An Update in Several Parts Part 2

Zane, and the rest of the Senior boys, decided this year that they were all going to play soccer.  Zane, playing soccer.... I have gone 20 years avoiding the soccer mom title and they guy waits until his Senior year to play soccer.....  They made it to the playoffs and almost clinched a title.  It was fun watching him play.

February 14th, The Dr and I were about to head back down to LA for a job interview when Daddy called.  Mom had fallen and they were bringing her to the hospital.  We arrived 10 hours later and went straight to the hospital.  Again, her calcium levels were high.  I stayed in LA for 3 weeks with mom at the hospital until they moved her to a Physical Therapy Center.  She would be there  3 weeks While I was in Louisiana we got an offer on our farm!!  It was a great offer and we accepted. The best part was that we could stay at the farm until May11th.. Now the hunt to find a house in Louisiana was on.  I drove home the next day to celebrate losing a teenager.  Aaron turned 20!!!  I don't quite know how I  feel about that, but there is nothing I can do about it.

I drove back down the next week to look for a house and to help spring mom from the PT rehab place.  The day she was to leave, we were told that she would have to start dialysis... her kidneys had suffered terrible due to the fluids given to her to get her calcium levels down.  We were also told by her cancer doctor that her cancer had progressed and that she needed a new treatment.  She was transferred to the hospital and started her new treatments.

While in LA I began to look at houses..  I found a house after 4 days of looking.  It was perfect.  In town (can you say FIBER!!! no more satellite internet!!) a very large backyard for the dogs and FRUIT TREES!!!  Oranges, lemons, fig and pear!!!  It had all the bedrooms that we needed and a sewing room for me!  We made an offer an it was accepted!!  They even accepted our May 11th closing!  I headed back home because Zane was going to Chicago for Week Without Walls.   He had a blast.  We left the day after he arrived and headed back down to LA so that he could visit with Crossroads Leadership College.  James and Zane got to see the house that I picked out and it was met with approval.

Mom was still in the hospital but moved to a Assisted Living Facility. She was having a harder time regaining her strength but they seemed hopeful that she would get stronger.

An update in Several Parts Part 1

Before we left to go to Louisiana for Christmas, my mom had begun to feel bad.  She was disoriented and sleeping a lot. She went to the Dr and the admitted her to the hospital.  We drove down hoping she would be home for Christmas.   Her calcium level were high and they were working on lowering them.  By the time we arrived, she was doing much better, but she still wasn't able to come home for Christmas.

We had a good time here considering the circumstances.   We drove around and looked at neighborhoods.  We knew that it would be the last time that we had to drive down for Christmas and we were looking forward to not having to drive down again.  Mom was able to go home on New Years Eve.  We drove back up the day before, but I promised to be back on the 8th after our anniversary.

January...Back in November James and I made the decision to enroll Lydia in a private boarding school that could help her with some issues that she was dealing with.  We had tried to help her ourselves but we realized that she needed help from professionals who could really focus on her behavior.  

We were told by both schools that she attended in TN that they couldn't (didn't want to) focus so much on just her.  She was allowed to do things that they knew were harmful for her.  Her behavior was getting to the dangerous point and we needed a place that could focus on her and address the issues immediately. The other schools would sometimes wait DAYS before addressing the issue..by then it was too late.

We were thrilled with the school and it is a program that we are familiar with, but it was hard telling her and then packing her things and driving her to the school.  She cried, we cried and it was pretty much a hard emotional day.  But we all knew that it was for the best.

Our 29th Anniversary!!!  Y'all, The Dr and I have been married for 29 years!!  I still feel like we are newlyweds, but the ages of our kids tell me different.  I am still in denial about my age...LOL

I drove down to LA on the 8th and spent a week with my parents, mom was doing so much and refused to let me do any of the things that I had gone down to do.  It was a great visit!!

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!!!!