Life is good!

What a wonderful weekend!  Sheila came over Saturday morning, and we went to visit our CASA babies that we share.  I always love visiting any of my babies!  Having little children in my life is one of the greatest blessings I can think of...whether they be from my CASA cases, children at church, or, of course, my precious grandsons!  Of course, I always enjoy time with my girl, too!  She stayed over Saturday night to enjoy our Sunday activities with us.

Caleb Martin came up with his family to speak for us at Highway yesterday, so we planned a potluck.  It is always wonderful to spend some time with Mike and Fonda and their kiddos.  They have some of the sweetest girls around!  Caleb did a great job on his lesson!  We had tons of yummy food at the potluck and had a nice turnout.  Sarah and DJ came with their 3 sweet kiddos.  We had a houseful of young'uns!  I always love it when we have so many kids and teens!  We really enjoyed the day and the sweet fellowship.

My foot continues to improve daily.  It has been over a week since I had to use a crutch for anything.  I'm even able to go to Walmart by myself to buy groceries.  On Friday, after 1 1/2 hours of PT, we spent about an hour or so shopping for a new couch, and then we walked through both Home Depot and Lowes looking for some supplies for a project we're working on.  I still limp and am not as fast as I'd like to be, but I'm thankful to be able to be out and about again!  PT is going very well.  They add more and more on me every time I go, so my strength and flexibility continues to improve.  I'm not having to take ibuprofen as much now as when I first started walking without assistance.  Days like yesterday tell on me though, so I still have to take one occasionally!

Our new couch is being delivered today.  We decided to move our old one into the den and buy the new one for the living room.  This is the first time we've ever bought a couch!  We've always been blessed by family with good hand-me-down furniture.  I'm really excited to get this one.  It reclines on both ends.  Sheila will really enjoy that!  She probably uses the couch more than anyone else.  We made sure that it was firm enough to get out of easily, too, for when Daddy and Bobbie are over.  They always struggled trying to get up from our old couch.  I'm hoping that it will be as long-lasting as it is comfortable.

Well, the delivery guys are here, so I'd better go.  Hope you all have a great week!

Getting back to a normal life!

Well, I've made a lot of progress in the past week!  I can walk without crutches, although I still use one crutch most of the time.  I'm wearing athletic shoes now and can walk barefoot when necessary (getting up in the middle of the night and also when showering).  I'm able to do most of my household chores...as long as it doesn't involve squatting (squatting is still too hard...and painful).  I'm back to doing all of the cooking and most of the kitchen cleanup.  Dennis still does the hand washing after supper, since that is when I am in the most pain.  I'm advancing in my therapy and still loving it, although it is more painful now.  The more weight I put on my foot, the more it hurts...I think that will be true for some time.  I just have to take breaks and elevate it (and ice) when it gets too bothersome.  My endurance is still somewhat lacking, too.  It is incredible how weak you can get from just sitting most of the time for 2 months!!!  The hardest thing for me to do is go to WalMart!  Dennis still has to go with me to help.

I am really enjoying being able to be more mobile and DO things! 

We took a quick trip to Houston this week for Jared's funeral.  There were SO many people who turned out to show their love for him and his family!  I saw people there that I hadn't seen in over 20 years.  It was a difficult funeral.  I knew that Jared was much better off now, but it was so painful to see the grief of his sweet family.  I feel like Jamie is another one of my boys, and the pain of losing a twin is so difficult!  We also can't help but empathize with James and Debbie.  Losing a child, of ANY age, is so painful!  My heart just breaks for all of them.  Please continue to pray for them, as well as the Bryant/King/Mitchell family!

After the funeral, as we were visiting in the foyer, I walked up to talk to Brett F.  He looked at my foot and his fact just lit up!  "You're wearing tennis shoes!"  It was so sweet and funny to see him get so excited for my progress!

Dennis has been down in his back for about the past three weeks.  He's been trying to deal with it with muscle relaxers, walking, and using a back brace, but it hasn't improved at all.  He finally broke down and went to a chiropractor this morning.  He said it does feel some better after his treatment.  He was told NOT to use heat (which I'd been telling him, but what do I know?!), but to ice it.  He was also given a couple of other tips to try, other than what he's been doing.  I'm hoping it will start to get better now!

I have therapy 3 times again next week, and I'm starting back up with my normal CASA visits.  It feels good to have a normal schedule developing again!  Hopefully our next trip out of town won't be until Chris and Karley's wedding.  We plan to take a few extra days to do some visiting and sightseeing while in the area.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Joy in the midst of sadness

So much sadness over the past couple of weeks!  But there have also been rays of joy interspersed in there.  Yesterday was one of those.  We finally got to meet Shepherd!!!  He had a doctor's appointment at Children's in Dallas, so we met up with them there.  We sat in the lobby and played with Jesse until they finished, then we headed outside to a play area to get to know Shepherd.  Dennis had built a couple of toolboxes on Monday for the boys and we'd shopped around until we found some plastic tools to go in them.  They were a hit!  Shepherd loved the hammer the best!  I think Jesse liked the whole "package".  Shepherd is such a sweet little guy...kind of quiet, but full of energy and curiosity.  He is adjusting SO well to his new life and family!  It was fun to watch the two boys playing!

I got a LOT of exercise while at the hospital...that is a BIG place!  It really helped with my progress.  When I got home, I decided to try getting around with just one crutch.  I've tried before but didn't do well.  It went smooth as could be last night!  So I'm trying to use just the one all the time now...except at night when it gets too sore.  It definitely hurts more to just use the one!  I was hoping I might be able to throw away the crutches by now, but things aren't progressing as fast as I'd hoped.  Therapy is going very well.  I have only been able to go 2 times/week so far, but next week I'll get to go 3.  I REALLY hope I'll be in a shoe, with no crutches, by the end of next week!  Getting around with one crutch allows me a little more freedom to do things...I have a hand available for carrying.  I'm slowly starting to do more chores around the house.  The bulk of it still falls on Dennis, though.  I don't know what I'd do without him!  He asked me the other day what was the first thing I wanted to do when I get off crutches completely.  "CLEAN HOUSE!"  I never thought it was possible to miss housework!  (Most men just don't clean the same way their wives do.  Dennis is no exception!)

Sheila came over Saturday and spent the night.  We went to watch "Miracles from Heaven."  You could hear people all over that theatre sniffling and crying.  It was a good movie, but it was SO hard to watch!  On Sunday, between services, we went to a birthday party for a couple of our (joint) CASA kids.  It was fun to watch all of the little ones playing! 

Well, I guess that is about all for now.  Please continue to keep all of those who are hurting in your prayers, including the Bryant family, and especially the Pettit family.