Look What I Made

As you know, my husband was out of town when Tyler's accident happened. Our family lives out of town so I called one of my husband's co-workers right after I found out and she drove the girls & me to the hospital. It was such a great help, considering I was really in no condition to be driving. Mary was right there - giving directions to my father-in-law to get to the hospital, taking Taylor & Tess to the cafeteria so they could eat something, driving Tess to stay overnight at a friend's house, etc.

I wanted to show Mary how much I appreciated her kindness to us so I made her a candy bouquet! I also made a card for her. I took it into work today and she really liked it - yay! Several people commented they thought it was pretty neat :)

I'm also in the process of making a few more - one for the pediatric floor at the hospital and another for the mom of Tess's friend who cared for Tess for a few days.

Here's the website where I originally got the idea for the candy bouquets - http://www.ediblecraftsonline.com/candy_bouquets/index.htm

I used some of those ideas as a basic guide and just added my own creativity.

I'll be sure to post pictures of the other finished candy bouquets. Try making one...you'll have fun!

Reflections...

I know it seems like I've only been posting about Tyler lately...but I think all of you understand why, don't ya? It's been one week today since his terrible accident. Each day that goes by really causes me to pause and whisper a prayer of gratitude & thankfulness as I remember last Wednesday. God spared Tyler's life that day; there's no doubt about it.

We had to go to Tyler's school today to pick up schoolwork. I intentionally avoided the route that would take us by the accident scene. I still can't bring myself to drive down that stretch of road...

Please take a little bit longer to hug the ones you love, tell them how much you love and care for them ~ make sure they really know how you feel. 'Cause I'm tellin' ya ~ we are NOT promised tomorrow and you may not get another opportunity. I almost didn't.

Mr. Charming

Don't ya just love this goofy picture of Tyler and his baby cousin? I have to say, this captures a glimpse of his silly personality!

There's a funny little story to tell about Ty's hospital stay. He was placed in ICU on the pediatric floor as a precaution because a mass of bleeding repeatedly showed up on each one of the CT scans he had (4 in all, I think).

We had to just chuckle every time we saw this little sign above his bed. Here's this big 16 year old kid who is the size of a man...Tyler is just over 6 feet tall. The sign had a picture of a teddy bear and it said, "HI, MY NAME IS TYLER AND I WEIGH 90.7 KG"!!!

As you may know, Tyler plays guitar in a band. Hmmm, guess what just happened to be in his car at the time of the accident? Yep, you guessed it....his electric guitar! The cool thing is the towing people removed it from the car, tagged it and held onto it until we got to the impound lot to retrieve it. Man, that was a blessing! (Something on the guitar is actually messed up, though.)

The third day in the hospital (Friday), Tyler was going nuts from boredom. He asked us to bring his guitar and cell phone (which also escaped harm in the accident, believe it or not).

When we went to the hospital on Saturday morning, we just laughed and laughed....Tyler had charmed his way into getting the full hook-up from the nurses! There was a little clip-on fan at the head of his bed (in case he got hot), a radio to listen to (his band was being featured on one of the local radio stations & they were interviewing the bassist), one of the hospital's laptop computers and the actual remote to the tv, not just the hooked-by-wire-with-the-call-button one! Tyler had all the nurses laughing. He was even charming when he called the "room service" to order some food. (Guess it's been a while since I was in the hospital; didn't know they called it that!) He even made polite conversation with the lady who delivered his food...he was chatting with her about her daughter :) Tyler's personality reminds me so much of his father!

Just Call Me 'NURSE LADY'!

Just thought I'd share a few pics with ya. Tyler's still in a great deal of pain but he's getting around some on his crutches. Bobby & I decided to take him out yesterday for a bit of fresh air and a change of scenery. Bobby & Tyler went into Guitar Center and played around for about an hour. I think it was good for him to get out but we could definitely tell when it was time to get Ty back home.

Not trying to be gross in showing ya the x-ray. Just wanted to show the break, though. The night of the accident and right up until the time Ty was taken to surgery, they had his leg in traction. You know, the weights hanging at the end of the bed and that whole thing. Well, when the orthopedic surgeon came to speak to us before the surgery, he accidentally bumped those weights - OUCH!!!! Ty let out a big yelp. Boy, I felt so sorry for him. I think the doctor was a little embarrassed :)

Tess & Tyler definitely have their moments but she really loves her big bro. She & her entire 6th grade class made him a card. Be sure to click on the picture to enlarge so you can read some of the things they wrote...some pretty hilarious stuff in there!

We're still receiving meals from various families in the church. It's been so helpful knowing I don't have to mess around with fixing supper. I don't know if I've even shared this part of it, but we've only been going to this church for a few months and it's not like so many people even really know us...so that's been very touching; that so many people would reach out to us in kindness. We also got a HUGE fruit basket from the church. (I actually gave a bag away to one of Ty's friends who came to visit...we'll never eat it all up fast enough.)

Tyler's had a few friends stop by to visit. I guess a lot of people have contacted him on his cell phone and he's gotten text after text after text to come over, but Ty has kinda just had the ones over who he's really wanted to see.

So, we're all hanging in there. Thanks again for the lovely comments, constant prayer and warm wishes for Ty's speedy recovery.

Enjoy a wonderful day!

Our Boy Is Home!

Just wanted to let y'all know Tyler was discharged from the hospital about 5 p.m. so we've got him home now! We're getting him all settled in.

Thanks again so much for your concern and prayers; each and every single one is so much appreciated!

People from our church have scheduled meals to be brought to our family through next Saturday...wow, what a blessing that has been!

I'll continue to update. Thanks again!

P.S. Taylor's rugby team won 1 game and lost 1 game in the playoffs today :)

Oh, You Aren't Gonna Believe This

There were several messages on our answering machine when we got back from the hospital tonight. One of them was from my sister Lisa. She was calling to tell me that she & her youngest son, Josh (5, almost 6 years old) had been involved in an auto accident tonight. My heart just dropped right through the floor!

I am so glad to tell you they're both fine...PRAISE THE LORD!!!! A van pulled out left when Lisa had not quite yet passed through the intersection and this guy's van caught the back of her Yukon...near the gas tank...near where Josh sits. Yet another miracle in my life this week! God is so good and His hand of protection was very present in both situations...with Lisa & Josh and with Tyler.

Speaking of Tyler, here's the latest update on his condition...

They are still monitoring him for a possible head injury. Tyler has had 4 CT scans since the accident and each one of them show a bit of bleeding in the brain. Physical therapy came to see Tyler this afternoon and got him all set with a pair of crutches. He's slowly getting out of bed and up moving around.

There was talk of possibly discharging Tyler from the hospital tomorrow, although that's really quite an up-in-the-air thing at this point. So it may even be Sunday before he gets out.

Bobby & I had to go to the impound lot to get everything out of Tyler's car today. Whoa, I really didn't like seeing it again. It was the first time Bobby had seen it. What a miracle, what a miracle - that's all that kept going through my head. As I previously mentioned, the car is totaled right out.

In case any of you are wondering, Taylor & Tess (our daughters) are doing fairly well. Taylor came to the accident scene with me and was totally freaked out by it - uh, with good reason. Tess saw Tyler for the first time back in the trauma room and it was upsetting to her. Bobby & I have tried to keep things 'fairly normal' (normal? normal? what's THAT?! LOL) for those girls. They went to school today and I ate dinner at home here with Taylor tonight. Tomorrow Taylor's rugby team will travel to playoffs and we felt it best for her to go. She wanted to and we didn't object. Tess is having a sleepover at one of her friend's houses.

Anyway, that's about the news here. I know I'm going to be super duper thankful to sleep in my own bed tonight and believe me, it will be with a very very grateful heart for God's protection and miracles.

A Tyler Update

Hello all. First of all, thanks so much for your prayers for us. I truly believe that's what has gotten me through the last 24 hours.

I've stopped home real quick to grab a few hours sleep, a shower and a change of clothes before heading back to the hospital. I've been up now for almost 36 hours. I am exhausted.

The short story of what happened is this (I'll share details later)...

Tyler was involved in a terrible car accident yesterday afternoon. A pickup truck pulled out in front of Tyler's car and he t-boned the truck at the posted speed he was traveling at 55 miles per hour. Let me tell you....IT IS A MIRACLE Tyler is even alive!!!!!!!!!!!

This is where I'll have to share details later for the sake of time but Tyler managed to crawl out of the car and give a passerby our phone number to call me. I went to the accident scene and about passed out when I saw Tyler's car and heard his screams. The cops had to hold me back from running to Tyler as he lay screaming on the board next to his car. The front end was smashed like an accordian and the car is definitely totaled.

He has a badly broken femur, which took about 4 hours to repair in surgery. They inserted a rod and screws into his leg. Lots of cuts and bruises, possibly a broken nose. He is in so much pain right now. They kept him in ICU overnight to closely monitor Tyler because they suspected a head injury.

I've been doing a lot of crying and praying, as you can imagine.

Bobby got to the hospital safely this morning about 6:30 a.m. after driving through the night from NC. It was such a relief for him to finally get here. My in-laws were at the hospital with me.

OK, that's about all for now. I've GOT to go lay down right now; I'm gonna drop!

The Boys

I LOVE this picture! Yep, it's definitely one of my favorites. It was taken on the day of our son Tyler's baby dedication at church. A big group of us went out for dinner afterwards at a local restaurant.

There are 4 boys in Bobby's family. He is the oldest son. Tyler is the only grandson; all the rest of the grandkids are girls!

From left to right: David, Aaron, Bobby and Andy. Aaron is holding Tyler; he's about 2 weeks old. My oh my, how time flies...that baby is 16 years old!

Thanks for looking at one of my favorite memories!

Yup, We're Proud of Him!

World Series of Golf Crowns Champion:

Michigan Car Salesman Knocks out Poker Pro to Win $250K

Las Vegas (May 15, 2008) - In an event that combines the wagering format of Texas Hold 'Em with the skill of golf, Andrew "AJ" Johnson, a 36-year-old car salesman from Davison, MI, outlasted a field of 80 amateur golfers - including several of the world's greatest poker players - to win the second annual World Series of Golf and its $250,000 top prize.

Johnson successfully knocked out poker pros Allen Cunningham, Erick Lindgren and Dee Tiller, sealing his victory by nailing a tee shot just a few yards short of the pin on the first playoff hole, a 163-yard par three at Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas. Lindgren, a member of Team Full Tilt, finished second, winning $60,000.

The final round of the World Series of Golf was played in a five-some that paired Johnson with Cunningham, Lindgren, Tiller, and Bill Spencer, a semi-retired builder from Las Vegas, NV.

The World Series of Golf is scheduled to be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports, June 28 and 29.

The World Series of Golf combines the wagering format of Texas Hold 'Em with the skill of golf in a patent-pending format that allows for high-stakes to ride on each golf hole. Players ante up on each tee, then can bet, raise, call, check or fold on each subsequent shot.

The object of the game is not to shoot the lowest golf score, but rather to claim the pot on each hole, eventually eliminating your opponents by winning all of their chips.

Johnson, a former collegiate baseball player at Michigan State University said, " This is a once in a lifetime experience. I've never played anything like this, and I've already paid my entry fee for next year."

With a $10,000 buy-in, the event attracted amateur golfers from all across the United States and Canada. Participants represented all walks of life ranging from private equity investors and Las Vegas high-rollers to electricians and construction contractors.

High-profile participants for the event included:
* Ray Romano, actor ("Everyone Loves Raymond"), comedian
* John Daly, TV personality ("Real TV")
* Phil Gordon, world-class poker pro, author and television host
* Phil Ivey, five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner
* Tom Schneider, 2007 World Series of Poker Player of the Year
* Daniel Negreanu, two World Poker Tour titles
* Rhett Butler, 2006 World Series of Poker main event 5th-place finisher
* Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, 2000 World Series of Poker Champion
* Erick Lindgren, 2004 World Series of Poker Player of the Year
* Dusty Allen, former major league baseball player
* Emily Jilette, wife of magician Penn Jilette (of Penn & Teller)

Actor and comedian Ray Romano - playing for charity - delivered a strong performance, advancing to Day Two by making a dramatic comeback on the 19th hole of play. He went from the lowest chip count to the leader with an "all in" bet on a tricky putt. (Extra holes are played in the event that players still have chips remaining at the conclusion of regulation play.) Romano was eliminated on the 17th hole on Day Two. Poker superstar, Phil Ivey, who went "all in" on the first hole of the event, was eliminated; Emily Jilette, the only female entrant, put in a strong performance but was eliminated on the 19th hole after leading for most of the first round.

The closing ceremony will be held at the Mirage Hotel & Casino, the host hotel of the event, and will feature an exclusive performance by Zowie Bowie.

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Mr. Champion pictured above is my brother-in-law!!!!!!!!!! He's my husband's youngest brother. It was really exciting around here the other night when Andy called my husband to share the news...Bobby was practically jumping up and down - that's how happy and proud he was! Andy had just won shortly before he called Bobby but had to hang up quick 'cause he said several news stations were waiting to interview him (CBS was first in line, I guess)!

Andy was a high school junior when I first started dating his brother. When our son started talking, he just couldn't pronounce "Andy" very well so Tyler called him "Unca Nanny" and it has stuck through the years!

WAY TO GO, "Unca Nanny"!!!!!!

Yearlong Christmas Plan, Month 5

Uh-oh, guess I'm a bit late in posting about the Yearlong Christmas Plan suggestions - usually I did that at the beginning of the month, not the middle. Oh well :0)

YEARLONG CHRISTMAS PLAN, MONTH 5

*Get the whole family involved in having a garage sale. Save some of the proceeds for Christmas presents or a special family trip during the holidays.

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So the weekend is finally here! Does anyone have any special plans? My husband is going out of state for a week long golf trip. He's pretty excited! There are a group of 20+ guys who've been going on this annual golf outing for about 20 years or so. Same place every year. Some of the men have retired or moved (like us) since that first trip, but even so most of them make it a top priority to go. It's a nice reunion for the guys and I know Bobby's been looking forward to it for many months.

Our girls are going to an overnight youth group retreat tonight, then tomorrow the kids are participating in a community clean-up day. I honestly don't know how those kids can stay up all night without a wink of sleep...it's been a LONG time since I could do that! LOL

I'd love to hear what you're up to! Whatever you do, have a great weekend :)

Aw, Look At This!

My daughter Taylor (she's 14, almost 15 years old) made me a special birthday card and had a bunch of her friends from school sign it, too. Aw, isn't it so cute?! I especially had to laugh at the back of it and how she signed it...'made by your favorite kid'! HA! (For those of you that don't already know, I have 2 other children...Taylor always jokes around that she's my favorite - I'm a middle kid, she's a middle kid - so she thinks we're kindred spirits and understand each other!)

Thanks again for the sweet birthday wishes! I think it's true...age really IS just a number...'cause ya know, I sure don't FEEL forty!

More Birthday Gifts To Share

My friend Candy is always early in sending things. Sooooo unlike me - seems I'm late more often than not! So I received a beautiful birthday package in the mail a couple of weeks ago. I was gonna wait to open it until my "official" birthday - oh, but I just couldn't so I tore into it!

Candy made me that pretty card and included a very sweet handwritten letter. She knows I'm a scrapbooker so I received a variety of supplies, a cool Canadian decorating magazine, a packet of pretty Kleenex and a hankie, and see that adorable apron I'm wearing? I have to be honest and tell ya that was my most favorite thing in the package...I LOVE black & white polka dotted things!

Thanks so much, Candy, for everything! I love it all and you already know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness :)

Headin' Over The Hill!

Tomorrow is a special day. Yup, I'm hittin' the BIG 4-0 and headin' on over the hill! Believe me, it sounds strange to my ears to even say that! I really can remember when I was a teenager and it seems so hard to believe as many years have passed since then.

I've already received several beautiful gifts so I just thought I'd share them with you. My sister Lisa and I live about an hour away from each other so we don't get to hang out as often as we'd like to. My family and I still go to the same dentist, who is located near where my sister lives. I had an appointment yesterday and was able to go visit Lisa afterwards. She had such a nice gift waiting for me!

I LOVE lilacs; I mean, absolutely loooooove them - shoot, forget roses...give me lilacs any day! Well, as you can see from the picture, I got a beautiful 'Lilac Blossoms' Yankee candle. Oh, I wish you could smell it - it's awesome! Have you ever read through those 'year you were born' books? Lisa got me one of those and it's interesting to read all the info. Last but not least, Lisa has two large lilac bushes in her yard so she cut me a whole box full of lilacs. I had enough to make up 3 separate bouquets and a small single bloom that floats in a pretty vase that had belonged to my mom. You should smell the inside of my house - mmmmm!

We had a small challenge getting the lilacs into the car I was driving without making a huge mess. I was driving my husband's company car (have you seen those new Pontiac G8's? They're pretty cool) and I got an unexpected call during the visit to head back to the dealership where my husband works. They had a customer who wanted to test drive that G8 and the one I was driving was the only one they had left. So with that in mind, Lisa & I were trying to think of the best way to transport those lilacs and not have little petals all over the place. (Normally it wouldn't be a problem but I wasn't sure if the customer would already be there waiting or what.) We ended up putting them all in this big box, then sticking the box inside one of those "Force Flex" trash bags (I love those things!) and it worked out great :)

Thanks again, Lisa, for everything! It was great to see you...sorry we had to cut our visit short :(

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day! Enjoy a beautiful day with the ones you love...celebrate MOM! And to those of you who have lost a mother making today especially difficult, I'm sorry and pray the memories of your mom will make you smile today, even though she's not here. I know it's so hard - but that's what I'm gonna do today. Remember the good times and hold onto those.

Did You Really Know This Is What You Were Signing Up For? Me Neither!

POSITION: Mom, Mother, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
For the rest of your life. Must provide on-the-site training in basic life skills, such as nose blowing. Must have strong skills in negotiating, conflict resolution and crisis management. Ability to suture flesh wounds a plus. Must be able to think outside of the box but not lose track of the box, because you will most likely need it for a school project. Must reconcile petty cash disbursements and be proficient in managing budgets and resources fairly, unless you want to hear, "He got more than me!" for the rest of your life.

Also, must be able to drive motor vehicles safely under loud and adverse conditions while simultaneously practicing above-mentioned skills in conflict resolution. Must be able to choose your battles and stick to your guns. Must be able to withstand criticism, such as "You don't know anything."

Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5 to go skating. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.

Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.

Must screen calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery operated devices.

Also, must have a highly energetic entrepreneurial spirit, because fund-raiser will be your middle name. Must have a diverse knowledge base, so as to answer questions such as, "What makes the wind move?" or "Why can't they just go in and shoot Sadism Hussein?" on the fly. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

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WISHING EACH ONE OF YOU A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Thankful

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22,23

I'm so thankful for God's never ending faithfulness to us! Last week will go down in the history books as being one of the very worst in my life...but through it all, God was there and I really took great comfort in that. Thanks very much for your kind thoughts and prayers and concern.

This week has been absolutely wonderful so far and very uneventful, I must say. You just don't even know how glad I am to say that! Hey, I'll take a relaxed, kinda boring day anytime compared to all the stress that was jam packed into a few days' time :)

How is your week going so far?

Another prayer request

Having a really bad week. Would appreciate your prayers very much. Thanks in advance :)