Life's Little Blessings

  Throughout this entire pandemic of Coronavirus or COVID-19 has been going on since March 2020, I paid attention to the information that was being released and made sure that my kids and family were doing everything that they could do to help prevent them from getting it. This virus has been causing problems since the fall of 2019 but wasn't as big as a problem in the US until 2020 and then we went in a lockdown for 2 months and have been slowly getting back to a new normal.  I have known a few people who have gotten it had have been fine.  Never knew anyone who has died from it until today.  I received a group text message from a fellow travel basketball family who's daughter played with my daughter Eva and they played together for their freshman year, she had passed away at 3:05 am May 4th from complications of COVID-19.  My heart is breaking for this family.  Life is way to short and we need to all get vaccinated to help protect us and everyone we come in contact with.

My cousin Anne, her husband Nate and big brother Nathan welcomed their newest addition yesterday into the world.  Welcome to the family! Introducing: Nolan Adam Brinkoetter Friday April 9th 2021 8lbs 7 oz, 19 1/4 inches

With everything that has gone this past year with Covid 19 and all the changes with the schools for the kids  Eva, James and Gabe were able to get school pictures.  Eva didn't want them however I will be able to get a basketball picture for this year. The boys pictures are the best but I am just glad they were able to get them.

 Back in December, my older brother Jimmy called me and said that he may have found our biological father.  He went on to tell me that he was working with an agency that was helping locate our biological father and that they were going to reach out to him to see if he wanted to talk to my brother and I.  I asked my brother if he wanted to know if it was actually him and what he wanted to do with the information if it was.  I told me that he wanted to know if it was him and wanted to get some answers to a lot of questions we both had in regards to our childhood.  A few days to about a week later I received another call from my brother telling me that it was our father and that he did want to communicate with us.   I began to have so many emotions come over me.  The biggest thing was that how was it possible and I am in a dream.  Then the other side of me that looks at everything half empty was like when and where is this other shoe going to drop.  My brother said that he was going to gi

My sweet cousin Anne and her husband Nathan went to the hospital to get something checked with their pregnancy.  Anne was due on December 28 of this year and had no idea that this sweet little man would enter the world later that day.  My cousin gave birth to her first son Nathan James Jr on Sunday December 16, 2018 at 9:26 pm.  His birth weight was 7 lbs 11 ozs and 19.5 inches in length.  It brought me make to to when my oldest Eva was born because her birth weight and length were the exact same as Nathan Jr.  I am looking forward to seeing this angel over Christmas.

I can't believe that this little guy will be 2 on Tuesday.  So today we celebrated his birthday with few friends and the Stansfield's, mostly my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and her husband.  Gabe got the awesome hat and sunglasses in the picture above from his god mother. He also received an awesome firetruck, clip on tie, pair of socks, Mickey Mouse t-shirt and a stuffed Mickey.  He received a gift card from our friend Brandon, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle blanket and sound book from our family friend Aida and is receiving gifts from Aunt Beth and Grandma later.  We had some cheeseburgers and grilled chicken breasts.  I made an Asian Quinoa Salad and a fresh fruit salad.  He had a blast and really enjoyed his new gifts.  Now I am looking forward to getting his 2 year pictures done with his hat and clip on tie.