Gratitude!! My word for 2014!!

Hi Friends!! I trust that you all had a happy and safe New Year's Eve & Day. I have to admit my New Year didn't end and start off so well. For those of you who may not know, I have two children..well they're teenagers but will always be my babies :)

My son Tre', is 18 and when I came home from work on New Years Eve, he was doubled over in severe pain. I took him to the ER and there along with my hubby we sat for 6 hours while they ran tests and did scans and such to try and figure out what was causing this pain that came on so suddenly. 

They diagnosed him with Malrotation...you can read the full description of this diagnosis HERE. This "birth defect" as they called it, occurred when I was in my first trimester with Tre'. Up until December 31st, we had NO clue he had this let alone have any issues with this. I made a video that goes into more detail as to what they told us,what he has and the steps moving forward.

After being in the ER for 6 hours, they transported Tre' to Dorhnbeckers in Portland, OR. Even though he is 18, his diagnosis is a pediatric one so they sent us to one of the best children's hospitals to meet with the head pediatric surgeon. Luckily they didn't have to do emergency surgery as we all feared but instead they provided us with information and advice moving forward. So we are going to be following up with the doctors at Dorhnbeckers and proceed from there in regards to helping Tre' with this diagnosis. Along with his bowels and organs being flipped flopped and not fully attached to his abdominal wall, his appendix is on the left side tucked deep into his pelvic area so that will be removed more than likely. 

We just can't get over how he's played football for 12 years and tackle for the past 7 and had no flare ups or indications he had this Malrotation. I guess catching the nasty viral flu bug that's going around is what brought this to light for us.
 
Now I know you're thinking..wait...I thought ScrappinAbby was all about crafting, projects etc. While that is true...I'm also a mom first, a wife and crafting is certainly up there on my list of components that make up "Abby". So bare with me...I'm getting to the crafty part in a bit : )

Each year I look for a word or phrase that fits for me in the new year. After the events of what happened on New Years Eve and Day...I feel the word "Gratitude" is most definitely my word for 2014. I have so many things to be grateful for each day but especially for the recent 24 hours that were ending 2013 for us and beginning 2014. 

So I'm going to create a project based on that word/theme that I will be displaying in my craft room/home so I can see it everyday and be reminded exactly what I'm grateful for. I'll be doing a video on the project details later but for now I wanted to share this on my blog so I can look back at this and be reminded about how grateful I am for the health of my two kids, Tre' & Kaley as well as the health of my hubby Steve and how things for 2014 could have started off much worse had we not had access to excellent doctors, specialists and an amazing children's hospital, Dorhnbeckers, here in Oregon. 

Thanks for sticking with me on this "non-crafty" post. I wanted to share another part of my life with all of you and it means more than you know to see all the kind comments, messages and texts I've received from my friends in the "crafty world". 

Thank you all and I wish you nothing but happiness, health and the Attitude of Gratitude in 2014!!