Make-A-Wish Trip

Our family was able to spend a week on the island of Kauai courtesy of the Wyoming and Hawaii Chapters of Make-A-Wish. While in the tropical paradise, they were able to enjoy a variety of activities. The pilots on United Airlines invited Jaydon into the cockpit for a pre-flight check. The family enjoyed a visit to the Fern Grotto followed by a luau with the Smith Family Garden Luau. Kauai Surf School provided a fun-filled day in the waves learning how to surf. Kauai Backcountry Adventures provided a relaxing adventure while riding tubes through the sugar cane irrigation canals. The family boarded a catamaran named Lucky Lady for a tour of the Na Pali coast with Kauai Sea Tours. They were also able to snorkel with sea turtles and several types of fish. In addition, the Grand Hyatt Resort and Spa provide amazing rooms with beautiful vistas and hours of fun in the pools. 

This trip would not have been possible without the generosity of Make-A-Wish donors. We will hold all the memories close to our hearts. THANK YOU!

Summer of Surgeries

As if the planned surgeries weren't enough, we had to go and add yet another round to our crazy, hectic schedule. The summer started with a bang, literally.

My husband had a mishap and fell through the floor of a barn loft. His compression, spiral fracture of his lower leg caused an immediate emergency surgery to stabilize the bones and bone fragments. This injury will require at least one additional surgery and possibly several more. I’ll spare you the pictures, but the doctor said it looked like a box of chiclets were sprinkled throughout the X-rays. 

I have official approval to be the donor for my son’s kidney transplant! We’re working with the transplant teams an it looks like the transplant will occur in early summer. It’s overwhelming and exciting.  

My oldest will be coming home from his mission the first week of June. Many of you remember his nemesis, the paintball. The injury sustained during that fateful game last year has once again risen through the ranks. He needs at least one more surgery to correct his eyesight as much as we can. This surgery has yet to be scheduled.

And last, but certainly not least, my arm. This has been a fun injury. I had a cabinet door fall on me at work. I sustained an injury that can only be described as “Carpal Tunnel of the Funny Bone.” There’s a medical term for it, but this description is adequate. Basically, my arm from my elbow to my fingertips is continually numb, much like when your foot falls asleep. We’re working with the surgeon to coordinate the surgery around everything else that’s happening. 

So many fun things will be happening in the coming months. Instead of focusing on all the rough patches, we’re choosing to focus on the fun. My second son is graduating from high school. My oldest is returning from his mission. I’m in the midst of college classes; hoping that I can pass. And, we’re going to Hawaii! This trip will be a chance for healing. It will be a wonderful escape from reality. It will be fun, a time to revitalize and focus on the most important things in our lives - our family.  Everything else will fall into place. 

As I have seen numerous times, there is ALWAYS a silver lining. We just need to look for it. Even though things are crazy busy, they are crazy wonderful too. Focus on the good and you’ll get through the trials. 

PS... Many people have asked how they can help. There's a GoFundMe here and several fundraisers that are and will be happening. Prayers and good vibes are also VERY appreciated!

Bridge the Gap – Donate Life

Organ donation can change the lives of the donor and recipient forever. According to the organ donation website, Donate Life, there are over one hundred thousand hopeful recipients across the nation currently waiting on the transplant list, with more people added daily. Unfortunately, Department of Motor Vehicles records indicate there are only about seven thousand registered donors. Each post-mortem donor can save up to eight lives; the difference between the two numbers is heartbreaking. Well over half of the recipients will not receive help in time. A living donor can donate bone marrow, kidneys, and partial livers. Myths surrounding becoming an organ donor keep people from signing up to donate because they worry about being qualified, donations only go to the privileged, and they fear they won’t be able to have an open casket funeral.

The first myth is “I’m not qualified to be a donor because of age or illness or I have to be dead to donate.” Nothing could be further from the truth. There are two types of donors, living and deceased. Living donors go through a rigorous evaluation to determine if they are a match and adequately healthy to donate. Deceased donors must be declared to be brain dead in order for the surgical team to procure the organs. In each case, the medical team will evaluate medical records and personal history and will make the determination if the donor is a viable candidate. The oldest recorded donor was ninety-three years old.

Another fear potential donors have is only rich people get the organs. Fortunately, the list is a computerized system. Recipients are ranked by illness, immunity match, geography, and the length of time on the list. Using the computer system, the medical teams will match the best possible recipient to that organ. Race, religion, and wealth do not play a part in the selection process. The entire process is made to be as fair as possible.

Another myth often encountered is, “I won’t be able to have an open casket funeral if I donate.” The surgical team is exceptionally good at their job. The medical staff almost reveres the final moments of the deceased donor. The transplant team works very hard to preserve the looks of the donor out of respect for the donor and for the family. Utmost care must be taken in the removal of the organs so that they will be viable once they are transplanted.

As heartbreaking as the disparity between donors and recipients is, it is truly beautiful what happens when a match is made. Videos of recipient’s reactions float around the internet. My experience isn’t recorded on video, but it’s no less touching. In October, we were in the process of putting my son on the kidney transplant list. We’d just submitted the paperwork and the testing. A friend of mine shared a story on social media where a young child had drowned at a party. He had been life-flighted to a nearby Children’s Hospital. While he was there, it was determined that he had no brain activity. It was heartbreaking. The mom shared that they were in the process of donating her child’s organs. I expressed my thanks for her selfless act as we would be on the recipient side shortly. Her family immediately contacted me and offered to be the donor for my son. My heart soared even as it broke for this family. Unfortunately, this match didn’t work out for us, but it did for another child. Just the thoughtfulness of this family changed my life forever. Now I am not only an advocate for organ donation, I am a match for my son. I get to give him the gift of life – again.

Organ donation is not a mind thing. It is a heart thing; it is how a donor feels about donation. It is how the donor feels about being the one who can literally save another person’s life. It is not enough to merely click the box on the driver’s license form. The donor must tell family members. Put it in writing and make the wish known to give the gift of life. Step forward as so many others have done. Step forward and make the difference for someone. Push the myths surrounding organ donation aside. Be someone’s hero. Sign up to be an organ donor today.

Citations

“Frequently Asked Questions.” DonateLife

https://www.donatelife.net/faq/ March 1, 2019.

“Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Statistics.” DonateLife

https://www.donatelife.net/statistics/ March 1, 2019.

“The Truth About Organ Donation.” ZdoggMD. August 2, 2018.

https://zdoggmd.com/organ-donation/ March 1, 2019.

Notes & Acknowledgements

This is a paper I wrote for a college essay. I got 195/200 so a 97.5%. Huge thanks to Betsy Love for being there and helping me through the editing and revising process. I don't think this paper would have been quite as strong without your help!

Flash Fiction - Arrested

Flash Fiction: A piece of fiction that is extremely brief, usually less than a few hundred words

The Challenge: Write a piece in 100 words or less using the prompt…

The Prompt: We could get arrested for this

Lightning flashed across the clouds, illuminating the dry creek bed for barely a moment. “Are you sure about this?” I hissed just as Jackson struck a match.

A sardonic grin spread across Jackson’s face. “Yeah. It’ll be fun.”

“We could get arrested for this.”

Jackson shrugged. “That’s what makes it fun.”

His laughter sent prickles of fear down my spine. The rag in the bottle crackled as flames licked at the gasoline. 

“You ready?”

I shook my head, unable to force the words past the lump in my throat.

The bottle flew through the air, exploding against the car. “Run!”

Ode to Mountain Dew

Oh my darling Mountain Dew, how I long for the feel of you across my lips. Your fizzy, sugary goodness is a boon to my soul. Your bubbly personality is almost contagious. The hiss as your pent up energy escapes the bottle is music to my ears. I would that your citrus and sugar-laden carbonation could flow like blood in my veins. You are the elixir of life.

I love how you glow when lights shine across your plastic contours. You can make a headache flee in terror, and always brighten my day with just a single sip. The combination of your coloring and the bottle you reside in create my favorite color, the color of genius. You, my friend, are genius in your flavoring.

The doctors have told me I need to cut back on my caffeination and carbonation as I prep to be a kidney donor. I detest being away from you. No other beverage is as wonderful as you. Other sodas and juices can’t hold a candle to you. Alas, we must part ways for a time. It’s me, not you. It could never be you. I’ll miss your soothing comfort and the fizzy moments we share as you flow across my lips. Oh, Mountain Dew, I’ll crave your nearness. We’ll see each other again, just not as often as we have lately.

I’ll long for your comfort and closeness. Until we meet again, my darling, I’ll gaze longingly in your direction as I pass your residence in the cooler door of the convenience store. I must keep my distance because being close to your perfection is too tempting for a mortal like me. The only way I can be strong enough to resist you is to avoid looking at you. Once I do, I’ll remember your siren song and how the ice cracked as you were poured into the cup. The pull of your love will once again be too much and you’ll be in my arms once again.

For now, I’ll be strong. For now, you and I will be apart. I’ll temporarily find solace in my cup of ice water, forever knowing the inferior beverage is not the same. Tis only for a little while, my love. Soon, we’ll be together again. Soon, I’ll cave and give into the call of your song.

*****

I’ve been waiting on pins and needles, waiting for my grade on my Mt Dew essay. My teacher finally graded it last night. It was awesome! I got 100% on it with loads of compliments. 
From my English teacher:
“There’s lots of creativity in your essay. I feel like you had fun writing it. The tone was fun & passionate. It’s almost ridiculous but comes across really well. I’ve highlighted some of the fun, sensory details in your essay. I could have highlighted a lot more, but I didn’t want to turn your whole essay green. You, obviously, are a seasoned writer. You know what you’re doing and everything is really clean. Really good, fun essay to read. Good luck giving up your Mt Dew and I hope everything goes well!”
So, now I’m sitting here thinking, “Man! I shouldn’t have done so well on that first essay! Now I’ll have to hit it out of the ballpark for the rest of the 10 weeks! Gah!”
It’ll be fine... I'm sure it'll be fine... probably...

Moving Forward - College

There's never been a good time to go back to school, to pursue my education, to move forward with bettering myself. 

Over 20 years ago, I dropped out of my last semester of college to move to Texas with my husband. He'd just landed an internship. It was a great opportunity. So, we packed up and moved. I was 3 classes - 9 credits - shy of completing my Associate's Degree. 

Fast forward several years. I had small kids but I really wanted that degree. I craved that piece of paper. So I enrolled in Salt Lake Community College and took one class at a time until I'd completed those classes. I called my alma mater and was told I'd need to take another 21 credits (from them) in order for those credits to transfer and be counted toward my degree. That seemed like an insurmountable obstacle so the degree was shelved again.

Fast forward again... Last year, I was looking at my 4yo and thinking "Only one more year of her at home. One more year and I'll close the chapter of having little people around all the time. One more year! What am I going to do with myself?" And, it'd be two more years until I could feasibly work full time outside the home because of the kindergarten schedule. 

My thoughts turned again to my education. I called my alma mater. The news they gave me was less than heartening. In addition to having to pay out of state tuition, I'd need to start all over again because my credits were from an "obsolete degree track." I cried. I got frustrated. Then, I started looking for other options.

I discovered PathwaysConnect. My sweet sister-in-law had gone through the program and she gave glowing reviews. I looked over the possible degrees and prayed. And then I pushed the button to sign up. As a result, I'm working on my third semester of the program. It's been a challenge and a sacrifice but it's been worth it. Upon completion of this semester, I'll have a certificate of completion. Then, I'll transfer to BYU-Idaho where I'll pursue a degree in Business Management with a minor in Marketing. 

I absolutely adore my Pathways family. They are supportive and fun and amazing. I'm learning SO much from all of them. 

Flash Fiction - Nickname

Flash Fiction: A piece of fiction that is extremely brief, usually less than a few hundred words
The Challenge: Write a piece in 100 words or less using the prompt…
The Prompt: She finally told me how she got her nickname...

Bile threatened to burst from my throat. I sat, my eyes wide. I should be thrilled or excited or even awestruck. Instead, all I felt was disgust. The story she’d conjured was horrifying.

She sat across from me, waiting for my response.

I grabbed the water and downed the whole glass, hoping to rebuke the vomit that threatened. I should be happy because she finally told me how she got her nickname.

“Uh, that’s great.” I choked.

A smirk crossed her lips. “Don’t think I can’t read you.”

“You can?” I glanced around, hoping for rescue from anywhere.

“Like a book.”

Flash Fiction - The Thief

Flash Fiction: A piece of fiction that is extremely brief, usually less than a few hundred words
The Challenge: Write a piece in 100 words or less using the prompt…
The Prompt: I was known for stealing from my friends

Shrieks cut through the room.
“No! This is not going to work!”
I shook my head. This is never going to work. No one is getting along. I grimaced before raising my hand. “I’ll do it.”
“Starla? Not her! We need someone honest to represent us.”
Another voice joined the melee. “Why not? Maybe a thief can con a thief.”
I pursed my lips. My hands clenched into fists. I was known for stealing from my friends. It was never anything big. Practical jokes were my specialty. My lips quirked into a smile. I’ll teach them for doubting my skills…