I will operate with a thankful heart. I will not forget the magnitude of what I was rescued from. I will be thankful for the beautiful mess that is my life.

I will TRUST. Trust will be my new way of life. I will always trust. There is no other way.

I will take this time to learn whatever I can, to wring every last drop out of my experiences, to let them change me, soften me, mold me.

I will embrace my true self and I will not apologize for or hide who I am. Who I am is what others around me NEED me to be. I will be it.

I will be present, with my eyes wide open. I will SEE what’s around me. I will SEE the good things I have. I will SEE the good things happening to me. And I will SEE others around me. I will witness their pain and their joy and help how I can.

Memorial Day is the day that Brian joined our community last year. I remember this because we invited him over as we all sat up on the roof watching the Juco fireworks. This year, on Memorial Day, baby Elliott joined our community. He came after 28 difficult hours of labor, making his entrance as his mother always does – fashionably late. I was honored and lucky to get to be with Seth and Carrie at the hospital while she labored and delivered. Carrie was a rockstar, laboring WAY longer that I ever had to.

Carrie and Seth keep talking about how great I was during her labor. But I did what they would have done for me. I was just there. And I helped however I could. (And really, I think it’s because I finally said, after 24 hours of labor, “I think you should get an epidural.”) The thing is, that’s what it means to be family, staying up all night if we have to, to get through whatever comes.

Together.

I can’t imagine Elliott coming into the world without me, just as I can’t imagine going through my divorce without Carrie. We’re so lucky to have each other.

That’s what these last few months have been showing me: Family doesn’t have to be blood and I have LOTS of family who would be there for me as much as I would be there for them (which is always). I have all of the things that I’ve longed for all of my life, they just look a little different than I thought they would.

Welcome to the world, baby Elliott. You’ve got a great, big family who’s so excited to know you.

Elliott was a whopping 8lbs! We can’t believe he fit into Carrie’s tiny 5 foot frame!