Words at the Right Time

Sometimes the words I need to hear come from the person I need to hear them from at just the right time.

Someone I love dearly and have tremendous respect for will email me every once in a while. It is usually about something important that will have an impact on my life and she always, always knows exactly what to say.

I treasure every single word of wisdom she shares with me.

You know who you are...I love you and Thank You!

Adoption Update

Mark and I have made a small change in our plans...we have decided to be open to a boy or a girl.

For those of you that have given us girl stuff as gifts, have made us blankets and/or clothing that are girl related, carved Sky's initials in concrete at their house, or have given us girl clothing...not to worry. We will have a girl at some point, we will save all the girl stuff for next time, and her name will be Shannon Kailey, so the initials in concrete will still work. :)

Mark and I have been talking about it for a while and after a good friend told me that to receive anything I have to be open to everything...the change was made.

So...Shannon Kailey or Carl Wesley...we will welcome one or the other into our family when they find their way to us.

Sarah's Key

I just finished reading Sarah's Key, by Tatiana De Rosnay and feel like it has changed me at my core. Any time a book impacts me like that I feel compelled to share it.

It is about a little known event that took place during the Holocaust. The Velodrome d'Hiver roundup took place the summer of 1942 in Paris. The French police rounded up thousands of French Jews for deportation to two different death camps. The majority of these Jews were children and very, very few of them survived.

I know reading about the Holocaust is not easy, but I strongly believe that it is important to not forget where we have been. To not forget the horrors, mistakes, changes, triumphs, and growth we have experienced as humans, individuals, couples, families, nations and the world. I don't believe in dwelling on the past, but rather not forgetting so that we don't keep making the same mistakes over and over, and so we can keep doing what works.

I would like to think that another Holocaust will never happen again, but sadly it does every day just with different names such as genocide and racism. I am not trying to take away anything from those that suffered during the Holocaust, but people are still suffering similar injustice because of their race or religious beliefs. Just because it may be on a smaller scale or a part of the world that is removed from our reality doesn't make it ok.

One of the things 9/11 taught me was that we as a country and individuals are only one attack or tragedy away from going down a very dangers path of hatred. Fear and the desire for retaliation or so called justice can lead people to think and do horrible things.

If you can't or won't read the book at least Google "Velodrome d'Hiver roundup" so we don't forget what atrocities humans are capable of committing against each other.

Football

About this time of year I really start missing football. So it was a nice pick me up to get a text last night telling me that my Dad and his wife scored the two extra free tickets to the 12/5 Hawks game. It helps to have connections...Thank you Dad and Val! :)

No I am not a Hawks fan, nor will I ever be one, but I love football and I won't turn down an opportunity to go to a live NFL game no matter who is playing.

Back to Normal...I Think

I will say yesterday was my first 100% back to normal day since getting kicked in the head. I did all my normal activities, including working out, and felt totally, 100% great! I have had good days here and there, but I also have not been doing all my normal activity either. Yesterday I decided to go for it!

Zero dizziness, zero head pain, zero trouble processing thoughts! I still have not gone back to Zumba...I plan on doing that Saturday morning. Wanted to give myself one more week before jumping around and shaking up my brain. :)

I'm just glad to be feeling better!

Hospital Pics

Finally here are photos from my head injury. There are not any of me laying on the field because Mark was taking care of me and not taking pictures. Although, I do remember seeing Bob with the camera, but I think I also yelled at him, so he must not have taken any. :)

Before the pain killers started working...also I was really hating the neck brace, and my arm was getting tired of holding the ice...the ice was given to me at the field and I had been holding it on there for a long time!

Getting stitches after 3 1/2 hours of waiting.

Close up of the stitches...you can see the dark line in my hair. Only three stitches...so much blood for such a little cut!

The paramedic that rode with me to the hospital. He was pretty nice, kept up the conversation to keep my mind off what was going on.

Probably the worst bad hair photo of me ever...can't believe these photos even made it on the blog!

Thankfully this weekend I had my first "I have felt normal all day" days. I feel pretty good today as well. The actual cut still really hurts if I touch it, and still bruised on my head, but other than that I'm doing great!