Armed Forces Day

This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces ... to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. This is simply a day to salute sharply to all of the men and women in all branches of the service who protect our country and you. They can be called upon at a moment's notice to perform a risky and perilous mission for freedom and country. They train diligently both physically and mentally so they will be prepared to prevail in any mission they face. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty.

I would like to specifically honor my brother who is a pilot in the Air Force. I appreciate his service to this country. His service is a sacrifice not only for him, but for his wife, as well as all other military spouses and children. Thank you so much!

Just how did it all begin? Well, each branch of the military had their own day of celebration. But, on August 31, 1949 then Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day. President Harry Truman also announced the holiday in a presidential proclamation on February 20, 1950. All branches of the military were asked to celebrate on this day and they complied on the first Armed Forces Day which was held the following year on May 20, 1950.

CF Mother's Day Poem

This is a poem a friend and fellow CF mom sent to me on Mother's Day. I liked it and wanted to share it. It's about what all CF moms (and DADS) do. There are hours of daily chest physiotherapy,meds and breathing treatments, therapist visits at the house, trips to the hospital, home IV administration and oxygen therapy! I would like to salute all the CF moms and dads I know. Also, I don't know any CF families that only have one child. We are all trying to juggle parenting one, two, three or four more children as we struggle with trying to fight CF. You all are my heroes and a great source of encouragment! I would also add that although Rob and I are Brett's primary caregivers, we can't take all the credit because we have lots of assistance from GG and Pop, Grandpa, Brittny, and others along the way!  We are so thankful for this support.

Do you ever just breathe to feel yourself breath?
Or cough to hear yourself cough?
Do you wonder where they get all their strength from?
And the courage to breathe in and blast off?

Are your hands dry or cracked from proper hand hygiene?
Do you talk about boogies and poo over dinner?
Can you rattle off 25 medicines in chronological order?
Or say that eating 4,000 calories a day makes your child a winner?

If you answered yes to any of these,
It is a role God intended for you and only you;
You are just 1 of 30,000 who were chosen especially,
He knew you could handle it, just the way you do.

You’re a lover, a fighter, even fearless sometimes,
You are exactly what your precious child needs;
You are strong, patient, and lead with your heart,
You already knew life was not meant to be a breeze.

You have learned more in your days as a CF Momma,
Had a crash course in nursing, nutrition, and nebulizers;
Slow going to start, but given some time,
You are now the CF CEO with a clinic full of top advisors.

Nebs, vests, and vitamins, to start and end every day,
All of this is just part of the daily routine;
Pulmozyme, PFTs, and the infamous Pipeline,
You know just what each of these mean.

You are the light on their darkest days,
You help them put one foot in front of the other;
You remind them of their achievements and why they fight,
You are the joy, you are the love, you are their mother.

You encourage, educate, and empower your child,
Because that’s all you now how to do.
With the support and love from your Faith community,
The miracles in the tough times fill and carry you through.

A whole lotta sweet and a little bit of salty,
Yup that basically describes our CF kids,
And when you look beyond each courageous CF‘er,
A quiet hero, you CF Momma, is pleasantly hid. :)

Happy Mother's Day to all and a little extra hug to the CF Mom's. xoxoxo

Mother's Day Tea

Here is a photo from the Mother's Day Tea the first graders hosted and I attended with Mark at school. We enjoyed our time together. Below are a couple of very short videos. It's nice to be told how much you are loved!

Happy Mother's Day!

I had a great Mother's Day with my husband and all my boys together. And NOT in the hospital!! Yea! Mark and I  had a Mother's Day tea at school on Friday, and then we went to Virginia Beach for the weekend. I'll post pics of that trip soon. We actually made it through our first trip without having to go to the hospital. We were prepared --- we took 2 cars and asked our doctors which hospital to take Brett to if if was needed. We probably would've had to if we had not had the oxygen on hand. I did have to give him the oxygen overnight both nights because his sats were getting extremely low. During the daytime, though, he held around 95-98, which for him is superb.

Mother's Day is a great time to pause and reflect on these special ladies in our lives, and for us as mother's to celebrate our children. It is a time to express our love and gratefulness to our mothers that are still with us. Thank you, Mom! Also, it is a time to remember the love we have for mothers that have passed on. We miss Diane the most on special days like this. We remember our grandmothers as well. I celebrate my children that are with me. And my mother's heart can never forget my two children that never got the chance to experience this life on earth - but I know they are with the Lord and I will meet them someday.

On another note, May is National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. All the Great Strides walks are held in May, and I'm going to take this opportunity to post some information about CF here on my blog. In addition to my daily family stuff, I'll pick one aspect of CF to focus on each week and talk about it. I hope it proves informative for those of you who are not as familiar with the disease. And those of you who do, maybe you can help me out by commenting on the posts.