Everything to Everyone

Our park will always be an adventure because of you and never the same without you. 

Randy talked with students; he listened to all their plans, ambitions, and ideas.

A visionary.  One year ago I had the opportunity to meet a man that knew how to make dreams a reality.  He walked into the office with his big overalls on, a huge smile & larger than larger-than-life handshake and shared with me the passion of his work and all the people that came with it.  He said he likes the variety of backgrounds I had in my past job experiences vs people that stay with one area for so long.  This was his out-of-the-box thinking.  Randy didn’t want normal, he wanted big, unusual, crazy ideas and he gleamed at the sight of watching people’s ideas come to life.  He gave us all a platform to dream big.  He wasn’t just the owner of a campground he was a storyteller of true experiences and a lover of the simple everyday life, as well as a mentor to others that came into his light. He and his wife Theresa, raised 3 girls who together, have the work ethic, love, grit, and passion in all they do like no other, and we are humbled, dreaming, and working alongside of them. 

Randy, me & Theresa

Randy raised the bar on trial and error when it came to something new, he grunted or smiled and kept trying until it came to.  Who else do you know that thinks of a life-size Picnic Basket or Santa’s Sleigh for all to ride on while he pulled it on his tractor? We all knew his therapy was hopping on a tractor and driving it around at his own pace whether there was a speed limit or not, we just knew to stay out of the way while he was on his thinking throne.  

He took the time to talk with me and I took the time to listen.  I knew these were magic moments for me, and I embraced every opportunity I had with him. I asked him what’s the most important thing I can do for his company and he slammed his fist down and firmly said, “Everyone’s gotta get along”.  It wasn’t numbers or stats but empathy and love. He wanted all of us to be one family and  I learned even quicker that we fight like one, laugh like one, and now losing him; cry together as one.  

I gave my first training presentation with a slide of “Randy’s No-Nos” with his big smiling photo on it.  He met with me after, asking if I could add about 20 more of his “Yes-yes’s” on there.  Most of them were different ways to just work together or create new ideas, he always wanted more and it kept us wanting to do more as a team.  He had this supersized- millionaire- mindset helping others live their dreams of owning campgrounds themselves and he would give tours of his own pride and joy when he met seeking dreamers like himself.  

He couldn’t wait to take his grandkids on the “great” cousin tour again across the country in an RV.  “The 1st one was “good” but the next one was going to be “greater”” he said.  Only because he thought of a million more things he’d do with them again on their next adventure.  Every trip would be a “memory worth repeating” he said, unless it was a bathroom accident that he found so funny after the fact . 

His heart was angry with the world fighting and innocent lives dying at war and he didn’t keep that a secret; how important the military troops and first responders were to him and to all of us. I told him he had so much story to tell and we needed to start writing it together and he looked at me and said, “Oh my story’s not done yet Connie, I have many more chapters to share!”   

We are angry and in disbelief that we didn’t get to share more chapters with you Randy but we know you’re soaring high with the eagles in that sunny beautiful sky.  You are looking down saying to all of us, “You finish writing my chapters, with all the excitement I have shared with you in life, and all the joy and dreams I have fought for, now it’s your turn to share that with others.”  

Theresa, he loved you so much, he not only told us that often, but he showed it with sweet gestures of bringing you your favorite coffee, flowers, or his crazy way of putting us to work to make sure you were happy, but you worked hard all alongside him and his dreams, together, and never let him give up to the very end; with you as the silent force of strength.  May you and your family find peace as you move forward one minute at a time and hold onto the EVERYTHING that he was to EVERYONE, ALWAYS.  

Randy and our crew at the Savannah Bananas Game.
We talked often about Jesse Cole and how unforgettable this game experience was!

RIP Randy 2/9/24. Your stories will always live on because you made the time to share them with us.  

Our world will never be the same without you, but it will be greater because you were here. Connie

Randy, our Dreamer

A Summer's Pain in the Neck & A TWO Inch Stretch!

Just last week I went in for a physical.  
"5'6" tall," the nurse said.
"Hmmm, that's funny, I was 5'4" as long as I could remember?!"  I laughed not thinking twice about it.
She measured my height again just to be sure.  "Yup, 5'6" solid!" 

Then it hit me, my journey of a herniated disc, pinched nerve and strengthening my posture, literally made me stand two inches taller.  

The nurse quickly sat up pulling her own shoulders back and head tall as I told her the short version with some tips that helped me through and I hope you sit taller as I tell you...

Brenda, my Physical Therapist, taught me so much about
body, strength, and nerve repair.

We kicked off summer into high gear with graduation parties and baseball games. Little was I prepared for God's message to halt my own plans and somewhat slow down.  The intuition of that gut voice to "take a break!", and "let it go!", warning you to reprioritize; all the indications I didn't pay attention to until it was too late.  

I continued pressing on tackling projects of perfecting as much as I could; landscaping my little heart outside, and making years' worth of projects come to a close indoors and outdoors.  A friend always said, "If you want to get projects done, plan a party."  Those of you that have hosted parties get it.

A summer of party hosting was exactly what I wanted to do; celebrating my firstborn graduating high school and off to college, celebrating family, baseball team wins, and cozy campfires around our new fire pit.  My backyard was the oasis I couldn't wait to share with others.  Summer time here we come.

Or not... a  tight knot in my upper back was not going away on its own. You see, a few months ago, I went in for a massage.  I don't do it often but I considered it a treat for my winter birthday and again for a girl's day when my sister comes home to visit for the summer.  Christy has been the go-to girl that I could count on to work through my chaotic world mentally and calm my soul physically.  Yet, this last appointment I had with her was a warning I should not have ignored.

Christy introduced me to using a MASSAGE HOOK and told me to work out a knot that she just couldn't work through.  For Christy not to get through it was pretty major because she had strength that could work through anything.  I borrowed a hook from a friend, used it very little, returned it back to my friend, then soon forgot all about it thinking that muscle was just fine, it wasn't hurting at all, or I just didn't pay attention. The knot was getting worse and I kept ignoring the signs. Stretching was overrated for me, and oh how wrong I was! If I'd only taken the time...

So a few months later and back to my party list at home, I mulched the yard wheel barreling heavy bags back and forth, moved large flower pots around the patio, planted, and replanted flowers, and laid rock down in newer areas that I wanted to freshen up.  Sure this could've been a family project to work on together with all hands on deck but I was on a mission and not patient enough to direct or push to get the job done, I was doing fine "by myself" and truthfully I love escaping in the backyard gardening.  I would've loved the help and the kids did assist when they could. Whatever we were doing together, made my heart full but who finds landscaping fun as a teenager?! 

The pain started getting worse in my upper back and was slowly moving down my right shoulder.  I would go back and forth between keeping an ice pack on and sitting in the hot tub at night while keeping up with ibuprofen to mask the pain. It wasn't enough to stop the "to-do list momentum", yet.

I went back to Christy sooner than usual thinking she could loosen up my tight back muscles again. At this point laying on my stomach was painful because my shoulder was not supported.  She had me sit up and tried CUPPING THERAPY on my back shoulder area. A technique I'd never done but she thought for sure it would suck the pain right out.  She was ready to try anything to help when she saw the pain I was in.

Unfortunately, the pain was not getting any better and I went to another friend who is a chiropractor and she said I need an MRI.  My upper back was so tight she couldn't even budge on areas that should be easy to work with but tried to do what she could.  I scheduled the MRI and at this point over a month of pushing it and tolerating pain, I'm headed to the ER at 3am because moving, sitting, or even breathing now hurt so bad.  I just didn't know what to do and I reached my threshold of pain unable to finish any plans I had.

On a scale of 1-10 I was at 100 and just wanted any drugs to knock me out and put the pain to rest. The ER gave me the strongest meds possible, did no tests, and said it might just be a pinched nerve.  They sent a referral to the spine doctor and sent me back home. My parents came up to see how they could help and my husband went to collect all of my new prescriptions to keep track of.  I couldn't sit, stand, or walk so I just waited until the drugs kicked in, worked my way into pillows all around me, sat propped up on the couch, and finally fell into a drugged sleep.

A herniated disc resulted in Nerve Damage from my neck to the fingertips.

The results were in and an MRI showed a herniated disc on my L6, and L7 vertebrae causing a pinched nerve.  The pain was horrendous.  I would sit up on the couch at night propping my head up with pillows and then place more pillows under my arm so I wouldn't have to let it hang down pulling the nerve pain from my neck all the way down to my pointer finger.  The drugs were enough to knock me out and the pain was still there when I'd wake. We had to keep a spreadsheet to track of what I was taking and when. To me, I didn't care I just wanted to take them until I felt no pain and pass out. 

We canceled the birthday party for Cameron's 18th and Julia's 13th  with family.  I couldn't move from the couch without feeling like I was drowsy and dosed up or intense pain.  I couldn't make Maximus's baseball games because getting in and out of the car was too painful including sitting on a chair or bleacher to watch the game.  I was miserable and crabby and not a joy around the house.  I thought constantly about how this must be the pain my dad deals with around his entire body on a daily basis.  I was getting maybe a small hundredth of the pain he fights daily, of what many others fight daily. It made me sad and angry all at the same time.  Although some health challenges could be inherited, this isn't something that just happened overnight.  It was me not taking care of myself. 

Why didn't I listen to my body sooner?  I let it get too far.

I connected with another mom of a player from Maximus's baseball team. When she texted me to ask how I was doing I told her what was going on.  She immediately scheduled me to see her the next day.  Brenda is a physical therapist. I'd never seen one before or needed one, and truthfully wasn't knowledgeable enough to know how she could help.  The doctor quickly sent over a referral for me to see her and luckily she was in my network for insurance to cover. 

She did different tests with me of strength and movement to see where our starting point was.  My right arm strength was so weak I could barely write, my head could not tilt left or right without pain and I couldn't look up leaning my head backward.  Complete straight posture was everything, slouching was not an option.  I had to keep my head and spine as straight as possible to try to avoid the pain.  

Your necks daily weight lift!

Brenda worked with me and reminded me that this was going to be slow and steady progress and days of ups and downs.  The insurance contacted me asking if it was work-related or an accidental injury.  "No, it was just me not paying attention to the signs and letting the pain go for too long."  I'm a grown woman that ignored some pretty major signs and it felt shameful.  

Emotions crept in quickly and a black hole mindset started taking over.  Brenda and I were working together 2-3 times a week.  She would do a lot of Dry Needling Therapy on the muscles that did not want to budge, she would help stretch my neck little by little with a neck extender, she taught me different stretches to work on at home throughout the day and ways to strengthen the back muscles to release the pain on my nerves.  Just 15-20 minutes a day at home on giving my body the attention it needed started to make a difference.

Dry Needling is done with a direct needle into the muscles in my upper neck and then on the right shoulder with the TENS Unit.  

My brother-in-law gifted me with an at-home unit that became very helpful during travel as well as at home! 

The more I shared my experiences the more I realized I was not alone and that this was a common issue.  Posture was everything and the main cause of my herniated disc/ pinched nerve. Consider right now at this moment, how's YOUR posture while you are reading this?  Look over at your kids, while they are on their phones, working on the computer, playing video games, or watching the tv?  How are their shoulders?  How far is their neck angled over?  Over time this posture can be painful and result in spine issues.  The rules of lifting with your legs and not your back are rules for a reason and the office comfort of a back cushion on a chair, soft padded shoes, and or fixing your desk to a comfortable height are no joke.  These little accommodations are keeping your body aligned for healthier days ahead!

Which Body Posture are You?

Between the prescribed drugs and the pain, my mental state was very up and down. I learned how difficult it was to rely on others but also how difficult it was to delegate help around our house with my family. I learned that not putting my health and mental needs first resulted in the inability to help others.  

I learned to take what the doctor gives me but to also pay attention and do my own research.  The meds they gave me from ER were burning a hole in my esophagus that would've eventually led to heartburn and long-term stomach damage.  Ibuprofen was just as good for the time so I was able to get off the ER steroid meds and stay on the Gabapentin. 

I felt that the Gabapentin was just making me drowsy so I went off of it on my own now realizing how dangerous that was when the nerve in my arm began to get worse. I then learned that Gabapentin was repairing the damage done to my nerves so when I stopped taking it to avoid being drowsy all the time, I was creating even more nerve damage undoing all the physical therapy I'd been working on.  I didn't understand the nerve blocker was to help strengthen the nerve and relieve the pain.

Brenda reminded me how important it is to stick to my regimen of exercise and meds and to not push it.  That I need to listen to my body and learn to rest or take a break when I start feeling pain in my back.  My pain went from a 10 to an 8/9 after a few weeks.  She worked with me consistently reminding me to ask for help and not keep a stiff "soldier" body but to maintain the posture that is needed.  I just couldn't be comfortable, reading, watching a movie, or writing. When you are in pain, nothing felt manageable to pass the time. 

Zoe joining me for a Spine Shot

My niece, Zoe, drove with me to my cortisone shot appointment.  I thought it was something she could watch and find fascinating but it was a procedure that required scrubs and a sterile room, so she waited patiently in the waiting room.  The shot in my spine began to crystalize after the 2nd day making it worse before it was better.   

My friend Nicole always prepped me for what she went through and what to expect. This was a common pain she went through more often than I'd like and knew how to manage it when it did creep up and happen to her.  Friends stopped by with thoughtful get-well wishes and text messages that helped keep my spirits up.  Many knew just what I needed at the right time and surrounding myself with only positive people was mandatory.  I was battling enough negativity on my own.

I tried keeping the balance of my cup full and reminding myself there is a light at the end of the tunnel, this could be a lot worse.   In the moment of pain, it's hard to grasp. My cousin and a couple other friends told me it took 6-8 weeks with the worse pain they've ever felt. They understood.  What I was hoping would be a couple weeks of recovery ended up being three months.

While I'm still not at 100%, my tests with Brenda at my final Physical Therapy appointment had improved up to 85%.  I was able to raise my arms, turn my head, squeeze my hand and try some new exercises to strengthen my back muscles that will help keep my spine straight and posture strong.

I look back and think what a crazy journey it was this summer and how it took this kind of pain to slow down and prioritize my life better than how I had been.   While the situation could have been way worse, I write this hoping to remind you to listen to your body, give it the attention it needs and take your extraordinary to-do list and prioritize it to what's most important and keeping your HEALTH first!  

Always stand 2 inches taller! Head up and shoulders back!

I hated being told to "ask for help" but honestly, letting a few things go gave the family at home a chance to step up. It is important to surround yourself with the best and also to listen to the ones that could relate and have gone through what you are experiencing.  I took the time to distract my mind at night with YouTube Breathing videos, and when my body was more able, I did Yoga Videos.  

Value you, your time, and the people you share it with.  I am so grateful to the family and friends that helped me and guided me all summer long through this mentally and physically.

Dr. Sweet (Chiropractor and dear friend) is always giving me recommendations to be healthier and helping me keep my spine aligned, she reminds me of constant preventative health.  Dr. Brenda (Physical Therapy & baseball mom) taught me so much about staying strong physically and making myself a priority to live happier!  Christy (massage therapist) will always be my "serenity now and taking care of my muscle knots" and especially my good friends and family that checked in daily keeping my head up and heart full.  And finally, I remind myself and others to 

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DAILY STRETCHING!  

Read David Goggins's book "Can't Hurt Me"

You'll feel just as strong about Stretching without only my word for it! This is the best book to get irritated, and motivated, and learn how you too can beat the odds.  You'll also learn how stretching saved his life! This book is powerful for your own mindset body and soul!

Our First Days of our Lasts & A Big, Giant, Yellow Slide

My 12-year-old daughter, Julia, and I, were flipping through the most recent photos and videos on my phone. If you are anything like me holding all those memories tight in your overpacked phone storage, the phone is a new way of sitting together laughing, and remembering moments that want to bring us back in time.  We came across the video of this past summer's State Fair while I'm screaming my way down the big yellow slide and yelling for my oldest son next to me thinking I was going to run him over at the bottom; for me, this big yellow slide is a  huge event that gives me the adrenaline of a rollercoaster and the excitement of a kid in a candy store.   It's my favorite and I love every second of it, especially when Maximus was young enough to go down it with me.  Julia and I were laughing hysterically at the 12-second video, cracking up in tears as we watched the quick view of her mother's hysteria screaming and laughing and just taking in all of the summer feels replaying it together just a few more times.

Fast forward to today's first day of school and I can't get that video out of my head.  My youngest is now in his last year at the elementary school where I lived and loved as a parent volunteer, my two daughters are in middle school, and my oldest, the first day of his final year at High School. Ugh, that moment everyone tells you about has so quickly arrived.  Some parents can't wait for them to be out of the house and others, well, not so much.

Yes, today is the first lasts of many; the first day of Maximus's last year at the elementary school, (we refer to him as our "Grand-finale!").  Mia's first day of her last year in Middle School, Julia's first day of her Mother's year of meltdowns, and Cameron in his final Senior Year of High School.  

The first time we walked through those elementary doors with Cameron entering K5, (Maximus wasn't even born or a hint in our minds) I had Julia on one arm in a car carrier at the time, only one month old.  Mia was carried in her dad's arms, and Cameron held my other hand tight as we went to meet the principal at his new school.  The day felt like yesterday and the school became a part of our family, even with Maximus as our newest addition a few years later and welcomed in with love from day one, just as much as the older three were.  

Yes, today is the first of many lasts... the final year of our family in 3 different schools all at the same time.  So the slide... Cameron summed it up best to me the other day, 

"Mom, do you know when Maximus graduates, 
you will have parented for 25 years?!"  

2014 & Maximus not even in school yet

That twelve seconds of fun on that yellow slide video seemed exactly how fast those 25 years of "momming-hard" are flying by me.  Cameron very excitingly shared this well-known fact smiling from ear to ear as if he had the mom that mommed longer than any other mom out there... well, so not true, haha! And please don't think for one funny second that I didn't consider myself a professional underpaid parent after that statement either!

So the yellow slide... A whirlwind in our life of up and down emotions.  Time flying as quickly as people tell you it will, and a life of laughs and excitement happening all in the blink of an eye.   You don't believe it until you live it for yourself.

Going up that ladder and climbing to the top; Volunteering in school classes when possible, and teachers embracing the help, even allowing my little Maximus to come with me at times to his older sibling's classes! Meeting new families, planning play dates, experiencing different sports, and guiding our kids to learn and grow as much as we knew how.  As a new mom, I found every church, library, sport, or group I could to meet other moms.  I became a member of the gym to keep my mind healthy and of the zoo to keep the kids even more entertained, the library provided learning and reading fun for our rainy days.  We were a busy family and I liked it like that, it kept life fun and it still is- if not even more!

Cameron is a great big brother and still plays that role to the fullest, and had since Mia was born.  I watch past videos and see photos of him making his younger siblings laugh and remember teachers telling me how he took care of them even during school when he had the chance.  Now he shows that love in numerous other ways and picks on them just enough to stir up the excitement in our chaotic-filled house.  

Up the slide's stairs, we went, all of us, learning and growing together.  Me, now annoyingly to the kids not missing a moment and capturing every moment with the camera. Not all days were easy and some days I thought would last forever, doubting myself of doing the best I could for the little humans God blessed me with.  One day at a time, just like one step on the long stairway up that slide, we made the best of our moments, trying hard on some days to pause, take a breath, and take in the view on the good days and tough days.  The slide overlooked the entire State Fair, in Wisconsin, it's about 200 acres worth of fun that you see from the top just to give you an idea of how long this stair climb was. There were some days you felt like the top of the mountain raising your kids the best you can and some days where you felt you'll never get out of the valley.  All to learn you survive and thrive with a rush of love like no other feeling before. 

Once we got to the top of the slide there were so many more opportunities for the kids to choose from... who wants to sit next to who, do they want to be in the middle, end, or whichever slide they land at (the slide is about 8 slides wide) just to get this huge slide over with?!  Just like in life, I watched Cameron grow and find different paths to explore. Learning the moments of life's disappointments, regrets, celebrations, and challenges; all opportunities to grow from.  Also leading him to learn of his gifts and talents and what makes his heart happiest. Setting the example for his younger siblings to follow, each moving in their own directions, doing what they love most, and learning to be uncomfortable enough to grow even more.

We sit down at the top of the slide as the volunteers hold our potato sacks for us and we adjust ourselves safely onto our individual sacks.  We prepare for take-off, making sure the landing below us is cleared and the volunteers behind each of us give a big push safely sliding down this massive yellow slide.  We all fly down at massive speed side by side with one another and the breeze blowing fast in our face and our hair flying behind us.

I want to catch him, I want to stop him.  I want him to reach out and take my hand safely so I know he'll land in one piece.  I want him to slow down and not get too far ahead of me.  I want him to look back, see how far away I am behind, and slow down enough to want me to take my place at his side.  

I laugh and call out his name hoping he'd do any of the above.  But he doesn't.  I yell his name again as he makes it to the bottom of the slide thinking again in the back of my head, if he doesn't move over, I'll run him over, but in reality, he was already cleared for safety and was always just at the slide right next to me.  I snap back into reality from his K5 years and look at my adult son now sliding through his Senior year of school.  

2021 Cameron & Me

 

Towards the bottom of the slide, we are both found laughing out loud at the moment and taking it in and doing what he loves; His camera in hand filming the excitement in his own way like I am doing the same with my own. He's found his passion already through the lens of digital editing and photography.

He made it safe to the bottom, and I landed seconds after him.  He got up, looked behind me and we both laughed at the adrenaline rush we just had and walked off side by side back into the fairgrounds.

That big yellow slide is not our first going down together and it won't be our last and I will enjoy the three of his siblings' "final" years after him as well as the next.  But this year is a celebration of all the laughs we've had together and all of our laughs we'll have to come.  There will be tears and there will be joy and of course tears of joy.  As another chapter closes and many new doors open together and apart, our life, like a Big, Giant, Yellow Slide will always be celebrated in my heart, and when graduation comes, I'll high 5 him and hug him just as much as I did twelve years ago on the first school day except maybe just a little tighter and with a few more tears. I'll cherish every gazillionth photo of him and I'll still never have enough.

We did our best as parents, and I know he'll continue to do even better on his own path.  Our house may get quieter through the years but I'll be sure to never stop loving life with my kids (and their kids God willing), no matter how old they are, like one Giant Yellow Slide.

2021 WI State Fair on the Big Giant Yellow Slide

Connie Lynn Interviews Published Author, Sue Sundstrom

Book written by Sue Sundstrom

As I continue my journey of writing my own book to share our Dibbs17 Story, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many fascinating writers.  I've learned a lot by surrounding myself with people that are doing exactly what I am set out to achieve; seeing a book of mine in print.

Sue Sundstrom, a mother of 2 and accomplished author, has become my mentor in publishing and I'm very excited to share HER newest book, "Afternoon Tea with the Moon" that she has launched this week.  Her book is available at Amazon.com!

I am excited to share our interview together with you!  Sue is spiritual-minded, a giving heart, an entrepreneur that helps many others find their passion to move forward, and a driven, faith-filled woman that I have come to admire.   Enjoy this talk as Sue and I share a Cup of Joy while chatting about her new book!

Connie Lynn interviewing Sue Sundstrom about Afternoon tea with the Moon.mp4 from Sue Sundstrom on Vimeo.

Tiff Talk! A little Chemo Inspired to Shrink that Tumor!

Tiff's Caring Bridge Link

Tiff's 2020-21 Journey, my 38-year-old baby cousin, with two beautiful baby girls, diagnosed with Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer.  Comments prayers, love, and support, kept her smiling and her faith strong; everything she needs to get her through this continuous fight.  Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer is her diagnosis but beautiful, strong and courageous is who she is.  

Her daughters already know their mom is amazing, and now we have to make sure that Tiffany herself never forgets that too!   So together, Tiffany and I (her cousin, Connie) write her journey... and please let's remind her together that she is never alone ... we are there with her every step of the way...  Here is some Tiff Talk Encouragement, all a little "Nana-inspired"...  

(CLICK ON CAPTION TO VIEW VIDEOS)

Tiff's Message to You...

Tiff Talk #1 Oct. 8th

Tiff Talk #2 Oct. 22nd

Tiff Talk #3 Nov.5th

Tiff Talk #4 Nov. 19th

Tiff Talk #5 Dec. 3rd

Tiff Talk #6 Dec.22

Tiff Talk #7 Dec. 28th

      

Tiff Talk #8 Jan. 18th

Tiff Talk #9 Feb. 8th

                    

                           Tiffs Special Hula Nov. 5th
                            
 

         Cup of Joy Jan. 1st

Final Tiff Update! 

Refreshed, Renewed & Pressing On! April 22, 2021

#100Miles100Hearts Miles 1-4

A young friend shared with me her parent's challenge if she did 100 miles; bike, walk, and/or run a total of 100 miles, they would purchase a special gift she's been wanting.  Motivation for her to get out and moving, and this definitely motivated her!  With our "Quarantined Home Safe" lifted in the state and school over, many of us parents were trying for anything to keep our kids active and outside with the beautiful weather we've been having. I thought it was a great idea.  

As we were talking, I told her I'd love to join her virtually; keeping in touch with our daily goals, and together we decided to conquer this mission in 30 days.  While thinking even more about this goal after our conversation, I also felt it was an answer to my prayers for another opportunity to raise awareness of CPR and Healthy & Happy Hearts.  So here our journey begins and I hope you'll join us... thanks, Alyssa for inspiring me and to her parents for keeping her healthy heart moving!

100 Stories in 30 days representing the 100 (120) beats of an average heart per minute.

Over the next 30 days, I want you to join me in honoring each mile to a special heart.  This month started with National CPR/AED Week (June 1-7), so why not share stories of those that have had hearts stopped, saved, or challenged...conquered, or those that hold a special place in our hearts for reasons other?  Since our family began our Dibbs17 Mission, I have learned over the course of time many different heart stories and how families have overcome some of the unimaginable.  Now it's time to share them with you.  Some stories were also heartbreaking wishing they knew sooner of hearts that deserved another chance.  We may never know when a heart will stop beating but what we do know is that we can do our best to know CPR when, and if ever needed.  We will not always get the outcome of life, but we want people to "do all they can", not, "I didn't know what to do."  We have to do our BEST each day taking action and knowing what to do!

These next 100 miles will be different stories shared one step at a time.  My mission for you, once this journey is completed, is to not only know CPR but to also know how hard the medical and health care workers are committed to keeping healthier hearts all across America and beyond. 

Please join us by dedicating a mile to someone close to you,  walking one mile or even 100 virtually with me, or by donating to our Dibbs17 Team: DIBBS17 AHA Heart Walk Team

David & Zach Sievers

Mile #1:  Zach Sievers, Our Heart Saver that saved my nephew's life June 25, 2018.  David Dibble went into Sudden Cardiac Arrest while in the bullpen warming up the pitcher.  Zach had CPR training and recognized what to do right away.  If it wasn't for Zach's quick action, my nephew wouldn't be with us today.  Zach is forever our family hero that changed the outcome of our story. I know this is a day that is forever in your mind Zach and we want you to know that you will always be forever in our hearts.

Mile #2:  David Dibble, Heart Survivor.  David never had any heart issues and now has an Internal Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) for assurance to immediately start his heart if it ever stops again. His heart went into an irregular rhythm suddenly pumping so fast that it stopped putting him into Sudden Cardiac Arrest.  Zach saved him pushing hard and fast with CPR, David's younger brother Alex called 911, the ambulance transferred him, then taking a Flight for Life.  Because of Zach's immediate action, Seven days later, David walked out of the hospital and is back to playing baseball today.

Mile #3:  Stacy Amstadt, Heart Survivor.  Stacy has been a huge supporter of our Dibbs17 CPR Mission and has become a dear friend.  She works with the American Heart Association hearing and sharing many heart stories herself.  She was born with Aortic Stenosis, which is a narrowing of the aortic valve.  When she was 17 she had a valvotomy that opened up the valve.  In the next couple of years, she will need to have the valve replaced.  She goes in for an annual echo and her most recent one has come back stable which means not much has changed and that is good news!  We pray for you Stacy and are so grateful to you for all your help with teaching 1700 people CPR and spreading awareness to know it! 

Mile #4 Manny Rios, Heart Survivor, and 2019 Heart Walk Hero!  

Quarantined Day 40: Unbalanced in an Imperfect World.

Don't underestimate the talents of the “tic- toc” er in your house.  The efforts put into that 30 second video may take all day, making every recipe concoction they can as they scramble through our home finding things you never even knew you had.  Evidence left everywhere even though you’ve said several times, “I don’t care what you do, don’t leave any evidence”, translation in mom terms, clean up your crazy mess!   They must not think I use the bathroom at all because there it all is, laying out on the counter; coconut oil, baking soda, honey, raw egg mixture to strengthen your nails and next to that lab experiment; the makeup, bag of ice, food coloring and sugar for another face scrub sampling.  Never ending.  Including a Churros Recipe that was found on TicToc with no measurements so timing out the “Pour” with the video seemed efficient enough… what? No?  Yeah, 3 lbs of flour down the drain and we started over finding an actual recipe that I ended up finishing and called the crew back in to eat it when done (I never learn and Flour is too hard to come by wasting it in these times!)  So then I thought I’d join their fun- together WITH them. No, not on the new found experiment of the hour, but on a TicToc dance.  How hard could it be, they are pulling out these dance moves in seconds?  Yeah, that short dance spot took them at least 3 hours to teach me and get it right!  It kept them out of the mixing labs and outdoors with the sun as I shook my big bootie off on the patio with them laughing and loving every bit of it.  My moves may not have been perfect but calories were definitely burned!  Dance class, choreography, chemistry and film all in one day, done. 

Don’t underestimate the cooking in the kitchen together, sure the counters have those little corner crumbs when they complete their “make dinner” task and the dishwasher is not filled exactly the way you would do it but they learned the magic of a measuring cup and why it’s so important to get the perfect ingredients mixed in the best way.  Dry to dry, liquids to liquids.  Or the timing of making a meal  when the breads go in last, the meats first.  Things at the age of... well, 30 plus, haha that I’m still learning myself but expect them to know at the age of 10.  What?!!  Really?  My Nana cooked up the best of meals, she was a perfectionist to the finest;  we watched her pinch this and dash that and we went off to set the table or butter the pans and wash the dishes needed, so we never learned the magic technique of a homemade Italian meal.  Her sauce, however, is something I’ve come to be proud of making myself and should do it way more often than I do! At least I get one thing right when it comes to kitchen time and channeling my inner Nana.  So Cultural Cuisine and serving others, with custodial cleaning skills, done yet barely passing.

Or how about the baking and decorating, simple science itself so let's check the Science class off for the day and another cake complete for us to eat or share at this point, our belly's are caked out! Our baked goods are made quicker than they are getting eaten, unlike they did a month ago. I’m sure you would agree that decorating and baking count also as Art- Done… well, Art is in every lesson in this house, possibly Honors Art Class, haha, so let’s carry on…. 

The Art of tidiness; cleaning their bedrooms, putting everything in its place and organized.  I can’t say it happens as often as I’d like in each room but seeing paints, brushes, and almost finished paint projects are in sight as we speak.    If I’m not hiding objects, they are getting painted.  The staircase is their next project and possibly two wooden chairs after that since the girls feel they need a little pizzazz.  Don’t leave any evidence I say and they do their best shoving it all in a corner, letting me know they are getting back to it, painting is a process.  Yes, of course my perfect little darlings (as I eye roll and calm my OCD down) it’s a process.

Gym Class- Let’s do gym.   Only when you ride your bike, wear your helmet and do everything you can not to fall.  In fact, just don’t do anything that will risk you getting injured because if we see your arm is broken, we will duct tape it to a piece of wood and have you rest with Tylenol/ Ibuprofen doing everything we can to keep you out of the hospitals at this time.  Yes, we want to keep all of you in a bubble to keep from getting sick. If you are at the hospital, you may be alone, we may not be able to go in with you and, IF we are with you, we take the risk of all getting COVID19 not knowing how our body will react.  Possibly walking out with the ability to fight it off at home, or one thing leading to another and breathing off a ventilator.  So no, don’t be too risky in our at home gym class because this mother is doing her best to avoid fear, but it’s there and it’s real.   Gym, we’ll check it off, safely and with as much activity as we can for now; walks, basketball, soccer, baseball, all in the backyard WITHOUT your teammates and friends, that they don't need to be reminded of. So let’s talk video games now, maybe a safer bet, right?

Well, if when they start coming out of their room looking a little pale and the stink follows them, they may need a major scrub down from the week of coming out of the video cave.  Video games, no, my very least favorite at all but hearing them from the room yelling at friends through the headset, laughing,  and from what I think they are doing when I peak in, directing one another where to go and what to do?  I find them learning to be an effective team member and how to conference call in the future.  How communicating together, with a friend through a headpiece to achieve a goal may be beneficial in years to come when looking into the workforce, whether it be owner, employee, adventurer, whatever and wherever their journey may take them.  A little far fetched right?  The personal connection not exactly on, but working together, in any way possible and communicating with the outside world, through electronics, yes! So Communication Class, check, done.

40 days being quarantined at home would’ve sounded completely crazy and never possible as many of

Fox 6 News 4/2020

the new home classes above were all so not lesson planned.  But we are doing it, we are all doing it.  Each in our own way.  The best is there, in each day, nothing wrong and nothing right but what works best for your family.  Some days you’ll wonder what was best at all and other days, you wouldn’t trade for the world.  But when we give each day our best in whatever it is we do THAT day, does it really matter? Absolutely.

Some teachers are giving it all they got, going above and beyond teaching their students in every way they know how and most teachers do it while taking care of their own families at the same time!  Maybe even with little ones at home while their spouse is working or on the front lines working directly with COVID19!  Maybe some restaurant owners are doing everything they can to keep their employees working and their businesses afloat by doing pick up orders from their parking lot.  Maybe postal workers are going in each day covered from head to toe, in fear one minute but grateful to have a job the next, along with grocery store workers and truck drivers feeling the same way. 

We are in this together, however surviving it in all different ways.  I wake up creating a perfect breakfast one day and grab your own bowl of cereal the next.  Then breakfast turns into lunch because we are all staying up as late as we want and everyone sleeping till they are no longer tired.  The fork left in the sink and the crumbs on the counter made me a crazy woman flipping out that our house is a disaster when in fact, it’s not the entire house, it’s just my “dishes in the sink” chaotic mentality and no sleep the night prior that made me lose my mind over the dirty dishes.  Thirty minutes later, we are all at the park together flying kites and playing soccer while running up and down the hills.  

Movie nights come and go and family games become old quickly but we come together and laugh and yell and lose it with the best of each other.  We are not perfect, we never will be but we are family and that family never changes.  What does change is the way our world will slowly come together again. How we will look back at this as our kids struggled to be with friends and what they are missing out as their last year of school, how parents found the best of times and still needed their adult space even from one another, how we felt blessed and guilty at the same time, knowing we all had one another at home while others were dying and risking their lives to help others.  We may be in a Howie Mendell introverted, and germ free  world not touching one another or even coming close.  This introverted world is uncomforting to me and unacceptable but I’ll still hug and hug as much as I can... with my own family for now and feel ok with that. 

I’ll bake each day and let them make their messes, I’ll spazz on them one day and laugh and love it the next, I’ll let them find their own daily life lessons each day, I’ll turn off their WiFi to force them out of their rooms one day and let them play it out the next.  I have many more years on them when it comes to taking care of our home, and patience is something that tests me but we will pass it together.   I’ll let them teach me TicToc Dances and fold laundry with them even though it’s not to perfection.  I’ll make breakfast for lunch because they slept in and I’ll make all frozen foods one day and a hopefully delicious meal the next because I can.  

I’ll hug, pray, and reach out to a friend each day.  I’ll take my “me time” getting outdoors completing a grateful mile each time, telling myself all the good I have in my life and yes, it’s there, we just have to take the time to see it.  I may even shut down the next, meditating and refilling my cup.

These past 40 days have not been easy, but I’ve been able to take a breath each day, with my family together, food on the table, and a roof over our heads. As the chaos remains and the unbalanced life still holds firm under this roof, I am always and forever grateful….one day at a time, imperfectly unbalanced.

Until then as I complete this blog at this noon hour, my kids are slowly coming out of their rooms as they smell food from the kitchen; my pancakes need mixing, my bacon is burning, and maybe I’ll turn the WiFi back on when we’re all done… have a beautiful day my friends.

Imperfectly unbalanced is just the way I live, and tomorrow I'll do my best at it again with a smile.