Wednesday!! Written January 18, 2012 6:22pm

Finally, today......we got to pick up our new van!!  While driving a big van is not my idea of fun, it is nice to have your own van and not have to worry about a rental.

It's also a relief that I can get out of my driveway if it snows.  Little things for you and me can be a big deal when it comes to Max.  It's a hard thing because he has always been so strong and healthy.  He's regaining his strength in his upper body, but since he can't feel much in his lower body he can be injured and not even know it.

There are so many dials and buttons it may take me a long time to figure out how everything works....but that's the fun of new things!

Max has a more room to stretch out and the new latches are much easier to use.  I got to the point I hated the other rachets...so hard to get them to work right, worrying if they would hold if there was an accident.  

We are so blessed and I pray that your evening is blessed also!

Christmas Written January 11, 2012 10:23am

Oh, Christmas......  With Max being in Rusk we really didn't do any of the traditional stuff we do for Christmas. 

My dad came down for Christmas Eve.  Usually he will spend the night but he came down early, we went out to eat and then came home and did some Christmas stuff.  We usually go out and see the Christmas lights but really couldn't because Max can't see out of the van.  He sets up to high so it limits his vision.

With Christmas being on Sunday, our church had a special one hour service on Sunday morning.  That led to the big dilemma in our house.  We have always kept Christmas day for the kids.  We didn't leave the house until after 3:00 because we wanted them to enjoy this day and not have to see their toys and then leave.

Max wanted to go to church, he stated he has a lot to be thankful for.  The kids wanted to stay home because that is what we have always done.  I was squarely in the middle.   

******Spoiler Alert*******    Those of you who may think I'm a super Christian woman might want to skip the rest of this post!   LOL

So Christmas morning comes Max is going to church, one child definately did not want to go, one child  was wanting to stay home but wasn't sure, one child wanted everyone to do the same thing whether stay at home or go to church.  I wanted to go to church, I wanted to stay home, I was resentful I had to drive, I was resentful the kids didn't want to go as a family, I was resentful that Max didn't want to stay home....I was just a mess.  I wanted tradition as usual and reality was it isn't.  So all my talk of adjusting and finding our new normal raised up and slapped me right in the face.  One of my kids went to church with us, one of them wanted to go if one of the others went.   The one that went didn't tell the other until it was to late for them to get ready.  I was fine in the beginning of the drive in but I started crying and trying to deal with my own sorrow and changing life.  For those who know me, I hate to cry in front of people.  I hate to wear my feelings on my sleeve and it's been a long haul to change that and be open with people.  So long story short I cried all the way there, 3/4 of the way through the service.  I really didn't want to be there and God wasn't going to let me pretend I did ~ God was not letting me off the hook.  I had to deal with a lot of stuff that I had put on the back burner.  I had to deal with the fact that things are different.  Even if Max walks tomorrow I can't put all the pieces back together like they were before, it just will never happen.  It may not be fair but there are many things I have to do that I don't like.  Max can no longer do those things at the moment and I just have to figure out a way to do them without letting my flesh be resentful.  I still wrestle with these things, I am crying as I type this because it's a hard place to walk through.

So did I have a good Christmas?  Yes, no, yes.....  We opened presents when we got home and we had a great time.  Not what my expectations were but good all the same.

Oh well, on to the New Year!  Max tried to stay up but his back was hurting.  Usually I'm the one who wants to go to bed but this year our lives are reversed.   

Max got a new splint for his left hand. It's to help him hold things with his left hand.  The trick is getting him to wear it.......

Our new van has supposed to be here since Christmas.  So every other week it was supposed to be in Columbia.  The latest is it will be done this Friday so we may be able to pick it up next week.  It's always next week..... eventually it will get here and then it can snow! LOL

I also want to thank everyone who has been helping us.  Our Christmas wouldn't have been the same without you guys!

Well, Max is off the phone and I need to get him going so I'm going to end this post.  I should be posting more often......I think I was avoiding the Christmas post and all those emotions.  But, God is good and I'll deal with them.  I promise I'll do a better job of keeping you all informed.  The kids have a list of things they want to do and since it will all be new, I'm sure there will be Max stories involved!

Finally an Update! Written December 27, 2011 7:59pm

Wow, time flies when your feeling under the weather!   

Friday, Dec 16th the kids went to their Christmas Ball.  It is always so neat to see all the kids dressed up and then to see them dancing the older traditional dances.  I was tired and Max told me I could come up to Rusk and spend some time with him.  I figured that the kids were to be dropped off at 6:45...I would have to stay and take pictures.....then it would be  8 - 8:30 before I got to Columbia.....then I would have to turn right around and pick them up at 11:00.  That sure did sound like a lot of work to me.   I've done more driving these last few months than I probably did the entire year before.

 Then I got to thinking, it was just a few short months ago I wouldn't leave his side.  I would have driven across the states to either ocean if it meant saving him.  How quickly we settle into old routines, habits, train of thoughts.......  so you should know the end of this story.  I ran up to Rusk, throughly enjoyed my time with my sweetie and turned around and picked up the kiddos at the dance.  I pray that God reminds me when I start to put things on auto pilot.  People are more important than comfort and time can't be reclaimed.

Saturday we were up early and did Christmas with the Kintners in the afternoon and Christmas with the Schraders/Ketchums that evening.  It made for a full day and Max was tired but it was worth it.  Seeing family is something that you can't re-do.  They may be there next time, they may not.  Why do we wait and have regrets instead of just seeing people and enjoying them?  I always thought how could the Israelites have been so ungrateful after what God had done for them??  I probably would be right down there in the dirt grumbling and complaining myself.

Sunday we visited and old friend at United Community Cathredral in Columbia.  It was a refreshing time and we enjoyed spending time with them.

Unfortunately all the running around had worn me out and I was pretty much out of commission the next several days.  I had to run up to Rusk and learn some new things to help Max with and see what things he was learning to do.  I was amazed at how much he had learned in such a short time.

Friday we came home!!!  I was so glad to get Max home.  We still had lots to get done in the house and lots to get done before Christmas but I was so glad he was home.

This is already so long so I'll stop here and share our Christmas in another post coming soon!!

Tuesday Morning Written December 20, 2011 8:14am

Sorry about not getting the schedule up yesterday.  I wasn't quite up to par.  Today's schedule for Max is:

8 - 9:30 PT
10 - 10:30 nursing
10:30 - 11 OT
11 - 12 Spinal Cord Group
1 - 1:30 OT
1:30 - 2 Circuit group
2:30 - 3:30 Auto Amblator
3:30 - 4 OT

Another full day ~ not many more before he gets to come home!!

Friday Morning Written December 16, 2011 7:38am

Max still has a pretty busy schedule, this is what it looks like today!

8:30 - 9:00 PT
10 - 10:30  nursing
10:30 - 11:00 OT
11 - 12 Spinal Cord Group
1:30 - 2:00 Circuit Group
2:00 - 2:30 PT
2:30 - 3:30 Auto Ambulator
3:30 - 4:00 OT

The kids are going to a Christmas Ball this evening.  Max & I have went and danced the last couple of years.  I will miss not dancing with him this year.  The coming year will have many "firsts" .  I'm just thankful that he will be participating in our many "firsts"!

Thursday Morning Written December 15, 2011 8:26am

We went to see Max yesterday.  I learned a new way to transfer him from his chair and we saw him walk with the auto ambulator.  That's a pretty neat machine!  They can adjust how much pressure he has on his legs, how fast he walks.  It tracks the pressure on the treadmill, how far he walks.  I know he will miss it when we go home!

His schedule today is:
8 - 9 OT
9 - 9:30 PT
10 - 10:30 OT
10:30 - 11:00 nursing
11 - 12 Spinal Cord Group
1:30 - 2  Circuit group
2:00 - 2:30 set up for AA
2:30 - 3:30 Auto ambulator
3:30 - 4:00  OT

The auto ambulator is in the gym area.  If you have a chance to stop by when he's on it, it's a pretty neat machine.  They don't care if you come in while they are in therapy.

We are going to work at the food pantry today, it looks like we will have to give the dogs another bath when we get home.  That's just one of the bummers about rain!

Tuesday Schedule Written December 13, 2011 9:17am

Max schedule is pretty full today!

8 - 8:30 OT
9 - 10  PT
10:30 - 11  Nursing
11 - 12 Spinal Cord Group
1:30 - 2  Circuit Group
2:30 - 3:00 AA Set Up
3:00 - 3:30  Auto Ambulator
3:30 - 4:00 OT

He was feeling pretty sore this morning from dressing himself.  He said he was feeling the screws in his back.  Pray he feels better as his day goes on.

Up and Walking! Written December 12, 2011 2:14pm

Good Thing his therapist knew how to use his phone!

Monday Morning Written December 12, 2011 8:52am

We had a great time at church Sunday & the dinner afterwards was pretty good too!  Max needed a few items so we made a quick shopping trip.  He needed some shoes he could get on and would have a heel so he could get on the auto ambulator ~ it's a machine that holds you up and makes your legs walk on the treadmill.  Max called early this morning and they thought they were going to walk on it after noon but he just called and said his therapist wanted him to go do it now.  The kids and I were going to go and watch his first time........but I guess we will have to see him "walk" another time.  I sometimes drive a little to fast but even I'm not driving that fast. LOL  It's neat that he's finally reaching that goal of getting on it.  That's what he told his therapist the first day when we went in.  "That's what I want to get on and use"! 

Max's schedule for the rest of the day is:

8:30 - Occupational Therapy
9 - 10:30  Physical Therapy
10:30 - 11:00 Nursing
11 - 12 Spinal Cord Group
He did have the Auto Ambulator 12:45
1:30 - 2:00 - Circuit Group
3:30 - 4:00 Occupational Therapy

I pray everyone has a great day.  I have more than enough to keep me busy today!

Saturday Schedule Written December 10, 2011 9:47am

Well, we had a great time at the union dinner last night, it's a shame we only see some of our friends once a year ~ the sad thing about the times we live in is we have so much more technology and stuff that makes our lives better but in reality we have so much less because we don't have time for friends and family.  We are as guilty as the next person....I need to figure out a way to get off the spinning wheel. 

I'm so proud of Max, its not even been a week and I can already see a difference in his strength, balance and what he can do.  We always had to undo all four points on his wheelchair and now he can stretch forward and undo the front ones himself.  He couldn't do that a week ago ~ or at he didn't think he could do that a week ago!  It's all going pretty good.

The boys had a mens breakfast at the church this morning.  It started at 9:00... Ray woke me up around 6:00 to see if I wanted to see the eclipse of the moon.  I didn't get to bed until after 1:00 so I told him I would probably skip it.  I know I should do more of those kinds of things.....but I really don't like early mornings! LOL   Well, the kids went to the big field and watched it until the trees were in the way.  They wanted to go and see more so I got up and we took the van to where we could watch it until the sun was so bright it was hard to see.  I'm still tired but I'm glad I took them.

I thought Max didn't have anything planned for today but I was wrong.  He called this morning and let me know his schedule.

9 - 9:30 Physical Therapy
11 - 12 Physical  Therapy
1 - 1:30  Circuit group
2:30 - 3:00  Occupational Therapy

I think we are going up to Columbia after the boys are done with their breakfast.  I was hoping we could get out and about but more than likely we will stay at Rusk.  I really don't see many holes in Max's schedule to sneak out.

I'm hoping to get some sleep tonight.  We have to leave around 7:00 am in the morning to get to  Rusk, get Max ready and get back to Jefferson  City in time for church.  We are having a church dinner after service and they are always a wonderful time.

I pray you all have a great day.  I can't believe it's almost Christmas.  I feel like I went from the beginning of summer >>>>>>> straight to Fall!
We are going to be working on Christmas cards.  Nothing fancy this year....I had grand plans but it aint happening ;o)  If you want to be added to the Christmas list, drop me a note with your address and I'll get you added.