All Things....Big and Small

Sometimes life throws out a curve ball. Something happens that makes us re-evaluate everything. Things that once seemed important, suddenly lose their priority in the daily routine. Things are just different.

The day after Valentine's Day was that kind of day. After spending two great days celebrating love and the little things in life, my family was dealt a BIG thing. We received the phone call no one ever wants to get. The one saying one of your family members is suddenly and unexpectedly....gone. Forever. Just like that. No time to say goodbye; no time to remember to do or say the things you were thinking. Just gone.

Suddenly the things I write about here seemed trivial and unimportant. I couldn't bring my fingers to the keyboard without thinking there just isn't anything I can say that is significant enough in this moment. So I took a hiatus. I needed time to let my heart grieve and for my head to try and make sense of what was happening. And now a month and a half later, my fingers return to the keyboard and I pay homage to the little things.

My cousin was an avid reader; a lover and collector of books. She had great passionate for what she believed in. She was a strong advocate for her children. She dared to travel her own path in life; to be her own person. She loved to roller skate in the living room when she was little. She gave a smile to you every time you saw her. These little things made up who she was and how she will be remembered.

And so, in her honor, I will return to writing about the little things that make up my world and who I am. Living life doing the things I want to be remembered for. Organizing, writing, scrapbooking, and decorating might seem trivial to others.....but these truly are the little things that make up who I am. And I owe it to the girl who wouldn't let others dictate how she should live her life, to live mine doing what makes me feel fulfilled.

Rest in peace, Carole. I hope heaven has a really big library, an endless-supply of homemade cinnamon rolls, and maybe even...a place to roller skate!

enjoy the little things and the people you love everyday.

-dw.

A very sad heart....

It is with great sadness and disappointment that I announce the closing of the Creative Outlet Retreat House.

Please go to: www.creative-outlet-retreats.com to learn more.

Thanks to all those who supported us in this dream!

Be true to the passions of your heart, and enjoy the moments while you have them.

-d.

Busy Week!

This week has gone by soooo fast! Probably due to the fact that there is soooo much going on.We headed out Friday to the mountains, and we couldn't have picked a better weekend to ride! It was gorgeous! It felt more like April than the middle of February!
While I have a few more sore muscles than usual, it felt good to be out in the fresh air, riding through the trails. Unfortunately, Rog acquired more than a few sore muscles...he compressed his back and is still suffering.

Upon returning home we found our smallest, and oldest, dog in bad shape. After 16+ years she had reached the end of her road. We had to say goodbye on Monday. It was very sad, but it was time.

She joined our family when Melissa was only two years old and has helped watch over the girls and I throughout her years. For a small dog, she packed a large bark. Behind closed doors you wouldn't guess she was merely a petite Beagle/Poodle mix. I will never forget how she paced back and forth and cried the day Jessica moved out. She was always so in tune with the families emotions. She was a lot smarter than most people realized. She was a true member of our family and she will be missed.


enjoy the companionship your pet provides!
-d.

A very sad day...

I was so busy yesterday I never had time to post. Although as the day came to an end it seemed an appropriate day of silence. My heart weighed heavy as bad news came from multiple directions.

While I have decided not to go over details, I merely wanted to take a moment to say...

Do not put off the things you want to say and do. Take every chance that comes your way. Laugh. Be kind to everyone. Enjoy the little things. Inspire those around you. Never be too busy to smile. Don't let the stress of yesterdays darken your tomorrows. Savor every victory. Don't over think. Spread joy. Live out your dreams. Be true to yourself and others. Live life every minute.

Do those things so that someday when your loved ones are left with only memories, they are blanketed in the comfort of all the joy and goodness you brought into their lives.

Two great people said goodbye to us...but their legacies of love and life will live on in our hearts forever and memories of their goodness shall bring us comfort in the days ahead.

May God bless the families and help give them strength and comfort in this very difficult time.

-dw

A Sad Passion to Share....

I have always shared the things I am passionate about here. Today is no different. While I have posted a couple times already today (filling in for yesterday's busy schedule), I have one more thing I need to share.

There is a unspoken club of women in the world who share an eternal ache in their hearts. A painful tragedy that cannot be fully understood until it hits home. I don't talk about it much because it makes people sad and uncomfortable, but today I need to share something and the only way it will make sense is to tell you my story first.

Sixteen years ago I suffered the worst pain I hope to ever have to endure. I was told the unborn baby I was carrying, and almost ready to deliver, was no longer breathing. This was our third child...our first son.

The day we learned he was a boy was one of the happiest of my entire life. We loved our girls, but longed to complete our family with a son. I felt blessed in so many ways that day.

But happiness turned horrific, when months later, I became aware of a distinct lack of Kyle's movement. I went to the doctor and they tried not to let me realize what I was facing as they scurried me off to the hospital for more tests, but I knew. A mother always knows. I cannot go into the depths of anguish I experienced, but suffice it to say it is the single, worst day/week/month/year of my entire life.

While working on my book today, I came across a book I wish was available to me back then...It is called, What Happened To Our Baby? The Story of a Miscarriage by Susan Heizer, Illustrated By Candace Pietschmann.

After losing Kyle, I read every book I could find dealing with stillborn death and miscarriage. Reading was my path back to sanity. It helped me realize that I wasn't alone in my grief, that what I was feeling inside was normal and that, yes, life would indeed, eventually, go on. But I never came across anything to help my two older children understand what was happening to our family. So I am hoping that by sharing the news of this book, if someone out there ever faces what I did, they will have one more source to help them through their family's loss and pain.

It is not a club we seek new members for, but unfortunately the enrollment keep climbing. The statistics say 190 stillborns occur every day in the US. If you would like more information, go to http://www.missinggrace.org/ .

enjoy each moment you are given, for in a second they can disappear...
-dw

A Day of Mourning...

There are just no words that can express the sadness in my heart for those around the country who are grieving their loved ones after yesterday's rampage at Virginia Tech.

As a mother who faced sending a child away to college, I know the heartache of that approaching goodbye; that moment we give them wings to face the world on their own. I would cry at the very thought of walking off the campus, setting off for the five hour drive home alone. Saying goodbye is never easy. We pray our children will be safe; that they will make good choices. But so much is out of our control...and out of theirs as well.

Today my heart breaks for those parents whose children will not make it home from Virginia Tech. Their lives cut so tragically short. A hideous, senseless crime, leaving a dark cloud over our entire country. There is nothing we can say to ease the pain, to drown out the horrifying images. We cry for them...those taken and those left behind. We hug our children and each other a little tighter. And we are changed.

-dw

I do not know who took today's photo. I found it among some older VT images.

Home again...

Where do I start? An incredible, eight-day cruise followed by a sad farewell, as Rog's dad was laid to rest. Such a wide range of emotions for us over the past couple weeks.

We headed out on our cruise as scheduled and agreed to put all thoughts of "real life" aside and just unwind. Nothing makes unwinding easier than the Caribbean, that I can say with absolute certainty!!! I fell in love with the islands we visited, the incredible aqua blue water and the people we met along the way. It was truly paradise. We were a part of an incredible group (Parrotheads) raising money for Breast Cancer Research and our combined efforts brought in over $40,000! They call it "Partying with a Purpose," and if you are a Jimmy Buffet/TropRock fan....this is an event you don't want to miss!!! For eight incredible days there were concerts, auctions, cocktail parties, pool invasions, toga attire, dancing, and of course a little food and drinking too. So many great memories...we can't wait to go back.

Without our luggage and seven hours behind schedule, we arrived in Arkansas to be with Rog's family. It was an obviously sad time, but it was time we cherished. All of us looking through old family photos together and sharing memories. Love, laughter, and of course some tears, helped begin the healing.

And as I sit here this morning, the sunrise peeking up over the mountains, I feel so blessed. Even through loss there is something to grab hold of...each other.

enjoy the memories you are making,
-dw

The sun still rises....

...even as our hearts are breaking.

We received the sad news that Roger's dad passed away this morning. So today I'll let the picture speak a thousand words...
This photo was taken out an airplane window. It's the closest thing to heaven I could find.
enjoy each second of life,
-dw

A Little Prompting...

Today I found myself with a loss for what to write. Nothing seemed significant enough to fill the page. While words are not something I usually run short on, today is different. My heart is heavy. My father in law is in the hospital and has taken a severe turn for the worse. We pray that he is comfortable and knows how much love surrounds him. It is all we can do from so far away. We are so grateful that we could all be together in Florida the week of the wedding, sharing happy and healthy times. I've said it before, but I'll say it again....don't waste the moments you are given. Live in them. Cherish them.

While some would say, just don't write today. I need to. For me it's therapeutic. And heck, it's cheaper than other forms of therapy, right?!
I decided to go to Creativity Portal, a site that gives you prompts to write about each day. A jump start if you will. The prompt was:

One thing you must accomplish today is...
Accomplish? I don't feel like I want to accomplish anything today. I want to climb back under the covers and wake up tomorrow with our world right again. But unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. And there is something I need to accomplish today. I need to be the comfort my husband seeks. To be his strength when he feels weak. To be a shoulder he can cry on. To soothe his heart as it is breaking. To hold him and love him. To be the best wife and best friend I vowed to always be. Yes, I have much to accomplish today.
So when we feel we have nothing we want to write about, we need only look to our heart for the prompting. It was there all along. I merely had to follow it...
enjoy the day,
-dw