happy valentine's day

Have a very happy Valentine's Day with friends, family, and other loved ones.

Or you can just sit at home (like myself) and make cookies, listen to sappy country music, and watch a chick flick.

Like this one.

challenge accepted

Single Awareness Day is on Thursday.
Otherwise known as the over-commercialized and yet ever-popular Valentine's Day.

I have nothing against celebrating Valentine's Day.
I love making Valentine's for cute little cousins who still appreciate them.
And I think it's a fun day to celebrate together with all the single ladies. aka my best friends.

I just think it's a little ridiculous when people start moaning or judging their self-worth about being forever alone if they don't have a date or special someone for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate the ones you love, whether you're single or not.

One of my friends posted this challenge on her blog.
I share it all with you now.

"Well, we're a week [two days actually] from Valentine's day.

and soon Facebook will be flooded with "Single Awareness Day" stuff.

Usually in the past, I've joined this massive self-pity fest,

but this year I thought I'd try something different.

This week I'd like to challenge everyone, 

(myself included)

to contemplate and write a thoughtful letter to your future sweetheart.

Someday, when the time is right,

you'll find each other,

and you'll know it was all worth the wait."

Challenge accepted.

So whether you celebrate with good friends, a special someone, close relatives, or even on your own.
Remember those who love you.
Remember the love of your Heavenly Father and your Savior.
I promise: you are never alone.

Have a very happy Valentine's Day everyone! 

You are loved.

happy heart day

[day twenty-six]

my heart

If you're reading this blog, you probably know by now that I have had a heart transplant.

Three, actually.

Today marks five years since my third heart transplant.

To celebrate, I went grocery shopping with Hayley and John, watched a movie, and talked to a few friends. I spent most of the day in an introspective mood, looking at some old blog posts, studying my scriptures, and reading my journal a bit.

I cannot fully express my gratitude to the donor family. I would not be here today if it weren't for their gift of a brand new heart. I am so grateful for the life I have been able to live because of this selfless gift. I hope to someday meet these people and their families so I can attempt to express my love and gratitude for them. 

Given the fact that I was way more adorable after my first heart transplant, enjoy this picture. It's one of my favorites; I'm 18 months old.

For all the horrifying photographs documenting the awkward stages of my life [aka after the third transplant], please click here. 

Thank you to every single one of you as well. I know that it is also because of your faith, prayers, and fasting that I am here today. I am so grateful for the support each of you have given me over the past nineteen years of my life.

And now for one little request:

Find out if you're an organ donor. If you're not, find out why. Some basic Google searches will show you plenty of research and fact sheets about being an organ donor. 

Become an organ donor if you can. 

You can even show it on your Facebook timeline:

You could end up saving someone's life.

Like mine.

I am so grateful for the modern miracles of medicine. I am grateful to have a body that functions [for the most part] normally. 

But most of all, I am thankful for the beating of my heart throughout each minute of every day.

It's a wonderful feeling.

Happy Valentine's Day

I celebrate FOUR happy heart days every year: 

three heart transplant anniversaries and one national holiday of Valentine's Day!

I'm not completely into the cupids, hearts, and actual valentines, nor do I support the idea of a Single Awareness Day. I'll be more excited about the "in love" aspect of it when I actually do have someone, but for now it's fun to write notes to friends and family and heart attack my roommate. I really love the fact that we have a day devoted to love.

Heart attacking Angela

Angela's notes for me

One of the girls in our hall made a few of these to put up in the hall.

For my birthday, my dear friend Brooke invited me to go to the Lady Antebellum concert with her!! She was a fantastic valentine :) The concert was amazing!! We missed Thompson Square opening, but got there in time to hear Darius Rucker! Brooke went to get a few t-shirts before Lady A came out. And when they did perform, they sang most of my favorite songs. It was so much fun!

Darius Rucker! 

Here they come!!! 

They brought this little girl on stage to announce "American Honey" and then danced around with her on stage.
Luckiest girl in the world. And she isn't even old enough to recognize it.  

Thompson Square, Lady Antebellum, and Darius Rucker. All together on the same stage.

Happy Brooke!! 

On the way home, Brooke introduced me to the Lauren Alaina soundtrack. Which is currently my most played music. So look forward to those songs in future posts.
Thanks to Brooke for a fantastic Valentine's day :)

Videos are to come soon...hopefully. Blogger won't let me upload them for some reason.