Reflecting on 20 Years Ago: How the Past Shapes Our Present

Can you believe it's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina? Back then, Patrick and I hadn't even been married a year. We were in the middle of building our first house, and luckily, only the framework was up, so we didn't lose much. I was working in the Pediatric ICU when the storm hit, just a young nurse fresh out of orientation. It feels lik

e ages ago, yet somehow like it just happened. Anniversaries are funny like that—some bring joy, others bring back tough memories. I get similar feelings when I visit the hospital that I do when I think about diagnosis day. The uncertainty of what's next, wondering how to move forward, and if we'll get through it. Just like we rebuilt after the hurricanes, we were determined to build the best life for our family after Wyatt's diagnosis.

This summer, we made a big decision to swap our minivan for a full-size van with a lift instead of a ramp. The minivan was a headache from the start, and I was so ready to ditch it. Sure, it got Wyatt around, but the constant worry about whether the door would open was a pain. So, Patrick found an awesome van in California, and we decided to turn it into a memorable road trip. We spent two weeks traveling through five states, visiting national parks, museums, and monuments. Saying it was an unbelievable trip is putting it mildly. We

made memories I only dreamed of when Patrick and I got married. We left all the home stress behind and focused on each other. The boys loved it, and they only argued twice for a total of 10 minutes. It was magical.

We kicked things off by visiting the folks at Jeep Speed Shop. Patrick and Wynston have reached out to them countless times. They suggested some beautiful coastal spots and even gave us some warm gear since we weren't dressed for the chilly beach weather. We spent a few days exploring the Sequoias and Redwoods, which were absolutely breathtaking.

It really put into perspective how small we are in the grand scheme of things and reminded us that over times things change but also remain the same but are still beautiful. We also visited Death Valley, where it was nearly 115 degrees, but wow, what a stunning place. We saw the Hoover Dam, drove up to Zion National Park, over to the Four Corners Monument and Pipes Spring National Monument and then

down to Carlsbad Caverns. Wynston wanted to check out some special car places, and

we made sure to fit those in too. He chatted with a guy about his love for cars and how he follows them on social media. The guy then told us of other places to check out while we were in Dallas and we are so glad we did. As most of you know we are all car people in this family, the guys especially so it was fun to check them out.

We truly lived and loved every moment of those two weeks. Reflecting on the past 20 years and how much life has changed, we're different people because of everything we've been through. Katrina taught us that when things fall apart, you can always start fresh. And when life fell apart again two years later, we learned to pick up the pieces and make the best of it.