THE WHITE SUMMER

I have decided to name this summer....THE WHITE SUMMER...because there is no tan on this body whatsoever. I am a little fearful of tanning booths this summer with my surgery and it takes so much effort for me to tan outside.  I hope this isn't a sign I am getting old.  I have reverted to self-tanners...there is a secret to using those I am finding out....does anyone know the secret?  I don't have the skill yet....

Summer is moving right along...vacationing in Virginia worked out well...it was the first vacation that we brought along our own recliner since I was two weeks post-op.  The hotel staff was so accomodating and nice but I think the other guests in the lobby thought we were a little whacked when Wayne brought a recliner in from our van...one even commented..."WOW, they are bringing their own furniture..."  You just can't worry about what other people think.  After five months, I have been able to sleep in the bed for the past week without pain or uncomfortableness. ( YEA!) It was great to see Wayne's family again...we always enjoy our time with them.

My kids have been to CIY at Anderson University for a week and I love to see how pumped up they are when they come back...that makes it worth the money :)  Like last year, they have missions to accomplish--my daughter is to sell $500 of her possessions and give it to a mission of her choice...my son is to lead a family Bible study.  He feels that God wants him to have it with his dad...WOW!  God is able and He is able to surprise us...that is all I can say! ( a quote from Priscilla Shirer) God can do great things when you go out of your comfort zone...I continue to pray for courage for both of my kids to be so close to God that they are sensitive to where He can use them best!

My daughter leaves to go to University of Louisville to begin her Ky Ambassador Choir Tour to Europe today.  She goes to rehearsal camp until Wednesday and then flies out that night to London to begin her tour of seven countries.  This has been two years in the making and I can't believe it is here.  She has been saving for it with her job at Chick-Fil-A.  I am excited for her to be able to do this.  She will not be back until July 15th.  ( I will miss her as much as I am excited for her! ) Life has been a little crazy around here getting her ready for that...

I went for another follow-up appointment yesterday and all is going well!  I am able to lift and resume all activity with no restrictions.  He encouraged lifting weights again because it is better when my pectoralis muscle is stronger.  It decreases scar tissue from building up over time and that is what can rupture an implant.  My next appointment is in August to discuss the next step in my reconstruction...I have been working two days per week in a nursing home being a PT where I am lifting a little more than I have in ten years.  That has been an adjustment but I love working with the elderly again...it is like seeing the long-term result of decisions that people make right before your eyes and it makes you realize the small decisions that are made everyday--good and bad--can put you on a different path and you choose the path you are on! Some of these people are so beautiful on the inside it makes them beautiful on the outside-you know they have lived life intentionally and with a focus on the positive around them....Life is a series of choices that people make in all areas of their life!   Something for me to remember...

Thank you for your continued prayers for my recovery...I feel recovered for the most part but the process is not over yet...I am getting to a point where I don't think about it everyday and that is right where I want to be....