Notions:
(1): an individual’s conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined
(2): an inclusive general concept (3): a theory or belief held by a person or group
Dreams:
(1): a succession of images, thoughts. or emotions passing through the mind during sleep
(2): an aspiration; goal; aim
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Hi!
My name is Andi and this is my story. . . .
I am a child of God, a wife to my amazing husband (Mr. Incredible) who I never thought I’d ever find someone so perfect for me. I am a mother of two beautiful children (Who I’ll be calling -Dash and Miss Princess Warrior) who are the delight of my life. And of course, Mama Cat to Mufasa and Mama Dog to Willow. I love creating and designing things, I am a photographer who loves to capture art and people. I enjoy being outdoors in daylight and I enjoy listening to music, reading, and writing. I am a Lemon Dropper. I love LOVE essential oils and the amazing benefits it has for my family!
I started my blog in 2012 when I was first diagnosed with Usher Syndrome. I knew I needed a place where I could share my notions and dreams. A place for me to have an outlet and let my fingers and mind fly. I have met so many neat people through this blog! I know it was a whole different world that I got myself into. I really want people to see that even through difficulties, LIFE is still worth living.
I was born deaf/hard-of-hearing in both ears. I speak (all those years of speech therapy has paid off well), I lipread, I sign. I do not see this as a disability because it is who I am, it is a way of living. I love being in my silent world when I am tired of listening to it.
In 2012 my #1 fear came true.
I am going blind.
I was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome II.
Usher Syndrome is a genetic condition that is a combination of being deaf/hard-of-hearing and having an eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. I started noticing my night-vision becoming difficult in my late teens/early twenties and then I discovered I had a loss of peripheral vision when I got my first pair of eye glasses in my mid-twenties.
I had NO idea this was apart of something that would take away my sight completely. Every case is different though. My eyes may stay the same for many, many years before I only see a blurry face. Of course, I am praying really, really, REALLY, hard that God will heal my eyes. I can only pray and HOPE.
In 2013 I gave birth to my second child, my beautiful daughter, whom I call here, little Miss Princess Warrior. My world seemed perfect even though my eyes were struggling to see after the stress of having given birth. The first week was extremely emotionally for me because all I wanted to do was SEE my daughter clearly and I couldn’t. They were foggy, tired, stressed. When my daughter was about 2 1/2 weeks old, we received a phone call from the newborn screen department and then a nurse practitioner telling us that our daughter had tested positive for Cystic Fibrosis. She has the Double Delta 508 mutation, the most common of them all.
I WAS DEVASTATED.
I was SHOCKED.
I don’t know what else I can share on how I felt when I heard my daughter had a life-shortening disease. LIFE-SHORTING. I was already struggling with my eyes!
How will I take care of her?!
How can I be that strong mother that she is going to need??!
How long will she live???
What is going to happen now??
Needless to say, a bunch of other things happened around that time. But we are striving now. We found out that THIS was a great time to have Cystic Fibrosis because there are major medical breakthroughs that are happening right now. They have future drugs that will help prolong the life of my daughter. This brings us so much HOPE!
BTW – The name we gave our daughter means “Female Warrior”. Little did we know she needs to be a warrior for her own health.
Are you overwhelmed yet?
I am…just by reading what I shared! But let me tell you this….everything is going to be OK. I KNOW it will. Why? Because God is in complete control and I just have to give it to HIM. This doesn’t mean that I will not struggle, or have no fears, or have no depressed days. It just means that I can get back on my feet faster knowing that someone greater than me knows my future. I refuse to be in depression over this and I have every right to be……..but With God’s help we will CONQUER this journey called LIFE.
I invite you all to follow me in my journey. A journey as I share my struggles and how I overcome them as a deaf/legally blind wife and mother. As I share my notions and reams in photography, graphic designs, essential oils, every day living, my love for Jesus, the unknowns, my life experiences, my dreams. I hope to inspire you in whatever life you have been given.
Blessings,
Andi
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope”
Jeremiah 29:11
I love learning about people and so I thought, why not share 10 random things you may not know about me? Here’s my list!
1. I LOVE the color YELLOW.
It’s BRIGHT. It’s CHEERY. It’s a HAPPY color! Just don’t paint my house yellow or get me a yellow car…I’m not THAT crazy in love with it.
2. I hate the sound and feel of Styrofoam.
Even just typing that word makes my skin crawl and tingle! Most of the time I have my husband hold the take out box whenever we eat out and that’s what they use. Some people can’t handle finger nails scratching chalkboards…I cant handle Styrofoam. ACK! Don’t’ even mention about the dirty napkins shoved between the plates…OMGosh I need to stop talking about this. Does anyone have any weird dislikes besides me???
3. I am a Green Bay Packer’s fan.
I may not know all about football or even care much but when my Packers are playing in the play off’s or Superbowl, I’ll be watching it! I have always loved Green Bay since I was in jr high.
4. I am 1/4th Greek and 1/4th Danish
And Italian, English and hey even Irish and Scottish. I am proud to be a mutt! People always tell me it all sounds so exotic. Opa!
5. I play the guitar.
But NOT at all well. Nope. I am sure that would change if I practice and practice and practice.
6. My husband was my very FIRST kiss. <3
Yup! It’s true. AND it was even after we got engaged! Okey you can close your dropped open mouth 😉
7. I had always wanted to be in a band and sing like Amy Lee (from Evanescence)
First of all, I DON’T SING. Second, I don’t like being on stage. Third, I don’t do well talking on a microphone! So, this is just a dream. Period. But a good one though…I mean..Amy has a pretty amazing voice.
8. I have a fear of Earthquakes, Dobermans, and Clowns.
At 7 years old I lived in the bay area when the San Francisco-Oakland earthquake hit. I was at a friend’s home who lived in a back house in an alleyway and they did NOT speak English. So when the earthquake happened (they lived in a shack like home, not sturdy at all), I was SCARED. You can imagine how terrified I was to not know what was happening. To be standing in the door way with my friend and her mom (her hand was covering my mouth – I think to keep me from screaming, which I wasn’t). My dad came soon after that and “saved” me. I don’t think I ate for days after that! No power. Lots of aftershocks. And why am I still living in California? Cuz….well…It’s California!
Doberman Dogs…..ugh. That same alleyway, there were some kids who set their mean ole Doberman dog out of their yard and it ran after me and nipped my poor little tushy! I was only about 4-5 years old. It cornered me into some thorns and I cut my pinky toe. I’ve been scared of them ever since.
I don’t even need to explain the clown part.
9. I love Raspberry Sorbet and Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Oh….I want some now! Delicious refreshing sorbet and ooie gooie creamy goodness ice cream
10. Travel to Greece.
It is a dream of mine to travel to Greece before I lose my eyesight completely. It would be amazing to see where my Great Yia Yia lived and to hopefully meet some cousins. I hope someday I can do this with some family members. If you’re reading this family *hint hint* Take me with you!
Well now, I’m am sure that is more than you wanted to know about me! Thanks for stopping by!