Happy Friday friends! Is it really Friday already!? To be honest I haven’t been keeping track of the days this week. My kids are out for Spring Break and if you follow me on Instagram you know we have been hanging in Maui – our favorite getaway. I have to apologize for the lack of posting. Last Friday I confessed that my previous week was less than stellar and how nothing on my to-do list was completed. Well. The top of that to-do list said “finish three posts to share during vacation.” Hence the reason you have been hearing crickets on the blog this week. Posts weren’t finished and this week I’ve been too busy sunscreening my kids to worry about it. :) I have to say that taking small breaks from real life and technology and just spending time with family is SO refreshing for me. Then I come back completely rested and excited to do the things I love. We all need that, right!? It’s good for the soul.
While days are blurred on vacation, I do know that today is April 10th. April 10th is a day I’ll never forget. Five years ago today I had quite a scare after Kole was born and came dangerously close to losing my life. My sweet husband kept friends in the loop with posts like this one and then a year later I shared what I remembered about that day. It was scary and the feelings I had during that experience will always stay with me. They are a reminder to me that things can change in an instant and how precious our time is here. They are a reminder of what a gift I’ve been given to still be here today.
I love that the anniversary of this special day for me falls on my kids’ Spring Break. We always plan a trip for the week and I do my best to soak up as much precious time with my family as possible. I remember all that I have and thank God for all He has given me. I thank Him for the gift of being here to hold my sweet little boy on the beach while we watch his sisters and dad play in the waves.
Hug your loved ones a little tighter for me today. :)
I’ll be back with lots to share soon! I’m feeling much better than I did last week and those unfinished to-do’s are about to get some serious check mark action.
:)
It’s not even 6am here on the east coast and I’m in tears reading these posts! I’ve been a reader for a while but never knew about this experience of yours. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. You’re an amazing mom & your kids are so lucky to have you in their lives. Enjoy your vacation!
What a sweet thing to say Katy! You’re going to have me in tears too! ;) Thank you so much. Means a lot to me. xo
What a story! I can’t even imagine how scary that must have been for you and your family. It is a good reminder to stop and thank God often for our blessings!
Enjoy your vacation with your family! Now excuse me while I go wipe these tears streaming down my face after reading your post with your memories from that day…
Thank you so much Jenny! And so sorry if I made you cry! ;) xo
I’ve read probably 80% of your posts and never read the one Kenny wrote. I’m at work and keeping the tears at bay is very difficult right now!!!
Happy Anniversary per se… it’s funny how those moments will happen in our life and will change the way we look at life forever. maybe a gratitude anniversary so to speak. I have a few instances myself that I always remember with gratitude because I could very well not be here but the Lord saw it another way and I’m thankful!!!
Enjoy the rest of your Spring Break with the fam!! It’s sooo beautiful there!! I’m counting down to our Summer week at Myrtle Beach in July myself :-)
I love that Aria! A gratitude anniversary. That is what I’m calling it from now on. :) Thank you so much sweet friend! I’m so grateful that both of us are here today and I’m grateful for all of your sweet comments and for our friendship. Countdown to Myrtle Beach for sure! I’ve heard it’s beautiful too! xo
So happy to hear that you are completely enjoying your Spring Break in Hawaii! Especially after reading the harrowing ordeal you all had to go through just a few short years ago. You are one amazingingly strong woman. I admire your upbeat personality and sense of humor even more now. Thank you for sharing. Hugs!
Thank you Jeanne! So sweet of you. That means a lot to me! Your kind words always make me smile. :) Hugs right back! xo
Erin,
I don’t usually follow blogs, but someone introduced me to yours and it is now the one and only blog I read. Your positive energy is always such a breath of fresh air and you are so incredibly talented. I just found out I am pregnant and I can’t wait to implement some of the wonderful tips/organization/activities you have posted (especially the outfit week ahead planner for the kids). Thank you for posts just like this and always being so thankful about the treasures we all have in our lives. Enjoy the vacation with your family it is well deserved.
Madison what a kind, thoughtful comment. I am so touched that you are enjoying my blog! Honestly – that means so much to me. Congratulations about your pregnancy! Such an exciting time in your life. Live it up during the second trimester (my favorite!) and eat everything in sight for me. ;) Thanks again for your sweet words. Completely made my day! xo
Erin,
I still cry every time you write about that period of your life. Thank you for sharing the difficult times with us as well as the good times. I’ll hug my precious boys extra long tonight. Thank you and enjoy your vacation.
-Kathy
So sweet of you Kathy! Thank you sweet friend. xo
Wow Erin, I had no idea that happened to you!! How scary. I just went and read Kenny’s post – it must have been so scary for everyone involved!! I am glad that you’re ok, obviously :)
Enjoy the rest of your trip and don’t think about 5 yrs ago too much :)
Yeah.. not our happiest moment. :) Thank you Meadow! xo
ENJOY, Erin!! Here’s to you always celebrating April 10th and making special memories with your loved ones! It’s good for everyone to have a break and just get to relish in the delights of life!
ALOHA!!
Thank you so much Maggie! AHOHA to you! xo
Thank you for the reminder to appreciate what we have! I’m so glad God saved your life for your family and especially your little guy – you two look great by the way. The beach suits you :)
Thank you Marcia! Such a sweet thing to say. Wish we could park at the beach permanently. ;) xo
Hi Erin, I cried when I read about your incident. I’m so happy your well :-) Life is short, so enjoy your vacation and family :-)
Thank you so much Kai! So sweet of you! xo
Oh! My! Goodness! I had no idea about this! I’m sitting here with tears streaming down my face! What a terrible shock! So relieved for you and your family that you recovered so well. Such a great reminder to slow down and appreciate everything and everyone that we have. Thanks so much for this post. Enjoy your vacation with your sweet family. x
Thank you so much Louise! I know – not our happiest moment! :) It really did put things in perspective for me. When I was recovering and still so not myself, my mom was taking care of my kids and house and I remember how badly I wished I could be doing those things again. I think of that whenever I get tired of taking care of my kids or cleaning – how those every day things were what I missed most when I couldn’t do them anymore. Such a gift to have that perspective! Thanks again for such a sweet comment! xo
Great photos Erin! The place is so beautiful and your son is so cute!
Thank you! xo
What a great way to celebrate a terrible day! I find that those are the type of events that give us such perspective in life. I totally understand your sadness at not being able to have more children. On the flip side, it’s such a gift for your husband and children that they still have their mother. I lost my father when I was 13 so I know how different their lives might have been. As a mother, the greatest gift is seeing your children grow up. Days like this forever shape our lives and are never forgotten. You are an incredibly lucky woman to have such great doctors that were able to save your life. Great healthcare is not a given in many parts of the country.
In my own life, I had two dates that I’ll never forget. In 2006, I almost lost my son on Mother’s Day. He was in the ICU and had a transfusion and was in there for several weeks. I prayed that I wouldn’t lose my son on Mother’s Day since it would have been horrible to have Mother’s Day be the anniversary of my son’s death. In 2009, he had a lung collapse due to a medical error and I decided after that to do a Make a Wish trip and scheduled it for his 18th birthday. The day before he came down with a fever (had the swine flu), was admitted to the ICU and had respiratory failure the next day. He was on a ventilator for his birthday and we spent a month in the ICU. He eventually recovered and it took another six months before he could sit up to take his trip. I’ll never forget the depths of despair from those events. On the flip side, I tell him every day that seeing his smile every morning is God’s gift to me. I know that life is precious and nothing is guaranteed. Once you have the wisdom of perspective, you learn to be happy every day because you’ve seen the other side.
Oh my word! I can’t believe all you have been through with your son. I’m so grateful he is here today with you. Love that his smile is God’s gift to you. So beautiful. I agree – once you’ve had a close call like that it’s hard to take the every day stuff for granted. Happy gratitude day for both of us! :) xo
Hi Erin,
While I don’t always comment, I do read your posts/blog, as I love the upbeat tone and all the invaluable info/tips etc.
I must admit I was in tears when I read this post. I also had no idea, as I only started reading your blog about a year ago.
It’s amazing what us Moms go through to be Moms. I hemorrhaged minutes after the birth of our first son, who was a preemie….it was the scariest thing to experience, but luckily the doctors were able to stop the bleeding (it wasn’t too major). The birth of our second son was much easier, but his first 4 months of life were difficult, as he too was a preemie. Brought him home on an oxygen tank, weekly specialist appointments etc. My hubby and I made the decision not to have any more children, based on our past medical/births…..but aren’t we all blessed to have the beautiful children we have today.
I like the idea of remembering the date as a Gratitude Anniversary. It’s times like these that help us embrace our lives/difficulties/etc. with such appreciation and love.
Enjoy Maui. We are trying to visit every Hawaiin Island before our kids finish high school. Two islands down, Oahu here we come in Dec.
Cheers and Hugs – Sandra
Oh my word Sandra! So happy to hear your sweet babies (and you!) are all doing well today! YES. SO blessed to have our children here and safe and healthy. I can’t imagine a bigger blessing. I love your idea of visiting every island with your kids before they graduate! We should do that too. Such a neat experience for everyone! Thank you for your sweet comment Sandra! It was so nice to hear from you and your sweet words about my blog mean a lot. Cheers and hugs right back! :) xo
Happy you had a wonderful spring break with your sweet family!! I hadn’t read those posts either! Wow — thankful you survived that and have your wonderful family.
Thank you so much Janet! xo
Wow. I remember reading about that experience. Such a reminder to treasure each day. Thank you for sharing your heart. Glad you are having a wonderful time – what a beautiful place to take a break and enjoy your family.
Thank you sweet Becky! Love that we have been blog buddies for so long. :) xo
Sounds like you’re having a wonderful vacation with your sweet family! Can’t wait to hear all about it :) I remember finding your blog just a couple of months after your scary encounter and reading through your last posts. So glad you were ok!!! hugs sweet friend :)
Oh my word Gina! You’ve been with me for so long! Love that. Like I said, our Container Store run in was meant to be. :) xo p.s. Getting back to you soon with BBQ dates! Kenny was gone all last night so I couldn’t finalize! :)
What an amazing story Erin! I cried as I read it and am amazed at what a strong woman you are. Happy you pulled through. Ir seems God has more work for you here! Have fun and relax on your vacation. We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii. It was 17 years ago. My husband says one day we will go back. I”m still waiting… lol!
Hi Debi! Oh my word you are sweet. Thank you so much! I don’t know about the strong part, but yes – so grateful I pulled through too! :) Thanks for such a sweet comment. So kind of you! xo
Hi Erin: I live on the other side of the world in a small island called East-Timor. It is a developing country where people still struggle for common commodities like water and electricity. I work for the United Nations and I’m originally from Europe. YEs, I know, Europe is not a country, but when you live abroad for 12 years in Asia, you do feel European! I’ve been following your blog for several years and it works as a breather to me . I have never thanked you for that. I read a couple of years ago the post about the 10th. You can not imagine the number of women who pass away in this country with the same sort of problem as the one you had. I am so happy that you were able to have the right people by your side when you needed. That should be an entitlement for all women in the world. I wish that you celebrate many many many 10th with all your loved ones, and always with a bit of spare time to share your life in this blog, because it is more than sharing, believe me! in my case, you allow me to distance myself from the reality I live in that is at times so overwhelming. Thank you
Alexandra – your comment meant so much to me! Honestly – I’m so touched that my blog is a bit of a distraction/breather for you with all you are facing each day. It made me so sad to hear about women dying from the same thing. I have thought about that so much – how many women in the past died of this very thing because they didn’t have the resources we do now. How heartbreaking that everyone doesn’t have the same level of medical care. I was so lucky that my mom was there that day. If I would have been alone with my kids (like I usually am!) I would have bled to death. SO scary. Like I said – your comment meant a lot and I will make sure to keep blogging as long as I can! :) Thank YOU sweet friend. xo
Life is short! Glad you are always away on this anniversary to celebrate with family. Today one of the boys was in a grumpy mood in the morning. He even wanted to complain about the sun being in his eyes for breakfast. I put sunglasses on him (and his brother even though he wasn’t grumpy) and his whole perspective changed. All of a sudden it was a cool breakfast with sunglasses!
LOVE it Heather! Way to take lemons and make lemonade. :) xo