Happy 15th Birthday to my sweet girl, my Princessa, my Emmalee.
Happy Birthday to my Emmalee {Photo Reflection}
Amicalola Falls, Day Trip (2018) {Thoughts From Me}
Yesterday, I stood underneath a waterfall. Water sprayed down on me. The wind felt like it could lift me and take me far away.
I’ve only been to one waterfall in my life, many years ago when Emma was three and tried to eat the rocks. It was a trickle of water, just enough to enjoy in the hot summer heat but it was nothing like this one.
I stood on top of this waterfall and looked down at the length and I thought about how something so peaceful can become so powerful within just a few feet. Just a few steps and the sweet little stream became a powerful mass of water going over the edge of the mountain side.
Looking down on this waterfall, I knew I wanted to go down and look upwards. I wanted to see both sides of this beautiful Earth element. I wanted to see the beauty in every direction.
So down we drove to the bottom. The wading and reflection pool that the beautiful flowing fall trickled into was peaceful and calm. Looking up was as beautiful as looking down.
My husband and I walked up the trail and listened to the sounds of the water as it flowed. He looked for trout as we continued our walk, amazed that a fish could even survive the strength of that water’s flow. That man will find fish anywhere he goes.
We made it to the first stop and just soaked in the beauty of the flowing water. The breeze was cool and the sound of the water drowned out the world around us. I wanted to touch the water, to feel the cold rocks beneath my feet. I thought about how my children’s ancestors would even cross such a place, walking over the rocks to get to the other side of the falls.
Because of my severe anemia, I was out of breath at this point. I sat and enjoyed the view. I regained my strength and my breath. I looked up at the bottom of the strongest part of the falls and wished I could make it up to there. I wasn’t sure I could but as I sat there, I knew if I left and didn’t try, that I would regret it forever.
So we walked up 175 steps to the next platform, stopping as I needed to rest and take in the view. My husband supporting me every step of the way. He’s my strength and my biggest supporter.
I was determined to face my fear of heights, to accomplish this task. As I walked up and realized their was a grate beneath these falls, I wasn’t sure I could finish the climb and stand there. But I did.
I faced fears, I accomplished, I forced strength into myself that I had forgotten that I have. I did it. I climbed this waterfall and stood beneath it’s beauty and soaked it all in.
The wind was incredible. The water spray was pelting yet invigorating. The experience was unforgettable.
I cannot put into words what this felt like. I encourage you to experience it for yourself at some point in life. I promise you it’s something you’ll never forget!
I came home feeling completely refreshed and ready to face the world. I came home ready to share with the world. Sometimes, you just need to take a few steps off the beaten path to remind yourself that there is more to life than the mundane every day. You just need to see the beauty of God’s world for yourself and remind yourself that we are here to live every day to the fullest!
Until next time…
Dana
Amicalola Falls 2018 {Photo Reflection}
Amicalola Falls Hike – February 2018
Cold and Spring {Thoughts From Me}
It’s been cold here in the South. And being the Southern Belle that I am, I simply despise the cold. Rain, sleet, ice, snow… all of that stuff is not for me! I prefer the warmth of the Sun, the hot sand on the beach or a nice walk up a mountain trail.
This cold has been keeping us in. Along with the huge Flu outbreak. No one’s got time for that mess!
Thankfully (and knock on wood!) the Flu has not found our house and I hope greatly that it won’t. We have had the sniffles this week and sinus headaches which tells me that Mother Nature is sending Spring on the way! This is the side of Spring that I do not enjoy.
But I do look forward to butterflies and bees and birds, to walking trails and seeing things we’ve never seen before. I look forward to all the awesome weekend events we will be able to participate in very soon. Field Trips are a homeschoolers DREAM! Learning at it’s finest!
So I’m excitedly looking forward to Spring and all the new beginnings that it brings us in our new home. I look forward to bonding together while camping and making smores by the campfire again. I’m looking forward to fishing and seeing my husband catch the “big one” somewhere we’ve never fished before. I’m looking forward to learning new things, seeing new sights and enjoying these years that I have left before my children are grown and ready to move on.
Until next time…
Dana
Our Family Photo: December 2017 {Photo Reflection}
Family Photo – Christmas 2017
You Are Not Alone {Epilepsy Awareness}
One of the things I love is coming to my blog and seeing which of my posts are popular. Most of them are our Epilepsy posts. When I began blogging, I didn’t intend to write about that aspect of our lives but I wanted others to not feel so alone in this journey that we’ve lived with now for generations.
I’m lucky. I have generations of family who’ve had Epilepsy, who I can relate with. Not everyone has that. Most of the families I’m in contact with daily don’t have anyone they know that has Epilepsy and they often have no knowledge of Epilepsy itself.
Now it’s not lucky that we’ve had to deal with seizures for generations on generations. This is a mean disorder that holds no kindness to it’s victims. But I have history to compare to, especially for myself and my children. I know what I’ve lived with. I know what they’ve lived with and how it affects each of us.
I have 3 children with Epilepsy. I’ve been to every appointment with them on this. I’ve asked questions, had medications changed and adjusted, address dietary issues, made thorough notes about each type of seizure we all have. I’ve taken on this part of parenting willingly because if I didn’t, who was going to? But more than that, God equipped me to do this. He knew when He chose me I could do it, even when I questioned.
I’ve been through the ups and downs of this disorder as a Mother. I’ve explained as much as I can to my children when they ask why this happens to them or why they need medications, or why they need an MRI or an EEG, why we have to stay at the hospital this week. This is our life. This is what we do. Epilepsy isn’t a choice but it is our life.
When you’re feeling down about Epilepsy, remember to look up, to pray, to allow yourself peace and grace as a parent. Don’t beat yourself up. There’s nothing we can do to change the fact we have this disorder, nothing we can do to change it. We accept it and move on to help our children deal with their days better.
It’s been a while since I posted about Epilepsy. It’s something I try to ignore some days but it’s always there. When I least expect it, it will rear it’s ugly head and remind me it’s still here lurking in the sidelines. And then I remember there are others like us who also deal with this. I pray our blog helps you to deal with the day to day and know you are not alone.
Blessings,
Dana
