Small Successes Thursday

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that. To participate, just write up a list of 3 of your recent Small Successes and post it on your blog.

1. I started my new exercise routine yesterday. :)

2. I continue to strive to keep in touch with my extended family. This week we received a letter from Stephen's uncle whom is incarcerated. What was so sad to me is he started his letter off thanking us for our letter and photo and saying that he wanted to spend some time writing back those that actually do remember him. No matter who or where we are, we've all experienced feeling lonely or forgotten. I've always been the pen pal type since I was a young girl, it makes me happy when my loved ones are happy to hear from me.

3. Reflecting on success #2 I was so very sad to hear this morning that my Tante Sherie (the wife of my mom's cousin) passed away yesterday. They, like Stephen and I, moved away from California where the majority of our family lived. I did my best to keep in touch with them and their son, my cousin Jason. And for the past few years living here in Texas, closer to them in Florida, we kept talking to my Oom and Tante about making a trip out to Florida. Something I have really been wanting to do! They offered for us to stay with them, we could make day trips to Orlando and they even offered to watch the kids if Stephen and I wanted to go out for a night on the town in Miami. I was thinking this or next year would be the time we would finally make that trip. And now I am only saddened that we didn't do it sooner so we could've seen my Tante before she passed.

My Tante Sherie and Oom Rob

When we lived in Medford, Oregon and my parents and Oma were visiting, Oom Rob, Tante Sherie and Jason came to visit us. Tante Sherie's mom lived in central Oregon so they made the drive down to our home for a visit. Tante had been battling major illnesses for most of her life. She was one strong woman! Just after the new year my Oom had wrote that she had Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), commonly known as flesh-eating disease or Flesh-eating bacteria syndrome. Such infections are more likely to occur in people with compromised immune systems. In necrotizing fasciitis, aggressive surgical debridement (removal of infected tissue) is always necessary to keep it from spreading and is the only treatment available. She had the surgery and has been in intensive care but she passed away yesterday. May her soul rest in peace with our Lord. I will miss her!