In May when I went to my first Doctor's appointment at UVA, I asked tons of questions...One of them was, "Can I still go to beach week in July?" When he said, "I don't see why not," we were both surprised. What a fun week of cousins, waves, games, sunshine, biking, good food, Colby getting stung by a jellyfish, and many other memories. You can see the rest of the story here... Read More

I have to say....being back in America for the Fourth of July was SO amazing. It was the best Fourth I can remember; I appreciate my country more than I ever have. We were able to go to three different fireworks shows. For the first one, I just stepped outside and was able to see the firework show from our front porch. It was like my own personal worship service as the sky filled with lights and I just thanked God for our freedom. This year, as the national anthem was sung, I listened and Read More

10.  Having two bathrooms (Oh, the things you take for granted...)9.  A King-sized bed (How can we ever go back to a double again?)8.  A themed kitchen (Haley said the other day, "Wow, they must really like apples)7.   Listening to the rain fall on the sky lights6.  A bathtub (I don't think they believe in bathtubs in Europe)5.  A big yard and a long driveway for the kids to ride their bikes on (My new favorite words to say:  "Kids, go OUTSIDE and Read More

I absolutely love Colby's hometown Galeton, PA.  It is the cutest town I have ever seen.  There are church bells that echo off the mountains surrounding its quaint downtown and a river that runs through it.  I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting with his parents, teaching Darcy to ride her new bike, hiking through the woods with Haley and finding deer tracks, going out for ice cream, watching Colby fly-fish, swimming in Lyman Lake, sitting on the porch with a good book, talking to Read More

"Do you know what I've been thinking about lately?" I asked Colby after he'd returned back to the states.  "What...Fly-fishing in Potter County?"I never got a chance to tell him what was on MY mind...he went on and on about his fly-fishing fantasies.  We arrived in Northern PA yesterday and today took the kids fly-fishing at a local fish farm.  Half-way through the afternoon, Darcy became an animal rights activist and refused to take part in the brutality.  I won't be Read More

I really like this picture of my Dad because if you look closely, you can see the brown backpack that he’s wearing.    It may not strike anyone else, but it strikes me because that is the backpack that I used in middle school.  Never mind that he has been a  engineer at TRANE company for the past 35 years, has designed and patented products, and in his free time started a side business.  It’s not as though my Dad can’t afford to buy a new backpack; but he’s a man of Read More

Darcy is four! Read More

In Iceland, kids go outside EVERY DAY for recess....It doesn't matter if it's hailing, snowing, raining, sleeting, or all of the above. I was asking Haley's teacher about this and expressed some of my concerns. Her response: "Well, if it's so windy that the kids can't stand up, then we let them come inside." Wow... how thoughtful. I'm not knocking the Icelandic way. Icelanders are the toughest people I've ever met, and toughening is something the Garman girls need a little bit of.   Read More

We're very grateful...1.  That the mid-wife in Iceland saw something wrong in the ultrasound.  Apparently this can go unnoticed in the ultrasound and obviously then be really upsetting to find out right after birth.2.  That we both got out of Iceland before the ash came to Reykjavik.3.  That we have a beautiful, FURNISHED house in a gorgeous area to stay in during this hard time.4.  That UVA Children's Hospital is only 1.5 hours from our house here and that the staff Read More

After explaining in depth with a heart model the different parts of a healthy heart, a heart with defect, and a heart in utero,  our Dr. said that we were now more knowledgeable than 95% of the people in the building about the heart.  I'm going to do my best to regurgitate what I've learned (knowing full well that people with a medical background may read this and critique...). Here are some basic terms and things that are helpful to know if you're tracking this situation:Stenosis= Read More