Happy New Year

I hope each of you have a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Twas' the week before Christmas

This is my favorite time of the year. My Christmas decorations are lit up. My snowman collection is spread all over the house. The girls and I are out of school for two weeks. We can stay up late, sleep in, relax, watch Christmas movies, and do a whole lot of nothing! I hope are enjoying the holiday season as well!

Makayla

Makayla is recovering from her knee surgery. She will get her stitches out next week. The last couple of days she has been very tired. She has came home from school and went to sleep around 5. I hope she is not getting sick. Please pray that her knee heals quickly. She is ready to be up and going again.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a blessed day! Happy Thanksgiving!

Makayla

Makayla's surgery went well. We are home now. It has been a long and exhausting day. We were blessed to have some friends stop by to visit from our church. The picture above is of Makayla and John Hogan. I am glad they were able to cheer her up before surgery. Shortly after they left, the smile faded and the tears began to flow. She was so nervous. She should be up and going again in a couple of week. Thanks for the prayers.

Surgery Nov. 22nd

Makayla has knee surgery on Monday. Please pray that all goes well and that she has a speedy recovery. I will update after surgery.

Here we go again

The last few times I posted I mentioned how things have been calm and that I didn't have much to blog about. Unfortunately, that has changed. Makayla has been having some knee pain for several weeks. It wakes her up at night and keeps her from doing things that she wants to do. Since she had a cyst in the same knee when she was five, I decided we should get it checked out. She just happened to break her thumb at basketball practice the day before her knee appointment. We were able to get a two for one special on the knee and broken thumb by getting them both checked out at the same appointment. Her doctor decided to schedule an MRI on her knee. We went in on November 4th for the MRI. Her follow up appointment to get the results was scheduled for the 16th. The doctor's office called on the 9th and said the doctor wanted to see her that afternoon. I had a feeling all day that the MRI showed something. My instincts were right. She has a horizontal oblique tear in her medial meniscus and will be having surgery on November 22nd. That is the Monday of Thanksgiving week. This way we only have to miss two days of school and work. Please pray that she has a speedy recovery.

Monty had his routine cardiology appointment this week. He is doing well despite some unusual bruising and swelling of his left leg. His cardiologist, who we absolutely love, is leaving her current practice. Monty has decided to follow her to her new place. The only down side is that she will no longer be affliated with Plaza Medical and the surgeon that did Monty's heart surgery. We are hoping that he won't need a surgeon or hospital ever again!

I am counting down the days until Thanksgiving. I am ready to bust out my Christmas tree and snowman collection. I hope you all are enjoying this fall weather as much as I am.

Weekend Camping & Rangers watch party

We had a nice fall weekend. We went camping and fishing. We had some friends over Saturday and Sunday night. Saturday night we had a little get together for Halloween. We rode around on the golf cart and checked out all of the costumes. My friend hijacked my golf cart and left me to run back to the camper. It is fun to have a friend that you can act like a teenager with when you are both in your thirties. I was running back to the camper, stepped in a hole and fell. Man, falling at 35 hurts. On Sunday we had a little World Series watch party at the camper. We had a fun evening even though the Rangers didn't win. Ok, I am off to finish watching Game 5. I am hoping for a Rangers win! Above is a pic of Mason with his antlers up for the Rangers.

Blogging Block

I guess it is possible for someone to get blogger's block and not be able to think of anything interesting to write about. We aren't exactly the most interesting people around! We have been busy with work and school. We have been spending lots of time in front of the tv watching the Rangers. We went camping over the weekend. That didn't go so well. We were having a great time until I came down with a stomach virus Saturday night. Camping with a virus is dreadful. We had to get our moms to come over and help Monty get the boat out of the water, get our stuff loaded up, and drive my car home. I don't remember much about Sunday to tell the truth. I am just glad that is behind me and I am keeping my fingers crossed that no one else in our house gets it. Have a blessed week and keep your fingers crossed for a Rangers win Friday night!

Fishing

We went fishing this weekend. Monty and the girls like to fish. I like to fish when the fish are biting. (haha) I am a very impatient fisher. I prefer to read or take a nap on the boat but I am usually in charge of keeping up with Chloe (our very spoiled dog) on the boat. We had a good time. The weather was very pleasant. The girls finally caught a couple of fish big enough to eat. They were excited and even helped Monty clean them. I hope you all enjoyed the weekend as well.

Fall

My favorite time of the year is finally here. For those of you that know me, you know I love fall and winter. I am ready for cooler temperatures and the holiday season. I put my fall decorations up last weekend. The picture above is of my placemats. I am definitely ready for fall. I just need mother nature to follow my lead.

Monty hasn't felt well the last couple of days. He thinks he had a light case of food poisoning. He is also bruising more than usual. Please pray that it is nothing to be alarmed about. Makayla has been having trouble with her knee since last Thursday. I am going to try to get her into her orthopedic doctor to have the cyst on her cruciate ligament checked. Hopefully it will go down on its own again and no treatment will be necessary. She is the athlete in our family, and she will be very unhappy if she can't run for awhile. Makenzie continues to do well. She isn't having any issues with her health right now, thankfully.

Please pray for my friend, Kasie, and her family. Her dad, Charles, is waiting on some test results. He has had a really rough time since March of last year. Please pray that all is well for Charles. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

Still rocking along

I haven't written in a while because I haven't had anything to write about. Sometimes that is a good thing! We are all doing well.

We went camping over Labor Day weekend. Our friends came over for a cook out, and we went out on the boat. We had a good, relaxing weekend. Monty and Makenzie are on a fishing kick right now, so we have been fishing several times lately. Too bad we haven't caught any keepers yet. Maybe next time. Have a good week!

Family Fun Day

We are survived the first week back to school. The school year is off to a great start. The hardest part is getting in the routine of waking up at 5:30! Saturday we headed to the lake for a little family fun. We cruised arounded for awhile, hand a picnic on the boat, stopped to fish a bit, and cruised around some more. It was fun and quite relaxing. I tried to take a nap, but it was too hot. Nothing too exciting going on here today. I just finished cleaning house, doing the laundry, and writing lesson plans. The rest of the afternoon will be spent in front of the tv watching the Rangers game. I hope you all have good week!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago today Monty had open heart surgery, had complications, returned to surgery, went to CICU, and then went into cardiac arrest. We are forever grateful to the physician assistant, Robyn, that sat with him as he struggled. She said that God told her to stay by his side. I am so glad she listened. In July, Monty had some tests done at Plaza and we had the opportunity to meet up with Robyn. What do you say to someone that saved your husband's life? Thank you does not seem to be enough! It was good to see her. Not only did she take great care of Monty, but she shared her faith and gave me much needed encouragement during his 11 day hospital stay. I am convinced that without her things might not have turned out as they did.

Monty is definitely much better than he was this time last year. He still struggles with fatigue but has learned to rest when he needs to. Thanks for all of the prayers over the past year.

Back to School

The girls and I are back to school on Monday. It is always exciting to begin a new school year. It is like a fresh start. My classroom is decorated, lesson plans are complete, and I am ready for tomorrow! I can't believe the girls are going to be in the 6th and 9th grade. It just doesn't seem possible.

There hasn't been much to blog about lately. With the scorching heat, we have not been doing much. Last weekend we did brave the heat and go to an Oklahoma Redhawks game. It was fun to hang out with friends.

Wednesday will be Monty's one year post surgery anniversary.

Have a blessed week.

Weekend Fun and Updates

This weekend we went camping and boating. We had a good time with family and friends even in the scorching heat. I am ready for winter. This heat is horrible. The kids enjoyed fishing, swimming, and tubing. Monty and Chloe (spoiled dog) enjoyed cruising us around the lake.

Makayla had her first growth plate check since breaking her leg. Everything checked out okay this time. The doctor said this is something we will need to be concernced about for the next 3 years until the growth plates close. She got cleared to play basketball and has went to b-ball camp every night this week.

I have been working in my classroom every night this week. I am ready for school to start. I like to be on a schedule. I am a very routine person.

Makenzie is excited to start her freshman year. Wow, where has the time gone?

Please keep my friend, Kasie, in your prayers. I diagnosed her with gall bladder problems a few weeks ago. She went to the doctor for a second opinion. (hehe) He agreed with my diagnosis, and she will be getting rid of that ill gall bladder soon. Please pray for a speedy recovery!

Also please pray for Al and Paula's grandbaby. Monty did not give me all of the details. He mentioned something about weak lungs. Please pray that all is well for the baby. Al is one of my faithful readers. Give us an update Al.

Have a blessed week!

A whole lot of nothing

We have been doing a whole lot of nothing the last few weeks. We have had a couple of doctors appointments and phyiscal therapy appointments. Other than that, we have been pretty much been hanging out at the house. I woke up one morning this week and decided to remodel the bathroom. What was I thinking??? I took down the very outdated floral wall paper, called a friend who went to Wal-Mart with me and showed me what I needed to texture my walls. She even came over to my house and gave me a private lesson in texturing. I am finished with the texturing and almost finished painting. I forgot how big of a mess that remodeling makes. Off to finish painting!

Happy Birthday Mason

We hope you have a great day!

Since the last post...

Since the last post, not much has changed. Monty is still having some swelling and bruising and no one can figure out what is causing it. His MRI showed that he has a hematoma on his knee. He is going to have to have it removed if it doesn't go away in a month or so. He had another echocardiogram and a doppler ultrasound to check for blood clots in his veins. He did not have any clots and had to be checked for a clotting disorder. We spent most of two days at Plaza last week for all of the tests, but didn't find out anything.

Makayla had to go back to the orthopedic surgeon last week. He is concerned that she still has a limp and sent her back to physical therapy 3 times a week for 4 more weeks. On August 3rd, she will have her growth plates checked. Please be in prayer that her leg is growing normally. She is really wanting to get this behind her so she can be in athletics this year.

We are enjoying the summer. However, I am ready for school to start. I am not ready for it to start so that I can get rid of my kids for a few hours each day, but because I am a teacher who absolutely loves school. Weird - I know. I enjoy being off a couple of weeks during the summer, but then I am ready to go back to work. I am counting down the days until school starts which makes me think about a lesson my dad taught me. He told me when I was a teenager that life is too short to spend it doing something that you hate. I can honestly say that I am excited to go to work every single day and for that I am very grateful! Have a good week, and thanks for reading!

Monty

Monty has to go to Fort Worth to have some tests done on his heart. He is having some unusual bruising and swelling on his ankles and feet. His cardiologist wants to run some tests to see what is going on. He also has a golf ball size knot on his right knee that we are concerned about. He had an MRI on Thursday and will get the results this Wednesday. Please pray that the heart issues and the knot on his knee can be resolved with medication.

Besides all the appointments and Makayla's physical therapy, we have been fishing and camping a couple of times. The girls really like to fish. Other than that, we have been hanging out around the house. I am ready for all of the doctor and physical therapy appointments to slow down so we can spend our time enjoying summer. Please remember to pray for Monty. Have a blessed week!

Updates

This weekend we went to the Fitzgerald reunion. It was fun. I saw a few people that told me they read my blog. Thanks for reading.

The last time I wrote my mom was waiting for biopsy results. The mass in her parotid gland was determined to be pleomorphic adenoma. The good news is that it is not cancerous at this point. She will have another biopsy in three months.

Monty has not received any results on his echocardiogram. I guess no news is good news. We will call at the end of the week if he has not heard anything.

Makenzie had a cardiology appointment last Thursday. The heart moniotor showed that she goes into SVT rhythm for a few minutes. It is not dangerous because her heart rate stays in a safe range. The doctor does not believe that it is a result of the leak in her aortic valve. It is a small leak and will be monitored annually. It is just +1 for being abnormal. The doctor sent her for lab work to check her thyroid. She also has to see the nephrologist in the next couple of weeks because her blood pressure was a little high at the appointment. Since she only has one kidney, we have to get it checked out.

Makayla is still in therapy for her leg. The swelling is improving. She is still limping a bit but hopefully time will help.

Makayla's teacher, Mrs. Pierce, passed away last Friday after a long battle with cancer. I took Makayla to her funeral today. I have to say that it was the most Christ centered funeral that I have ever been to. I think it was very motivational and inspirational to the students that attended. Please pray for the Pierce family.

Not much else is going on here. We have been busy working at Vacation Bible School this week. It is fun to see the little kids so excited and having a good time.

Have a good rest of the week.

Happy Birthday Monty

Today is Monty's 42nd birthday. He continues to regain strength and energy each day. He has came a long way since August. He has an echiocardiogram this week. Please pray that all is well.

Kasie's dad, Charles, is back in the hospital with more complications from surgery. Please pray for complete healing for Charles.

My mom is still waiting for the results of her biopsy. Please pray that good news is headed her way.

Thanks for praying. Have a blessed week!

Memorial Weekend, Makayla and mom update

We went camping at Lake Whitney with some friends over the Memorial Weekend. We had a lot of fun fishing, swimming, and visiting. Monty felt well and had a good time. I was worried that the heat might be too much for him, but he was fine. We are looking forward to the next camping trip.

Makayla had to go back to the surgeon today. While we were camping over the weekend, her ankle was very swollen and red. She has hyperemia and her doctor said it is common after a broken bone. She starts physical therapy tomorrow. I am hoping that she is able to walk without limping soon.

My mom had a biopsy of a knot in a gland in her neck. Please pray that it is benign. She should know something on Thursday. Thanks for praying!

End of the School Year

The end of the school year is such a busy time. I have always enjoyed going to school as a student and a teacher. I will probably be the only person who is sad about the arrival of summer on the last day of school . I guess I am weird like that. Makayla went back to the orthopedic specialist yesterday. She has a bad limp and has to have physical therapy three times a week for four weeks. Hopefully, it will help. Makenzie's 8th grade graduation is this week. I will post pictures over the weekend. I hope you all are doing well. Later.

Updates and prayer requests

Monty had a cardiologist appoinment on Thursday. The doctor thinks that he is doing well. He has to have an echocardiogram in June to check his heart function. He has felt better the past few weeks.

Makayla went to an ear, nose and throat doctor last week. She is having trouble hearing out of her right hear. She has to go back over the summer. She has several symptoms of a syndrome that affects the ears. Monty took her and didn't remember the name of it when they got home.

My mom had to have a CT Scan on her head this week. She has a large knot behind her ear. Please pray that it isn't anything to be concerned about.

Please pray for my friend, Kasie, and her family. Her dad, Charles, had to go back to the hospital today. He is still having complications from the surgery he had almost 2 months ago. Please pray that the infection heals quickly and that he is able to return home soon.

Thanks for praying. Have a good week!

Cast free Makayla

Makayla got her cast off today! She is suppose to gradually wean herself off of the crutches and increase the amount of pressure she puts on her foot. She may have to start physical therapy in a couple of weeks. The doctor is concerned about her range of motion so she has to go back in two weeks. He is still worried about the growth plate and will xray both legs in six months and compare the growth. She has to wear a brace with her shoes. After the appointment, we had to go buy her new shoes. After 2 1/2 months in a cast, I didn't figure she would want to wear one almost new shoe and one worn out shoe. We are so excited that she is out of the cast!!

Makayla

Makayla goes back to the doctor on Tuesday. Please pray that she gets the cast off!!!! She broke her leg on March 1st. She had surgery on March 12th. It is May 9th and she is still in a cast. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes off Tuesday. Makayla has another issue that we will be going to to the doctor for soon. A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the school nurse about Makayla's hearing test. She appears to be unable to hear out of her left ear. I have noticed for a long time that Makayla gradually talks louder and louder. I am always telling her to lower her voice. We are getting this checked out soon. Hopefully on Tuesday night I will be able to post pictures of a cast free leg.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Happy Birthday Makayla

Today is Makayla's birthday. I can't believe she is 11 already. We had a little party for her on Friday night. On Saturday we went to the Rangers game. It was a fun weekend except that I got attacked by a chicken. I have a little hole in my arm from the spur. It is red and swollen. I hope it is not infected. It will be so embarassing trying to explain to the doctor how I got attacked by a little 2 pound bantam chicken. Al - don't laugh!

Makenzie had to go back to the cardiologist on Wednesday. She is having chest pains and irregular beats again. She has a leak in one of her valves. The doctor said it is +1 for being abnormal. (Apparently is is just a trace more than a leak that is considered normal.) She has to wear a heart monitor for 30 days. She had an echocardiogram and they had trouble seeing her heart valve because her lungs were "thick and fuzzy." The doctor said that her lungs needed to be checked out because they resemble someone that has asthma. The cardiologist also said that she needed to see the nephrologist about her blood pressure. It was a little high when we were there. We will get those appointments set up soon. I swear if it is not one thing, it is another.

Makayla should get her cast off on May 6th. we are counting down the days. I am so ready for the doctor to tell her to walk, run, play, and get things for herself!!!! Keep your fingers crossed! Have a good week.

Makayla update

Makayla went back to the doctor last Thursday. She has been in a long leg cast for 5 weeks and was able to get a shorter cast. She was hoping to get a walking boot. The doctor said maybe in three more weeks she can get one. She will have her growth checked every six months in both legs to determine the amount of damage to the growth plate. Here are a couple of pictures of her colorful casts.

Spring

I am sorry that I haven't written in a while. I would say that I have been busy, but that is not the case. I think lazy may be a better word. We have been enjoying the Spring weather with softball and gardening. Makenzie is playing softball and has also taken an interest in her ag class. She is into planting flowers and vegetables right now. There isn't a lot going on here. Makayla is still in the cast up to the middle of her thigh. We are hoping that she gets a shorter cast or possibly even a walking boot on Thursday. It doesn't hurt to dream big does it?? She is tired of the cast. We are tired of her being irritable because she is in the cast. Anyway, that's all I have for now. Later!

Easter

Today we had a quiet day at home. This is the first time in years that we haven't been to church on Easter. Monty did some work outside on Saturday and woke up with his chest very sore so we decided to stay home. We had an Easter get together with some friends Saturday night. We went out to dinner and came back to our house so the kids could hunt eggs. It was a fun night! I hope you all had a blessed Easter.

Prayer request and a praise

Kasie's dad, Charles, is having surgery again Thursday morning to remove an abscess . Please pray that all goes well. He received good news about his biopsies and was doing good until today. Please pray that the procedure goes well tomorrow and he is home soon. They have been in the hospital for several days. I know from Monty's extended hospital stay in August/September that every obstacle seems like a mountain. I am sure that they are as ready to go home as we were. I remember the days all to well of just wanting to go home and feeling helpless. Please keep them in your prayers in the coming days.

Berniece's surgery went well. She had her pacemaker put in on Tuesday and is doing fine. Please continue to pray for her as she recovers. Berniece is a blog reader so here is a little message for her - Please take it easy and follow the doctor's orders!! We love you Reece and Berniece.

Have a blessed week!

Updates and prayer requests

Makayla went back to the doctor on Thursday. Her broken bone is still straight. She was hoping to get out of the long leg cast but has to wear it three more weeks. Then she will get a shorter cast and eventually a walking boot. The doctor said that it takes about 3 months for the tibia to heal. Makayla will have her growth plate x-rayed every 6 months for the next 2 years to determine the extent of damage to her growth plate. Please pray that the growth plate will not be an issue in the future.

Please continue to pray for Kasie's dad, Charles. He will get results of his biopsies on Monday. Please pray that the biopsies do not show any signs of cancer and that he recovers from surgery quickly.

I would also ask for you to pray for Berniece. Her and Reese have always been here for us. Reese was sitting in the hospital room with us when we found out that Makenzie only had one kidney. Just this past August, Reece and Berniece were at the hospital when Monty went code blue after his heart surgery. Berniece is receiving a pace maker on Tuesday. Please pray that all goes smoothly and that she recovers quickly.

Thanks for praying!

Prayer request

In my last post I mentioned a prayer request for a friend and her family. Please continue to keep the family in your prayers. Kasie's dad, Charles, went through a 6-7 hour surgery to remove cancer in a couple of different places in his abdomen. The surgery went as expected and her dad was doing well the night of surgery. Now he has a high fever and is experiencing some complications. Please pray that the doctors are able to determine the cause of the complications and correct them. Thanks for praying!

Back to work

Spring Break is over. I am so ready to go back to work! Papers are graded. Lessons plans are completed. My school bag is cleaned out and ready to go. Spring Break wasn't that great this year since Makayla has a cast. I have been doing some online research about growth plate damage. The facts are pretty disheartening. Please pray that hers is not damaged and that her leg will continue to grow properly. She has an appointment on Thursday. She is tolerating the cast much better than I anticipated. She hasn't had pain medicine at all today. I have another prayer request that I would like to share. Please pray for my friend, Kasie, and her family. Her dad is having surgery on Monday. His name is Charles. Please pray that the surgery goes well and that he is on the road to recovery soon. Have a good week friends!

Spring Break and Makenzie's birthday

Spring Break just isn't the same with a kid in a cast all the way up her leg. We have been home all week. I have been very busy trying to entertain a 10 year old who wants more than anything to go outside and run around. We have done a couple of craft projects, baked three cakes and practiced decorating them with fondant, played some games, and watched tv. Makenzie's birthday is today. She is 14. It makes me feel old. She reminded me that she would be able to get her driver's permit next year. I definitely am not ready for that since she ran the lawnmower into a tree last year. Since Makayla and I were stuck in the house, we made Makenzie a zebra striped cake. I still need more practice with fondant but it was fun. Makayla goes back to the doctor a week from tomorrow to find out if she will need pins in her ankle. Please pray that she doesn't. She is ready to get back on her feet and get rid of the crutches. Monty has not been feeling well this week. He has a sinus infection and is more tired than normal. Please pray that he continues to regain his strength and energy. Thanks for praying and following along. Have a great rest of the week.

Makayla's surgery

Makayla had surgery today to set her broken ankle. She got a cast all the way up to the middle of her thigh because of where the bone was broken at and she had issues with a muscle. She is doing well right now. The doctor is concerned that she may have some damage to her growth plate. Time will tell. She will get xrays and another cast in two weeks. Thanks to those of you that prayed for us today.

Prayer request for makayla

I wrote about Makayla's foot last Monday. She continued to have swelling and pain. She saw an orthopedic specialist today. Her ankle is broken in the growth plate and the break some how or another involves a muscle. I don't understand all of this. I guess I should have paid more attention in science class when we studied the skeletal system. Anyway she is going to have her ankle set Friday. She will have her leg casted from her foot to the middle of her thigh because of the muscle involvment. She will have more xrays in three weeks. If it is not properly healed, she will have to get pins in her ankle. Please pray that the doctor is able to set her ankle and it begins to heal. Thank you.

Road trip

This weekend Monty, the girls, and I went to the girl's State basketball playoffs in Austin with some friends. We had a great time. Monty, Makenzie, Waylon, and Tyler went to the afternoon games while Makayla and I went shopping with Kasie. That evening we all went back for the last sessions of games. It was fun to get away for the weekend. Makayla is still hobbling on crutches. That was our biggest challenge of the weekend. She was so independent and didn't want anyone to carry her. Her foot is still swelling. I will probably take her back to the doctor for a second x-ray tomorrow. Monty made the trip quite well. He is a little tired. Other than that, he is fine. We are gearing up for the last week of school before Spring Break. We are looking forward to a few days of rest. Have a good week!

It's definitely Monday!

The week got off to an unexpected start. At 8:05 I got a call from the elementary. The receptionist said that I needed to come over there because Makayla had gotten hurt. I hurried across the parking lot from the high school to find Makayla crying in the office. She nurse checked her out and said that she needed to see a doctor. A girl tripped in the hall, knocked Makayla down, and landed on her ankle. We called the pediatrician. Based on the way Makayla was screaming in the car, she suggested that we go to the emergency room for pain managment. Makayla cried all through the x-ray. Thankfully her ankle is not broken. She has a bad sprain. She got a stabilizing boot and crutches. She continues to be in pain tonight. I am hoping that she is able to sleep. Anyway, there is never a dull moment here!

Fun weekend

This weekend was great. The high school girl's basketball team made it to regionals. Makenzie and several of her friends wanted to go. Three dads and their children headed to Nacogdoches for the weekend. Unfortunately, our Lady Hounds lost by 2 in overtime. They played hard and we are very proud of them. The men and children decided to spend the night in Nacogdoches and watch a college game and the finals on Saturday night. The moms that were left at home decided to enjoy some husband and kid free time. On Friday night we went to dinner and a movie. On Saturday we went shopping and for pedicures. It was a fun weekend. I am glad that Monty and the girls got to spend some time by themselves. Monty has never taken the girls off by himself. They all seemed to have had a good time. It was also good for me to go somewhere with friends. It did feel strange that I didn't have to say, "Stop hitting your sister" or "Turn down your music" all weekend. On another note, I was crazy busy on the 25th. It was Monty's six month post surgery date. He continues to have some problems with his heart rate, blood pressure, fluid retention, and fatigue. Please pray that he continues to gain strength. Have a great week!

Quiet weekend

We have had a relatively quiet weekend. Other than going to an area playoff basketball game and going shopping for softball gear, we have spent the weekend at home. Congrats to the Ladyhounds for winning the area playoff game. Please continue to pray for Monty. He has not been feeling well this week. He has had some trouble with fluid retention and headaches. He was prescribed some Lasix and Potassium. He has been consuming an excessive amount of sunflower seeds that might be contributing to the fluid retention. I have been telling him for several days that the sunflower seeds contain way more sodium than he needs. I don't think he believed me until his hands and feet began to swell. I am hoping that the sunflower seeds are the cause of the fluid retention and that nothing else is going on. Have a good week!

Monty's Snowchicken

The girls insisted that we go outside and build a snowman. We built four. Monty had to use the tractor to stack the snowman because it was so big. Then he made a snowchicken by himself. He even used food coloring to color the comb, beak, and eyes.

Perfect Snow Day

Today was the perfect snow day.

We woke up to a lot of snow.

School was canceled.

We played in the snow.

Afterwards, we warmed up by the fireplace.

We made chili for lunch.

This evening we made snow ice cream.

It's been a very nice winter day.

Prayer requests

Makayla's teacher, Mrs. Pierce, has been in the hospital since January 6th. She has been nauseated and unable to eat much for well over a month now. Please pray for her and her family as they continue in this battle with cancer. I also would like for you to pray for David. He is a 10th grader at the school where I teach. He had some type of fuel explode in his face while igniting a trash barrel on Monday evening. He has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his face. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Thanks.

Happy Saturday

I was so excited about the opportunity to sleep in this morning. I consider 8:00 sleeping in because it is much later than the usual 5:15. For some crazy reason I woke up this morning at 5:00 - so much for sleeping in. Anyway, I have had a few hours of peace and quiet. It has been great. No tv - no fighting kids - just coffee and silence. Happy Saturday!

Update

Monty continues to have good days and not so good days. He is tired a lot. He had to go back to the skin doctor this week. He had two more places on his face that he needed to have checked out. He had two biopsies done and fortunately they were only precancer and the doctor thinks he got all of it with the biopsy. Makenzie had to go to the doctor this week also. We thought she had a kidney infection. Since she has one kidney we have to be proactive. Everything checked out fine with her as well. Makayla is still having trouble with her thumb that she injured a couple of weeks ago. It is not broken but it still swollen. Her doctor said that if it was still swollen after 2 weeks she would need to have an MRI because she is concerned that Makayla tore a muscle. We will have to follow up with that. I had a little accident of my own this week. It was really embarassing. Fortunately, I was in my classroom alone when this happened. My students would have enjoyed making fun of me way too much. I fell out of my chair! I had been at my computer in my rolling chair. I got up to grab something off my desk. I quickly returned to my rolling chair. When I went to sit down, I only caught the very edge of the chair. It rolled out from under me and left me laying on my back in the floor. It gave me a good laugh! I quickly jumped up for fear that someone might pass my door and see me. Anyway, I have a bruise on my elbow and a sore hip. Other than that, I have a very thankful heart that I did not have a room full of high school students to witness me falling out of the chair.
I absolutely love this weather. I know - I am weird like that. Winter is my absolute favorite time of the year. Stay warm friends!

Busy Weekend

It has been a busy weekend. The girls and I were at a basketball tournament all day Saturday. Makenzie's team got 1st place. Monty was at the Stock Show all day Saturday. On Sunday all four of us went to the Stock Show. Monty and I are both superintendents at the poultry show so we have to be there all weekend. We finally made it home and are getting ready for the week ahead. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Makenzie's appointment

We really didn't find out anything ay Makenzie's appointment. Her EKG was fine. She had a sonogram of her heart. I told the technician about Monty's biscuspid aortic valve and was hoping to find out if Makenzie has the normal tricuspid valve or the same defect that Monty had. The doctor said that he could not tell because the valve is still embedded into the heart at this age. He said to come back in 5 years and hopefully the technology of sonogram machines will have improved. He did not have an answer to her heart racing and her blood pressure problems. He said that he doesn't become concerned until the heart rate is between 200-300. Anyway, I am glad that the EKG didn't show any problems. I would like to have found out about her heart valve. He did say that she has a small leak in her valve but it was considered a trace leak and at this point is nothing to worry about. If she continues to have problems, we will see someone else. I had heard really good things about him, but I wasn't impressed. He did not even introduce himself when he came in the room. When he came in the room, he asked Makenzie, "What's wrong with you?" Ummm.....we went there hoping he would tell us that. He did recommend that we see the nephrologist to make sure that nothing is going on with her kidney. Makayla got her bottom braces today. It's been a busy day. I am thankful that we didn't have school today so we could get all of the appointments taken care of. That's it for now. It is basketball time!

A Princess in the house

Here are a couple of pictures from Homecoming last night. Makenzie was elected Junior High Princess.

Update

Monty had his cardiologist appointment today. He doesn't have to go back for 4 months. He got his medicine reduced today. He is going to see if that will help him to get his energy back. He still doesn't feel well a lot of the time. That is about all that is going on here. I hope you all are having a good week.

Upcoming appointments

I have been a little hesitant to post lately because I did not want to tell half truths. I hope that makes sense. I didn't want to post and say that all is well when it possibly is not. Makenzie has not been feeling so great. She told me a couple of weeks ago that her heart was pounding. She was sitting on the couch and had been for a while. I put Monty's blood pressure monitor on her and her heart rate was 123. Within a minute it was back in the 80s. This has happened a few times. Since she has a solitary kidney we periodically check her blood pressure. Lately her blood pressure has been from one extreme to the other. She saw the doctor and was referred to a cardiologist. The appointment is next week. Until then, please pray that it isn't anything to be concerned about. Makenzie is still able to play basketball. The doctor told her to use her judgment and come out of the game if her heart starts racing or she gets short of breath. Everyone else is doing well. Monty has 12 more sessions of cardiac rehab. He has a follow up appointment with the cardiologist this week. Makayla had to get glasses a couple of weeks ago. She will get her bottom braces next week. We will be busy running to basketball games, the cardiologist, and the orthodontist the next couple of weeks. Have a good weekend. Stay warm!

New Year

The new year has begun. It is back to school for us on Monday. I think Monty is ready for some peace and quiet! It has been nice having a couple of weeks to rest. I am excited about the new semester of school. With Monty having open heart surgery the second day of school, I missed 10 days of work. We were doing IV antibiotics around the clock for several weeks. I was mentally and physically exhausted the entire first 6 weeks of school. Fortunately, I love what I do for a living. Regardless of how tired I was, once my students entered the classroom, I was energized and ready to go. I am ready for Monday to get here and to get back in a routine. I am hoping that 2010 will be kind to us. We did not have our "good luck blackeyed peas" again this year. We stopped that tradition in 2005. We had our traditional meal that year and two days later Monty was in hospital with the first of his heart issues. Two weeks later Makenzie was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection. During her hospital stay it was discovered that she was born with one kidney. She was almost 10 and we never knew! About three weeks later she had surgery at Cooks to correct some problems with her only kidney. After that, I figured blackeyed peas on New Year's were a waste of time! After the past six months with Monty's open heart surgery and complications, we are hoping for a Happy and HEALTHY New Year! We hope the same for your family as well. Berniece - I added some new music for you!