Maggies Jr. Prom 2011

Maggie’s junior prom was May 13th. True to form, Maggie embraced the whole experience from start to finish with enthusiasm and excitement. Dress shopping was so much fun and as you can see by the pictures Maggie chose a dress that so fits her personality… vibrant, fun and colorful. It’s always fun to watch our sweats and T-shirt loving Maggie get dressed up and look so beautiful. When Bryson, her date, arrived to pick her up in his Dad’s 1976 Maverick, Maggie was thrilled! They enjoyed a wonderful evening together.

Forever God is with Us

Once again it’s been a while since I’ve updated the blog. The last couple of months have been extremely busy sprinting to the finish line to complete the work for my teaching certificate. Tuesday I officially completed my 12 week teaching placement in sixth grade. I completed my graduate courses a few weeks ago and last week was my final observation by my mentor. I’m thrilled and thankful to have finished this process. I know without a doubt it was only by God’s grace and strength that I was able to pass the intense entrance exams into the program and juggle the work load of the graduate courses and classroom placement.

In the midst of finals the last week of April, Kate fell and injured her leg.
Following an x-ray in the ER in Ohio, the radiologist determined the femoral neck was fractured and she would need surgery. He felt the pain was too severe for a car ride and had Kate transferred by ambulance to Children’s Hospital in Pgh., where they did a CT scan to assure there was no tumor cause for the bone break. Both the OH and the Pgh. docs indicated this is the type of injury you see in elderly ladies with osteoporosis. Due to Kate's high doses of steroids, chemo and radiation her bones are very soft. Surgery went well and three screws were used to repair the hip fracture. Kate has neuropathy in both legs (nerve damage from cancer treatment) so her right leg is not strong either. She is using a walker to get around and a wheel chair for distance at this point. She was not to put weight on her leg for a month. It has been a bit of a challenge in that Kate's upper body and right leg are not strong, but they will be by the time she is recovered as she uses them to compensate for the left leg. As always Kate handles all with out complaint. Monday we saw the surgeon for a follow up visit. He was pleased with the healing thus far. She will continue using the walker for the next six weeks and is now allowed to put 15-20 pounds of weight on her leg. She is doing 3 on-line courses this summer, so that will be perfect for her recovery time. She still has one final to make up, but Malone has said just to contact them when she is ready. We are incredibly thankful for answered prayer and God’s care all along the way. Kate had the head of the department as her surgeon and an excellent anesthesiologist and a smooth surgery. We would be grateful for your continued prayers for a full recovery, and that the blood flow to the site would not become occluded (20-25%) chance which would manifest itself after about three months. Maggie has been an incredible help during Kate’s recovery. She has had such a servant heart and has cared for and assisted Kate so lovingly and patiently. We are thankful for the prayers, meals, phone calls, gifts and cards sent to bless us during this little bend in the road. It’s both the little and big challenges in life that grow our dependence on God, and claim the song words: “Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever!”