Goodbye!

I've loved this chance to keep you updated on my family, but I think it's time to let things go. I realize that every person has their own dramas and things to deal with, and perhaps my family would like a break from seeing their personal lives here on a daily basis. So feel free to e-mail or call if you'd like like. I'll be glad to keep you updated that way. But it's time to put this baby to bed. Thanks for the prayers. We appreciate you all so much.

It's flu season!

Well, yesterday sure didn't turn out like we expected. Bethany woke up violently ill around 3am and didn't stop throwing up all day. When she was curled up in pain and crying at 1pm, we decided to make sure it wasn't something worse than the flu and I called urgent care and the Dr's office...both were too busy to see her. So we headed to the ER ("her" ER--the one where she works on Saturdays.) We were stuck in the waiting room for about 45 minutes waiting for triage when someone she works with recognized her. She said, "there ought to be some perks for volunteering here" and she got us right into a trauma room--totally bypassed triage! Of course Bethany was treated like a VIP! The biggest concern was that it might be her appendix, so they did a CAT scan. Turns out it's just a nasty viral infection that has to run its course. After 2 liters of saline, morphine, tylenol, anti-nausea medicine x 2, they finally released us with 3 prescriptions to fill. She's hungry, but afraid to eat. I'm hungry, too, but if I'm gonna get this, I sure don't want much in my stomach. We'll just lay low today and see how it goes. For once, I'm glad Brian isn't here. Hopefully the worst will be behind us by the time he gets back from Korea on Saturday.

We have such awesome friends/neighbors/family who rallied around us and it was a comfort to know I had options if we needed additional help. But as I told Brian, we've handled far more than the flu and we just deal with whatever life brings. It's not like we have a choice, is it?! To those of you who knew what was going on, thanks for the prayers. To my sweet friends whose son's funeral I missed yesterday, my thoughts were with you. I'll hug on you when I see you the next time.

Love to all....we're blessed!

After lots of phone tag with Amy's local primary care doctor and the Mayo Clinic, I'm a bit frustrated to say that things aren't looking good for a December visit with pain management. Evidently the only thing we can sign Amy up for is a 3 week "how to live with pain" clinic. Seriously? They won't schedule a pain consultation, which I don't understand at all. We were really hoping someone there could tell us whether or not we'd exhausted our options as far as pain treatments go. Our PCM said they'd be very specific and ask for a consult, but it's been several days and I haven't heard anything else from Mayo. Recently Brian brought home a 5280 magazine (a Denver magazine) and it listed the top Dr's in the Denver area. There were 3 pain mgmt ones, so perhaps that's where we should try next. I find it hard to believe that Amy's pain is getting so much worse and there's not a darn thing that can be done about it. For goodness sakes, she's only 19 years old and has her whole life ahead of her!

On November 1st Amy will meet with administrators, the head chef, and the disability office lady, Jean, to see if the school will approve a different kind of internship for her. The normal requirement is 35-40 hours weekly in a kitchen, but there's just no way Amy would be able to do that. So she's asked to be approved for a food writing one instead with minimal kitchen time. Whatever they decide to do here will set a precedent, so they're taking their time and thinking it all thru. I'm not holding my breath, but then again, I am. If they approve the adjustment, she'll be allowed to graduate (assuming she makes it thru labs.) If they tell her no, then she won't be able to graduate with a culinary degree. So we're hoping and praying they'll see what an asset she can be to the culinary world despite her challenges...that it would make them look good to have her graduate. That's my prayer for our girl.

The other news for the Anderson family is that it appears we'll be moving to Utah next summer shortly after Laura & Ian's wedding. The company Brian works for asked him to be the site director for a new division they want to stand up at Hill AFB in Salt Lake City. He loves new challenges and he's excited about the possibilities. We'll all rally around him and this great opportunity. Timing will be a bit nerve-wracking, but we'll make the best of it. In the springtime we'll be planning the wedding, going to bridal showers, going to graduation at Mines and JWU, putting the house on the market, and having a wedding. Shortly afterward Laura & Ian will head to places unknown, and we'll head south so Bethany can start her senior year in a new place. We're hoping to take Amy with us so she can look for a job there and possibly work on some English classes at Weber State University. So many changes! If I think about the details too much, I don't sleep too well at night. I'm learning to do my best praying in the middle of the night!

And there you have it...the many crazy things going on in our lives. Never a dull moment, eh?!!

Laura

Ok, usually Laura hates it when I mention her or brag on her in my blog, but I think it's time. This week she was notified that she is one of the top 50 female student leaders in construction and engineering and was selected to attend the 3rd Annual Women's Construction Leadership Seminar sponsored by Kiewit Corporation, the organization she worked for during the summer. And did I mention they already made her an offer for AFTER graduation? (Sorry, Laura...I had to brag a little.) Yes, my sweet, quiet little Laura is going to be working in construction and she can hardly wait! So about 3 weeks after her wedding, she and Ian will be headed to parts unknown (but possibly New Orleans) to begin their life together. Remember how exciting it was to be a young newlywed and just starting out life together? I sure do! Coming up on 26 years ago, as a matter of fact.

Chef update...

I haven't updated you lately on how the chef is doing mainly because she's been in academics this trimester and physically it hasn't been as challenging. And now that she has "Leo", her wheelchair, she's able to head off the pain in her feet/ankles much of the time. For instance, if she knows she'll be on her feet a lot or will need to drive somewhere later in the day, she'll use Leo early in the day so the pain levels are manageable. She used to have to keep plugging along and then deal with the pain afterward with ice/drugs. Now she can head it off. I'm sure it confuses the other students on campus when sometimes they see her in a wheelchair and sometimes she's walking across campus like it's no big deal. More than one student has come up to her to ask if she's just goofing off with the wheelchair. Surely she doesn't really need one. No doubt she gets tired of having to explain it. And unless you've been along for her journey for the past 3 years, I'm not sure it's possible to understand it.
Amy wraps up her academic trimester in mid-November and begins culinary labs soon afterward. No doubt it's weighing heavily on her mind. Last year during labs she was in constant pain and then had to deal with the lymph node/cancer scare. And this year she has to make up one of the segments she missed during that time. She's going to give it her best shot and will just have to take it one day at a time. Because she's beginning to feel "secondary symptoms" of her pain disorder, we've decided to try to get her back to the Mayo Clinic...this time to be seen by pain mgmt specialists. The location in Phoenix doesn't have a pain mgmt dept, so we'll have to schedule this visit with the Rochester, MN clinic. I discovered this week that a Dr referral is needed in order for her to be seen, so on Wednesday that was faxed over. I can't call again until Monday at the earliest to set up the appointment; they need time to process the referral. The only chunk of time Amy has during the school year is the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, so that's what we're shooting for. We'll try our darndest to get affordable flights, but given that it's a busy time for travelers, we might have to take our chances with winter weather and drive it...14 hours each way across the plains of Nebraska. So I guess we have a couple of prayer requests currently...that we can make an appointment sooner rather than later and that we can find affordable flights. As we get closer our prayer will be for good travel conditions...whether we fly or drive. Amy has to be back in labs on 4 January, so we don't have a lot of wiggle room with our time.
Thanks for being faithful with your prayers. I'm amazed at how many people ask about Amy and are holding her close in thought and prayer. What a blessing to us when we know no one is exempt from needing prayer support. By the way, Amy sends out e-mail updates about once a week from school just to let friends/family know how life is on campus. If you'd like to receive these e-mails, feel free to contact me with your e-mail address and I'll make sure you're added. (Yes, she gave me permission to tell you about the updates.)
Ok, hopefully you feel updated. It was kind of nice to relax a bit lately...nothing major to talk about. Calm is good!

Chile rescue

Is everyone else as captivated by the rescue of the miners in Chile as I am? I'm finding this quite fascinating and I can hardly focus on anything else right now. What a miracle this is! I can't even fathom the emotions of those who are key players in this drama. It's been just incredible. Twenty-eight miners rescued so far. Wow! It's easy to get caught up in the joy and excitement of this success story. What we need to keep in mind, however, is that it's all unfolding just as God intends. He's chosen to bless this mission so far, but even if things go south before it's all over, He's still in control and His plan is still perfect. I hope and pray for continued success. But I'll still praise Him if things change in the next few hours. And now...back to the live coverage!

How much can I pack into 24 hours, anyway?

Yesterday it was all about Bethany's 17th birthday, beginning with making french silk chocolate pie in the morning...her favorite. Is my youngest really 17? She's growing up so beautifully, and I adore her! Last night her boyfriend, best friend and her parents, and my mom & dad came over for pie. Lots of laughs and love as we honored this awesome girl.
Today I picked up mom & dad and we headed to Denver to spend the day with Amy. She needed groceries and hugs from home, and we were happy to oblige. We met one of her favorite people on campus, Professor Wells. If only I'd had such teachers when I was in college...what a great guy! I can see why she loves his classes. We also met Jean, the disability lady who is trying so hard to make the campus more accessible for Amy. She's a great advocate for our girl and speaks quite highly of her. After pushing Amy in her wheelchair today I can see how frustrating things are...ramps that are steep and difficult to maneuver...buttons which are supposed to open doors but aren't working...ramps that lead to stairs...etc. It's all difficult and change is very slow in coming. But together Jean and Amy are determined to work on the things that are so important to anyone in a wheelchair. It'll happen, but it won't happen quickly enough for our girl, I'm afraid. Still, she keeps smiling and impacting those she comes into contact with on campus...we heard wonderful things about our girl from those who are blessed to know her.
The highlight of Amy's day was receiving her first set of wheels which we bought yesterday...a 2009 PT Cruiser. Now she'll have options other than places on the bus line when it's time to do her internship. She won't have to rely on Phil or her other friends to get her to the grocery. And when she needs to go to the various restaurants that she needs to write reviews for, she can drive herself! We named her car "Ruby", and she and Amy look quite good together!

I know, I know...it's been almost a week since I last wrote. Sorry. My computer was crazy this week and kept locking up on me. There was very little I could do, and my "tech support" was in Utah until Friday evening. Thankfully, Laura & Ian came home and spent many, many hours getting my laptop up and working again. It was a painful process...there was SO much to do! But now I'm back, and I'm a happy girl! I've become a geek just like the rest of my family, I'll admit it. I was rather lost until they got me up and running again.
It was wonderful to see Laura & Ian. They hadn't been home since school began in early August, so it was wonderful to wrap my arms around them. They worked really hard on homework so they could just relax when they got here. Yeah, I know...they worked on my computer. But to a Mines student, that IS relaxing! At one point we had 5 laptops open and it really was a geekfest! Ian did manage to play paintball for part of the weekend, so it wasn't all work. And Laura was able to try on her wedding dress; it was quite stunning on her. We never really did get to talk about wedding plans, but that's ok. There's still time.
Brian is enjoying being home again after being away all but 18 hours in the past 3 weeks. He'll be teaching online from home this week. Since he'll be here to keep an eye on Annie and to get Bethany to/from school, I'm going to head to Denver on Wednesday with my parents to take our chef to lunch and to the grocery. She really wants me to meet a couple of people on campus, so this will be a good chance to do so. She's holding up ok despite the insane amount of homework she's trying to keep up with. Did I mention she's taking 22.5 academic hours this trimester? So far, so good, but it wears me out to think about it! Ah, to be young again!
Bethany has been counting down the hours until her boyfriend gets home from visiting his mom in Alabama. He's been gone almost a month and will roll in tomorrow evening just in time to celebrate her 17th birthday on Tuesday. How did our youngest get this age when she was just a baby the other day?!!
I'm doing well...Annie's doing well, too. It's been a sweet few days.

Girly girl time...

I'm kind of overwhelmed! It's been a glorious few days despite Brian's absence as he's in Utah. I really miss him a LOT. But my dear friend since age 11, Amy, is out here and we've had such an incredible time of reconnecting and just enjoying each other's company. No one in the world knows me the way she does. I mean, we've been friends since FIFTH grade...forty years! I always tell people they're blessed if they have one true heart friend, and between Amy and Susan, I have two. My life is so much richer for knowing these incredible women.
My friend, Amy, has 3 sons whom she affectionately calls "the manhood." They're all grown up now...amazing guys. But she's never had a lot of girl time like we have in our home. So this week we've been staying up late to chat and laugh, watch "chick flicks," and just enjoy being together. Over the weekend we headed to Denver to see the girls and Ian. Amy (Robinson, not Anderson!) got to see both of the girls campuses, eat in the dining hall, make a Target run, push the wheelchair for our girl (her namesake), and laugh a lot. On Saturday we met Laura & Ian at a really cool little pizza place for an early birthday celebration (mine), and then we headed back to Ian's house for coconut cake (my favorite.) Yesterday morning we all met at City Park in Denver to walk in an event for Down's Syndrome in honor of a special little guy named Myles. The day was gorgeous and the company was perfect. What a beautiful, wonderful day!

sparkly clean...

I have a confession to make. While I always manage to get surface cleaning done around the house, I struggle to find time to get down to the nitty gritty. Life is so chaotic and when I finally have a chance to catch my breath, I tend to pick up a good book or work on our family scrapbooks. Yes, I feel guilty, but it's how I "recharge my batteries" sometimes. Lately we've had a lot going on around here and while I was working hard to get ahead, somehow the to-do list just kept getting longer. Enter my parents, whom we affectionately call "the seniors." Yesterday they paid someone to come in and clean my house...for 5 hours! It was an early birthday present, and what a present it was! Tonight my friend from childhood (whom my Amy is named after) is coming to spend almost a week with us while Brian is away, and it's so strange to not have to run around and clean like crazy today. Instead I walked for over an hour, got errands run, gave Annie a bath, chatted with my Amy online, did the ironing & laundry, and made fruit/oatmeal bars. It's only 3:17 and I still have time to relax before she gets in at 7pm. Wow. Thanks, seniors, for this most awesome and appreciated gift! You have no idea how much I loved it!!!

The JWU 5!

It's been a crazy weekend with Amy and four of her JWU chef friends in the house. Yesterday the guys fixed Mexican food for us. I wish you could have smelled my house as it was cooking! It was poetry in motion to watch the action and I had a ring-side seat to it all. I have to say that at times it was a bit crazy and loud, but it was so much fun! Mom & Dad came over to watch the fun and enjoy the food, too. My favorite part of the meal was the jalapeno poppers. I know they're not really good for me, but it was a treat to have homemade ones and I loved them! Unfortunately, so did Annie, the wonder beagle (who I suspect is part Mexican.) Before anyone could stop her, she'd snatched one from the plate on the coffee table. If you'll recall, this is a dog who has random digestive issues. So far, so good, but I'm on alert for the next couple of days.

I just dropped Brian off at the airport for his 2 week trip to Salt Lake City. He wasn't even home for 24 hours this time. It's hard to believe he's gone again so soon. Just a couple more trips between now and 1 November, though, and then he gets to stay home for a little while. One of my dearest friends in the world is coming out this week for about 6 days. That'll make time pass more quickly for Bethany and me. And next weekend we're all headed up to Denver to see Laura & Ian and then walk in an event to raise money for Down's Syndrome. I think time will pass much slower for Brian. But I hear it's quite gorgeous in Utah, so he'll have lots to see/do.

Family update

Things are fairly calm for our family at the moment, and we certainly welcome it. Brian is in Maui this week for a space conference. I know, I know...Maui...what a rough life. But I have to say that neither of us like really hot, humid weather anymore, and he says it's not as much fun when I'm not with him anyway. So it's not all fun and games for him. He'll roll in Saturday and leave again on Sunday for 2 weeks...this time for Salt Lake City.

Laura is enjoying her floor this year. The group she had last year as an RA was always into something and she was constantly on guard. This floor is, for the most part, much more cohesive and fun. I think she called them "an RA's dream" or something like that. She deserves it after some of the stuff she had to deal with previously. Wedding plans are kind of slow but steady. We have a long way to go, but at least some of the big things are done. Now that things are rolling along with school, finally Laura & Ian are getting to spend some time together.

Amy is on duty in her dorm a lot, but she said it's because she only has classes 2 days a week. Next trimester she'll be in labs at 6am 4 days a week, so her duty hours should slow down. She's getting by pretty much with her leg braces but is thankful to have the wheelchair on the days she knows she'll be on her feet a lot. She's also taking 22.5 hours of academics since she added the independent study food writing class; she's a busy girl. This weekend she and 3 of "the boys" are coming down. Rumor has it they're cooking Mexican food for us one night!

Bethany's working hard in her classes and is holding onto some impressive grades. She also continues to volunteer several hours a week for the hospital and the fire department. Her boyfriend is gone for a month, and I know she misses him a lot. But we've enjoyed some girl time this week, and I really enjoy spending time with her. She's a great girl!

My big news is that I've begun walking 5 mornings a week with a neighbor, and already I feel better. We walk for an hour with her dog and often one of her two girls, and believe me, we feel rather accomplished when we get home! Having someone waiting at 7am in the cul-de-sac is a great motivator when I'd rather sleep in. Because the walking makes me feel good, I've also begun eating smarter and drinking more water. Baby steps. We're in our 4th week already. One of these days I'm going to look in the mirror and see a new me, right?!!

Annie, the wonder beagle, still keeps us guessing about what we'll deal with each day. She can be perfectly fine at night but wake up with a rumbly tummy in the morning. Because she doesn't always digest her food well, she sleeps in a port-a-crib each night. I'd forgotten how abnormal this is until my neighbor laughed about it...especially when I told her we cover Annie up with a fleece blanket each night. Our little beagle has become a "princess!" But she's almost 11, or 77 in human years. She deserves a little pampering, don't you think?

Blessed...

I have to say that I'm just blown away with the many awesome friends we have. Life is rich and full and we feel so loved. Thanks, all of you, for loving our family thru thick and thin. Despite everything, we're truly blessed.

Mile High Myles

Laura has a tiny little friend at her church in Golden named Myles. She adores that little guy, so on 26 September, we're going to participate in a fundraiser walk for Down's Syndrome in City Park in Denver in honor of Myles. I think it's going to be a blast. Bethany and I are going up the day before to spend the night, and we'll get Amy so she can have a night of air conditioning, too. We'll all take turns pushing her in the wheelchair during the walk. I'm excited about doing this. I've always felt that kids with Down's Syndrome are really God's angels on earth. What fun it will be to walk with them. We'll meet Ian & Laura there, and finally I'll get a chance to meet little Myles after hearing all about him since his birth. I can't wait! Oh, and Mile High Myles is the team name...pretty clever!

http://www.mhdsa.org/step-up-walk/ is the link if anyone wants to join the team virtually! Just don't forget to register under Mile High Myles. It's only $25 until Sept 11 for an adult and $35 after that. And if you feel like actually walking, that's even better! If you're registered, you even get a pancake breakfast. Hope to see you there!

Girls, girls, girls...

There's nothing like hearing the girls voices to warm this mom's heart. Today I was able to talk for quite awhile with Laura for the first time since she left several weeks ago. We were able to get caught up without interruption...huge since she's a really busy girl. And I have to say that she sounds/looks wonderful (thanks to Skype, I also got to see her.) She's happy and her senior year is getting off to a terrific start. The 3 previous years of hard work both as an RA and in the classroom are yielding great benefits for her in terms of experience. I'm really proud of her.
Last night I e-mailed with Amy a bit, and it sounds like she's still kind of flying high from her talks with administrators and teachers the other day. Today her suite mate moves in and I know she's looking forward to that. And she survived her first night of being on duty as a new RA last night. Yep, I'm really proud of this girl, too.
This morning I had the opportunity to drive over by the school to watch (across a field) Bethany ride a mechanical bull with her sports psychology class. She sure is a cowgirl at heart, and it showed in her form. A natural! It was mostly boys who pounced on this opportunity. In the time I watched, she was only the second girl to climb on. Yep, this girl makes me grin and I'm pretty proud of her, too!
My neighbor complimented me the other day on what fabulous girls we have, and it was a sweet thing to hear. But I made sure to tell her that while we'd love to take the credit, it's definitely God in them that she sees. We're their parents, but they're only on loan to us for a little while. They're God's girls! We sure do love them, but HE loves them even more.

Celebrate!!!

Today was a banner day for Amy on campus. To try to explain it all would take the rest of the night, and I doubt anyone wants to read that much anyway. Let me just say that all of Amy's goals/hopes/dreams for the next school year came together in a HUGE way for her today! She was flying high when she called to tell me all that happened when she talked to professors & administrators at lunch. Things are looking up, and it brings tears to my eyes to see something good happen for her after all of the rough days she's smiled thru when she was really hurting. I'm sure her grin was from ear to ear. My mother-in-law said it well..."I firmly believe that it's all because of the many prayers being lifted up for Amy." And it's true! So many times God's very clear answer wasn't what we'd hoped for, but we trusted it was best. His plans are perfect whether we like them or not. Today it was so awesome to see his emphatic "YES" to Amy. Will things be perfect from here on out? Not likely. Will Amy's pain go away? Not unless He chooses it to be so. Will we continue to trust Him thru the days ahead? You bet!!
Many, many thanks to the incredible prayer warriors all over this planet who lift Amy up in prayer. My parent's church and their good friends ask about her every week without fail. We receive postcards and "thinking of you" cards from people we've never even met. Brian's parents and their church friends in AR pray for Amy regularly, as do my brother Tom's friends in Indiana. I know people in Alabama and Bloomington, IN and Golden, CO and Pueblo, CO and San Diego, CA who are praying for Amy. We even have awesome friends who are in Beijing right now who continue to pray for our girl. We love you all...we appreciate you so very much. Tonight you can smile along with Amy as we celebrate her day.

Little Miss Bethany

Tonight I heard some really touching words from little Miss Bethany..."hey mom, let's watch a movie!" And we did! I want to always be available when my almost 17 year old wants to hang out with her momma. These days will pass much too quickly and she'll be spreading her wings to fly. I love that girl so much. She's fun...she makes me laugh...she reminds me to lighten up...to think positive...to be 'in the moment.' She's a treasure.

Lots of silver linings!

We're finally home after a quick turnaround in Denver with Amy. So much good came from this trip, and Amy said we took care of about 75% of what she needed to get done for the weekend. So many things to be thankful for...how awesome that we had a wheelchair to take to her...that Brian was in town and had the time to go with me...that RA training didn't go as long yesterday. Amy met us at the door of her dorm on crutches and was barely able to hobble along. We loaded her up, fed her, bought groceries, got the office supplies she needed, kept her with us overnight, fed her again, helped her with door decorations for her floor, loaded the laundry card, did laundry, headed across campus to help cut out more decorations, got her a microwave, got her internet working, and fed her again. Whew! We accomplished so much in a short amount of time which would have taken her SO much longer if she'd done it by herself! She was able to stay off her feet, and by the time we left today she seemed to be doing much better. One more day of taking it easy and she should be in good shape for training on Monday morning. Although we could tell she was a bit homesick, she's holding up well and still has a smile on her face. We met several of the other RA's who all seemed pretty great. She already is enjoying new friendships on campus. One more week of RA training and then things can settle into a more "normal" routine again. BA was awesome...helped SO much without complaining one bit...drove us all over Denver...just enjoyed being with us. Now it'll be a quick turnaround for him as he heads off to California in the morning.

One really cool thing is that my older brother, Tom, was at mom & dad's when we got home. I didn't expect to see him until tomorrow evening, so that was an awesome surprise. Anytime I get to see any of my brothers is just fine with me...they're all really terrific guys and I'm quite blessed to know and love them.

Time to pack up BA and prepare for another week of unknowns. Seriously, I just never know what's going to happen next around here! One thing I DO know...God gives us the strength to make it thru each day even when we don't think we can keep going. HE is my rock!!

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."
2 Samuel 22:33

Ready to roll...

It's been a rough week for our chef. RA training has been really long hours and a couple of days she had to be on her feet a lot. She tried explaining to her boss what happens if she's on them for many hours, but I don't think he believed her. She finally asked me to engage by sending him an e-mail, which I did. Thankfully, I also copied a couple of other people on campus who needed to know what was going on. The lady from the disability office called me back and we talked for quite awhile about Amy's pain levels & physical challenges over the summer. Unfortunately, it wasn't soon enough to save Amy from 6 hours of picking up trash in a park yesterday. Brian and I got a phone call in the afternoon..."Will you please send my wheelchair up with Janis on Sunday?" We knew she was in trouble. So yesterday afternoon BA and I headed to Denver to get her out of the dorm for a night. We took her out to dinner at Olive Garden and let her spend the night in air conditioning, and I think that was just the boost she needed to get thru another week of training. She said with no consistent cell phone reception in her room, no internet access, and no A/C in her room it's been kind of rough and she was rather homesick. I hope she'll feel better when she wakes up. The wheelchair was a lifesaver and I'm so glad we decided to invest in one "just in case." My biggest concern is that her dorm isn't wheelchair accessible. I'm not sure how she's going to navigate getting to the laundry room and out the door to head across campus. She has to go down 2 steps once she leaves her room to even get to the front door. Hopefully there will be others around to help her out. We've done all we can for now, and she and the disability office will have to address those issues. For now, we're praying her boss will learn that she doesn't cry wolf...that she knows her limitations. Maybe in the future when she tells him she'll be in trouble if he asks her to do something that involves being on her feet for long periods of time, he'll believe her. She said he's really a nice guy. But he's probably never worked with someone who's disabled before. And really, how can anyone understand just what she's going thru unless they've been in her shoes? I just hope and pray that this episode doesn't last long and she'll be back up and "running" soon. By the way...when she expressed concern about trying to do an internship in the spring, Jean from the disability office volunteered to go with her to talk to whomever she interviews with to help explain her situation...same with talking to the career counseling office. It seems that Jean is an awesome advocate and will do everything she can to help Amy with some of these issues. Bless you, Jean!

If it isn't one thing....

I finally got to talk to Laura last night for about 2 minutes. She sounds really good, but it's clear she's one crazy busy RA. I think classes started today, so maybe things will settle into a routine for her soon. She said she's barely seen Ian this week; I'm sure that's been hard for both of them.
Amy called last night, too, and she sounds a little bit better. Finally she can breathe thru her nose again. Things seem to have moved into her chest, but at least she's hanging in there. Her dorm is insanely hot, so she had just taken a nice, cool shower and said that helped. She and Phil (her boyfriend, not her grandpa) were getting ready to head to the store to get a couple more fans for her room. I think the lack of organization in the RA training was frustrating her. They had 1 1/2 hours for lunch, and the meetings seemed redundant. The 4 RA's in her dorm were told yesterday afternoon that they had to fix breakfast for the team of 40 at 6:30 this morning, and they had to go out last night to buy ingredients. I got a text from her this morning that said the breakfast burritos were a hit, so that's good. Tomorrow they're doing a "team building" thing till 11pm. My guess is they'll go to a Rockies game. Amy explained to the head guy that her feet won't allow her to do some of the things he has planned, but he told her she'd be fine. He really has no clue. Amy doesn't think he's ever worked with anyone who's disabled before. He'll get an initiation if he tries to push her beyond her limits and has to carry her! If they go from 6am till 11pm, she'll pay for it big time the next few days. So my prayer today is that she'll be able to explain things to him that will make him sympathetic instead of frustrated with her...preferably in a timely manner. The last thing we need is for her to relapse before classes even start.
My back is slowly getting better after I pulled a muscle last Friday. I'm still moving kind of slow and not twisting as I bend. Each day is better but it's been rather frustrating. And today we woke up to Annie having issues, so I headed to the vet for more medicine. She's been up for about 6 hours and still won't eat. I can hear her tummy rumbling across the room. She just can't seem to get comfortable. As mom says, "Life is what happens when you're planning something else!" I guess I'll be staying close to home until she feels better. (I'm really just using her as my excuse...I sure don't feel much like being on the go anyway till my back is better.) Brian and Bethany are being very patient and supportive. That's a pretty good silver lining for the day!

And she's off...!

Amy officially moved into her dorm yesterday and she seemed quite happy to be back. Brian and I stayed around long enough to help her get most things unpacked. She'll have to figure out where it all goes, but the room actually looked pretty good by the time we left. Unfortunately, her allergies are getting the best of her and she's feeling pretty nasty. Hopefully with some meds and lots of kleenex she'll get things under control soon. Her boyfriend, Phil, helped us a bit but we had to glare at him when he mentioned that his dorm (which is right next door) has air conditioning. We were sweltering, so that comment didn't exactly make any bonus points for Phil!
The next 2 weeks will be RA (resident assistant) training for Amy. There could be some long hours ahead for her. I stressed how important it is to take care of her health, but she's at the mercy of the ones doing the training. I heard something about midnight tag. Hmmm. Meanwhile, Amy continues to wear her leg braces and she tucked the crutches into the corner of her tiny closet as a back-up if she has a rough day. Here's hoping she'll never need them!
It's been about 9 days since Laura went back to her campus. I have yet to hear her voice. She's also busy as an RA...one of the senior ones (this is her 3rd year to be one.) I suppose if she needed something we'd hear from her, so no news is good news, I guess. But dang, I miss that sweet voice!

Packing things up...

Well, our Amy is almost packed up and ready to head back to campus. She's sure everything will fit in the car. Me? Not so much. But we'll do our best and hopefully it will all go in. As we were packing yesterday, she commented that she needed her suit for one of her classes where they'll give presentations. Given the new leg braces and her difficulty wearing anything but athletic shoes, I asked what she planned to wear on her feet. "My Asics, of course!" she replied. Even though we both know her days of wearing "pretty shoes" are probably in the past, I still felt bad that she'd already accepted that she'd wear white athletic shoes with turquoise or purple stripes with her suit. So today we headed to Kohl's and found black Asics. (Thanks, Nana & Papa!) Ok, so they have aqua stripes...at least they're mostly black! I'm amazed at how well she's accepted her situation and is making the best of it. We've now purchased about 25 pairs of crazy knee socks to go with the leg braces...argyles, stripes, animal prints, etc. She's having fun with this instead of crying about it. So I guess for today the silver lining is that Amy is choosing to laugh instead of cry....once again. Yep, she's my hero!

His perfect plan...

I read a great quote today...

Christianity doesn’t deny the reality of suffering and evil...Our hope...is not based on the idea that we are going to be free of pain and suffering. Rather, it is based on the conviction that we will triumph over suffering.
Brennan Manning


Isn't that great? Our God never promised that a life of following Him would be without pain. But He DID promise to walk with us each step of the way as we journey thru trials and tribulations. If we no longer feel Him near, it's we who have pulled away. He'll never leave us or forsake us. I'm so thankful that Amy continues to walk WITH Him instead of away from Him. I'm thankful that when we cry out to Him, He hears our voice. And I'm thankful that His plan for our Amy is perfect...whether we understand it or not.

Looking up!

Things are looking good with our Amy this week. We don't know if it's the new leg braces or the new medication, but she seems to be bouncing around a bit easier. Today she went back to her old high school to talk to the cooking classes. She didn't wear her leg braces and seemed to do just fine. And now, at almost 7pm, she's still going strong. So things are looking up! Ahead for us this week is to get her packed up and ready to head back to campus on Saturday. It's going to get kind of quiet around here. We're continuing to pray that she'll do well physically once she's back. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of being back and we don't want her to forget that her health is a high priority. Thanks again for loving her thru. It just blows her away how many people ask about her and are praying her thru everything. Mom & Dad's friends at their church have been especially amazing, and we're so thankful for their love. Blessings everyone!

Making a fashion statement...

Sleep with angels, everyone...

It's been a good day...time to wind down. Sleep well, everyone!

Another round...

Finally took Amy to the PCM to have her ankle checked out. It was 2 weeks ago yesterday that it began hurting and swelling and became discolored. At one point we thought it was going away, but last night it looked pretty swollen and purple and was extremely sensitive to touch. Amy iced her feet/ankles all night, but this morning it was still hurting. The Dr thinks she has a "carpal tunnel" thing going on in her left ankle...she called it something else, but that's pretty much what it is. Not sure how it happened and not much to be done other than trying another nerve medicine. As Amy says, "oh boy...another pill!" She's being a trooper, considering.
On a good note, we finally got her Colorado handicapped placard for the car, so now when she's having a rough day we can park closer to things and she won't have to walk as far. That was long overdue, so we're quite happy about it. The "aircasts" are still helping and she picked out some pretty crazy knee socks to wear under them. That's my girl! Yesterday we were having lunch out and the waiter said, "hey, nice shin guards!" Amy told him they were leg braces and he felt pretty small until she smiled to let him know she's ok with them. He said that he hoped she got better soon, and Amy had to bite her tongue to keep from joking "unless the cancer kills me first!" Not sure he would have understood her crazy sense of humor. I'm glad she's able to joke around to put people at ease but that would have been rough! Today she joked about how she could become the first ever peg-legged chef. Hmmm. At any rate, she's in good spirits today and is hanging in there.
We've had Laura home for a few days, but she leaves tonight. Ian is taking the bus down from Denver so he can ride back with her. He's been amazing this summer with all she's had going on. It'll be great to see him even if it's a quick turnaround. If only I'd had time to get to the grocery since our Arizona trip! Looks like it's a Chinese take-out night. Will things ever settle down around here?

SURPRISE!!!!

What a whirlwind we've had for the past couple of days. By the time we got back from Arizona 2 of my brothers were at mom & dad's for a few days. We've been laughing and sharing stories...we rarely get to see each other and there was a lot to catch up on. Then last night when I was talking with mom (the others were downstairs playing ping-pong), my brother, Andy called. As we were on the phone with him, he walked in the front door and shocked all of us! He flew into DIA and drove down for a couple of hours to be with us. If only my brother, Tom, could have been here as well!! I haven't laughed so hard in ages...the guys have the quickest, funniest sense of humor and we were in stitches! It was hard to pull myself away when the evening was getting late. I think having most of the family together was good for all of us. Our lives are usually on such a fast track, and it was wonderful to slow down a bit and laugh.
At our house we have a busy few days coming up. Laura will head back to Denver tonight or tomorrow morning, move out of her downtown apartment, move back into the dorm, and start RA training at 5pm tomorrow. Bethany is going to a Rockies game with friends tomorrow night. Amy & I will begin packing her up; she heads back to school a week from tomorrow. But first she's returning to her former high school to give some cooking/knife skills demonstrations to the foods classes. And Brian has a new "baby"...a gorgeous bike which he's quite eager to ride. Lots going on, but that's nothing new!

Home sweet home!

We arrived home quite weary but glad we made the trip...even more glad that we pushed hard to get over halfway last night so the drive was shorter today. Amy's doing well so far with the leg braces. I know they must be uncomfortable and hot, but she's not complaining. By the end of the day her legs ache, though. Still, they do help her to walk easier and she seems to be ok with them.

It was so nice to pull into our driveway, and even nicer that mom had already fixed food for all of us so we didn't have to think about figuring something out. Two of my four brothers are visiting mom & dad...what a blast to see them! I get to see John several times a year, but I only see Joe about once every year or two. They're fabulous and I LOVE getting to see them! Needless to say, already we've shared some laughs and stories. It's been great!

Thanks again to all of you who have kept us in your prayers. Thanks to Cynthia for getting Bethany to school at 6:30am this week...thanks to Janis for zucchini bread for the road...to my parents for doggie day care and keeping track of things at home for us...to Liz for offering her help after being gone herself. Everyone has been awesome and we really feel so blessed and loved. Mostly I want to say a huge thank you to BA. He drove most of the way there and back...never complained...ate where we wanted to eat...dealt with my hotel mix-up with a smile...and was just amazing. What a guy!

Strange...

So, many of you thought I'd have an update earlier in the day from the Mayo Clinic, and I sat in the waiting room and typed it after we saw the ortho Dr. But for some reason, it didn't post...dang it! So the short version (since we've been up since 5:15 am...)the Dr didn't feel he could do anything to help Amy's pain but he seems to think the neuropathy will get a little bit better in time. It'll never go away...she'll always live with chronic pain. But he's hopeful it MIGHT get better. No promises. He gave her some new leg braces which look like soccer shin guards, and they help her walk a little bit easier. Instead of walking like she has cerebral palsy, she can walk more upright and doesn't have to hang onto my arm anymore unless it's been a really long day and she's been on her feet a lot. As for the mystery health issues, he really didn't say much about any of them since they weren't ortho related. So much for getting a team of Dr's for a comprehensive consultation! He did suggest new, thicker orthotics, so the ones we just bought are no longer ideal. But he wants us to wait and see how she does with the leg braces first. One very good thing that came out of this consultation is that he filled out paperwork so she can get a permanent handicapped tag for the car. He's amazed that she hasn't already had one. If the Arizona paperwork will transfer to Colorado, we're good. If not, we'll have to take it to our PCM so she can write for one in-state.
At one point, as he watched Amy walk down the hallway with the new braces, he turned to me and said, "you have a really amazing daughter!" Yeah, I already knew that. As a matter of fact, I have 3 amazing daughters! But I didn't want to brag too much, so I just smiled.
All in all, we spent about 2 hours with ortho today. At one point as the Dr was testing her feet to see where/what kind of pain she had, he apologized for making her hurt. She said, "do all you need to do, but that comes with a "kick warning!" And when he told her he wanted her to try leg braces she said, "I like making a fashion statement." Yeah, she really is amazing.
Thanks for the many prayers and good wishes. It's been a long few days, but we're glad we made the trip. The news is kind of bittersweet, but we're still confident it's all part of God's perfect plan. More to this update as I recall things when I'm not so fuzzy...remember the 5:15 wake-up call?!!!

Our (mis)adventures in Arizona...

In all of the hustle and bustle of getting ready to head to Arizona, I concentrated on packing, copying files, making arrangements for Bethany's schedule and Annie's "doggie day care." I figured there would be time to think about the Mayo Clinic details once we got here. Since I'd originally contacted the Scottsdale Mayo Clinic, I just assumed that's where Amy would be seen. Brian made our hotel accommodations accordingly. Last night I pulled out the paperwork they'd sent and realized we were being seen at the Phoenix campus...not Scottsdale! So all this time we thought we just had to zip across the parking lot, when in reality we had to get across town...by 6:30am! I started to get upset until I realized there wasn't much I could do about it. Might as well make the best of it. So we packed the car with most of our things, told the front desk we'd be checking out early today, and we settled in for a good night's sleep. Bright and early this morning we were on our way, and we even managed to get here early. When Amy checked in, they said we'd need an insurance pre-authorization and would we prefer to self-pay? Uh...NO! They finally determined we did NOT need to be pre-authorized, thankfully. (We'll see how it all plays out in the end.) After registration, we headed to Radiology where the x-ray machine promptly broke down! Finally, things were wrapped up and we headed to the cafeteria for breakfast...close and quick. And now we have almost an hour until our appt with the orthopedic physician.
For the past 2 days Amy has been walking without much trouble since she's basically spent most of the time sitting in the car. But yesterday afternoon we played in the pool, and by last night she could hardly walk. Today we had to get a wheelchair to take her from one building to the next...there's no way she could have walked it. It's pretty sad when you're happy that she's having trouble just so the Dr can see what her reality is. If I could take her pain on myself, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I feel like seeing an orthopedic dr is kind of unnecessary...what we really need is a pain mgmt one. But this is where they want to start, so we'll play it their way. I just hope and pray things fall into place for her to see everyone she needs to see this trip.

It was a hot, hot, hot, hot, hot day...

As we pulled into Scottsdale today I glanced at the temperature gauge to see 107 degrees! Yikes! Heat and I have never been good friends, but I tried my best to stay focused on the mission instead of wilting. In just the time it took us to eat lunch along the way, though, my sunglasses got too hot in the car to put on my face when we got back in. So one of the first things we did in Scottsdale (after getting frozen yogurt) was to buy a sun shade at the Toyota dealer for my car. We're now checked into the Marriott right next to the Mayo Clinic. Even though they're technically within walking distance from each other, we'll still probably take the shuttle just to avoid feeling gross before 7am. We have to be at registration at 6:30, radiology at 7:30, and the ortho Dr's office at 9:50. Sorry if I'm repeating myself. It's all kind of a blur. It's hard to not get our hopes up that they'll be able to do something for Amy. We're hopeful, but too many times we've been frustrated. The unknowns are hard. But we trust that things have fallen into place for a reason and we're meant to be here. Yet realistically, we know that at this time tomorrow we could be on our way back home, too.
We're looking forward to hearing from the "experts" about the things Amy has been dealing with. We're praying for a miracle! No matter what happens, we'll keep on praising God for His provision for our girl and for all of us. His plan for us is perfect!!!

Gallup, NM

It's been a smooth ride so far, and we finally pulled into Gallup, NM amidst a downpour. Not one of my favorite places, I have to say. But we're warm and safe and in for the night. Tomorrow is a shorter trip, thankfully. We want to get into Scottsdale early enough to check out the Mayo Clinic campus and figure out where we have to be at 6:30am on Tuesday. First stop is registration, then radiology, and we finally see the orthopedic Dr at 9:50.
Thanks again to everyone who's keeping things on track at home, and thanks to my sweet friend, Janis, for the homemade zucchini bread to nibble on in the car. Finding food/potty stops is challenging in the wide open stretches of NM, so we appreciate the gesture.
Sweet dreams!

And we're off!

So many things are falling into place for us as we prepare for our trip to the Mayo Clinic. Brian managed to fly home on Thursday evening and surprised us. He wasn't due until Friday night, so that bought an extra 24 hours for him to get some things done before we take off again. We have awesome friends/family who have stepped up to help with some of the details that need to be taken care of while we're away. Annie loves "doggie day care" at mom & dad's house, so that will be fun for her.

Amy has slowly been trying to do more and more each day, and yesterday she probably overdid it. She was on her feet a LOT...for the first time in days without crutches. Today she's paying for it. Her ankle is still dark and sensitive to touch and putting weight on it is hard. But soon we hope to have answers!!!!

Thank you SO much for continuing to pray for us. Despite everything, we still feel tremendously blessed and grateful. While this isn't the life we would have chosen for Amy, it's the hand we've been dealt and I'm constantly amazed at her positive outlook and grateful heart. She still laughs and sings and writes beautiful stories and loves to cook...none of that has been taken away from her.

On another note, Laura will finish up her internship in Denver on Tuesday and has had a fabulous time. Working for Kiewit has been an incredible opportunity for her! She'll be home for a few days this week with Bethany and then she'll move back to her campus to get ready for her senior year. Wedding plans are slowly coming along. Bethany started her junior year of high school this week which just astounds me. Between her volunteer work and homework, we probably won't see her much. She's constantly busy, but that's how she likes it. Too much down time bores her.

Well, keep checking back for updates. I'll try to stay on top of things while we're away. Thanks again for your prayers!

A waiting game...

Ever since last Thursday evening Amy's had a slightly discolored ankle...swollen and quite painful to touch. About the time I'm ready to call the Dr, however, it looks/feels a bit better. Last night it was the worst yet and my normally optimistic girl had a really tough time smiling thru it. She's certainly entitled to a "pity party" when she hurts, but rarely do we see one. When the smile doesn't quite reach her face, I know it's bad. Today Bethany had to take over the babysitting job Amy was committed to, and I might be calling the Dr, depending how things look/feel when she wakes up. Our doctor's office probably thinks we cry wolf, but if they only knew the strength Amy has during the tough stuff, they'd understand that we only call when desperation sets in. Perhaps it's time to find a new local Dr? Lots to think about. Right now it's a waiting game. We're quite eager to get to Scottsdale next week. This uncertainty is so hard.

The power of prayer!

I just talked to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, and they're able to get Amy in to see an orthopedic Dr a week from tomorrow!!! This is great! She'll have this week to get some things done before her new school year starts, next week for all the time they need at Mayos, and the following week is recovery time before she moves back into the dorm. We're not sure yet how we'll do this. It's a 13 1/2 hour drive from the Springs and Brian doesn't even get home from his travels until Friday night. But we'll make it work for sure.
There are so many awesome people praying for our girl, and it sure feels like a miracle that we're able to get her in so quickly. If they're able to help her in any way at all, that will be incredible! If they tell us everything has already been done and this is just how she'll be for the rest of her life, then we'll know we've exhausted our options unless another miracle is ahead down the road. Just to know one way or the other will be huge.
Stay tuned...I'll update things as we know more. And thanks again for your mighty prayers. Satan trembles when we pray!!!

Here we go again...

It's been a tough few days for our culinary girl. After getting a second antibiotic for a kidney infection (the first one didn't help at all), she finally began feeling better. So yesterday she and her dad took off for Heavenfest...sort of a Christian Rock version of Woodstock...up in Longmont. They signed up ages ago to be security volunteers which meant they did a LOT of walking/standing on uneven ground. As if that wasn't hard enough for Amy, she also discovered that her left ankle was discolored and hot and extremely painful. Several times throughout the day she iced her feet/ankles, but still she couldn't walk last night without a lot of help. Today the swelling and discoloration is somewhat diminished, but it's not entirely gone. It kind of goes right along with the CRPS diagnosis she received after the initial surgery on her feet in 2007. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/DS00265) In the past 3 years since that diagnosis she's seen 2 orthopedic surgeons, her PCM, 3 pain mgmt Dr's, a wound care Dr, a medical psychologist, a physical therapist, and a pedorthist (for orthotics.) Not one of the specialists she's seen has a handle on the complete diagnosis/treatment for the past 3 years. We've been passed around quite a bit. After watching Amy use crutches today (and a wheelchair at the grocery), Brian and I decided it's time to see a team at the Mayo Clinic if we're able to get her in. Fitting a trip in around her school schedule will be a challenge. She moves into her dorm on 21 August, so if we can't do it before then we'll try either her Thanksgiving or Christmas break. The hard part is that if she misses even 2 days of class, she has to withdraw. And she still has one class from last school year to make up that she missed after her lymph node surgery. It will take every bit of prayer and determination she has to make it thru each day.
Please keep Amy in your prayers. She still faces each day with a smile and isn't ready to call it quits. But her culinary dreams are changing as she tries to adapt to the pain she faces daily. Being able to finish her degree next May is the goal for now. She'll be a Resident Assistant this school year, also. We're not sure how she'll be able to do her internship next spring, but that's a bridge we'll just have to cross later.
We're trying really hard to help her find a silver lining in all of this. For now we're just clinging to the idea that while this does, indeed, suck, there are always people who have it so much worse. Amy can laugh and smile and walk (usually) and sing and do many other things that others can't. One day at a time for now...that's what we'll think about. Baby steps.

Returning to "normal"...whatever that is!

It's been a better day for the family all around. Thanks for the love and support, everyone. Thanks especially to Bill & Cynthia for an awesome meal. Seriously awesome!! We're blessed :-)

The silver linings in our day...

Brian's silver lining...even though he has bronchial pneumonia, he only has to teach a couple of hours a day from home this week instead of infecting everyone in a classroom.
Laura's silver lining...well, she knows what it is!
Amy's silver lining...even with a kidney infection, she can do most of her prep for meals sitting down instead of standing while her back hurts so much. (Yeah, she still wants to cook.)
Bethany's silver lining...even though it's 90+ degrees outside, she's volunteering at Summer Heat Firecamp this week and loving every minute of it.
Annie's silver lining...she only threw up once today!
And mine...well, I'm blessed that I'm able to be home to take care of my family. I don't know how in the world women who work outside the home have time to keep up with everything. And my other silver lining...our very good friends delivered a meal that we can have tomorrow night, and it looks wonderful!!!!

Thanks to all of you who care about my family. Thanks for offering your support in so many ways (here's to you, Seniors!) And thanks for the prayers. We're blessed!

I think I can...I think I can...

Annie, the wonder beagle, has been having more bad days lately than good days. We're just never sure which dog is going to get up each morning...the playful pup or the senior citizen. When she's playful, she bounces all over the place and is frisky as can be. But on the days the "senior beagle" wakes up she's rather pitiful. She has a hard time making it up the stairs and we can tell it hurts just to stand up after a deep sleep. Her eyes are listless, and many days she has an upset stomach and isn't too interested in eating...highly unusual for her. (Actually, those days are more common anymore.) In an effort to keep her going, I've been taking her to the vet once a week for vitamin B-12 injections. They seem to keep her going and until we can tell she's in a lot of pain, we'd really like to love on her awhile longer. Last week our vet told me I really ought to learn to give her the shots at home. I've certainly watched him give them enough times! So today I was determined I would do it without hesitation. Seems easy enough, right? I guess I should explain something, though. A few months ago we tried to give these at home and we just couldn't do it. Bethany refused to even try since Annie is "her baby." And I was too squeamish. Brian was the only one brave enough to attempt it, and Annie screamed at him. Wrong technique, I guess. But this time I was determined, and I did it on the first attempt!!! Those of you who are in the medical profession or who give yourself insulin shots or even give shots to your pet are probably rolling on the floor laughing. It really isn't that big of a deal. But I'm feeling rather accomplished at the moment. And Annie is a playful pup today and gave me kisses after I stuck her. Now that's love!

A compassionate heart...

Yesterday Amy and I met our new neighbor and her two young daughters at Chick-fil-A for breakfast. After eating, the 5-year old asked Amy to go with her to the play area. Janis and I decided to sit and chat with Katie, her 15-month old. Soon afterward a woman stopped by our table to ask if my daughter was the one with long brown hair sitting in the play area. Evidently, Amy had befriended her special needs daughter, a 10-year old who was too handicapped to actually play. She was content to sit on the floor next to her wheelchair and watch the little ones play. Not only had Amy befriended this girl...they were singing and laughing and talking like old friends. The little girl's mom said, "That's so amazing! Most kids just ignore my daughter completely! You have one special girl." It really was sweet to see and I was so proud of my Amy. Our girls have always been compassionate toward others...they gravitate toward the "underdog," senior citizens, and the less fortunate. I love that about them. They manage to see with "Christ-like" eyes/hearts when many of us don't. I need to learn from our girls. They set a good example, and no matter how I try, I often fall short. When I grow up, I want to be like them!

Laura's summer internship blog

For anyone who's interested, Laura is keeping a summer blog about her internship. It's been rather humorous and a lot of fun...check it out!

http://waywelearn.blogspot.com/

My Dreamer...

...and speaking of old dogs...

Annie, the wonder beagle (a.k.a. "queen of the cul-de-sac") has a pretty predictable morning routine. She gets up with Bethany who takes her outside to do her business and then feeds her. Afterward, she races thru the house either chasing a toy or looking for a safe place to hide a toy. And then she runs upstairs, jumps into our bed, and crashes for the rest of the morning. She's 10 1/2 years old and this has been her routine for many years. This morning she finished breakfast, grabbed a squeaky toy ball, and raced across the hardwood in the kitchen and into the living room where she promptly yelped twice. And then, nothing. I called her, but (as usual) she didn't come to me. When I went downstairs to check on her, she was standing in the living room with her front left paw in the air, motionless. I scooped her up, took her upstairs, and set her down to see if she could walk. She walked, but she was clearly in pain and limped badly. Off to the vet once again...her home away from home...where we found out she'd wrenched her shoulder. The vet gave her an anti-inflammatory injection and some pain pills and asked us to keep her fairly quiet for about 5 or 6 days...even after she feels better. So for the next few days she'll be on "puppy prozac" and pain pills. She has a port-a-crib to sleep in at night (no laughing!) and we'll do our best to keep her sedated during the day. Amy and I had a few errands to run this morning, so she spent a few hours at "doggie day care" with my mom & dad. When we got there to pick her up the medication had kicked in and she was quite wasted...could barely pick her head up to say hi. I could get used to this! And did I mention the vet's office said they'd name a wing after Annie when they remodel the next time?

Teaching an old dog new tricks...

Awhile back Laura talked me into having a Facebook page. I resisted, yet Laura set one up anyway so I could see pictures as she posted new ones and we could chat once in awhile. I still resisted (thinking Facebook was just for the younger generation), but eventually curiosity got the best of me and I sneaked a peek at my profile. I eased into it slowly. It is, after all, hard to teach an "old dog" new tricks. But in not much time at all I was checking things each time I walked by the computer. Yeah, I'm a geek and I'm hooked. The really unexpected, yet wonderful thing about Facebook has been reconnecting with friends I've known most of my life. Some I've known since kindergarten! Many were friends from church youth group, and many are high school friends. I've been away from Indiana since 1985 and many of these friends I haven't seen since I graduated from high school in 1977. It's been awesome to discover that time/distance kind of melt away. Many times when I've posted a message asking for prayer or emotional support, it's been friends from my childhood who have responded with positive words of encouragement. So yeah, even though I still kind of feel that Facebook is for the younger generation, I enjoy it, too. Don't laugh! You really CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

We have a dress!

It's stunning, and that's all I'm allowed to say on the subject for now. Bride's orders!

wedding dress shopping...

Yesterday we headed out to look for a wedding dress for Laura, and what an experience it was! Our consultant for the first part of the appt was the asst manager, Richard. He was hilarious! He clearly loved his job and was wonderful at helping Laura. His demonstration for her on how she should get into the dresses was hysterical, and he was quite shocked that she's going to be an engineer...his mouth dropped on that one. And when he asked why she had a farmer tan and she told him she works on a construction site this summer, I thought he just might fall over! Finally she came out in her first dress...one that she had seen online. It truly was beautiful and yes, I got a bit teary. About 6 dresses later the novelty had worn off. She looked stunning in each and every one, but it was a bit hard to visualize how they would really look since everything she tried on was a size 4 and she's a "sub-o" in size. Clips are wonderful things, but even they couldn't make the dresses small enough for our bride. Still, she now has a better idea of what she hopes to find and we have plenty of time to try again. The 3 bridesmaids know what they're supposed to look for now, too. If only we could take Richard with us wherever we go to try dresses on, it would be a blast!

No news is good news...

All is quiet in the household, and it's kinda nice after the fast pace of our PNW trip. I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten you, but the only thing exciting that's happened since our return is that one night we had a wicked thunderstorm and the smoke detector went off. That certainly has never happened before! Poor Annie shook so hard Bethany had to hold her until she fell back asleep. And for now, that's all, folks!

Relax...

When we hadn't heard anything about the luggage we logged on and saw that the flight we'd been on finally made it to the Springs. We rushed out to the airport, and surprisingly, our luggage was waiting for us! So now that we're unpacked I'll finally relax and enjoy being back. There really is no place like home.

So close and yet so far!

A rather interesting trip home from Seattle today...we flew over Colorado Springs but were put into a holding pattern in Denver. It seems the area was getting some vicious storms, and DIA closed for a time. After circling, we were diverted to the Springs to take on some more fuel. So close and yet so far! We were 4th in line get fuel and it was going to be a 15+ minute wait, so we were allowed to get up, make calls, etc. Fifteen minutes stretched into about 30, and then finally they announced that anyone whose final destination was COS could deplane. That was GOOD news! The bad news is that we're still, several hours later, waiting for our luggage to arrive from Denver. It's supposedly going to arrive yet tonight, but I'm not holding my breath. We'll see it when we see it....IF we see it!
It was great to be home and get caught up with the girls. They have lots of stories to tell of their time without us. I think they really enjoyed having the house & cars to themselves. But I also think they missed us a little bit. And Annie, our beagle, is following me around like...a puppy dog!

Let's roll!

I was up before the sun and ready to roll. I'm headed home!

Winding down...

Our day in Vancouver started with gorgeous blue skies and sunshine...what a gift. Our trusty GPS "Lola" got us out of the big city in record time, and we headed back toward the good ol' USA. In no time at all we were thru customs. I loved it when the border patrol guy said "welcome home!" I turned on my cell phone for the first time in a couple of days, and it was nice that there were no urgent messages from home. As a matter of fact, there were NO messages at all! I'm beginning to think the girls are having way too much fun without us!
By the time we were just north of Seattle the skies were gray and the sun was nowhere to be found. I, of course, loved it But I think between all of the driving and the lack of sun, BA was a bit weary. And I guess I can't blame him. He's driven every bit of the road time on this trip in some awful traffic, yet not once has he complained. He's a good travel buddy for sure.
Lola took us into downtown Seattle to visit the Pike Place Market...a wonderful, yet chaotic place that has fresh seafood, fresh produce, homemade wares, and probably a ton of other things that we never did get to see. I was focused on getting us to Lowell's, a seafood restaurant inside the market that I'd read about in Coastal Living magazine. It was kind of a dive, but the food was really, really good and the tables all overlooked the water. I had a dungeness crab cake, fresh prawns, and broiled salmon along with fresh steamed carrots and rice with homemade mango salsa. Talk about yummy! I knew it might be my last chance to get fresh seafood, and I didn't want to waste it! Afterward we decided to walk off our meal,so we hiked a LONG way to the Space Needle...a really, really long way. We saw some wonderful parts of the city and some rather seedy parts, as well, but we made it! Then we played tourist as we waited in line for tickets, waited in line for the elevator, jammed way too many people into the elevator, and joined thousands of visitors at the top of the needle. Ok, that last part was an exaggeration, but there were a LOT of people up there. While it was impressive to see the city from up high, my tourist fun meter was just about pegged and we still had a long hike back to find our car. Oh yeah...we hiked back. Did I mention it was a long way?!
I'm sitting comfortably in our room at the Hilton now...I'm kind of afraid to get up. I'm not sure my body will cooperate after all it's been thru on this vacation. It's been a crazy, wild, awesome trip. But I'm tired and ready to head home. One last wake-up and we'll be on our way. The next time you hear from me it will be from my own home with my own family and my own warm beagle. Later!

Day 8...Vancouver again

The day started early and I think we covered about a million miles between walking and going up stairs. We took the Skytrain, the Seabus, and the metro to North Vancouver so we could tour the Capilano Suspension Bridge area. Brian told me to "be aggressive" as we got on the Skytrain, and he wasn't kidding. You only get about 10 seconds to let passengers unload and quickly jump on and grab a yellow rail. Finding a seat is nearly impossible at rush hour. My nose was about armpit level, and it was rather warm in there, but somehow I survived and actually had fun! We did the reverse order coming back into the city and jumped off at the stop where a lot of the Olympic venues are. We're still having a good time, but the pace is getting old...drive, unpack, play tourist, pack up, and drive again. These 2 days in Vancouver were a nice break from the frenzy even though we were still quite busy. We'll check out in the morning and head to Seattle for a quick 1-day stop before flying home on Saturday. The cool part? BA and I are still friends and are having a lot of fun together!

Sorry, everyone

For some reason part of a sentence keeps deleting in my previous post because I added pictures. No matter how hard I try to edit it to make it right, it still deletes even though my preview window shows it correctly. I'm too tired to work on it any harder tonight. Sorry!

Day 7 in Victoria, BC & Vancouver

Given how early we had to be in line at the Blackball Ferry office today, I barely slept from about 3 on. By 5:30 I was up and in the shower and ready to face the day. We checked out of the hotel at 6:20, headed thru the drive thru at McDonalds for an "on the go" breakfast, and got our car in line at the dock.
We ate in the car and laughed about the craziness of the early morning, but I'm glad we were early. By the time the office opened at 7am there was quite a line behind us! It's just crazy to watch RV's and semis drive onboard. No way should that ferry hold that kind of weight, but they have it down to a science and things were smooth as could be during the whole adventure. I was like a kid in a candy store...so much to see! We sat with an older couple from Olympia who go to Victoria about once a year to spend the night and shop. They shared their insight and wisdom with us and Brian shared some of his camera knowledge with them. It was a nice way to pass the time. I love to people watch, too, and a ferry is an awesome place to do so. In about 90 minutes we docked in Victoria, BC and joined the frenzy of tourists exploring the fun shops & restaurants. It was kind of a freak show/yuppie festival all in one...we saw some crazy things! One of the locals pointed us in the direction of more halibut fish & chips where we had good food and a quirky, but funny waitress. Those Canadians sure are friendly! Once our legs were tiring, we headed about 20 miles north on I-17 to Swartz Bay to get in line for the 3:00 ferry to Vancouver. This ferry was so much bigger and held an amazing number of vehicles and passengers. It was another 90 minute ride, but this time we were too tired to stand on deck. Instead, we just people watched from the inside seats and only occasionally did we step outside. The scenery was gorgeous, but the passengers who smoked kind of ruined the atmosphere, unfortunately. Gross!! The clean, fresh air that should have been invigorating was a bit disgusting no matter where we walked outside. We arrived in Vancouver and drove off the ferry at 4:55...prime time for crazy drivers. The drive to the Hilton Metrotown was perilous and awful...people cutting in and rarely waving. Rude drivers for sure. But we made it to our hotel and unpacked, which felt pretty darn good. For dinner we walked toward the mall a block away to see what we could find, and now I'm pinging off the walls. That mall is filled with crazies!! I've never seen so many freaks and "street walker wannabes" in my life! Definitely lots to see, but it was too loud and frenzied for me. We finally found something to eat and headed back to "normal" at the Hilton. For all those people who told us to pack warm clothes and be prepared to be cold...fooey on you. It's hot and sunny here and WARM!! And now, I'm SO ready to crash!

Port Angeles, WA

Today our drive produced a wide range of emotions. When the sun came out, it was just stunning to see how gorgeous everything is...the lakes, the evergreens, etc. Picture postcard gorgeous! But far too often we came across areas in the forests that had been logged, and it was heartbreaking to see the "rape" of our land. Acres of wooded areas were left with nothing but stumps, and it was quite sad to see. We take our gorgeous wood furniture, paper products, etc for granted without considering the sacrifice of God's majestic trees. The good news, though, is that there were signs along the way stating the year many of the wooded areas were reforested. Oregon and Washington both seem to be very environmentally friendly compared to other states we've traveled. And I have to admit that the roads are much better maintained than ours in Colorado.
Along our route today was a drive thru Forks, WA, the home of the Twilight series of books. We didn't go out of our way to see it. It just happened to be on our route. But we stopped for lunch and laughed a bit at all of the teeny boppers who were going crazy over everything Twilight! One of the workers at the cafe said as the logging industry slowed down, the tourist industry picked up, thanks to Twilight. There were stores carrying Twilight merchandise on 3 of the 4 corners at the only stoplight in town! I talked to a sweet older gentleman who was painting a building. He wanted to know where we're from and where we're headed. I've found the people all along our route this week to be good ol' folks...very friendly to outsiders.
Tonight we'll head out for more seafood here in Port Angeles, and then at 7am we need to have our car in line for the Blackball Ferry into Victoria, BC. The lady working at their office today said we shouldn't have any problem getting on if we arrive early. (Making a reservation costs extra.) We'll take our chances. But Courtney, if we don't get on that ferry I'm holding you personally responsible!!!

PNW Day 5...

We saw some awesome scenery today in both Oregon & Washington. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many gorgeous trees; everything is so lush and green. We moseyed into Portland to meet some former neighbors for lunch at a downtown brewery and it was great to see Burke & Heather and the kids. They gave us some good tips for the latter part of our trip in Vancouver and Seattle, which was nice. Afterward we headed along the coast and across the highest bridge I've ever seen as we ventured into Washington. I'm in awe of God's majesty in this beautiful country of ours!!! He has quite a vivid imagination, I'd say! We finally rolled into our hotel on the beach at dinnertime and headed out to find some local food...fish, of course! In Idaho, our friend, Peggy, told us once we tried halibut fish & chips we'd never want cod again, and she's right. Foolishly, we ordered cod this evening to save a few bucks and we quickly realized the halibut is so much heartier and more flavorful. We've been spoiled!
Tomorrow we'll head to Port Angeles where we'll be able to catch a ferry into Victoria, BC as we head on up to Vancouver. It's been a great trip and there are some exciting things ahead for us before we catch our flight home. In the meantime, I'm sitting in the laundry room at the hotel while I wait for our load to finish. I'd forgotten how sticky things feel in the humidity; it'll be nice to have things clean again.
I think things are going alright at home. The girls seem to be getting along ok...either that or I'm not getting the full story. Amy & Bethany are both busy working, and the seniors are picking up the slack with Annie, the wonder beagle. Laura sounds good, too...just very busy. I'm trying to not think about home too much. BA and I are just enjoying this time together.

Day 4...a geeky, but gorgeous day...

The first part of our day in eastern Washington was rather unimpressive scenery, but soon we were parallel to the Columbia River and headed west in Oregon. Talk about gorgeous! And soon we were driving along the beautiful Columbia River Highway with waterfalls on one side and train tracks and the river on the other. We stopped in Multnomah Falls and played tourist for awhile before heading down the road to the Bridal Veil Lodge B & B. After checking in, we hiked thru the woods to see Bridal Veil Falls...very impressive and gorgeous. God is indeed majestic!!! I have to admit, though, that there was some geekiness to our trip. Since there was no auxillary port in the rental car and radio reception is spotty, we stopped at an office supply store to buy burnable CD's. As we traveled along the highway, I opened up iTunes on my laptop and made CD's of some of our favorite music. Yeah, we're geeks.

Day 3 of the Pacific NW trip...

We hated to say goodbye to Peggy & Ed this morning. They've been awesome hosts and we loved seeing their beautiful neck of the woods in Coeur 'd Alene, ID. It was just gorgeous! Peggy drove us all over the place and let us do/see whatever we wanted to with no complaints. And Ed was VERY patient with this beginning "shooter" at their shooting range, Center Target Sports (www.centertargetsports.com). Awesome people with a first class business. Check them out if you're ever in their area. Now I understand why guns should never be in the hands of people who aren't properly trained. They make it look so easy in the movies, but it's much more difficult than it looks. I was thankful for the opportunity to shoot in a controlled environment with an expert. But no, I won't be rushing out to buy a Glock anytime soon. And now it's on to Yakima, WA!

The bucket list...

Yesterday Brian and I arrived in Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho to visit a childhood friend of mine and her husband. Peggy was the one who taught me at YMCA camp to shoot a bow and arrow, and I used to be pretty good at it. Now she and Ed own a shooting range, so I was able (with Ed's expert help) to try shooting both a machine gun and a pistol. I wasn't too great...definitely not a natural. But I did it and was able to at least hit the target!! I'm fairly certain it was beginner's luck, of course, and I won't quit my day job to go to the police academy. But I've always wanted to try it, and now I have. Just one more thing crossed off the bucket list.

Mama bear instincts...

Yesterday Amy went into work at 5 and got home shortly before midnight...a LONG time for someone with pain issues in her feet. It was UFC fight night, so that kept the sports grill/bar quite busy. One of her tables wouldn't give her the required credit card as a "deposit" for the cover charge. They insisted they were going to pay with cash. Later, when they said they were going outside to smoke, Amy asked the hostess to keep an eye on them. She, of course, didn't, and Amy was left to pick up the $60 tab when they all skipped out. The mama bear instincts in me want to run straight over and talk to her manager about their crazy system. But I know this is a valuable life lesson for Amy and that she needs to deal with it herself. Still, I'm quite ticked that people would skip out like that. Evidently it happened twice to one of the other servers and she had to cough up about $150. Seriously, I'm shocked that people would take advantage of my girl. But then again, I'm not. Unfortunately, the moral compass in this country isn't what it used to be. Sad, but true.

A day with our girl...

Brian and I headed north today to spend some time with Laura and to check out her new digs. Her company, Kiewit, put her up in a high rise on the 15th floor...quite different than the tiny dorm room she's used to! We were able to walk to her construction site, Union Station, to see where she spends about 11 hours a day with a happy grin. She's quite proud of the work she does and the smile just never stops when she talks about it. She's the first Environmental Engineer the company has at this site. There's so much to do and know, but she loves a challenge. After visiting the site we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory...my first visit. Awesome pasta and even better cheesecake--coconut! Talk about yummy! Between the three of us we had enough leftovers for Laura to eat for the rest of the weekend, so that made her happy. After doing laundry and visiting a little bit we said our goodbyes. Our girl is tired and sore and sunburned from her week and she was ready to take it easy for the rest of the day. We headed home in the rain, confident that she's happy and loving life and in a good place. It will be nice to be able to visualize her at home and at work now when we talk. I know she loved having us around, but she'll be especially happy when Ian gets back from his trip tomorrow evening. Same God watching over them both. Life is good.