I have a lot to fill you in with. I have spent the last couple of weeks being busy as ever. I have been able to enjoy so much!

Travis, Ragnar, & me

It started with a couple of holiday parties a couple of weeks ago. Followed by being able to attend and breathe outside in the cold at another football game. It was a great overtime win for the Vikings. We even had a picture with Ragnar, Vikings mascot. If Ragnar ever retires, Travis could play the part. After all, he has a head start with his coat.

Annual girls holiday get together

I spent a couple of nights with different groups of girlfriends rejoicing the holidays. My niece also had a choir concert that I was able to attend. But, I did have to miss out on a family gathering. This time not because I wasn’t feeling well. I have to be very careful especially this time of year. With all the cold and flu that circulates I do tend to hibernate quite a bit during the winter.

One of the family members was just getting over strep throat. With a suppressed immune system I have to be extra cautious being around anyone who has recently been sick. They were very sweet to offer to reschedule. I said “absolutely not”. It is not easy when coordinating a large group. I understand there are just certain things I will need to miss out on. I am glad they continued with their dinner. I am lucky to have understanding friends and family that notify me before hand if someone is not feeling well.

Last Saturday, we brought our neighbor, Sarah, with us to do a large portion of toy shopping for Toys for Tots. Our niece Lauren, was supposed to come with us but wasn’t feeling well. We picked out all sorts of goodies!

Sarah, me, & Travis buying toys

Monday, I spoke at Park High School’s health classes about organ, eye, and tissue donation in Cottage Grove with my buddy Bill. We rode together and grabbed some breakfast before heading to the school. He surprised me with a gift, a t-shirt with this in the front! Thanks Bill, I will wear it proudly! Most people don’t like to reveal their age. I am proud to say I’m 39! Age is not something to be embarrassed about. It is a privilege to celebrate another year living and breathing! The morning of my 39th birthday, I headed down to the University of Minnesota. I first had my foot poked and the lab took something from me. Then I gave something to them. They took blood. I delivered cookies. I brought cookies to the lab, the ICU (intensive care unit), the 6th floor nursing station, the pharmacy, the lung clinic, and the specialty infusion center. These are all areas that took care of me during my transplant. I was able to celebrate another year alive and I wanted to hand out some holiday treats.

After circulating cookies, I picked up Lauren. We went and grabbed a few more toys and headed to Kare11 News to drop them off. We had so many toys, they wouldn’t all fit in my car! Thanks to our friend Aimee who came over with her truck to deliver! Look at the puppy, it’s like he is saying, “I’m going to a kid that is going to love me”!

Someone will love me Christmas morning!

Lauren, Aimee, Marine, & me

I had to take a picture of all the receipts from our shopping sprees. I felt like this was a Christmas list from all the kids. You helped fulfill these wishes!I want to Thank everyone for your contributions. With your donations, Lauren, Aimee, and I dropped off 340 toys!!! There are definitely going to be smiles Christmas morning on some happy kiddos’ faces when they unwrap one of your toys! Thanks again for allowing me to be your private shopper and delivery gal!If you click on the link, you will see Lauren and I waving at about the 1:40 mark and again at the 2:10 mark on Kare11

Last year after we delivered toys, Lauren and I had a photo taken with Belinda Jensen  (Kare11 Meteorologist). We asked her for a photo again this year. She immediately remembered us from last year. She had remembered, last year when we dropped off toys, that I had recently received my life saving double lung transplant. She asked how I was doing and feeling. After a brief conversation, she graciously allowed another picture with her.

Then to find out, Belinda had posted something on her facebook page! I was with Dana when one of her friends tagged her. Thank you so much Belinda for the support and sharing! Here is the link to the post:

Nikki and her niece came by KARE 11 News backyard today and said hello on her birthday, as with many donors there are some amazing stories.
She writes this in her email to me.

So nice to see you again on my birthday while delivering toys with my niece. I have delivered on this day for over a decade. With my new lungs, it has a whole new meaning. I now donate in honor of my donor and their family. I get the chance to celebrate another year alive because of the selfless gift I have received.

This year I was able to gather over 300 toys and some cash donations. I can only imagine the smiles on the children’s faces Christmas morning.

Thanks for being such great supporters for Toys for Tots.

Thank you Nikki we will see you next year!

After our delivery, we met up with my family for dinner. Dana & I then met up with Aimee again to finish the night celebrating my birthday. I had a wonderful birthday. There is one thing that would have made it the best birthday though. Travis unfortunately had to be out of town all week 😦  I missed him but we will celebrate together.

The following day I went to the annual LifeSource volunteer holiday luncheon. It is always fun to catch up with other life saving transplant recipients. There are also many donor families I have met and got to know that attend. We all have a different story to tell about our connection to donation and transplantation. Each one of these stories are important in spreading awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation. We must all have been good this year. Santa showed up and delivered Donate Life tote bags to everyone.

Later that evening, my brother took my mom and I to the Ordway to see the holiday play.

Me & my brother John

Travis came home last night 🙂 We went over to Dana and Lauren’s house to watch the movie Elf. It felt like we were sitting in our own little elf village. They have a very naughty Elf on the Shelf named Clyde. He had just made an appearance. He has been very mischievous leading up to Lauren’s winter break. But I believe this is the finale for the year, you will see what he wrote. The best part is, even Dana doesn’t know who “Clyde” is. This all happens while Dana is at work and Lauren is at school! The other thing is, all the furniture in the house was also moved. You’ll notice the tree is even in Lauren’s room, not the living room. Enjoy these pictures. Hopefully if you have an Elf on a Shelf he isn’t as naughty at your house!

Clyde hanging out

Dana’s queen size bed!

Living room couch on opposite side of room

One of the bathroom’s. Don’t worry, the other was “decorated” too.

Wonder what’s in these gifts?

Thank goodness he’s left until next year!