What a difference a year makes

How can a year go by so quickly and change how you view life so drastically? One year ago today my life was forever changed. You see, I began my day doing what I always do. I was greeting the children that I keep and was so glad to see them after the weekend. My BFF, Karen, asked if I could keep her foster daughter who was 3 months old for her so she could go to an appointment. I had fed her a bottle, changed a dirty diaper and laid her down for a nap. When Karen returned around 11:30, we sat and talked for a few minutes and then she went in to get the baby up from her nap. Life changed in that instant. She came running out of the room with Kailah, frantically telling me she was dead. How could this be? Just two hours before she was a perfectly healthy 3 month old? We called 911 and while waiting for them to arrive we did everything we knew to do, but we knew it was too late. I can not begin to explain the sorrow, horror, fear that I experienced that day. The paramedics had trouble finding our house because of it being off the road. When they did get here they could not get in the drive with the firetruck because of our fence around the house. It seemed to be one delay after another. Once the ambulance arrived, Karen was able to leave in the ambulance with Kailah. I remained at the house. I could not reach Mike because he was in a meeting. People began arriving at the house. The investigators would not let anyone in the house because of it being considered "a crime scene". I remember walking around the house with my hands on my head crying not knowing what to do. After what seemed like a million questions I was freed to go to the hospital. All I wanted to do was to get to Kailah and Karen.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind. After having to leave the hospital we returned to the Johnstons house. No one was ready to face going to my house. Luckily when I did return later that night, a very dear friend had been there and cleaned everything up.

The next few days brought more sadness than I had ever experienced. I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kailah had not been hurt, but could not find any rest at all until the preliminary autopsy came back. Of course, they found no reason for death and ruled it SIDS.

I have heard our pastor speak of being in the room when someone who is a Christian dies. He says he feels like he is on Holy Ground because he believes that Jesus actually enters the room of the one dying and takes their spirit back with Him. I was reminded that during the hustle and bustle of my day one year ago, unknown to me at the time, Jesus entered my home and left with the soul of a very precious little girl. I will never understand what took place that day until I am in Heaven with my Jesus, but He is the ultimate Conforter and Healer.

I am so thankful for friends and family that surrounded us during that time. You are more special than you will ever know.

Life is good today, but because of what I have experienced one year ago, I will never view life like I did before, or take it for granted. God is good!

What a difference a year makes

It's been too long!

I realize that it has been two weeks since I last did a post. I started this blog so my family would have a journal of my doings and whereabouts. Looks like I have been MIA for a couple of weeks. Not really. Just really busy. Two different times I have started posts and could not get the pictures to upload. This is so frustrating to me. I should not be this old and so computer illiterate. Hope I never have to go to work outside my home any time soon. I think I would be in real trouble.

We've been super busy. Last week Karis had open house on Monday night. She was also star of the week. She was so looking forward to Mike and I coming to her open house and meeting her teacher. Well, on Tuesday of the open house, she threw up on the red carpet at school. I felt so sorry for her that I thought I was going to cry. So what did I do? I got in the car and drove to Hernando to go to an open house that Karis could not even be at. I got to meet her teacher and she is a real doll. I went back over the house to see the kids. Brayden was all up in my face and guess what? By 5:00 the next morning he was throwing up. Some how I did not get it. I was very careful what I ate for the next two days because if I got the bug, I did not want to have eaten anything chunky. I know that is TMI, but I am just saying.

Brayden had his first soccer games yesterday. Yes he had two. One at 10:00 and one at 12:00. It is unusually hot in Memphis for this time of year. By the middle of the second game he was over it. He is so little that his uniform swallows him whole. His socks came to the top of his legs. He had a great time though.

This past Friday Mike woke up and said he wasn't feeling good. He said he hurt from his back around to his stomach. He got to feeling better and headed out to go to prayer breakfast. He called about 20 minutes later and said he was in the church parking lot and was hurting again. He was headed to the er. He had a kidney stone, but it passed and he is feeling fine now. The doctor wanted to know if I had natural childbirth or an epidural. He told him that I had all my babies completely natural. He preceded to tell him that he had just experienced for 45 minutes what I had experienced for 4 to 5 hours. I think he has a new appreciation for what women go through now.

Times for us are fast and busy these days, but they have never been better. Midlife is the way to go. We are enjoying our kids more that ever and the grandkids are just icing on the cake. I am enjoying growing older everyday with my groom. He is so totally opposite of me, but we understand each other well. He is a treasure.

Guess I need to go and start getting ready for the week ahead. I have a new baby starting tomorrow. I just finished praying for his parents a little while ago. I can't imagine what it is to leave your baby for the first time.

Hopefully my next post will be sooner and with some pictures.

Fun Labor Day weekend

This weekend we enjoyed a trip to the zoo and to the fair. The kids had such a good time. Karis and Brayden were up for any ride they could get on. Here they are enjoying one of their favorites. Lucy was too small to ride, but I am sure next year she will enjoy it also.

Here is a sweet pic of Lucy just hanging out in her stroller. She is such a trooper. She never fusses and is so sweet natured. You can truly tell she is the third child. As laid back as they come.

We stopped on a bench for a photo opp.

We ran into one of the children that I care for during the week. I have had Chase since he was just a few months old. I feel like he is one of my own and no one would be upset if he and Lucy were a couple one day. Looks like they have a good head start.