I’ve come to realize that there are some people reading this blog who didn’t know me 10 years ago so I thought I would give a brief synopsis just so that some of my posts makes sense.
First of all lets begin with the now. I was married July 2009, to Mac (not his real name,) he is so amazing!! Mac is such a godsend, He understands my baggage and is so very encouraging. One lasting issue I’ve had since Mark (more on him later) passed was the crazy notion that I can only be happy when I make those around me happy. Not a great way to live, Mac has been my “Jesus with skin on” helping me work on this. I’m learning how to take care of myself while still being a good wife and friend.
We have 2 little girls a whopping 13 months apart Apple is 4 and K is 3. As a family we love being active and Mac and I are enjoying a few different side gigs including photography and fitness coaching! Personally I keep fit to stay sane and to race. I do several races a year from 5k-1/2 Marathons. Oh and did I mention Cooper? He is the cutest Goldendoodle ever! He was 8 on September 7th 2017.
As for the begining of my story I’m really not sure where to start. I had a pretty normal childhood I’m one of the lucky ones who’s parents didn’t divorce, I think the only thing that might be abnormal was that I lived in 7 different houses in 3 cities by my sophomore year. I was picked on, diagnosed with ADHD (one of the first girls in the state of Iowa) and struggled with that for a while. But by high school I had it pretty much together. I knew who I was and even though what other people said hurt, I didn’t let it change me.
My senior year I started dating Mark we were engaged in August, and married the next June (2002.) I had only been 19 for a month. At the age of 20 we had purchased our first home and after I graduated collage as a sign language interpreter life was going pretty good. The summer after I graduated Mark was diagnosed with a VERY RARE form of cancer (thymus carcinoid not thymic) stage 4 it had already spread everywhere knees up elbows in. Including his brain.
We spent a year driving 4 hours to the Mayo clinic and having various treatments. Later we moved closer to the hospital Mark wanted and he found a new job working at the same company as his brother (PTL.) We continued for 2 years of treatments and doctors appts but they didn’t really affect our lives too much. Then it started creating respiratory problems, O2 started in September 2007 or so and on December 10th 2007 he passed away. Obviously there is a lot more to this story, but unfortunetly that blog has been closed down 🙁