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!

Happy New Year

It's snowing again!

I can't believe it has snowed twice in one week in Texas.

The girls built a snowman.

I love winter!

Reasons to Celebrate

Today we celebrated the birth of our Savior and Monty's 4 month post surgery anniversary. We definitely have so much to be thankful for. My mom, my sister and her family, and Monty's mom came over on Christmas Eve. As the snow continued to fall, both of our moms opted to spend the night. After staying up way to late, the girls woke us up much to early to see what "Santa" brought. Afterwards we put the ham in the oven and started cooking lunch. We had a yummy meal complete with cupcakes the girls and I made for Jesus' birthday. Shortly after lunch, the ice melted enough that our moms could get home safely. We spent the rest of the day sitting by the fireplace and resting. Tonight we celebrated Monty's recovery from surgery. We watched a couple of Christmas movies and had a Rockband concert on the Wii. The girls even had their dad playing the guitar at one point. Monty is still going to cardiac rehab 3 times a week. He has about 5 weeks left. He still has not made the progress that he had hoped for. He continues to have numbness, tingling, and poor circulation in his feet. He has decided to see a neurologist. His blood pressure is often a little low or a tad high. It is all a matter of getting his medicine regulated. Hopefully that will happen soon. It was a fun day and a good time to reflect on the two most inportant things - Christ and family.

Monty's Surprise

The girls decided to surprise their dad with a "gift" when he got home from work.

They thought it was the greatest idea ever!

Merry Christmas!