Thank you Tri Delts!

Today was a very good day from start to finish.  I started back to work today and it was good to see everyone.  I got a sweet surprise of flowers to put on my station.  Thank you Dad, Ruth, Samantha, and Joey!  I am so blessed to have such supportive people in my life.

Also tonight we went to tell Bella's story and talk about how St Jude was so great for us at the Tri Delta House.  They are so awesome!  They are very active in raising money for St. Jude.  Thank you for being so nice and allowing us to come visit!

One thing today caught my eye and made me think.  I have 2 pictures of my girls on my station.  One of Baylor age 4 and Bella age 7.  I realized Baylor's picture will continue to change, however Bellas won't.  It made me kinda of sad to think she will be forever 8.  I know she is seeing all the wonderful things we are doing for her foundation.  I just wish she was here to share it with me.

Bella's Market

My Dad is in town today and we went to pick up Baylor from school and go then visit Bella.  When Baylor got in the car she said is Bella at School Heaven?  I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.

We had a great foundation meeting yesterday!  Getting ready to start getting auction items for the Ball and getting geared up for Bella's Market.  We are so excited about the market.  We just ordered the Bella Bowman Foundation T-shirts and Bumper stickers!  So many great vendors who will be involved!  Hope you can come stop by and join us!

This week has been so crazy I can't believe its almost over.  The foundation has some exciting events coming up and there are a couple of people who have been so amazing and I feel like I have to give them some major THANK YOU'S!!!!  Brett and Katie Lovetro have done all the logos and the blog and are currently working on the website and the advertisements and meeting every deadline!  On top of there day to day things like a real job and and sweet little baby boy they work thru the night and weekends and hope its everything that I could have imagined for the foundation.  I love them so much and could not do this without them!
Also there is my right hand woman....Leah.  She puts me on track and she makes me feel like the foundation is her #1 priority!  Thank you for all your long hours and hard work.  I'm so glad to have met you and it wouldn't have happen if it weren't for Bella.

I'm so excited about Bella's Market.  There are going to be so many great vendors and we are going to have Bella Bowman Foundation t-shirts and bumper stickers!  This year is going to be a good one.  I know Bella is coaching me along as I go!  She is everywhere.  When I knew what kind of t shirts I wanted to print on I went to look at the tag and it read BELLA.  Crazy!!  It happened to me in Fairhope, AL when I went to eat at Master Joes.  I got a tank top from there and when I went home and tried it on  the tag was also BELLA.

Enjoying the day

Today the weather made me actually stop and do nothing.  This is something I haven't done in a very long time.  I feel like if I stop and be still too much I may constantly miss her!  But what something I was reminded about today is that God is taking care of me because I have sweet Baylor.  Who by the way is a spitting image of Bella.  We made cupcakes today and played and turned the music up and danced all around the house.  I had forgotten how fun rainy Saturdays were for the Bowman family.  We even got to snuggle in bed and eat chocolate while watching a movie.  Everyday we have so many things going on with our lives its nice to say I'm going to put everything on hold today and spend it with my family.

So I recommend on the next rainy weekend day to stop and enjoy the things that are around you because you never know what the future may hold.  Bella was with us in spirit today and I know this because Baylor talked about how much she missed her sister and I saw for the first time how Baylor had lost her best friend too.

Bella's Market

We are having our first annual Bella's Market.  Come and shop with us and part of the proceeds go towards the Bella Bowman Foundation!  

Tell all your friends, it will be so much fun.  

Don't forget Easter, Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation are right around the corner.

Save the Date

Mark your calendars for a fun night of great food and drinks. The Mojeaux Band will be there and we will have silent and live auction to benefit the Bella Bowman Foundation!  Info on how to purchase tickets coming soon!

Happy Valentine's Day

Baylor missed her sister this morning when she woke up to get her Valentines gifts.  But we went and saw her later today.  

Happy Valentine's Day Bella!

Grammy made you a very special Valentines heart!  Just your style!  We love you Bella!

Fairhope, Alabama

Baylor and I just got back from Fairhope, Alabama visiting my Dad and Ruth.  When Bella first got sick they purchased a brick for Bella to support the local theater.  I was so glad to finally be able to see it
 It was a great trip but I missed Bella a lot.  From the minute I walked in the door I could just hear her little voice talking about the fake cat that was on her bed and thinking she would go nuts over Nana's Mardi Gras tree.  She would usually go a talk about all the ordainments one by one.  We also went to the beach and I know Bella would have been the first in the water.  Like I've said before those memories creep up on you and really kick your butt.

Also when I was gone I felt so guilty leaving Bella all alone.  I hope that feeling goes away because while I was there it was the first time that I couldn't sleep at night since she has past.

Thank you Pop Pop and Nana!

Awareness is the key

This was very hard to decide if I should post this or not but I think that everyone should see why it is so important for me to raise awareness of Radiation Necrosis (Damage). Also why it is so important to tell Bellas story through her Foundation.  Treatment for brain cancer is what killed my baby and permanently disables so many children.  But the treatment has to be done to fight this horrible disease.

In these videos the first one was in April right after we did the treatment.  She was feeling great!  The second video is 6 months later in October when the late effects of the radiation were damaging her brain stem and permanently disabling her neurologically.  Also the last video was right before we went to St. Jude for the last time for her last hope to stop the necrosis.

April 2011 

October 2011

Puppet Show

I have been organizing all my pictures for the blog and website and I came across a video that Bella and I did in early December and I thought I would share it with you.  All you moms and dads who do very silly things for you children will totally get this.  It was the little things that made her smile.  It was her favorite.

A beautiful card

Someone gave me a beautiful card and I wanted to share it with you tonight.

Why?

So often

it is hard to understand

the why of life

and death...

I would like to believe

God sends us to earth

as His children

to serve a special purpose.

It may be as simple as...

to plant a flower,

or make people smile,

to paint a picture,

or write a poem,

to sing a song,

or be a friend,

to have a child,

or be a child...

and when God is pleased

He calls us... back home.

                                                                                      

                                                                                                                     Pam Reinke

Another angel

Tonight I received a message from a mother that I met through one of the brain tumor website support groups that her son has passed and is playing with Bella in Heaven.  Back in October we started emailing each other because our children had the same symptoms.  Both of our children had Proton Radiation and both died from the side effects from radiation.  Necrosis strikes again.  It is so frustrating because our children make it through surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and numerous sticks and test and are cancer free but still die!  We have to find safer treatments to keep the cancer away.  As Bella would say "Red Dot don't you ever come back!"  I am so sad for my friend.  Although we have never met I feel so connected to her.  I wish I could tell her it will get easier but it really doesn't.

On a brighter note I had a great meeting yesterday for the foundation.  We have so many great things coming up to help benefit Bella Bowman foundation.  Keep posted for the dates and events!   We will be on 96.1 The River on Friday,  March 2 at 7am.  And Bellas story will be playing throughout the 3 days the fundraiser will be going on.

Missing Bella

Yesterday I went to a baby shower for 2 friends who I love dearly.  Someone gave them a bag full of books.  All of them were Bellas favorite. No David! and Brown Bear Brown Bear and Goodnight moon. It made me sad to because I could remember all the thousands of times I read those to her and then she learned how to read them to me.  Its those darn memories that get me every time.

Today I went to see Bella and there were some sweet letters from her friends that went to visit her.  Every time I go to visit her I have to bring her a surprise.  I really feel like she is smiling big when I bring it to her.  My mom and I went shopping today and it just wasn't the same.  I was looking in the children department and I had things in my hand and then I just had to drop everything and move on to a different section.  Bella was my partner when we would shop.  I miss my best friend.

The Healing Mass at OLOL Hospital

Today was a very special day for Trey and I.  We got to go back to the chapel at OLOL Hospital and speak on Bellas behalf.  It was hard to speak about her today because we miss her so much.  We had a slide show of many pictures of her during her 8 years of life.  In every picture I could remember exactly what we were doing or what she was saying.  She would have loved the music and would have probably asked us where the nativity scene was?  The last time we were there was a year ago 3 days after her brain surgery and she sat with the life size nativity scene for a hour and didn't want to go back to her room.   Those are the memories that are so hard to deal with because they are so real in our hearts and are replayed over and over again in our minds.  Memories....

Bella's Mom

I feel like everywhere I go someone knows or has heard Bella"s story.  I think I need to start introducing myself as Bella's mom instead of Kim.  That makes me happy!  But on the other hand when someone doesn't know the story then I almost feel sorry for them.  Thats why I feel so compelled to continue her story and journey!

Tonight I am going to a bible study at my sister n law's house and I can't wait to praise His name!  Someone not to long ago asked me if I am angry with God?  And I explained that God is the reason that I am here and why I was chosen to be Bellas mommy.  There are times I might not agree with some of His decisions in my life but I just have faith that this is Gods plan and there is a reason He has done what He has done, and I have to try not to ask Why but what do I need to do next?  And every time I pray about it, the foundation is always my answer.  It s great to know what your purpose is.  Do you know what your purpose is?

I am very excited about tomorrow's mass for a couple of reasons.  One is because I get to talk about Bella,  second because I get to see my friends at OLOL Children's Hospital!

My Very First Blog

I am so excited because this is my very first blog!  I have to first say THANK YOU so much to Katie Lovetro for making this beautiful blog.  She has been working very hard for the past 3 days to make this happen.  You are the best!
It has been a little over a month since Bella has gone to heaven and I have to say it is probably the hardest time right now!  I miss her every second of every day.  But what keeps me going is her sister Baylor and the Bella Bowman Foundation.  We are speaking this Friday at 11:30 at OLOL Hospital's healing mass and I am so proud to be able to continue her story.  We also just sent her story to OLOL Children's Hospital Wee Believe magazine so they can tell her story through their publication.
We have a lot of very exciting things coming up and I will try to blog as much as possible.  Thank you again for everyones ongoing prayers and support!