Mason Gregory Garka

The Christmas season this year was wonderful and full of magic! The first magic of the season came the weekend of Thanksgiving in the form of an elf... Mason and Kendall received an early gift from Santa whom they named Charlie. Seems fitting since this was Masons name choice for his sister Kendall - So instead of naming his sister Charlie we settled with naming our elf Charlie! What fun she had dancing around our house, creating a few messes! She TP the tree, wrote notes on the mirrors, drew on our family photos and swung from the chandlers! Oh that Charlie! The good news she did pick up after herself - that was a relief!!!! On the morning of the 24th Charlie landed in the tree and wrote a special note to Mason and Kendall. Santa allowed for her magic to be lifted before they went to sleep so they could each give her one big hug and kiss before she left for the year... Thankfully I had my camera ready! Mason was so excited but Kendall not so much - maybe next

Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language. Walt Disney DISNEYLAND VISITING GREAT GRANDPA AND GRANDMA! School Field Trip - THE PUMPKIN PATCH!

I am currently reading the book 15 invaluable laws of growth by John Maxwell and he writes about Pulitzer prize winner author Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This man spent 8 years in prison during the soviet era for criticizing Joseph Stalin. He went into prison as an atheist and came out a person of faith. Looking back on his experience he says “I bless you, prison – I bless you for being in my life. For lying on the rotting prison straw, I learned the object of life is not prospering as I had grown up believing but the maturity of the soul.” This experience didn't leave him bitter it left him grateful for the development of his faith and the strengthening of his character. This is how I feel about the curve balls thrown in our lives. I would do anything in my power to change Mason’s circumstance, but I can’t, I don’t have it in my power, so I choose to be thankful… Becoming a heart mom has lead me to hundreds of people that I would not have had the opportunity to

The biblical phrase “sacrifice of thanksgiving” was a puzzle to me… And then I realized that gratitude is acknowledging that someone did something for you that you could not do yourself. Gratitude expresses our vulnerability and our dependence on others. Everything we do, every accomplishment we have, every mile stone we pass has come in part because of the efforts of others. A Chinese proverb says that those who drink the water must remember those who dug the well. If we can remember that we can be grateful… I was told the best way to overcome writers block is to write through it… So this begins my series of “thanksgiving”! To start my series here are a few people I am grateful for today… I am grateful for - Dr. McMullan; Mason’s Surgeon! Simply put I am grateful he chose the profession he did and I am grateful for his ability to fix small hearts!!!! I am grateful for my Horsey Grandpa (Yes I am a grown women and I still refer to him as this)… He taught me

THANK YOU to everyone who supported us by attending yesterdays heart walk, by donating and by just being apart of our lives! More pictures coming soon!

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This Blog; we have a love hate relationship. Love –Because this blog is always there when I need to have my “therapy” session a.k.a. create an emotional blog post. It never lets me down and even though I see how many people visit my blog each day I feel safe, alone and protect when we are together. I feel like what I share on this site is for my eyes only – even though I know that is FAR from reality! I feel such a sense of responsibly to create hope for families who were dealt with the same cards as us that when I can’t bring myself to share our life and my feelings I feel guilty. This is where I am today… Feeling guilty and tongue tied… Not a day goes by that I don’t think about writing. The problem I can’t seem to find the words and I am having a hard time figuring out why… Not that figuring out the why would even help – but I tend to like to know pretty much everything J Mason continues to thrive and people seem to think he is fixed; but he will never be fixed. He will a

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