Longest Post Ever (Sorry)

I think it’s about time that I get this all down on paper for posterity, or something. Before I forget all the gory details. I’ve been holding off, waiting for the Happy Ending and that’s now in sight, so here we go.

I tried out a new thing in May last year and I loved it – roller skating. I loved it more for the people than my natural skill at skating. Because honestly, we all know I’m not athletic, coordinated, any of it. But it was still fun, I had more fun every time I’d go to another practice. I’d leave practice on the natural high that comes from hanging out with great people while we work hard, sweat, fall down (so much falling!), jump back up and try harder. Somehow, I managed to fit in one or two practices a week, all while also juggling the rest of the family activities we always have going on.

All was well, I only got hurt once, minor thing that bruised up my back but I ONLY missed one day of work for it. For the record, my back thing was when I fell backwards and landed on someone else’s skate wheels. Right below my ribs, but maybe kind of on my lowest rib? It hurt to breathe for a couple of days after that. It’s ok, I already had my injury, I’ll be fine going forward. Plus I’m a better skater now than 6 months ago! All the while, skaters around me dropping like flies. Broken hand. Knee is acting up again. Shoulder issues tonight. More knee problems. You can see where this is going.

 

Six months. I’d been skating for six months. Loving it more every week. Monday night practice rolls around, we get all geared up and off we go. Skating on the oval, round and round, drills to practice this and learn that. Super simple drill. No contact. Meaning, we’re not hip checking each other or doing hip whips or blocking, no one is touching anyone else. We’re practicing going around each other, with half the skaters standing still and the other half skating up to someone, circling around them and then moving onto the next stationary skater. No contact. Totally safe. Low key.

I do the circling around thing a couple times and then skate up to Bulldog, she’s standing still, watching me coming. I circle around her and as I get behind her, my skate tangles up with hers and in slow motion I go down HARD. I curl up on my side with my arms in front of my face, I was convinced she was going to come down on top of me. On my head. By some miracle of athletic prowess, she somehow threw herself a different direction and landed nowhere near me. But I couldn’t process that. I just laid there in a ball. I may have said a few words not suitable for children. And there I laid. I couldn’t get off the track, I couldn’t move. My ankle had been wrenched around so badly that I was surprised, when I looked down at my leg, that my foot wasn’t facing the wrong direction. This is probably around the time that I started crying pretty hard. Good news, though! We have a sports medicine specialist on our team!! She was at my side right away. I begged for an ice pack but she knew better. She helped me turn onto my back and stretch out my legs. She wrapped me up in a splint and as she felt my ankle and leg, I started to calm down. My ankle hurt terribly, but I felt something shifting in my leg as she was testing out my condition. I called David and asked for a ride. He arranged for the kids to get a ride home from the current Scout event and showed up within a few minutes. My skater friends helped me into his car and off we went to the ER.

 

Of course you know how this goes. Hours of waiting. In total, we spent about 5 hours there. I cycled between being able to hold it together, and crying in agony as we did yet another x-ray and just turn your leg this way, just bend your foot that way… So much swelling around my ankle. And what about that thing with my leg? It hurts there too, and you haven’t looked at that at all! More x-rays. Yes. Broken. Broken leg, dislocated ankle. Ugly all around. Here are some crutches, go see a doctor tomorrow.

Tomorrow rolls around. I call in sick to work. David takes me to the surgeon. I sit there, looking at the x-rays, listening to him explain what I did to wreck my ankle and the surgeon’s voice starts to fade out. I can’t understand what he’s saying at all, he sounds like static. I’m getting so warm. Pay attention Amy, this is important! But I’m so hot. I can’t follow him, what is he even talking about? I’m so hot. I interrupt him. I’m so hot – the nurse helps me lay down on the exam table where I have a complete meltdown. I don’t want surgery. I don’t want to go under general anesthesia. I don’t want to go under. I don’t want to do it. The nurse gives me a drink of water. She explains that I won’t be able to walk normally ever again if I don’t have this fixed. It’s all very safe. You have to do this. It’s so safe. She calms me down, I ask 100 questions, we schedule the surgery, we leave.

The non-sciencey explanation is that I twisted my ankle around so badly that it caused my fibula to break. The stress on the ankle and the tendon that connects my ankle to my knee was released when the tendon snapped my bone. My ankle was dislocated, all the pieces were separated from each other.

Now we wait. I lay on the couch with my leg up for a few days, Friday I go in for the surgery. I cry some more, there’s so much talking, the surgeon puts his initials on my left leg, smiles and abandons me. A few minutes later there’s a mask on my face and I’m being rolled into a room with a LOT of people. I see the people for about half a second before I’m out.

I wake up in recovery, lay there for a while and then I’m taken to my own room where David is waiting for me. I still don’t really understand what’s going on, there are instructions not to take the boot off, don’t put any weight on my foot, and we’re sent home again. With a folder with instructions. 

What follows is many days of a strict medicine schedule, so much sleeping, hobbling around on crutches. Friends coming to visit and bringing gifts and company, and it’s all a blur. In the meantime, my family continued on their regular lives. School, catch the bus, do homework, chores, working, making dinner, etc. etc. It all feels like a fog when I look back on it now. I was so out of it. I slept so much. I missed two weeks of work.

Fast forward five months. Skip over the time that I fell down and skinned my knee in the laundry room. Skip the other time when I got a little too brave on my crutches going down two steps and nearly gave Mary a heart attack as I launched myself past the step off her porch and LANDED! (How did I not fall flat on my face??) Forget about the time that I bent my crutch (and almost my leg, thank goodness for the boot) between the ottoman and the couch.

Remember with fondness the times that friends pushed me around in wheelchairs (skate practice, Chicago, everywhere!) or we scooted around the grocery store at top speed while going on a brownie run.

Right here let's talk about how AMAZING my family was. They brought stuff to me, constantly asked what they could do to help, listened to me cry over not being able to walk, not being able to carry anything, not being able to DO ANYTHING. And helped me some more. Those four people that I live with are so compassionate, generous, patient. I couldn't ask for a better family. And, my husband and parents drove me around in those first days, taking me for appointments and medicines and all of it. Everyone made the very best out of a very difficult situation. Thank you thank you thank you!

Physical therapy, more x-rays, off the crutches (six weeks I think?), finally out of the boot (two months? three? felt like forever!) and then. Skates. Skates!!! I get the ok to skate. I go back, and it was better than expected. I was steadier on my feet than I expected to be but I took it easy for a couple of weeks – no contact, then a LITTLE contact, go easy on me. And now, last night, my first time with full contact in our practice. I got to be a jammer for the first time ever and I know you probably don’t know derby but this was my chance to skate fast, ram into people, shove past people and sneak through the pack to score points. I know everyone was going easy on me but it was SO MUCH FUN! Mayhem’s back!

Thanks For Everything Day

I ran. I am so thankful that I can run - that I'm healthy enough to go out and run 3.1 miles. I'm super slow but I can run. And I'm thankful for that. And bonus - my phone app said I ran the race in 37 minutes. Official results say 30 minutes. I'll take it!

I came home and cooked only a little, saw some friends and family. I feel so blessed that I have people in my life who will accept soup, salad, cheese and crackers as a Thanksgiving Day meal. Because I'm just not up to the big Turkey Feast. Rachel and her boys, along with Bampa and Mamma joined us for a nice afternoon gathering.

Once everyone left, we all packed up and went to Uncle Todd's for the final event of the day. All the cousins were there and we were able to enjoy how old all the kids are getting - the holidays are getting quieter as the years go by and the kids get older and learn to stop screaming quite so much. It's a slow process, but we're making progress.  :)  I'm very fortunate to be a part of TWO wonderful families who are welcoming and caring. What an incredible thing to have.

A couple of the kids traded places and we ended up bringing home one of the boys and leaving our girl behind. I guess the cousins needed some more bonding time together...

I don't have many pics, I'm not sharing funny stories about the latest thing the kids did, I just have such a sense of peace and love over the last two days. This morning I sat on the couch while the kids played and I read a book for a couple of hours. I haven't read a book in way too long. And it was the perfect way to spend time with the kids on our day off. Thanks kids, thanks families, the last two days were just about as perfect as they could possibly be.

Day ??

Like all Summer Vacations, this one started off with big plans. I'll post something every day. The kids will learn something. We'll all get along and no one will fight over who got more cookies. Ahhh OPTIMISM. I'll learn my lesson soon. I've completely lost track of the days. And who cares about learning, as long as we're not at each other's throats with cabin fever.

So...
On a trip home from HC or something, the boys were wiped out and Shelly was the only one hanging on. But not too cheerfully.

Shelly and E have invented a new game involving plastic bats and a beach ball.

My family was so wonderful and supported Grandpa and I on our Lighthouse Run last weekend. We even had a couple of friends come out with a sign for us!! So much thanks to David, Archer, Shelly, Elijah, Mary and Willie for your encouragement! I love you guys!

And general silliness because they just can't resist when they get their hands on a camera!

Secret Plans

There's nothing like working together towards a common goal to unite people...

Dad managed to orchestrate a day of lefse with Grandma and me. We didn't even fully know his plan until the moment when he had managed to hand off the rolling pin to me and the stick to Grandma and then he disappeared. And there we were - Grandma in charge of turning, me in charge of rolling, Dad in charge of catching us in the act.

It was a precious time, thanks Dad, for scheming to get that all put together.

Today

Today I put E in the bathtub so I would have some time to clean the bathroom. He played happily, we listened to kid music, I cleaned the bathroom, then I cleaned him. Next, he watched kid shows on TV while I cleaned the kitchen. He played games on the computer while I baked bread, cleaned, moved some laundry around. Then lunch. I made myself a gourmet turkey sandwich with sprouts and spinach and turkey on homemade bread. He ate bread and butter. Next comes the good part. The part where I made a fort. A blanket draped on the back of the couch, the two of us lying inside with the blanket over us. The part where there wasn't much room and he cuddled up close to me and for about 2.5 seconds I had his body snuggled up against mine. That was the best part. And I thought, thank you Lord, for this moment. And by the time I was done thinking it, the moment was over, he was out of the fort to find some way to improve on it.

We'll read stories, he'll take a nap and our day will go on its normal, boring, everyday routine. But that one moment, for 2.5 seconds, was enough to make the whole entire day a good one. Thank you Lord, for each and every little moment like that, sprinkled in throughout our days, those are the moments that keep us going through the rest of the hard, boring, mundane moments. Thank you.

Back in Time

Today we celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary by taking a trip back in time. As we packed up the car and drove away, I started reminiscing about ten years ago today. "Right now (10:00 in the morning) I was sitting in my Dad's truck in my wedding dress, waiting to walk down to you." David said, "In the air conditioning." Yes, nice and cool in the truck, while David waited outside in the garden. It was SO hot that day, but I don't remember the heat. I remember finally, the time came and I got out of the truck, walked with my parents and bridesmaids through the gardens in my big white dress. Then, down the little path, my sister and friends ahead of me. My parents by my side. We rounded the corner and there, in front of me, my love. More friends and family were there, but my eyes were locked on David. There he was, so calm and handsome, our brothers beside him, and he stood waiting, smiling at me. I walked towards him, took his hands, and we sealed the deal. We vowed in front of everyone to stick together forever, and now, ten years later, I can't believe its been ten years!

 

Today we visited Old World Wisconsin. We had such a great time visiting the different houses and barns, the store, wagon maker's shop, blacksmith shop, the weaver's house and the farm animals. We learned so much, and even got to try a few chores. The kids tried washing clothes, making cedar shingles, cleaning out flax to make line (thread), watching fiber being spun into thread, watching the loom in action, grinding rye for flour, mowing grass... I may have left out a thing or two. All along the way we kept talking about Laura Ingalls stories. Remember when Almanzo's father made shingles? Remember when Laura's mom made straw hats? See those hats?

Almost all the little girls we saw were walking around in sun bonnets and I couldn't resist, we picked one out for Shelly and she wore it proudly for the rest of the day. Archer got a water canteen and E got a little wooden toy. 

As we were leaving, there was a couple getting married in front of one of the big barns. The women in their beautiful dresses, the men in tuxedos, and their family and friends all seated, watching them promise to spend the rest of their lives together.

Today, as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, I can't believe all of the amazing things that have happened in our lives since we made our own promises ten short years ago. Here we are, older and wiser (haha!), three beautiful kids have joined our journey, and we're still going strong. Praise God, from whom ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. He has give us SO MUCH, blessed us beyond measure, and no words can say how thankful I am to be in this exact place where we are today.

Shout for joy to The Lord, all the earth. 

Worship The Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that The Lord is God.

It is he how made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

~Psalm 100:1-3

 

Happy Independence Day!

We were out the door by 6:45 to get to HC in time for the big event... The Firecracker Four. Again. Last year was nearly a disaster, when it was 90 in the shade at 8:00 in the morning, and I hadn't been training at all... well, I finished, but just barely.

 

This year, my family came to support me (thank you SO MUCH David!!) and it was only 75, and I've been doing a little running... I cut 7 minutes off my time and finished much more comfortably. I even offered to run back to Grandma and Grandpa's with the kids. They walked, so I did too. I'm so thankful to my family for their support, Mom was kind enough to slow down for me so I wouldn't be running alone. 

We had some pool time and then lunch in HC before coming home for a nap. Then, off to the fireworks with Aunt Kim and the cousins.

 

We got a great spot and fully enjoyed the lights and crashing booms, the kids were awed and excited and finally.... finally we are HOME. Whew. And the whirlwind of weekend activities is just beginning!

 

 

 

Legacy

Recently we discovered a little problem with our washing machine. Immediatley my friend Worry showed up and I started wondering how much it was going to cost to fix. I'm getting better about this, though, and my other friend, Its Going to Be OK, made an appearance. So, I sent a little video to David to illustrate the problem. And that night he searched the great world wide web of knowledge and found a possible (easy, cheap) solution. Hooray! I was praising God, seriously, I had been thinking about a couple hundred dollars to call in a repairman and take the whole thing apart and replace expensive-sounding parts. This solution... $3.00.

So, we got to work. David brought out his tools. I jumped in fearlessly to help. And it struck me. These tools were given to us by David's dad. He shared his resources with us and now, that wrench, the extension piece, the right sized whatever I don't know the name of it.... Lou gave those to David. They're blessing our family now. And my dad, he never let me sit around watching if there was something I could do to actually help. He made sure I could confidently use hand tools, being a girl was never an excuse to not step in and fix it or clean it or whatever.

These are the legacies our dads have given us, the tools, the confidence to use those tools to build and fix things. The willingness to dive in and at least try it before paying someone else to come in and do it for us. Thanks Dads, both of you. I'm hoping we can pass some of that along to our kids, your grandkids, and make you proud!

P.S. We ordered the parts we needed (agitator dogs, have you ever even heard of that?) for $1.50. Shipping... $12.95. Ugh, shipping!! But still better than paying a repairman to come out and do it for us!!

Evidence

Tonight Shelly came to me with a small toy held gently between her fingers. As I was trying to clean the kitchen, cook supper, help Archer with homework and not trip over backpacks and school papers strewn everywhere... Shelly came to me with this tiny thing, with a sad look in her eyes. "Its why I don't like to leave my door open. Because E comes in and he takes stuff out that I didn't take out and then he leaves it on the floor and he messes up my room." Every day she closes her bedroom door. Every day after she leaves for school I open it to air it out, let it warm up (the vents don't work right and her room is always too cold). And sometimes E finds his way in there to explore the toys and treasures.

I tried to find a moment of peace among all the clutter surrounding me in that kitchen, the food needing attention, the older brother calling out another math question. I knelt down in front of her and told her that when friends and guests come over, sometimes they pull things out, move our things around. We don't get upset, we share, we put it away after they leave. I told a story about how when I had kids, and they came into this house to live with me, they moved my things around, left their own things in my way, but that's part of being a family. Being nice, living together, not getting too upset when our things are moved. And she can do this with her brother. And as I said it to her, and looked at her backpack on the floor instead of haning on its hook, looked at the piles of her schoolwork on the counter, I thought, this is just life, just real life, where people put their stuff in your space. Move  your stuff around without your permission. And we just keep moving around each other, hugs as we pass, putting things away once again, that's the rythm of our lives. And I wouldn't trade it for anything, my things being disorganized by a busy toddler, my bedroom being overrun with toys and homework, my car littered with more of the same. I wouldn't trade it. It drives me a bit crazy sometimes, but when I really think about it, I wouldn't give up the evidence of their lives here with me. Its a picture of family, and what we leave in our wake.

Turkeys

True to her character, Shelly made a love note for Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Last night we had a spur of the moment craft inspiration and made little turkeys for our families.

Archer was a bit embarrassed that his turkey lost its beak right before our photo shoot, but the beak was restored afterwards.

 

E had a little help from Mom with his, he was so proud of his finished bird!

 

And last but not least...

Thanksgiving just would not be the same without the Pilgrim Bonnet from kindergarten!

 

 

I am so thankful for God's grace in our lives, for blessings beyond measure, too many to count or name. I'm thankful for these three beautiful children He's given to our family, and to our families that constantly support David and I in our mission to raise up these kids to be responsible, caring people that love the Lord. I'm so infinitely grateful for a husband who loves us so very much.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Oh Blessings!

Tonight I experienced something truly amazing, and I was so blessed to experience it with family and friends by my side.

Tonight we went to the airport and waited for endless hours until finally, after fidgeting and telling the kids the rules and snack runs and restroom runs and trying to count heads to make sure everyone was still all there...

Finally...

The flags rounded the corner. The crowd rose to their feet. Cheers rose. Chanting, "U.S.A.!" filled the air.

The color guard neared and applause filled our ears. Mobs of people, so divided everywhere else in our lives, so different, strangers, we all lined the way with our flags and signs.

The flags passed and the first Hero appeared. And then another. Another. They kept coming.

For over an hour, we stood, we cheered, we shouted "Thank you!" and "God Bless You!" over and over. We reached out our hands to shake the hands of the men and women who fought for our freedom.

 

 

Each time one of these veterans came close enough to us we reached out. They saw the kids lining the path and slowed down to grasp each little hand. Occasionally they took mine. I looked into their eyes, I was so filled with thanks for their service, for what they had done for us, their country. They left their own families. They risked death. They saw friends dying around them. They pushed on. They came home, and now today I held these people's hands, and looked into their eyes, and cried as I thanked them.

After the veterans passed, we had the honor of also welcoming those currently serving. And when the parade slowed down and these men and women stood in front of me, I thanked them again, I told them how proud we are, how much we appreciate what they're doing, and I wondered what's ahead for them.

I don't know what's ahead for them, perhaps they'll travel to some unknown place and spend day after day in harm's way. Perhaps they'll end up sitting behind a desk somewhere. Maybe they'll love their assignment or maybe hate every day of it. But this I do know. Each of these people signed up for an adventure that I was never willing to consider. Each one of them was willing to put their own plans aside and serve our nation. And for that they deserve our thanks. I thank the Lord for them, those service men and women. And I prayed over and over tonight that each of those that passed us would know how much we appreciate what they're doing for us, and that they would find confidence in Jesus tonight to take them forward, wherever their paths may lead. What a great nation this is that we call home, and what great people we can thank for the privilege of living here.