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I'll never make it to 1000. Maybe I should do one of those infamous landmark threads now? Actually I had to write a 2pg autobiography for a college class I am finishing up. It is awfully hard to condense my life into 2 pages. Two pages doesn't even properly cover my son's transplant experience. Sigh. Here is what I came up with for any interested readers out there..... ************************************************
My life began on September 17, 1972. I had a fairly uneventful childhood, with the usual bangs and bruises and awkwardness all kids seem to go through growing up. One thing stands out when looking back at my growing years. From a young age I knew I wanted to teach. My mom relates stories of hearing me talking to people in the basement only to look down and see me with my stuffed animals and dolls lined up like students while I taught them all the wisdom of my years. I’m not sure where that desire came from, though I’m sure many of my family members would say I just love to be in charge! I do know that I had several favorite teachers over the course of my elementary and secondary school life. I would often help my teachers with grading and assignment preparations. I was lucky to have great teachers who took an interest in me and my learning.
After graduating from high school, I began my education at Brigham Young University. I spent some time studying family science, considering a career as a child psychologist. I realized, however, that choice was not really what I wanted to do. I settled back on English with a desire to someday teach. Events being what they were, I was led to marry my husband at a young age. I was only 19 when we married and our daughter was born a year later. Because of a difficult pregnancy I had to postpone my studies. This was hard but I was happy to start my career as “mom”. Our son joined us just 21 months after our daughter’s birth. My second child was born with a serious heart condition that led to a heart transplant when he was 8 years old, just 2 years ago. That experience really changed my outlook on life. I realized that I was no longer “playing house” and had serious responsibilities. I had to rely more on my Savior and my testimony of the gospel. I had to strengthen my relationship with my husband. My desire to teach was put “on the back-burner” as the phrase goes.
As my children got older that desire to teach took on a new form. When my oldest was about to begin kindergarten my husband and I, with much discussion and prayer, decided to homeschool her instead. That was the beginning of my journey as a homeschooling mom and teacher. I found it natural to teach my children academics. Perhaps this comes from my lifelong desire to teach. I also felt it important to spend as much time with them as I could. Spending that extra time with my children was wonderful, despite the stresses that being a homeschool mom entails. It is difficult to be the mom and the teacher. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication but it is very rewarding.
Seven years after our second child was born, and after many infertility struggles we were blessed with our third child and second son. He has been a delight and strength to all of us. Shortly after his birth, our second son received his heart transplant. That event alone could take up pages. Our family was forever changed by that incredible experience. We are stronger and closer because of that trial and blessing. With some trepidation, and a lot of prayer, we made the decision to allow our daughter to attend a small charter school. She thrived on the environment and is in her second year of “public” school life. Our son started a small charter school a few months ago, due to a need for me to return to work. So my journey as a homeschooling mom has been detoured for a little while. It seems like a good time to return to my own educational journey.
My life is definitely a work in progress. The blueprint seems to change every so often, and there have been many stumbling blocks. I am happy to know that there is a “Master Architect” at work on the plan for my life. It is with His guidance that I try to navigate through the course of my life that is littered with trials and yet contains many wonderful surprises and joys. I look forward to seeing how this grand journey continues to enfold.
Posts: 1132 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Landmark thread? What? Someone tell me what that is...........I've been here for 2 months and I haven't the slightest....... Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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WendyBird - Thank you for the great post. I honestly hadn't realized you were one of the 'long time ago' posters, and I'm glad you're here. I, too, like it when the lurkers come out to play.
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(Jonathan - This is a landmark thread. Please visit the link I posted to understand the tradition.)
Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
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Wendy, thanks for sharing that with us! Isn't it incredible that life takes us on so many journeys that we'd never planned on? I'm so glad that you've found happiness in your journey, and I wish you continued peace and happiness in the future.
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Wember, I am personally very interested in reading the story of your son's transplant, if you ever want to share. I'm glad you're here, and I'm more glad that you're close enough for me to hang out with. Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Wendybird, it was great meeting your and your husband at the Tuscon gathering. I'm so glad to know more about you! I can definitely tell your children mean a lot to you.
I'm confused about one thing though: did both of your sons have a heart transplant, or just the older one?
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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If this is some sort of "lurker confessional" thread, then I am guilty. Though it comes in spurts, and recently I have been becoming more and more active. I guess I could post in more fluff threads. Hmmm . . . Nah.
Note: My post count is 1.1% of TomDavidson's--pretty sad, isn't it?
Posts: 786 | Registered: Jun 2003
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But what are landmarks????? Is it something you post to give a brief history of yourself or of your membership in Hatrack? What? Details people details! I can't stop asking annoying questions until someone gives me an answer..........
Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Seriously, read Papa Moose's first landmark. That is the best way to understand what they are. They are often life-stories, but not always.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Wendybird, you have posted so rarely since I've been around that I don't feel I know you. But I see how happy and excited the other old-timers get when you post, and wish I did.
Thank you for letting me know you a little bit better today. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:But what are landmarks????? Is it something you post to give a brief history of yourself or of your membership in Hatrack? What? Details people details! I can't stop asking annoying questions until someone gives me an answer..........
Generally a lot of questions about how this place works can be answered by some patient lurking. It's the best way to get by around here.
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Wendybird, as somebody with two parents very interested in teaching, your story seems like a great one. Thanks for posting it!
And it sure is hard to condense all that down to two pages.
[ January 14, 2005, 03:58 AM: Message edited by: Nato ]
Posts: 1592 | Registered: Jan 2001
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You know, it's funny how difficult it is to explain exactly what a Landmark is Steve. Typically, but not always, they're threads that a member of the forum creates when their post count reaches a nice round number--say 1000. In it the person typically does a kind of Speaking for themselves. Often, but not always, this takes the form of an autobiographical post. As has been mentioned, Papa Moose started this tradition, and the moderators liked the idea of it so much that they created a seperate forum in which Landmarks could be archived, so that they wouldn't eventually get deleted like the rest of the threads here.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I've "been here" since, um...I can't remember. I guess I'll see the date when I post this...
I remember signing up here a while ago, and I was a bit intimidated by how smart everyone was. Or at least at the number of big words they used. So I left for a while, came back for something like a day, left again, and now I'm taking another shot at it.
But I'm a slow poster by nature, even at forums that I frequent. So it's nice to know that I'm not alone. Posts: 48 | Registered: May 2003
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Wendybird, I remember you posting here about the terrible stress and anxiety of awaiting a heart transplant for your son. How wonderful that the story became so much brighter.
Nice to see you posting again.
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Aw shucks I do come out of lurking every so often to post. Now that I am working full time in addition to everything else I hardly have time to lurk!
Shigosei-- My older son had a transplant. Was it confusing in my writing? I may need to clarify it a bit.
He just had his 2nd transpant anniversary and all looks great. We are very relieved and find it hard to believe its only been 2 years. I do have to say you all really helped me at that time. I printed and saved the thread with all your well wishes. It really touched me that as a longtime lurker you would come to gether for me in that way. Now I can never leave Posts: 1132 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Wendybird, I wanted to ask more about your son's transplant but never felt the opportunity before. My first child died at 5 days during an angioplasty for aortic sthenosis and my sister lost her second child who had epstein's syndrome when he was 8 days old. What did your son have?
Posts: 2010 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Wendybird, so nice to see you again! And congrats on the second anniversary!
I was kind of wondering myself which son had the transplant. You had a daughter, then a son with heart problems, then your third child (second son) was born. But then you go on to say that shortly after he (third child/socond son) was born your second son received a heart transplant. You probably meant second child. I figured it out. But I did wonder for a second if your third child, second son, had a heart condition, also.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Thanks for sharing that Wendybird!! I've noticed your posts before and I'm glad that you're here. Your children are lucky to have such a mother as you. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Actually I had to write a 2pg autobiography for a college class I am finishing up. It is awfully hard to condense my life into 2 pages. Two pages doesn't even properly cover my son's transplant experience. Sigh. Here is what I came up with for any interested readers out there.....
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I do come out of lurking every so often to post. Now that I am working full time in addition to everything else I hardly have time to lurk! 
