Things are about to change --- AGAIN!

Yes, BIG changes----AGAIN!!!

Elizabeth goes back to school on Monday --- 

I will be going with her to make sure her new 'helper' and school set-up is going to work for her.  We also have the evaluation for therapy.

Practicing using her fine motor skills AND belly time.  It is hard to always sit on your bottom in a wheel-chair.

AND

I go back to work full-time on Tuesday.

Catching up with LOTS of cuddles with mommy!

Elizabeth will have therapy 2 times each week for about 2 hours each time.  This will add to my schedule and actually I'm not sure how it is going to work -- BUT somehow it will!

Elizabeth is ready to go back and be with her friends.

Home bound education has gone WONDERFUL!  Her teacher was great!

BUT

She is ready to be with people her own age.

She will still be in a wheel-chair.  She cannot go to gym or go outside.  BUT we think she will be able to participate in everything else.

BaJabs and Elizabeth practice some school work.

Ok -- really, this is nothing BIG -- it's just a change!  One that I think we are all ready for BUT prayers would be appreciated!

I LOVE snow days!

YES, I LOVE snow days!!!

Yes, this is right down the road from us.  LOTS of drifting and roads CLOSED!

I LOVE having all of my children HOME ---

4 of the kids playing a game -- MD is STILL in bed!
OH, and YES, I let my kids stay in their pj's ALL day :)

You know -- it's an UNEXPECTED  -- UNPLANNED day 

A day that changes the plans -- and allows us to STAY HOME!!!

So -- YES, I LOVE these days!!!

Although, this year we have gotten an unbelievable amount of snow!!!

Elizabeth and I are pretty much stuck at home BUT we are loving all of the days that the other kids get to stay home with us.

We have gotten SO much done!

BOTH

Inside  

 LOTS of dusting!  We all work TOGETHER to get our jobs done!

 A beautiful CLEAN girls bedroom -- all dolls DRESSED, clothes away AND closets cleaned out!  AMAZING -- no worries, it won't stay this way ;)

Cleaning out their 'special boxes.'

and 

Outside!

 LOTS and LOTS of snow on the roof!

 The boys worked HARD-- and thankfully with a good attitude!

MD finished the garage roof!

We are so thankful for the tractor -- otherwise our LONG driveway would be LOTS of physical work!

We have done LOTS of baking!

Gluten-free cinnamon rolls -- Thanks Mindie for the recipe!

We LOVE to do arts and crafts!

There is games --

Reading

Yes, even in the bathtub -- My Darling reading to Elizabeth!

AND

some writing!

My Darling LOVES to write stories -- hmmmmm......she's already asking about her own blog ;)

WOW -- some great days --

Really -- this snow is beautiful!

Our front side yard.

At the farm.

EVEN if it's terrible to drive in and too cold to play outside in.

This is the school where I teach -- The drifts are past the windows.  This made the national news.

God really knows how to make this world look gorgeous -- 

Thank-you Lord for these special days!

Our backyard.

SOCKS!!!

I just have to say ......

I have something that absolutely drives my crazy .......

YES!!!!

I admit it ...............

The dreaded ----

PILE

of 

ONE SOCKS!!!

WHERE DO THEIR MATCH MATES GO????

WHERE DO THEY HIDE???

I keep saving them -- thinking --

"The socks HAVE to turn up!"

BUT

The pile still grows!!!

PLEASE ...... Mr. Sock Gremlin -- 

WE WANT OUR SOCKS BACK!!!!

AND ....... IT's OFF!!!!

The day has arrived!

This is the LAST morning to wake-up with a cast!

The last morning to LET mom do all of the washing-up and dressing.

The last morning to be HELD on the toilet!

The last time to be HARNESSED into the van.

She falls asleep as soon as we start driving!  She gets very sick to her stomach and feels that if she sleeps she won't be sick!

Oh, my -- she is just soooo excited for this day--

AND

So is mommy and daddy!

We arrived and we were called right back --
They started almost immediately!

Elizabeth had ONE request ---
'PLEASE, can I keep the pole that is between my legs?'
  Really!  

Yep, they cut the pole off first and gave it to her -- big SMILES!

Next, they started the long process of cutting all around the cast.  

They continue the process by PRYING the cast apart

AND 

LIFTING it off!!!

The padding is RIPPED apart!

FINALLY,

The liner is cut!

AND

TADAA
 It's off -- sorry -- can't show that :)

WOW -- what a relief!
AND
WOW -- lots of dead skin :)

The nurses brought everything in for us to start washing Elizabeth up.
Matt and I washed her up and lotioned her down!

She was so funny --- 'Oh, this feels SOOOO good!'

She wanted to get dressed and try to sit in her wheelchair.

Here is the our brave beauty queen!

She is just beautiful -- AND very skinny!!!  She lost a bit of weight -- which she did NOT need to loose.  I told her we would have to start feeding her slabs of butter --- and her response -- 'No! Momma, just lots of fruit.' :)

Off to x-rays --

Her right hip was fixed -- you need to look on YOUR left.  Right above the hip you see a hook  looking piece of bone coming out from the main bone area -- the area in between will fill in as she continues to heal -- it will look very similar to the other hip.  They are NOT perfect but it is sooo much better!

Now for the doctor evaluation --

AND

Yep, the healing process is going EXACTLY as planned.
He could not believe how clean the cast was --- yes, we were very picky about it!

What's next ... 

6 weeks total NON-weight barring.
Aqua-therapy -- this got an excited YEAH!
20 minute daily baths
2x daily leg/hip exercises to start building some strength.

Elizabeth just could not stop smiling!

BEAUTIFUL!

She is pretty weak -- to be expected!
AND
The only pain -- is her ................ BUTT!
So, she is sitting on pillows :)

Getting all comfy and enjoying some Swedish Fish.

She continued having FUN ---
Hot fudge sundae on the way home and lots of goofiness in the car

She is one crazy chicka:)

When she got home she got to eat dinner 
AT THE TABLE -- ON HER OWN!!!
YIPEE!!

A bath and Finally, the ONE thing she missed --- cuddles.
SO ---- mommy and Elizabeth cuddled in the chair ---

AND

She got to sleep with us!

This was such an AWESOME day!
Thank-you for your prayers!

She still has a long road but the hardest part is done!
Now, for healing and lots of therapy :)

The night before the CAST COMES OFF!!!!

OUR LAST NIGHT!!!

Tomorrow afternoon the cast comes OFF!!

YES, we are excited!

She has picked out an outfit to wear -- shoes included!

She knows she still cannot walk

BUT

She will be able to sit on the toilet, shower and sit-up!

PLEASE PRAY!

****Pray that everything has healed PROPERLY!

****She is NOT scared when the cast comes off.

YES, we still have a long road -- BUT we are so thankful this part is coming to an end!

Stay tuned for new HAPPY pictures tomorrow!

Another project ---- JM and his animal cell -- YUM!

7th grade Science Project

JM had to make an animal cell.

  

AND

He decided that he wanted the cell to be edible.

Well, of course we went to pinterest for some ideas :)

AND

Here is what we came up with ---

JM and I had a good time.  

We haven't done a fun project like this together in a long time!  He picked out the kind he wanted to do, I bought all kinds of candy to represent 'stuff,' MD helped JM bake the cake, I did most of the frosting and JM decorated and did all of the labeling.  

This was actually something I got to learn about --- 

Science is not mommy's thing and so JM taught me all about the animal cell!

I love doing these things with the kids.

NOW, he has to give the oral presentation on it tomorrow ---

Yep, he will do GREAT!

Birthday, fun, sleepovers and games! WOW!

One fun and CRAZY Friday!!!

We decided that this year My Darling would be able to have a birthday party with her school friends.

This was a pretty BIG deal to her :)

Our theme:  OWL's

So mommy and My Darling started looking for 'OWL' ideas.  

We had so much fun planning her party TOGETHER.

So, here is the highlights of her party!!!

Pretty table!

We ate the items many owls eat.

I Loved making the owl lanterns!  They turned out adorable.

Yummy food!!

We added an owl fruit with the other owl food -- gummy worms, Swedish fish and pretzel fish.

Yummy punch!

Fun games!

We played a OWL beanbag game.  I made owls for each of the girls to toss!  Yes, they each got to take one home. My Darling and I LOVED these!!!

This was lots of fun to make and PLAY --- and YES, I put the words on wrong and did not realize until it was STUCK in place.  Oh, well we still had fun!

Painting!

 Painting the pottery owls!

The girls are very artistic!

One of the finished products.

Dinner!

Stuffed crust pizza for dinner.

Gifts!

Dessert!

 Our fun Owl cupcakes!

Up close!  They tasted yummy!

The girls got to take their gifts and fun home in these AWESOME bags that My Darling and I decided on and had my cousin make.  They turned out GREAT!  Each of the girls signed their names on EVERYONE's bag!  

One of My Darling's friends spent the night.  Oh, they were just so excited.  There was LOTS of giggles and fun!

When the girls left at 7:30, MD had some of his friends walking in for ALL night gaming fun --- with a few movies as well!

They had so much fun! 

I do have to say --- 

Girl parties and WAY different than boy parties.  

ALTHOUGH

Both are fun -- boys are less work although they EAT WAY MORE!

I am so thankful that our children have some GREAT friends that enjoy celebrating and having fun together.  It really is such a relief as a parent to know that your children have some GOOD friends!

The group of girlies!