one year later...

WOW...

what a difference a year makes.

i have been living with MS for one year now.

probably longer than that as 

my dr. thinks it was messing with me before....

but this is when we discovered it.

when i first found out,

I was determined not to let it get me down.

then it got me down!

and that's the best way to describe it....

a year full of ups and downs.

but in a nutshell.....

SO FAR, SO GOOD!!!!

i won't bore you with little details of the

ups and downs.

everyone has their own struggle and mine is

FAR from the worst.

instead,

this is all about FAITH, LOVE and HAPPyNESS!

FAITH....
without it,

i am nothing....
i HAVE nothing.

LOVE....
without it,

i am nothing....

 i HAVE nothing...

.

 HAPPyNESS....
without it,

i am nothing.

i HAVE....well, not nothing,

but i could have more....

and i could GIVE more....

faith, love happyness 

(and I know you don't spell it that way...

but i LIKE it:)

SO.......

about FAITH.

 oh, i had my moments.

i doubted...

i questioned...

but in the end, 

i HAVE to have faith...

and I do!

LOVE.....
 I'm so blessed.

i have a TON of it

and HAPPyNESS.....

my "word of the year"

i'm trying to give and get more HAPPY in every day.....

MS or not:)

 now for something REALLY SPECIAL....

let me tell you what my PRECIOUS girl Jordan is up to.....

 she is SWIMMING for MS!

 yep.....

in addition to the very busy life of a tennis playing teenager,

 she is taking the time to raise money for MS...

to help those who can't afford medication 

(at about $3,000/month)

to help those who need a wheelchair.....

and to help find a cure.

 she recently started and this Holiday weekend,

our club, Naples Bay Resort,

is getting others involved with her cause.

it's very exciting.....

and I am SOOOOO proud of my girl.

if you would like to read her page, go to this link:

Jordan Dutcher's Swim Page.

i think you will be so INSPIRED when you read

her story in her own words.

 if you would like to make a donation,

instructions are there.

even though there are suggested amounts,

she would be ecstatic for anything...

every dollar helps!

as she wrote on her Swim for MS page,

"God never promised life would be easy,

He just promised it would be worth it."

  

like I said.....

i am SO blessed.....

with Jordan AND Taylor.....

 and my husband Phil.

i know you might wonder why THIS post on July 4th....

well, it is a one year marker and it IS Independence Day....

and independence means different things to different people.

to a person with MS, being independent means the world....

so as well as celebrating with our country, 

we will celebrate my own continued independence.

and I think we'll do that with our 2nd annual  

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE!

YUM!!!!!

 (i know, i know...always food:)

big HUGS and a big THANK YOU to everyone for your

love, prayers, concern, caring, thoughtfulness and friendship

to me and to my family this past year.

to say it means more than you know is an understatement!

God Bless You!!!
and Happy INDEPENDENCE Day!!

XOXOXOXO

Suzanne