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Last yrs. school pic.

Heather's school pic this year. She's growing up soooo fast.

This is his school picture from this yr. I was amazed at how well his shirt went with the background. We had no idea what the background would be.

This is his school picture from last yr. I wanted to post the one from this yr. but it won't let me for some reason?

This is my dog, Kita. She is an Akita that we rescued from Dallas about a yr. ago. She was found wandering beside the interstate with 2 puppies. Her puppies were taken to an Operation Kindness facility but the facility would not accept their mother . We orriginaly called about getting one of her puppies. The center had had them for less than 24hrs. but wanted $200.00 a pop for each of them. We found that a little outrages and called the woman who had found them in the first place. She said she would just give us their mother if we would come and get her. It was the best decission we ever made about a pet. Kita is the best dog I have ever had. I see her more as one of my children than an animal. She stayed indoors with me until I had my stroke. But while I was in the hospital my mother-n-law put her outside. Now she sheds something awful and Lee won't let her back in the house. She seems to really like it ouside though. I sneak her in sometimes when It's just me and her here though.

This is us a couple of yrs ago at Thanksgiving. Lee hate's having his picture taken. And I must confess that I don't relish having mine taken anymore. Maybe as I lose weight that will change.

Most recent picture we had made of all 3 of them together

I weighed 120 lbs when I graduated and am now at 208. My goal is to lose down to 130 lbs. My docs told me to cut calories. I am on a 1200 a day calorie diet and use and elliptical machine 25 min. a day for exercise. I have lost inches so far but no weight as of yet. But I am hopeful.

I am a 29 yr. old stay at home mom. I had my stroke on New Years Day 2004. On Christmas Eve '03 I went to a Chiropractor for the very first time and had my neck adjusted. I had been having neck spasams after having the flu and thought a Chiropractor might help. After the adjustment I got real dizzy, nauseated and broke out in a cold sweat. I asked if this was normal. The Chiropractor said "NO, but it's probably just a shock to your system" He offered to let me set in the office until the dizziness passed. I knew he was getting ready to close for the holiday's so I told him I'd just set out in my car. It took around and hour or so for me to be able to drive. I went home and went to bed. When I awoke I felt fine and figured that the Chiropractor was right. I went back for a 2nd visit on the 29th of Dec. He adjusted my neck but not near as sharply as the first time. I got a little dizzy but not anything too bad. On New Year's Eve I started getting real dizzy buy again didn't think too much about it as I had started my minstrations the day before and figured it had something to do with that. When I awoke on New Years morning it was like I was on a merry-go-round and could not get off. I told my husband, Lee, that I felt funny and he told me to get up and see if it would go away after a while. Well it just got worse. I started to slur my words when I talked, and I couldn't swallow. That really scared me. My balance was also off as I couldn't seem to use my left side, and I had double and blurred vision. I also had a dull ache behind my left ear. Brain Anurisims run in my family and I was terrified that that was what was wrong. I didn't know the symptoms of a stroke. My husband rushed me to the local "Minor" E.R. where I started getting the hiccups every 15 min. or so. There I was examined and told I just had a Upper Respatory Infection. The doc. perscribed a cough syrup with codine in it and some antibiotics for me to take even though he was told that I couldn't swallow. I was released (by this time I couldn't walk at all) and went home where I started to vomit and dry-heaved all night. The next morning on the 2nd, we went to the "Main" ER and I was diagnosed with "Bells Palsy" due to the left side of my face had started to droop. They gave me a bag of fluids through an I.V. and perscribed me some steroids and herpies medication to take (I still could not swallow anything). Again I was sent home. On the 5th (after the weekend) we were able to get in to see my Mom's family doc. He said that I had been diagnosed wrong at both E.R.'s He said if we pinned him down right then he would say I had either suffered a stroke or had the begginging stages of MS. But that he wanted to run an MRI to make sure. So, on the 6th I had my first MRI, which came back with swelling on my brain. My mom's (now mine too) refered me to a nero-surgen in Dallas. I went to see him on my 29th b-day, Jan. 7th. He imediatly addmitted me into the Hospital where 3 more MRI's (this time with die in it) were run. It was confermed that I had had a brainstem stroke due to trama to the back of my neck. The left main artery had been completly severed and the right one had been dammaged. We concluded that it must have occured when I went to the Chiropractor the 1st time as I have had no other "trama" to the back of my neck. I was put on Heprin and eventually Coumadin to thin my blood. They put a feeding tube down my throat which I didn't tollorate at all. So they moved it to my stomach and started me in re-hab. I stayed in the hospital for 17 days total. I am now home and going to out-patient re-hab. I came home with a walker but don't have to use it now. I also came home with a shower chair, which I still use. I still have my feeding tube; But it should come out soon. This has been the bigest ordeal of my life(that I remember) I am a twin and was premature when I was born; But I don't remember that. I truley belive that I am a walking miricale and would not be here today if it were not for all of the prayers said for me. I consider myself blessed to have such a wonderful support system. My husband, family, and friends have all stood by me and pushed me to do my best and try my hardest. I thank God for them. Update: I got my feeding tube removed on March 29th and have finished all of my re-hab. I still have problems swallowing some items but generally can eat anything I like as long as I take it slow. It takes me about 1 hr to eat a meal. My balance continues to improve and I can now drive again. I didn't realize how much I missed my independence until I was allowed to start driving again. I am now tring to lose weight as I have gained quite a bit. I'm up to walking a mile a day 3 to 5 times a week. I give God all the credit in my recovery. For I know without Him by my side I would not be where I am today.