Blessings

I’m feeling pretty blessed this weekend. Here’s why:

1. I have an awesome, quirky, one-of-a-kind home to live in.

I love the fact that this old 1908 ranch home that used to sit in the middle of famous Orange County orange groves by itself back in the day is now housing our little family with much of its history still intact.

The wood floors are original and were laid down as a seamless piece and then the walls of the house were build around them. They’re beautiful and our Sadie loves how her little hands sound when she smacks them down as she crawls around the house. It’s a beautiful noise.

The three stained glass windows in the home are such a reminder of my Mom. So bright, vibrant, and happy.

The slight slant and the small uphill climb you take from the back of the house to the front is so quirky and makes me laugh when I trip over myself or when Sadie’s balls roll away from her down the hill as they cross the room.

The lack of closest space is a wonderful reminder of how little people lived with a hundred years ago and is a visible reminder of God’s blessings on us and the challenge to not want for material possessions we don’t need in order to keep  up with the Jones’.

The backyard is ginormous! I can’t wait for Sadie to be walking (soon) and let her loose to explore her private park. I can’t wait for all the family get-togethers and parties.

It is a 10 second walk to my brother and sister-in-law and their kiddos. Just this morning two little rugrats came knocking on our door in their PJ’s with a special coffee cake delivery. They ran with Daddy on one side of the street and us on the other screaming “Shabbat Shalom” as they ran and stopped to look back. When we need them, they are there. It’s nice to know people who love you unconditionally are seconds away.

2. I got the BRCA analysis test results back.

They said I had every indicator screaming that I should have easily inherited my Mom’s cancer gene. But I didn’t. I was honestly shocked as my entire family and I have been holding our breath for what we thought would be inevitable.

While I’m thankful I don’t have to go through a prophylactic double mastectomy in the near coming months, I know I’m not exactly off the hook either. I still plan on being extremely pro-active in getting checked out every six months and doing whatever I can to lower my cancer risk by maintaining a healthy life style since I still do not have odds in my favor.

But the answer to my seeming life-long question mulling in the back of my brain has finally been answered and I can now know what it feels like to not try to breath while I’m under water, because I think that’s how I felt a lot about it in the past.

Yup. I’d say life is finally starting to let up for the Brown family.