30 years Elvis lives on!

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis (death). Last year I dawned the Elvis suit *with detachable cape in honor of Elvis and my brother John, who is a avid Elvis fan. This year I thought I would post a pic of my brother in the Elvis suit *with detachable cape. Although fuzzy the pic is great, you see my brother only dawns the suit on special occasions. It was his friends birthday so he dawned the suit!









Look at close, he has the glasses on too!









The great thing about Elvis and his music is that it is classic. Uncle John (my brother) has just about every Elvis album and movie out there. Little John who so looks up to Uncle John is now enjoying the Elvis music and he listens to it on his ipod shuffle. He watches the movies with Uncle John and copies the moves of Elvis. I will video it and put it up ~ little John is quite good. Little John has perfected the arm swing that is one of Elvis's signature moves!



I am proud that the love of Elvis is living on in a new generation!


There is a theory out there that Elvis really didn't die, people believe he is in the witness relocation program... while unlikely it is quite interesting that people loved Elvis so much that 30 years later they are still waiting for him to appear. If you would like to dive into that crazy world of conspiracy theories you can! Best of luck!

Fishing time!

Family vacation time! We went fishing again this year - we always have a great time and so many fun stories. The town itself is tiny and really there is nothing else to do but fish. The kids had a great time we played on the beach we went fishing on the boat and just hung out. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for letting us go out on the boat with them~ we had lots of fun!

We went out to the little town on the Washington Peninsula called Sekui to catch our limit of salmon. We were in luck this year ~ the season was ending in two days for King salmon so we could go after the big fish. I believe that the fish Derrick is holding is a King, I am not great at telling which fish are right species it is actually a bit complicated.

Here is Grandpa with his catch!

Lots of fish were caught. I think we caught our limit each days of "pinks" and then close to our limits on Kings and Cohos. I caught a few "pinks" and one Coho! I caught 3 Kings but I couldn't keep them because they were wild, you can only keep them if they are not wild meaning they have a clipped fin.

Josie on the boat! She had lots of fun driving it in circles, Grandpa and I almost got sick due to the boat doing donuts in the water!

Here is Uncle John on the boat.... he has invented a new way to get off of a boat ~ you throw yourself on to the dock and land on your back, everyone is doing it!

Waiting for the big one! Watch those poles.

Spiderman fishing pole ~ little John trying to catch fish.
Here is Grandma teaching John how to fish off the boat!

Show Time!

He rips phone books.............

They couldn't pull his arms apart............

He bent rebar.... notice it is already twisted once!

He popped a pop can.............

He broke hand cuffs.........
What can't he do? Derrick caught the attention of all in the church, he gave his powerful testimony, just a reminder of how awesome God truly is! And on another note ~ don't mess with Derrick he is one strong guy!

It was very cool to watch him do all the feats ~ he did everything and talked inbetween with out really a break, he is truly amazing. Congrats babe!

Some weekend fun...

Mom having fun on the motorcycle, it is hard to ride cuz you are so close to the ground. But I managed nicely. I know I am setting a great example, shorts and no helmet! oops
Loveley pic~ look how close to the ground you are!

Uncle John gave little John an ipod. John's life will never be the same! He loves it.

Jammin on the ipod fun.

Our cutie pie!

This is our friend "Scissors" he is doing his best impression of "Frank N Beans" from, There's Something about Mary. It was quite an impression really, scary how good it was!

Are you worthy? Do you know you are worthy? You are!!

Jimmy, Derrick's friend and a member of the Oasis Power Team (you know the big guys that break stuff for fun?!) recently preached about Derrick's healing. I had never heard Jimmy's full story on all the events that led up to Jimmy and Greg (another Power Team member) coming and laying hands on Derrick when he was in the hospital. Very powerful message.



At our church site Oasis Seattle click on The Miracle, the audio file for July 15 ~ What a wonderful message! ~ Let me know what you think.


If you have a few minutes, this is so worth listening too.

The Garage

“Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and leave useless junk in the garage." only in America

So the pic is not of our garage, it doesn't look that pretty, but now I have hope it could look like that... we just need all the hooks and cabinets.

So we can't stop staring at our garge, there is actually a car in it! wow 7 years and we can put the car in the garage. We actually could fit both mine and Derick's in the garage, but my truck has a lift on it and will not phsyically fit through the garage door. It was a contractor oops when the house was built (no one noticed until it was too late) .... We are feeling pretty happy and satisfied that it is now organized, we literally stood out in the driveway for about an hour just staring at the car saying "wow, look it is in the garage!"

You know it is the little things in life.

For those of you with 3 car garages, there is no excuse you have an extra stall in which to put boxes and stuff! (my opinion on the subject!) We have a two car garage, so you need to pack and stack nicely in order to get it all in. Anyway just wanted to share our excitement. It feels so good to tackle something that you thought was impossible!

Fun in the Water

We have one of those little 10' pools, so we filled it up in time for the record breaking heat! Suppose to hit a 100' today. This is the Seattle area people, a 100'!

I've come such a long way, I am actually posting the pic of me in a bathing suit!

To stay cool we are busy playing in the pool.

Here is John being a goofball.

Team Toyota!!

Most of you know that I like triathlons. Well this year after I signed up for the Danskin race in Seattle. I got an email asking me to fill out some stuff for Team Toyota. I filled it out, and didn't really think I would get picked.... but I did get picked! I am being sponsored by Team Toyota this season. I get some really cool stuff ~ triathlon events are not cheap!

I get my own webpage off of Team Toyota's site http://www.toyotaenginesofchange.com/Page532.aspx
I don't know how to put that into format so you will have to cut and paste. Team Toyota Engines of Change is all about people who have made a difference in their lives and changed it for the better. They asked me why I do triathlons, and ofcourse I told my story of eating on the cruise, and mentioning I wanted to do a triathlon... after the laughter stopped, something clicked and I went home and signed up. Then the unbelievable happened the stroke (Derrick's) After he was home my mom urged me to still do the Danskin and we did! So there you go that is how I got started.

Why do I keep doing them? Besides being crazy!? Well I fell in love with the sport. It is a goal that I accomplish all on my own. I take time out and train, and I show myself that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to! So that is why I keep doing it.

Come check out the website, I need to change the pic it came out all fuzzy...
I really didn't think I would get picked, and there are only 10 of us for Seattle so I am very honored to be a part of Team Toyota Engines of Change!

Camping

We went camping! What an adventure it was! Here are some fun pics.

Little John catching a football, he is getting good!

Hanging out by the campfire

Double marshmellows!

Uncle John!

Our Heroes

To say that today has been an emotional day, well is putting it lightly! I have been thankful all day long that I am able to have my husband around to talk to...

We are positive that the firefighters in our local town, saved Derrick's life. If they wouldn't have gotten to our house in 7 minutes, Derrick might not be alive today. Time is not on your side when you are having a stroke. Many more minutes and Derrick would have lost his life in our house. Thankfully the firefighters were there, and got him out and into the ambulance rather quickly, then made the crucial decision to life flight him to the #1 trauma hospital in the Pacific North West. So to share our gratitude we made a cake for the firefighters and brought it to them to say thank you for saving Derrick's life!

After a big debate on what to write on the cake, we ended up saying "Thank you" and "Our Heros" Yes I am aware heroes is spelled with an e when you pluralize it! I know that now, but we debated when writing it, and got it wrong.... oops.

The firefighters, seemed very happy that we came by to say thank you. I almost burst into tears just saying thank you... but I refrained.

Go hug your loved one's today....

1 year ago.....

June 21, 2007


It will be a year on Sunday. The day I died. A lot of things died that day in me. Security no longer resides in my mind. Are we ever really secure? The life we build for ourselves, safe, predictable, planned, and well thought through. Well all of that went out the window on that day. My life will never be the same. When I woke up in the ICU with tubes and wires all over me not feeling any thing on my left side of my body, for just a nanosecond I was disappointed that I was still here. Not really the Christian response but it’s the truth. As the reality of the effects from a major stroke set in, I new I was in for the fight of my life. I had just used up all of my fight in the fight to save my daughters life, when she was born with two tumor’s in her airway. This was when I realized, I’m screwed. This is it. I am now paralyzed and will not walk again or play with my kids again. Way overwhelming. At that moment I was not just paralyzed on my left side of my body, but now my mind was paralyzed, the only tool that I have to fight this new reality with. For two weeks I went through the routine of waking up being showered and cleaned by complete strangers. I was not even able to dress myself or use the restroom alone. I had no hope. Not even a glimmer. I had sunk down into this dark place where I was just alive without life. Many of us live in this place on an every day basis. It is called depression. As far as we can see there is no hope. The key is “as far as we can see”. I could not see Gods plan nor did I care to. I had become so angry and destraught that I threw everyone out of that hospital room and chose to have an “I’m pissed off party” for myself. About five hours into this party of mine. I made a choice. We have these every day, but this one would prove to be the most important choice of my life. I chose to fight. Fight with all that I had left in me. It wasn’t much but I gave it all that I had. OK God, This is it. Regardless of this outcome I love you and will serve you in whatever way I can. The choice was made my mind was made up. Let’s do this thing. I had the best sleep I had have since there at the hospital. I have had many people praying for me since day one. But that day was different. My mind was in a different place. I didn’t care one way or the other. I accepted my fate as handicap father, husband, and friend. As two gentlemen and my wife came into my room the mooring of July 7, 2007, and began to pray for me, I felt an indescribable heat and electricity shoot through my body. Could this really be happening? Is what is happening, be what I think is happening. Yes, it is. I fell to sleep after they were through praying. When I woke up I sat up in my bed by pushing with my left foot. WOW! What a feeling that was. So there I was sitting on my bed completely healed. Thank you Jesus! I did not win that fight alone. You see when I made that decision to get into the fight I wasn’t thinking that I would have a complete healing because face it, that doesn’t happen. Being a chaplain I see it over and over again. After a life changing illnesses you just learn to live with it. So when I chose to fight in my mind all I was saying to myself is ok there’s hope. Hope that in maybe a year or two I can walk with a cane or something like that. You see when we bring God into our circumstance’s his plan is always more than we can see at that time. What I am trying to say is GET UP AND FIGHT. I had no fight in me but God new that so he sent people to me to fight with me. We will always face battles in life. That just the way it is. In less we chose to fight we can’t win a battle. I have not always won but this fight I am winning because I refuse to quit. It has been a tough long battle that I am still fighting but I am not alone. Neither are you. In closing I would like to encourage you to look past your current problem or circumstance to the hope we have, which is we are not alone. Battles aren’t won by only one person they are won by armys.

Still fighting, Derrick Young

Tokyo Cowboy

This is a picture of Derrick and his cousin Clinton "Tokyo Cowboy".

Derrick's cousin was in town from Tokyo, Japan. He has lived there for over 30 years, and is an actor there. He does many commercials and dramas on tv. We got to talk to his cousin Clinton for quite a while tonight, and wow he has led quite a life in Japan. Obviously the culture is much different than the US, and well he is a 6'2" white man living in downtown Tokyo ~ he's bound to stand out!

This is Derrick and his cousin Curtis he is aprofessional student and has attended the University of Washington for decades. (Yes he has many degrees and PHD's!)

It was a treat to see many people on Derricks dad's side of the family.

I had to throw a picture of Josie in, too cute she had icecream all over her!

Happy Father's Day ~ Derrick

A friend of mine when I was little, had a picture that she drew when she was very young in her bathroom. Her parents had framed it, I always thought that was so special and neat. So this year for Father's day I framed two pieces of "artwork" from John and Josie along with their photos from the past month, and put it in a frame.

Happy Father's Day Derrick. Your the best!!

Valley Days

A town near us had their yearly celebration. Our kids John and Josie enjoy the library time at the local libraries so they got to walk in the local parade. Detrix, well he got talked into walking too!

This pic is at the end of the parade ~ we were soaking wet!

John and Josie both dressed as clowns, we did great except for all the rain. Josie had a wonderful time handing out bubble gum to all the kids on the side of the parade route. She took her job very seriously, and was so cute has she bent down to get the bubble gum out of her pocket. The reason they handed out bubble gum, is the librarian always sings the "sticky sticky bubble gum" song at library time.

The finale... that wasn't

Well for two years we have been waiting for the finale of the Sopranos. Yes we watch it, and loved it! The finale for me though, was not what I thought it would be, but the show never was ~ what I thought ~ would happen. (Hopefully that makes sense) So in a way it was fitting. I was a little bummed there wasn't a bigger blood bath and killing of everyone off the show.... come on it's a mafia drama that is what you expect. But I guess no ending would really be fitting would it? for any of you that have followed it you have come to love, Tony, Paulie, AJ and the others.... the Sopranos will live on....

Phone pics

I decided to take some of the pictures off of my phone.. so here they are!

Here is John and Sherman playing in the driveway. We are watching Sherman this week.

This is a pic from last year, but too cute! Look at that belly!

Josie one day just came walking up the stairs like this, boxing gloves and all... our little brut.


This is John riding Boomer... a 205 pound mastiff. Oh he loved Boomer... we miss you Boomer.