40

Yes, I turned the Big 4-0. Because of that I have been thinking a lot of my past 40 years. So bear with me as I go down my memory lane. Don't feel as though you have to read this. It is really just for my sake I guess,(For what I remember.)

0-10

I was born May 15th 1974 in New Port Beach California at Hoag Hospital. (McKay was born at the same hospital 22 years later).

I don't really remember too much as I had a traumatizing early childhood. 

When I was around 2 or 3 I really hurt my right hand and almost cut off 2 fingers.  I also had to wear braces on my feet to help turn them the right way. 

I really didn't talk much an my parents got me the help I needed to over come that. 

I also got really sick when I was around 6-7. I developed Stephen-Johnsons Syndrome. I was in the hospital, for what to me seemed like a long time. I remember somebody gave my parents gifts to give to me and one of them was a teddy bear. I still have that and it is sitting on my dresser. I remember getting root beer popsicles once I was able to eat again. Effects of the this was my tear ducts closed up and I had a few surgeries to try to open them up. I also had to have surgery on my thumbs as I got some infection under the nails. I think I was in the hospital other times as well. 

I got baptized when I was 8 as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We moved to Torrance California when I was in the 4th grade, so age 9.

We had many exciting adventures as a family and I made new friends.

11-20

I started Middle school. I went to Casimir Middle School. I made new friends and survived Middle school.

High School started out at North High School in Torrance California. I started Seminary at Church. That was probably my favorite year of Seminary. 

We had to move after my 9th grade year of High School. We moved to Collierville, TN. Let's just say I was not happy about moving. But in the long run I did end up like living in the south as I am still in the south. 

I went to High School at Collierville High School. I was in the Choir. I was in a play. I made great friends who I still keep in contact with. I made it through High School and Graduated in 1992.

I went to Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho for a semester and found out I was not ready to go back to school. I enjoyed the social aspect of College just not going to class. So I went and lived in Provo, Utah and worked as a telemarketer. While there I met Rommyn.  We dated for about a month then got engaged. We got married March 18, 1994 (2 months before I turned 20)

21-30

Rommyn and I moved from Utah to Odessa Texas. We had our first child, Kaisey Paige. We spent at year in Texas. We had the opportunity to go live in California for 3 years. My Grandparents were going to be working at the LA Temple and they wanted someone to watch the house. So Rommyn got a job with the paper there and we moved. While in California we had our 2 child, Keith McKay. We moved from California to Boise, Idaho in 1999. We had our 3rd child while there. Bailey Erin. Rommyn's Mom had cancer and we wanted to be closer to them. We were in Boise for about a year before we moved to Leland, NC. Rommyn had gotten a job with the Star News here in Wilmington. His mother passed away 2 days after we arrived here in Wilmington. About a year later we had our 4th child. Taelyn Leigh. 2004 started out as a great year. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in March. I had our 5th baby in May. Maddox Stennett. In July of that year Rommyn and I flew out to Utah for the wedding of his dad. 

Things kinda started going down hill from there. Rommyn started getting headaches. Weird sensations and different symptoms. We went to a neurologist and he said anxiety. He already had an appointment for an MRI so he kept the appointment. With in hour of the MRI they were calling him and telling him to go back to the doctor as he had a tumor in his brain. The Neurologist apologized for being wrong and set up an appointment with the Duke Brain tumor Center. We went and talked to the Doctors there. We told them all the symptoms he was having and they said that those were classic signs of having a brain tumor. They said it could be a couple weeks before we could have surgery as the doctor was going out of town in a couple of days and he had other things to do before then. We made the 3 hour trip home and got home around 1 or so. We got at call at 9 the next morning saying they wanted to do it before the doctor left and could we get back up there. We dropped the younger kids off and then went to the elementary school to say good bye to the other kids. The School was AWESOME!! They let us meet in the Principles office so we could explain what was going on and that we wouldn't be home for at least a week. We had a quick prayer and hugs and Kisses. We were off to Duke again. Surgery the next morning. It was the longest time of my life. I then get the news Glioblastoma Multiforme stage 4. Lets just say the next little bit was a blur. There was Radiation treatments, Chemo, Hospital stays. I had the best help around. The kids were awesome during all that was going on. We had the best support group around, Family and Wonderful Friends. We had so much food brought in. He went into the Hospice at the beginning of December. He passed away on the 18th. So from start to finish it was 4 months.  So here I am now a 30 year old widow with 5 children. What am I supposed to do now?

31-40

I took my little family and we moved to Greenville, Wisconsin to be closer to my parents. When I say closer they were right next door. It was a new adventure. I loved NC but I need to get away and heal and be closer to my Mom and Dad. They were a great blessing. They helped out in watching kids, teaching piano, helping out when Broke my elbow slipping on the ice. They are the best parents EVER!! Two years later 2007, we moved to Collierville, TN as my dad got a job there.We had nothing holding us in Wisconsin so we moved with them. We got situated and the kids started school. I started going to Single Adult Activities at Church. I met David and we started dating. We got married in 2009. We moved back to NC at the end of 2009.  I got a job at the local grocery store in the bakery. I have been there a little over 2 years. Kaisey is now in College at BYU Idaho. McKay is a Junior in High School. Bailey is a Freshman. Taelyn is a 6th grader and Maddox is in 4th grade. I am now going through a divorce. 

So I start off my 30s as a single mother and end them as a single mother. Being a single mom to young kids is totally different than being single with teenagers. I don't know which one is harder they both have different challenges. 

I am in a good place right now. I am happy and the kids are happy. 

I am glad for all the friends I have made over the last 40 years. Some have come and gone, others are still around. I appreciate all they have given  to me. 

I love my family and I don't know where I would be today with out the love and help they have shown me.

Here is to the next 40.