Happy 40th Birthday Blaine

Happy Birthday to the greatest love of my life, it has been so much fun growing up and older together! Looking back through the years of photos I have of him tells a story of the kind of man he is.  My only wish is that I would have his baby photos, his baby book, his school year history or something to look at and share, unfortunately due to some unfortunate circumstances these items are lost and never to be found.

I however can go back many years.  Some great memories for Blaine would be his time in the service.  He joined the Marine Corp while we were in our senior year of high school and was deployed shortly after graduation to California for boot camp.

After boot camp he came home for a short visit and was then deployed to Camp Pendelton, North Carolina where he prepared to battle in Desert Storm.

During his time in desert storm we were only able to talk one time over the phone, this was probably the scariest time of my life and the most exciting for him.  Once he returned back to North Carolina we were again able to talk once a week on Sundays but were only able to see each other 4 times during his years away. 

Upon his return, I was privileged to receive a marriage proposal, without hesitation...well you can guess my answer.

Blaine's best friend Dan, who also joined the Marine Corp with him, was able to be home in time for our wedding.  Funny story here, I knew Dan before I knew Blaine...Blaine knew Dan before he knew me...yet we didn't meet for 2 more years.

Together we have 2 great kids, Blaine has been an awesome dad to both of them, he has been a cuddler, a mentor, and a friend to both of them.

He has hobbies like hunting, fishing, running as well as coaching hockey and soccer.  His newest hobby will now be riding motorcycle.  He bought himself a Harley last week, when we were first married he had a bike as well but had to give it up before we moved to Fargo/Moorhead.

But for me, I not only celebrate his 40th birthday with him; I celebrate getting to wake each day next to him, go through life with him and end each night with him. 

Happy 40th Birthday Blaine!

I love you to the moon and back!

It will always be their day!

In the midst of all the chaos these past few weeks, I wasn't able to dedicate a birthday page to my incredibly awesome son Justin .  He turned 12 on August 26th, this also would have been my grandpa's 85th birthday, in grandpa's words..we are birthday buddies! 


I was never so excited the day I found out I was pregnant, it took 2 years for Blaine and I to get this news after many negative test.  He was on the phone with me when I found out and we both choked up.  Nine months later I awoke at 3AM to my water breaking and quite quickly remembered that it was grandpa's birthday too.  Once Dr. Howden arrived at the hospital mid morning for his check-up I told him this baby has to be born today, he upped my platosin and out came little Justin Gregory Keller, 7lbs 5oz at 1:55PM; he wasn't kidding when he said "I can make that happen". 
Justin was named after his grandpa Greg (my dad) and on his great grandpa's Claude's birthday; what a legacy he had standing around him and what honors he gets to hold forever.

Great grandpa made the trip from Grand Forks before the birth just to meet his birthday buddy in person, someone was on the ball and took a picture of their first meeting; thanks to whom ever this was!  What a fabulous gift and memory for me as well!

Justin waited to take his first steps until I was home one evening with him. I happened to have my camera out snapping pictures because he loved that balloon when he suddenly walked away from the couch, I think if I remember correctly I squealed and he didn't do it again for a few more days!

As I started looking for my 12 pictures to post, I discovered that all of the things Justin is so passionate about today are the things he was so eager to do at a very young age.

Hockey: Age 2

Yes, at some point the helmet was even needed even for nap time!

Football:  Age 5

First Guitar:  Age 5

These are today:
Hockey Age 11

Football Age 12

(This one was from this weekend, he played quarterback and scored 2 of the 3 touchdowns for a winning game for the Cobbers)

Him and his 3rd Guitar Age 11

Justin is a very active, quiet, down to earth kid who doesn't get too worked up about anything.  He is so good natured and has a very big heart.  (He reminds me of his great grandpa in many ways)  If I could describe Justin in just on word I think I would use the word 'genuine'; he loves with all his heart, he tells you like it is, and he makes no excuses for being who he is. 

His 6th grade picture

Man, do I love this kid! 

Happy 12th Birthday Justin!!

It's all about changes

The past few weeks have seem filled with so much emotion that most days my head was spinning and I didn’t know if I should laugh, cry, yell or retreat;  most days I think I did them all.

It all started with 6^th grade orientation, the realization of how quickly we have gone from kindergarten roundup to middle school made me realize that my little boy is not so little anymore.  He has changed so much over this past summer that there are times that I catch a glimpse of him and hardly recognize the mature young man in front of me.  I have found that he is there to help even when he isn’t asked, his muscles are becoming stronger, and his endurance for activities has become longer.  I am so proud of the young man he is becoming! 

This same morning of orientation we also received a call that Michele was losing her battle with cancer.  We drove to her home not knowing exactly what we were to encounter once we got there and we also did not know the battles that were in front of to get doctors to sign off to hospice for us.  After 3 days of struggling with doctors, home health and her caregivers, Blaine finally ended up calling an ambulance and getting her to the hospital where new doctors assisted in this sign off and working with us to get her medevac’d to Moorhead. It was at Eventide that we spent most of our days and evenings for the next 7 days where we could assure her comfort in her final days and hours and where we were both present when she was called for her final journey.  There have been many emotions surrounding her death; of course sadness, but also a relief that this door has closed…no more pain for her, no more surgeries and no more un-sureness of tomorrow; then came anger for reasons that serve no purpose in being repeated and now the challenge that lies ahead of us in forgiveness... and we will forgive; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but forgiveness is in our future.

 I pray that she find peace in her new home, she finds forgiveness and that grace surrounds her.

 The night before Michele passed was Makayla’s 5^th grade back to school night, I was torn between attending this with her or staying back with Blaine knowing that he might be left alone during Michele’s passing.  It was decided to call on some help, again.  Missy was gracious enough to take her to school and to assist with the introductions.  This was a hard decision knowing that this is her last year in elementary school but Makayla took the news as I expected, with poise and maturity, I learned here that she understood the internal battles that I was having.  She was happy to report back that she has many friends in her class again this year so all was well. 

Another first for us this year is the kids taking different buses to school.  Justin’s classes start very early in the morning so he is now leaving for his bus to middle school by 7am, Makayla’s bus picks her up after 7:30 taking her to her school...the kids have always been together in daycare and school so this is a first for us having them separated for a full day.

  

Makayla has been very busy this past week, she participated in the fall parade passing out candy and flyers for girls hockey and then participated in a kid run for the 9/11 tenth year anniversary.  The kid run turned out to be just a one mile run but she turned out to be the only kid who actually finished the mile and she finished it in just over 7min, not her best time but for a hot day running I think she performed very well. Fall soccer has also started, she is happy to have her old coach and team with her and the outlook of another fun and successful season is upon them.

 We are now nearing the end of the 2^nd week of school and so far all seems to be getting back into a routine.  Routine…seems so mundane but routine is exactly what I needed to get back to some sort of normality.  Who says normal is boring…I find it very serene.