10 Year Wedding Anniversary

So, December 31st is my husband, Nick and I's wedding Anniversary!! Woot woot we made it to 10!!!!! But what is even more amazing is we have made it through a lot and still have a lot to go through! We have dealt with the early birth of our son Andrew, very scary, but has grown up to be a wonderful young man that turns Ten in February! WOW!!! And then a miscarriage of another child, then the birth of our daughter Mecina, who turns Nine in January!! Also WOW!!! Following her birth the SURPRISE of being pregnant with multiples, which we also miscarried due to me having major health issues! The same year our daughter came into our lives, 2004, we had this miscarriage, I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse (a heart condition in which the heart regurgitates blood, due to the Mitral Valve not being able to completely close), Severe gallstones, resulting in emergency Gallbladder surgery, and then icing that large Cake with the Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer! Resulting in more minor surgeries and a "light" dose of Chemo! Luckily it was an oral medication that was able to be taken from May thru September, with a final "All Clear" in October 2004! HUGE Year! Luckily with monthly check ups for six months then six months check ups things looked great! We continued on with our lives, running a wonderful Daycare for close family and friends, and my husband working for the family business! We also decided to look into other ventures that would be able to help others out as well! I was introduced to a woman in my doctor's office whom had had numerous miscarriages because her eggs were not of "good quality". This to me, was heart breaking!! I had a conversation over a few months that resulted in. Me wanting to donate my eggs! We were both excited to be able to help someone in need! about two months after we made this decision to donate, I was chosen by a couple and started the process, in which I donated my eggs! Two months following this I was chosen again, by another couple, and donated again! It was a very fulfilling, a great experience, not only for my husband and I but for my children as well! We were happy, healthy and wanted more, a house! The time came to buy a house, and whelp, that seemed impossible in California in 2006! So we were looking in both California and in Illinois! We ended up finding a house that we fell in love with that we thought we could buy, live in for a few years while remodeling and then sell it for profit making it the perfect opportunity to buy our dream house! We signed the Papers in December 2006 & moved a few months later cross country, to Illinois, where it was cold, far away from the family we have had support us for the entire time we had been married and away from security! But we moved into hope, dreams, expectations and the love of my family! I loved it we had a huge, wonderful house, the kids got to know their family from Illinois, my husband had time to grow a business from scratch and do wonderfully at it! Things were going exactly to plan! I had two great jobs! I worked at a little Gas Station, Casey's General Store, and a Bank, Erie State Bank, I worked with people I had known growing up, I loved my jobs and it was nice to be able to work while my husband was taking time for himself and growing a business from scratch! I had become increasingly close with my Mom and sister again! Life was great! And then November came and along with it a hard working sister whom fell asleep at the wheel! In the instant I got a phone call from my mom, on my sister's phone, I know something had happen! I immediately turned the car around and headed to the hospital! I met my mom there just in time to see them wheeling my sister out on a stretcher to the helicopter! All she would say was, "I'm sorry!" She wouldn't say anything else! In that instant the pain in my heart and in my mothers eyes, it was evident! We were from that moment on, on a mission, we were going to make it to Iowa City in Record time!! We called Matt, our brother, who luckily was closer than anyone and was able to be there for her for her when she arrived! I called Allyson, a close friend of mine, and she met us in Clinton, IA and road with Mom and I to Iowa City, all the way we were ALL THREE smoking like a chimney & making phone call after phone call!! She had some bleeding on the brain, and was stubborn as hell, but in nine months time was alright! That was one of the hardest heart tugging experiences of my life! After that scary moment, I had reevaluated my life and realized that no matter what I needed to do something to further my education to be able to provide for my family if, God forbid something would happen to Nick! So I continued to take classes that I had started here in California to go towards getting my Nurse Practitioner's license! During finishing up for my pre-reqs, I was approached by my Egg Donation agency about doing Surrogacy! After talking about it off and on for a couple years and then in great detail again during this time, we decided to go ahead with it! We met the couple, an AMAZING couple, and connected right away and started the process of trying to get pregnant! In March 2009, we found out we were pregnant!! Yay! I was so excited to tell the Intended Parents!! This meant a perfect Christmas Present for them!!! Things with the pregnancy were pretty good, the agency was not so good, and that is whole long other story, but non the less they ended up NOT being part of this joyous process! But we went on with the pregnancy and found out that they were expecting a boy!! They were excited for once this was said, they could start buying everything they wanted!! :) it was exciting! I continued to grow while I was still going to school, finished my pre-reqs, and continued on with my CNA and Life Flight certificate! It was SUCH an exciting time for me! I was making a life to be proud of for my self, my husband, and my children, not to mention the incredible experience we were all going through bringing this child into the world for an excellent couple, who deserved this more than anyone in the world!! During this time it was decided that I would not work until after delivery and then I would find a new job in my NEW field! :) So, October came, I celebrated my birthday, and enjoyed it, and then November came and it was COLD! Not full of snow, or much rain, but it was cold and I had a handful of times where I would have contractions and they would have to stope them, and did, and then I was finally on meds that stopped them and relaxed me! And then, we got a call, a call that No one, was ever expecting! No one would ever want to get! We were in Illinois and I got a call from my Mother-in-law and she had said that my Brother-in-law, Jonny had passed away, Nick's brother, his best friend!! Never in my life had my heart ever been so heart broken! Nick was devastated, we all were! I just couldn't believe it, I still can't believe it! But, we got on the computer booked a flight for him to be back in California by the next day! He needed to be here, but I couldn't come! It didn't matter, he HAD to be here! He NEEDED to be here! And I am glad he was here, for him, is family and friends! It was heart breaking, but it was good he was here! A few days later, November 21st, 2009, I was a bit depressed lounging around the house and my brother, Matt who was staying with me, decided to take me out shopping for the day! Yay!! Nothing like Christmas Shopping to get your mind off of things! So we went shooting with Momma Jean, and Sis Maddie! Followed up by Amazing Mexican food at a local Bar and Grill! Yum yum yum! It was so good, I took a picture of it and sent it to my Hubby! Lol he was trying to relax by going to the movie theater with the family! So when I got home he said, try not to call me for the next two hours, I'm going to be in a movie! :) Okay, no biggy, just give me a call when your out of the movie theater! :) So after a long day shopping and eating, my brother and I were finally relaxing on the couch, not long after my mom and sister went home, after taking care of my kids and giving them a bath and put into bed! Of course my cat, Fence, had another idea! She wanted outside! FINE, I yelled at her, so I drug my tired fat butt up off the couch, to go let her out, opened the door, she ran out, closed the door and turned around, and my water broke! Right there, right in the hallway, four weeks before due date! My husband across the country going to his brother's funeral the next day, and my intended parents six hours from my house, and my brother, sitting there, in denial asking me if I really just maybe, peed myself instead! Lol WOW, one of the most important things we were doing as a family for another couple to give them their family, I now had to do without my husband! And I also had to pray that the parents could make it to the hospital in one piece, and on time! Ugh!! Talk about stress, oh, but wait, my contractions, had stopped!!! Thank God! So I called my husband, yes just 1/2 hour into the movie, during the movie! Lol, and the intended parents! My brother, who was worried he would have to deliver a baby from his sister, that's not even her baby! Hahaha he calmed down after a minute and called Mom, my sister, Alicia, my friend and Doula, Allyson, and my Aunt, to watch the kids! We made it to the hospital within the hour, in which I refused to let them start Pitocin until we got within 30 minutes of the parents getting there since I was already a four! Once the parents got there, I delivered very quickly, no epidural, which by the way was NOT my idea, but is another story in itself! In the very early morning of November 22nd I delivered a baby boy to the intended Parents! In which they named after me at the very last moment, Jesse, he was a healthy beautiful baby!! And the parents were happier then I had EVER, seen them! They immediately had the connection and the, "Oh My God, we are parents!" Look on their faces! It was the most amazing, incredible, surreal experience! So many different emotions felt in such a short week! But it was amazing non-the less! I still keep in close touch with the family! He is now three years old, and happy as can be with amazing parents and family! Shortly after the loss of Jonny we realized, we needed to be back out here in California! We decide in 2010 to put our house that we had completely remodeled, up for sale and move back to California! This time, Nick's mom flew out to Illinois and made the drive back with us! We made it a vacation a long the way and stopped at quite a few Vacation places, including Mount Rushmore, at which our son, got three fingers crushed in a door :(, and the corn Palace and Yellowstone! It was an amazing seven day trip back to California! We were happy to be back! This trip lead us into all of the most recent fun and hellacious stories of our current life! :( a lot is happening right now, but I am hoping that someday, in the near future I will get that spark back and be able to show my family how strong I am! Right now I just count Every single blessing that I have had and will get and cherish every single one! Like celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary, with my most amazing, loving, understanding, and patient husband! The BEST husband in the world to still be here with me! I love you more today that I did yesterday, and I will love you more tomorrow that I do today!! I love you Nick, Happy Anniversary!! And a very very Happy Birthday to our Amazing Grandma Baker! Happy 75th Grandma and here is to many more happy years to come for us all!!