A New Normal

Wow, it's hard to believe this was just two short years ago! This is a picture from the day Jade got baptized. It was very special because her baptism fell during Christmastime. I remember my energy then. We cleaned the house from top to bottom and did extra decorations for Christmas. I remember buying the meat platter and hoping we would have enough money for the rest of the weekend. That was my biggest problem then. You know what though, we are thriving in our new, unexpected life. I can throw back several meds at once (a fete I thought I would never accomplish) and my doctor said the top of my lungs are completely clear! Yippy! Sure it is sometimes scary, I had a day like that last week, I went to see "Emma Smith, my story" and realized I am not alone in a great trial. And the blessings that have come of this are amazing! Here is are a few of them, just to name a few:

We are all closer to our Father in Heaven

We really read the scriptures each night and say our prayers

I worked part time before, now I am more available to my family

Jade is a very compassionate thoughtful little girl and more independent

Darren has been very blessed in his career

I learned to really "seize the day"

We have met many wonderful people (my Doctor's and Nurses)

It was amazing to see how much my family, friends, and neighbors love us

We got Boo, our little weiner dog!

I know one way I am supposed to use the time, temple work!

We all have stonger testimonies, especially in prayer and blessings.

Jade got involved in tennis and snowboarding.

Darren made some unlikely great friendships at work.

Jade has been blessed with great friends at school in her Spectum program

I will probably end up healthier due to a great work out program I learned at my alma mater the U of U! Thanks Guys!

One of the biggest blessings has been that our friends the Christensens have become our family away from family even more so! They have done so much for us I cannot even begin! Let's hear it for Heidi, Brent, Garrett, Parker, Mads! We love you guys!

Well, the list goes on but I must say this new path is going to be ok as long as I make it on the treadmill today!

This is my super cute family that I love so much! Dar and I get along most of the time but truth be told we are opposites and tend to drive each other nuts on occaision. Dar is a great husband who makes many sacrifices for us and is very sweet and very funny,too bad for him his wife does not have the best sense of humor unless it is my sis Laur or my friend Heid or Will Smith, my favorite actor, it just goes right over my head. Dar loves sports his new Centro (like a blackberry) and us he is also pretty smart is the HRIS MGR at his company. Jade is more complex. She is a baby and animal lover who loves, loves, loves, to be home and with her friends. She is a great kid and I am lucky she is my little girl. And then there's me...the train wreck that tries to be a good Wife and Mom but ask me how I have survived this long, graduated from college, just celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary or manage to keep up with Jade's Spectrum Program at school and I couldn't tell ya. Just kidden, but I sometimes wonder. I am creative and emotional and I love, love, love, handbags! As a family we dig; eachother, Ghosthunters on SciFi (Hey Grant is LDS), our pets Boo and Sox, Guitar Hero (I make them turn down the bad songs) Traveling, our latest adventures have taken us to Sunny Florida (Disney World) and Las Vegas where Dar bought his Princess, me, a designer purse and we rode the Gondola at the Venetian. We also really dig our extended family and friends most notably the Christiansen's who we PLAN to go to Moab with in a few weeks. Oh ya and aside from The Gospel, My Gospel includes FAMILY DINNERS. Don't get me started! That is a post for another day. Anyway, it is time to set the table so, see ya!

Wow I am finally taking the plunge!

Hi Heid, Hi Stef, Hi Kim,Hi Megan,Hi Michelle,Hi Family:

This is it guys, what you all have been waiting for, he he, The Marchants are now bloggers!
I must thank my friends and family who have been after me to do this for the last eighteen months, I have a good excuse though as you all know I was pretty busy beating Lung Fibrosis since the summer of '06, and the battle continues! So, in that vein I will start my blog with a quote from Shakespeare (I love to quote him, just ask Dar and Jade). This quote came to mind over and over in the summer of '06 now I know why:)

"Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May" in other words, get down on the floor and play with your kids, eat dessert for lunch (my Dad taught me this) Kiss your sweetie and tell them how much they mean to you, better get honoring those parents, I mean really, thank them for the million little things they did, and stop what you are doing right now and appreciate what you have at the moment...

Now with that said we are a typical family about every day of the week I just happen to also be on a first name basis with some of the best pulmonary doctors in the country and our life goes on thanks to a little medicine called Cellcept and my Faith.