HAPPY GOOD ONE!

I really want to live GIVING IT ALL BACK TO YOU!!

Happy Good One!  THANKS GOD!

You may wonder why I say that all the time, since they are not really complete sentences and sound a little silly!  My dad use to say those two sentences ALL the time!!  Regardless of what he was going through.  He also used to always say "mek had khatch hane'" which means not literal translation, but it means before you do anything, say a prayer.  March 23rd, 2010, my dad passed away.  My dad may not have been the most perfect dad.  Heck! Who really is the perfect parent?!?!?!  I know I am not the perfect parent,  I may not bake, not a good cook, on time all the time, oh and the list goes ON AND ON!  However, I know that I love my son and my love is unconditional and I parent to the best of my ability.  One thing I absolutely know for certain, about my dad is that he loved his family, loved my mom, but most importantly, was a God fearing, God loving man.  Regardless of how terrible he felt, if you asked how he was feeling, he would always say "thanks God,!" Looking up, and being grateful.

This evening on my walk, I was thinking about the few months preceding my dad's passing.  My Colonel was deployed, I had only been with my employer for 6 months, my miracle boy was only 6 years old.  My mom had the burden of trying to take care of all of us, work full time and to be the full time care-taker for my dad.  She is the strongest woman I know.  She didn't want to lose her job, so she would still work at the care center and when she was home, her tiny little frame would lift my dad in and out of bed to get him to his radiation treatments, change him, bathe him, be his nurse.  She was always worried she was going to hurt him or not give enough of herself.  Even though she would never admit it, you could see fear in her eyes and her strength slowly being depleted.  She kept on going, never complaining.  Always hopeful!  Always prayerful!

We knew it was almost time from the hospice care that the time was quickly approaching. The night he passed my siblings and I were gathered at my parent's home.  My Colonel was going to request a leave, but this deployment was a challenging one for both of my boys. He was only two months away from being home permanently, and I didn't want to see both of their hearts broken to see each other for a brief period and have to be apart again.  So, I asked if he would please stay where he was and come home when his time was up.  The night of my dad's passing, he kept on fighting and hanging on, we thought there was still unfinished business.  My colonel called late that night and told him we were all going to be ok, he would take care of my miracle boy, me and my mom.  After that call, I needed to go home and pick up miracle boy from my awesome neighbors who were watching him. As soon as I drove away, my brother (the older one) called to say my dad had passed. I was sad that he was no longer on this earth, but so happy for my dad knowing that he was in heaven!!  Knowing that he was no longer in pain.  Knowing he was no longer suffering.

Honestly, I am not even sure why I am sharing all this with you?!?!  But I think it's because I want to share with you God's faithfulness. God was always with me getting through this time, he was faithful to me then and he is faithful always!  The more we trust in him, the easier it is to get through some of the really tough stuff we go through in life.  Just because we have faith, doesn't mean our life is going to be easy!!  It does however mean we all have HOPE!  We can do tough with God on our side!  

I hear people setting big goals for success!! They want to be mega something!!  Make money, be mega status, you name it!  If there is anything MEGA I want to become is to give it all back to GOD in a MEGA WAY!!  Anything I have ever achieved in my life is NOT because of me but because of HIM and what he has done!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRsl2slaDLw  (click the link)That's why I love this song!  I can NEVER say enough to THANK YOU!"

This song is also another one worth listening to!!  Please take a minute to check it out and let's not get too busy and let's not take for granted all the blessing already in our lives!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1mMgPA0iJE&sns=fb  (Click the link to hear)"Every Good Thing"

I hope the best for you!  I hope we never take for granted all the good things in our lives!  
Happy Good one!  Thanks God you are in my life!

"Let them see you in me"

This is the life I want to live!  I want to live life showing the LOVE of GOD in me!

Good morning my beautiful loved ones!

It's SUNDAY!  "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad"!  This has been a very busy week, yet there were so many moments that I had to stop, reflect and be completely grateful for my life, and those in my life who make this journey so incredible!

Friday was a very interesting day.  I didn't think that the day would have any thought provoking moments, yet it did all around.  I started early morning with a meeting at the Intermountain Donor Services, talking and preparing for the Donor Dash in August.  We were introduced to the team of ladies who are in charge of putting the Transplant Olympics here in Utah in 2018.  I am so excited for this to come to Utah!  I am so excited to not only volunteer but want to participate in as many events as I possibly can.  Why do I want to do this?  #1 because I CAN!!  #2 because it is being held in August, 2018 and my new life,with my beautiful new heart, my transplant date was August 27, 2016. This makes me want to participate in the events even more.  I have a weird feeling that my donor would want me to participate, but that's probably just my selfish, personal motivation, I am sure.  LOL!  My girlfriend who has been the foundation, my core for over 25 years is also in this group of volunteers!  I love her amazing commitment to friendship, she is one of those women who would do anything for her friends.  I may have had the biggest heart literally, but she has the biggest heart full of LOVE.  I am also so grateful she is in this group because it gives me an opportunity to visit with her, even if it's in a meeting.  

Of course I needed to "DASH"  literally run out early to make sure I got to my work appointment and head up to our community in Park City for a few hours.  Park City is beautiful, it's God's country!  It's always SO VERY peaceful up there!  One of the guests on tour, saw the piano in one of the model homes and began to play and he played the piano beautifully .  We ALL have a human side even though we are in a business environment.  I admire, and respect people who are genuine and "real".  It just makes me want to be near them vs. those who don't show genuine "love" and are fake.  By the way, people can sniff out fake people. :) 

Our visit went well, and I got out of one car, jumped into another to go to the American Heart Association's GO RED FOR WOMEN luncheon.  Thanks to another girl friend of mine who is also always a giver!  She not only got me a seat on the POWER HOUSE TABLE, but encouraging me (ok, maybe stalked me a little to insure I would attend!  ;)  you know who you are and you know I am grateful you got me to attend).  As soon as I sat down in my chair, my most amazing Nurse Practitioner who has literally been with me since day one almost exactly 17 years ago, who was also in attendance came and gave me a hug.  I want to share with you the impact of seeing her at that event on Friday the 17th (St. Patty's Day).  Not only was she there 17 years ago almost to the date (yes, I learned about my heart failure condition right around Easter in 2000), she was the one last year , again almost EXACTLY a year ago who was wise enough to bring in the doc "my hero" now, not then, who would tell me it's time to talk transplant!  I also had the appointment at the transplant clinic the day before and "the hero" doc asking me my work out schedule?  I asked "why, is this a trick questions?" He said no, I am just wondering because you are the only patient we have who is losing weight on prednisone vs. gaining.   I had to tell him, "when I couldn't prove you wrong about needing a heart transplant, I was bound and determined to prove you wrong on the fat, hairy and depressed as side effect of the medication"  HAHAHAHA!  I am sure he thinks I am a snot!  But that's ok!  Again, I am who I am with all my flaws! LOL!  I am SO GRATEFUL to my "special" NP!  I am so grateful for my friend who knew for some reason I needed to be there on Friday.

Of course then I had to "DASH" to another meeting driving and taking pictures and gathering information.  While driving, I noticed how often I check my emails and texts and responding to those emails and texts.  I had this strange feeling come over me that immediately made me stop in my tracks and realize that I needed to STOP doing that and to put the phone in the back permanently!  I honestly got the weird vibe, texting or emailing while driving is perhaps how I got my new heart.  Sounds crazy because I have no clue, but just a totally crazy weird feeling!  So, friends, if you don't get an immediate response from me, it is likely I am driving and I will no longer be responding to texts and emails while driving.  I also noticed every time I do that, my emails have TONS of typos and that makes you lose credibility anyway ;)  NO MORE!

My friends, life is too short!  LIVE every moment with LOVE!  Be your true, ultra genuine, authentic, wonderful self!  Always be grateful!  Be a GIVER!  Live life to the fullest!  I am so grateful you took some time to read my blog.  Please let me know if you want me to share about anything specific and I am so happy to answer any questions you might have.

I know this was a long one, thanks for your patience and listening to me share my observations and feeling!  

Have an awesome week!!  

Love you!  Be YOU!  

Faith, Hope, Love
Claire