Rounding the Corner

It's about to get real!!!  When we move, it will be 7 years that we've been in this house and 14 years that we've been in TN.  The Dr and I will have celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary!! This fact hit me when we were going through things this weekend.  We've been purging, and packing and getting out house ready to put on the market.  Paining and cleaning and all kinds of things that need to get done to get rid of "us" so that someone can picture "them" in our house.  I am going to miss this farm, but I am reading to be able to drive to visit my mom whenever I want.  I am ready to see our families and friends often.... I miss the warmth although I will miss the 4 seasons here.

Our kids have grown up here and they will be leaving behind their friends. That hurts, but they are ready.  We have had good and bad times here.  We've made friends and lost friends. It's been good.. but the packing... that is stirring up a lot of memories. A LOT!!

I am having a hard time letting go of some things.  There are homeschool books that I wanted to keep.  But right now, I have no reason to keep them.  I am keeping my favorites like my D'allaire books.

Pretty soon, the kids will have to start packing up their things. They will have to make decisions. Aaron has already made some and that is good.  He is letting go.  I think this accident has helped him realize what is important. I know that it has helped me to let go.

I don't look forward to moving this family 10 hours away. I am thinking we will need 3 Uhauls..LOL and a few Suburban loads.  My mom has allowed me to use a room to move my sewing stuff to until after we get there. That will be the last thing I unpack..although I am sure I will bring along a hand project to do until my room is done.

If you think about, please keep our family in your prayer as we will be going through a major change (like the move isn't major enough) in January and our whole family could use some prayers.

Here are a few pictures of the last couple of months.  Zane man his first and last touchdown as a starting Center for his high school career.  It was during the playoffs.  We also had his last football banquet, and he was again was part of the 8 Man Extreme All Star Game  He was in his school's production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

We have a Walker

Aaron went to the Dr yesterday for his 2 week post External Fixator Removal (pin removal)  James took off of work and we headed into the city and Vandy.  Have I told you how much of a blessing it has been to have Vandy nearby??   

So, Aaron arrived in his wheel chair and they took him back for X-rays.  Then the Dr (and the students that are always following him) came him and talked to us about Physical Therapy, his meds, any questions, etc... We were thrilled that there are no metal parts left in Aaron.  So no card that he has to carry around to let security know why he is setting the metal detectors off. I think he was secretly hoping to have to carry one...boys...LOL

Then he asked Aaron if he thought he could stand..and my boy did this!!!  

Y'all..my boy stood up!!!  I had forgotten how tall he was!!!  He said he felt weird and he was a tad wobbly.  He got back in the wheelchair and we headed out to try to find a walker but stopped at a Mexican place on the way.. He said, "Dad don't get my chair.  I want to walk, but I need to lean on you."  This picture... oh my!!  I cried...  My boy is walking!!!!  We went to the store only to have Aaron tell us that he didn't need one.  All this while leaning on a basket.  So, we left the store and headed home.  He got out of the car and walked inside...unaided... then he took a shower...  a very long shower got dressed and we went to Zane's football game.....

This is the first game that I got to watch.  I was feeling so bad because I have missed all his games so far.  But I tell you what, Zane is an awesome kid.  He was so excited to see Aaron there. I think more excited than he was to see me.  Even though they don't show it much, I know that they love each other.  Lydia cried when I showed her the picture of Aaron walking and she was beaming when she saw him walk out of the bathroom.  

Please continue to pray for Aaron's physical healing.  He tires easily and we still have to monitor his blood levels for the blood clot that he had in the hospital.  Also, please pray for his spiritual and emotional healing.  

Thanks

R

Well....at least....

Why do we use that phrase?  I remember when The Dr and I were going through the rough part of infertility people would say "well, at least you are married"  "well, at least you don't have a child with a handicap"  or after we adopted "well, at least you didn't have to go through labor".  Absolutely none of that made me feel better.

Since Aaron's accident I have heard that several times.  Many of it was said it good spirits   "Well, at least he didn't die" or "Well, at least he will walk again"  And that is all true.  But why do we have to trivialize what someone is going through.  That's how I see it.. When someone says "Well, at least" what they are saying is "what you are going through is rough, but it isn't that bad".  In the grand scheme of things yes, this is correct..but when you are in the moment.. when you are sleeping in a hospital bed listening to the beeps that signify that your child is not breathing on their own...it's big... I'm sorry but it is.

The Dr and I have good friends who, for the past 2 years, have gone through what no parent wants to go through.  Their daughter was struggling to stay alive.  Yes, it was harder than what we are going through.  But you know what this guy did just days after Aaron's wreck.  When we were updating about all that was going on.... He messaged me:  "Praying for you guys.  We understand all the emotions"  There was no, "Well, at least"  He understood and acknowledged that it was hard and that we needed prayer.  And he prayed for us.

You know, 24 days after Aaron's wreck..on the day that we were finally able to bring him home..this friend.. this dear friend and his beautiful wife..said goodbye to their youngest daughter and Jesus welcomed her home..

Y'all,  why can't we just love one another and "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ"

I see on the great Black Hole, otherwise known as Facebook people are complaining about all the coverage that Houston is getting.. Well, what about us??  At least they don't have fires... STOP!!  People are suffering.  Do what you can to help those that you can and stop trying to make your problem seem bigger and theirs smaller!

Just my thoughts today and if you think about it..please pray for our friends.. they have left the country and are enjoying some time to heal and reconnect.

Aaron Update and a Quilt

Well Aaron had his external fixator removed Tuesday. The Dr took off and we all headed to the hospital at 5:30 AM!! AM people...  Aaron stayed up all night playing video games so that he would sleep during the procedure.  The gave him a sedative, but didn't knock him out all the way.  They took him back around 7 and by 10:15 we were on our way home. His Dr wants him off his feet for 2 more weeks and then he said he can start putting some weight on his legs.  He asked for McDonalds for breakfast.  We made it just in time before they started serving lunch.

He asked to stop at a store on the way home, so they dropped me off at Hobby Lobby so that I could get some thread.  I've been sewing up a storm and I needed thread for piecing.

I finished the jelly roll quilt. I put borders on after this picture was taken, but Harvey the Hurricane arrived in TN and it's been raining since.  So, I couldn't take it outside for pictures.  The Dr had to work late Monday, so I finished the top while he was at work.

I love this pattern.  I have a bunch of scraps that I plan on using to make a few more.  The scraps are from my friend that I posted about before.  There are plenty of strips that I can easily trim down to 2 1/2 inch and 1 1/2 inch for this pattern.  I found one blog that cut the center strip 10 inches and it made the quilt more of a twin size.  This is what I am going to do next.  I am hoping to get some charity quilts made before we move.  The fabric that she gave me would be perfect for what I want to do.

Please continue to pray for Aaron.  Thanks

Quilting

I had big plans for several quilts that needed to be finished this summer.  One was a quilt that I was making for Aaron.  I've put it aside, it takes too much thought and I just can't think right now.  So, I picked up a bit of English Paper Piecing that I've had in the planning stages and started working on it.  It's a Sue Daley design.  It was actually a Sew Along that I saved when she started it and never got around to it.  The fabrics are French General by Moda.  This is a favorite line of mine. I think mainly because it is French inspired.

I got this far before we had to bring Aaron back to the hospital.  And now I have a pinched nerve from sleeping in a hospital chair, so handwork is out.

I can't just sit idle, so I went digging in my sewing room and came across the following fabrics that were given to me by an old friend who no longer quilted.  I presented the first picture to my favorite Facebook quilting group and they helped me to choose a color that I needed to complete this design.  The vote was to use a brown. So, I went digging some more and found the perfect brown!!  

I love shopping my stash!  I know that there are people who don't understand the need for a stash. These 2 examples are a good reason why.  I couldn't go shopping and I needed to be creative.  If I had to drive all the way into town (45 min) to get what I needed, there is no way I would have been able to start anything.. and creativity is my therapy. I needed therapy!!!!

Pain

Monday afternoon, Aaron woke up from a nap in severe pain in his lower back.  I gave him pain medication, called his surgeon and waited for an answer.  He was in so much pain that I just didn't know what to do. This pain was worse than his pelvic pain.  It got to the point where he begged me to pray for him...of course I did...

Finally the nurse called and told me to take him to the emergency room.  It was most likely a Kidney stone. The ER confirmed this. He was not happy about that at all.  They admitted him Monday night and we settled into a room waiting for it to pass.  The last resort was a stent, which he didn't want.  We prayed for it to pass.  Tuesday came and it was still in pain...like writhing in pain so much that at one point I begged them to do something because he was pushing on the foot of the bed with his legs and I was afraid he would re-injure is pelvic bone.

Tuesday night he slept all night and finally the stone passed and we were able to go home.  Praise Jesus!!!

Aaron is going in on the 29th to remove the pins and then he can slowly start walking.  The surgeon said it would take a good month before he is back to normal.

Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers

R

News for the Quebedeaux family

Well, after much prayer and talking and prayer and after 13 awesome years of living in Tennessee, the Quebedeaux family has decided to return to the Bayou. We have made several good friends and James has taught in some amazing schools. We are grateful for the time we had as a family here in this great state and we will miss our friends dearly. We are returning home to be closer to family. We are excited to rekindle old friendships and spend more time with family. We are putting our farm on the market in February and are hoping to sell it in a short window. Zane will be graduating with his class from FCA, a school that we love dearly. James has several good teaching prospects in Lafayette both in the private and public sectors. We are praying for God’s guidance as we transition back to a place we love dearly; Lafayette, LA. The last 6 years have been especially fun as we fulfilled our dream of living on a 20 acre farm with goats, chickens, cows, cats, and dogs. We planted our fruit orchard which has produced a bounty of pairs, peaches, fig, apricots, cherries, grapes, blueberries, and blackberries. The kids have had fun playing in the woods and watching wildlife such as deer, turkeys, and an occasional bald eagle. We have had the support of great neighbors on each side of us. This place is truly magical, we will miss it. But the pain of leaving is helped by the thought of being HOME.


This was the status that I shared on Facebook today. It was a hard decision to make, but it was time. I will miss my farm dearly and I will miss harvesting from all of our fruit trees. We are hoping to find something similar (without the hills of course) in our hometown. There is a property already that would be ideal, but we aren't ready to buy just yet. We know that God has the perfect house waiting for us.

Zane will be attending Crossroads Leadership College in Lafayette. It is at our old home church and is a program similar to YWAM. He chose this over YWAM because of the Cajun Food........that boy..LOL, Ok really he chose it because at the end of the program, he will have a Bachelor's degree in Ministry. That has been his goal and calling since he could talk. Lydia will graduate from a school there, we just aren't sure which one yet. There are several small Christian schools and we will most likely put her in one. We aren't sure if Aaron will be joining us. He is an adult and will be 20 when we move. We would love for him to join us and it will hurt if he stays, but he has to pave his own way. I want to cry just thinking about it...

Please pray for our family as we make this transition and for Aaron to make the right decision and for us to be supportive and encouraging.. With that... I present to you a picture that was take our first year here in Tennessee.

1 Month Ago Today

Well, this is a post that I never thought I have would to write again.  One month ago today, Aaron was in another rollover accident.  It was a Monday morning and our neighbor texted me to see if I was awake and dressed..that is never good.  Then she asked if Aaron was driving a Ford F-150 (The Dr's truck).. oh God no....no not again...  She picked me up and James followed in our car.  There was the truck and Lifeflight was landing on the grounds of our little community center.  He was a mile from our house.  This time he didn't walk away.. this time he was stuck, he thought his pants were stuck, but actually his pelvic bone was broken. We got to see him before they loaded him onto Lifeflight.  They had to sedate him.  We went home, picked Lydia up and headed to the hospital.  Zane was in Florida at camp.  I texted him, and my parents. When we got there, they told us that Aaron was brought straight to the Trauma Unit. The Vandy Dr pulled James and I into a room and gave us the news.  On the flight, they lost Aaron pulse and had to give him blood.  By the time the Dr met with us, they had given him 15 units of blood.  He was bleeding internally, and they didn't know where.  His pelvis was broken and he would most likely be in a wheelchair for the next 2-3 months.  His lungs collapsed, and he was pretty banged up.  They were about to take him down for tests to see where the bleeding was coming from and we could see him as they wheeled him by.

The next day, he went in for surgery.  It didn't take as long as they thought and we were told that it went together perfectly.  That night, I finally got to talk to Aaron.  He asked what time it was and I told him 10pm on Tuesday.  He asked what had happened and I explained that he rolled his dad's truck.  He said he was so sorry.  He spend about 3 days sedated in the Trauma Unit, when they moved him to Critical Care ICU.  A week after the accident he began to eat and talk more.  He was still on heavy pain meds, but was a bit more aware of what was going on.  Less than 2 weeks after the accident, he was moved to PT rehab to learn how to transfer from the bed to his chair and how to dress him self and do basic tasks.  We got to bring him home on July 20th.  Now we are settling him in and adjusting to a new temporary normal.

I do want to brag on my other two kids.  Zane was at camp the Monday and Tuesday. During this time, the people at a  church that we don't attend who we have never met prayed for my son.  Zane got home on Tuesday and Wednesday had his wisdom teeth removed, James took him.  That night, when I switched places with James, Zane told me that he was fine and that I needed to sleep.  He started a job the Monday after his wisdom teeth were pulled.  Lydia made sure the animals were fed and kept up with the dishes (most days..LOL).  There are times I wonder if my family even likes each other..but then times like this happen and they all pull together and just amaze me.

God has been so faithful through all this.  The peace that He has given us is just amazing.  Please continue to pray for Aaron. Prayers that he would see God's hand in his life once again and that he would feel His peace.

This guy!!

Is 17 today!!!  Happy Birthday to Zane.  He has been an awesome blessing to our family.  Today Zane is on the Jr/Sr Retreat. FCA has one every summer. The Juniors and Seniors plan the back to school camp and they use this time to brainstorm.  I am missing this kid on his birthday, but I know he is having fun and I hope they take good care of him.

Zane also shares a Birthday with Mac (Maximus Gabriel Quebedeaux) , so I can't post a happy birthday to Zane without including Mac.

Louisiana Visit

The Dr, Zane, Lydia and I drove down to Louisiana to visit our families.  We spent a few extra days there so that Zane could visit with the Crossroads Leadership College leader and so that The Dr could do some much needed yard work around their house.















Mom and Dad were supervisors and drivers for them.  In the end they took 3 truck loads, well packed to the Parish composting facility.  Their yard looks so much cleaner.  

Here is Zane tamping down the branches.  At $6 a load they were set on only taking 3 loads.....













Me and my momma at Prejeans!  I love my momma!!!











Of course we ate way too much but enjoyed our visit with our families, And snow cones!! Real Louisiana Snow Cones!!!!











Aaron didn't come and I missed him, but he is getting older
and wanting more independence..I get that.








 Goodbye Atchafalaya Basin and Tiger Stadium.  It won't be long, I promise!!

We found the Featherweight!!!!

Many years ago when I was in my early 20's my mom, dad, husband and I went to the auction of a sewing machine repair shop. Mom spotted a featherweight and dad got it for her, and a few other machines. Well, fast forward to now. About a year ago I asked her about it. She had no idea what happened to it, probably in storage, and that I could have it if I could find it. Today, The Dr was cleaning out her storage closet and there in the front was a familiar black case. I grabbed it. The bottom is missing, but the machine is in great condition. I will bring it home and look at it a little more when we get home.. Isn't she pretty??

Berry Picking

It's fruit season here at Valley View Farm.  The Dr and I went outside this evening and picked about 2 cups of blueberries.  YUM...  I love our orchard, but for some reason, we don't have much luck with the trees, but our bushes and vines are amazing.  Following are pictures of the blueberry bushes and  grape vines.  Any suggestions for what to do with blueberries besides muffins and pancakes (and eating raw) are greatly appreciated...

Vintage Quilt Tops

I don't think that I ever posted about a stack of quilt tops that I found at Goodwill.

It was after Christmas and I was wondering Goodwill looking for clothes to use for fabric in quilts.  I always look by the linens because sometimes they have good quilt fabric. I didn't see anything.  So, I walked around the rest of the store and looked toward the linens again....and a lady was hanging up a bunch of quilt tops!!!  I made my way there and there were 8 unfinished tops.  Some were actually summer tops with the edges sewn under but no backing or batting.  I grabbed them all.. Lydia was with me and we checked out.

When we got home we started laying them out so that I could photograph them. They were all hand pieced!!  I was floored!  Who gives these to Goodwill?? Many were scrappy and my favorite and of course, Lydia picked out her favorite and I had mine.



A good friend of mine told me that her sister was a quilt appraiser and wanted to see pictures.  She estimated them to be from mid last century to 20 years old.  I plan on quilting them and ,of course, giving Lydia her favorite.  Since going to the same Goodwill, I have found several pieces of 5-8 yards of fabric and another unfinished  piece about the size of a table runner that looks like it was pieced by the same quilter.  All by hand.

This is my favorite

This is Lydia's Favorite

Stash busting

I am on a mission to use up my fabric stash.... ok, maybe not all of it and I don't think I'll really deplete the whole thing...I mean I am still adding to it, so it will never really be "gone"   Recently I've had 2 fellow quilters give me parts of or all of their stash.  One is an old friend that I haven't talked to in years, she called me to see if I would like her fabric (and patterns and books) since she was not longer quilting.  The other was a lady thinning out her stash.  Both of them blessed me with an abundance of fabric.  God is good!!

The trick is finding a pattern that I like, and can make quickly.  I settled on 3 patterns.  Two are from  www.Quitedtwins.com and the other is from a free McCalls e-book.  All three patterns are scrappy and so cutting the fabric and sewing is easy. The QuiltedTwins patterns use 2 inch strips, and the McCalls pattern uses 1.5 inch strips.

I hate cutting fabric. I never really liked it, but if I am going to make quilts, then it must be done.   I have a Sizzix from my scrapbooking days and I purchased a few quilting dies to go with it.  I use them often.  Well, for these 3 quilts I splurged and bought a June Taylor Shape Cut Ruler. Of course I used a 50% off at Joann's.  Oh my goodness, how did I ever get along without this!!!  I've used my Sizzix to cut strips before, but this allowed me to cut 4 strips at 2 inches and 2 strips at 1.5 inches.  And I always cut about 6 layers of fabric at a time.  It made cutting through the "scraps" so easy.  I was able to breeze through the fabric that was given to me and make quite a dent in my stash.

I just need to cut some more grey half square triangles and I can use these quilts as leaders and enders while I finish Aaron's quilt.  His takes a bit more thought while sewing.  But it is going to look great in the end.  I sure hope he still likes those colors when it is finished...LOL