Friday, May 23, 2008

Tribute to Lucy

This is an update about sweet little Lucy. She was taken off life support yesterday morning and has returned home to her Heavenly Father. Our thoughts and prayers are so much with them right now. Her wonderful parents made the difficult and brave decision to donate her organs so that another little girl or boy somewhere might live because she died. Please continue to pray for them. I'm sure many dark and difficult days lie ahead as they try and cope with the enormous hole that Lucy left behind.

Vic & Molly - We love you. We have cried many tears just trying to comprehend the pain and the heartache that you've been going through. Please know that your trial has touched everyone who has been a part of it & I know we are all better people from knowing you and your precious baby girl. People always say to cherish every moment, but until you really see how quickly life can be taken, it doesn't really hit the heart. We hope that you have found comfort in your family, your friends, people who have experienced this before, and most of all in the Savior. THANK YOU for letting us share in your lives.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Prayers for Lucy!

I have already e-mailed many of you, but I wanted to post this in case anyone didn't get my e-mail and to give an update from the Jacksons. On Sunday (May 18th), our friends' little girl, Lucy, choked on a piece of an apple and it got lodged in her lungs. She was without oxygen for 20 minutes before life flight got there and is now at Primary Children's Hospital on life support. We have gone to see them for the past two nights and it is heartbreaking to see her little just under 2 year old body hooked up to all the machines and to see the pain, shock, and hurt in her parents eyes. She is their only daughter and their whole world. I have to say that there is hope there, too, though, and everyone is praying for a miracle. I would invite anyone reading this blog, whether they know the Jacksons or not, to pray on their behalf. We all know that something like this could happen to anyone and it could be our baby in the hospital fighting for her life.
Tonight we went to offer our support and also to celebrate Vic (her dad's) birthday. Things did not look good for Lucy this afternoon and they feared the worst. They still have many questions and concerns to go over with the specialists, but the MRI test came back more positive than expected, showing less brain damage than they originally expected. So, as Vic said, there is still much room for fasting, prayers, and miracles. Thanks to all who have done so on their behalf. There has also been a fund set up in Lucy Jackson's name at Chase Bank in Park City. We love you Vic, Molly, and Lucy!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!


Hooray for girls! Last night me, my sister Trisha, my sister Cindy, my foster sister Josie, my Grandma, and my mom went to Park City for shopping, dining, talking, playing games, and sleeping in a condo. This morning we had french toast, more gabbing & played some more games before we headed back. Don't you just love being a girl? I love my female family members SO much and that's one of the reasons I'm so excited that I had another girl because sisters ROCK! Of course, the first 18 or so years are mostly arguments, but hey, it's worth it to get to this point where you can all talk, laugh, cry and just love each other! (Tiffany, we missed you. Trisha, I'm so sorry you felt sick.) Thank you to my dad who watched Cindy's kids and my sweet husband, who as part of my mother's day gift, took the day off work & watched our girls so I could play. We did drive by our first home up there. It hadn't changed much, but it did make me miss the area - the trails, the trees, and just the beauty. We're happy here in Herriman right now, but that will be our forever first home.

Monday, May 12, 2008

8 Year Anniversary


(Don't we look SO young?)
WARNING: GUSHING AHEAD
As I was driving home from my swim workout this morning, Shania Twain's "From This Moment" came on the radio (this song is on our wedding video) & I couldn't help but cry as my mind went back to 7:40 AM, 8 years ago, on a blustery, wet morning, when I was sealed for time and all eternity to my sweetheart, Jason David Hamilton, in the Salt Lake Temple. Even though it was cold & wet, my heart was bursting with joy and warmth - and still is to this day. This is a love note for all the world to see as a declaration of my love and gratitude for my wonderful hubby. I know 8 years is just a start, but with my eternal companion by my side, I'm excited for the adventures that life will bring in the next 8 years, 10 years, 20, 30, 50 years. He is so patient with me and has endured 8+ years of my complaints, onriness, hormones, and selfishness. Thank you, babe, for all you do and are - and for giving me two beautiful girls and being such a great daddy. We are so blessed honey, and I am in love with you - 100%, truly, fully, insanely, madly!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Hawaii








see http://www.photoshow.net/heidi_hamilton_1 and click on "Hawaii 2008" for a slideshow of our Hawaii pictures.

Jason & I got back from Hawaii on Monday (we were celebrating 8 wonderful years of marriage) & I am missing the warm weather & green, green vegetation. I do like Utah. There are many beautiful things to see here, but there's something about being by the ocean that reaches into your heart and finds a rhythm there. I envy people that can go running by the beach, surf there, and see the vast amount of marine life there. The great thing about the island we stayed on, Kauai, was that they had the best of both worlds - the ocean and beautiful mountains. Maybe one day when we're rich (very rich), we'll have a place there and we'll live in Utah for 1/2 the year & Kauai the other 1/2. One of my favorite memories was going to the beach at midnight and laying on the sand & looking up at the billions of stars shining overhead. With the sound of the sea in the background, it was truly magical. I got thinking about all of those stars and how some shone so brightly and others were barely discernable and seemed to blend into the night sky. I thought how so many of us are like those stars that try to blend into the background of life. I certainly am one of them. Instead, we should be letting our light shine big & bright so that everyone around us can see it and see the source of the power behind it. It's like Nelson Mandela's speech about how it's our light not our darkness that most scares us. Who am I to be talented, beautiful, etc. Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God & your playing small does not serve the world or your maker (Ok, so that was terrible paraphrasing, but you get the idea). At any rate, I thought I would share that and my determination to do better about letting my light shine & not being afraid that the world will see it!

Joining the Craze

OK, so I have knowingly, purposely resisted the urge to start a blog. These reasons are based on the following:
1. Between cleaning, laundry, exercising, errands, spiritual endeavors, and raising 2 energetic girls (do you like how I threw that in last, as if that takes the least amount of time?), HOW DO PEOPLE FIND TIME? I already feel guilty for the amount of time I spend on the computer as it is!

2. I already send out monthy newsletters & slideshows with updates on our family. I also keep a regular journal. The blog would be one more thing to keep track of.

3. I worry about having my personal opinions and rants out there for the world to see. I also wonder if anyone will really even care?

That said, here are the reasons that I gave in & follwed the crowd (does that mean that if everyone jumped off a cliff, I would too?)

1. I have to show that I am not completely computer un-savvy.

2. I like to check out other people's posts and hopefully others would check ours out as well.

3. When people ask me, "What's your blog address?" like it's as commonplace as having an e-mail address, I can acutally give them one.

4. It will be nice to have another place to rant and rattle off my thoughts and share my pictures.

So... there you have it world. Here is the start of our blog. My reasons for NOT starting a blog (see #1 & #2 above) should explain the reasons that this blog will in all likelyhood not be updated every day, and maybe not every week, but I will do my best & can't wait to link to all the other people's blogs that I love to read!