Take Me Back...

If you remember, last year for Spring Break, Em and I went to Florida... we drove to Stuart and stayed with Aunt Ginny and Uncle Mike, then we drove to Miami and stayed a few nights, and visited my Uncle Dan & Uncle Howard (yes, whatever you're thinking is right!) in Ft. Lauderdale and visited Uncle Howard's gay cowboy bar (!!!!)  We spent time splashing in the ocean, we visited this cool butterfly farm, and we traipsed around Stuart, spending most of our days playing diving games in Em's Aunt & Uncle's awesome screened in pool and going to the Dunkin' Donuts that was surrounded by palm trees!!

I wish we could do the same thing this year for spring break... I am so stressed right now, and so overwhelmed by everything in life.  Right now my ideal spring break would be spent somewhere very warm, curled up in a ball on a blanket, just basking in the sun.  That is all I want.  Just get me out of North Carolina for 5 days, plop me somewhere that is warm where I can splash around in the ocean every couple of hours.

Please?

Three Things

1. Last night the weirdest thing happened.  Em was in the tub and I was doing a puzzle on the floor (our bathroom is the cleanest and brightest place in the house right now).  I was bent over the puzzle for about 45 minutes, and I stood up to get something from the bedroom.  I stood up, immediately felt REALLY hot and dizzy, and then I felt myself falling, all I saw was bright light, and I knew I was fainting.  Luckily, since I felt myself going down, I was able to half catch myself and landed on the basket that holds our towels.  I opened my eyes to Em repeating my name and patting my cheeks and to water dripping all over me.  Apparently I was only out for like 30 seconds, and I felt much better after Em forced me to drink a whole glass of water and eat some frosted mini-wheats.

2. Last night we went to Target- we both had gift cards from Christmas.  We thought about combining them to buy a sewing machine (they have a really nice Singer that's not too expensive) but we wanted to look into them a little more before we buy one.  So instead we bought things we didn't necessarily need, just things we wanted.  While wandering the book aisles, I  I found The Giver by Lois Lowry for $8.01 ... I read the book when I was in 8th grade at Hanby in Ms. Geesaman's language arts class.  I remember it so well, because the book was so strange to me.  I had enjoyed reading it, but it seemed weird and unrealistic.  While standing in Target last night, I read the back of it and decided to buy it.  Last night I stayed up until 2:30 reading it!!  I couldn't put it down.  It's so different to read it as an adult..I understand so much more and interpret it completely differently.  I would recommend the book to anyone of any age, and I'm glad that I own it now :-)

3. Em and I didn't really have any definitive plans for Spring Break because we're going to Arizona in April and really wanted to save our money for that trip (and for when we go to California in May/June).  Em's dad is going to Utah with her brother, so I think we're going to do something fun with her mom.  Maybe go to Florida and visit Em's aunt and uncle (we stopped there last year on our FL tour), or maybe do something fun like get a cabin in the woods.  Who knows.. details to come..  Spring Break is only 9 days away!

Frustrations

I like to think of myself as a person that anyone (even someone who doesn't know me very well) could call at anytime, and I'll be there to help you.  If you need a ride somewhere, give me a call.  If you have a problem that you need to talk out, if you need to borrow some money (I'm pretty broke but I do what I can), if you need an opinion about something, just let me know.  Seriously, if you need anything, you can pretty much count on me.  I have even done really gross things to help my friends or help preserve their dignity -- INCLUDING wiping butts, cleaning up vomit on the floor - on the toilet- on your shirt- dribbling down your face, holding hair back during vomiting, assuring that you don't need to go to the hospital to get your stomach pumped, because if you are TELLING me that you are so drunk that you need your stomach pumped, then you definitely do NOT need your stomach pumped.  I have looked at "that funny mark" on your butt cheek (TMI, I know, but seriously I did it) and I have scrubbed the feces off the wall that was smeared there when you passed out on the toilet and hit the wall and slid down (?? I was just as confused as all of you.)  

SO.  Usually, you can count on me for anything.  All that I ask is that you return the favor if I need a small favor or even if I just need a friend at some point.  Almost all of my friends are wonderful, and are just as helpful, caring, and uninhibited when it comes to lending me a helping hand.  However, I have one friend who must think that the earth revolves around her, every single person she knows should be there to drop everything and help her when she requests it, and even when a friend does help her, she is unappreciative and tends to complain that you are "doing it wrong" or "you could have done this better", etc. etc.  It really hurts my feelings, but I sort of HAVE to be friends with this person.  I can't really explain why on here because my readership has grown to include many people that know this person, and I don't want to get myself in trouble.

I'm not one to complain, but this just frustrates me, and honestly, it really hurts my feelings when I will lay anything out on the line for you and help you and assure you, however when I need one small favor you can't even follow through on it, or not even a favor.. just, if you screw something up that belongs to me, you don't even offer to help fix it or even just help the situation.  

Sigh.  I guess that's enough ranting for today.  Sorry for the ranting post, sometimes I just need to get it out of me.  Hopefully things will improve soon.  If not, I'm going to have to seriously rethink future plans...

Post # 135

I have been absolutely exhausted all day long.  We went to bed at a reasonable hour last night, and I woke up at 8:30 - I got 9 hours of sleep... plenty for me.  But still, I am just wrecked.  I got home from class at 11am and curled up in bed just to relax and ended up sleeping until about 1pm.  Em ran me a bath and I got in and was in and out of sleep for about half an hour.  I woke up to get dressed and go bowling with Kim and the boys she babysits for (who I love), then I came back and had dinner with Em, went upstairs to play my DS for a little, and slept from 7:30 until 10.

I think my body is yelling at me for this week.  Two exams and one ten page paper, plus some pretty emotionally draining topics that we're talking about in one of my classes.  I think it just all caught up with me.

I had another really disturbing dream.  This one was more real, and more possible (although HIGHLY unlikely).  I was house sitting for Em's family, but it wasn't in their house.  I got home from being somewhere and felt uneasy in the house.  I called everyone who I could - my cousin Meghan, Jay (Em's brother, who apparently wasn't on the trip, and unable to house sit his own house), Maria, Lindsey & Megan... I tried everyone who's numbers I had but no one answered.  I eventually told myself to stop being a baby, and I went upstairs (after closing all the blinds/locking the doors).  When I got up there, I heard this funny sound downstairs.  It was someone using the ice maker on the fridge.  I freaked out and tried to back down the hallway, but all of the sudden they noticed me.  It was a man, he had red hair and a machine gun.  He yelled at me, asked me questions I couldn't answer, and hit me with his gun.  I called 911 and they LAUGHED at me.  I told them the address (which was actually the address of our house in NC) and the guy was joking with me.  He didn't believe me.  

Then I woke up, ran downstairs, and hugged Em for about 10 minutes.  I hate bad dreams.

On a completely different note - Em made a GREAT update on her blog that I think you should all read!!  Feel free to leave her a comment, I'm interested in what you have to say as well... here is the link: Dream Big

Scary.

Wow.

That is all.

Barack, Paper, Scissors...

Barack Obama won Wisconsin tonight.  Washington and Hawaii polls will be in by the morning.

The other day I was clicked the "Next Blog" button at the top of my blog.  When you click it, Blogger takes you to a completely random blog.  It's kind of cool when you're bored.  It took me to this woman who lives in Washington State (actually, in a town that Em has been to and knows someone from - weird)  Anyways, so this woman was talking about Barack and just RANTING about how we need someone who is more than just a charismatic speaker and that no one can actually list Barack's accomplishments (implying that he has none).  

As most of you know, I would vehemently disagree.  Obama has only ever been a senator, therefore, his accomplishments are really mostly at the state level.  However, those accomplishments can't be dismissed!  And furthermore, this isn't about what Obama or Hillary have done in the PAST, this election is about the FUTURE.  It's about looking at the potential of these candidates, and what they plan on supporting for our country. 

Yes, Obama is charismatic and well spoken.  I can't deny that when I listened to his speech and met him afterwards in Vermont in March of '06, I immediately felt that he HAD to run for president.  He is certainly very captivating and inspiring.  But who's to say that's all he is?  In my opinion, he is much more than someone who is just making us feel good when we listen to him.  He is challenging us to work for positive change and he's promising a better future.  He is more convincing than Hillary, who seems to go against her own opinions often and then claim that everything was a "misunderstanding".  Plus, her tactics tend to be pretty dirty, leaving Obama to defend himself.  And doesn't it make you feel a little strange, the involvement of Bill?  I mean, Michelle Obama has definitely done her share of campaigning, but have we heard of her making untrue accusations of Hillary?  I think not..

 

"I died in Auschwitz, but no one knows it" - Charlotte Delbo

When I was in 5th grade, we began learning about World War II. I'd never really learned about the Holocaust before, and that was the first time I saw pictures and really read about it. I was shocked. It has such a huge effect on my super sensitive self. I cried on and off for days. I couldn't sleep or eat just thinking about it. I felt anger and immense sadness. This was my first real empathic experience. And I will probably never forget it because it affected me so harshly.

Right now in my Gender, Crime, and Deviance class we're reading a book about trauma and the healing process afterwards. It's written by a woman who was attacked and raped in France while she was on vacation. She writes a lot about holocaust survivors and quotes them / borrows their work to help explain her own ideas and concepts. There is a section of her book that talks about how many of the Jews who survived the concentration camps came out and then basically had to remake their "selves" in order to be able to live. They were in such shock and so drained emotionally that they essentially had no emotions left. So they were forced to "remake" themselves. A lot of them adopted new names because this new person who emerged out of the concentration camp was not the same person that had been inhabiting that body before hand. Their former selves had been "annihilated" in the camps, they had been stripped of their clothing, their gender, their control of their appearance. After having your "self" stripped away, how is one suddenly expected to "pick up" where they left off, upon freedom?

Charlotte Delbo writes,
"life was returned to me
and here I am in front of life
as though facing a dress
I cannot wear."

It's a Jewish custom to rename people (even with just a nickname) after they have endured a trauma or had a "near- brush with death". It is very representative of their past. I think it's a cool concept. No matter how much healing that you do after a traumatic event, you are never the same afterwards. Whether you like it or not, you are a new "self".

Pictures of the Animals.

I like this picture.


Okay what is Sydney doing?! This picture is just wrong.


It really doesn't get much cuter than this.


Last night I decided to call my Mommom (my mom's mom) to wish her a Happy Valentine's Day. I was actually planning on calling both sets of grandparents - but I talked to my Mommom B. for so long that it was too late to call my dad's parents! Mommom was so happy to talk to me, she just yabbered away about anything and everything - her dog, Poppop working, a documentary she saw on ASL interpreters, etc. I really didn't mind listening to her while I cleaned up from the wonderful dinner Em made me last night. It was great to talk to her for awhile. The fact that my gparents have 5 children, 8 grand children, and 6 great grandchildren means that we don't all get to have a one-on-one relationship with them, since most of us visited them with our siblings (and a lot of times, with other cousins).

I'm getting really excited for Em and my trip to Arizona. I'm so nervous... I was told by someone that I really shouldn't try to be a part of "that part of Em's life", and I don't want to be a part of Em's life in AZ, because I was never there and I didn't know her then. But I am still happy to see the places she loves, and I know that she's really looking forward to showing me around. I just see it as an adventure!

Finally!

Our backyard this morning!!

What a cool Valentine's Day!!  Em woke up at 6:30 am for her 8 am class, checked the UNCG website and there was a delay- so her 8 am class was canceled.  When I woke up at 9 for my 11 am class, I checked my e-mail and my professor canceled class even though UNCG was open by 11!!  So I don't have class until 4.  Sydney and I have been snuggled up on the couch, watching ER reruns and eating chips and salsa.  My perfect snow day =)

I have this tingle of nervousness running through me.  I don't want to jinx anything, so I won't explain... I'm just almost jittery with anticipation.  I hate that I can be so anxious sometimes.

 

Where in the World...

I met with my study abroad advisor.  I can apply to go anywhere I want!  I thought I would have to go somewhere where classes for my major were offered (which is actually pretty rare..), BUT I can also work on my minor - which is Sociology.  And every single school offers a soc classes.  I could also start another minor if I wanted to just learn something completely different.  (History, Art, anything really..)

Where should I go?  The possibilities are endless (well, actually they aren't ..haha), BUT I think I've narrowed it down to Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, or maybe Australia (but Australia is the most competitive, so you basically have to have like a 3.8 or higher to get in).  

Any thoughts?  I really have no idea.  If I go to Ireland or somewhere in the UK, Em can probably come visit me at some point.  If I go to somewhere like New Zealand or South Africa, she probably won't be able to afford a ticket to come visit.  But I don't want to base my decision off of that.  But, also if I go somewhere in the UK, I'll be able to visit a lot of other countries, whereas, New Zealand is an island that I probably wouldn't be traveling very far from ;-)

Pictures of you, Pictures of me, Hung upon the wall for the world to see.

Em just sent me this picture from the hospital.  All Heidi wanted to do the last few days was play Guitar Hero in her room, but the TV on the wall is so old that it doesn't have the right hookups for a Wii.  So... to fix the problem, Em unplugged the TV in our bedroom and her and Jackie took it to the hospital - they wheeled it to Heidi's room in a wheelchair!!  So now she is all hooked up and rockin' out.  The guitar hero will be great for working on her hand-eye coordination and stuff like that.

I had to restore the picture (I'm bad at restoring cell phone pictures) so the color is a little weird, but not too bad.  All the pic message said was, "Happy Heidi" ... so I guess she's happy tonight :)  Which of course, makes all of us very happy...

Color Theory.

Today I had a break in between classes so I decided to get a little work done.  I found a big comfy leather couch in the lobby of the Ferguson building (my old building for when I was a Deaf Ed major...weird).  Anyways, I was sitting there for about 20 minutes working on an outline, when a guy sat down across from me and asked how I was.  I said, "I'm pretty good thanks" and kept working.  He told me about how he was here for a meeting with some professors in the Communication Studies Graduate Department.  He's graduating from A&T (another university in Greensboro) and hopes to be accepted into the Grad program here at UNCG.  Then, he pulled out a tape recorder and asked me if he could ask me a few questions..for his thesis, he had to interview people.  I told him that was fine - and he said that I could take as long as I needed with answering his questions.  He turned on the recorder, and asked me to state my name and what race I identify with.  I said, "My name is Kristen Smith and I would label myself as caucasian".  His next question really took me by surprise.  He said, "What does being caucasian mean to you?"  I was absolutely stunned.  I honestly had no answer for him.  I think I said something along the lines of, "well, I try to not to live by any labels, so I normally don't think about my race or let it affect any decisions that I make" ... I probably babbled for a minute about how race is just the color of our skin (or is our "race" the "Human Race" ???) I got all confused, and then felt like I was answering wrong, so I finished up with a quick "Heh-Heh" and gritted my teeth.  

What does being caucasian mean to me?  Well, I have no idea what it means to me.  It means that I've never really been discriminated against (I think?)  It means that my skin is lighter which means I burn very easily in the sun.  That's about all that I can think of - because it doesn't really mean that much to me.  Race is such a social construction... something created to oppress some and raise others up.  I was thinking... what it means for me to be "white" isn't much - because "white" is not my heritage or nationality.  However, for African Americans, for them to be "black" means A LOT to most of them (I would suppose) because they think of the struggles and injustices that have been imposed on them for centuries.  The inferiority that has been shoved down their throats.  To be honest, maybe I am not "proud" to be white because there is not anything to be "proud" of.  I can be proud of my Irish and Scottish heritage, but not of being "white" because that really means nothing to me.

It's all very confusing and hard to juggle in my mind.  But, I'm glad that I ran into that guy.  I hope he gets into the grad program here, and I appreciate the fact that he made me think about something I've never thought about before.

Busy, Busy

Today is going to be busy.  I have class at 10, a meeting at 11, a class at 1, and a meeting at 2.  The meeting that's at 2 is with my Study Abroad advisor to begin discussing options.  I'm looking to study abroad in Spring '09.  I know, I know..that's supposed to be the last semester before I graduate.  But, like everything else that I do, I do it on Kristen-time.  It would be out of character for me to do anything on time or when I'm supposed to :)

Heidi, Hybrids, and Rugby..

Photobooth can keep you busy for hours.

Yesterday we visited Heidi again...she is 1,000 times better. She was joking, her eyes were more focused, and she was even up walking without people holding on to her! It was so great to just listen to her talk, even if her sentences are slow and a little bit delayed. The doctors are astonished at her improvement in just 7 days. I am just so happy and thankful...

Em had to take the XTerra to the dealership to get it fixed up. So, in the meantime, she rented a car to get us around (since the Neon died last fall). When she got home with the rental, it was a Toyota Prius ... which is a hybrid. We've been driving it around since yesterday morning, and I REALLY like it. Em thinks it's a little too futuristic for her (but I think that since her mom told her that she thought it was too futuristic, it influenced Em's opinion). I really like it. It tells you how many miles to the gallon you're getting - incidentally, the faster you go, the more MPG you get (at one point it was up to somewhere in the 90s!) It's pretty neat to "test drive" a hybrid...I always wondered what it would be like.

This weekend we don't have a rugby match - we canceled our game against Duke because we're all pretty shaken up about what happened to Heidi, and also because we haven't been practicing this week due to the fact that our coach / captain (Em and I) have been at the hospital so much, and taking care of other team members who have been basically living at the hospital. (read: Jackie has been basically living at our house because we live so close to the hospital) We start up again next Saturday with Elon at home. I'll probably be touch judging, because I've decided not to play in games this semester. It's really not worth it, with my concussion from last semester. I've had a lot of support with that decision, so I'm happy with it (even though it's very hard for me..)

That's about all that's going on with me. What's going on with all of you? (I recently found a way to track exactly who is uploading my page, and where they linked it from. I was surprised to see so many people reading this..there are over 100 returning visitors - or people that visit every day or almost everyday. Amazing! Even if I don't know you, leave me a comment and let me know who you are.. I am so curious as to who is reading this from different states and countries :D )

Love everywhere,
Kristen

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

Out of boredom this morning, I changed the colors and template of my blog... I don't know if I like it yet.  It's also the same template as Em's blog (she just changed the colors)... We'll see.  Expect more changes because I'm not sure if this one is very aesthetically pleasing...

Also, please read the post before this one...and take 5 minutes out of your day to make a kid's day!!

Peace.

Prince Liam the Brave...

Hey All.

So, I know that I often rant about Neuroblastoma, and all of the children who are fighting for their lives.  I somehow feel that since I "know" about NB and childhood cancer (as in, I "KNOW" how little attention it gets, how little funding it has for programs, how most parents don't even EVER expect it to happen to them).. anyways, I feel as though since I am enlightened, it is now my duty to spread the word.  Neuroblastoma SUCKS..it steals lives of beautiful children and puts them through so much pain and suffering - more than I could ever handle as a 20 year old.  These children are phenomenal.

There is one child who was diagnosed a year ago... when I first found his site, I couldn't read it for weeks.  His name is Liam.  Liam Witt.  He is a beautiful 3 year old, he lives in New Jersey but his parents are also renting an apartment in Manhattan so that Liam can treat at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (the leading Neuroblastoma institution in the US).   Liam's mother and father have, in the last year, raised INSANE amounts of money for NB research, with their many project ideas.

Recently, Liam's mom announced that Liam is going to try to set the Guinness World Record for Valentines.  If you could all be so kind as to send him a Valentine, and help him beat the record, that would be amazing!

Valentines can be sent to:

Liam Witt

P.O. Box 2701

Cornelius, N.C. 28031

Hand made cards are very welcome... this is such an easy way to make a difference and make someone very happy.  All it could cost you is the price of a stamp...

Impoverished Minority Youth Get a Lifeline Out of Poverty

Kristen Smith, February 7 2008, 12:49 pm, Poverty and Inequality

In China, children who live in poverty are often not able to finish their schooling. Because of their family's financial issues, they must often drop out of school (usually by age 8 or 9) to help with the family farm or family business. Parents see abandoning school as extremely beneficial for the whole family, because money is saved on books and uniforms, and because the children can then contribute to the family income. While their parents may see it as a great option, more and more children are growing up completely unsatisfied with not finishing their schooling. China now has a group of teenagers who are "stuck" in between childhood and adulthood. They have not had enough schooling to get into college and their social skills are lacking because they missed out on such a great opportunity to socialize with people their own age.

To begin fixing this problem, UNICEF and CAST (China Association for Science and Technology) have created a program for these children who have dropped out due to their family's financial status. The program is called "Driving Dreams" and is targeted to teenagers (age 10-18) who live in the rural areas of China and who have not had much schooling. The program teaches all sorts of skills, from hygeine, arts, sports, HIV / drug prevention, to computer skills and other workforce skills. The program aims to teach these Chinese teens about team work, confidence, and communication skills. So far, the program has been a huge success, and has benefited more than 3,000 students at 140 different program centers around rural China.

I think this opportunity is great. It seems that the older generations in China are much more collectivistic, and that the newer generations are going away from that a bit. These parents think that their children not going to school are helping the whole family, which is great, however eventually the child will grow up with no skills and hardly any socialization. It's great that Audi (German car company) made that huge donation (close to 1 million US dollars) to make this program possible. More companies should be donating their money to start fixing problems like this. (Perhaps instead of paying INSANE amounts of money to run an ad during the Super Bowl..)

Article: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/06/content_7577066_1.htm

Heidi Ho

Leigh and Heidi, 10 days ago at the Q

Heidi, on the far right, at the game on Saturday before getting hurt.

The past two days have been two different experiences.

Yesterday, I went to the hospital to visit Heidi - thinking that since she'd awoken from her coma, she would be sitting up, talking and smiling...  when I got there, and I stepped into the room, I walked over to Heidi, looked at her head bandaged, her face swollen, and immediately bolted for the corner.  Em was so strong, and talked to her and held her hand and joked even though she was basically unresponsive...and I stood in the corner crying like a baby.  That was not what I had been expecting at all.  I've only known one other person to ever be in a coma, and sadly, she never came out of it.  So I guess I just pulled from television and movies - where people wake up from coma's and just look around and start talking.  But that was not the case.  After I calmed down, I talked to Heidi and held her hand and even though she didn't really respond (she "winked" / twitched an eye at me, and also squeezed my hand slightly), it felt really good to see for myself that she was breathing on her own.  I left feeling hopeful, but sad at the memory of visiting Christine in the hospital a year and a half ago.

Today was a COMPLETELY different experience.  When I woke up, I felt good because it was so warm outside.  I went with Em to Urgent Care (she has Bronchitis, eww!) and then class.  Then we drove to the hospital.  When it was my turn to go back, I was nervous but I knew that she was doing better.  When I walked in the room, SHE OPENED HER EYES AND SAID, "HI CHIPS!"  (chips is my rugby nickname).  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She immediately knew who I was!  Her eyes were open, and we talked for about 10 minutes, and while she's not completely 100% (she still gets confused about things, she's quiet and keeps her eyes closed a lot, and her movements are very sharp and clumsy), SHE SAID MY NAME!  SHE RECOGNIZED ME!  AHHHHH!!!!!!  It was so good to hear her voice.  Such a difference from yesterday.

I have not been this excited in so long!  We left the hospital just BEAMING.  

It's time for bed...keep sending positive energy to Heidi, as her and her family still have a long road ahead of them.  

Love everywhere,

Kris

Yes We Can.

thanks lindsey.

I hope that you could understand...that this is not what I had planned..

Today has been such a weird, heavy hearted day. I found out this morning that Madelyn Beamon passed away yesterday. She was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma just a few months before Liam was, and I've been reading her website and keeping up with her for over 3 years. If you've seen any St. Jude's commercials lately, then you've probably seen her! There is one where she's sitting on Bernie Mac's lap. She has fought so incredibly hard over these four years, and on her birthday (which happens to be mom's as well - Dec. 17) the doctors told them that there was nothing else that could be done. She was given two weeks to live, and of course, in true Maddie fashion, she lived for six!

It breaks my heart into a million pieces...

Through the Neuroblastoma community, I always find newly diagnosed children that I begin reading about.. and I have so much hope for them, that their children will not relapse (relapse mostly likely = a downhill spiral..) And almost every single one has relapsed and passed away. I hate this cancer with ever fiber of my being. Rest in Peace Madelyn, Liam, Stanton, Emma Grace, Nick, Austin, Laura, Lucas, Jacob, Brent, Lillie, James, and all the rest...

On another note, if you watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, then last fall you probably saw the season premiere, which featured BOEY. (That's actually her nickname) Boey was a fantastic little girl who I started keeping up with over a year ago. She had rhabdomysarcoma, a nasty pediatric cancer. I didn't even know that they were going to be on Extreme Makeover, Em and I turned the show on and there she was - and I started squealing and screaming, "I KNOW HER!! THAT'S BOEY!!" Unfortunately, she passed away the day after Christmas, completely unexpectedly. Another heart break. In case you want to see her - the episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Boey is coming on TONIGHT! At 7pm on ABC.

Sorry for the sad post. It's just one of those sad days. A team mate of ours ended up in the hospital last night. During our game she hit her head so hard on the ground that she had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. She stopped breathing on the way to the hospital, and was posturating (sp?) which is where your brain misfires and makes your body clench up in odd ways. When she got to the hospital, she was taken in for emergency brain surgery to relieve the pressure in her brain, from the swelling. She was put on a breathing machine and put into a medically induced coma. During surgery, the doctors removed a blood clot that was pressing on her brain, and were successful in relieving the pressure. This morning, they removed her breathing tubes and they are waiting for her to wake up. It's been a rough evening/night (especially for Em, who went straight to the hospital with her while we finished our game). Please keep Heidi, as well as Maddie's family, in your thoughts/prayers/whatever you do to send good luck to people who need it.

Thanks..

Love everywhere,
Kris