Oops...Its been way too long!

Wow...Its been since july since I posted.   Soo much has happened. Lets see if I can get everyone caught up.

 Jasmine's summer didnt go quite as planned. I started having some pretty serious health problems, which totally freaked Jasmine out. To the point that she became pretty much glued to my side. She didnt want to go anywhere without me.  When things finally settled down with that, My oldest sister passed away at the end of August.  All of us were completely heartbroken. Jasmine just couldnt understand why and how this could happen.  School started 2 weeks later.  Jasmine is in 4th grade, and has an amazing teacher.  She is doing very well in school.  We are in the PTSA this year, and have loved being involved and getting to know more people at the school.

November 16th marked the 4 year anniversary of finding out about Jasmine's abuse.  That day will always be hard for me. That day, our lives changed forever.  I can still so vividly remember every detail about that night.  I can remember what we were all wearing. The tone of my mothers voice. The look on Jasmine's face. How she cried herself to sleep in my arms. How I kept telling her that we loved her more than anything in the world, and she was safe now. How I promised it would be okay, even though I had no idea how. How I felt like I had been shot in the chest. My heart literally felt like it was being ripped into a million pieces. I felt like I couldnt breathe...the heartbreak, fear, sadness and RAGE was too much. Its amazing how far we have come. How far Jasmine has come.  Jasmine just went to counseling, and they talked about Jasmine telling her story.  A while back, I posted about Jasmine wanting to help other victims. This will be the beginning of that.  Jasmine is going to begin, at her next appointment, writing out her story in a book. She will talk about what happened, going to CARES for her exam and intake, going to court, going through treatment, how her story helped the CAMEO event donate almost $40,000 to the childrens center, and how she has come out of this traumatic event a strong, loving, caring little person. How she now sees herself as a SURVIVOR, not a victim.  Once the book is done, she will present it to family and friends.  She then wants to start volunteering, and speaking to young victims who are just starting out on their painful and very scary journey.  I am completely blown away by her determination to do this.  I am also prepared for some rough times that will come along with her remembering all of the horrific details of everything she went through.  I am so proud of her, and the little lady she is becoming. I know I say this all the time, but she truly is my hero, and she inspires me everyday to be a better person.

I will update soon...