Happy Sweet Sixteen     Mikalie!!!

 Happy Birthday my beautiful girl! I can’t believe that you are 16 years old today. You are beautiful in every way and I love to see the person that you have become. You are kind, caring, giving and compassionate. You strive for excellence and give your all to everything that you do and I am so proud of you!


You loved our baby Markelle from the very beginning… You gave her your binkies because she did not like the new ones; she only liked the soft ones from you. It was a little questionable when you tried to convince me to return her to the store but we got through that…

 

I love to think about how much Markelle loved you and how much she wanted to be just like you. Remember when you would give her your old clothes and she would wear only them? I love thinking about when you and Markelle would play Annie and Little Mermaid in the bath, when you played baby’s, Charmed, dancing to Britney, swimming in the pool, riding bikes and scooters up and down the driveway…

 

 Rearranging Markelle’s room before I caught you guys doing it. Those days were a great time for you to share as sisters. And always know that there is nothing like a good elbow in the chest to say "I love you"!



You are a great sister and role model to Adam, Gage and Anna too. I love that they see you involved in church, sports and being a great student.

I think Markelle would love Oregon and our life here!










My wish for you is a year full of laughter and happiness and that you will continue to grow in your faith...

You are precious to me and I love you!

I wonder...

As Autum falls upon us once again without our sweet Markelle, I have many questions running through my head...  things I wonder about Markelle and who'd she be today..

Would you still walk on your toes?

Would there still be a baby doll in your backpack or maybe on your bed?

Would you have the "Bieber fever" or be crushing on Freddy Benson?

Would you be a babysitter?

What would be your food of choice?

What would you be for Halloween?  Would you still dress up?

Would you be watching "iCarly", or "My life as Liz"?

Would you be as excited as I am for the return of "Gray's Anatomy"?

Would you love 8th grade as much as 3rd grade?

What classes would you choose to take?

Would you have long hair or short?

How many sentimental pieces of jewelry would you be wearing?

Who's pictures would be in your wallet?

Would you really use a cell phone?

Would you still secretly love the Disney Princesses?

Would you be disappointed in Jon and Kate?

Would you know all 19 names?

Would you love to dance?

Would you want to see the " Nanny McPhee Returns"?
Would you be my Facebook friend?
How would you choose to help others?

Not a day goes by that I don't think about Markelle.    But I know these questions are really about me..  I'm not as much sad that she is missing out on these things as I am sad that I'm missing out on watching her experience these things. I know she's in such a wonderful place that none of these worldly things matter much.  I just wonder sometimes...

~ Allie

Happy Birthday Gage! 

Seven years ago I was at Cottonwood Hospital and Markelle was across town at Primary Children’s Medical Center. After being in Pittsburgh for 3 ½ months post transplant, Markelle got to come home for a month so that I could have a our baby in Utah. The week before Gage was scheduled to be born Markelle got an infection and we ended up in the hospital. Thankfully, Jami slept over and stayed with Markelle while I went to have a baby.

Late that morning I talked the doctor into releasing Markelle from the hospital but the problem was her legal guardian had to sign her discharge papers - small problem when I was across town in labor… I talked to the doctor and faxed a note stating that Markelle’s Aunt Amy could sign and bring her home.  When Amy got there the nurse knew very well that she was not really Markelle’s aunt but had compassion for us and let Amy bring her home anyway.

At 1:58 pm, weighing 9 lbs. and 22 inches, Gage came into this world. I immediately called Markelle to tell her that her baby brother had arrived. Mikalie was there shortly to meet him along with our family who had all been anxiously waiting for him to arrive.

After I had met him I knew he should be named Gage. We had name talks for a long time and Markelle wanted his name to be Carter while Mikalie wanted his name to be Gage. We had lots of talks about all of the ways to make fun of his name and wanted to make sure it was not too bad. At the end his name was going to be Gage or Kyle and I could not know for sure until I met him.

Our family was blessed to have him and the girls were so excited to have a baby brother. Markelle was especially happy that in 6 days we would be on a plane back to Pittsburgh and she would not have to share him with anyone.  After being there for almost six months Gage would cry when anyone held him but Markelle and me. This did not make Mikalie happy since she missed him so much.

Markelle spent a lot of time mothering him, napping with him, helping bath him and loving him. When I tell him Markelle stories the first thing I tell him is that she loved him the most… and she did! 

Gage is an awesome boy who is very smart and funny. He is great with his hands and very mechanically inclined. This last year he started building big Lego sets and only needs our help to find a missing piece.  Being outside riding his bike or playing sports is what he loves the most. He has a great personality and loves his family and friends with all of his heart. 

Gage has recently started crying at school because he misses me.  His teacher lets him call me to say that he loves and misses me... This week when he was telling me that he cried at school again I said "Buddy, I know you love me but I don't want you to be sad at school!" He said, "Mom I was crying because I love you so much my heart was sick." How cute is he?

I am so blessed that God gave Gage to be part of our family and that I get to be his mom.

Memories of Markelle

I believe that when Markelle closed her eyes to me, she opened them to the Lord!!!

It is so big for me when I think of Markelle and all that her 10 years were about.
First I think of how beautiful she was and the love of life that she had. Then I think of the strength she had from the very beginning. She fought hard to live and did it longer than anyone ever thought possible.

Markelle loved Mikalie and wanted more than anything to be just like her. She loved the babies in our family… She loved to play with them and even trained Gage to act like a dog and he would bite everyone but her. Markelle loved her people! Her people that never thought twice about walking the rough road with us…

She was stinkin funny! She was able to talk smack and was cute enough about it that she didn’t get in trouble. She made jokes and really she was funny… oh and the quirky things that she loved. I loved to see her laugh and when she would crack her own self up she would laugh from the bottom of her belly and her nose would flare :-) I miss her smile and laugh...

She loved art. We were the “Art Project Queens”! When she was in the hospital we would do project after project. Her room was covered in her great art. She painted, cut, drew, colored, collaged, did that plastic cross stitch stuff and painted some more... The many buckets of stuff we did and still she wanted more to do. Then while we waited for more supplies, if we ran out in an evening or on Sunday, she would just cut up the styrofoam cups. The bags we would take home of art projects were endless and then at home came nothing less than more art, only at home Mikalie could share in the fun and I could be relieved of some of the participation.

She loved school and to write math problems and correct them and then do more.

She loved to eat alcohol swabs, Yuck!… and nothing more really needs to be said. Months of potato salad, apples dipped in peanut butter and chips with cheese were probably top on the list of the all time favorite foods after transplant. Pre-transplant she really was just a condiment eater.  We got funny looks when we ordered a side of sour cream when we were out to eat.

Big baths and swimming…She had the perfect bikini belly too! Our last talk was about swimming with the dolphins in Hawaii when she got better. I like to think that is what she dreamed of when she did not wake up again.

Charmed, E. R., Roseanne, A Baby Story and The Cosby Show are just a few on the list of favorite shows that she watched.

This is just a few of the things that she loved and helped make her who she was. There were so many things that she really loved… It was easy to appreciate the things that she loved and those days when we knew that they were eventually going to end.

Markelle loved with all of her heart. She never expected anything in return just that she be able to love. The very last words she spoke was that she loved me... And I know that she did.

Our Funny Valentine!!

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It's been 4 years since we've seen our precious Markelle...  Here are some "rarely" seen pics for your enjoyment. 

To Markelle:

We miss you more every day, it's hard to believe it's been 4 years, we will never forget you!!

Love, Your Family