Finally old

Thank you to everyone who sent Birthday greetings and well-wishes! Especially to my ladies for the lovely afternoon, and my two beautiful men for a great evening! And thanks to those who helped me feel "young again" with the hayride and bonfire last weekend. I am so blessed, and would gladly turn 30 all the time with this kind of laughter & support (and as I get older, I just may be turning "30" every time :D)

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

This upcoming Friday is an important day for me. October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.


As the mother of an angel in heaven, as well as a mother who still worries every day about her angel on earth's well-being and how long I'll get to keep him, this is a day very close to my heart! Personally, when I experienced my miscarriage, I felt completely alone, despite the fact that, unfortunately, about 25% of pregnancies, end in miscarriage. I also had a very bad experience with my hospital's bereavement department and their inability to respond when I reached out to them for help. I felt like because my baby wasn't born, I was expected to act like she'd never existed, and the world didn't acknowledge her existence or my loss. I never got to give her a funeral, I have no pictures of her, and I was left completely broken (and in so many ways, still am)! And I know I'm not the only one suffering from this, and even more difficult experiences of loss. My experience has helped me see that awareness of pregnancy and infant loss is greatly needed, if for no other reason than to help those families experiencing it know they're not alone, as well as to help others realize the great need for support and resources! The first step is simply REMEMBERING those beautiful little ones who have gone before us!


The following is a video done in memory of many of the beautiful children lost. (Warning: It's difficult; I myself haven't even been able to make it all the way through, although I was able to see my little girl memorialized near the end of part 1!) May these children rest in joy, and may their families find peace!

October 15th memorial video, part 1
October 15th memorial video, part 2

I invite you to help recognize this day, and those millions of families out there suffering with this type of loss, by lighting a candle from 7-8:00pm on October 15th. If people light a candle at 7pm their time, and leave it burning for one hour, a wave of light will pass across the country in memory and awareness of these beautiful children we love and miss so much.


For additional information or resources on pregnancy and infant loss, or on this designated day of remembrance, visit:

http://www.october15th.com
or http://pregnancyloss.info

I miss you and love you Esperanza! You will always be our first child and an important and recognized part of our family!

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Miguel! From that first motorcycle ride, to dinner last night, I have been blessed by these past five years with you in my life! Thank you for everything! I love you so much!

First Family Vacation

This past weekend we took our first "family vacation" with Adrian. We felt a bit like a National Lampoon's adventure - with the station wagon all loaded up, and driving around in circles when we didn't know where we were going (no Wally World though!) But we had a great time! We had perfect weather, perfect fall colors, and a perfect family get-away! And aside from being Adrian's first vacation anywhere, it was also Mike's first time really visiting Duluth and seeing Canal Park too, so it was an exciting adventure for all! And while Adrian won't remember any of it, we think it was the best first family vacation we could possibly have offered him! Here are some of our favorite memories:

Enger Tower & the fall colors

Canal Park & the lift bridge

The lake

The little guy on his first vacation...

...and all tuckered-out from his first vacation! :)

And my favorite part - being together as a family!

We closed off our family fun with Mike's birthday on Sunday. We didn't get to make him a cake because we were on vacation, but we did make sure he got some "Peanut Butter Bucket" from the Chocolate Factory in Canal Park, so I think it worked out and he had a good day. I'm glad - he deserves it! Happy Birthday Mike!!