A Visit to the Ranch

new second story in barn - with it's own A/C

New and improved well house, thanks to Greg.

Mom #75 and her calf

Danny visiting with his new calf - such a sweetie

Two of the three new babies at the ranch

Danny and I visited the ranch on Saturday - and it's calf season at the Guadalupe Gulch!!  We found two of the newborns mixed in with the adult cows, but had to go looking for the third.  Danny was sure it was out there somewhere.  Finally we found it - and it was calm enough for Danny to walk right up to and pet it.  There was one cow in labor as we left so next visit there should be four new comers.

Other additions to the ranch are the updated well house that Greg built and the second story for the apartment in the barn - also built by Greg, with Beezer's help.  It will be great to have a second sleeping area.  It's a little too short for bunk beds but it has it's own A/C - that will make having the family there far more comfortable.

I had dinner with some pretty cool guys the other day.  OK, the glasses are a bit much, but aren't they cute?  Even toothless Tyson - gotta love being 6 and losing the teeth.

There were lots of other people there as well but the pictures didn't turn out very well.  A business associate took the entire family to a Estanchia restaurant - one of those places where they bring skewers of meat to the table and slice off what ever you want.  An amazing place to eat and a very enjoyable time for everyone.

New Knee Pt. 2

My feet seem to have forgotten they belong to the same body.  

The left one is almost always very swollen these days.

These are the staples that came out of the leg.  

I felt soooo much better once they were removed.

And here's the non-staple leg.  Still has the little dents where the staples were but it gets a good massage every day to try to get them scar area to looses up and lay straight.

OK, Amanda - here's the update.  Every day things are easier and easier.  It will be 4 weeks tomorrow and I sometimes even forget that I had the surgery - until I try to walk down steps without checking to see that I start on the right foot.  Physical Therapy has been hard but also strangely enjoyable.  I've met several people there that share the same time slot and we compare notes, talk about travel, and compare progress.  Each time they add more weight or more exercises, and I do take pain pills before going, but so far nothing hurts too bad, except for the exercise where I lay on my stomach and hang my legs off the edge of the cot and let gravity pull the hamstring.  OUCH!!   I would gladly do any (or maybe all) of the other exercises twice - or even three times - if I could avoid that one.  Saturday we spent the day at the ranch and I did a lot of walking over uneven land, and riding in the Mule.  Didn't bother me much at all.  The hardest part is sitting in the truck - something about  how the seat hits my leg that really causes swelling.    

So that's the update.  Doing well.  Healing and doing physical therapy, just like the doctor ordered.  It's only been 4 weeks and I'm already glad I got the surgery.  I walk better now than before the operation.

A New Knee for Terri

The staples - looks worse than it is.  Only a few more days and they'll be out of there.

This is how I get around.  It makes me feel like a little old lady but it allows me to move all over the place so I can't complain too much.  In fact, I'm getting pretty good with this.

OK, I forgot to turn the picture, but this is the wonderful poster/bag/gift the Young Women brought me.  I'm so lucky to work with them.

After Girls' Camp, Youth Conference, Family Camping, I couldn't think of any more reasons to put off getting a new knee.  The shot that had made the old one bearable was wearing off fast and I hurt.  So Tuesday, June 30 I went to the Westlake Hospital at 5:30am to get a replacement.  It was so easy.  No waiting time at all.  At 5:30 I went into the pre-op area to get ready for surgery, someone installed the IV line and before I knew it I was waking up, all done.  In the past the waiting around, then being wheeled into the OR always freaked me out.  Didn't have to do that this time.

Pain meds were automatic for the first few days - thankfully.  The hardest part was the bed pan - I do NOT recommend them.  But the room was amazing.  I had a corner room with two big windows showing me squirrels playing in the trees, and a 60 inch flat screen TV.  Everyone was nice and I almost felt like I was on vacation - except for the whole bandaged up painful knee thing.

Physical therapy started on day 2.  Not my favorite part of the experience.  Just taking one step was difficult.  But at least that meant I could forgo the bed pan and visit the real bathroom.

I was a little sad to leave the hospital - they do spoil the patients there.  But Danny was an amazing care taker.  He made me chicken soup - from scratch -and made sure I did my exercises.  He brought me whatever I needed and tucked me in bed, or helped me get up - whatever I wanted.  He sat with me while I ate, or watched TV so I wouldn't be alone.  He even gives me shots every day so I don't get blod clots.  

Now Physical therapy comes every day and they tell me I'm doing well - but I still feel like I can't move without discomfort.  I can flatten my leg all the way and bend it to a 93 degree angle - not comfortably at all.  I walk with a walker like a little old lady and even made the trek to the mail box a few times.

The best parts of the week have been the visits.  The Oliphant girls made me a giant Chocolate Chip cookie and brought it to me on Sunday.  On Tuesday some of the Young Women came by and brought me a poster, decorated bag, and ceramic box.  It was so great to see them.  My friend Isabelle visited, and my visiting teacher brought me a yummy dinner that I told her I didn't need - but I 'm glad she didn't listen.  She even took time to harvest the garden for me and is planning to make something with the rhubarb and bring it along next week.

I don't know that I'd do this for fun - it is certainly not fun - but I think having the new knee will be such a blessing to me.  I foresee a future where I can walk again, climb hills if I want, and not have to hang behind everyone else because of knee pain.  The doctor and everyone else has told me to expect full recovery in 4-6 months.  Surely I can do better than that, right?    I'll keep you posted.

More on the Camping Trip

Tyson acts as co-pilot - or is he just hiding behind that glass to keep dry?

Dani enjoyed Aunt Medina while her mom tried to ski

Grandma and some of the grand kids.  Now if Molly, Dillon and Charlee were along this trip would have been complete - Anderson is still a little young to enjoy the experience.

Greg acted as anchor as Xavier ferried KK out to the boat.  I thought of  keeping dry but that just didn't happen.  The water was refreshing after the heat of the sun!

Dani and John spent a great deal of time in the front of the boat- Dani loved looking over the front at the water flowing past - especially when we were going fast.  John stayed there in case she tried to jump in.

Boating was so much fun with our group.  The little guys really had a blast watching Uncle Greg on the wake board.  John and Tanna tried skiing - they haven't had a lot of practice lately and the boat was loaded with people so it was a little tricky for the, but they tried.   Tyson vowed he would be wake boarding before he was 7 years old - hmmmm, guess he needs to hang out with his uncles more so he can learn, since Greg's friend is the one with the boat.  

At one point the kids and grand kids swam off the back of the boat.  Nice to have a Handy little platform in the middle of the lake!  Greg and KK drifted a long way off and we had to load up and go fetch them.  All in all - a wonderful experience for everyone!!

Family Camping

Just after Girls' Camp, Danny wanted to go family camping.  I was not excited but it turned out to be a nice outing.  Erin, a friend, brought her awesome boat to add to the fun.  I even brought Boo - he got to sleep in the tents with Greg and Medina - or maybe part time with Beezer. 

KK seemed to be right at home in the campsite - I wonder how he would have felt if that kayak had been in the water?  

Anderson got the cushy space between the big front seats in the RV.  He stayed cool and relaxed the entire time.  Don't want the little guy getting overheated, after all.  And he fit so nicely there.

Our campsite was comprised of the RV, taking the center spot of course, and tents spread around.  John tried out his new JEEP tent - 3 rooms and two closets.  Greg had his two part tent  - Erin got the small part.  Beezer's tent was across from Greg.  A shade fly covered the area in front of the RV so we had a "living room" of sorts to gather in, thanks to Greg. 

The best part was that the park has electric hook ups.  So the RV didn't have to run the generator, and the tents all had electric fans inside to keep the sleepers cool at night.   Not really roughing it, but after Girls' Camp I think I would have stayed home if I'd been expected to live in a tent with no A/C etc.      

It is nice to be married to the owner of the RV - A/C and indoor bathrooms are so amazing.

 The weather was HOT.  The atmosphere was relaxed.  The men folk did the cooking.  What more can a person ask?  Well, maybe the weather didn't have to be THAT hot, but it was nice on the boat.