If you remember anything at all from this phone call, understand that

"you'll be okay."

That was what my doctor told me when I received the news. The news I so greatly wanted to be a nightmare. The news that no one ever wants to hear. It was the type of news you'd believe would never happen to you. The scary, uncertain, dark, empty, gut-wrenching type.

Okay, Here's the Truth : I was diagnosed with CANCER.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma to be exact.

At just twenty years old, I had learned the meaning of "fighting for your life." There was no way you could have told me that this was in my future but I was going to fight! I was going to fight because I had too much to live for. I may have had Cancer but Cancer was not going to have me.

It was strange. I put on my big girl pants and started on this long trek back to recovery and yet every part of me wanted to ignore the fact that I, Nicole, had Cancer. I avoided talking about it. I went to appointments and got treated and even though I was going through the motions, I had absolutely no feeling. I went numb. I didn't voice my opinion about it. I didn't cry. I didn't get angry nor was I hurt. I avoided it at all costs. I was in denial.

No one knew my secret. I kept it hidden as best I could. I didn't want the pity and I didn't want to be anyone's burden. I wanted to still be seen as the "Nicole" everyone knew.

Treatment sucked. Constant nausea can turn even the slightest movement into vomit. Cancer brain is a real thing ; Trust me. And I never knew I would understand as much medical terminology as I do now.

Eventually things got better. I was put into remission and life started looking up. The months went by and I got the chance to get back to a somewhat "normal" version of myself.  But Cancer is more than just a disease. It comes with issues I never saw coming. Anxiety. Depression. Insecurity. And still I came to terms with my diagnosis. I accepted that this was another chapter in my story and that it would not last forever. I began to ask questions. Do research. Allow people to know that Cancer had played a role in my life. I wasn't ashamed. I wasn't upset. I learned it was okay to cry, asking for help does not make you weak, and you can not control everything.

It was time for yet another follow up scan. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Results were in: It was back. Recurrence. Relapse. Cancer had returned.

You could only imagine how my heart sunk when my doctor revealed the news.

I put on my big girl pants AGAIN and started right back on the journey to recovery.

And that's where I'm at now.

Still Fighting. Still Striving. Still Living.

 And Stronger than Yesterday.

I do not know when this chapter will end but nowhere in my text will it read,

"I gave up."

A Baby is Born!

August 1st, 2016

If you could imagine how it feels to not be there on one of the biggest day's of your sister's life , you can only imagine how I felt when I woke up to a message from my sister and her husband letting me know she was at the hospital and ready for her baby boy to arrive.

I made sure my phone was charged all day because I could not possibly miss any updates.

Her water broke....

Epidural....

5 Centimeters...6 Centimeters...8 Centimeters....9 Centimeters....

The anticipation is killing me.

Practice Pushing. This boy is coming soon!

10 Centimeters.....

Pushing......Pushing........Pushhhiinnnnggggg........

Welcome to the World Sweet Baby Boy!!!

Ten little fingers and ten little toes.

Happy, Healthy, and oh so very Handsome.

Photography by: Desiree Walker

He entered the ring at TEN pounds, Eight ounces, and 22 inches long.

(Yes, you read that right. TEN POUNDS!)

To My Sweet Nephew:

I can only imagine the little boy you will be. We are so happy you're finally here. Mama and I have talked about you since we found out about you and there's not a more perfect baby boy I could have imagined for her.

You are Special. You are Handsome. You are so Loved.

I promise to love you as I would my own. I promise to encourage you to do all that you dream and always reach further than the stars.

I promise to buy you all the cool toys and when mom says no, Titi will probably buy it for you anyways. I promise to hold you a little longer, kiss you a little more, and always steal the best cookies just for you. Near or far, I will always be in your heart.

To My Sister:

You felt him. He was a pea. Then a lemon. Then an eggplant.
You followed advice. You probably read about 12 books. You ate healthy. I knew you were a little scared. You talked to him. Sang to him. You made yourself as ready as you could be. And then he was here. TEN pounds of Love. You held him. You fed him. You realized that you would spend your life doing whatever makes him happy. You two are growing together. You both are seeing the world like it is brand new.

You made Him, but He made you a Mother.

I can not be more proud of the woman you have become. Motherhood looks amazing on you. You have brought one of the best gifts there is to life. You carried him in your belly. You helped him grow. And then you kicked butt to welcome him into this world.

He is your son and you will always be his mother.

I am over the moon happy for you and Ian.

Welcome to the World Lucas Sampson Butler!

Photography By: Desiree Walker

Hopelessly Old-Fashioned

"There is a beautiful thing inside you that is thousands of years old.
Too old to be captured in poems.
Too old to be loved by everyone.
But loved so very deeply by a chosen few."


I remember growing up, especially when I got into my teenage years, constantly telling myself

"I can't wait until I'm an adult."

Back then, I thought I would do things completely different from my parents. I had all these ideas of ways I would do these "cool, adult things".

Now I look back and wish I could be a kid again, haha.

My husband is actually 7 years older than myself and is always reminding me of my "Old Soul."

You see, all those years I said I wouldn't be my parents or elder family members,

I TURNED INTO THEM.

Disclaimer: I am aware that everyone has their own opinion and this is my own. I understand some of these topics can be controversial but I believe we can agree to disagree.

Now, Back to the Blog.

In this day and age, there is a lot of Women Empowerment.

Yes, I do believe that a woman can have a career of their choosing and be successful with that career.

But, while I believe that it is important to do things that you love, I believe as a wife you have "duties" as well.

Now these duties don't have specific gender roles and each relationship is different but I'll leave you with this example. My mother worked as soon as I could use the bathroom by myself and also came home and made dinner and kept our home clean.

As a adult now, I am a Marine and I still come home and hold down the fort.

Growing up, my parents always sent us outside to play. My brother and cousins and I would spend hours upon hours outside. We would play until the street lights came on.

I loved playing outside. We would climb trees and play sports almost everyday. 

Often times, we would let our grass get a little too long in our backyard.

One of my fondest memories as a child was when my cousin Allison and I would pretend to be in the wild and find imaginary animals with our Steve Irwin voices.

I see a lot of children stuck in the house playing on some sort of tablet or gaming device.

While I know that there are educational apps and games that can benefit children, I think that getting them outside and showing them how awesome it really is to be able to play for hours is so much more beneficial.

These are memories that you are creating for those children and I promise that when they get older they will appreciate that.

You know that old saying, "Save that for the bedroom" ?

I don't always keep up with all the new fashion trends simply because I believe they can be a little revealing. I'm just not sure you really need to have your breasts and your butt falling out of your clothes. Now don't get me wrong, I think some items can be flattering.

There is a happy medium.

Recently, my husband and I went on a shopping date. While on this date, we passed by a young lady maybe 15-17 years old. I couldn't help but noticed her butt cheeks literally coming out of her shorts.

I mean, you know that crease where the bottom of your butt meets the back of your thighs?

Everyone and their mother could see hers and I really only had one question.

What are you trying to prove?

Now this last one really irks me.

RESPECT!

Is this some sort of foreign language these days? I seriously cringe at the lack of respect people have for others. This is for all ages, children and adults.

It's almost like it was forgotten or lost.

When someone holds the door open for you as your walking into a store, say thank you!

There is nothing wrong with saying please.

I saw a little boy take his hand and wipe out everything on the isle because his mom said he couldn't get a candy he wanted. That same little boy then spit in his mothers face as we waited in line.

If you're not a people person, you should probably not work retail.

I was purchasing a birthday cake and needed the bakery to write something on the cake. I asked the lady working in the deli, right alongside the bakery, if she could contact someone that can help me.

The lady looked at me like I was asking her to murder someone, shrugged her shoulders, and walked away to gossip with another girl in the back.

 These are just the few ways I think I could have been born in the wrong century.

I could write a novel about all the other ways but this post would be crazy long.

I hope this gave y'all a little laugh.

Can you relate to any of these?

Current Song:

Lost Boy; Ruth B

Question of the Day:

In what ways did you carry on things your parents did?

-HastaLaBridges

Hello Sweet World.

Where in the world has Nicole been?

Update in 3,2,1 !

Since my "How We Met" Post a lot has happened.

-My sister had her Baby Shower.

We drove down to my hometown (Oxnard, Ca) and celebrated the upcoming arrival of Lucas.

It was great spending some time with family I hadn't seen in years.

-We made a spontaneous trip to Disneyland and had so much fun.

It was Brandon's first time EVER!

-My husband and I treated my dad to a Fathers Day/Birthday weekend.

He enjoyed a lunch and dinner along with a little shopping day.

-We spent more time with Family at our baby cousin William's 7th Birthday Party.

I still can't get over how fast the children in our lives are growing.

-We spent the Fourth of July weekend at Lake Morena Camping.

It was nice to get away from the real world for a bit and just enjoy the outdoors.

-Brandon showed me the Pokémon Go app and I am currently obsessed, haha.

-My brother gathered up a bunch of family and friends and had a big BBQ.

We ate. We drank. We danced.

-I am really considering started a YouTube channel.

I think it would be so cool to record all these memories to look back on.

What do you think ?

Would you tune into those videos?

-North Carolina here we come!!!!

I am beyond excited to announce that we are making a trip out to North Carolina.

We'll be visiting with my husband's side of the family and some old friend we haven't seen in quite some time. Also, we will get to meet the two newest additions to the Bridges' Family. My brother in law, Zac, will be welcoming twin girls! How exciting is that?

*I am currently coming up with an upload schedule so bare with me.

Hope this post has brought everyone up to pace.

I can't wait to continue this journey with you all.

Thank you for all of your love and support.

It truly means the world.

Current Song:

How to Save a Life; The Frey

Question of the Day:

What exciting things has life brought you recently?

-HastaLaBridges

SUNDAZE

I woke up this morning motivated and ready to have a productive Sunday.

At 0630, I took the pups for a walk.

When we got back to the house, I cleaned up my kitchen, started a load of laundry, and took out some meat to thaw out for tonight's dinner.

My Sunday's usually consist of cleaning up and preparing for the week ahead.

It's always a laundry day which by the way, I actually enjoy doing laundry.

(Weird, I know.)

I'm also the type of person that needs to plan EVERYTHING.

I take out time to write in my planner and get things organized.

I'll typically sit at my desk with some coffee and some music and get things going while my husband sleeps in a bit longer.

I'm a huge YouTube junkie so I also like to catch up on videos.

My mother in law will call or I'll call her and we chat for a bit.

(I also actually get along with Mother in Law which apparently is rare these days)

Our weeks have been packed with Summer Fun so it's really nice to sit back and relax when all the work that needs to be done is done.

Puppy snuggles and Netflix is always a great way to end the weekend.

Tonight on the Menu:

Chicken and Garlic Buttered Shrimp Foil Packet

served with Roasted Potatoes and Corn on the Cob

Current Song:

Ama Be Happy; Archduke ft Jenee Jones

Question of the Day:

Do you have a typical Sunday Routine?

-HastaLaBridges

Our Love Story Goes A Little Something Like THIS!

Often times I get questioned about my relationship with my husband.

How did we meet? Where is he from?

So Ladies and Gents, It's story time!

As some of you may know, my husband's name is Brandon.

He is a Corpsman in the United States Navy.

People often ask how a Carolina Man and a California Girl crossed paths long enough to get married.

We actually met across the world on a little island called Okinawa, Japan with good ol' 9th ESB.

One day I received a friend request from him on Facebook. I knew that he could possibly be in my company but wasn't too sure. Before approving this request, I sent him a message and simply questioned "Do I know you?"

I don't typically approve people I do not know.

He responded shortly after and had stated that he was our Company Corpsman and that he usually adds the Marines in his company.

We had a little small talk and that was the end of that.

Little did I know, I would marry this man.

It was a little weird. I was stuck in a place where I didn't want a relationship and enjoying his company. I had recently ended a 3 year relationship and I wasn't sure that starting something new with someone else was the right thing to do. I believe he felt the same because it only lasted a couple weeks and then we had went our separate ways.

After some time apart, we began to hang out again. It was one of those things where we followed each others lead. We remained friends for a while before ever actually making a relationship.

I was figuring out some issues with my ex and he was in the process of getting divorced.

 DISCLAIMER: He had been pending divorce prior to us even getting back in contact with each other. Keep in mind, he was never in a relationship when we had first met and we had started hanging out much later.

Fast-Forward a bit in time. We made things official in July of 2014. I left Japan in September of 2014 and he remained in Japan until the end of December 2014. Needless to say it was a very long distance relationship and it remained long distance until we were married.

I was stationed in California and he was stationed in South Carolina.

I surprised him when he came home in December for leave and he came out to California a few months later.

After 10 months of being together, we got married on May 1, 2015 in Ventura, California.

Yeah Yeah, I know. Most people think that's extremely fast.

But hey! What's fast for you may not be fast for someone else.

We have now been married for a little over a year and I am over the moon in love with my best friend. He is often times the biggest pain in my butt but we balance each other out and have the best of times together.

One of my favorite quotes reads:

Sometimes the greatest relationships are the ones you never expected to be in. The ones that sweep you off your feet and challenge every view you've every had.

*This post was inspired by my friend Valeria who posted her love story recently.

Be sure to check out her blog:

Loveisseekingpeace.blogspot.com

Question of the Day:

Where did your love story begin?

Until Next Time,

Hasta La Bridges

Motherhood.

My name is Nicole. I have a warm place in my heart for puppy dogs and helping others.

And I am a Mother.

All of us mothers may have different jobs. Whether you manage your own business, maintain being a stay at home mom with your children, or have joined a military branch like myself. Whatever it is you do, we all have a common goal; to support, love, and cherish our children.

We are all mothers.

I actually lost a beautiful angel last summer. It's something I don't always like to remember but it is absolutely impossible to forget. It will always be a part of me and I will always be her mother.

I am a firm believer that Motherhood has very little to do with biology.

It does not matter whether you lost a child, had a child, adopted or fostered a child, or are even pregnant now.

YOU are a mother; and don't let anyone tell you differently.

I believe the moment you find out you're pregnant you become so invested in becoming a mother.

You begin questioning who the child will look like, whether or not it is a boy or a girl, or just what name will be the perfect fit.

I am a mother whose lost their child entirely way too soon.

I remember getting a positive pregnancy test and being completely flabbergasted.

In fact, I was so much in awe that I made sure to test again.

I called my husband and just like word vomit, the words poured out of my mouth.

"I'm Pregnant."

I thought about what I would be like as a mother.

Would I be "that mom" and not let her child touch anything in fear of germs and bacteria?

Would I be the mom who lets her little boy play in the dirt and ruin his brand new outfit?

Or would I be a mixture of all the mothers who have influenced my life?

I never got the chance to even remotely find out.

I am a mother who lost her child due to miscarriage.

Let me tell you one thing that's for sure:

I learned how to be independent very early on. I learned to provide for myself. I had a career and a savings account. I had dealt with family deaths, break ups, and being long distances from home.

But NOTHING, I mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the loss of my child.

There was not one thing you could have told me to make me feel better. Not one thing you could have bought me or shared with me to make my heart feel less pain.

God needed an Angel and took my sweet baby long before I could ever hear it's laughter.

To those who have only got to carry your child for a short period of time or have had to deliver your child stillborn,  you are a Mother no Mother should ever have to relate to. Today is your day too!

To those of you who got to hear your child's giggles and first words but nothing more,
you are a Mother.

To those of you who have had to pick up where others have left off for whatever reason, you have loved that child as they were your own. You deserve this day as well. You are a mother.

To the Mother's who have the joy of spending this day with your children, know that we envy you. Take advantage of this day and enjoy your children's growth. It goes too fast. Cherish this day as your own.
You are a Mother.

My Dearest Angel Baby, I carried you for every second of your life and I will love you for every second of mine.

Happiest of Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there.
Today is your day and I hope you enjoy it as so.

Until Next Time,
Hasta La Bridges