Things i have learned

Seems to me that life has been throwing our family a lot of curve balls lately. Jons wreck...Jacob breaking his leg...my dad's surgery...its been a rollercoaster for the last few months. I've always heard that "bad" comes in three's though, so hopefully we are done for a while. If not, im locking myself and Hudson in a padded room, along with my mom and sister...who knows which one of us is next! :) (I know none of this is funny, but i keep thinking of that movie Final Destination...and ill out run the "evil" like hell if thats what it takes.)

Anyways, i feel like ive learned a lot since last Thursday. The places your mind will go when its in distress amaze me. Whether its good, bad, or just down right silly...

1. Hug your parents every chance you get. And everyone else in your family for that matter. It's good for your soul.

2. Don't ever EVER mix coffee with a monster energy drink. You will bounce around wherever you are like Forest Gump's ping pong ball.

3. If youre going to be in a hospital with a loved one for an extended amount of time, bring HEALTHY snacks. Otherwise, you will eat yourself into a cafeteria/vending machine oblivion. I never want to see a bag of skittles again.

4.No matter how much research/mental preparation you do, you will NEVER be prepared for the sight of a loved one after major surgery. The breathing machine alone will make you want to run for the hills.

5. With that said, technology AMAZES me. A machine that BREATHES for you...wow. Also, I never knew what they had to do (and thank God i didnt find out until after) to perform an open heart surgery. The bypass process shocked me. Had i known that they really did STOP my dad's heart, i probably would have had to be sedated. One of my dads best friends joked that he now has a "new" birthday since he was technically brought back to life. Safe to say we wont be blowing out any candles on October 20th every year though. No thanks!!!!

6.Hopitals are cold. Really cold. No matter how many snuggies you have, you still wont be able to feel your face.

7.If you are lucky enough to have a family like mine, thank God for them every day. While my dad was in the operating room, we had at least 25 people in the waiting room. I'm sure the other people in there thought we were crazy...but the Stracner clan knows how to support each other, and we totally do it by creating plenty of distraction from the seriousness of any situation. Silence is not my friend, and God placed all of the laughter and story telling in that waiting room for a reason.

8.Any baby can be distracted in a hospital by blowing up gloves and making "hand" balloons. Lets just hope they dont charge my dad for all of the ones that are missng from his room. :)

9. Good friends are few and far between. My dad has had the same group of friends since he was a kid, and every single one of them was there before/during/after his surgery. Im also glad im surrounded by people who care and who really know what my family needs to feel better. (Like a simple text message offering support, or even a tray full of Darrells sandwiches being delivered to the hospital....you rock Ashley Rogers!)

10. Nothing in this world beats seeing your Dad awake and smiling after going through a surgery like that. Nothing.

11. Hospital gift shops know what theyre doing. Sad people make the best shoppers. I have a new scarf/jewelry/eyeshadow/wallet to prove it.

12. Hospital cafeterias also know what theyre doing. Do you really have to offer a full home cooked meal AND pizza/chicken strips/burgers/loaded baked potaotes all at the same time!?!?!? Plus Icees and all kinds of desserts?! Which reminds me.... my diet starts today.

13. My mother proves to me time and time again that she is the strongest woman i know. She has not left my dads side ONCE since Thursday, and if she has, its only to step out of the room to cry so my dad wont see. She has held mine, Hollie's, and Jacob's hands through all of this...totally being the backbone for our entire family. Plus, any woman that will pass up a shower for a few days is totally my hero.

14. Life is so short. You never know what could happen, or if you will end up on an operating table next. Try to be healthy...put down the french fries, put down the cigarettes, and get your butt outside. Start walking, running, table dancing....whatever tickles your fancy to help you get in shape. I swear that my dads speedy recovery process has totally been fueled by the fact that he is so healthy and takes care of himself. He has made me want to be a better person. If not for myself, for Jon and Hudson. I never ever want my children/loved ones to have to see me in a hospital.

15. Make time for your family every single day of your life. Like i said, hug them. Tell them you appreciate them. And more importantly, telll them you love them. I promised myself over the weekend that i would tell my parents that EVERY day from here on out. They may get sick of it, and i may end up calling and just yelling it out then hanging up, but at least they will know that they are my entire world. And thats all that matters. :)

God is good people....God is good. =)

xoxo

Candace

A little bit of nostalgia.....

This past weekend was my ten year reunion. I never expected to feel so much emotion from just walking into the football stadium, or from seeing people i've had little to no contact with since high school. Talk about an eye opener!!!! There are so many people who mean so much to me from those days, and the even more impressive thing are the new friendships ive made over the years with people i rarely spoke to at SHHS. It really makes you wonder why you wasted time sticking to your so called "cliques" and didnt branch out more. It also made me wonder why i didn't put more of an effort to stay in touch with people who i got to be a "kid" with for so many years. We all grew up together, and experienced some of the first of "life's biggest lessons"  with each other....from bra's, to first loves, to the nervousness of that first homecoming dance, to learning what it means to be a good friend, to knowing that your friends are all you need after a guy broke your heart...Wow!!!!



Saturday night we opened up packets of stuff that we put in our time capsule. Let me just tell you, i was "that girl" who cried after reading her letter. (Thank you Renee for the hug to stop the waterworks!) I never thought as an 18 year old i'd have some sense in my head, but reading my letter really made me realize a lot about that little girl. She was strong, and ready for the world. She was hopeful, and realistic. She was smart, and wore her heart on her sleeve. She was REAL....and i want to share that girl with the rest of you.

Dear Candace,
So here you are, 10 years out of high school. I bet you wish you could go back right? Our senior year consisted of you saying that you couldn't wait to get out of this "hell hole" every single day. Do you miss your friends? Melanie, Amber, Kara, Kay, Tiffany,Vanessa, Rachel, Robin, Renee, Kerri, Alicia, Krista and many others were a huge part of your high school years. If you havent talked to them in a long time at this point in your life , or had an unresolved argument, pick up the phone and call them. Let them know how much you miss them and how important they are to you. I hope that you cherished all of the memories made with them and many others in high school, good or bad, and hopefully soon (if not now) you are sharing them with your children.
 I pray that you are finally happy with your life and that you are successful. (Hopefully college was a breeze for you.) I hope you have everything you ever wanted, including a husband that makes you happy and treats you right. I pray that you are still close to God, and love him more than ever for helping you get through life. Life is a constant battle, and if you are struggling right now, just BREATHE. Everything will be okay, it ALWAYS works out and turns out good in the end.
Remember all of the heartache over boys in high school? Seems funny now that you ever even cried about it, right? You thought you would never be alright after Rodney, but think back about how it all turned out! God had a plan Candace, he's always comminucated it. Bet you wish you would have trusted that more over the past ten years. You were and ARE still SO strong! Dont ever give up, or my 18 year old self will come back and kick your ass!
Right now as i sit at work (lifeguarding at the YMCA....yuck! Remember that job????), i think about your future. I hope you become an interior decorator. If you have kids, i hope you have 2. (One boy, one girl) I hope you have true love, and i hope your family is closer than ever. Dont freak out if none of this is true, because as long as you are happy i am SO proud of you.
Never forget all of the memories Candace. Cheering at football games, dancing your butt off at Homecoming/Proms, summer parties at Dan & Robs, all of the nights spent at Keiths, writing in chalk on Ambers walls or in marker on the top of Kays truck, singing with Melanie, the friendship with Carlin, the slumber parties with Kara, the fighting with your friends about the DUMBEST stuff....and most importantly, dont forget about ME. The 18 year old girl who hopes and prays of the BEST for herself, and knows that with God, anything is possible. I  know that you will always be okay....dont forget to tell yourself that every now and then. Dont ever forget how beautiful you are, and you mean the world to tons of people around you. You are worthy, smart, and lucky to be blessed with the life youve had so far. I love you Candace Nicole, forever and always!
P.S.- I hope you had fun in Cancun! :)


HAHA! I love the ending of this. :) What a rollercoaster of emotions. Im glad to say that this girl pushed me to reach for these goals. Im in love with a wonderful man, who will be my husband next year. (FINALLY!) I have a beautiful baby boy who makes me the happiest ive ever been. I have a great job, great friends, and my parents/siblings are my backbone/loves of my life.God has truly blessed me, and i hope hes done the same for each of you. I love you class of 02, and i hope the 18 year old in all of you still whispers in your ear every now and then. :)


xoxo
Candace