Outcomes

Last picture of free feet for a while. God is good. Surgery went great. Ankle guy had given a small percentage that the fusion would be successful. However, ankle guy gave a more favorable outcome after this surgery. He felt I had a 90 % chance to regain full mobility of the foot. The foot will still be stiff and running is history. But I will walk pain free. Most of my pain is in the knee where he took a bone to fuse to the leg bones. I am excited to be home and start the road to recovery. No weight bearing, no walking, no driving for at a minimum of 8 weeks. We came home today to a very new outcome of 6 baby kittens. Mother is Peanut. Butter is missing.I can't make this stuff up. This is the best picture we could get without making momma mad. I love she decided to have them on my front porch. They are all black. Confirming the baby daddy is Stamps from the Post office. I will be getting DNA swabs soon. And I am not sure which is worst for Husband; me or the kittens.

Countdown is up

It has come. Surgery is in the MORNING!! My quote this week has I am ready for it to be behind me then in front of me. Tonight I am filled with all kinds of emotions. Especially since my softball team lost their first game tonight. I am in a bible study on Saturday mornings learning about the names of God. Something spoke to me this past week and I am carrying it with me. I am a planned child. God is working in me to conform me in the image of Christ. And He is sovereign. Tonight I will rest in the fact the God will only let my pain and suffering go so far and when it is too much, He will stick out His hand and He will say, "Enough." Romans 8:28 and Deuteronomy 32:29 believing in the truth... I am so blessed. I have friends that call and text and email. I have an old high school friend that came by my house tonight at 8:30 to give me a hug, prayers and hilarious goodies. Jamie I am speechless! I have a sister who just tells me she is coming to the hospital tomorrow when I thought she was not coming. I have inlaws keeping my kids. I have a husband that prays. I have a mother that has cried more than me. I have a home group that is my prayer life line. I have a girl in MS, a girl in Oxford AL that are on their knees. I have a daddy that called to say make sure they check me for Hoof and Mouth disease. I have two grandmothers, 90 and 87, who will pray for me and wait by their phones. I have an eight year old boy that is hysterical tonight wanting mommy just to stay home and not go. My heart is broken, scared but not without hope because I am not alone. Even in hard times I have a God who sees me. I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. Psalm 57:2

A Happy, A Sad and A Lawsuit

My most talented cousin, Dian McCray, painted me for a recent art exhibit. She is a REAL artist. She is a lover of art and Auburn. She has taught art for more than 25 years and she taught me in kindergarten. I think I am way cuter in her painting than in real life. She also painted my kiddos and I will show you those later. But kuddos to her and her work!

What do I need 2 days before surgery? Strep. Yep. Poor MG. Her brother and his broke nose...I thought I would break down. We instead had a nice lunch and ice cream. We then went to have my pre-op bloodwork and instructions for surgery. The nurse said "please don't shave, they will shave you." My son looked at her and said, "well it will be a jungle by then." Oh, I love him. Daughter got to get a big girl shot in hopes to knock out the strep faster.

I am thinking of bringing a lawsuit against the Post Office. They have a cat. We call him Stamps. He is black with white feet and he frequents our back barn and the post office. He does not want us to pet him or acknowledge him. However, one day daughter ran inside to tell us, "Stamps is hugging Butter." Stamps must have hugged both cats....

They are large.

Here Peanut is kissing Butter telling her she knows the pregnancy is hard but it will be over soon. I am taking request for kittens. One friend has requested two already. Marsh and Mellow. Husband will be thrilled to birth kittens while I am laid up in a cast. Remember...we are not cat people. We are just anti-mouse people.

Bucket List

I love a list. I make list and then add to it just to be able to mark off something. I had a list for this weekend. I even asked my closest facebook friends to tell me what would be on their list if they knew they would not walk for 3 months. They gave me all kinds of suggestions from beach walks to just crying. Well this is what made my list: 1. Easter clothes for the whole family - This is a whole blog entry by itself. It involved the metropolis of Calera and lots of tears. I had a mild panic attack Friday night when I realized I would not get to go shopping by myself for awhile. Who would buy the kids Easter outfits? Husband kissed my head and told me to go. I drove down Hwy 31 ending up in Calera on my cell phone crying to my friend. She assured me no Easter clothes were in Calera. She talked me out of a panic attack and I turned the car around. I ended up at a store with mascara down my shirt where I purchased the WHOLE family Easter outfits. 2. Pedicure on one foot- I begged for a pedicure. Since I am still healing from the previous surgery they were reluctant. However, I agreed to hold the foot for them and they scrubbed it and painted my toes. I will miss that treat. 3. Walking in the grass barefoot - I am just a farm girl at heart. I walked all over this farm...barefoot. 4. Eyebrows waxed - It will be me and the tweezers for awhile. 5. Flip flops- I wore flip flops all weekend. Because I could. And yes it hurt. But I had a fresh pedicure. It deserved flip flops. 6.Organized the kids closets- I won't be able to get in their closets for a couple of months. I got their closets organized so Husband will be able to dress them with out much confusion. 7. Cleaned - I will even miss the control over floors and toilets and bathtubs. My sweet mother helped me wash the sheets on all four beds. Some of the things on my list are for pleasure and some are for preparation.

These were for my heart -

*Hot baths and Stand up showers.

I close my eyes and thank God for each one of these pleasures.

*Holding hands with daughter when we walked back from feeding the horses. I love holding her hand when I walk and she skips.

*Climbing on the tractor and riding in Husband's lap while he cut the grass. I love being his wife.

*Watching my son play baseball and cheering for him even when he took a ball to the nose. Then listening to him later tell me, "thanks for always supporting me Mommy." I love being his mom.

*Riding with the windows down and radio up by MYSELF. Husband will laugh when he reads this...this was seriously something I missed the most last summer. I love riding with windows down and singing at the top of my lungs.

Two more days.

Pray For This Man

I have made this man loose his hair.

I hit his car last night.

He will be my caretaker for the next 2 months. We will celebrate 10 year of marriage this summer.

We will probably celebrate at home with spaghetti for supper.

Yoda the dog thinks he hung the moon.

The kids adore him.

He can pitch better than me.

He is brillant.

He will have to treat me like a 90 year old for the next few weeks.

God love him.

Easter is Coming!

Do you recognize anyone? I am the cute girl in the bonnet. Sister is looking special with

her bowl cut. Easter 1979 Gross. I know. You should see the other side. I will be cut in the same location for the third time on April 20th. I will have the bone fusion. PRAISE GOD the fibula will not have to be broken. Come to find out my fibulas are turned cause God made me that way. Not the date I wanted but God will work that out also. His timing is perfect. Isn't it funny how we think we have so much control over our plan?. We book vacations. We plan things. I love some planning but God has shown me over the last year that He will rewrite my plans so we are together. But don't tell sister about April 20th. She and I have done Easter. We got Easter in our marriages. We would do our spouses for Thanksgiving. But Easter was for Sisters. This Easter I won't be there and I will save a ton of money on Easter clothes. Sister will most sad because it will throw off her table decorations.

Easter 2010

I must say she is the only person who ever calls me and lets me cry without trying to stop it and she is one of the rare ones who knows when I am faking that I am "fine."

I love that at a time when I will be in so much pain, I will also be celebrating the fact that Jesus rose from the grave and went to sit on the right hand of God. It is finished. He has overcome and the battle has been won. My battle has been fought. He goes before me.

Thank you for your prayers! God is answering!

Friends, rollers and Jesus

I have some of the best friends in the whole world. I have Godly friends. Friends that give me Godly counsel even when it is not what I want to hear. Friends that pray for me. Friends that have had great pain over the past year and walk daily in the truth and love that only He can give. If you are reading this and you do not have Jesus get Him first. If you are reading this and you do not have Godly counsel around you, find it fast. Get a small group. I HEART my small group. It is vital to your maturation and life. Jaclyn has been on my blog before. She married my friend from childhood. She has a heart that is pure and precious. She is just as beautiful on the inside as the outside. She lost her daddy this past year yet her spiritual walk has never been stronger. I can't tell you how much I draw on her strength. She is my prayer warrior. Always sending text or emails or phone calls right when I need them. One of her spiritual gifts is giving. She would give you her heart if you needed it. I am never surprised when I have a box at my back door. I know it is her. She and I had several similar childhood experiences. We were raised by good ole southern mommas. They taught us to stand up straight, don't chew gum, use good manners and when the going gets tough...ROLL YOUR HAIR and dress up. Boy breaks up with you - ROLL YOUR HAIR. You had a fight with your girlfriend- ROLL YOUR HAIR. Going to church - ROLL YOUR HAIR. We laugh about it but we both still have that mindset. Every interview I have ever been on, I roll my hair. So when I got a package last week in the mail from her I was so happy that it was pink sponge rollers and a pack of pantyhose. I decided immediately that my daughter must fall victim to the tradition and learn when life gets hard - ROLL YOUR HAIR.

She loved it and was so beautiful the next day. I am so thankful though that no matter what I do to the outside of me or what face I put on that day God only cares about my heart. I am beautiful to Him no matter if I rolled my hair. I go to the doctor tomorrow to get the results of my CT scan. I am expecting to get my surgery date. My prayers this week have changed so much from worries and concerns to wanting God to make my heart desire what He wants to be done through this surgery. I know tomorrow I will probably cry. I know I will wear my waterproof mascara. I know my friends will pray. And I know I will probably ROLL MY HAIR.