Little did I know.....

Little did I know two years ago when I went to Rocktober Feast to support a friend, who's son was in need of a bone marrow transplant, that I would get a letter in April of 2012!

The letter arrived asking if I was still interested in being a donor, and that I was a possible match for a patient in need. I went online and updated my contact information like the letter asked. A couple of weeks went by and I didn't hear anything. Then I received a phone call.

Them: You have been identified as a possible match for a patient. Are you still interested in proceeding?

Me: Yes

I was asked to answer a health information form online and submit it.

That done I was left waiting again, wondering if I would be chosen. week later I got another phone call. This one confirmed me as a match for an adult male with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A time was arranged for a lengthy phone conference.

On May 9th I had my phone conference, I haven't talked on the phone that long since high school!

Step I: Last Monday (May 14) I went to a lab in Fort Smith for some lab work. The woman working at the lab was wonderful and in no time at all had taken 7 viles of blood from my left arm! I jokingly asked if I was going to have any blood left when she was done! The blood was sent to 3 different locations. Some will be tested for infectious disease (hope those are all negative), some will be used for further testing to insure that I
am the best possible match, and some will be kept on file for research studies.

Step II will take place this Tuesday May 22nd, I travel to Tulsa (I have recruited 2 great friends to travel with me! Thanks Ann and Lori) to meet with the Doctor to make sure I am physically fit to donate, and some more tests. EKG and chest x-ray.

Donation is set for June 5th if all goes according to plan!

So far behind!

I am so far behind On the things we have been up to! Several weeks ago we took a day trip to Devil's Den. We had a great day, and beautiful weather! We packed a lunch, walked a few trails and really just enjoyed being together! We need to do things like this more often!

Time is just flying by!

 This is the last week of school and I could not be more ready! I am so ready to not have to set the alarm, at least for a few weeks!

changes

For the last year and a half I have worked as a substitute teacher in the Greenwood School District! I subbed preschool-Jr high. I loved having the opportunity to be in the schools where my children are enrolled! In December I was approached and asked if I would be interested in working in the ABC preschool program full time. The great thing about subbing is that you have the ability to say "I don't want to work today" so I really thought hard about weather I wanted to commit to everyday! About mid January I was hired by the Western Arkansas Education Cooperative as an aide in one of the 3 preschool classes.Ttwo months in I have a love/are you crazy go back to subbing relationship with my job. I primarily work as a one on one aide with a boy in the class.

(I loaded all the pics backwards) Some days we spend a lot of time walking the halls! Other days we spend a lot of time sitting in the hall, and some days things go pretty smooth.
This is the whole class.

Just a few pics of the places and spaces where I spend my time these days!

Some days I don't know if I help or make things worse, but for better I am learning a lot!

Christmas 2011 in pictures

Here is our CHristmas in pictures! We had a very blessed christmas with lots of great family time!
Austin

Collin

Paige

Sisters

Just Dance 3

Old Style

In an attempt to get things on here caught up I have to back way up!

This past Christmas we went old style for our Christmas tree! We did it how I did it when I was a kid! We ventured into the woods and cut one down!

It took us a while to find one!
It was far from perfect but we loved it!

I didnt really get a pic of the final product, but we had a lot of fun, and the kids say they want to keep doing it this way!

SDC at Christmas

If I was organized and did a Christmas card, this would likely be the picture I would use! All of us piled in the BIG chair at Silver Dollar City! Kind of a goofy pic, especially considering I have some GREAT family pictures taken by a friend, but since I am not organized, and didn't do Christmas cards I don't have to choose!
The weekend before Christmas we loaded up and headed to Branson to use our season passes to SDC one more time! One of the main reasons we bought them, back at spring break, was to go at Christmas time to see the lights! They were amazing!

Paige waiting patiently for the Big boys to ride Wildfire. This was our 6th time at SDC this year and it was by far the most crowded! The weather was Sunny and cool. Even with the crowds we had a fun day!

Gary Don is the one with his hands up, and the boys are next to him.

Austin gladly volunteered to take this picture so that he wouldn't have to be in it!

Just a couple of pictures of the lights. We didn't take a good camera, so all we had were our phones.

I cannot imagine the amount of time it takes to put all of these lights out! The whole park is lit up!

Thanksgiving 2011

I have tried to post about Thanksgiving several times, but every time it messes up! So here goes again!

This year we had a guest photographer!

All of these images are brought to you by Collin! Even the one above! He is so good he can even take a picture of himself.

We ate our Thanksgiving meal at my grandma's house this year. This is the house I grew up having Holiday meals at! It was a great day spent with most of my family! We missed Carrie and Addison. Addison was at home with Strep throat. We also missed Gary who traveled to Northwest Arkansas to spend the day with his mother.