Just A Little Note

Well hello there! It has been quite a long spell since my last post. We have been very busy healing around our house. Of course there is the ever present hip surgery, but also a little sprinkling of stomach virus and various minor injuries/ bites. We seem to all be on the mend, fingers crossed. We have also been very busy with family gatherings. 2 Family reunions on the same day and this weekend we have 3 4th of July cookouts! Lots of fun but a little tiring. Millie is so excited about the 4th. Today she had to buy a flag at the dollar store "to wave when the fireworks boom"! She also had to buy a red, white and blue necklace because it will be beautiful! I have been calling her my little firework for the past few days and she is eating it up! I can't wait to see her little face light up when the show begins. She makes everything magical. Every year I think, "well she has seen this before so it won't be a big deal", but every year there is a new element of surprise. I love my baby girl!

Birthday Flowers

(the flowers by our driveway)

A long time ago I remember my mom telling me that the wild flowers that popped out the first week in June are my "birthday flower". She always called them tigerlillies. Now my husband points out every year that they are not in fact actual tigerlillies, but every year he gives in after some threats. Anyway, these flowers go unnoticed by most, or they casually glance at them and think "oh pretty". But the first week in June when these flowers come bursting out it is quite special to me. For one thing my Nana and my Mom would always pick me huge bouquets of them on my birthday and make a big deal about how many they could fit in the glass vases. My grandmother passed on many years ago, but every year when I see the tigerlillies its like she is wishing me a happy birthday. When she died the tradition of bringing me big bunches was continued by my mother, mother in law and my Papaw. This is my first year without my Papaw. But the flowers are still there.

When Wayne and I picked a sight for our house to be built it was autumn, we began building in March. That June as construction was well underway, I was shocked to find that our new driveway was flanked on both sides by huge patches of wild tigerlillies. It was a sign to me that we belonged here.

This year Millie is appreciating the flowers for the first time. She is noticing their bright orange color, their huge blooms, their ability to show up in the most bizarre and overgrown spots and that they go to "sleep" at night and wake in the morning. Through her eyes I am appreciating their beauty again. Not a moment too soon. Tomorrow is my 30th birthday. It is a day that I have both dreaded and longed for. But no matter what the emotion of the moment, one thing can bring me peace. My beautiful "birthday flowers".

Touching Base

Hello! So it has been a week and..... we have a new hip. Last Wednesday Wayne had surgery to replace his degenerating left hip with a new prosthetic. It was a very long day full of bumps, but after 4 days in the hospital he was released. Today is one week since surgery and I am shocked at how much progress he has made. I used to be an orthopedic nurse, I remember hip surgery. I was scared because of how much I remembered, but Wayne is so different. He is moving independently with the assistance of a walker. He is standing and walking for long periods of time. (And he even chased after a defiant Millie last night. I couldn't help but stand back and chuckle...) There are still some fears, I think he will always find something to worry about, but for the most part we are clearing every hurtle. I am proud of his determination. I am trying to watch his example so I can have the same mindset about caring for both he and Millie. He is working under the no excuses mantra so I am adopting the same one. It is getting easier everyday. I still request your prayers. Please pray for me to have a better attitude and to stop feeling whiny. I am trying not to show how whiny I feel but it is coming through anyway. I hope to look back at this post in a couple of months and realize how far we have come.