*Photography by BC Baggett
Well, we have been in our new home for almost six weeks now and have not changed a thing. The Designers did such a great job with the whole house! I loved the fact that when we walked into our home for the first time that there were pictures of the kids everywhere! All the small details that you would put into a home yourself, were already there for us.
So, how has life changed for the Farina Family? We have so much more time to spend together as a family now. Steve no longer has to worry about coming home right after work to tackle another job on the house. He usually comes home to take over the kitchen from me, since he says that I can't cook! I will admit that he is a much better cook than myself so I let him cook and I have to clean up his mess!
The kids love their rooms! Bryan has discovered that if you line up his tree house full of cars and push them down the slide that they do make it into the bathroom. He has the ultimate ‘camo room that will easy grow with him. I am very glad that his room is downstairs and don't have to worry about him falling down the stairs in the middle of the night.
Summer's room is a big hit with every little kid. I wish that I I would have had a room like hers when I was little. Summer only has to come out of her room when it is time to eat. She has had a few friends spend the night and they sleep in her own person front room.
As for miss Laci, I have had to do some shopping in her room! This little girl of mine could go four months without wearing the same outfit twice. She is all about fashion and has fashion shows every weekend.
Steven and I get to retreat to the master bedroom at the end of the day to relax in the best bathroom on earth! I really wish that I had this bathroom last year when I spent so much time lying on the floor. Ty made sure that if my cancer ever came back that I would have the coolest bedroom and bathroom to enjoy, since that is where I would spend a lot of time. I even have a couch in the bathroom!
My Relay office is the room that I have been in the most. I start everyday in that office and end my days there too. I will be reminded every day that I sit in there just the reason that I was put on this earth!
I would like to thank Cher Reed, who is just like a sister to me, for nominating us. When she brought the application over she said that it would probably never amount to anything, but at least she would know she tried. That makes me want to do a whole lot more for others.
Thank you To Kerstiens Homes & Designs for accepting to take on the biggest and craziest project that they have ever done. Our lives are changed forever. Without the kindness of your heart, we would not be in the best home that we are in. Thank you for buying the Shady Inn and tearing it down so we could still have a yard! Our new home is well built, strong, and everything that we could have hoped for. Thank you Kerstiens and FC Tucker for raising money to pay off the mortgage and property taxes for ten years! I can't believe that we are going to be able to pay off our medical bills and build a savings account again! Thank you to all the contractors who volunteered to work with their competition to build a great home for us.
Thank you to everyone who took time out of their lives to come down to watch, work, and walk at the Relay. Thank you to the American Cancer Society for putting on five back to back Relay For Life Events. My story could not have been told without the ACS. I hope that everyone who came out for Relay got hooked and will be back with their own teams year after year.
Thanks for all of the cards and letters from perfect strangers that sent their best wishes!
Last but not least, THANK YOU Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for coming to St. Meinrad and changing our lives for the better. The whole cast and crew were so nice and down to earth. We had the best time in Disney and the best week of our whole lives. Thank you for doing what you do, touching lives and making things so much easier. I look forward to watching many more years of EMHE and am honored to be on of the Extreme Family's.
Love, The Farinas:
Steve, Shawna, Laci, Summer, and Bryan
