Darla Green:  

Life My life changed dramatically in January of 2010 when I was admitted to the hospital with kidney, pancreas and liver failure, septicemia and E-coli. For several days the odds were just as high for me to live as to die. It was rewarding to have my family flock to my side. Although I was sleeping most of the day, each time I opened my eyes briefly I would see my husband and oldest daughter quietly working on their lap tops, side by side. My youngest daughter would bring her friends to brighten my day, and my middle daughter flew in to care for me for a couple of weeks after I was released from the hospital. We had promised my youngest daughter a Senior Trip to Disneyland over Spring Break at the end of March. My health was still frail, so we rented a wheel chair to enable me to join my family on the trip. The day after we returned home my husband was informed that he was one of the employees Intel was "letting go" in their most recent 10% cut-back. It was a tough year. After 6 months of unemployment my husband accepted a job in San Diego. He left immediately and I was left to sell the house, joining him about a half year later. The climate of San Diego is amazing, but Portland has been home. I still desperately miss my friends. If I were asked what the most important things I had accomplished in my life were, I would respond "being a mom, and sharing my love of music." People are often incredulous when they see my three girls together. They love each other dearly. It's rewarding to see their tight bond. After high school I completed a Bachelor's degree in Music Education at BYU. I utilize that degree to teach 20 piano students, sharing my love of music with them and helping them excel in the fine arts. I play the organ at church, am choir director and teach genealogy. I do service wherever I can. I help monthly at the Community Resource Center, helping the needy find the food they need from the little "store". My husband is a computer board designer. Opportunities have taken us to Pittsburgh, where he obtained a Masters at Carnegie Mellon. We have also lived in Utah, New Jersey, then spent 7 years in Laguna Hills, CA, before moving to Portland where we lived for 17 years of our 37 year marriage. We have been in San Diego almost 6 years now. We have three daughters. All of the girls sing. We have a family tradition of caroling for hours to our closest friends on Christmas Eve. It's been fun, as the girls have gotten older, to sing in harmony. Each plays the piano. Sometimes they object strongly, but I pretend they all love making music as much as I do, and often they actually do. Our oldest daughter, Amy, is 36. She graduated from the University of Oregon's architectural college and is now working in New York utilizing her LEED experience...Expand for more