Just Desserts

Today was our Church Picnic. Last year and again this year we decided to hold the picnic on the grounds of the church as opposed to a nearby Retreat Center. There were two rented inflatable water slides for the children, our Folk Group played mostly 70's music on the steps of the church, we had a booth where you could buy a chance to "slime" a staff member, and the church provided smoked chicken to go with our side-dishes.

This year, we had a dessert contest for children and one for adults. I decided to make my Amaretto Cheesecake that I developed a recipe for not long after Don and I were married, since cheesecake was his favorite dessert. I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. baking my cheesecake after Don and I got home from our date last night.

Deanna had talked all weekend about making strawberry shortcake for the contest but, 20 minutes before we were to leave for church, she hadn't started them yet. I should have known better than to assume we could get ANYWHERE on time.

She breezed into the kitchen and began the frantic process of making strawberry shortcakes. I have a pan that makes heart cakes (4) and she used it for the cake part. The strawberries were frozen, but she dutifully microwaved them and sliced them, then liberally sprinkled sugar on them. Wailing for whipped cream while pressing the shortcake dough into the pans, I realized it just wasn't happening. Either she'd have to give up her plan or we'd miss church.

We missed church. When we finally arrived at the picnic, she and I carried our creations into the Fellowship Hall.

"What are these for," a friend asked us.

"For dessert and for judging," I explained.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but we just finished the judging." I looked wide-eyed at Deanna. She stared back and I could see the lump in her throat.

"Are you going to cry?" I asked her gently. She shook her head vehemently, something she usually does just before she cries. "It'll be okay, honey. Everyone will still get to eat your dessert."

In my most encouraging tone, I talked her over to the dessert tables where we were met by one of the church staffers.

"Are these to be judged?" she asked me.

"Yes, but I understand we've missed the judging," I explained, one eye on Deanna's face to make sure she didn't lose it right there and then.

"Oh, don't be silly," she said. "There are still several judges around. We'll just make out a quick form, call them back, and have your desserts judged in a jiffy."

Deanna admitted later she was ready to cry and was only holding back the tears by shear willpower.

She told me just after claiming her certificate and $10 gift card to Breuster's Ice Cream for winning Best Dessert in Show.

I got a humble third place ribbon for my cheesecake.

And my friend, Terri, the church staffer who's the mother of a teenage girl, saved the day for us.

No crying in the shortcake.

The Rest of the Story

I'm sure you must be quite bored by now with baseball news, but I have yet another story in the "Dane pitching" saga.

He had his team pictures today and, on the way from the parking lot, we ran into his coach and walked together.

"I'm putting Dane in as pitcher again the next game," he told me.

"T.J., I don't get it. WHY are you putting him in? He walked two batters." I don't mean to be unkind, but let's be realistic here. I love my son and think he's a wonderful ball player, but I want us to win at least one game this season.

"Patti, didn't you watch him?" he looked funny at me.

"No. I couldn't see his pitches from where I was sitting," I explained.

"Every single one was directly over home plate. Not a one was to the right or left. They were perfect pitches, just a little too high. If he can just learn to pull them down a little, he'll nail it every time." He sounded like a father, bragging about his boy.

"Well, he's done exactly what you recommended. His daddy bought him a pitch-back and I got him a football, and he's throwing the football at the pitch back 50 times per day, per his daddy's instructions."

"And you can tell." He gave me some tips on how I can work a little more with Dane but was very encouraging about his pitching.

I guess so. I had no idea his pitches were so straight. We just need to bring them down a little. T. J. thinks it has something to do with how far he stands from the pitch-back when he practices.

He's getting another try on Tuesday. And his team will be playing his best friend's team. If he's going to walk a player, let's hope it's Tim.

Turtle-y

Deanna appreciates my humor. Unfortunately, I fear she's the ONLY one in this family that appreciates my humor.

Like the situation with turtle-y. Last week, my mother found a turtle in her yard. Not a tiny one, but a nice great-for-a-pet-sized turtle. She couldn't wait to show the kids. Dane and Daelyn became quite the turtle expert, showing all the neighborhood kids how to scratch his neck and head without getting bitten. He seemed quite a friendly turtle, following Mom around the yard as she worked, so Grandpa offered it to the boys.

"But you can only keep it a few days, and then you have to let it go," he told them. They rushed home to ask me.

The boys wanted to put him in a cage on the deck. I vetoed that idea and suggested we make a nice home for turtle under the gardenia bushes on the side of our driveway. The boys agreed. Dane gave him a planter drip-pan full of water and changed it daily. I was pinching raw ground beef off of Don's frozen hamburgers to feed him. Several times a day, different members of the family would traipse out to the gardenias to check on turtle-y, as he came to be called. (Note the verbal aplumb with which we named him.)

We agreed that we would let him go Monday afternoon after school. On Sunday, it occurred to me that there was no need to "let him go". He could "go" anytime he wanted, so I let the boys keep him under the gardenias.

Towards the latter part of the week, twice the boys found him someplace other than the gardenias. Once he was in the yard, once under our van. They carefully replaced him in his little floral home with his pan of water and raw hamburger (which I watched him eat one night - man was that nasty!) This morning, turtle-y was gone. The boys searched and searched, but never found him. While I was sorry for them, I tried to explain that he was a wild animal and HAD to be free to leave when he wanted.

This afternoon, Deanna and I went shopping. As we returned home and were coming in the house, I told her that our little pet had flown the coop.

"Oh, I feel so bad for him. But he couldn't have gotten far. Maybe we should look for him," she added.

"Are you kidding? He's tried twice to escape and the boys keep bringing him back. Last night, he planned it strategically. He waited until all the house lights were out, then made his getaway, quick, so he had hours to travel before the boys checked on him this morning and drug him back. The poor guy was desperate to get away."

Deanna snorted and choked on her root beer float. I have to watch her carefully, though, when we're together. She tends to squirt liquids out her nose.

Baseball

So, Dane pitched on Monday night. He was neither terrible nor wonderful. He walked two batters, then the coach replaced him. But he was happy as a clam. He got to stand on Pitcher's Mound. Him. Dane Doughty. The boy the coach didn't even bother to work with at the beginning of the year because he didn't think his arm was strong enough to ever pitch.

He smiled through the whole pitching experience. I held my breath, winced a few times, and prayed fervently.

But the oddest thing, by far, was last night after his game. Dane, although he played outfield all night, never was really IN the game. No balls ever made it to his neck of the field. He just stood there, poised, ready for the imminent ball that never came. After the game, which was close but a loss for our team (however, it was against one of the top two teams in the league, so we felt pretty good about even scoring against them), the coach gave the players his nightly pep talk. After expressing how pleased he was with every member of the team, he singled Dane out.

"Double D (his nickname for Dane), I talked about you all day today at work. I told everybody about you and how you pitched last night." He went on to talk about how well Dane had pitched and how proud he was of my son.

This seems to happen after every game. He singles Dane out and praises him. I can't quite figure it out. It seems he really likes Dane, which thrills me, but I don't completely understand.

I have to chalk it all up to one thing: we prayed for Dane to make it onto whatever team the Lord wanted him on. And I'm certain the Lord answered that prayer.

He has never enjoyed playing a game as much as he has baseball this season. He practices non-stop and talks baseball constantly. His skills have hugely improved and he's much more secure and confident than I've ever seen him. He's right where God wanted him. . .

. . . pitching occasionally, playing outfield mostly, striking out some. Right where God wants him - and darn happy about it.

Practice Makes Perfect

In early spring, Don and I were trying to decide whether or not to sign Dane up for baseball. His birthday isn't until June 14, so he's still actually 8 and would be in the machine-pitch league. However, since he has a late birthday, the Athletic Director told us that we could apply for a Dispensation so he could play on the Live Pitch with the other boys in his class. Live Pitch teams are chosen using try-outs.

Dane wanted to play and he wanted to be in the 9 and 10-yr. old Live Pitch League. We explained to him that since he would be trying out and the coaches do a schoolyard pick based on the try-outs, he may not make the team with his classmates. He said he wanted to try, anyway.

The day of the try-outs, he had been sick for 2 days and was running a hefty fever. We were told when we signed him up that he HAD to make it to try-outs if he wanted any chance of being on the team coached by his classmates' dads. He drug himself out to the field, me worrying the whole time.

His try-out was okay, but not great. He caught EVERY outfield ball (which was pretty amazing and showed a huge improvement over last year), but didn't get his mitt down close enough to the ground to pick up the grounders for the first few. Finally, he bent lower and got some. Batting was another can of worms. He's a fair batter, but just as he was in position, a coach stopped him, moved him, repositioned his bat, and it really knocked him off his stride. He missed the first 3 pitches but finally connected a couple of times with the ball.

Knowing how bad he felt, I was very pleased, but the coaches had no idea how sick this boy was and the conditions under which he was trying out. We prayed - not that Dane would make the team with his classmates, but that the Lord would put him on the team where He wanted him. Our prayers were answered.

The coach for Dane's classmates' team later told me that Dane got picked in the second round. I just couldn't believe it. Since then, I've asked his coach what he saw in Dane.

"He looked like he was having fun out there," he said. "And I also got the impression from him that he loves to play ball - any position, any time. He just loves the game." He added that he remembered Dane from last year and had been impressed then with Dane's love of ball.

"You see, I've been doing this for a long time. I've gotten pretty good at sizing kids up. Often, the kids that are really good are only in the game for themselves. They don't care about the rest of the team. They're hotdoggers who want all the glory. Dane struck me as the kind of kid that wants to be a part of something and will do exactly what he's told. I can win games with a player who's good and who listens to instructions. And Dane's never disappointed me. He always listens and does exactly what I tell him. He soaks it all in, and I really like that."

It's true. Dane listens carefully to everything the coach says. It's a shame he can't rattle off verbatim the things I tell him about life and chores the way he remembers what Coach says. And this Coach works with Dane. He's teaching him how to bat better. The assistant coach spent a good bit of time talking with me one evening about the length and weight of Dane's bat and advising me as to what kind he needs.

One day I asked the Coach if he'd work with Dane on pitching a little bit.

"I'm sorry. I haven't worked with him, because I didn't think his arm was strong enough to pitch, but I'll be happy to teach him some of the basics," he said.

"It's just that I'd like him to learn the technique, even if he never pitches. If you could teach him HOW to wind up, he could practice at home. He really does love the game and wants to learn every aspect of it."

Coach worked with him, explained that the real power in pitching isn't from the arm, but the legs. He explained that Dane would have to have the balance and poise of a ballerina. He gave him exercises to do, perching on one leg with the other bent at the knee, toes pointed downward. He told Dane to get in that position, then hold it for a 10-count. Dane's been faithfully practicing.

So faithfully, in fact, that his daddy went out and bought him a Pitch-back. Dane loves it and it really has helped with his placement and aim. Everyday he doesn't have a game, he's out in the backyard practicing.

After his game last Thursday, the coach told the players that there was an optional practice Saturday morning.

"I'll be out here at 10:00, if anyone want to come and practice," he said. Dane was there. Don canceled the fishing trip he was planning with the boys, and took Dane over to the field. The coach decided to do Pitching Practice.

Dane flew through the door around 12:15, running into the kitchen, obviously bubbling over.

"Guess what, Mom, " he shouted out of pure excitement. "I GET TO PITCH AT THE NEXT GAME!"

The coach had been favorably impressed with Dane's progress and promised him a spot on the mound at the game tonight. He may only pitch a part of an inning, depending on how well he does, but he at least will get a chance. Not bad for a boy who started this season never having wound up before.

We're praying he does REALLY well and will get lots more chances. In any case, I couldn't be prouder.

My son - the ball player!

Whoppers

I had lunch with Daelyn's teacher on Wednesday. It was a special luncheon to which I was invited, also, so I traded my day in the classroom with a good friend who helps out on Tuesday. She is also the Kindergarten substitute, so she was teaching while we were eating.

Karin: "Guess what Daelyn told me today?"

Me: "There's no telling with him!"

K: "He was playing in the woods last night at a cookout at a friend's house and he found an old shack in the woods."

M: "Yep. There is an old shack in those woods."

K, quoting Daelyn: " 'I saw a dead person tied up to a chair in the shack.' I asked him what he did about it and he said, 'I told my Mama and she told me not to go near that shack again.' "

Oh, ye of big imagination!

Home again, home again, clickety-click

Amanda comes home tomorrow. I took the kids to see her after school today. Trina's been sick with a cold and was taking a nap, but Amanda was sitting up in bed, watching TV. She motioned to us to come in, so we all tip-toed quietly over to her bed. We were just settling in when a nightmare jerked Trina awake. She smiled at us, then asked Dane to come snuggle her - my snuggly boy. He gave his Aunt Trina some wonderful lovin'.

Amanda is bouncing off the walls. She was unbelievably excited. She's going home tomorrow. She practiced getting in and out of her parents van and in and out of Grandma's chariot. Life will be a little challenging at first at home, I'm sure, but the excitement of familiar surroundings and the improvement she knows goes with being able to go home are all buoying her forward.

It's been a long, hard road, but it's finally leading her home. Thank you, Lord, and make the road smooth - my darling could use a few less bumps.

More Wedding Pictures

My wonderful nephew, the groom from 2 weeks ago, with his lovely new bride.



My unbelievable mother between Haley's two grandmothers. Isn't it incredible to see three women of this age who are all so beautiful?! Hope I have this to look forward to!

Prayerful Issues

Don and I are trying to make a very important decision and could really use prayer. We've spent the last 2 1/2 weeks praying together daily about this issue and asking the Lord to unite us and to give us clear signs as to what He would have us do. We've sought Wise Council and are now in the discussion phase.

We really want to be in the center of God's perfect will for us and our family. We've asked that He clearly block this and that that be our sign or that He swing the doors wide open. So far, there have been no roadblocks.

I'm not willing to say that lack of discernable roadblocks mean this definitely is what the Lord wants. It's so easy to interpret signs the direction you want them to point. But I do think it means that the Lord MIGHT want this to happen.

What complicates things so much more for me is that Don and I are such opposites. Don is VERY slow to make decisions. Although I may think about an issue for a long time, I tend to ponder it in my heart and never mention it until I've made my decision. Then, I'm ready to act immediately. In almost every other way, also, Don and I think at opposite ends of the spectrum. Often it's laughable how differently we think and still love and respect each other so much.

My natural inclination is to do the research involving any issue, pray, seek wise counsel, then act. Don's typical course of action is to pray, pray, pray, ponder, pray, pray, pray, ponder . . . until the issue goes away or resolves itself. It's very difficult for me to have done the research, prayed, sought wise council, and then sit and wait while Don works through his extensive and slow process. But out of love and respect for him, it's necessary that I allow him to work through issues the way he needs to.

I try very hard not to nag. I try very hard not to bring the topic up. I try very hard to keep myself busy with other things. I try very hard to allow him the time he needs.

Often, I fail. I don't mean to make excuses for my shortcomings, but I am human. If Don and I could both learn to meet somewhere in the middle - me spend more time pondering, Don spend a little less - making any decision may be easier for us.

He's such a sweet and darling man, such a great father and wonderful husband. After the timeframe that we agreed to pray and discern, I broached the subject.

"So, honey, what do you think God is saying to us?"

"I DON'T know!" he said in a frustrated, yet somewhat resigned tone. The truth is, I don't know either. The path has NOT been clearly marked for us. And neither of us really believe that this is a situation where one path is the "right" path and one the "wrong" path. It's more of a good, better, best scenario, and we both want the best. We're just not sure which is good and which is best.

Please pray with us. Ask the Lord to light up the runway for us so we can see our way in the dark. Ask him to bond us even tighter together so this decision can be made by two people who function as one. Ask that if hearts need to be changed or softened that they be changed or softened. And ask the Lord, for my sake, to speak clearly to my husband sooner as opposed to later.

If and when we have an answer, I'll let you know. Until then, keep us lifted up.

Thus and Such

It's been an eventful week. Dane's baseball team has had three games. Unfortunately, they're yet to win, which I find surprising since their team has 5 or 6 returning players and they've taken the championship 7 times. No such luck this year.

Dane has played quite well. The first play of the first game was a hit that went straight to him in right field. His quick response and good throw resulted in the first out. He was psyched. In the second game his first-base run began the streak that loaded the bases. Last night, he was on the bench letting some of the other boys play. His game was to start at 7:30, but it never really starts until at least 8:00. He came dragging through the door just before 10.

"I never got to play, Mom," he whined. Shocked by the news, I began asking questions. Turns out, they didn't even finish the first inning. The game was called with a score of 11 - 7 before the first inning was over. No wonder Dane didn't get to play. He never got up to bat and the coach was letting some other boys play outfield. I'm sure Dane would've been put in the game by about the third inning, but they never got that far.

Daelyn started coughing yesterday while doing his homework. It got worse as the day wore on. He coughed all night long and I decided to keep him home from school today. I guess I'll be going to T-ball this afternoon without him. One of my friends and I started a backyard t-ball league for the Kindergarteners and I have to be there this afternoon to work with the children.

This weekend, there is a work party to build a ramp to the front door of my sister's house so Amanda can get in the house when she's able to go home. Alex is coming over to help my brother-in-law and they expect to be able to complete it.

Don has a sleep study tonight to figure out why the man is awake half the night. Night before last, I awoke around 2 am to discover Don was no longer in the bed. Last night he took one of my Ambiens so he could get some sleep. I was able to wake up to my husband this morning - something that RARELY happens around here, and it was wonderful. We're praying they'll be able to diagnose him and solve the problem.

One last little tidbit. The company Don works for has lost the contract at the nuclear plant where Don works. They appealed the decision by the Department of Energy and the final response to the appeal came out this week. It was denied so Don will no longer be working for Washington Group shortly. When he got home from work last night, he told me that he had received a call from the man who was the Project Manager for the England project, Dan Curry. Dan will be in this area in a couple of weeks and asked Don if we could join him for dinner. Don says he wants to thank us once again for the sacrifices we made to complete the project. I raise my eyebrows, wondering how Don can be so naive. Obviously, he's going to offer Don a job. It'll be interesting to see what he's offering and how Don wants to proceed. It's a little scary to think that Don may want to consider a job that would require him to travel without us. I'm just not sure how we'd cope, but, ultimately, it's his decision. I guess we'll see on May 21. Maybe Don's right and he just wants to thank us . . . yet again.

I hadn't yet mentioned, but Nicki, our single friend who moved in with us before Christmas, moved out a couple of weeks ago. She moved back home. We miss her terribly. But we've been so busy we haven't even had a chance to see her since she left.

Summer's just one short month away. I can't wait for peace and quiet, although that might be a pipe dream with the children home all day long every day. At least we won't have to rush for awhile. And that's worth waiting for.

Still Hunt-ing

My nephew, Chad, with his Hunt Girls entourage.

From left to right: Rachel Hunt, me (Patricia Hunt Doughty), Tenny Hunt Morgan, Alicia Hobson, Chad Hunt, Lydia Morgan, Toni Hunt Hobson, Deanna Doughty, Mama (Alice) Hunt.

My sisters, at first, didn't include Chad's new wife, but we appealed the decision stating that she was the only one of the girls (other than Mama) with the legal name Hunt.

Not to mention the fact that she's absolutely darling and going to give birth in August to a HUNT!

It Runs in the Family

My children tell me all the time that I'm crazy. I certainly enjoy having fun.

Take Saturday, for example. We've been eating outside on the deck as much as possible since it's only comfortable enough in Georgia for two weeks in the Spring. Then it's just too hot. I set the table outside, then called to the children. Daelyn was riding bikes through the backyards with some boys from down the road. One of them had brought a bike ramp over to our yard and the kids were jumping their bikes.

After we sat to eat, Deanna said, "I sure wish they'd leave the ramp. I'd like to try it." Daelyn quickly called to his friend in the backyard and asked if we could keep it for a while. His friend agreed and left the ramp behind. We gobbled down our dinner, then the children and I grabbed our bikes out of the shed and began running them through the yard and over the ramp.

There were some great crashes. Don sat on the deck watching, shaking his head. It was very fun. Although the children are all a little bruised and sore, Mama ruled the yard and the ramp!

When my children comment about their crazy mother, I remind them that I got it honestly, as you can see from this picture. It was taken just after my mother (who'll turn 77 this year) tackled my 52 year old sister last Sunday. It seems being a Hunt means being a little crazy.

My children just haven't grown into their Hunt-ness yet.

Memories of Last Weekend

Just a few pictures from last weekend. Unfortunately, while I took my camera, it sat in the hotel room through all the festivities until Sunday. All the following pictures were taken in or around Chili's in Buckhead, an upscale part of Atlanta.

The first picture shows the members of the Hunt Clan who were able to attend the wedding and get together for lunch on Sunday before flying to California, D.C., and driving to Statesboro, Augusta, and Alabama. The next is my nephew, Wilfred Charles Hunt II (or Chad, as we call him), my brother Chuck's oldest son with two of his adult female cousins. The one on his right is my niece Alicia, the grad student, who is my sister Toni's daughter and the one on his left is Lydia, my sister Tenny's daughter who lives in D.C. and works for a Congressman from Georgia, Paul Braun (who's not in the picture - he's not of Hunt heritage!). Can you see the family resemblance? I find it amazing that they all have different parents.

I'll post some more tomorrow.

Today's Dawning

Today was my day in the Kindergarten classroom. About mid-morning, it occurred to me that my father probably had forgotten where I was today. We try and keep each other in the loop as to our comings and goings. So, I slipped away to the Teacher's Lounge to give him a quick call.

"I HAD forgotten, hon," he told me.

"I suppose Mom and Tenny have gone to the hospital to be there when Amanda stands for the first time," I responded.

"Yep," he said. "And just after they left, Trina called to say that Amanda not only stood on her own, but shuffled backwards a little without the walker."

The news left me totally breathless. It was more than we could have hoped for.

I went to each of the children's classrooms to fill them in. Then, after school, I suggested that we take off for the hospital for a celebration with Amanda.

Trina was thrilled to see the children, as was Amanda. I haven't seen Amanda THIS happy in months. She was smiling from ear to ear and bubbling over. She didn't want the kids to leave and asked me to leave Deanna behind when Trina took the boys and me down to check the laundry that she was washing.

Amanda gave us more details. She took 10 steps with the help of her walker. Then her therapist had her make several trips back and forth from the wheelchair to the bed. Although her back hurt a little this evening from the exertion, she can't wait to get back up tomorrow and get hard at it again.

She's walking. At least a little. It's just so hard to believe.

The next few days will be very exciting as she makes progress beyond what we expected. Gone are the doomsday prophecies from doctors and nurses that she'd never walk again. She's proving all of them to be lies. God can do anything. He saved Amanda. Of course he's going to help her walk again.

And the pain and loneliness of the last three months for Trina begins to fade like darkness as dawn begins to break.

Toddler

We got some very exciting news today about Amanda. I believe I mentioned that she had been transferred to a rehabilitation facility. There have been several problems, including therapists that had no idea how to work with her because of her rare and very specific injuries and nurses trying to inject her with insulin for her diabetes, which she doesn't have. Despite all this, she has been doing physical therapy and can scoot from her bed across a board and into a wheelchair. It's quite impressive to watch and even more impressive when I think back to the limp, frail girl on a respirator in a drug-induced coma. But, as yet, she has been unable to put any weight on her legs, which is very discouraging and difficult for her. There is a natural tendency, whilst scooting, to use your legs to help. Her pelvis, however, hasn't been healed enough for her to use her legs at all.

April 20 was 3 months since the accident. And today, she was cleared by the Orthopaedic doctors to be fully weight-bearing with no limitations. She can begin to learn to walk again.

I'm reminded of a line from the epic, "The Thorn Birds". A couple of star-crossed lovers who sneak away, aided by helpful friends, for a weeklong tryst in their 20's encounter each other again some 20 years later, neither having married after their week together, both clinging to the love they share for each other. That night, the man sneaks into the woman's bed and the scene shows them talking about that week so long ago.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Meggie tells Ralph. "And here you are again . . . so soon!"

Time certainly is relative. When you expect to NEVER have something, 20 years doesn't seem too long to wait. When you expect it to take a year to begin to walk, three months seems like a drop in the bucket. While it's been an unbelievable difficult and painful, stressful and scary three months, my niece is alive. She has no brain damage. Her internal injuries are all healing well. She's strong, healthy, and will walk again.

As I stood over her one day last week, watching her visit with Grandma and thinking about how animated her conversation is, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness. Tears sprang to my eyes and I walked over and kissed her. She's a miracle, many times over, and I don't want to forget that. I don't want to take what God did for us for granted - ever.

I guess tomorrow she'll begin to try and walk. She asked her daddy this morning while I was in the room and before she left for her doctor's appointment if he'd be there in the morning in case she was cleared to begin weight-bearing so he could help her try and stand for the first time.

"Of course I'll be here, honey," he responded. He's been there for everything else, as has my sister. And so has Our Lord, right beside her every uncomfortable or painful minute, through all the ups and downs, carrying her when she couldn't deal with things herself and whispering words of encouragement in her ears and to my sister over the many frustrating times in the last 3 months.

And now, He'll stand back and call to her as a young father beckons to his child to take those first, halting steps. He'll be right next to her earthly father, holding out his arms of protection and love . . .

As she learns to walk once again.

Brain Block

When I'm tired, I find it difficult to think through even the simplest things. Take dinner tonight, for example. Dane is studying southern California in History and Geography. I was reading to him tonight in preparation for a test later in the week and reached a part where it talks about El Centro. My brother-in-law had a close friend who lived in El Centro and my sister and her family lived just a little north of El Centro some years ago. My brother-in-law pastored a mission church in the oasis town of Brawley. I went to visit one year. I flew into San Diego, rented a car, and drove east through the mountains. I'll never forget coming down out of the mountains and, as far as I could see east, north and south was nothing but desert. I drove for several hours through dry, brown desert before arriving in the oasis community where my sister lived. When I read to Dane about El Centro, I decided I needed to show him what it really looked like.

I pulled up a satellite map on the computer. Dane stood over my shoulder oohing and aahing. We zoomed in, then zoomed out as we moved around southern California. We looked at the mountains, then the green squares that indicate truck farms that are irrigated by water from the Colorado River. We found El Centro and Brawley on the aerial map. This whole section of his Lifepac began to take on new meaning.

After spending about a half an hour looking with him at topographical maps, I realized that smells from my dinner cooking on the stove were wafting down the hallway. I jumped up, having been so buried in southern California that I had forgotten about my meal boiling away. Sure enough, it's burned and unsalvageable in its current condition.

Now, what am I going to do about dinner. Dane has baseball practice at 6, and I can't seem to formulate any other plan. It looks like this is one of those nights where we are going to have to hit fast food. While I hate eating out (it seems like such a waste of money), I simply can't think through any other options.

If I wasn't quite so tired, I'm sure something would strike me but, after looking in the big freezer, the little freezer, the fridge and pantry, I'm still just as stumped as I was when I first saw my beef burgundy charcoal lining the kettle.

The kids surely can come up with a place to eat. Right now, I can't even think through that. But only a few more hours, and I can go to bed. And I'm sure I'll be more rested tomorrow.

Full Heart

I wanted desperately to write while everything was clear in my mind. Still, I'm not sure that I can adequately express the joy of the weekend.

If these busy weekends since the middle of February were preparation for this one, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I sit here ever so much more a Hunt than I was before this busy, fun, family event. I took the kids out of school at noon on Friday, planning on being on the road by 12:30. We didn't actually get out the door until almost 1:00, but we still had plenty of time. I was chomping at the bit to get unpacked (which I never actually accomplished) in the hotel and begin visiting with family.

We arrived (thanks to Don's GPS that I bought him for Christmas which was a wonderful help, getting us to the hotel, then from the hotel to the restaurant and back, then the wedding on Saturday and home) in plenty of time, only to discover that there were problems with the hotel and they couldn't offer us a room, despite our reservations of 2 months. They offered us two hotel rooms across the parking lot, but we held out for a suite and they eventually found one for us. We took Mom and Dad to their room, made a list of all the family member's rooms, then took our luggage to ours. Across the hall from us was my sister from California, her husband, daughter from D.C., and my niece's boyfriend whom I've never met but who stayed in our home over Christmas the year we were in England. Directly below us was my sister (the mother of the groom), her husband, my nephew and brother of the groom who was also the Best Man, and my niece (the groom's sister and bridesmaid). Once I dropped off the luggage, I began looking for any family I could find. My nephew from Alabama (the newlywed) showed up in my sister's room, so we sat down to visit. It was so cute. He was very excited to see all the family and commented that he had been walking down the hall when "Daniel Morgan walked right past me!" Daniel Morgan is his cousin from California. I loved that he called his cousin by his first AND last name and seemed so surprised to pass him in the hallway. Later, I heard that Grandpa was with him when they heard a woman say, "Daniel, you just walked past your Grandpa!" Blind Grandpa said, "Is that Marianna?" and Daniel, who had walked right past Grandpa and Chad and continued down the hall, turned and said, "Hey, Grandpa!" He hadn't recognized Chad (they haven't seen each other since they were children) and, apparently, had been preoccupied with his two little girls and hadn't noticed Grandpa, either.

And that's the way it went all weekend. We flitted from room to room, visiting this sister or that nephew. Everyone turned the deadbolt on their doors outward so the suite doors wouldn't lock behind them. If the deadbolt was out, the family was in. Grandpa finally set up permanent residence in the lobby. Everyone eventually wandered through and he was the unofficial greeting committee, getting to visit with every family member at one time or another. "They put out chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon!" he told us all this afternoon at lunch.

Tenny borrowed some of my sponge rollers. I borrowed Grandma's slip. Rachel (my nephew's new wife) borrowed my hairspray. Deanna slept down the hall on the pullout sleeper sofa in Grandma and Grandpa's suite. Lydia slept downstairs in Alicia's bed with her in Toni's suite so her boyfriend, Dan, could have the second room in Tenny's suite. Most of the time, Tenny's granddaughters were in her and Jon's room, so Deanna and I hung out there a lot. When a large group of the gals went to Lenox Square shopping on Saturday, Don and I invited any stragglers to join us at the pool. We fed Grandpa lunch in our room and everyone always seemed to show up at the same time for breakfast in the Lobby. My brother-in-law from California took my sons out both Saturday and Sunday mornings to play baseball in the parking deck and our van was borrowed several times. You'd push the button and stand waiting for the elevator. Then the doors would open and out would step a family member. More often than not, you'd never end up getting on the elevator after all.

The Bride's family was also staying in the hotel, and we enjoyed visiting with them, but there wasn't quite the sense of comraderie our family always enjoys. Some of us decided to have one last fling today and we made lunch plans at a Chili's just down the road from the hotel. My California family, except for my sister, were flying home this afternoon for work tomorrow. My niece and her boyfriend from DC were heading back this evening and my nephew from Alabama and his wife had to head for home, so lunch was our last opportunity to get together. No one was entirely sure who would show up, but we had a party of 19 and when Chad showed up with his new wife, Rachel, unexpectedly, we all whooped, clapped, and hollered shouts of joy and encouragement. Later, after lunch, we took family pictures on the stretch of lawn next to the restaurant. My children and the babies chased their grandpa and cousins and my mother tackled my sister in the grass and was immediately surrounded with camera's flashing.

The memories of this weekend will be replayed over and over again for the next several months. The only two sad things were that Amanda's family wasn't able to join us (which was gut-wrenching to all us girls - missing one of our sisters at such a special time), but we stayed in very close touch by phone. Just before the wedding, I went to where the Groomsmen were gathered to kiss my nephew and suggested to him that I call my sister at the hospital and let him talk to her.

"I already called, Aunt P.," he said. "She cried through the whole conversation, but at least I got to talk to her." I was so thankful for a nephew that loves and missed his auntie enough to call her minutes before his wedding and let her know he was thinking about her, even with everything else on his mind. That incident alone says volumes about our family and the emotions of this weekend.

The other sad thing was saying goodbye. It's never easy to part from family, but today it seemed even more difficult. Although our hearts were filled to overflowing, we're getting so spread out that occasions like this are becoming very few and far between.

One last story: My father's name is Wilfred Charles Hunt. He named his son Wilfred Charles Hunt II (my brother that we call Chuck or Chuckie). My brother named his oldest son Wilfred Charles Hunt III and we call him Chad. Mom and Dad rode with Don and I to Atlanta and we were among the first to check into the hotel. Later, when my nephew arrived and tried to check in, they asked him his name.

"Wilfred Hunt," he said. The young man working the front counter typed into the computer, then looked up at my nephew and said, "You already checked in!" My nephew told us all about it at the rehearsal dinner and commented, "I can't wait for Daddy to get here and try and check in under the name Wilfred Hunt!" Last night, after the wedding, my brother finally check into his room. The front desk called my father in his room and asked, "Just how many Wilfred Hunts are there?"

"Three that I know of," Papa responded. Privately, I asked my nephew, Chad, about his plans for children. His wife is pregnant and having a daughter. But Chad told me, "When we have a son, he'll be Wilfred Charles Hunt IV!" His wife quickly added, "And we've decided to call him Will." The plans are already in place for a 4th. It sure was exciting news. What a legacy that child will have!

And what a legacy each of us Hunts have. I think we all realized it once again this weekend.

Another life in the day . . .

It's amazing what a little prayer and sleep will do for you. And, after I dropped Dane and Deanna at choir practice last night, Daelyn and I hit Wal-Mart. Dane needed some school socks and a new baseball bat (his is far too heavy, his coach tells me) and Deanna needed a belt.

I came home with a pair of shoes that match my dress for the wedding (Yay! I've been looking all week and never even considered Wal-Mart) and several other treasures and Don found a suitcoat that fits him that he can wear to the wedding. Now I just have to find a dress and shoes for Deanna and I'll be ready to pack.

Dane's class performed "Pecos Bill and Sleufoot Sue" today. The viewing of the play for parents and grandparents was at 9 a.m. There is a later performance for the elementary students. Then a pizza party and a fun day on tap. I picked up Grandpa and arrived about ten till nine to get seats. Dane was already seated on the stage with the curtain pulled. I stood by the stage stairs, got his attention and waved. He smiled a huge smile. He's been so excited. Then I took my seat with Grandpa. About 2 minutes later, Don walked in. He had told Dane he'd try his best to get there but neither of us had any hope. I was floored when I glanced up and saw him coming through the doorway. I grabbed him, drug him to the stage stairs, and Dane saw him. What a difference to that little boy.

He called Don at work yesterday and asked him to make arrangements to be there. I was sitting nearby listening to the conversation.

"But, Dad, our family started with YOU," he pleaded. How many times have I told the children that their father is the head of our family. Now he had a chance to show it. AND HE DID! It was wonderful.

I've never seen such a good children's play. The actors spoke loudly and slowly. You could understand nearly every word. And they paused appropriately after a funny line to allow the patrons to laugh. It was very well done and a lot of fun. Dane couldn't have been prouder.

So, I've lost 8 pounds and bought a size smaller pair of jeans last night at Wal-Mart, too. Only 52 more to go! But at least I'm headed the right direction instead of up, up, up. And, hopefully, I'm also setting a good example for my children who are noticing me getting ice cream for them but refusing their offers of tastes, having salad instead of sandwiches, and cutting back significantly on my dinner portions. They all commented separately at dinner last night. I was glad to be impressing them positively.

Got to pick up Deanna and take her to look for a dress quickly while all she's missing at school is recess. Then maybe I can buckle down to getting packed . . . again. I should be an expert by now. But this is the last family wedding this year - at least the last one we know about. And my weekends of being booked back-to-back end with this one.

I can't think of a nicer way to end a busy season. My sister from California arrives tomorrow with her husband, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandbabies that I've never seen. My nephew, the Best Man, flew in from South America on Monday. My niece and her boyfriend from D.C. are also arriving in Atlanta tomorrow. Any my sweet Alicia, of course, will be coming up from Statesboro for her brother's wedding. In addition, my brother (whose son was married last weekend) has made arrangements to drive over for the rehearsal dinner with the newlyweds, so I'll get to see him and my nephew and new niece-in-law (I guess I can call her that - my nephew's new wife) again. A real family gathering!

So I'll plod through the preparations once more. I'm sure the celebration this weekend will be worth all the planning and work.

And there will be rest for the weary on Monday!

Down in the Dumps

Not quite sure if it's fatigue or too much on my plate or a combination of both, but I've been struggling with feeling very discouraged. I'm headed to bed early to spend some time praying with Don and get some rest.

Hopefully, my attitude will improve tomorrow and I'll be able to stop looking forward to death as a time of rest!

The Truth Finally Comes Out

I heard Donovan whining and discovered my bedroom door closed. When I opened it, he backed away. Deanna was sitting on the floor reading the Sunday comics that Don had handed to me at bedtime last night and I had tossed on the floor so I didn't wake up with newsprint tattooed on my face. I sat on the bed and encouraged Donovan to come close so I could snuggle him. Just then, Deanna roared.

"Gumby and the Clay Boys!" She handed me the comics. I glanced over them quizzically, then asked her what she meant.

"Right there, Mom. Gumby and the Clay Boys."

I looked again. In one of the comic strips I never read, a little boy was playing with characters from Gumby's band. A parent was sitting in an easy chair reading the paper as the little boy pedaled past on his tricycle with several characters from "Gumby" in tow. In the last frame, the parent crosses his legs and Gumby is stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

"Umh," I responded distractedly. A good many years ago, I had checked out a Gumby movie from the library. Deanna and Dane sat mesmerized and must have watched the movie 100 times in a row. I never could quite see what they saw in a cheap, poorly-shot, Grade C movie about clay figures that came alive, but when we tried another time a couple of years later to check it out from the library and discovered some other child had never returned the video, Don and I started an all-out hunt for a Gumby movie to purchase for our heart-broken Clay Boys' (Gumby's band) fanatics. I hadn't thought about Gumby in a couple of years, though I'm sure we still have the movie we searched so diligently to find. Again, I was struck by how strange the Gumby phenom was. My children watched the movie by the hour. They never tired of it and had all the goofy songs memorized. And, apparently, it wasn't only my children. Some other kid liked it so much he kept the movie and here Gumby was in the funny comics. I shook my head just thinking about it. Weird, this fascination with Gumby and the Clay Boys. Gumby was a popular toy when I was a child, but I had never seen a Gumby movie. Nor was I entranced when I watched it with my children. But no amount of reasoning changed their opinion. Gumby was "cool". He was green, made of clay, could change his shape, and was make-believe, but he was "cool". He wasn't Fonzie, the coolest character ever to grace a TV screen. Or James Dean, who was before my time. Not even Clint Eastwood or (ooh, I'm swooning even thinking about the name) Robert Redford. There was nothing even remotely cool about Gumby that I could see.

I tossed the paper on the bed to read tonight before lights out and Deanna and I started to walk out of the room.

"Hard to believe I had a crush on a clay figure," she said quietly.

The Race is On

I just don't know why I've been in such a slump of late. I don't feel like I have anything to say. While there's lots going on in my life, much of what I'm dealing with is personal and I don't want to share it with the internet.

It was wonderful to see my brother and his family over the weekend. My sister-in-law was very happy and we got to see the whole family, even my nephew who's going through Army basic training. We even got to have breakfast with the honeymooners Sunday morning before they left for Florida and we left for Augusta.

The downside was that we're all exhausted. The children did wonderfully in the van for 6 hours on a Saturday morning and I was very pleased with the way they behaved at the wedding. But we had very late nights and were just worn out by the time the reception was over. We pushed the issue a little too much to try and fit in a visit and kept them out even later, which took a toll on all of us. By the time we got home Sunday afternoon, Don and I were both sicker and we all went into a new week just plumb worn out.

The baseball situation doesn't help any. We signed Dane up to play baseball with the Rec Department this year, hoping he would be drafted onto the team coached by his classmate's dad. He wasn't. Instead, he was picked up in the second round by another coach who's wonderful and an excellent teacher, but who loves the game so much that he doesn't want to end practice at night. He told us the first night that practices would be from 6 to 7:30. We have yet to finish before 8:15 and, most nights, it's 8:30 before parents start pulling their kids off the field and the coach finally give in. Add to that the 4 nights/week of practices and it makes for very tired players.

Tonight I like to have frozen to death. The temperature was 57 when I got in the van to bring Dane home. I was so cold, it was spreading up my back and into my shoulders and I could feel my neck tightening. Then it started to rain. And Dane has three more of these practices this week. I wasn't the first parent to pull their child off the field, nor the second, but when I pulled Dane off, the coach told all the players who had already batted that they could leave.

This weekend is the last one we have planned for a while. I'd just like to have one weekend at home with my family. While the trips skiing, retreating with Deanna, going to the Family Reunion, hiking on Cumberland Island with 9 eleven year old girls, and a family wedding were all fun, I'm just plain wore out.

Maybe next Monday will feel less like a Marathon and more like a Sprint. I think I could finish a Sprint.

Here's hoping.

Nuttin' but Good

Amanda was moved to a Rehab hospital this afternoon. Gone is the airbed and they told her she's scheduled for 3 hours of rehab tomorrow. She told her Daddy that the hard, regular bed was fine. Grandma said she doesn't know if that's true or the result of pain meds. In any case, on Saturday, she's 12 weeks post-accident and the pelvic specialist says she can begin weight-bearing exercises. I'm thrilled she's embarking on the next stage in her recovery, but she's a little frightened, as is her family.

We are heading out tomorrow to marry off my nephew - Wilfred Charles Hunt III or Chad as the family calls him. Don and I both have colds and are feeling crummy. The kids are excited about seeing their cousins.

Lots of news that I need to post. I've tried for several days to post but we were having some difficulties. I finally discovered Don had taken our internet access off-line for some work he was doing.

Anyway, got to get to bed - we have a 5-hr. drive tomorrow. And lots of laundry to do on Sunday.

It's been so long since we've had a weekend for just our family to spend together without "something scheduled" that I can't remember how to "be" a family. But I'm sure we'll get there eventually. After all, summer's coming.

Pray for my sweet Amanda and her mama who most likely won't be able to stay with her at night anymore. That's going to be very hard for both of them at first. But it's such a positive transition.

Slowly, slowly

Don and I are still both struggling with feeling poorly. And Dane doesn't seem to be quite bouncing back.

We had a Family Reunion of sorts this weekend and were away Friday and Saturday. When we got home Saturday night, in the midst of the pouring rain, lighting, and winds, we all headed quickly to bed. We slept in this morning and went to church late - the 11:30 service. On the way, I asked Don how he was feeling.

"I thought I was feeling fine until I stopped taking pain medicine. Now my throat hurts and I have a headache."

I'm still feeling weak and tired as well, and my stomach's doing strange things. Dane has been doing more sleeping than usual and complained this evening before bed of his stomach and head.

Before we left for West Virginia, my mother-in-law told me that she had been sick and was struggling to get better. She said everyone up there had told her it took about 3 weeks to really feel better. I'm beginning to understand.

Unfortunately, I don't have 3 weeks. This Thursday, I leave with Deanna's Little Sister's group (like Pioneer Girls) for a 3-day trip to Cumberland Island that's the culmination of their 5-year program. This is the last year of Little Sisters for them.

We're all going to have to try to get some sleep the early part of this week so we'll be in a little better shape come next week. Deanna and Dane have both finished their reports now and we celebrated Daelyn's birthday tonight at Chuck E. Cheese, so we should have a LITTLE slack this week, although Dane has baseball practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Maybe, just maybe we'll get some rest and begin to feel better soon.

Around here, we share!

Dane ran a fever all weekend. It started Friday night and kept me from being able to go to the Crosswalk and spend time on Good Friday preparing for Easter. By Saturday night, I was really worried about him. He had broken out in blisters between his top lip and nose that were filled with green pus. His nose was nasty and he seemed to need to blow it every 20 seconds. I called the nurse on call for my pediatrician and she told me her guidelines read that I need only be concerned if his fever was for 72 hours. I missed out completely on Easter.

Don arrived home from England on Friday night to a very happy Mommy. So, Daddy took his oldest and youngest to church on Easter and I stayed home with sick boy. By Sunday night, Daelyn's throat was REALLY red and was hurting, so I kept both boys home from school on Monday and scheduled appointments for all three - Deanna was sporting a nasty cough.

Turns out, Deanna has a sinus infection. Dane has a very severe sinus infection and Daelyn has strept throat. Our pediatrician started all three on antibiotics and the boys couldn't go back to school until Wednesday.

Around Monday, Don mentioned that he was feeling poorly. By Tuesday, I had a sore throat and a headache. Tuesday night, I got the shakes and couldn't stop shivering. I ran the bath as hot as our water will run and stepped into it, hoping to scald the fever out of me. No luck. As soon as I stepped out of the bath, I began to shiver and shake again.

By Wednesday morning, I was in rough shape. My throat and neck were killing me, I was sore and stiff all over, and my head pounded. I was running a temp of 101.9. By the evening, it peaked at 102.4. Last night, Don and I got the kids to bed rather late, then headed to bed ourselves at 9 p.m. My fever broke during the night and I woke up dripping with sweat.

Don and I are both feeling better today, but not quite up to running speed. Dane has a state report on Washington due tomorrow that he was assigned the day before Easter break and wasn't reminded about since he hadn't been at school. Deanna's big 5th grade state report was due two days ago, her huge test for which she had to know every state capital, the great lakes, the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi River locations, and be able to write the names of every state on a map of the U.S. was today. Tomorrow, she has to dress in her state costume (which she's decided will be ski bibs since her state is Colorado) and take in a state food (salsa - there's a HUGE Hispanic population in Colorado - the 5th largest of any state in the country, and Colorado holds an annual Chile Festival), so I've had a little bit to do around here.

To add to our stress, we have to leave after school tomorrow for a weekend celebration out of town. We're not exactly prepared.

I'd better get to bed. I just realized I haven't made any arrangements for Donovan for the weekend. I'm going to need lots of energy tomorrow.

Good in So Many Ways

Time for an update on Amanda. It's almost all good news.

She still is having a lot of pain and they can't quite figure out why. She suspected for a while that it was a result of the pain killers in suppository form, but now has ruled that out. There are a number of different things going on with her that are difficult to identify.

On the upside, however, she finally received a visit from the pelvic surgical specialist, Dr. Rosenblum. He told her and her mother that he's been monitoring her case and that he's pleased with the position in which her pelvis has begun to heal AND that he's ready to remove the Fixator, the tinker-toy contraption that has been moving her pelvis, pulling it slowly back together. He has her scheduled for surgery tomorrow or, if she's bumped because of a trauma, for Thursday to remove the pins, the fixator, and get a good look inside her. Once the fixator is removed, she can begin heavy therapy in preparation for moving to a Rehab facility. He also told her that he believes any rehab hospital will take her once the fixator's off.

Everytime, through this whole ordeal, when we've felt that we've reached the end of the rope, the Lord has thrown out a new lifeline. EVERY TIME, without fail! It's just unbelievable to go back and track the various situations and see God's hand guiding, providing, protecting. He must have a plan for Amanda. He's spent a considerable amount of time dealing with her health.

We've been talking recently about why the initial pelvic surgery never happened. It's become obvious to me that the Lord blocked it. We don't know why, but it could have been something like that Amanda would not have survived the surgery or that the Lord knew it wouldn't be necessary. In any case, we're now very thankful that surgery was never done.

We still have a roller-coaster ride on our hands. We never move consistently forward without getting knocked back, but we were warned about that from the very beginning. And Amanda really IS doing much better.

We need to keep praying for God's intervention and protection and for the perfect place and situation for Amanda. He's done so much work now, I'm convinced he will continue to answer our prayers.

It's a little overwhelming to think about the whole situation and how close we came to losing her. On Easter, her trauma doctor came to see her and told her that they had gotten another patient in with similar pelvic injuries to Amanda's, but without the abdominal involvement. He lived only 2 hours. The doctor stressed that patients with Amanda's injuries don't survive. But there she is - sitting up in bed, using the straight iron on her hair to get it looking pretty before Alex gets to the hospital to visit, fussing at me to move out of the way of her mirror. OUR Amanda. The same girl we loved before that Friday night accident that nearly claimed her.

God is good. He is merciful. And He has a plan for our precious girl.

Thank you, Lord.

Slip of the Tongue

Deanna and I sat at the kitchen table tonight finishing dinner. Dane had already finished and was running his bath. Daelyn was playing and Don took Donovan out to tinkle while he put the garbage can at the curb. I was just putting a peach slice in my mouth when Don walked by the kitchen windows.

Says Deanna, "Daddy sure looks at lot like the Count of Monte Crisco, doesn't he?"

As I snorted, trying to keep from swallowing my peach whole, I reminded her that the name of the movie I bought Dane for Easter was, "The Count of Monte CRISTO" and, yes, Daddy looked very much like the Count, but very little like the big tub of vegetable shortening in the pantry.

Deanna strikes again.

Good News, Good News

My nephew, Russell Edward Barnes II, or Russy as we've always called him (Amanda's younger brother) is engaged!

He asked his girlfriend of 2 years, Ashley, to be his wife and she accepted.

We're very excited. She's wonderful and we're thrilled to have her in the family. They came to see me a few minutes ago to give me the good news.

A spot of brightness that we so desperately need.

Complications

One of Amanda's pin sites that is holding the fixator in place against the hipbone (the fixator is attempting to bring her pelvis back together again and is attached to Amanda's hips with steel pins) is infected. Before I left for WV, it was infected but, while I was gone, it got very swollen and very red. Everytime Amanda moves, the pins tear at the skin and the hole in the skin is getting bigger and bigger. While I was gone, I called back to check on her and was told that they had taken her for an MRI to determine if the infection was in the bone. It wasn't. The bone was still clear. But they have determined that the infection is the antibiotic-resistant strain of staff that's so prevalent in hospitals these days. She's on IV antibiotics to knock out the infection which is pretty tenacious.

They also got the news yesterday that all the other hospitals that Amanda could transfer to have refused to accept her case. She's not yet well enough for rehab but so much improved that the other hospitals don't feel she still needs round-the-clock nursing care. She is going to have to leave the hospital soon and has nowhere to go.

She'll have to be moved home, but she can't yet get into a wheelchair, her family lives in the country down dirt roads, 25 miles from the hospital. She would have to be moved back and forth by ambulance for all of her doctor's visits and her home isn't handicapped accessible. There are huge issues that, at this point, seem insurmountable.

One thing is certain: the hospital will not keep her much longer. They will insist on her leaving. When that happens, things around here are going to get pretty harried.

The Lord has guided their every step so far and we believe he will continue to guide. But please pray for peace for the family and clarity from all the confusion that seems to be constantly surrounding this situation.

She is having a lot of pain and is pretty sick from the infection. She seems to have taken a downturn emotionally, and all this stress about moving doesn't help.

Things are looking pretty grim once again. We just have to keep remembering that God is in control. He is. He has been. He will continue to be.

He is.

Coming and Going

We got home yesterday from West Virginia. We had a wonderful visit with Don's parents and it was very relaxing, despite the continuous rain. On my birthday, Monday, Deanna and I had some errands to run, so we picked up some crafts for the boys to keep them occupied in case of rain. We were very pleased the next day that we had taken the plunge when we woke up to a monsoon.

We also made incredible time traveling - both directions. We left home right about 4 a.m. last Friday morning and arrived at my in-law's at 1:30, having had lunch even. It usually takes us about 12 hours and it's not unheard of to stretch the trip to 14 hours. The children, the dog and I made it in 9 1/2! We did even better on the return trip. I wanted to avoid traffic so I attempted to leave even earlier - at 3:30. However, Don wanted me to call him before we left and, when I did, he was driving to work and couldn't take down my cell phone number, so I had to wait for him to get to work and call me back. We pulled out of the driveway at 3:45 a.m. and arrived home at 12:20 - a miraculous 8 hours and 35 minutes later.

The children are becoming so much better at traveling. We only stopped once - for them to dress and go to the bathroom and so I could get gas. Then we drove through a Burger King and got a biscuit for me and cheesy tots for the kids to go with their cold cereal and milk. When they began getting bored, they'd entertain each other. We sang songs, listened to a CD, visited, and they played with the dog. It was a very pleasant drive with no grumpies or fussies.

We were prepared to pick Don up from the airport at 9 tonight. At 6:16 a.m. (why has this week involved so many early mornings? The children are out of school! Can I not PLEASE sleep?) the phone rang. Knowing it had to be Don, I quickly answered with the question, "What's up, honey?"

"They've overbooked the flight and want me to delay my travel until tomorrow."

"What are they offering?" I asked, willing my fuzzy brain to work.

"They'll fly me Business Class tomorrow (which means more perks than just the flight - he can board early and avoid the long lines, he can use the Business Class lounge in Manchester AND Atlanta for his lay-overs and they'll actually page him in the lounge to let him know when it's time to go board the plane, but, more importantly, they allow 30 more pounds per piece of luggage for all that English stuff he's bringing me!), they'll put me up overnight tonight, they'll give me 200 pounds in cash (English money, not weight), and a voucher for a future Delta flight."

I really didn't want Don to delay his flight by one day. When he first asked me about going back to England and told me they promised to have him home by Easter, I asked him to please get home before Good Friday so he could join me and the children for the meaningful activities that prepare us for Easter. I really wanted him back in time for Good Friday. Now, here he was calling, asking me if he could delay his return one day, missing Good Friday. I was very conflicted.

"What do you want to do, honey," I asked.

"Well, it's a pretty good deal."

"Tell them 'yes' and I'll see you tomorrow night."

These last 39 hours are, by far, the hardest. I've missed him more today than I have for days at a time. But soon. He'll be home soon.

Still have that wine . . .

Missing Don

I'm really starting to miss Don. Truthfully, though, it has been a little easier this time - possibly because I've just been so busy and, also, having Nicki living with us means I'm not alone all night. But the resolve is wearing thin and I'm starting to feel like I'm going to tear up everytime I talk with him.

I missed speaking with him yesterday. I tried to call once and couldn't get through. By the time I got back around to it, it was too late in England. I needed to hear his voice and just have a chance to visit with him today, but he was having dinner with some co-workers/friends when I called and didn't really have time to talk. He encouraged me to call back later, but I have to take the children to choir practice during the time that he should be moving towards home for the night. I may just try and call him during the day tomorrow, although I have tons to do to get ready for our trip to West Virginia.

My mother-in-law wrote and said they had 4 inches of snow on Sunday. The children are ever so hopeful it'll snow again while we're there. I bought Dane and Daelyn both new winter coats while we were out shopping for Easter after school yesterday. They both needed warmer coats (Dane's is just a shell with no lining for warmth) and K-Mart had them at 50% off the final clearance price. I got them both really nice coats for $10 each.

Dane was ecstatic and kept commenting that they might need heavy coats in West Virginia. If they had snow at my in-law's on Sunday, Virginia will probably be quite cold. It's usually about 15 degrees colder in parts of Virginia through which we must drive than in West Virginia. Once, coming home during Holy Week, we hit a blizzard in Virginia and there was quite a bit of snow and ice. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel to eat and were afraid we wouldn't be able to get back out of the parking lot.

When I chokingly told Don today that I was missing him terribly, he said, "Only a little while now, Mommy, and I'll be home." That's true. He's halfway through his trip. And this time, things seem to have gone a little smoother for him. He's much more comfortable this time and has a vehicle to drive.

I can't even begin to imagine how I'd function if my husband worked out-of-town routinely. I suppose our life would be very different, but I'd hate to give up my dependence on Don. I was single for so many years, waiting to marry and be able to rely on another person. I'm not quite willing to give it up after only 12 years.

One more week. I can do that. I've got a big bottle of wine.

News

Dane had his gastroendoscopy this morning at the same hospital where Amanda now resides. While we were waiting to get called back for pre-op, my mother walked over to Amanda's room and returned with my sister. She said Amanda was downright perky this morning, for the first time since the accident. This was very good news.

I called Don in England today and he didn't answer his cellphone, which I found puzzling. A few minutes later, he called me back and told me that he was driving at the time and couldn't negotiate the roads on the wrong side of the car, the wrong side of the street, shifting on the left, and answer his phone at the same time (not to mention the fact that it's illegal to talk on your phone while driving in England). It seems the Company has given him a minivan to drive for the two weeks he's there. Hallelujah! Maybe that means he'll get to a grocery store and pick up some Tate & Lyle's Golden Syrup and crumpets for me and the kids. It's still a little surprising to me how hooked we got on some English foods.

I got the children in bed at 6:00 tonight. We're all overtired and, with the time-change and Dane's procedure today, everyone needed a little extra rest. I laid down with the boys and fell asleep, waking up chilled to the bone. Time for a nice cup of hot tea.

The news about Amanda was so encouraging and, now that we're through the meal I had to prepare for the Vestry at my church yesterday and Dane's procedure today, I think I might be able to sleep - not too well, though, without my honey next to me. And, no, Donovan doesn't count.

So, there's lots for which to be thankful tonight. The Lord saved my niece and is working on healing my son. Life is full, but good. I feel sorry for people who get bored. I'd love to have the opportunity - just for two weeks or so. Get caught up on all my mending and cleaning, menu planning and laundry, organizing and sorting, cleaning out closets and the attic, and then have time to just relax! Isn't that a wonderful thought.

But this is good, too.

God's Promise

A rainbow - God's promise of hope to us.

Amanda will be moving to a Rehab facility, hopefully, in 2 weeks. Her other injuries are almost 90% healed. The goal at this point is to get her sitting up and well enough to move into rehab. This is all great news and now, at least, we feel like we understand where we're moving.

Wash Dog

A little challenging to strip the bed. When I picked up the covers to dump them in the wash, it seemed they were a little heavy. I laid them back down and this is what I found.


There's a family meeting with the medical team working on Amanda in her room this morning at 10 a.m. Hopefully, some issues will get worked out. Please pray for clarity and peace.

My Eldest Son

Okay, I found a few of Dane - with his puppy the day we got Donovan, a very green Dane celebrating his mother's St. Patrick's Day birthday, and tuxed out as the Ring Bearer in his oldest cousin's wedding in California on a golf course several years ago. I added that one, even though it's really old, because he looks so handsome. Don't you agree? He's available, for a small fee.

My Babies - or two, at least

A couple more pictures to share with you. I need a distraction from writing about the hospital.

The first is Mr. Mischief. Can't you just see it? This was Daelyn on the first day of Kindergarten. He was thrilled to be sitting with all his best buddies.

The next is my beautiful ballerina. I'm still searching for a great picture of Dane. I have one of him sitting at a grand piano after his Piano Recital, but someone else took it and I'll have to scan it, so that won't happen today.

Day 40 Update

Today was the 40th day. Amanda's accident was on January 26, my brother's birthday and my parent's anniversary.

Things really are improving. She IS doing better. There have been a lot of baby steps to bring us to this point. She's conscious (a miracle), her pelvis is fusing into an acceptable position, her bladder is working, and the other trauma to her abdomen seems to have mostly resolved.

The issues at present are: she has a sore on the back of her head from never being off it, she has a significant friction rash, she has gaps in her skin going down the whole front of her body where her skin was just tacked together rather than really sewn up, the skin around her belly button is infected, she has pins in both hips that are tearing through the skin and one pin site is infected, she is just recovering from a bladder infection, she has a bedsore on her back, she has a large (about 6 in. in diameter) hole in her leg where dead tissue was excised, she has some stitches in the other leg that are infected, her blood pressure is extremely low (84 over 68), she is having constant severe pain in her back suddenly, she's getting nauseated everytime she eats now, and she seems to need an inordinate amount of sleep. She has yet to incline over 45 degrees, but they daily talk about getting her in a chair. The step-down hospital has refused to take her because she's "too well" and the rehab hospital says they probably won't be able to take her because she's not well enough. Meanwhile, MCG can't seem to get rid of her fast enough and the doctors are daily asking when she's going to another hospital, making everyone feel like they just want her to vacate their bed.

Do I sound a little frustrated? She's ready for it all to be over and has said several times, "Just put me in an ambulance and take me home!" Of course, there's no way we can do that. She needs more care than my sister can handle alone at this point and, obviously, she needs daily care from a doctor.

It's SO-O-O-O-O frustrating! It doesn't seem like the doctors are even operating in the same world as us. It's as if they don't even see the whole picture anymore. I'm sure there's things they know that we don't, but doesn't this sound like someone who needs a hospital?

My sister has the patience of Job. I've already blown my stack several times and I'm only there for a couple of hours a day. She's dealing with the doctors, nurses, technicians all day long everyday.

I've decided that I've got to focus on the positive, but it's very hard to do when the negative at this point seems to run roughshod over the positive. It's as if the insurance company said, "We're not paying anything else!" so the medical community is bowing out. In fact, that may be close to the truth. The whole issue of moving her is being driven by the insurance company. Medical care in this country is no longer managed by physicians - it's managed by the insurance industry. If they refuse to pay the bills, doctors don't want to treat and hospital administration scurries to make amends.

Perhaps I'm just raving but the situation seems so unnecessarily difficult. This girl has been through so much - why are they putting her through all this stress?

We don't have any answers - just tons of questions. Prayer, it seems, is the only solution.

Pray . . . please!

Confusion

I stayed home from the hospital yesterday to get the laundry done and try to get the house put in order or, at least, begin the process. I planned to go to the hospital once Don got home from work.

I did my Blog Post after talking with my father. Later in the morning, my sister called and began to fill me in on the latest. My father had a few of the details . . . uh, make that ALL the details . . . wrong. They hadn't toured the other hospital. My sister and brother-in-law went over to talk with the people and were told by the hospital administration that they didn't have time. Several other facts were incorrect, as well, and there seems to be a tremendous amount of confusion swirling around Amanda.

Her doctor has told her that she will continue to treat Amanda and that the other hospital will take her back and forth so she can attend clinic. The pelvic specialist is supposed to have his Georgia license tomorrow and then will get to work on coming up with a plan to get Amanda walking again. He will also ring in on Amanda's treatment and will see her in Clinic.

Apparently, none of that is correct. The other hospital does NOT shuttle their patients and their patients are seen by their staff doctors, not physicians from another facility. Furthermore, because of the severe trauma to Amanda's pelvis, they're not sure their doctors are willing to sign onto the case. REALLY? What a surprise. We've waited for this pelvic specialist and now, just as he finally gets his credentials and can actually help, they plan on removing Amanda from the facility where he practices.

This is all unbelievable! And now there's serious concern over Amanda's care again. What if the orthopedic people at this other hospital decide to try but, further into the process, are incapable of dealing with the extent of Amanda's injuries. What then? Nobody seems to have any clear answers to these questions.

Apparently, the move is driven by insurance. But how can an insurance company require her to move to a facility that can't care for her medical needs? I told my sister last night that she needs to find out if Amanda's case has been referred to a Major Case Manager who works for the insurance company. Since my career was as a Human Resources Generalist Specialist, I know a little about how insurance functions. However, this isn't medical insurance. It's vehicular insurance, and I know nothing about this arena. I suggested that Trina call the Insurance Commissioner to get some straight answers. She said she thinks she'll just wait, that they're not rolling Amanda's bed out the door just yet and lots more may happen before they do.

In addition, Amanda currently is trying to heal from 5 infections. She's trying to minimize the amount of pain medication she takes because the narcotics stop her up so badly, leading to other problems. The pins in one hip are causing her a great deal of pain. At first, the site around the pins was red, now the redness has moved in a much larger circle out from the pins and is spreading up her back. Her doctor told her yesterday that she may be having an allergic reaction to the pins, but the other side is fine. It seems that, if it were an allergic reaction, her body would respond the same way on both sides. Her doctor told them yesterday morning that she was calling in ortho to look at the pin site. They didn't show up yesterday.

It does seem that Amanda is getting better, but a chronic illness carries with it lots of other types of problems. Now we're dealing with these peripheral problems as we wait for the pelvis to heal enough that she can move to the next stage of healing.

Please pray against confusion. I don't know how my sister doesn't go crazy! She DID have a migraine for 4 days. It finally went away yesterday, but it's left her weak and frail, which she certainly doesn't need right now. Some answers to all these questions would set everyone's minds more at ease.

Today, I'm running errands for my sister and beginning to look for clothes for my family for Easter and the weddings of my two nephews one week apart in April. Oh, and I need to begin packing Don. He's working today to book a flight for Thursday. He finally got all the necessary approvals for the trip yesterday.

When I went up to the hospital yesterday evening, Amanda was asleep and Trina was gone. My brother-in-law was sitting with his daughter, so we had a nice visit, but I want to SEE Amanda, so I plan on spending some time up there during the day today. So . . . I better get moving. Maybe tomorrow we'll know more.

Many fronts

Deanna and I got home around 8 p.m. last night. We went to Stone Mountain, Ga for our retreat and had a wonderful time. We stayed at a Marriott Resort where I had stayed once on Company business. I purchased a package deal that included two 2-day tickets to the park and the Resort had a shuttle that took us back and forth, so it was quite nice.

After tucking the boys in and kissing Don, I called my father. He said that Amanda will be moved on Tuesday to a step-down, chronic-care hospital. My sister and her husband went over and toured the facility over the weekend and visited with some of our friends from the ICU waiting room who have also been moved there. They both felt good about the hospital and have agreed to the move. It seems it's a positive step forward - Amanda no longer needs the care of an acute hospital, which means she's improving.

She currently has 5 different infections that she's fighting. That's all the more reason to get her out of this hospital. There should be less bugs floating around the chronic care hospital.

Daelyn climbed in bed with me this morning after Don left for work and is coughing quite a bit. I'm a little concerned about him. He had pneumonia two weeks ago, and it seems to me he may not be completely over it. He has a recheck with his pediatrician on Thursday.

Don went to see his doctor again on Friday for the second time in a week. They put him on more antibiotics and steroids. He seems to be feeling better although he was up during the middle of the night. I hadn't yet fallen asleep (I have a love-hate relationship with Starbuck's) when he jumped out of bed and didn't return. This morning, I asked him why he didn't come back to bed. He said I was snoring too loud. I didn't put on my sleep apnea mask last night - I was just too tired to bother with it. So my husband paid the price. I'm going to have to do better about that.

I'm actually feeling pretty good, although I didn't sleep well last night or Friday night in the hotel. Don will be leaving for England, which means I won't sleep well for two weeks, either, so I'm going to need to go to bed early a few nights this week before he leaves to get caught up.

Dane is scheduled for gastroendoscopy next Monday. It's a surgical procedure that they'll do in the hospital under general anesthesia (twilight sleep). I'm a little concerned about going through this without Don. Please say a little prayer for me. I'm hoping to take advantage of the sleepless nights without Don to get some things done in that house that are sorely behind schedule.

Other than that, life is very typical this fine, almost-spring Monday morning. The laundry awaits me, so I will sign off for now.

Maybe I can manage another cup of coffee (instant, decaf) after switching laundry loads.

Amanda

Amanda's case is getting very confusing. They've decided once and for all to not do a big pelvic surgery due to the trauma to her abdomen. Now, we're just waiting. The new pelvic guy at MCG is supposed to get his credentials to practice in GA on March 5. Then he is to come up with a plan of action, laying out each step to get Amanda walking again - according to the Trauma doc, her attending physician.

They've told my sister that she won't be going home until that plan is clearly laid out. Meanwhile, (in another part of town) they received a visit from a hospital Social Worker who informed Amanda that she'll be moving from this hospital which is an Acute Care Hospital to another one in town, a private hospital, that is a Chronic Care hospital. When my sister explained what the trauma doc had told her, she flipped her lid. It seems that it's unheard of for someone to be in the hospital for 6 weeks these days. As soon as they are no longer acute, they're moved to a different facility.

However, Amanda still has some huge issues, not to even mention her 5 pending surgeries. She still has infection in her sutures as well as several other infections. She isn't getting enough calories so they're feeding her at night via her feeding tube, but she's having trouble tolerating it and is getting sick. She cannot keep her bowels moving. She'll go 4 or 5 days in a row without being able to void. She has no abdominal muscles to help with this process and this is a very significant issue.

There are many more issues, several of which have the potential to be life-threatening, but they still want to move her along to a different hospital. She's very frightened by this, particularly after her trip to Columbia.

This situation still needs tons of prayer. Pray for peace, against confusion, and for clarity for all the situations swirling around Amanda.

I'm leaving now to take my daughter on a retreat. We have a book and workbook by James Dobson on preparing for adolescence that we'll be working through this weekend.

Don will be going to England again soon. The paperwork is waiting for the necessary approvals. The next couple of weeks will be challenging with him gone.

On a lighter note, below are pictures from our vacation to Vail last summer. The ski slopes were unbelieveable as was the beautiful scenery. The last two pictures are from Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs - one at Whit's End (a ice cream shoppe) and the wardrobe from "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", through which we walked into Narnia.

Hope you enjoy the pics. It's sure taken me long enough!