Beautiful Struggles

Today is September 1st which in it of itself brings so many wonderful things. The start of football, which is just absolutely perfect, the start of pumpkin spice everything, and the start of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness month. This month is something that honestly up until four years ago I had no idea existed, but four years ago we joined a very rare club and our lives have looked different since. Over 200,000 people live with a SCI in the United States and Kaleb is just one of them. The next month my goal is to share my side of Kaleb's injury, Kaleb's side of his injury, the road to recovery, and where we are today.  November 10th 2012, the day our world changed forever. This was one of those days that I will remember every moment, every detail, and every emotion. I had just turned 21 five days prior and was still living in the birthday celebration glow. That morning was busy with trying to get things done through out the day so that I could head to a family member's ho...

TimeHop... An app that I both love and hate. An app that allows me to see what silly things I have posted in the past on this day as long ago as I have been on social media! This app has allowed for me to see the transformation of Kaleb and I's relationship, the friends I have developed over the years, and the way may faith has grown. It is normally the thing that makes me giggle through out the day.  Today there was a little less giggling as I reflected upon my TimeHop. Today the photo that popped up was of Kaleb and I standing together for the last time as two able bodied individuals.  Three years ago today we walked around the glorious city of New Orleans looking at engagement rings, while strolling hand in hand. We enjoyed a meal on the river, and took in the sounds of one of our favorite neighborhoods.  We went to a jazz concert off of bourbon with two of our favorite coasters. We wondered around bourbon street with several of Kaleb's dearist friends, an...

As I sit here madly in love with 2015 already, I cannot help but long for the memories of 2014. 2014 brought me the best memories of my life, and as ready as I am to welcome a new year I would like to take a post to review the past.  January, bridesmaid dress shopping with the most amazing women.  February, deserves many photos! February I read our engagement announcement in the local newspaper, I watched a family embrace their standing son for the first time since November 2012, and we were able to take standing engament photos.  March, between a visit from two of my besties, and my church bridal shower it was an incredible month. I picked out my viel, and celebrated Kaleb and I's future with the same church family that has supported me my entire life!  April, I began my job at Moji a bang salon, I celebrated my Mom's 40th birthday, and I experienced an amazing photo shoot that would later be the most perfect gift ...

Well, hello there November, and yes I am aware that it is November 3rd and well I should have written this three days ago, but anyway  November has always been one of my absolute favorite months, for well the obvious, Thanksgiving, fall decorations, and MY BIRTHDAY! Which is in two days, I'm like V for Vendetta REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER. All of these awesome things are reasons to absolutely adore November, however two years ago November also developed a very different feeling.  November 10th will mark the two year anniversary since Kaleb's accident. And though I will always love November I now have a heavy heart as we fast approach that day. It is as though every birthday will in some odd way be a reminder of my 21st which is what I was celebrating when I received the phone call that forever changed our lives. Every Thanksgiving as joyous and wonderful as it will be will also remind me of the saddes...

So often I see these families who are in the eye of the storm. Their hearts are hurting, they don't know what lies before them. They are having to learn a whole new language. A language where your back is referred to in the form of C's, T's, and L's. A language where transfers, spasms, and returns are used in every other sentence. They are having to take shelter in a building that throws the storm at you on a daily basis. They are having to live with strangers surrounding them at all times. They are scared and alone, and yet never actually alone.  For those of you who don't know, the name of this storm is called SCI, and it stands for Spinal Cord Injury. The location of this storm is Englewood, Colorado, more specifically Craig Hospital. Our lives were hit with this storm in November of 2012 when my now husband shattered his C6 - T1.  Our whole world stopped in that moment, when we had no other solution than to take shelter in Denver, Colorado. We left ev...