August Was Moving Month

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It's been a while since I have put up a blog post. I also haven't been very active on Faith's Mom's Facebook page. That's because the month of August was dedicated to moving!  About 4 years ago, Faith and I moved from the apartment she grew up in, to a different one in northeast Bismarck. The primary reason for the move was to have underground parking so that getting her loaded into the van by myself during our cold, snowy winters would be less of a challenge. We also needed to find a place in which the elevator didn't break down on a regular basis!  One of our last sunsets at our old apartment  That place served us well, but the drive to her day program, which is located across the river in Mandan was time consuming, not to mention, expensive. I drove about 45 miles a day and used up a tank of gas a week!  Searching for a New Place  Before our lease ended, I began praying about finding somewhere else to live. A condo would have been nice, but surprisingly not a...
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Happy Belated Anniversary to Us!

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We got married on Rosh Hashanah (which is the Jewish New Year). So, because our day wasn't going so well on the 7th of September, which is the day we got married, we decided to celebrate today, which is the date of this year's Rosh Hoshanah.

For this anniversary blog post, I was going to write something elaborate and in-depth about some things I have learned in being married for 15 years (and all that I am continuing to learn). However, every time I tried to construct it in my head, it just wouldn't come together.

I wanted to share some of our highs and lows, some of the great memories and not-so-great ones. I wanted to be an encouragement to other married couples who might be struggling.

Instead, I wrote my husband a letter thanking him for his constant support, encouragement, and patience. I'll spare you all the details, but I also told him that I'm glad in the midst of the many challenges we have faced these past 15 years, we have simply refused to give up on one another.

If I were to give any advice to those who might be newlyweds or who are struggling in their marriage, it would be this: Buy the book, "Love and Respect" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. The book centers around one simple truth found in the Bible:

Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:33 

I wish I had read this book when it came 2004; it may have saved me a lot of heartache. But I also know God sent it my way in His perfect timing. 

I could write so much more, but I think I'll save it for some other time. Maybe someday my husband and I will write a book on everything we've gone through in our marriage. For now, I look forward to all that God has for us in the coming years as we continue to grow and learn and seek His will for our lives. 

I'm looking forward to the next 15 years with this guy!

Edit: Sadly, our marriage did not even make it to the next 15 years. Throughout the time of writing this blog, I usually chose to focus on the positive things in our marriage and on Rob being such a good dad, but there were many challenges that did not make it easy. Although I knew it wasn't God's will for us, we ended up separating in August of 2020 and divorcing in July of 2022. Thankfully, although Rob lives in another state, he is still involved in Faith's life, and for that I am truly grateful. 

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August Was Moving Month

-
Image
It's been a while since I have put up a blog post. I also haven't been very active on Faith's Mom's Facebook page. That's because the month of August was dedicated to moving!  About 4 years ago, Faith and I moved from the apartment she grew up in, to a different one in northeast Bismarck. The primary reason for the move was to have underground parking so that getting her loaded into the van by myself during our cold, snowy winters would be less of a challenge. We also needed to find a place in which the elevator didn't break down on a regular basis!  One of our last sunsets at our old apartment  That place served us well, but the drive to her day program, which is located across the river in Mandan was time consuming, not to mention, expensive. I drove about 45 miles a day and used up a tank of gas a week!  Searching for a New Place  Before our lease ended, I began praying about finding somewhere else to live. A condo would have been nice, but surprisingly not a...
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Cari's Cardiology Update

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Normally, Faith is the one with all of the appointments but this week it has been my turn. On Monday I had my annual echocardiogram. On Tuesday I had my pacemaker device check and appointment with the cardiologist who comes to Bismarck from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  The doctors who come are pediatric cardiologists who also specialize in adults with congenital heart defects (CHD). This saves anyone in the area who has a CHD from having to travel to Rochester each year. It is very convenient! (I do travel to Rochester to get my pacemaker changed, though!)  The Bible verse that has kept me going all these years! When I saw the doctor, we mainly discussed two things: my Fontan and my pacemaker. But first, a little background. I was born with double outlet right ventricle (DORV). Basically, this means both my aorta and pulmonary artery stem from my right ventricle. Because of this, my left ventricle does not really do anything, which is why this CHD is referred to as a sin...
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My Tetanus Shot Ordeal: A Real Pain in the Arm

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Last Wednesday I had my yearly doctor exam and when she said I should get my tetanus shot updated, I didn't think twice about it. The nurse said my arm would be sore for a couple of days, gave me a handout and stuck the needle in my arm.  The next day my arm was sore and although I found it a little harder to pick up and carry Faith, I was glad the pain wasn't going to last long. Boy was I wrong! But not only was my arm sore, my whole body was. I felt achy and extremely tired. According to a medical site on the Internet, these were mild side effects of the Tetanus shot. If these were only mild side effects, I would really hate to have them at a moderate or severe level. My arm is still red and sore on day 2 after my tetanus shot. On Friday, two days after getting the shot I felt so tired that I took a four-hour nap after getting Faith off to school. Then on Saturday I took a three-hour nap up until 7 o'clock, but still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep around 10. ...
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Singing Along at Barney's Birthday Bash

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This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Had it not been for the one fateful day that I had a craving for Little Caesar's pizza, I might not ever have known that Barney was coming to town. But there I was at the counter waiting for my medium pepperoni pizza when I noticed a flyer with a picture of the big purple dinosaur. He was coming live to Bismarck with his friends, BJ, Baby Bop and Riff - I couldn't wait to tell Faith. Barney and friends appear live at the Bismarck Civic Center I don't know how old Faith was when she saw Barney for the first time. A receptionist at pediatric therapy gave us a Barney VCR tape and Faith loved it. I started letting her watch Barney on PBS and then we started collecting the DVDs .  All the while, I couldn't believe I was letting my daughter watch Barney - me and my friends made so much fun...
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