May 2013 Awards

For the last couple of years, our Women of Worth group has had our May meeting at a steakhouse. For many years we did a large mother/daughter banquet, but May is such a full month and many of us were so crazy busy that it was almost overwhelming to add in yet another event. This year a few of us brought our little gals. A little guy made it in, as well. :-) They had so much fun!

Paul, Sallie, Allison, Halie, Kaitlynn

Add in Emilee

Ryan played a trumpet solo at the Awards Program.  He has
an awesome teacher, and we are so happy that he has progressed
so much in the last 5 months!

Had I been able to move around a little better, this pic would
have been a little less busy.  :-)  If you can decipher the
4 kids standing with me, they are my piano students.  They
each played pieces at the Awards Program.  So proud of them!

These two ladies, Marea and Brenda, are my
co-workers.  I'm so blessed to spend my days
with them doing something we are all totally
passionate about!

This year marked the end of my 15th year of teaching at PCS. I can't believe it - it happened so fast! The school honored me with a beautiful wooden plaque (P. Graham Dunn, if you're familiar), and a large gift bag full of notes from the students. Many were handmade, and made me laugh and cry at the same time. :-) Those will be treasured forever. There were also some notes from parents and gift cards for me to spend this summer. Our reception theme was western, and we had a bbq with all the fixins'. Knowing my love of anything chocolate (the darker the better), they ordered a cake that would tame any chocolate lover's sweet tooth! We finished up the night by watching videos from Student Convention. You can view those on You Tube under Rooster Cuts. Good stuff.

Another year is in the books, and before we know it we'll be starting all over again. So thankful that God has blessed our family and helped us through the year. Giving our kids a Christian education isn't the least expensive option (at least not financially), and it's certainly not always seemingly the easiest, but God is blessing and rewarding our efforts. We are seeing spiritual growth and depth in our kids more than ever before, and they are developing foundations that are strong, consciences that are sensitive and tender, and hearts that are passionate about focusing on things that are "true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report." (Phil. 4:8) One of our goals as parents is for our children to be "...wise to that which is good, and simple concerning evil." (Rom. 16:19) We are not ashamed or embarassed about the fact that we don't want our children to get doses (however large or small) of evolutionary "science", revisionist "history", or moral relativism. I commented to Greg the other day that I've never seen a time where people are calling good evil and evil good like they are today. It's just unbelievable how wicked our society has become. Anyone who doesn't think so should seriously get their head out from under a rock and take a look at the things that are affecting us in every corner of this great nation. I say that tongue in cheek, but honestly, our ignorance about our national condition will be our demise. Now that school is out, we are just taking a few days to enjoy the slower pace and prepare for all the fun that summer will bring. Enjoy the sunshine if you are lucky enough to have it today. Things are bright and beautiful here in Lima!

Update on Stephanie's Condition

I hadn't originally planned to share these photos, but I guess it never hurts to shed some pride.  :-)  My first dr visit was Friday afternoon.  I'm so incredibly blessed by the fact that my husband delivers 5 days a week to a large medical park known as Orthopaedic Institute of Ohio. Their foot specialist did my surgery, and I am able to have any follow up along with therapy, etc., there at the institute.  Because of Greg's "connection" (that's what the employees there called it), I was able to get the surgeon that Greg wanted and he came in at 8:30 p.m. the day of my injury to do the almost two hour procedure. 

Before Friday, I hadn't been in OIO.  It's a pretty impressive place, and everyone was so kind.  They love my husband, so they already liked me, too.  Nice perk.  :-)  The head of therapy spent a little time helping me to learn to go up steps backwards on one foot, and he attempted to help me with crutches.  After spending a little time wobbling around with the crutches, we were both convinced I should stick with the walker. 
After saying, "Hi!  It's so nice to meet you, too!" what felt like a thousand times, I finally made it into the exam room and they removed my cast.  The plan was to remove the stitches, but there was still too much swelling.  I could only imagine what was under that cast.  As soon as the sweet girl removed it, Greg let out a small gasp along with an, "Oh my goodness!" and immediately began taking pictures.  I couldn't see it at that point, and I was expecting the worst.  The pictures really don't show the full amount of bruising and swelling that were still present, but you'll get the idea.  It ain't purdy...

I have two screws on the inside right ankle.

Dr. Briggs inserted a plate on the outside right ankle.
Allison asked Greg if they had told me about the pan in my leg.
She was talking about the plate, but by the size
of this incision, it may have actually been a pan.  :-)

I have to say that after 2 weeks, it felt great to get the cast off and at least have a minute for the leg to breathe.  While it was off, I went to x-ray and moved around a bit there getting pictures.  After the dr checked things out and compared the x-rays, he explained how things were healing and gave me a great report.  The cast tech gave me a lime green cast (my request) which I will wear until June 4th.  At that point they will hopefully be able to remove the stitches and put on another cast that I will wear for a few more weeks.  I'm not sure whether that one will be hot pink or purple...the votes are still coming in.  :-)

Who knew that a little stumble could do this kind of damage?!  There's so much involved in the healing process and it's changed our world quite a bit.  I'll be blogging my thoughts about that here.
I'm so thankful for all the friends that God has sent along to help carry our load and brighten my days.  What a blessing they are!

Achievements...

 

 Friday, May 17th, we celebrated Ryan's 8th grade graduation.  It's difficult to believe that he is 13 and on the brink of high school! 

Receiving his certificate

 

Turning the tassels for the kindergarten grads.  This is one part
of being involved with the program that I will miss once the new
teacher is ready to assume her role!

Such fun teaching little ones to read

Proud daddy

Wow...he's getting tall.

With Grandma and Grandpa Burley...
so glad they were able to be here!

 

Nichols' family that were there

With Mama and Papa

Our family

Ryan's friend, Caleb, also graduated from 8th grade.  Our senior graduate was Ryan Eads...honors student and all around great kid.  :-)  Proud of our PCS family!

It WAS a beautiful day...

On May 8th, Greg and I set out for a quick overnight trip to Adrian, MI.  He was visiting Adrian College, and I was along for the ride.  The weather was perfect, and we had a leisurely trip to Perrysburg where we spent the night.  On Thursday morning, we made it to the college around 9:30,  and were preparing to head in separate directions for the next couple of hours. 

Green grass, blue skies...

and a cracked sidewalk.  If you expand this picture and follow
the walk to the last hanging planter, you'll see where it, er, I went
down...lol.  :-)

This was the last photo I took.  Such a pretty campus.

By 10:45 I was laying in the local E.R. with a trimalleolar fracture.
In other words, three breaks and a dislocated bone.

Apparently, there was a large downward crack in the sidewalk and my toes went down causing all my weight to come down on the top of my right foot.  That sort of blew everything apart above the ankle.  I heard it break and knew that there was no getting up.  Within just a couple of minutes, the sports medicine people from the college were hovering over me, and the ambulance was soon to follow.  Sometime around noon, I finally earned a dose of morphine, and the x-rays proved what they were all assuming.  This was going to require surgery.  The next question was whether to stay there or come back home.  I'm extremely fortunate in that Greg delivers to the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio five days a week, and knows quite a few employees and several of the doctors.  Within minutes (and to the amazement of the dr in MI), he had the cell number of the foot surgeon, and he wanted to see me asap.  We decided to transport ourselves, and felt that it was a good decision.  Within 30 minutes of the two hour trip, however, the morphine had worn off and I thought I was gonna die.  They had wrapped my foot tightly, but all the muscles were displaced and everything was just a mess.  Besides the break, my toes had the feeling of being on fire.  I moaned and cried while my poor husband drove 80 mph and watched for cops.  We were pre-admitted to the local hospital here, and thought that it would be a painless process once we arrived.  Long story short, they weren't able to find me in the system, doctor's orders supposedly weren't there, and it was another 90 minutes after arriving at our hospital before they could give me another dose of morphine.  They finally got it together, and I was taken for a CT scan to determine whether there were any other pieces of bone floating around.  From the scan, I was taken directly to surgery.  So...injury at 10:15 a.m., surgery 8:30 p.m.  Longest day ever.  The last thing I remember after going into the o.r. was, through my tears, thanking all the people that were in the room for being there late at night when I knew they all had a life, too.  They were like, "Oh, it's ok, honey.  That's what we're here for..."  They were probably dying laughing on the inside.  It just felt to me like they all dropped what they were doing and came in late to save me from torture...lol.

Really?  LOL

Our hospital has the best food ever.  :-)  Seriously, we've
gone to their cafeteria for dinner when we weren't even in
the hospital!

Back home by Saturday evening.
I'm definitely not used to room service.

Wearing this cast for 2 weeks.
After that, will have stitches removed
and a hard cast placed for another 4 weeks.



Mother's Day 2013

Through the last week and a half, we've made lots of adjustments.  I'm so thankful for my family, and especially for my amazing husband.  He shows his love every day and in many ways, but a situation like this really exposes someone's character.  He is living the "for better or for worse" part of his pledge to me, and I'm grateful to have the unconditional love of a good man.  

Celebrating...Me! :-)

Happy Birthday to us!

Megan always adds her creative touch to gifts.  :-)
 

Alli, Suzie, Kait, and Livvi love Olive Garden!
 

Pictures shouldn't be taken this late in the evening, especially
after a long day..lol.  Anyway, happy to be with my parents
to celebrate turning 37!



 

My mom...she's the one who should be celebrated on May 7.
I wasn't exactly the easiest child to birth.  :-)



Love our girls!

Ryan and Evan with Mama Yount

My sister was able to meet us in Dayton

 

Celebrating the Chick-fil-A way! 

 

So blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday with
Grandma.  Last year we weren't able to be together, then in
August she was given a cancer diagnosis.  I determined that if
there was to be another birthday, we'd be together. 
Thankful for that opportunity!

I don't particularly enjoy birthdays, but this year I was actually excited about it and found myself anticipating it...lol!  What a great week I had...I guess that was to get me psyched up for what was about to happen...