Too Much

There is too much going on and trying to keep everything straight is quite a job. So glad that Jeff is home with us!

We are making progress little by little on our bedroom. I got the drapes back, the walls insulated and their holes patched with plaster.  Still a lot of work to be done. Last night I discovered mud in our washtub late at night.  Where on earth did that come from?? (No pun intended). I washed it down and Jeff poured some bleach down the drain and so far no more mud.  I sure hope that it is not a sign of sewage backup!

I really need to start practicing the piano for the wedding in a few weeks.  Between all the therapy and house excitement, I get  tired and put it off.  I know the songs pretty well, but should polish it all up with practice every day.  Guess it is a good thing that I am not back to nursing yet! 

Sarah is done with work and moves out on Wednesday..then we leave for Florida on Thursday. I am going to be riding on a whirlwind! We have doctor appointments and therapy between now and then as well.  Lots planned with brothers and family. I am sure the time will fly by!

Therapy has been a little frustrating. The one gal doesn't seem to be the sharpest tack in the box.  I was running late and called ahead.  They said I could do the exercises but she might not be able to stretch my muscles! I am thinking I can do exercises at home, I need the stretching from a professional!  I explained my feelings upon my arrival and they met my needs.  She also tends to "blow off" some of my questions.  If I tell her that the outside of leg hurts, she responds with, that doesn't have anything to do with your gastroc (calf muscle).  I beg to differ. I am thinking it really means, I don't know an answer, so I am make up something. She ices my ankle when my leg hurts.  I am glad that I don't have any more appointments with her.  I have my favorite, Amy.  I have questions to ask her before my trip! I see the surgeon when I get back.  My biggest concern is that my hard leg will get harder without the PT massage.

Guess that is all for now..I don't feel too creative these days, so hang in there, it will come back in time!

Gracie

Beignets and Birthday

Matthew brought me beignet mix home from New Orleans and today was the day I decided to try and make them. Easy to mix, just add water!  I mixed and Sarah rolled out the dough.  The oil heated up and sorry to say smoking a little.  Needless to say they cooked way too fast and my spoon melted! Don't use plastic spoons when deep frying beignets.  We started over in the electric skillet for better temperature control and made the rest.  Matthew did a great job as the cook.  While ours may not look like the ones in New Orleans or on the box, they were pretty tasty.

No work on the room today. I did clean out a couple of my dresser drawers.  What was I thinking when I saved some of this stuff?  Sarah's bed is cleared off now so she can sleep in it tonight if she wants too. She came home for a little R&R.   Nice to have her home. 

Now, back to the room.

Dan came over and pulled up all the carpet. The floor looks really good comestically.  Would clean up good and look nice.  There is a spot near Jeff's dresser that squeaks and has a little give to it.  Now we wonder what is going on in the subfloor there.  Do we leave it?  Go forward with the hardwood or put down new pad and carpet?  How cold will the floor be in the winter? Lots to think about.  Tomorrow we are having the outside walls of our room insulated. That will certainly help in the winter!

Have quite a few errands to do, so I had better work on them. Plus better start practicing the piano for the wedding in a few weeks.  Hard to get motivated with the hot weather, house in a cluttered state and missing your favorite person.  Jeff comes home in two days! Hurray~!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Gracie

A Nice Weekend

Saturday was a day without any house drying/repair.  Went shopping and got ready for Bobbie and Bill to arrive.  It was fun to sit back and watch tv with the kids.  I did get some boxes packed up for moving too.

Bobbie and Bill arrived around 5 and helped us move some things into my closet and in the hallway. Did a lot of catching up between families and enjoyed a taco dinner together after Mary got home from work.   Got into some great music discussion, watched some concert videos and Mary played her cello for them.  Scrabble was next.  We played without scoring and had a blast. Covered the whole board and only broke a few official rules. LOL.  By then, it was time for sleep. Church went well with David Paul Britton.  Fun music, good message. Had a nice Applebee's lunch together then took a little drive around town in the Prius. Then it was time for them to move on toward Ohio to spend a week with Adam and family. 

Yesterday all three of us at home went into Grand Rapids. Mary worked on thank yous and Matt had his iPod while I was at physical therapy. Therapy was ok. The lady was better this time, however the massage of my leg was very painful. I sure hope the hematoma goes away soon.  Lunch was at Red Robin, where we accidentally met up with Jennie and family. It was a lot of fun.  Did some shopping at the mall and found nothing.  After we got home it was time for a rest, a trip to the bank a few local stores. Mary worked and Matthew and I had a quiet evening.  Got to talk to Jeff for a while and caught up on all the news.  He comes home Friday.

That is all for now.

Gracie

A Scare

I got up early and started packing up stuff in my room.  It was so hot with the blowers/dehumidifiers going, but knew that I had to get things done. By 1100 I was on my to Physical Therapy.  Did all the exercises first then the therapist was going to stretch my muscles and massage the tight spots. It hurt pretty bad and then the lady got pretty concerned, said it should not hurt so much at this point and sent me upstairs to see the nurse to rule out a blood clot.  Saw the nurse for a few minutes and off I went to an off site radiology department for an ultrasound. There are no blood clots, but they did find out why it hurts so bad.  There is a hematoma near the incision site.  So while it might be clotted blood, it isn't in a vessel, but in the tissue. It will have to be reabsorbed by my body. I got home at 1540 two and a half hours later than planned.  At least I know that I won't have some sort of stroke or an embolism in the lungs or heart! Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got home.  I can say that my ankle still hurts and the area of my hematoma  is sore. Unfortunately, I don't have the time or energy to make the Korean meal. I was looking forward to it, but shouldn't over extend myself.  Will have to think of something else.

The drying of our water damage is complete and all the equipment is gone.  Now I have the weekend to get things packed up and moved out so we can look at the whole floor, paint and paper. Guess I will get to come up with a color and design theme!  Good thing Jeff isn't too picky.  I won't pick pink or purple, I promise. 

We are looking forward to having Uncle Bill and Aunt Bobbie here tomorrow. Think they will sleep downstairs where it is cool!  The upstairs is still pretty warm without an air conditioner up there  and temperatures meeting Florida standards. 

Kudos to Mary~ She donated her second pint of blood yesterday.  I am proud of her. 

Better get  something to eat and off to Wal Mart for milk.

Gracie

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

This morning I got some computer work done and watched my favorite morning show, reruns of Matlock. Dan C. came by to check the floor/ceiling and needed to leave the fans and dehumidifier on for another day.  Jeff called while he was here and was able to talk with him about the conditions and plans for the room.  My next chore is to pack up and move as much smaller stuff as possible so they can refurbish the floor and walls. Thanks to some friends I have some boxes to put things in now. This is going to be a BIG job.

Left for the airport again today just after one to pick up my boy.  The plane was a little late, which was good for me so I wasn't late.  It was so nice to see him again and catch up with all his activities during the car ride home. He was more than happy to show us our gifts from New Orleans.  I got Beignet mix.   He knew I liked them, so now I can make them at home! I hope I can pull it off. Mary got a theatre magnet, and Sarah a baseball nut.  It is really cute.  Jeff hasn't seen his gift, so I won't reveal its identitiy. Matthew got some CD's for himself. He said he had a good time.  Guess their service project started off with scraping paint of a fence for a plantation.  Matthew was later asked to cut bamboo-like trees for transplant. As a theatre techie, he enjoyed telling me about all the special lighting effects and sound during the Mass Events in the Superdome.

Talked to Sarah around 5 pm and she said she was done with work and didn't know what to do.  So we decided to get in the car and drive to Holland to have dinner with her.  We had a good meal at Logan's Roadhouse.  One of Sarah's classmates was our waitress. She did a good job.  I got babyback ribs and everyone else had steak.   The salads were decent, just wish they had croutons.  The warm yeast rolls were great.  We could have made a meal just out of them.  The kids got mini bucket desserts. We headed home pretty quick after dropping Sarah off since there were storms coming.  Since then there has been a tornado warning issued for counties south of where we are.  Sarah is just north of the warning area.  She is alert to the weather and ready to take shelter if needed.

Tomorrow I will begin packing up some boxes and then head to physical therapy.  I had to wear my boot all morning, as leg/ankle was hurting when I woke up.  It  sure helps.  I did my stretching and exercises. Need to stretch before I go to bed. I am considering preparing bulkoogi tomorrow to cook for Saturday dinner.  Sarah said she would drive home for her favorite meal. It sure is delicious.  Just not sure I have enough time with all the other stuff going on.  It would be nice to serve a favorite for Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Bill.  They will be here overnight Saturday.

Guess that is all for now...Getting motivated!

Gracie

So Much to Report

So much has happened since my last entry that my creative thinking skills have been rather dull by exhaustion. Even as I write this, I am not sure how to tackle everything.  Looks like I left off Friday night/early Saturday morning. Guess I should blog by topics as they occurred.


JEFF CAME HOME- I drove down to Grand Rapids for the fourth day in a row, including two trips  to the airport in about 24 hours.  It was so good to have Jeff back home, even if it was just for 24 hours.  We accomplished a lot about family business during the ride home and then enjoyed a dinner out with Mary after she finished her shift at McDonald's. Good times don't last, because I had to get a few loads of laundry done for Jeff's Air Force trip the next day.  I also had to practice the piano for church. Sunday morning service went fine and I got through without any major problems.

GRASS TOO LONG- We got a notice from the City of Greenville, that we were in violation of having grass that was too long with tall weeds.  Great, we had three days to correct the issue or they would cut it and charge us a fee.  I should have forced the issue with Matthew on Friday morning and our stress levels on Sunday afternoon would have been eased. After we got home from church, I changed my clothes to go out and at least try to mow the lawn, something I have rarely done.  A wet spot on my carpet delayed my start, and poor Sammy got reprimanded.  I thought I had cleaned up the spot and thought the smell in my room would be better after mowing, so off I went.  I got the mower started right away and I figured since it was a self-propelled mower, walking behind it would be no big deal.  I was wrong.  My leg hurt pretty bad walking back and forth mowing dry, brown grass.  Sure there was a few long spots, but nothing that made the property look unappealing.  I was mad at the city and frustrated that Matthew was so against helping out on Friday morning.  Jeff got home and said I should have just stopped and sent me back in the house to rest my leg. I iced it real well too.  Mary grilled our lunch while Jeff continued working on the lawn.  He got it looking pretty good. We sure could use some rain here.  We have had lots of hot humid weather.

A DISCOVERY- Well, I got the laundry done and folded up for Jeff's trip to Shaw AFB.  Went upstairs to shower. Jeff said, boy this carpet is pretty wet!  Did you soak it up? I went back over to the area and question and it was a lot wetter than before, and the room still smelled.  After feeling around, it was wet all the way to the outside wall.  Jeff pulled back the drapes and saw water running down the wall from our window A/C unit.  Oh no, we don't need this, not now.  Too bad we had a leaky AC unit and there was lots of water in our carpet. Jeff got the unit out of our window and I was trying to get the water out of the rug.  All the while, I am thinking, Jeff is leaving how I am going to handle all of this??  By the way, I apologized to Sammy.  It wasn't his doing.

BACK TO THE AIRPORT- By 3:30pm we were on the road for the airport again. Jeff got text messages that his plane was going to be delayed at least 30 minutes.  That was good for getting to the airport, but he would miss his connection in Atlanta. Stress!  By the time we reached the airport, Delta got some brains and delayed other flights to accomodate those delayed in Michigan. The weather was bad in many parts of the country so delays abounded everywhere. I was feeling pretty down by now and wished Jeff's flight was cancelled so he could stay just one more day.  That didn't happen, but God sent us some emotional sunshine.  Jeff and I were standing in the waiting area, waiting for time to pass, when we got a wonderful surprise.  Our friend's daughter, her husband and their new baby girl were there waiting for his flight too.  It was so nice to spend some time with them, holding a beautiful precious little girl.  It was just what I needed.  Thank you Lord! 

WATER DAMAGE- I tried to get more water out of my carpet Sunday night, with very little success.  I called a fellow softball player that works in the cleaning/refurbishing business and he came over and took control of the situation.  Pulled the carpet back and blew fans to dry it out.  The hardwood floor underneath did have water damage too.  There would be lots of work ahead. Monday Dan worked hard and set up a tent bowing 100 degree temperatures into the sub floor, with other fans blowing on the floor and walls.  Insurance company was notified, PT rescheduled, and photos taken of the damage. Mary and I decided it was time to move furniture and clear things out.  So the old computer went in the basement and the computer desks have been changed out.  Not sure what to do with the old one from the living room. Packed up all my stuffed animals and moved the sewing table and machine into Sarah's room with her permission. Plan to pack up as much stuff and throw away stuff too so that the painting and stuff will be easier.

As of today, we are on day three of drying out. No mold and the smell is gone.  After the drying process is done, the hardwood floor will need repair, the wallpaper will come done and it the whole room will get repainted. It is our chance to change the color scheme.  Originally, we were  going to replace the padding and put back the awful green carpet. Dan did a great job sanitizing the carpet. The more we thought about it, we would like to just pull the green carpet and have hardwood floor in our room.  We need to see if how the rest of the floor looks.

IT'S A PARTY!- That is what Pete the Greek said when he greeted us at our local Ford dealer. I received a flyer in the mail and was guaranteed a prize of 25,000 dollars, a new car or gold one dollar coins.  Pete was hilarious and talked so loud I thought he'd get a talking too. We played a scratch off game and lost the big money and the car.  So each of my kids get a golden one dollar coin. He wants to sell me or anyone in my family a car. He has great deals!  We left without one, no worries!

SHOPPING WITH MARY- Mary and I have had a lot of fun shopping together.  Got some groceries, and some other items on my ongoing list for Wal-Mart or Meijer.  Mary recycled all the cans, $21 worth!  I hate that job and am so happy Mary is willing to do it. Today after my therapy, we went to Kohl's to use the free money we got the last time we were there.  We also had some good coupons and ended up saving more than 90 dollars.  Spent less than 40.  I finally have a Michigan t-shirt, Mary got some nice tops and I got Sarah a few tops that I knew she needed.  Lunch was going to be at Texas Roadhouse, but they are not open for lunch here so we went to Olive Garden and enjoyed breadsticks, salad and ravioli, both toasted and baked.  Mary had calamari too. Before heading home, we stopped at Target and have almost completed college shopping for Mary. Finally found a kitchen/microwave cart, a measuring cup so she can eat Easy Mac, some storage containers and paper files. Mary bought a new iPod alarm clock and a very nice bag for her computer.  The cart is already put together and the iPod charging. I bought myself a organizer that I am going to use for music.

MY LEG- With all the excitement, I have been walking and using my leg more. The past few days I have had a little more discomfort, especially on the lateral side of my ankle and right around the incision. My awesome therapist, massaged out the hard muscles and told me that I was doing well, and my range of motion is better.  The incision site looks really good, one of the best she has seen.Had a good therapy session and added some new exercises for home.  She has allowed me to stretch twice a day instead of three times a day.  Some of the exercises are only once a day.  I go back for therapy again on Friday.  My car can probably get to G.R. on it's own!

WEDDING- I met with the bride this afternoon about music for her wedding.  She was very pleasant and we had music picked out in 30 minutes.  It was really hot in the church. Now that I have the bride's selections, I can practice focusing on the processional, recessional unity candle songs.  Three weeks should be enough for me to feel comfortable.

MATTHEW COMES BACK-in just 12 hours!  I will leave around 12:30 tomorrow afternoon and head back to the airport. It will be nice having my boy back home. Anxious to hear  how he liked the Youth Gathering and see all the stuff he bought. He called once, asked me a question and then answered a few of mine.  He did say he was having fun. Wonder what the service project was.  I also know that he was able to spend time with my brother and his family who were at the gathering too.

SARAH AND JEFF check in with me regularly.  Jeff checks in to see how I am doing and I keep him abreast of how the house is too. His first few days at the AFB have gone well.  Sarah keeps me up to date with texts and calls during the day. We chat on Facebook during the Tiger's games, which is the next best thing to watching them with her. She worked a LONG day today, from 7:30 am to after 9 at night.  ChaChing!

Guess that is it. Signing off at 0230!

Gracie

Lots of Fun!

Wednesday was originally going to be get ready for the trip day.  While we did get some of that done, we had a fun evening at the beach.  First we went shopping for things Matthew needed~sunglasses, a watch and sunscreen. Got some groceries for the picnic later and of course milk as always.

By four pm we were off for our fun at the beach.  We stopped by Brandon's to drive down together, then picked up Kirsti a mutual friend.  Matthew and I rode in the Prius and Brandon, Mary, Ben, Sam and Kirsti were in the lead car.  Got to Grand Haven State park by 6 pm and camped down by the shoreline.  There was lots of algae in the water where we were, but the water was clear further out and further down. Walking in the sand was some major therapy for my calf muscle. I chose not to go into the lake just to be on the safe side. We had a very nice picnic with sandwiches, snack crackers and oreos.  Mmmm.  More swimming and frisbee on the beach.  I enjoyed relaxing on the beach, taking in the fresh air and happy sounds of friends at the beach. After sundown, we drove up coast a little, parked and walked to see the Musical Fountain. At 10:10pm the show began. There is a group of fountains on an island. The fountains have lights and motion while music plays,"Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the songs.  Got home late, had a midnight snack and watched some TV.  It was a fun day.

Yesterday Matthew had to work, and Mary had cello lessons at noon.  I had therapy early in the morning and then came home and got the laundry done, took a nap and then made a chicken crescent dinner for Matthew, Mary and Brandon.  It turned out very nice, even made Triple Chunk Brownies.  After dinner, Mary Brandon and Matthew went out to Brandon's for swimming at his lake. I sent the brownies out with them for his family to enjoy as well.  Matthew was happy to play video games with Ben. They got home before midnight reporting a fun time.

This morning Mary tutored English and Matthew got last minute things done.  We got to the airport and met the rest of the group.  Everyone was pretty excited about the trip. I took a few pictures of the group and they were off! Heard from Matthew while he was on layover in Memphis.  I know he will have a good time. Mary went to her friend Joe's house for swimming.  Her friend Gia was there too. While in the lake, a leech attached to her foot.  Didn't notice it until she got out.  She said it didn't hurt, but bled a lot after she pulled it off.  She cleaned it up, and later we soaked it in salt water and doused it with peroxide. 

Jeff's cousin Adam and his family came to visit this afternoon. We went to the Danish Kingdom playground and then Mancinos for a pizza dinner.  It was delicious!  It sure was nice spending time together, too bad Jeff won't be home until tomorrow.   I can't wait to see him!  I will only have 24 hours before he leaves again, but I will take what I can get. The Air Force gets him for the following 10 days. I will practice for church tomorrow, and have been asked to play for a wedding next month.  Need to practice before I meet the bride next week.

Guess that is it!  Try to update soon!

Gracie

Oh the Drama!

The last softball game of the season started off with a load of drama! On the way to the field,which is 15 minutes west of Greenville, I got a call that  several players would be very late as they were on the wrong field. I said, "Where are you?".  They were at the field I was going heading for, but there were already two teams out there ready to play. The other teams said we were wrong. I met up with them there since I knew the whole team was coming.  Pulled out our cell phones and started calling people.  Even had to call Sarah, since she had numbers that no one else had.  There was no way to contact our fans so I asked the teams there to send them to the correct field.  Ah yes the correct field..Called the Coach of the other team and they were in Belding waiting for us! That field south and east of Greenville, at least 20 minutes back.  Needless to say our team was unhappy with this fiasco and out gas money from travelling so far around to find the right field.  One of our team members ended up in a ditch temporarily making a u-turn to go back to the right field. Everyone is fine, the car made it to the game with the help of others pushing him out.

Obviously, we were all half spent when we got arrived at the new field.  We pulled ourselves together and played hard.  Some were playing new positions since we were missing some key team members, and our line up had major changes. All in all we were ahead by one in the top of the 6th inning, then the other team came back with a rally and scored seven.  We just couldn't get enough runs to win. Oh, O forgot to mention that the other team had a guy come out and declare that he would ump the entire game.  Rules state that you ump for your own team when they are batting.   So I thought "Should I make a stink about it or play ball?"  We just played ball and I we were watchful of his calls.  He seemed pretty fair.

The word from the coaches was that there was a schedule change mid-season at the emergency meeting.  I wasn't there, Matt was in the hospital, and my representative said there was no discussion or handouts given at this meeting. Evidently after talking with one of co-commissioners, the message wasn't passed on to us about the field change. Sorry?!? 

We usually go for ice cream after the game, and some of the team did.  Mary and I were hungry for food and we were already in Belding, so we went to Jimmy's Pub and Grub instead.  The service was fast and the food delicious!  Looking back, I do feel sad that I missed the team ice cream last night, but having ice cream for dinner isn't very healthy.

My leg has been pretty sore last night and this morning. My calf feels really tight most of the time. The therapist said I am right where I am supposed to be, but the sensation of having a tight sock on is annoying.  I am going to keep stretching it but start icing more.

Norma called and invite me to lunch at..Jimmy's Pub and Grub after my buddies are through with golf this morning.  Love having lunch with them, and love the ranch dressing!  Norma is going to embroider Matthew's name on his orange bandana for the youth gathering.  It will look nice. Still need to get Matthew all set for his trip. Tonight is the potluck for the youth groups.  I will start cooking the pork soon.

That is all for now....

Gracie

Catch UP! It's Softball Monday!

A lot has happened since my last entry.  Time seems to fly by and before I know it, I am behind again. Started living by my list of things to do, so hopefully I will get back on track.  I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

SATURDAY started out with chocolate chip pancakes for Sarah and me.  She got up early to do laundry and I just got up.  We enjoyed watching some movies together and also watching the world cup.  Mary played for the wedding and was home later in the afternoon. I wanted to do something else fun with the kids before Sarah went back to Holland, so I made Matthew's favorite meal, Chicken and Noodles then we all went to see "Despicable Me" (not in 3D).  It was ok.  Not sure who ever thought up such a crazy plot for a story.  There are some good moments surrounded by dumb, silly humor.  All in all we still had fun together.

SUNDAY started early as we met up with Mitch and Deann to attend church at Grace Lutheran Church in Coopersville. Matthew and Mitch will be going to the youth gathering with them at the end of the week.  The service was very nice and I am glad that we were there for the commissioning.  Matthew received his t-shirts that he will wear during the gathering. When the church made the shirts, they even had Mt Calvary Lutheran put on the sleeve along with theirs.  He is getting excited and we did some shopping for some stuff for his trip. They want the kids to have just carry on suitcases, so he can only have the 3oz liquids in his possession. Still need to find  a small sunscreen and make sure he has enough shorts. I think he does, but promised we would discuss it.  Mary worked at McDonald's for 5 long hours, then got cleaned up and went to a family party at Brandon's house. She had a good time.

OTHER UPDATES~  I am doing well with stretching and icing of my leg.  I think that I am making progress.  I had therapy this morning and rode the bike 10 minutes, did some exercises and then the therapist did some stretching a massage.  The bike was tiring! The exercises went ok, my invert/evert of my ankle was a little off and making circles with the ankle was very hard! Then the massage of the incision area and muscle was pretty tender and sore. So far a good PT experience. Matthew had his haircut short for the upcoming trip this week.  It looks great.  He also had to work today at the childcare. Sarah is very happy at her job, but is unhappy that she can't play softball with the team tonight.  Mary has agreed to play and be the 3rd girl. Tonight is our last regular game of the season. We are 6-2 right now. Will we be 7-2 or 6-3? If if doesn't rain we will have our answer tonight.  Tomorrow is the potluck for the National Youth Gathering at Grace Church so I will still need to bake something and thoroughly heat up some pulled pork I had frozen since Mary's party.

That is all...have a safe evening!

Missing My Man,

Gracie

A Productive Day!

Jeff left at 0430 this morning for Houston to attend the National Convention of the LCMS.  I know that he arrived safely and is at a baseball game tonight with his brother and family.   Astros vs the Cardinals!  I told him to root for the Cardinals! I am not sure if I will hear from him tonight again or not.

Mary had a brief English lesson today with her student, as she arrived late. Then we were off to Grand Rapids for shopping.  First we dropped Mary off at her friends house for a few hours and went on a search for good tennis shoes for me. We went to Dick's sporting goods and looked at a pair and then Sarah, being so smart, said I need a shoe with arch support, since they fall when I walk. They had nothing like that, and there wasn't a worker to help me with shoes.  Hmmm.  Next stop MC Sports. Same story, no workers and no shoes.  I wondered if I should try the Gazelle Sports again.  Sarah told me that they are good and they send their athletes there for fittings. I called ahead and asked if there was someone there that could help me and they assured me that they would take good care of me.  So we went back and this time was completely different.  The lady evaluated my feet and picked out some shoes that would be best for my foot and needs.  I bought a pair that feel great.  The sales lady told me if I go to PT and they don't feel right, they would take them back and get something else.  So far I have worn them in the house, and am very pleased. By then it was time to back in pick up Mary.  Luckily her friend lives close to good shopping too, and we stopped at Kohl's to look for some shoes for Sarah. She found three pairs!  I bought the ones for Athletic Training and she bought the others.  Mary bought some more dresses and a U-Mich t-shirt. Matthew got some new tennis shoes too, he has agreed to help pay for them. They look very nice on him. I took the kids to Steak n Shake for dinner,where we got prompt service and good food.

We got home before 6 pm since Mary had a wedding rehearsal to attend. Some of took  a nap, others worked on the computer and watched tv.  Now we are watching a movie with our Wii and Netflix.  It is a comedy with Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman. Sure to be a funny one!

Tomorrow Mary has a wedding to play for and Sarah will have to go back to Holland for another few weeks of work.

That is all for today...

Gracie

Let The Whirlwinds Begin!

Things are going to get crazy around here...People going and coming, therapy and work. I have decided to blog by each person today..

JEFF is packing his suitcase for trip number one.  Tomorrow at 0400, he and another delegate from our circuit will be going to Houston at attend the LCMS National Convention. Our sister Lisa is going to pick them up from the airport.  I also know that Jeff will be going to an Astros baseball game with Greg and Lisa too. Not really sure how many are going.  Jeff got some tickets online for the game last night. He will be gone until July17 and be home for one night and church service, before leaving again for military duty in South Carolina. Unfortunately, he will miss a visit from his cousin Adam and Jill and their girls.  Matthew Mary and I will be glad to spend time together. Jeff returns home on the 30th or 31st of July!  He will leave again in August for a month,working in Miami like last winter.  He has worked hard this week, getting everything in order for church, the Air Force and here at home. I am soooo appreciative!

GRACE started physical therapy yesterday.  It was a very good experience, and I am glad that I am going to my surgeon's therapist. They know exactly what he wants and expects. I have stretching exercises, some of which I have been doing since  my staples came out and I could go without the boot.  My leg muscles are more sore now and I am icing again.  That is expected and ice really helps a lot. The therapist gave me a compression sleeve for my leg to give it some support and help reduce swelling. When my leg/foot hurts, I am supposed to wear the boot, that helps a lot too. All in all my foot is better than before surgery and my rehab is right on schedule.  My therapist doesn't want me to start work for another month and then only a 4 hour shift at a time. I am back to doing laundry. I just go slow up and down the stairs and only if I have both shoes on!(Not the big boot)  Don't worry, I don't want to overdo! Need to get some new tennis shoes with good support for my rehab. Went to Gazelle sports, since they are supposed to have experts trained in what shoe is best for your foot.  Well, when I arrived at the store I saw a very knowledgeable guy helping someone else and was very excited to get some advice. The salesman that asked to help me obviously had very little knowledge about feet and shoes.  I was very disappointed to say the least cause I really want to get the best shoes for me for once! I didn't get any shoes. :(

In the meantime I have plenty of paperwork to do, a desk to clear and am most excited about visiting with Jeff's cousin and the following weekend with his Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Bill.  I will also be sending off Matthew to the LCMS National Youth Gathering on July 16th and be the airport shuttle for family members coming and going. In early August I will be traveling with Matthew and Sarah to Florida for a week. We are going to spend time with my brothers and mom. Not sure when Jeff's parent's are back from their summer journey, they may be part of the agenda too.

Lastly, I have had it with my hair!  Just don't know what to do with it. My last haircut before Mary's graduation was a mistake.  I need a style that can be wash and wear, and this didn't work. I really don't want to go back to my salon and am looking for a new place to go. Mary had her hair cut by Brandon's sister and she did a nice job.  Mary says she is a miracle worker!  Will keep you updated.

SARAH has been home for the last week and we have had a lot of fun.  She has been able to play ball again, visit her friend in Traverse City and go to a Tigers game with us last weekend.  Sarah had a great time with her friend, eating out, swimming, shopping, attending the Cherry Festival and  making arts and crafts.  I am glad she is having fun. Next work day is  Sunday, so she will go back to Holland on Saturday for a few more weeks. Then we have to move her back home with all of her stuff and then back again to her house for her junior year on August 15th.  We are going to be experts for sure! The big questions is whether Sarah will be able to pitch for the game on Monday.  We are going to be down a few other players including Jeff my other regular pitcher. Mary has agreed to play for our team and be the 3rd girl should Sarah not be able to play.

MARY has been busy since her return from Philadelphia. We found a TV stand for her dorm room for $4.00 and enjoyed lunch together at Applebee's with Jeff. She worked yesterday and today at McDonald's and also had cello lessons and english tutoring.  She has another student tomorrow and then will spend time in Grand Rapids with her girl friend while Sarah and I go shoe shopping.   Matthew doesn't have to work tomorrow since there won't be enough kids at daycare. I think she has a wedding gig this weekend.

MATTHEW loves his job.  He came home and told us that a few kids snuck into the bathroom and flushed a few cars down the toilet. There is never a dull moment at a daycare center.   He is getting ready for his trip to New Orleans next week.  We will be attending Grace Lutheran Church in Coopersville, MI on Sunday. They are going to have a send off during the service. Then on Tuesday we will attend the final meeting with the same group and have a potluck dinner. I am taking pulled pork sandwiches. I have some questions for the leader too.  I am hoping that perhaps Matthew can spend some time with Uncle Dan, Aunt Janelle and all since they will be there too.

Matthew finished his Segment II driving class.  Now he just has to pass his road test.  I don't do that job, Jeff does, so he won't be taking the test until early August at the earliest.  I think that will give him more time to practice the dreaded parallel parking.  He loves to look at cars to buy.  I remind him that he needs money to buy a car, for it's gas and for insurance.  Patience.

Well, that sums up our lives for the moment.  I will try to update as often as possible. 

Happy Friday!

Gracie!

The Rest of the Story!

Our trip to Wal-Mart was successful. Sarah and Jeff both got a phone charger.  Jeff's got left at a hotel in Ann Arbor in April and we have been sharing chargers. He also got a new comb.  It was nice to get out and do something.

When we got home we had some frozen pizza and watched the Netflix movie, "17 Again"!.  It was a decent movie.  The 4th of July cupcakes were delicious.  Matthew bought some sparklers and all of us had fun on our driveway swirling sparklers in the air. Sarah got some awesome picture. She said she would share them with me, so keep an eye out for them.

Now that we have all those TV channels, we were able to watch one of my favorite programs,"Untold Stories of the ER".  The family watched a couple episodes and then Sarah and I watched one more. Then off to bed.

Mary and Brandon had a great time in NYC yesterday and were exhausted when they got back to home base.  I received a text from her this morning telling me they should be home tonight around 10 pm!  Another long day of driving. I thank God that they had a fun trip and are on their way home.  Can't wait to give her a hug!

I was going to do laundry today, but maybe I will wait until tomorrow since then I will have Mary's clothes too.  There is plenty more to get done today before Monday night Softball.  It should be interesting, since we will have several people absent. Matthew is starting his Segment II Driver's Ed tonight.  It is only 3 nights, but he will miss tonight's game. I think our 3 ladies will be there.

Sarah will be going to Traverse City tomorrow to visit a friend from Hope College.  She will also experience the famous Cherry Festival.  It is supposed to be a day trip that could turn into an overnight. I know she is anxious to see one her best friend from school.

Jeff will be heading to Houston on Friday for the LCMS convention.  He plans to visit with his brother Greg and family while he is there.  I considered going along, but with Matthew going to the Youth Gathering the following week before Jeff gets home, I wanted to be here to send him off. Plus I should try to start working a few hours again, since I have been off for essentially two months. I am getting used to it, but I need to have some kind of work, even if it is just a day or two a week.  Remember I have two in college!

I start PT on Wednesday.  My left calf is pretty stiff and a little sore.  Don't need Tylenol more than once or twice  a day. Bruising almost gone.  I do a little stretching that actually makes it feel better.  Incision healing well. Walking short distances with shoes and in the boot for known prolonged walking.

That is all...watching the end  of  "Cake Boss".  It is a neat show with lots of really cool cakes!

Gracie

Happy Birthday America!

This morning's church service was really nice.  Good music, good sermon and of course a Great God who loves us more than we can imagine.  Recently I have chosen to remember that when I worry about my kids, God loves them more!  He has it all in control!  Hooray!  Doens't always keep me from worrying, but it certainly helps.

Came home and made some red, white and blue funfetti cupcakes and surfed around on the net a  little then took a nap like the rest of the family.  Sundays afternoons are great nap times for the Wilhelms.  Jeff grilled some delicious burgers and a black hot dog more me.  We had fresh corn on the cob and watermelon.  Think we will wait a little bit so we can enjoy those cupcakes!

Mary and Brandon are in NYC today!  Hope they are having a great day in the Big Apple.  Why wouldn't they?  There is lots to see and do there.  Took the train in from New Jersey.  How fun!

Now we are off to wal-mart! Sarah forgot her phone charger in Holland and her phone died, so she really needs to buy another.  Jeff's comb broke yesterday and I always like to roam around the store. Not sure what the rest of the day holds for us, maybe just sit back and watch our Netflix movie or maybe we will see fireworks.  Guess you will have to check back and find out!

Gracie

Tigers Win!

Sarah arrived home yesterday after lunch and we got packed up to go to the Detroit Tigers baseball game! Since my boot only came off 3 days earlier, I brought it along in case my foot/leg hurt. Sure enough my calf and foot were pretty sore by the time we got to Comerica Park.  It is amazing how much the boot relieves my discomfort. So while Jeff and Matt went to park the Prius, Sarah and I went to pick up our tickets at the Will Call window, then waited by the gate for them.  A stadium worker told me I could get a ride in a wheelchair to me seat in the upper deck and they would pick me up there at the end of the fireworks!  So I didn't have to hobble through the stadium up ramps and such all the way up to our upper deck seats. The weather was nice and the game was a winner!  Lots of hitting, including a 2 run homer my Johnny Damon.  Brennan Boesch had a great night too! I think he should get rookie of the year.  He was a W Michigan Whitecap just a few years ago.  Woohoo! The fireworks after the game were really great. I took a video and will post on my facebook page.  My other pictures will be here and on the  photo album.

Instead of driving all the way home after the game and fireworks, we stayed at a hotel just outside Detroit. We had a late night Taco Bell dinner too.  Jeff and Matthew enjoyed some swimming this morning and we also watched Germany defeat Argentina in the World Cup.  Drove through Lansing to find a place to eat, instead we got a picture of the capital and decided to keep going.  Had a delicious lunch at a local place in Ionia. The kids had pizza and Jeff and I had lasagna and canneloni respectively.  I ordered a cannoli  and split it with Jeff.  Mmm. It was good.

Heard from Mary this afternoon. They are attending the barbershop finals tonight and will be taking the train into New York City tomorrow for the 4th of July!  They are very excited!  It will be nice for them not having to drive for a day.  Hope they stay cool! Supposed to be a hot 4th of July everywhere! Glad they are having a  wonderful time.

We are home now.  Watched more World Cup and now Star Wars. I am liking our new cable channels and am slowly learning how to use Charter internet and email.  So here is my little request.  Can you email us at my our new address so I can make sure I have your address in my new charter account?  Thanks! Our addresses are the same EXCEPT with '@charter.net' instead of "sbcglobal.net.'

Gracie

We Got the Bundle!

Charter arrived to our house after 10 am and spent several hours giving us the bundle! We now have Charter internet, TV and Telephone.  Our phone number WILL NOT change, it is the same.  We have over 90 channels instead of almost 20.  Our email addresses will be changing, for now they are the same.   I can watch all kinds of baseball, discovery shows, cooking shows and my favorite TV shows.  M*A*S*H* is on for 2 hours every day!  We have On Demand which allows us to watch free movies or TV shows that we missed whenever we want. I think I am going to love this!

Matthew received his results from his make-up Geometry tests.  His final grade is a 'B'!  I am very proud of him and how he worked hard after his hospitalization to keep up his grades. Woohoo for Matthew! He worked again today and has tomorrow off.  Sarah is off for a week, so she will be coming home tomorrow and all of us will be going to the Tiger's baseball game tomorrow night.  Hope we win, and hope I can get up to my seat! Maybe I should wear my boot so I can ride the elevator.

My leg is doing ok.  I think the brusing is getting better and I can walk most of the day with both my shoes on. It got tired and achy late this morning and afternoon, so I wore my boot.  It helps to wear it sometimes.  The nurse said to use it when it hurts and is tired, but of course we want to wean off of it as soon as you can.  I shouldn't show up to the Dr. Appointment in august and still need the boot!  I start therapy next Wednesday with the doctor's therapist.  They got me in a week early, after I declared my disappointment of having to wait two weeks. I am glad  that I will see the docs therapist first, since they work with patients like me and know exactly what my surgeon wants. They can even talk to him while I am there if they have concerns.

Mary had another fun day in Philadelphia.  Guess they had sandwiches from the two famous cheesesteak places and came up with a winner!  They are having a great time.  What a great experience for them. I found the website for the convention which is an international barbershop convention.  I have enjoyed looking at the site and thought you might enjoy reading about it too.
http://www.barbershop.org/news-and-events/philadelphia-international-convention.html

Well, I am going to watch the rest of Toy Story 1 with Matthew. We hope to see Toy Story 3 soon!

Gracie