Tim's Knee Surgery...{July 22nd}

BEFORE:

"Hey it's just knee surgery. What's the big deal?"

AFTER:

(doped on morphine)

"Wow...this is Awful!.. Oh and where are my sunglasses?"

It was so horrible to see Tim in so much pain immediately after surgery. He was not conscious but was moaning in pain. I had the nurses give him a few more injections of morphine in his I.V. & he felt MUCH better.  ....BUT then the funnies began!

He insisted on wearing his sunglasses inside the Recovery Room which gave me & the nurse quite the chuckle. He looked like Stevie Wonder as he bobbed his head back and forth and said such funny things.   He told the nurse numerous times how important it was for him to wear his sunglasses since "his eyes were so sensitive from his 3 eye surgeries." 

(..you had to be there.)

Tim also kept saying : "There has to be something the Doctor's not telling me." The nurse finally said "Ok Tim why don't you just relax and stop talking because you keep saying the same thing!" I busted up. Then doped up he started saying in his drunken slurred speech sweet things like: "Wow Audra, you stayed here my whole surgery....You're amazing." 

--Oh good times, good times...--

Wish I had video-taped his silly moments.

Because they didn't last long! Getting him in the car was horrendous & so was the 30 minute drive home from the hospital. He was miserable, pale & on the verge of passing out and vomiting.

Let's just say it's been a long couple of weeks!!

                              **Tim's Surgery was actually really complex. It was 2 hours long & it involved first taking 4 tendons from his hamstring, braiding them together & creating him a new ACL. To get it placed correctly the Dr. had to drill into his tibia & femur bones. Ouch!**

This was taken at his first Physical Therapy appointment @ East Valley Physical Therapy. I HATE when people post gross bodily harmed pictures on their blog like THIS:

(Sorry had to document it for history's sake.)

He did get his leg shaved.. which was a first.

The 1st week was absolutely brutal!... Tears were shed by both of us. We were up all hours of night in pain, giving/taking meds & with the 2 little boys. He was in a lot of pain, needing lots of care & attention. Meanwhile kids start school. Was in survival mode.

The 2nd week he was limited to work about an hour a day, I chauffered him everywhere, His bruising was scary & he was still on percocet, aspirin & crutches.

The 3rd week Tim began driving (which was so helpful!), had a job interview, got the job & celebrated his 37th Birthday. Tim was down to one crutch. Spence began school this week...the same day that Tim spent his full first day back at work. I felt like I was sending another child off.

The 4th week he is now progressing well. He is walking free of crutches& seeing my Dad 3 times a week for Physical Therapy. Other than a funny little limp he has, he is pretty much back to normal. He still tries to walk at his normal fast pace which provides us all a chuckle. 

Tim is now just literally Dreaming about the time when he can run up & down the BASKETBALL court again....but that won't be for AT LEAST another 6 months or so. I really am proud of how hard he has worked to get healed up to this point. He still has a long road ahead but it'll be worth it!

~We are just glad that his Surgery went so great 

as is his Physical Therapy. 

...He has a new knee & All is well. 

One Last Hurrah!

Before Summer Break was officially over, the 8 year old neighborhood girls & their Moms had one last hurrah! We had a fun Girls Nite Out @ the Mall. First we went to Johnny Rockets for some Dinner & FUN. The girls giggled (as you can see) & shot straws & wrappers at each other the whole time. They had a blast drinking their sodas, gabbed & giggled, giggled, giggled. After an hour or so of that ...our food still hadn't come so we hurried & got our movie tickets, crammed our food in the bottom of my stroller & these animal loving girlies were off to see the movie "Zoo Keeper." (And we made the theatre smell like onions!)

{There were 2 other girls there but one came after dinner & one left before she even got there cuz she got sick on the way there. I love that there is a big group of girls for Kaylea to hang out with and grow up with in our neighborhood. These are just the ones who are 8 with many more who are 7 & 9.}

1st Day(s) of School

Here we are doing the traditional front door 1st Day of School picture.

Daylan & Kaylea began school July 27th so here they are (while the rest of the fam lay in bed still) It was so great to hear them as they got in the car when I picked them up that day!

They both talked a mile-a-minute about how it was the greatest day ever!! They both said it flew by...even Daylan who had just experienced his 1st FULL day of school ever! Our conversation was about: how great their snacks were & who they sat by at lunch, what they did on the playground and who they sit by in class. 

Kaylea is in a 3rd/4th Grade combo class this year & LOVES it! I'm so glad that she is so that she can be pushed to learn even more! She is also still in ELP where she will ride a bus to a different school every Monday. She is loving that too. I'm so glad that my kids love to learn!

(Hopefully the driving doesn't become overwhelming as we are still in our rental house & driving back to our old neighborhood for school.)

Daylan had a BLAST...can you tell? His 1st FULL day of school ever & ALL SMILES!

Then almost 3 weeks later, it was Spencer's turn to leave me for his 1st Day of School. {It was such a blessing to have him NOT in school during this time so he could help me as I was a single mom for a few weeks helping nurse Tim back to everyday life stuff after his knee surgery. Meds, Learning to Walk, Chauferring etc. Spence was a huge help!}

We just decided to keep up with the tradition of having him go to a NEW SCHOOL EVERY YEAR since Kindergarten!! No really though we felt he would be pushed so much more at this new Charter School.

Although he was the only new kid in his class, he ended up knowing like 6 people...plus more on the playground from other classes. That is the advantage of having LIVED everywhere!!...knowing so many people. He is enjoying this more structured way of schooling & is catching on quickly to their phonograms & ways of doing things.

*It is going to be a wonderful year and I feel so blessed to be in this spectacular community!*

Ryler Potter

He's got the lightning scar and all...

So they asked if Ryler wanted to star in the movie but I told them he's too busy right now.... eating, pooping, sleeping, looking at his mobile, kicking his legs, knawing on his fists, growing chubby cheeks, cooing, & smiling at all who will speak to him. 

~Emmie's 1 year in Heaven mark~

Mama,

I went home to see Jesus, back to that Heavenly place.

He said it was time for me to go, although I knew I'd miss your face.

Don't cry for me now, it's so beautiful here.

I want you to always feel that I am near.

I'm surrounded by angels, family & friends,

God the Father, the Savior, the list never ends.

If you only could see me now. I can run, I can sing,

Oh the sweet joy that only Heaven could bring.

I miss you so much, but I visit you often.

Just close your eyes & I'll whisper, the pain I will soften.

Thank you for giving me my earthly body while there,

& always brushing my long brunette hair.

You were the best Mom I could ever have had

Now take of yourself, Ava, Elsie, Ivan & Dad.

I'll see you sooner than you probably think

The Savior comes quickly, so don't you dare blink.

I love you so much & I want you to know

That I still see Strawberry Shortcake up here too...on the front row. ;)

~Emmie

Skypin'

What would we do without Skype?

We wouldn't see Tomzie= Tommy/Jozie in Hawaii

...Or the Goodwin cousins in Cali

Carson has aged so much that he now has a goat-tee.

Look who I see!!

Oh silly Aunt Stephie...

Arrow of Light

Look at all the pins. arrow points, belt loops & patches he earned. Yay!

My little boy is not so little. He has reached the end of Cub Scouts and now enters the realm of Boy Scouts. I am so proud of him for having the desire to learn & do all that he can. He inspires me to be better & do more! Way to go Spud!

Haboob={Crazy} Dust Storm

A new word to add to your Vocabulary.

Not your typical monsoon storms...

On July 5th, an End of the World looking dust storm came rolling in & hit most of the Valley.  I SO wish I would've gotten a pic of how we saw it coming towards us out our back window... but I was so wrapped up in the moment that I didn't think to grab my camera. (Yes I do have those moments from time to time.) Here is a picture from someone's cell phone of downtown Phoenix as it started to brew there.

In the home we're in right now it is close to the San Tan Mountains. Tim called for me to come quick & look out the window. It looked exactly like this photo but CLOSER so we had to look straight up to see the top. I heard that it was 2 miles high!

I didn't do any crazy damage as far as I know, but most everyone I talked to had a thick layer of dirt on the front/back patios. It even blew so hard that it came through windows & left a thin layer of dust INSIDE the house. My kids played "Wizard of Oz" as it happened & ran to the basement as it shook the house a bit & blew loud noises through the windows.


I LOVE MONSOON season cuz it means my Birthday is closeby..