Chanukkah

make new friends, but keep the old.. one is silver and the other gold!

When I was 12 years old there was a girl in my class that was reading a Babysitters Club book that I really wanted to read. I asked her if I could borrow it and listed all the books in the series I had. We traded books and then became friends after that.
I spent a lot of time at her house. I was there whenever I could be. Her siblings became like siblings to me. I learned how to put on make up there.
She was there for a lot of my past and for most major events in my life.. such as she was there when my mom married my step-dad. She was there when I went to lamaze with MiKaela. She was there when I had MiKaela. She was there when I became a widow. She was there again and again. We have a bond that is rare... childhood friends are precious. There is a connection that is very similar to the way I feel about my brothers and sister.
Today she and her husband (who I have known since I was 14) came to visit while they were on their trip to Florida. Our children played together. Other than the time the kids spend with their cousins ( my siblings Shawn, Jennifer & Tina's kids) I have never been in that situation and it felt awesome.
I would have never guessed that those two girls would grow up to be these two women

and not only stay in touch through out the years, but would become mothers to these children
(yes, Lisa has a son on the way!)
Today went by too fast.. I am sorry we did not get to spend more time together. However, my heart is full having had this short period in which our children played together.. it meant a lot to me.

Happy Birthday Mom!

The last thing I have time to do right now is post this but I wanted to update quickly.

Today is my mom's birthday.. which makes this time of year even harder for me. I miss my family scattered all over. There is never enough time to spend with each other. However, I have to be grateful for the social networks and blogs to keep eachother updated and pictures/videos passed around.

I do have to say that my mom is my hero. She is the type of woman I hope I am becoming. She has an amazing heart and spirit. I can still lean on her for good advice or a simple ear to listen. I ache to spend this birthday with her and my siblings.

I am getting ready for work and as I was doing my make up I was listening to Rielly jam out to her MP3 player and realized my babies are not babies anymore. It is so bitter sweet to see them grow. But gosh, I am a proud mom. My mom taught me well.

Tomorrow one of my childhood friends is coming to visit. Lisa & her husband Steve are staying in Daytona over the holidays and are driving up tomorrow. I am so excited to see our children play together as we did!!!!

Off to work... hoidays are not holidays when you are in the hospitality buisness!

Happy Holidays!

And so she begins....

I considered making this my journal in which I blog about this journey we will call the cochlear implant. Then I realized that is nothing short of absurd as my journey is so much more than the cochlear implant and so I think this will just be the journey of me. I still use my myspace, facebook, and live journal the most. I think I always will. However, I will try to be better about using this to do more than to read of those I love.

A couple months ago David-Michael came to me to tell me he wanted to find out about the cochlear implant. The ramifications of this decision are more than epic. A small ripple in a pool that never ends. As it is almost 1am I will have to refrain from getting into the endless details. I can say that we have started the process to determine IF he is even a candidate. A process that is so much more intense than even I could imagine. We have already had a CT & MRI. Are getting him set up with digital aids and I am suppose to set up a test with the genetic testing. And this has all been in the last couple weeks.

To add to it all.. my little girl is no longer a little girl. My MiKaela is 13 today. The emotions that surround this monumental event in my life (and in hers) have been more than I can express at this time.

How quickly time changes. Such a beautiful girl. Such a passionate spirit!!!

More to come about life in Mandy Land!