Two Feet. Two Hands.

I am super excited to be posting that I made this yummy dinner tonight because you guessed it I am on my own two feet without crutches for the first time in months! So I'm back to being excited about cooking because believe you me, it is MUCH easier to cook with two legs and two free hands. I saw the doctor last week and the break had healed enough for me to put weight on it as I continue to heal and start physical therapy. The doctor told me to take it slow because my muscles would not hold my leg, but lucky for me I am super determined and don't really like the word
C-A-N-T. I started taking baby steps around the house the next day and then went down to one crutch the third day. Today is my first official FULL day with  no crutches and I even went to the store....okay I leaned on the shopping cart but hey taking it slow right? Ha! We are praying that the swelling goes down and the deformity in my knee will heal as my tendons get back to being strong and healed.

But for now I will take all the little victories I can get and keep my focus on the bigger ones like getting back in the pool and riding my bike. Here's to recovering from jumping off a rope swing and the looks on peoples faces when they ask what you did to your leg!!

Wrapping Up August....

So I had my X-rays and follow up with the doctor yesterday and the praise is that the X-ray showed calcification which means it's healing quickly. The doctor decided the cast was not working out because it was sliding down my leg and causing lots of pain as it pulled on my knee. I was on my third cast in three weeks! Instead I get to ride out the rest of my broken leg in this bionic brace which is much cooler. Cooler as in temperature not like I'm so cool I now have a bionic leg kind of cool ha! Still have to have it on 24 hours a day BUT I can scratch when my leg itches and it's not as heavy. My goal now is to get ALL healed up and off the stupid crutches!!! The first couple of weeks I was kind of down and frustrated getting around but I learned something valuable; I learned what to say and what not to say to someone with a broken anything! My least favorite is,"Maybe this is Gods way of slowing you down." At first it annoyed me when people would say that but then I got to thinking about it and I decided; no this might be Gods way of telling me that if I'm going to launch myself off a really high roped swing into a swamp I better darn sure stick the landing next time. And also why on earth would God make me have an adventurous, curious, always on the go trying new things and seeing new places kind of child of God just to say STOP being that person I created? Nope, much to my moms gray hair I have caused, I am never going to stop climbing, swinging, biking, exploring and dreaming about all the fun things and places God has out there. This has only slown me down long enough to plan our next adventure. And to realize God made me a determined person for a reason.

I just love this picture that Morgan took of a small town we visited in Florida. The movie theater is really old and closed down now but so amazing none the less.
,

She took this one as well and I love how she captured the tractor under the tree at sunset...

We are wrapping up our second week of school and although I was nervous about having one in High School and one in Jr. High, they are both doing great and are super motivated.

Back To School!

Today marks the day We have one child in high school and one in middle school. I don't ask for much really...just a simple family photo this morning of us all smiling to mark the day....But oh no! In comes the dog and Ryanne is having some kind of "episode."

Morgan won't quit being a teenager and stand up straight...

Dan is starting to lose it here and both girls have checked out...

Pleeeaaassseeee! can't everyone be normal? ugh!

I'm trying to be patient here people....

Ahhh....yes, here we are...a nice normal family! Okay normal might be a stretch but you get the idea! Happy new school year girls! You are so gonna rock this year! (and yes my cast is now blue because the swelling is going down and my cast slips down so I'm going through the color pallet of casts, so fun!)

Vacation Photos...

I'm done rigging my car so I can drive; think towels, duct tape and pillows ha! So now I've got nothing but time which means I have no excuse for not getting some of our vacation photos up that I've been promising our family.

We took this amazing trip about 3 miles into the swamps of Louisiana and I'm telling you it was beautiful! I mean we love the South so we might be bias but I want to live down there.

This was the walk from our house we rented in Florida to the water...

You expect to see a lot of things when in the swamps; alligators, snapping turtles, poisonous snakes, huge spiders...but a puppy? Not so much. This little guy had escaped a yard somewhere in the Bayou and fallen into the swamp. We found him up to his neck in thick mud and water. It was just in time as he would have either drown or become somebodies lunch real quick. As you can see he was VERY grateful. Kisses were handed out all around.

Daddy and Ryanne were kayak buddies...

Morgan, Paul and Ryanne enjoying the evening on the beach...

We heart Cape San Blas!!!

Looking up at the light house....

The kids all got along great and the best part of the trip was just watching them play, belly laugh out loud and explore new places.

My favorite picture of the entire trip!

We love so many things about the South....it's hard to pick just one. I will post more pictures in the next day or two. You will be on photo over load! :)

Bucket List...

Another thing to add to my bucket list! After my MRI last week to see if I tore any muscles in my swamp expedition I received a call from doctor saying he needed to see me ASAP. I went this morning and he told me I had a fractured  tibial up near my knee cap, a bunch of pulled out of whack muscles and a jacked up knee cap (that explains the deformity in my knee!)...so I'm sporting the full leg cast for two months hoping everything held in place will heal. I've never broken anything so when I got to chose my color I figured eh, why not bright orange ha! Well I've been meaning to get our vacation pictures posted and now I've got nothing but time and my summer just came to a screaming haunt. Ha! 

July Babies!!!

Oh no! I let July slip by without telling you about my two favorite July babies. Ryanne was lucky enough to turn 11 while we were on vacation. She's growing up so fast and so independent. We are just hanging on tight for the ride at this point ha! She is small but mighty and has the heart of a giant.

My sweet, hard working, patient and loving husband welcomed 45 last week. We made him an old favorite family meal for dinner called Hawaiian Haystacks and a home made carrot cake (his favorite). He also celebrated by completing his Bachelors degree and taking the deputy chief job on the fire department which is super exciting for him. You are an amazing dad, husband and my favorite partner in crime. We love you!

Back from Florida in one piece...well almost!

First day of vacation enjoying one of our favorite cafes in Biloxi Mississippi....can you say,"yummy sweet tea and delicious beignets?" 

Last day of vacation getting treated for a busted up leg! Oh of course there is lots more fun in between and I will post more this week for sure! But I will say this; I can cross jumping off a rope swing into an alligator infested swamp, slipping and blowing out my knee off my bucket list.