What a Whirlwind

Emmet James

Sunday was Mother's Day.  Scott and I drove to Topeka to pick up Julie and take her to my Mom's.  We spent the afternoon there, eating and celebrating Mother's Day and David's engagement.  David has started dating, fallen in love, and become engaged to a good friend of his, Lisa.  We got to know she and her son and his family then drove back to Manhattan.

Leah was scheduled to have her baby boy induced on Thursday.  Sunday night we had a family group chat on the internet.  Hannah joked with Leah that she'd go into labor right after our chat and she did!  

Leah called 15 minutes before my alarm went off for work Monday morning.  So I packed and showered and headed for Newton and got to the hospital about 830.  Scott woke up slower and joined me about 1030.  Leah and David had gotten to the hospital around 2.  They let me see her about 930 as she'd just had an epidural.  She looked good and relaxed!  Her room was big and she'd have the baby and stay right there in the same room.  Her college roommate and good friend Emma's mom, Cindy, was Leah's labor nurse.

Scott and I waited all morning with very little news, texting Hannah and Joel along the way.  At 1030 I overheard Cindy talking to someone on the phone saying , She's feeling pressure but we will wait for you.  A lady who looked like she could be the doctor arrived and everyone went into Leah's room.  About 1145 I heard a baby crying but I wasn't sure it was our baby.  David finally came out around 1245 and said she'd had the baby and the baby cried the whole time and she wanted to nurse him then we could go in.

Around 1, we got to go in and meet little Emmet James, 7.2, 19 1/4 inches.

He was so sweet and so tiny and so precious! He is cuddly and calm and sweet. I still felt shell shocked but when Scott and I left for awhile to eat, I missed him and couldn't wait to get back to him!  We spent the evening and Scott decided to return to Manhattan.

I stayed Monday night at the house and got up and cleaned and ran errands and grocery shopped and returned to the hospital around noon Tuesday.  I love Leah's house and North Newton.  

Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Stacy, our awesome friend who lets the dogs out every day we go to work, that Rex was not using his back legs.  She had to go to work.  Rex had been going downhill and I'd had him at the vet the previous week where the back up vet said he was having some heart and neurological problems.  I started praying he'd hang on.  So when Stacy called, all my emotions got tangled and I cried hard.  I talked with Joel and Hannah and Scott and had a friend check on Rex.  Julie also came to Manhattan and we were going to have them bring him to me.

Tuesday afternoon, Leah and David and I took Emmet home to his new house.   I spent the evening helping and cooked them dinner, then decided to return to manhattan to figure out Rex.  

I was exhausted but spent the evening and next day with Rexie.

The next day, I took him to the vet and was sure this was it, the end.  The sweet vet listened to my concerns and said, "Let me take care of Rex, you go,take care of your grandbaby".

So I returned to Newton Wednesday afternoon.

What precious times wth Leah and Dave and sweet little Emmet.  

I even bonded with Moose who was gentle and cuddly with me and with Emmet.  

Wednesday night, Leah got up many times to feed him, but the rest of the night was mine.  Little punkin was spit uppy and cuddly and wanted lots of comfort.  He wouldn't sleep in his bassenett so I held him most of the night.  At 3, he was wide awake and stared into my face for 15 entire minutes before drifting off to sleep.  We were both exhausted when we woke up but I loved every minute.  

Thursday morning, more cleaning and laundry and cooking and cuddling and we decided I would return to Manhattan.  Leah and David were going to have visitors and see the pediatrician and decided the grandma spoiling needed to be limited so little one learned to sleep in his bassinet.  

I drove right to the vet office and there discovered that though he had for sure lost the use of his left leg, Rexie was happy and eating and drinking and eliminating and was very happy to see me and go home with me.  

So it has been a whirlwind of a week, but one filled with emotion and joy unlimited.  

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11 NIV

The Tree of Life

It started this last summer when I did a 21 day brain detox and came up with my vision/ goals.  I started with a version of this:

Then I did the exercise with the Homestead girls and added to it and tweaked it.  I challenged the girls to decorate it or make it into a picture.  

I came home and made this:

If you can't read it, it has the major goals, to be appreciative, positive in dealing with others, guided and submitted fully to God, connected to God, relaxed, and healthy.  Then each major goal has minor goals or explanations of what it looks like day to day.  For example, to be positive in dealing with others at home and work, have His perspective about others, to be positive about and toward them, and to take it to prayer.  

Then I added verses to each area that inspire and direct me in green.  Then I added the fruits of the spirit that line up with each area.

It all overlaps too.

And it is rooted in Christ.

I told the homestead girls that I know it is inspired by God because I'm not creative!

Haven't Written

What's new in Diane-land? As I haven't written since January!

We are having a grandbaby soon! 

Baby boy Gaeddert is due in 18 days!  Can't wait!

School is out in 35 days!  Had a great intern this year, Crystal Huxman, whom I enjoyed very much.

This summer I am not teaching water jog but will take the class and along with much quality time with the grandbaby, I hope to get my private practice going.  I joined some gals and did all the applications to receive third party payment and hope to see 10 or so clients just for the summer.

I got some tattoos which I think are great and fun!

I went to Jamaica for Spring Break with the mama.

We have 4 Homestead girls currently which is going well.  

Scott is coaching two soccer teams, his 6th and 7th grade girls and the ksu club girls, so he is busy busy but having fun.

TRU is growing like wildfire and is awesome each week!

The kids are doing well.  Hannah is coming home for most of the month of June.  She knocked her PT prereqs out of the park and now will apply to PT school.  Hopefully Joel will make it back for a good visit if Disney can spare him from his video game making.  Leah is finishing up her school year early to finish cooking this baby.

Did I mention we're having a grandbaby soon?

Stop Striving

My brother has me listening to The Power of Joy on cd in the car and I've been doing it all week. I already know this stuff, it's about connecting with God and letting God heal us through the joy of connecting with Him. Its brain research based.  I believe it, I teach it, I preach it.  It's about relationship and not religion.

So every day I do my quiet time which includes praising Him, writing and Journalling my gratitude, studying His word, giving Him my struggles and cares.  This summer I was on fire for God.  I went to Him, connected with Him, several times a day.  Lately, I don't feel it.  I seek Him.  I take my struggles to Him.  But I also struggle with being nice, particularly to Scott.  And I struggle with feeling let down by others, wanting more than they can give me.  I hurt about these and I take them to God regularly.  I'm going back through The Respect Dare and ask God every day to help me achieve the daily goals.  And I fail pretty much every day.  

Here is what God said to me today in church:

Our sermon was about fasting.

"Quit trying.  Quit doing.  Just let me love you, delight in you.  Just appreciate how much I love you.  I loved you enough to die for you.  Just soak in my Presence.  Connect with me.  You've been let down.  You hurt.  You want more.  It's not about you or anything you say or do.  Stop all expectations of yourself and others.  Receive from me.  Be with me.  Let me remind you again of all I've done for you! Who I am, who you are in me.  Let me be in charge.  Give me control.  Humble yourself before me. I will keep you safe from the devil and from yourself.  Fast from all religious doing, all attempts at being. Seek only me and my joy and peace.  Stop all self improvement and resolutions.  Just bask in My glory, My grace.  I will reveal my heart to you.  Fuse your heart to mine.  Be broken before me.  Stop trying to get your needs met from others or the world.  Fast from all striving.

Ok, God.  Keep reminding me.  

Stop Striving

My brother has me listening to The Power of Joy on cd in the car and I've been doing it all week. I already know this stuff, it's about connecting with God and letting God heal us through the joy of connecting with Him. Its brain research based.  I believe it, I teach it, I preach it.  It's about relationship and not religion.

So every day I do my quiet time which includes praising Him, writing and Journalling my gratitude, studying His word, giving Him my struggles and cares.  This summer I was on fire for God.  I went to Him, connected with Him, several times a day.  Lately, I don't feel it.  I seek Him.  I take my struggles to Him.  But I also struggle with being nice, particularly to Scott.  And I struggle with feeling let down by others, wanting more than they can give me.  I hurt about these and I take them to God regularly.  I'm going back through The Respect Dare and ask God every day to help me achieve the daily goals.  And I fail pretty much every day.  

Here is what God said to me today in church:

Our sermon was about fasting.

"Quit trying.  Quit doing.  Just let me love you, delight in you.  Just appreciate how much I love you.  I loved you enough to die for you.  Just soak in my Presence.  Connect with me.  You've been let down.  You hurt.  You want more.  It's not about you or anything you say or do.  Stop all expectations of yourself and others.  Receive from me.  Be with me.  Let me remind you again of all I've done for you! Who I am, who you are in me.  Let me be in charge.  Give me control.  Humble yourself before me. I will keep you safe from the devil and from yourself.  Fast from all religious doing, all attempts at being. Seek only me and my joy and peace.  Stop all self improvement and resolutions.  Just bask in My glory, My grace.  I will reveal my heart to you.  Fuse your heart to mine.  Be broken before me.  Stop trying to get your needs met from others or the world.  Fast from all striving.

Ok, God.  Keep reminding me.  

Garmin

I got the funniest gift for Christmas. A garmin vivosmart HR!

It tells me to get moving, keeps track of my activity, heart rate, and sleep, has the weather and phone notifications(texts, etc).  I haven't done this yet, but I can wear it in the pool to keep track of that, too!

Here is the number of steps I went today: 

Here is the temp currently:

There is an app on my phone that I analyze all this on.

Here is my sleep last night:

And here is how much I moved in the night:

It syncs with an app that I put in what I eat and it keeps track of calories and nutrients.

It's a lot of fun.  I'd like to tell you that it is helping me lose weight but it hasn't at all!  I think it is good for me overall, but most of all, it sure is fun!

Professor

Not a day I particularly want to remember.  So so sad.  A couple of weeks ago, Professor hurt his back.  Leah brought him up and we took him to the chiropractor.  It was so sad to see him try to walk. His back legs were all wobbly and he was in pain.  Leah's vet had said they could do surgery for $2000 and a 50. % chance it would work.  So we hoped for the chiropractor.  He showed a tiny bit of improvement.  Leah held him at our house for 4 days so he wouldn't reinjure it.  We went back a second time and hoped again.  She took him home and held him there.  He had a couple of good days, she said.  Then his back legs stopped working altogether.  She took him to the vet there yesterday and called crying.  Little to no chance of surgery working.  And he couldn't poop.  So we made an appointment for him here to be euthanized.

Leah and David came with he little guy this afternoon and we held him and cried, all of us, Scott, Joel, Dave, Leah, me.  Hannah was with us on the phone and in spirit.  

We all wrote our memories of Professor for Leah.  We went to the vet and waited for all the people to leave, sitting in the car crying.  We all went back I to the room and cried while the vet gave him his shot and he got floppy.  We wrapped him in a blanket and carried him home.  We put him in a special box and read our memories and put copies of the memories in the box.  The. We put him in the hole Scott and Joel had dug in the backyard.  More tears and hugs.

We all loved him so very much.  What a great little dog.  I didn't want to tell Leah this, but I'm sure she knows, you really only get one dog you feel that way about in a lifetime. 

Here are our memories:

Leah:

Me:

Scott:

Joel:

Hannah:

Some favorite photos of Professor: