongst my adult peers, due to starting
a family, at the ripe old age of 24. I look 35, and feel 35, I have
earned these years, and the lines, and grey hair that go with them. I
was looking at my hands moments ago, they are starting to look like
they have been on this earth for sometime. I always find hand so
interesting, they color, spots, lines, length of fingers etc. People
have face lifts, tummy tucks, boob jobs, blah blah, but you can't make
your hands look younger...................
I am blessed with the gift of turning 35,
xo,
Carrie

Mommy, will you marry me?

So, today was like most days with 3 kiddos at very different ages, with very different intrests. However my 4 year old Nate asked me to marry him.................
I was driving the VAN (yeas a Mom car), when all was quiet for about 3 seconds, and a little voice from behind me says, " Mom, hey Mom."
I said, "Yes, Nate."
He says, " Will you marry me"?
"What honey"? I say.
He says, "Mommy will you marry me?? Cause I really (wiwwy lub) love you."
I said, "honey, I would love to marry you, but, I am already married to Daddy."
He said, "Oh, that is Ok Mom, you could have both of us, I am a good sharer."
To that I smiled:)

11 year old Mac take 3

Did you miss me? Aww, Gee thanks, I missed you too. I am typing away on the Ann Arbor rental house, 11 year old Mac. I do not want to appear unkind, I am happy to have "some" Internet available. It does however not allow me to look up my hotmail account, it says it needs "cookies", whatever that means:( It also has about a 5 second delay on each letter tyl a big surprise, and you may never even see this post. Because you did not get to view take one or take two, did you? Well, we are having a delightful time seeing old friends here in the great lakes state of Michigan. You can take the girl out of Michigan, but you can't take the Michigan out of the girl.

Blessed,

Carrie