Back in the blog!

I am here........I woke up;I am alive and well. Thank you for your prayers and all the sweet thoughts. I thanked God ever so quickly that I was here to spend more time with my kids. I personally think the surgery was a breeze. Why not? I was on some good drugs; someone else breathed for me; my surgeon was excellent; I just laid there with legs in the air and minded my own business. Seemed like only seconds. However the before and after....................not so easy.

I could not eat anything after Midnight on Monday. Surgery was about 2'ish.....really...the last time I saw the clock it was 2:38. I needed caffeine and food. I asked the anesthesiologist if he could shoot me some caffeine into the IV. He laughed and said...nope. So then I informed him that I had decided that snot is now a part of the food pyramid. I told him that it was the only think I had eaten in 18 or so hours. He laughed and said....sorry. I also made a little friend. The kids pre-op was directly from my little cubbie. This little boy and I were showing off the different ways to wear those beautiful blue surgical hats. He was much less worried than I was. My family was a little worried when surgery went over the "time limit". You know what I mean. Dr. McCain said she had done more repair work than taking out work.

When I woke, I heard someone say something about my grandmother just wanting to see me so that she was sure I was alive. So I knew I was alive. Then I found my precious sister, friend Anne and Tony sitting waiting for me. Traci dealt with the nurses.......Anne spoon fed me water and ice......Tony loved on me. Of course when they were checking on things "down under" they told everyone to leave but the husband. I am not sure who moved faster....Traci telling them he was NOT my husband, or Tony getting out of there before they pulled the covers. My kids came up with cousin Brandi later. Of course she had just told them to be careful and not step on any tubes...........she found the IV with her heels. The drugs were good and it didn't bother me at all. I am glad that she had prepared them for the tubes. Makaley just wanted to touch me, hold my hand, and kiss me. Tues. morning as I let them off, she was a little upset. My babies were soooo glad to see their momma! I was glad to see them too.

Traci stayed the night(both) and nursed me with water and broth........I hate broth, but it never tasted sooooo good. The next day I had visitors, and was able to walk around the 3rd floor with hopes of getting solid food before midnight! Dr. said...."three toots and you can eat". Where did she come up with 3? But she is cute(has nothing to do with it), she is good, and she is very personable, I really like her, so I followed her orders. Yes, Sarah, it was the toot heard round the world, and on the third one, my mom literally ran to the nurses desk and said........."order that girl some solids." It took forever to get solids in and now it is taking forever to get the solids out. Hmmmmmm aren't you glad I shared that thought.

I am better every day. My family is worn out more and more each day bless their hearts. Mom stays at the house with us at night and we take the kids to school then go to her house where I am best friends with the recliner, remote, and book that I have read chapter 3 at least 3 times. (that number again) Tony has weekend patrol. How is it that man can get the kids to roll out of bed ON a Sun. morning at the same time I do, go to McDonald's and is on time to church? Hmmmm who could the be the real problem in getting to church? Traci and Brandi are "help" patrol. They do the behind the scenes, and the"when no one else can" things for me. They both listen to me complain, whine, or cry. You know, I paid good money to get off pads. Can't wait to see my money at work! 6 weeks. Hormones come next week, and Anne says......."Life is good then!"
Kauy asked me yesterday, "Mom, what kind of surgery did you have? I can't remember?"
Mom: "I had surgery like Bella (our dog) so I won't have anymore puppies"
Kauy: "ha ha, that would make me a dog already!"
I just hope that I don't go around scratching my stitches (3 of them) on the carpet when they itch.
This morning he says to my mom, "Hysti, I have to tell Ms. Gentry that my mom needs to poop to be well." Mom tried to convince him not to, but I bet that I am the comic relief at his school. Oh well, everyone needs to laugh until they hurt.

Thanks again for all the prayers. I hope to be my old/new self next week about this time. The Dr. said....."we took it all out; we repaired a lot of things; and I took some extra stitches!" Glad she is excited!

All will be well!!!

Sometimes you go to church and get nothing but a good shopping list created. Other times you go to church only to leave feeling guilty about something the preacher said you "should" do that you have not been doing and you vow you will "get 'er done". Then there are days like today that you leave feeling lifted in the midst of "whatever you want to call this mood" and you know that things will be good because you are going to trust God.

This week I am having surgery. This is the first real "big" surgery for me. I am not excited about the idea of having no control of my body for awhile. Yes, they reminded me that I would not even be able to breathe for myself while I am out. (Thank you very much for that note and I actually had to sign a paper that says I understand that I can have no more children after this surgery. Hello, did the same lady get some "hot coffee" at McDonald's?) I am not excited about the fact that I may tell all secrets when I come out of the sleep (If you need to protect yourself be there otherwise you are taking chances) and I DON'T like the fact that I can not eat anything after midnight Monday (surgery at 2'ish) not even a drink of water, gum or mint, nor can I have my jewelry or make-up on, and they will let me go when I can pass gas (I do that easily...daily...but watch me not be able to make the "cut" so to speak when I need to.) BUT............they (any woman who has been down this road) say that life after the 6 weeks recoup will be great. They say I will be a new woman.

In all of this roller coaster ride of emotions, the biggest thing is that...........I am the only parent my kids have. I want the doctors to know that, to be sure things go well, and to make sure that I wake up so I can spend my life enjoying this money that I have forked out already for this procedure. I have been brave, then chicken, brave, chicken but today after church..........I am brave!!!! We sang to God asking Him to "surround His people" which includes me. We sang about Him being able, being a comforter, being mighty, and taking away our worries. We sang that "this is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." Then Phil started his sermon with the boy who scooped up 5 stones and headed out to beat his giant. About 3 guys that went into the fire knowing beyond doubt that God would rescue them, but if He didn't.....they would still be His, and a child who gave 5 fish and that fed thousands. They believed in a God bigger than their smallest or largest worries. So....on Tuesday I will carry my 5 stones, 5 fish and loaves of bread and march into the fire (although those rooms are ice cold) and know that beyond a doubt God will take good care of me. And in a few days I will be singing "This is the day....I will rejoice in it" and be able to cough, laugh or sneeze without running to the bathroom!!!

Pray for my kids(October is already a rough month for them)...the doctors (I am not having tubes put in my ears or my tonsils out...other end please)...my family(they have a rough schedule)....Tony(If he sticks around after this we are going to be good!)...and my students at school who have some really tough subs (planned so that they will be very happy at my return).
Catch up with you in a few weeks!

Great Words of Wisdom.......by Vann

Many of you who read this blog attend church with me. You may have received the same "thoughts for the day" that I do. For those who don't go to church with us, Vann is a fun, Godly guy. His family is precious too. His personality is (as he once said) the "Sonic commercial" type personality. So with that said, I would like to share with you a couple of his most recent "thoughts". You will smile and I hope he doesn't kill me for sharing.

"I've heard of people being left-handed, but today I heard about someone who was left behind. What's up with that?" Trina's thought: Let's not talk about being behind...whether it is left behind, or my left behind which blends with my right behind. Sometimes I am so far behind that my behind is in the lead!

"I just found out I suffer from ADFD: Attention Deficit Food Disorder. My doctor says I need... oh, look! Cheesecake!!!!!!" Trina's thought: This would explain the last 10 pounds I have gained. I need something to blame it on because it could not be me. I am disciplined! I think the cure is.........excuse me while I get a bite of Crunch bar and a sip of my diet vanilla coke............the cure is............Oh......I hate celery soup!

"The trouble with life is there's no background music." Trina's thought: Is there enough different music to cover all of my moments in life? I mean, if your life is like mine, you would be changing the CD every few minutes. I would be so busy chasing the different music, that I would just need to make a 24 hour CD where I could just choose a short track (quickly) and move on. Of course....My ADFD would get in the way and I would have to find some music that would fit the "Ummmm this is delicious, and yes, I will have seconds, but dadgummit these jeans are tight on my left behind, behind, and that irritates me" moments that I have.

And Today is a New Day!

I told you today would be different. It is a day for celebrating. Well, I know one precious child that is really celebrating. Bless her heart she is sooooooooooo excited to be in the "double digit" field. I didn't have the heart to tell her that will be where she is the rest of her life. No more single digits and from now on it is a count"up" so to speak. The teenage years are just around the corner......then you go for the 20's and the "OH my goodness I hit 30" and then..well, you know how it goes.

Today Makaley is 10. Yep. I remember waking Kelly up and saying........"I hate this pain. Take me to the hospital. NOW!!" Then I remember thinking "What part of NOW did you not understand" as he is in the shower. Remember.............he had delivered calves so this was no big hurry.

In her room is a precious gift from some friends at church. "For this child I prayed". Makaley is one that was prayed into this world. As her mother, I can promise you she will be a trooper, a survivor, a giver (and a taker) and a servant for the Lord. I was 32 when I married Kelly. We waited two years to try to get pregnant. God once again allowed us struggles to make us stronger. I was pregnant at 38 with Makaley. We had spent a couple of years "enjoying" trying to get pregnant. Then we spent over a year trying to get pregnant with the help of medication and doctors. Let me say...........Kelly was a "good" sport. My favorite moment was when he woke me at 2:30AM to give me "the shot" because it had to be at that exact time. Of course he had me lean up against the saddle rack that was in our room (yes, he slept with the saddle in the room) and proceeded to inject the medicine. HOWEVER.........the needle was dull; we only had one....so he goes to the truck and gets one of the needles he had planned to use on his horse!!!! After months of driving to Lubbock at all hours, after seeing the family with 7 babies at one birthing, and after literally "flushing" money, we had decided to adopt.

Girls.........you know this next feeling. You come home and there are roses, dinner prepared and he tells you "I got a big raise" or you open your Christmas present, and it is a diamond tennis bracelet. Okay, so that only happens in TV. But, you know the very "unexpected" gift that you receive once in a blue moon? That was Makaley. I was to have surgery on a Wed. and had to take a Pee test on Tues. morning. And.........there it was. The sign that says 1 + 1 = 3.

So....Makaley.....Happy Birthday. I know this about you:

#1........You are a gift. I made sure you had a bow on your head the minute they would let me put one there. You are the best gift a woman could ask for. God blessed me with a precious little girl first. You bring joy to our family and you are a dedicated friend to your buddies.

#2......You are a trooper, a survivor. We were given a life changing experience.....you and me together. Thank you for keeping us laughing through the tough times. Thank you for helping me get Kauy into this world(you can stop bossing him now though). Thank you for knowing God and trusting Him when you were so young. And.........thank you for understanding that Daddy lives in your heart even though he is not in our house. You are so "us".

#3......You have the heart I long for. You see this world in ways I don't. You believe in things I have forgotten to believe in. You have sympathy for those who need just that. You worry about those who don't know God and have even cried for them. You can't stand for anything or anyone to hurt....ever. You still have the heart of a child. Don't loose that!!! You will grow boobs and other things. You will wear braces on your teeth, get some zits (other than the one you had last month)......You will be leaving those childhood years soon, have "boyfriends", mean friends, temptations, failures and success, but God says for us to "Be as little children"...........trusting, loving, believing and needing the Father.

Happy Birthday my little 10 year old. I love you!!!!!

Today is Today!

Yes, I live......Yes, I breathe.....and Yes, I am working my rear off, but have no way to prove it!!! Don't you hate it when you are working hard, but your rear gets larger?

So, I have my reasons for not writing in awhile. Besides, working, working and working, I have been kept busy by God. I love it when God knows you need to be busy....busy with His work, and busy about work.

I hate the first half of October and today is the mid-way point so tomorrow should be different(more about that............. tomorrow). Let's see.........why do I hate the first of October. It is still warm, and fall should have already blessed us with cool (I mean cool not lukewarm) weather. I also hate the beginning of October because the grass begins to die, acorns begin to fall (lots of acorns in my yard), and in previous years I have lost those that I love during the first weeks of this month.

Seven years ago today, the morning was like this one. Overcast, but not real cool. Seven years ago today our drought broke with a record 2 inches in just a couple of hours. Funny that those 2 inches started just about the time I was loading my pregnant body into a Limo to head to the church for a funeral. As a Language Arts teacher, I now find some real symbolism in that day. As Lois Lowry says in her book Number the Stars, "The rain made it seem as if the whole world was crying." And at the same time, I couldn't help but smile because I could see and hear "Cowboy Kelly" up there telling the Lord that it was "plumb dry" down there in Abilene, and he would like to take over the watering for awhile. You know, seven years have gone by. I have two precious children, a great support group at church, a family that God has kept together and kept us close, in-laws that love, help and support, and a wonderful man in my life, BUT.....today I miss Kelly. He was my FIRST real love. The one I first loved with my whole being...body, soul and heart. He was my "cowboy" who rescued me. He made me his queen. He is the father of my children, and the one who taught me to ride a horse, drive a huge truck, shoot a gun (told me to aim to the left and I would hit the target over on the right), and how to stop my fear of tornadoes (shoot them with a gun or just chase them!) He watched "Days of Our Lives", "Teletubbies", "Lonesome Dove" and attended "low-fat menu", teacher filled gatherings with me. If he said it, he meant it, and if he shook your hand, it was a honest and done deal. All 6ft 3in. of him would do potty patrol for 2 year olds at church, and he loved to take my grandmother for a spin in the John Deere Gator. Just so you know.................I still have those days; I still have those reminders (cowboy hats, mustaches and spurs); and in the middle of a blessed life, I still miss him. Miss him enough to share him with you today. Tomorrow will be different............Just wait and see. But today...........well, it is today.
www.hopeforlife.org

There are days and then there are days like today!!!!! Today was one of those "Oh how I wish" days. I wanted so badly to run out side and sunbathe. It was just the right temperature for me. It was a day that needed a "little color" to it. It was a day when no matter what I said, how I said it, they still thought "possible" was a verb. But then I get this photo and ........................Well, I decided that it would take too long to roll 'em back up into my "head 'em up move 'em out bra-hide" from Victoria's Secret. And, I would probably have the non-tanned section more to the side because I would also need to have a snooze while sunning. I have recently visited the OBGYN (who believes...If you are happy with your body then go ahead....have another dip of blackberry cobbler), and after reliving that picture, I decided against running out of the building, stripping down to my skivvies and getting some sun. Of course...........I bet I would have finally had my student's attention during class. Don't ya think! (P.S. Kauy just asked me if this was about our trip to Corpus Christi. Great. Thank you son. Did I look like this?)

Having a ball....well, sort of

We are in week 4 of school. Yes, you read that correctly. I am sure that my friend Sarah can tell you exactly how many days till the Christmas Holidays. But, I just count the days until Sun. not even Saturday! Saturday has become just another work day I think.
This past Sat. we were up at the soccer field at 9AM....didn't have to be there until 10AM but who knew? (My hearing must be going.) We took soccer pictures until hmmmmmmmm 10:45 and then I was privileged to have both kids playing at the same time on fields next to each other. However, and that is a huge however, it was hotter than blazes out on that field and my poor children learned what real sweat (and tears thank goodness there was no blood to go with it) is all about. They played so hard, did so well, and were red as pickled beets. Kauy actually kicked the ball, stole the ball, kicked down the field, headed for the goal and never once stopped to check out a blade of grass or see if there was a new rock on the field. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard other parents yelling "Go, Kauy, go. Score!" yes, positive thoughts this year. Gee, what 1st grade does to a young boy!!!! Makaley on the other hand was up and down that field doing her wonderful job of passing off! She is very good at NOT hogging the ball, and sharing the fun. She was WORN out. I hurt just looking at her.
After our morning of soccer and fun, we came home to prepare for yet another photo moment. Our church is making a new directory, and you know with that decision comes.......tah dah...Olan Mills and the checkbook. We had a family portrait ( containing 5 generations) made. Now, our family was having fun. I just don't think the photographer appreciated our fun. Do those guys get a degree in being bossy? Man, as a teacher, I get grumpy, but for pictures? Come on, make us smile and make us enjoy spending the unbelievable amount of money we are going to spend in the next room. But no, this guy was rather brash, that made the guy showing and selling the photos look like a comedian. (get the picture ha ha) And yes, I bought pictures. I think they did not like my sister sitting there reminding me that "this costs" and "oops, that will cost you" and "do you really want to spend that much?" Now, before some of you tell her to mind her own business, she knows me...........so she saved me money by sitting next to me! Thanks Traci!!
We finally made it home where I picked up my 3rd offspring.......Nikki. What a fun time. Susan and Bobby were here for the big 30 High School reunion, and so Nikki stayed with us. I always wanted more children. God does say "no" at the right time! They weren't bad, but oh my......were Suzie and I like that growing up. All giggly, and boy crazy, and all about High School Musical? Tell me NO!!! ha ha !! Nikki stayed with Makaley in her room for the night.
"The Man" and his moving van got here about 9:45 so it was a late night for all of us. And up for church the next morning. So...............God rested. He said to keep the Sabbath holy. So....Trina did both. Rested and tried to keep it Holy. Oh, and I bought NO pictures on Sunday!
Love you guys for reading this stuff!!!