oh, just a little word to the wise...

Don't let an ice-skate run over your hand!

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*we went this morning to her first physical therapy appointment,

it was intense,

they took off the bandage/cast and that was a work-out in and of itself...

it was so painful,

she was sweating and shaking and wincing and i had to walk out before i lost it,

(did i ever mention that i couldn't be a nurse?)

she was suppose to get rubber bands attached to her fingers today to start the bending process

but,

just removing the bandages was so overwhelming that

"Helen the hand lady"

decided that we should go back tomorrow!

ughh..

i took some pictures of her hand and her button that is sewed onto her fingernail,

but,

i'll save you the details....

your welcome!

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It's been a rough 2 days, Caitlyn's been in a lot of pain,

and apparently,

I'm driving her nuts cuz I guess I'm asking too many questions....

like,

how are you feeling? or, what do you feel like eating? or, What can I do for you?

it's all the questions a mother is suppose to ask,

but.....

I'm just her mother, what do I know, right!?

it's just a good thing Dayton is here a lot cuz

when he's here, she's all smiles and pleasant and calm.

he's a good kid and has been a big help to her this last week.

I wish we could take him to Utah with us.

the grandma's left yesterday and Kurt left this morning,

and the house is quiet...

I'm glad the grandma's were able to go home, we gave them a run for there money the last couple of week, I've been grateful for them, but with everything that's gone on,

Peggy and I didn't get to buy our matching p.j.'s and watch a chick-flick....

we are still homeless....

and instead of leaving for Utah in a couple weeks as planned,

we'll be here a couple more weeks because Caitlyn has physical therapy,

which she starts tomorrow (ouch) and will last 6 weeks.

I'm not really freeking out about all this stuff,

like trying to move across the country, being homeless, Caitlyn's finger's,

I'm just taking it one day at a time,

and I have this funny feeling that everything is going to fall into place like it should when the time is right....

button, button who has the button?

it was worse than they thought...

nerve damage to her pinky,

and tendon damage to all 3 fingers,

and get this....

they had to actually sew a "button" on top of her fingernail

to help pull the tendon down,

so she could bend her finger in the weeks that follow while she does physical therapy....

they will take off the button in 7-8 weeks.

isn't that crazy....a button!

i'm grateful for good dr.s, good modern medicine and good buttons,

I can only hope it's a cute one!?!

i can remember playing "button, button, who has the button"? when i was a little girl.

while you were sleeping..

~Dayton~

This is what we looked like this morning at 5:45 am while waiting for Caitlyn...

it was reassuring to go back with her while she got all prepped and ready to go,

the happy juice made her giggle,

and all the dr.s and nurses were so nice and kind,

(it made me want to be a nurse when i grow up, if only there wasn't any blood and guts, i'd do it)

the anesthesiologists knelt on a bended knee and said a prayer before he started, it was so sweet,

and his handle-bar mustache was even sweeter!!!

we are just out in the waiting room, waiting.....

it shouldn't take too long, about an hour.

thank you for everyone's support.

i'm glad that this day is here...

and

that she is on her way to recovery and bending her fingers again.

we ate breakfast and laughed while she was sleeping.

a post without pictures...

Today is Sunday....

it's crazy to think how in just a week everything can change,

last Sunday Kurt and I were in Utah,

we stayed in a hotel and when we woke up it was rainy and cold,

so cold that i stayed in my big black "Harris Siding" hoodie all day and I loved it,

and

it was Father's Day!

now,

we've had a crazy kind-of week....

but,

just about the time i start to get a little crazy,

i think of my niece, who had back surgery with rods and all,

and then 3 little fingers with a few tendon and nerve damage doesn't seem so bad!

tomorrow morning is Caitlyn's surgery.

Today was a nice Sabbath day,

we were invited to dinner with relatives that we didn't even know lived here...

gotta love genealogy!

Last night we went to the Jubilee,

i felt bad for Caitlyn who didn't get to participate after all the time she put into it,

but...

it's been a nice day.

there's no place like home....

I made it home to Texas with the most AMAZING thunder storm out my airplane window,

I've never flown in a storm before, and I can only say how "amazing" it truly was,

now because we landed safely on the ground....

it sure feels good to be home!

thank you Steph and Jenna for coming to pick me up and putting your lifes in danger to try to get me safely home...

thank you for so many other calls and voice messages.

again, I am so grateful for our ward family,

thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!

it's after 2 in the morning but i've needed time to just unwind and try to soak in my family,

I was glad Dayton was here, so I could give him a big hug and tell him thank-you for taking such good care of Caitlyn, he even went with her and grandma Peggy to the hand specialist this morning, and yes, Caitlyn will need surgery because it looks like the tendons and nerves were damaged, and she only has a small window of 10 days to get it done, so first thing tomorrow morning, i'll call and set up a surgery date....

she is sad that she won't be able to participate in the Jubilee, but we think it will still be a powerful experience to watch...

Caitlyn seems to be in good spirits,

but I'm worried abut this next go around, it will be harder and will be a longer healing process.

please continue to keep her in your prayers and don't be afraid to call or come over,

she's thankful for the distractions...

(Dayton and I laughing at Caitlyn @ Candice's graduation)

Kurt is on his way home,

which is always good cuz he has this way of helping calm our hearts.

I need a calm heart......that's why I'm a cosmetologist and not a nurse!

the skate...

We found a great house today that we loved...

then while we were eating lunch at Cafe' Rio,

(a most delicious place to eat)

Caitlyn called and was talking to Kurt, by the look on Kurt face I could tell something was wrong at home, and when I heard the word hospital,

i dropped my head and a prayer started pouring from my heart......

while Caitlyn and her hot friend were ice skating this morning, a skate ran over her hand....

5 stitches in her pinky, 4 in her ring finger and 3 in her middle finger!!!! ouch, i have been sick about it all day...

it's the worst feeling of having your child get hurt and you being far from home!

tomorrow morning she will go see a specialist to make sure that there is no nerves or tendon cut or damaged.

I got a flight out tomorrow afternoon, and Kurt will drive his big rig home in a few days.....

I am so, so grateful for Bro. Stimpson and Bro. Boyd who are our home- teachers, who we called and within the hour they were there to give Caitlyn a priesthood blessing, I'm grateful for the ward members who have called to help, thank you, I am humbled.

I am grateful for Dayton,

(her boy-friend) who stayed calm, took her to the hospital and stayed with her through the whole experience!

please send a little prayer Caitlyn's way...

thank-you!

and thank-you grandma Peggy for holding down the fort while we've been gone....

sorry, we've giving you a run for your money!

dad's day 2011....

I was honored to be able to spend Father's day 2011 with my dad....

i bought him a beautiful plant for his office and then a homemade card...

(what do you buy a dad who has everything?)

we'll celebrate Kurt's day in a day or two when we get home....

i bought him a cool gift!

(a deep pan for making his favorite sauces, did i ever mention he is a great cook?)

we had a great sunday brunch at my sisters,

thanks Jenae and Tom...

Utah

Oh, How Lovely was the Morning,

Radiant beams the sun above

bees where humming, sweet birds singing...

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Kurt and I came out to Utah this past week to house hunt...

we've seen some good ones,

but, I've felt unsettled and anxious since I got here,

knowing that I needed to go to the temple and clear my thoughts,

so thats what we did on Saturday morning,

and after that we ate lunch and looked at another great house that would probably be a good fit for our family...

it's hard to decide....

it's been nice to be here as it always is,

i've loved seeing half my family again...

sorry I missed you Dave!

Our Graduate Graduates...

Out of over 850 students graduating in the class of 2011....

there were 9 from our ward....

after i had a meltdown that morning in the bathroom while she was doing her hair,

I pleaded with her not to graduate, and she said "Mom it's a little too late"..........

so, then i started to plead with her not to go to college, and too just stay with us!!!

but, that girl has this crazy dream of leaving home, living on her own like an adult, and going to better herself with more knowledge and new friends!

whatever!

she graduated successfully!

my favorite parts of the evening;

hearing her name and watching her walk crossed the stage..

(and feeling the same butterflies that she did)

then they ask the parents to stand to be acknowledge in helping there graduates get to where they were.... I thought that was so sweet.

then they asked the grandparents to stand.....that's when I lost it, as i turned and watched Peggy stand, she was there when Cj was born and at ever other milestone in her life.

then,

they ask the great-grandparents to stand! WOW!!!

it was nice to have grandma and the great there!

oh, and it's so nice when little sisters boyfriends come for support too!!!

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