Faith's Mom's Blog

Faith in her "new" van in 2011 It was back in August of 2011 that we got our first accessible van. Before that, we had a purple special needs car seat called the "Special Tomato." Eventually she got too big for her special tomato and we needed to graduate to an accessible van. We were thankful to have found one in Bismarck for a decent price. While it suited our needs, there were still some concerns. For one, the electrical system was really wonky, which affected the ramp.   Even with the weird electrical system, it got us to where we needed to go. We even had some fun family adventures like driving all the way to Toronto and back, and also to Winnipeg. The van also got us to some of Faith's medical appointments in Minneapolis and Fargo. Despite its quirks, the 2006 Dodge Caravan was a good van. Except for when it rained. It seemed the electrical system went super berserk when it rained. One day we were on our way home from a physical therapy appointment in th

Summer. It sure doesn't last long in North Dakota. And since Faith started school earlier this week, I figured it was a great day to reminisce about the summer we had. In June we took a trip to Fargo and somehow ended up at Tim Horton's in Grand Forks. Faith and I figured it was a great way to celebrate Father's Day a little bit early! While my brother and his wife were away for a couple of weeks, we went out to their place to check on their dogs for them. Faith loved her new role as dog sitter. She especially enjoyed reading Clifford the Big Red Dog books to them. Besides dog sitting, Faith also enjoyed house sitting her grandparents' house while they were on vacation. Unfortunately, Faith wasn't feeling the best over the 4th of July so we didn't make it to the parade this year, or any other fun festivities, although she did get to see the fireworks from our parking lot in our building. Later in the week, we made it up to Grandma and Grandpa'

Despite the fact summer officially began only a few days ago, for us, it feels like it actually began in May. Since we've begun to have such wonderful weather, Faith has been wanting to get out and about, which has been fun for the whole family. In early May, the three of us ventured to the river where the boats, dandelions, and motorcylists were all out in full force. Enjoying the great outdoors! The banks of the Missouri River - one of Faith's favorite places! Besides going to the river, the library, and elsewhere, Faith has also enjoyed spending some quality family time at her Grandma and Grandpa's. On Mother's Day we enjoyed our first official barbecue of the year. Faith enjoyed getting to know my sister's dog, Snickerdoodle, aka Snickers, a little better. He is such a good dog and quiet too, which is why Faith likes him! Happy Mother's Day to me! My sister Dawn and I along with our mom! Faith's new favorite dog is Snickers! T

At the end of March, I found myself heading east on I-94 with my parents, leaving my husband and daughter behind. An hour into our trip, my husband called because Faith wanted to talk to me. In near tears, she asked if I was going to be home soon. Oh my breaking heart. The last time I had been away from her for more than a day was probably about 9 years ago. The reason for my departure had started back in January when I began fasting along with our church. In my journal on that first day, I had written that I wanted God to reveal any internal problems or heart issues I needed to deal with. I was speaking of spiritual issues, but in His goodness, He also revealed some physical problems that needed taken care of. During the fast I became extremely fatigued and didn't feel well at all. I began having chills and my husband encouraged me to start eating solid foods. I began eating soup, oatmeal, and other easy-to-digest foods, but none of it made me feel any better. Eventua

This year has been an amazing year of blessings and lots of changes for our family. As you can see by the photos, 2014 was a fun year in which we truly enjoyed life, being with family and friends and having new adventures.  JANUARY - We rung in the New Year by going out for Chinese with members of our New Life church family. I also celebrated by cheering on the NDSU Bison football team as they won their 3rd National Championship in a row and will be going for their 4th in 2015! Fun with friends at China Star FEBRUARY - As with every February, Rob and I both celebrated birthdays but this year I reached a milestone when I turned 40! I can honestly say I feel truly blessed making it to the 40-year mark considering at one time doctors didn't think I would live past my 20s. My mom made my day extra special by taking me shopping, going for lunch and relaxing while getting pedicures. I kept trying to tell her she was doing too much to which she responded, "You only turn 40