(Copied from Monkey's blog)  Four years ago today Monkey received her gift of life.  Her liver transplant came just a few days after her daddy had gone through all of the testing to become her living donor.  In that time, a family was faced with the choice of letting their little one save other lives and they said yes.  We are very much aware of how important and how difficult their decision must have been.  I cannot sit here and say that I know how they felt that day, and still feel today on the 4 year anniversary of their loss, because I do not.  I hope to never know what it is like to lose a child and to be faced with the decision they were faced with in 2008.  I can say that I look at Monkey every day and even though we know nothing really about her donor, I see him in her every day.  I see the gift that we have been given.  I see the time, hope, love, and happiness we have been given.  We have been truly blessed by our donor angel and his family.  We continue to teach Monkey (and her sister) about love, support, and the true meaning of selflessness.  I have to say, however, that I have learned so very much from Monkey in these 4 short years.  She has taught me the true meaning of compassion.  Her heart is so very big and so very open.  She has so much love to give and gives it freely.  It is hard to imagine that she may not be here today without her new liver.  We always try to tell new liver families that we meet that Monkey is not the typical liver baby.  She really never has been.  As I look back over the posts I made in the weeks leading up to Monkey's diagnosis I am amazed at how much her little body fought the terrible disease she had.  She even responded to medicines that were not even designed to treat her specific liver disease.  She never really cried or fussed about how uncomfortable she was.  These trends carry through to the little girl she is becoming.  She gets sick, but never complains about it really.  She is one of the strongest little girls I have ever seen.  She loves her sister with all of her heart even if they get on each others nerves.  She loves her grandparents, her dog, her kitty, and misses her Pop more than anything.  All of these things we wouldn't see had it not been for her donor angel.  We love him and truly hope that his family knows exactly how much we appreciate and love them as well.  We honor their loved one in how we teach Ember to care for and to love others and in how we will continue to teach her about her gift and the true meaning of sacrifice.  We hope that the legacy we leave behind for her donor angel will be felt and heard by many and everyone who comes into contact with her will learn from her.  Even if it is in a very small way, even at 4 years old she has so very much to teach us.  We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

Why I went (somewhat) Rockabilly....

Rockabilly began as a music genre, but is now considered a subculture who's style of dress is heavily influenced by the 1950s.

So, I found this wonderful new way of dressing and I was instantly in love!  I would LOVE to be able to say that I dress like this all of the time, but I don't.  At least, not right now.  I will eventually, when I have gained a much larger wardrobe than the few pieces I have right now.  Also, I say somewhat because I know that I am not fully in line with the style yet.  It's a learning curve that I am trying to catch up to.  So, on to the why.....

To put it simply, I love it.  In the almost 33 years I have been on this earth, I have never found a style that I felt I fit into.  I have always been the girl who sticks out like a sore thumb when I try to "get with the times".  Then, one day, I found this style and wondered.  Now, I actually get up and do my hair and make-up most days.  It's actually pretty great!  I never thought I would be that girl.  So, I went from this:

To this:

I basically wear my hair one of two ways right now, though I am trying to learn a third and it fits me. 

I feel pretty and like I actually look good.  I know that people stare at me because I look different and this time, it's OK.  I actually enjoy it rather than feeling like I am some freak.  I feel like I was meant to find this look.  I feel better about myself when I dress up like this than I ever have before.  For those of you that know me well, know that is HUGE!  I feel like I belong.  Period.  Again, that is HUGE!  It is a style that is very easy to dress up while being comfortable.  I'm a t-shirt and jeans girl at heart and this style allows me to do that while still being a pretty girl.

So...Yes, it's different.  Yes, I means to do that with my eye make-up.  No, it's not going to change. :)

Here are a few more pics that I love.  Oh!  And my shoes!  LOVE them!