Today is our 13th Wedding Anniversary!

Today Scott and I are celebrating 13 years of marriage. It has been quite a ride and I sure did get blessed with a wonderful and supportive husband. Most couples in their 30's haven't had to experience the types of trials we have and yet our marriage has remained strong and we are more in love today than we were on our wedding day. I can't thank Scott enough for standing by me and loving me, even as I deteriorated before him. I can't begin to imagine how difficult the last few years have been for him and I am so excited to be able to LIVE life with him again!

Allegany Carnival

After the parade we went to the Carnival. It has been years since I have been to a carnival and it was so much fun. My face actually hurt from smiling so much! We saw lots of friends there who I hadn't seen since surgery, so that made it even more enjoyable!

I even rode on one of the rides with Hannah.

Hannah's favorite ride was the Freak Out. She rode it 3 times.

Allegany Parade

Here is Hannah in the Allegany Parade with the Olean Area Irish Dancers.

Amazing Hannah

I have to share that Hannah and her friend Gabi spent the whole night in the camper by themselves. This is a landmark occasion. I had placed bets with Scott that they wouldn't last 15 minutes out there in the dark, but surprise, surprise, they didn't come in until this morning. Now I really know my baby is growing up, how scary!

Tonight we will be going to a parade in Allegany, NY to watch Hannah and the Irish Dancers. I will try to get some pictures or video to share. Breathing is so AWESOME!!!!!

Love to you all! Nancy

Thank you!

I want to say a special thank you to those of you who have chosen to be organ donors. It can be a very scary decision, yet it is such a selfless one. You have chosen to give the greatest gift possible, the opportunity for your death to lead to new life in others. You will be the catalyst for a miracle and I know you will be greatly blessed for this incredible choice you have made. Because of you, someone like me will live to see her daughter start 5th grade, will hike again, will sing for joy, will breathe easy. Our God is a great and generous God and He will work through your gift to create miracles, how AWESOME is that?

May you all experience the joy God's love brings to us! Love you! Nancy

Last Day of 4th Grade

I can't believe it, but today is Hannah's last day of 4th Grade. Tomorrow they have moving up day where they will meet their 5th Grade teachers. I can't believe how the time has flown. My baby is growing up and it is truly amazing to watch. I am so thrilled to think I will be here for her thanks to my miracle of new lungs. God bless my donor!

My love to you all! Nancy

Another wonderful camping trip!

Hello! I hope all of you fathers had a wonderful Father's Day! We had a great time camping, even though it rained the whole time. Stony Brook is known for its gorge that has lovely waterfalls cascading down it. We took a hike in the rain to see all of the waterfalls and had to climb several flights of rock stairs as we made our way up the gorge. I did great and didn't struggle at all; it still amazes me what I am able to do now. Hannah brought her friend Grace, and the two girls had fun playing at the playgrounds, wading in the stream, and roasting marshmallows.

Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Have a great week! Love! Nancy

Our trip

Hello! Sorry I haven't had a chance to write sooner. We had a wonderful trip! Everything went well, the weather was perfect, and the shower was lovely. Our Aunt Jan lives in Garrison, New York, about 50 miles from the city and they have a gorgeous home tucked deep in the woods that feels like a retreat. I haven't been there in several years, so it was nice to be back. They are so welcoming and make you feel right at home.

The shower on Saturday was at a Rod and Gun Club that was situated on a lovely pond. Emily, the bride, got so many wonderful things and she was so gracious and thankful to everyone.

We ate too much good food and enjoyed relaxing and catching up with everyone. With tons of women staying at the house, you know there wasn't a moment of silence, it was great!

I received quite a compliment from the groom's mother, Mary Beth. We were all playing a game where we tried to pick an animal that was most like the person. Mary Beth said I was the most awesome animal of all, a Blue Whale, and I could tell she genuinely meant it. That was very touching to me.

We are taking off again this weekend to camp at Stony Brook State Park, so I am trying to get things organized and ready. It is so incredible to feel healthy again!

I hope you are having a wonderful week! All my love! Nancy

Off to New York City

Well, I am off to New York City tomorrow, actually just outside the city. Leslie (my sister-in-law), my mother-in-law, and I are headed to a bridal shower over the weekend for our cousin Emily. We will be staying with our Aunt Jan and Uncle Nick and I am really looking forward to it. It is about a 6 hour drive, so we will leave early tomorrow morning. It will be a fun girls' weekend.

Scott will be in Pennsylvania for a motocross race, so Hannah gets to stay with our friends the Ruffners. She is really excited. They have two children who are close in age to Hannah and she loves hanging out with them!

I will look forward to telling you about my weekend when we return. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend too! Love, Nancy

My 6 month Anniversary!

Can you believe it has been 6 months since my transplant? I have come such a long way and I am so grateful! I am thinking of my donor's family today, this is a milestone for me, but a very difficult day for them. May God bless them for the gift they gave to me!

Look how far I've come:

6 months ago

Today

Thank you for all of your support, love, and prayers. Today is a victory for all of you as well! All my love! Nancy

Camping

Hello friends! I hope you are having a great week so far. We had a wonderful weekend camping and I have several pictures to share. The weather was perfect on Saturday, so we had a packed day. We started the morning by fishing in the lake. Hannah caught 3 fish and I caught 1, so we were pretty pleased with ourselves. They were small rock bass, so we threw them back, but it was still fun to catch them.

After lunch we rented a pattle boat for an hour. I was very nervous since Scott and I would have to pettle, but I did great and didn't get tired or anything! Hannah took a swim in the lake at the beach there, while Scott and I relaxed under the shade of a tree.

Scott and I weren't able to bring our bikes, but Hannah brought hers, so she enjoyed riding around the campground. There was a beautiful stream by our site and Hannah enjoyed rock hopping there.

We had two wonderful campfires and ate our share of marshmallows and s'mores. The sites on either side of us were empty, so it was very peaceful and quiet in our wooded spot. Having tent camped a lot as a child, this is like staying at a 4 star hotel. We love our camper! There is nothing quite like having your own bathroom to go to in the middle of the night.

This weekend was so amazing for me. I felt normal and healthy. I didn't have to pass up any activities and I wasn't worn out the whole time. It is so amazing to me to feel like this. I honestly can't remember feeling like this, it has been so long. I praised God all weekend for the miracle of life and breath and happiness. I don't know how long this will last, but I am going to enjoy every minute of it! All my love! Nancy

Prayer Requests

Dear friends,

I have two special prayer requests for you. First, for my friend Jamie. She is currently in the hospital at UPMC with a lung infection. She is about to celebrate her 1 1/2 year transplant anniversary. Please pray that she will heal quickly and be able to go home. Please also pray that her husband Bryan will still have a job when they return to Arizona.

Several of you have asked about my friend Cammi. She is still waiting for lungs. She is stable, thank God, but needs those lungs as soon as possible. I know her miracle is coming, but she needs all the prayers she can get.

Thank you all so much, I know how powerful your prayers are! Love, Nancy

I'm Back!

Hello! Well, I must say, my absence for the last few days has been for good reason, because I have been feeling too good and been too busy to write. It has been a long time since I have been able to say that. My new medication is working, yeah, and I am feeling motivated and happy and energized! I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am. I missed my old self, I am usually so happy and upbeat, it was hard to be so down.

I have developed a cough this week that has me a little concerned, but I spoke with my transplant coordinator, and right now, we are just keeping an eye on it. She commented right away on the change in my mood. She was so glad my happy self was back, she had been worried, as had Dr. Pilewski.

We made reservations today to camp this weekend in Allegany State Park, so I am looking forward to that. We will bring our bikes, so that will be a new test to see how much stamina I have. It is hard to believe I am approaching my 6 month anniversary, where has the time gone?

I continue to feel greatly blessed each new day for the life I have been given. Would I be here today were it not for my heavenly Father and the gift of my donor? I am not sure. I certainly wouldn't be enjoying this new freedom of no longer being helpless and dependant. The power of prayer is truly amazing and if you ever need my prayers for you or your loved ones, please don't hesitate to ask.

Please do not worry if I do not write daily. As the nice weather has come, I have found more to keep me busy and less desire to sit at the computer. I promise I will update at least once a week, but don't worry about me, I am doing great and learning to enjoy my new life. Thank you for your continued support, I look forward to sharing the good times I will be having in the next few months with you. All my love! Nancy