Right Now Life is a Bed of Roses

We would like to extend a thank you to all of you for your support and love during the month of Febuary. With the passing of two Grandfathers',and my recovery process it was a hard month, but we pulled through it. I'm so grateful that Spring is around the corner and winter is almost concluded.

Always Loved Never Forgotten

What a beatiful day it was celebrating the life of our Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather. Our small family was unable to attend his service, which was very difficult for me; however, today I found a DVD that I created back in the summer of 2009. It was so wonderful to see and hear my Grandfather. Today I felt my Grandfather with me, and I knew he understood why I could not be in Idaho. A special thank you to everyone back home, who made me feel so apart of things. I have enjoyed talking to you, and viewing all of the photos that you have posted. Enjoy the memories I even posted photos of you all today. You all look beatiful. Thank you Grandpa for everything I love you and I'll see you soon....

My Heart Broke

Valentine's Day my Grandfather passed away and my heart broke. His death was unexpected and happened within two weeks of losing another special Grandpa. I miss my Grandpa and have been taking it hour by hour. I have been finding comfort in believeing that Kirk's Grandpa helped him cross over. Both of our Granfather's meant a lot to each of us and will be terribly missed, but I know they're in a peaceful and happy place. I will not be able to attend my Grandfather's service which is going to be hard, but tonight I wrote a segment for one of the family member's to share about what my Grandfather taught me.

During my Grandfather’s life I learned several lessons; however, the one lesson that I learned from him was to be dedicated and persistent. I recall as a young child, my Grandfather going out to work out at the INEL. He called it the dessert. I remember that he did not miss many days of work, and I can also recall walking down to his bus stop and anxiously waiting for him to arrive and then I would walk home with him. I can also recall him taking care of his yard. He had a garden that he kept well maintained and in fact he would not allow any of us to dig up the carrots. However, if we were careful we were allowed to pick the green beans and then we would take them over to the red picnic table and snap them. Oh how I loved the taste of Grandpa’s green beans. I also recall when I was first married I had undergone eye surgery, and while everyone was at work and school I spent time at my Grandparents. I remember that year was a Presidential year and Grandpa would watch all of the debates. He was truly dedicated to his political beliefs and I do not think he missed many debates.

Now that I have my own family I can see how the two above values influenced my personal life. I can recall Grandpa sharing some of his Educational hardships with me, and after listening to his stories I had a desire to go school and earn my college degree, which he was able to attend my Graduation. Even though Grandpa did not hold a college degree I knew that he valued education. Grandpa always attended and supported many of my triumphs in life. He was also was there for many of my trials, and even if he could not physically be present I always knew that he cared about me. This was illustrated to me recently when I suffered a brain bleed in Seattle, Washington. When this occurred, I knew that it was not possible for Grandpa to come up and see me, and it was not possible for me to go to Idaho. This was and is still challenging for me; however I was told by my mother that Grandpa would always ask how I was doing? That was enough for me because I knew that he cared and thought about me often, and desired for me to get better. Grandpa’s desire is happening and I’m getting better week by week. I love my Grandpa and I’ll miss him. However, I know that he lives on in my Grandma, and that some day we will all be reunited together again.

In Memory of Alfred Edward Fry

In Memory of Alfred Edward Fry

DOCTOR'S UPDATE

THIS PREVIOUS MONDAY I SAW MY NEUROLOGIST SO HERE IS THE UPDATE.

1. I'M ABLE TO LIFT UP TO 30 POUNDS NOW.

2. PT WILL NOW FOCUS ON BUILDING UP STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. WHILE STILL CHECKING MY BALANCE.

3. SWALLOWING THERAPY WILL CONTINUE.

4. MEMORY AND COGNITIVE THERAPY WILL ALSO CONTINUE. I'M GETTING BETTER WITH DEDUCTIVE REASONING AND NOW WE ARE WORKING ON THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN. IT WAS INTERESTING LAST NIGHT I ATTENDED MY FIRST SCHOOL FUNCTION WITH ZACHARY AND A PARENT, WHO I KNOW, CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED ME WHERE I HAVE BEEN/ I TOLD HER I WAS RECOVERING FROM A BRAIN BLEED. SHE'S A SPEECH THERAPIST AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WONDERED BECAUSE MY SPEECH RATE WAS SLOWER AND IT SEEMED TO TAKE ME A BIT LONGER TO PROCESS INFORMATION. KIRK THOUGHT THAT THIS INFORMATION MIGHT UPSET me BUT IT DID NOT. I WAS THANKFUL THAT SOMEONE WAS HONEST WITH ME AND AT THE SAME TIME I WAS ABLE TO SAY THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY IMPROVE.

5. IN MARCH THE OT AND PT WILL WORK WITH ME ON DRIVING AND I HOPE TO BE DRIVING ALONE BY THE SUMMER. I'M TRYING TO BE REALISTIC, BUT IT IS HARD.

6. I'LL HAVE AN EKG DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BETA BLOCKERS ARE WORKING WELL.

7. MY FOCUS AND VISION ARE NOW RECOVERED, WHICH FEELS GREAT.

8. STILL CANNOT GO TO THE GYM BY MYSELF. HOWEVER, I CAN BIKE AND WALK AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS WITH ME. I CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE MY ALONE TIME AGAIN.

The bleed has really changed my life for both the good and the bad. I no longer take my life for grant it. I know I say that a lot but when you go through a life and death experience you really feel this. On the flip side, it sucks to go through a long recovery process and life is different for me right now and I think life will be different for me moving foreward. I now know that I will need to make accomdations for myself, such as writing almost everything down, and I'm becoming quite the skilled note taker. It also takes me longer to process conversations and reply back to the speaker, but this I can live with.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT, WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, PRAYERS, AND LOVE.

WILL UPDATE AGAIN IN ANOTHER MONTH.

STRUK BY CUPID

THIS IS A PHOTO OF ZACHARY AND A LITTLE GIRL FROM HIS CLASS AT SCHOOL. HE SAYS THAT HE IS GOING TO MARRY THIS GIRL. THIS LITTLE GIRL'S MOM THINKS THAT ZACHARY IS SO ADORABLE. WE BOTH AGREED THAT THEY BOTH HAVE GOOD TASTE. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.

The magic of the Disney Store

BOTH ZACHARY AND ISABELLA LOVE GOING TO THE DISNEY STORE. ZACHARY LOVES CHECKING OUT THE CAR STUFF AND ISABELLA LOVES LOOKING AT THE PRINCESS THINGS. SHE IS A TRUE GIRL AND SHE ALSO HAS EXPENSIVE TASTE.

In Memory of Grandpa Walker We love and miss you already

Raymond Claud Walker Obituary: View Raymond Walker's Obituary by Post Register


What a bitter-sweet day January 30th was for our small family. On that day, we found out that my vision had tremendously improved while during the doctor's appointment we received a call that Grandpa Walker passed away. I must say that the passing of Grandpa Walker made that day feel empty and sad for our family. Because of my health, we knew that I would be unable to travel to the funeral so with the help of many friends and family members we were able to fly Kirk out to Idaho for his Grandpa's service while the kids and I stayed back in Seattle with my friend Laura. On the day and time of the funeral my friend Laura and I stopped what we were doing and paused while I thought about all of the memories that our small family had created with Grandpa Walker. It truly was a beautiful experience. While back in Idaho, Kirk and his cousin Jennifer were sharing his life's sketch. Once the family reached the graveside right below the cemetery a bull auction was going on and everyone was able to reflect about the times that Grandpa Walker shared stories about cow sales and bull auctions. My understanding was that it was truly a remarkable experience for the entire family. One thing I know is that as a Granddaughter-in-law I had grown to love this man as one of my own Grandfather's. He was one of the most giving people I have ever met and I'm so happy that Kirk was able to grow-up by this man because I believe he helped mold Kirk into what he is today.

What we did back in Seattle

After Kirk's Grandpa passed away, The kids and I remained in Seattle and stayed with my friend Laura. Lets say we had exciting times. My friend Laura has five kids so we had a total of 7 children for three days. Getting them all showered, fed, to bed, and to school is a large process. One of the kiddos even set off the burglar alarm and that was unforgettable. However, I'm so grateful for Laura. She is the friend who came to the hospital to get my kiddos the night of my brain bleed, and I'll never forget saying 'Laura they are going to shave my hair off. My friend quickly responded with, 'Heidi, we will do hats.' She has been one of my friends, who has faithfully remained by my side during this journey. Zachary and Isabella also love her very much. We all need a Laura in our lives. THANKS LAURA FOR EVERYTHING....

In Memory of Claud Raymond Walker

In Memory of Claud Raymond Walker



If you click on memory of Claud Raymond Walker the Memorial Video will be posted and you can view it.

The Requested Receipe for the Yummy Brownies from Kirk's Graduation Party Enjoy!

Yummy Mint Graduation Brownies From My Friend Boni

2 boxes of brownie mix

Mint Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup soft butter
2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring

Chocolate Topping:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter

1) To make the Brownies follow the recipe for "cake-like" brownies (6 eggs total). Pour into a large, greased cookie sheet/jelly roll pan, bake and let cool completely

2) To make the mint frosting, combine powdered sugar, butter, water, peppermint extract and food coloring. Mix. Spread over cooled brownies and refrigerate until hard on top.

3) To make chocolate topping microwave chocolate chips and butter for 2 minutes. Stir until all chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Add 1-2 tsp. peppermint extract. As soon as this mixture thickens and is no longer hot, spread over mint topping on brownies. Put back into the refrigerator until

Unlocking the World

The other day I received an e-mail from Zachary's teacher stating that his Reading had tremendously improved since the beginning of the year. Report cards come home soon, and she said that she was confident that he would be on grade level. I was so excited for him because since the brain bleed happened on the first day of school I had not been in the classroom and I have not had a lot of energy to provide extra help to Zachary. Considering that the kiddos have had to endure a lot of changes in routine during the past few months, I'm very proud of Zachary and his accomplishment! I told Zachary he now has the ability to see the world through reading books. Congratulations to Zach!

I could NOT forget to add the silly face photo minus Isabella since she was busy playing.....

So we did a big group photo! A few of you are missing in action including Isabella. However, Miss Bells has been really cute about the surprise party she woke up at 5:00 A.m. super excited for it! Zachary even shared everything about it to everyone at school. They are very Proud of their Daddy!

Celebrating The Master's Degree with our Seattle Family

What a Journey! Last night Kirk completed his MBA program and is Graduating with High Honors! Tonight we had a huge Surprise Celebration for him with many friends and my cousin and her family got to celebrate this great event with us too! Some of my sweet friends helped me plan, prepare food, and decorate for this event, and it turned out wonderful. I do not think there are enough words to express our thankfulness for all of the love and support that has been given to us during this challenging time of our life. Tears of joy streamed down my face when I looked at each of you tonight and thought about all of the love that you each have given to our small family. Thank you, and Thank you for helping Kirk attain his Master's degree. You each hold a special place in our hearts and thanks for helping us create a beautiful memory tonight. Once again I was thankful to be here tonight to celebrate this moment! Enjoy the wonderful photos!

A week of Progress

Yesterday I attended PT and the therapist informed me that my balance and vision are doing a lot better. I'm also able to ride the bike at the gym for 30 minutes. It feels good to be able to workout for 30 minutes now. I'm still in swallowing and Cognitive therapy with the Speech Therapist. This is slowly coming along. The cognitive exercises are challenging. We are working on my deductive reasoning and higher level of problem solving skills. I now have a deeper appreciation for my brain since this happened. The brain hemorrhage has and continues to change me. I know that I'm not the same person that I was on August 31st. I continue to discover strengths that I did not even realize were inside of me. However, it was difficult to admit that it is challenging for me to remember certain activities or even events at times. I also in the middle of a conversation will sometimes forget the topic that is currently being discussed. I have discovered that I need to write certain information down and take a few notes occasionally during conversations. However, this will improve over time.

"I Know My Heavenly Father Loves Me"

Isabella wanted her picture by Christ yesterday so we took a photo of her. She really brings a sweet spirit to our home.

Happy New Year!

We celebrated the New Year with friends and family! We wish you all a happy and wonderful year ahead!

My Second LOVE

This handsome kiddo saw an ADORABLE female classmate in the produce area at Safeway tonight. He walked over to her and smiled. Followed by the second smile he quickly informed us that he really likes Sophia and she is his second love. What is funny about this is back during Kindergarten Round Up days we met Sophia and her mom. Sophia's mom came over and remarked to me that I have, "The most adorable little boy and he is so handsome." Now they are in first grade together and like each other. How cute is that?