ooh yah. don cha know.

Welcome to Minnesota, ooh yah. don cha know. oh my garsh!
2:30am Wake Up
3:30am Head to Amy's House
4:10am Head to Airport
5:00am Arrive at Airport and Check in
6:00am Head to Chicago
7:15am Arrive in Chicago (Really 6:15am again...)
7:15 Head out of Chicago
8:30 Arrive in Rochester Minnesota

I love living certain hours of the day twice. Although I do not like being awake at 6am once let alone twice. 7am was alright once, but twice, really?

It was so great. My aunt and uncle are so sweet and they called the airport and let them know that I would be arriving at 9am, so the sooner they got me into the room would be better because I would be tired. So when I arrive at the hotel at 9am my room was ready. Brilliant, way better than what I thought it would be. Although why it took them until 7pm to bring my bags when I had been there since 9am is still a little concerning. Good thing I was too tired to notice.

Once my aunt and uncle got here we went out to dinner to eat at Red Lobster. Yum. And then we waited for my Cousin to get here.

I love my family. I love being around them. I love that they are here for me. I am exhausted.

Welcome to Rochester!

Child like faith

Do you ever wish you had a child like faith? You belive in... Santa, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, you believe in leperchans and fairies. Of course you believe Ronald Mcdonald, Rudolph the red nose reindeer and the fairy godmother are real, why wouldn't they be. (some people would add Mickey Mouse to this list... but I don't know what they are talking about, he is real. I've seem his house, his garden, his car, and his big tent fair grounds where he is Mayor, come on people!) As children we believe... We believe because ... Why wouldn't we? We haven't seen or understood anything to make us doubt. No we believe whole heartly that Santa knows us and therefore we are good for presents that the monster in the closet lives, so we call our parents in to save the day. We believe with everything that we have that our teeth are taken away by a lady who loves to give money away. (where is she now? I think I have a few teeth i could live without, especially for how much she pays now a days!!) We believe ... We believe... We Believe.

What about Christ? What about the Holy Father? I think we've all heard the statement "child like faith". That faith, that believeing because there is no reason to doubt. God is God. God is the Heavenly Father that sent his only son here, to this sinful place to save us sinners. Kids get it. Sin is easy for them to understand, as simple as right and wrong. I love talking to kids about God because they get it. They believe and have faith whole heartly before we make things complicated. Before we let the world take us over. Before we doubt and debate and wonder and worry. Before all that... We believe. I wish I still had a child like faith.

My uncle Johnny has a child like faith. He loves Jesus, he has a relationship with God. So pure and innocent. He wants everyone to know his Joy and his Light.
My uncle Johnny has Down Syndrome. I don't think I ever really recognized or acknowledged this until I was 14 or 15?I mean sure I knew... But it wasn't how I thought about him. He was always Uncle Johnny. He always had a smile on and he always had the joy of life shining out
of him.
My Uncle passed away yesterday. It's hard when something isn't a complete shock and yet still takes you completely off guard. It's kind of
like when they are going to take your blood or put in an iv, they tell you it will pinch or sting or whatever. But then they do it and it still
surprises you.
I should clarify he was my great uncle, but he was born 9 months before my aunt and 2 and a half years before my dad. He was 47 when
he passed away. What a remarkable man. He lived far longer than anyone ever expected when he was born. What a remarkable man. My
grandma just called on her way to Arkansas for his funeral and told me within the last months of his life he lead one of his 9 year old great
nephews to Christ. The little boy "wanted what uncle Johnny has". Man what a testimony. What a testimony to his life, to parents that raised
him with strong beliefs in God and himself, that he could to anything. What a strong testimony to God and his plans for our lives. He uses EVERYONE for greatness. Anyone can plant the seed. Anyone.

I have a such peace about his passing. Just to know his Soul is in heaven with God, Jesus, my grandpa, his parents, and so many more
people, Souls. To think he is there, his perfect soul not held back by his broken earthly body. Instead he is in his perfect heavenly form. His
perfect spirit, his soul, finally able to communicate in a way he was never able to here on this earth. I think of the joy on his face as he sits
with God saying... I tried to tell them Father, you are the easiest thing to believe in, to have faith in. You are REAl. You are Truth and life.
To see his parents and my grandpa and communicate the things he could communicate to them that he couldn't ever before.
What joy, what excitement, what a party heaven must have had at his arrival. I can imagine God said, well done son, well done. You filled so
many purposes on Earth and you brought people closer to me. Thank you son.

Well done Uncle Johnny. Well done. I hope to have the faith you have. I hope to not let my broken humanly body hold me back, just as you
continued on through your difficulties. I hope the light and joy of Jesus shines through me as you let it flow through you. Well done Uncle
Johnny. Well done. Now go rest, and taken in the splendor of Heaven. Thank you for being you, and living life to it's fullest.

We are all better for having known you.

Dearest

Dearest Insomnia,

I'm sorry I have to do this in a letter but you have given me no other choice. I am breaking up with you. You like to sneek up, creep up, pop up for no reason. For some reason this amuses you... But I am going to have to ask you to leave. Although my finger and toe nails are now pretty, my bathroom is super clean, and I've read half of a new book ... I'd rather you leave. I'm sorry that I appear to have sent you the wrong message that I hate sleep. That is not true, I love sleep... I actually miss it dearly. It was not my intention to mislead you.

So Mr. Insomnia I am going to have to politely ask you to leave. You have turned into an unwanted house guest. You are not welcome here, so if you could just find the nearest emergency exit and leave, that would be greatly appreciated. I am not trying to hurt your feeligs... But you make my life more difficult. Good friends don't make someones life harder. The day after you visit I am so tired I can barley make through work.. Yet you are relentless and continue to visit the next night as well. This is just not working out for me.

So please go, and don't come back.

No hard feelings ok? We will both be better off when this break up is over. It's not you ... It's me. Ok really it's you... I can't stand you. And no we can't just be friends, it really wouldn't be in my best interest.

Best of luck. I am sure you will find someone who makes you so happy, happier than I could ever have. And as for me? Well me and sleep are gettig back together... I just can't deny my true love any longer.

Sincerely,

Caitie

5 o'clock somewhere...

It's 4 minuets to 5 pm. And as Sandy says "I've done nothing"
... some how I have spent the entire day working and accomplished nothing. Worse than that, I was busy all day... I just wish I could figure out what I have gotten done. I wish more things on my "to do" list were checked off. Dreaded "To Do" List, it's like it is mocking me. "Ah haha, you didn't check very much off of me, so you must have done nothing" Well I tell you what Mr. "To Do" List... darn you win.

I just thought "humm, maybe I should call my mom and see if she wants me to pick up something for dinner..." sucks to forget you will be having dinner for one. (Cheaper maybe haha)

This weekend I...
Watched 4 movies
Read 2 entire books
Went out to two meals with friends
Slept around 25 hours (night time and naps)
Convinced someone they didn't have swine flu (like I really know?)
And hid myself away from the world while I processed.

I also decided that I cannot process this all at this point, so instead... My parents are on Vacation. Yes they are vacationing in beautiful Texas, they seem to be enjoying it. The land of hot weather, swimming pools and varmint fences.

I think I have started to be come numb to it all. To the fact that I will go from spending every night eating dinner with my family, to eating dinner (almost) every night by myself. I think that is the hardest part of this all, it's not like college where you are consistently surrounded by people (like it or not...) once I leave work, it's just me and my TV dinners. (just kidding mom, I am trying to make actual meals).

Anyway, needless to say, my parents have made it safely to Texas. They will live in a temporary apartment until their house is ready to be moved into on June 2nd. Funny how that is the exact date of my Mayo Clinic appointment. Because my parents will be moving that day, my very great and awesome Aunt and Uncle will be accompanying me to Mayo. It's sad to say that I am excited about a doctors appointment, but I am so excited.

I am so excited to hopefully have an answer to all of this. Today my joints are all swollen, I mean really swollen. To the point where good friends asked about it. Who knows why. I can't imagine a day that I could wake up with no pain in my face/head. Or vision in my eyes... or feeling in my leg. At this point I would take any one of those and be completely happy with that.

I have also decided I need to watch who I joke around with about my doctors appointments with. I guess a lot of people don't get that the only way to get through all of this is to have a sense of humor about it. I mean, I really don't get why they don't think it's funny when they ask "So when is your Mayo appointment" and I say "Right after my mustard one." Haha, maybe if they knew more about my doctors appointments and my treatment of late, they might agree that I have already had my Mustard appointment. It was salty and bitter, it did not make anything taste better. Yes that is how I will describe my last appointment, it was my Mustard appointment. I am looking forward to the Mayo appointment, a little bit sweet, adds a lot and overall makes things better.

Well I think I shall go home... rest these incredibly swollen joints. Make a wholesome dinner (hahaha right) ... and watch Dancing with the Stars. Don't judge me, you wish you could dance that well.

I have an excellent Father, his strength makes me stronger.