Thank you!

For all of your prayers and best wishes.  We returned home Saturday night.  2057 miles in three days.  TL stated that in three years he can help with the driving.  I'm looking forward to that day!!  I was exhausted.  Sunday we cleaned out the truck, which was trashed, and my hubby did some laundry for me.

Yesterday I didn't do anything.  Nothing at all and it was wonderful.  We really needed to dig back into school since we've lost so many days with our traveling, but I was too exhausted to see straight or dig out the school work. 

So, today we're hitting the books. 

My neice is doing better.  She has bronchitis right now.  It got really warm when we were in Iowa and then the temperatures plunged and now they have snow.  Tomorrow she has surgery to remove her pins, which will be so wonderful!!  I was always afraid the kids were going to hit one of them!

One of the things I noticed when we were in Iowa was my kids needs for scrapbooks.  Back when I had the time, I had made some scrapbooks for my in-laws and my kids devoured them.  I realized that TL and Princess have one, Bug-a-bug has one started, and the two littlest have nothing.  I have tons of photos printed and in storage.  I have at least two years on my computer.  So, I decided one of the gifts for them this year will be a scrapbook for each of them.  This way they can look until their hearts content.  I'm going to download a computer program this weekend and get started.  I probably need to sit down and figure out what I have and how far back and plan their books out.  I hope to keep this year current and perhaps do the last two years.  The last year may be more reasonable, but we'll see. 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

An amazing young woman

That's my niece.  She's so strong, physically and mentally.  She is able to use both of her arms now.  The doctor wants her to hold off on using her left arm over her head until the clavical fully heals, but because of the surgery to it, she's able to use it well.  She is able to move herself from her bed to chair to the potty chair quite easily. 

Next week, she has surgery to remove her pins.  Once those are gone, life gets much better.  We have to be so careful not to touch her pins.  After the surgery, she'll be bedridden for two more weeks and then they will start physical therapy.  The physical therapist will be coming to the house to see her.

And since they really don't need us and the kids are bored, we're heading home tomorrow.  Grandma and Grandpa gave up their house so we could stay together and have been staying with Grandpa's sister.  I'm glad that they will finally have their house back to themselves.  The cousins are so busy with activities, sports, and school that they haven't had much free time.  And I still can't believe that we didn't have any snow!! 

We'll be heading out early in the am and driving for three days to get home.  I'm longing for my own bed and I know that the kids and I are anxious to see daddy. 

Iowa

and no snow.  Its February here and no snow.  My kids are clamoring for snow to come so they can play in it.  I even bought snow boots before we came.  Hopefully it will snow before we leave!

Our niece is doing better.  She went to the doctor and got her pain medicine switched back.  They had changed hers and she was nauseous for about a week.  Now she feels much better.  She's able to swing herself almost completely over to the chair using just her arm.  Her left arm is on the mend and hopefully she'll be able to use that soon. 

We're busy with cousins and doing school.  We're still getting used to the time change.  We stay up late and get up late.  I may just keep us on this schedule for when we go home.  Hopefully we'll be able to leave in a few weeks.  She has surgery on the 16th to remove her pins.  We call her the Bionic Woman, but its totally lost on her cause she has no idea what we're talking about.  We've been examining her xrays, looks like someone dumped a tool box inside of here with all the screws in there!

Have a wonderful weekend.

2000 miles.....

California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, then Iowa.    Two thousand miles.  One mom, five kids, lots of luggage and junk food.  We did it in threee days.  I'm surprised that I wasn't drooling by the time I got here.  


This is quick just to let everyone know that we got here okay.  I'll post more later.

Wow, has it been that long?

It really hasn't but it sure seems like it!!  My niece is doing better.  She is at home now because she can't go to a rehab center with her broken clavicle.  She has the bar in front of her for the next four weeks and then surgery to remove it.  I'm not sure if she's going to a rehab center then or back home and back and forth to physical therapy. 

Tomorrow, the kids and I leave on the really long (2000 mile) drive to IA.  I'm staying south and then heading north through OK and up north.  Thank you, Arby for your assistance with information on the roads in KS.  We probably won't be able to stop and see you this time, but will definitely make time on our return trip.  We're blessed to have some friends in OK that we will be stopping to visit overnight.  We're excited, they are our best friends from Japan!

On the school front, things have been rather shabby here.  We have been completing most of our lessons but not all.  Too many things to do before we left.  Since we're not sure how long we'll be gone, we have to do dentist appts, get new military ids, etc.  I think we're finally ready and I'm pooped, but I didn't want to leave without letting everyone know what's been going on.

Take care everyone!!  I hope to be there on Friday.  I'll post when we get there!

Update

Hello everyone!!  Our niece was able to sit up today with some help.  The nausea medicine is finally working, praise God!  I can't imagine the pain of throwing up when your pelvis has been broken.  She was able to eat some today, but they want her calorie intake up to 1800.  She hasn't eaten since the accident last Wednesday, so I'm sure her stomach has shrunken.  I'm sure her intake will improve drastically the next few days. She also received a sponge bath and a hair wash today; that alone made her feel so much better.

She still has a long road of recovery ahead of her.  We have put off our trip until we know some more details.  She will be sent to a rehad center, hopefully closer to home.  Right now, she's two hours from home.  My  hubby's hometown is small and she was airlifted to Des Moines after the accident to check for internal injuries.  Praise God that she didn't have any!!

God Bless!

Prayer request

Hello everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't posted.  We have limited internet and December cost us a bundle, so I held off on posting.

Last week, our niece was involved in a serious car accident.  She doesn't have any internal or brain injuries (thank God!) but she is in serious shape.  She literally broke her pelvis in half in three places and fractured her clavical.  Last week she had surgery to repair  her pelvis.  She has a eight screws and a plate in her, along with an external device (which basically looks like a bar sitting in front of her).  Today she had seven screws and a plate put into her clavicle. 

She's not eating because its making her nauseaous.  Please pray for her quick recovery.

Its looking very likely that the kids and I will be heading to IA.  Bailey will be in the hospital for another week or two and then in a therapy center.  We will help with her brother and sister and hopefully take turns with her mother at the hospital. 

Thank you for praying!

Merry Christmas!

May you and yours be blessed with a wonderful Christmas season. 

Please remember our deployed soldiers in your prayers.  Please also remember their families back home missing their soldier and all the spouses and children that are usually sitting on a military base unable to go home for Christmas....they are missing their soldier and their family.

Peace and joy in 2012!