Just what I always...wanted?!?!?!??

Coming home from our trip from Kentucky Austin, Bryson and I each brought home something rather unique from our travels.

The weather was a little cool and rainy which in turn triggered Bryson's allergies AND...he ended up with a sore throat and croup. He got to go to the MD on Monday and thankfully his strep test was negative (because we all know how many of those we had come back positive through out the years....) and he got to take a prescription of steroids for a few days.

Austin was spending the weekend with Rob and during one of the many sporting excursions (you know all those "boy things") they were playing flag football (again, a non-contact, less physical version of football. We can even have girls playing in this....) and Austin hurts his left pinky finger. They think that he has just jammed it really bad, although he can't really remember exactly when he did it but when he shows it to me it resembles something like when Fred Flinstone drops a bowling ball on his toe and it swells up on the cartoon and it is black and blue....SO, he also gets to go to the MD on Monday AND we also get to go to the hospital to get xray of not only his finger but also of his hip because it was hurting and she wanted to make sure that he didn't fracture his pelvis too. Well his hip was just a hip "pointer" or deep bruise but his finger was broken and is a splint and taped for a couple weeks. It doesn't have to be casted because it isn't broken in the growth plate. :0) YIPEE! And now me...

I was the lucky one who got to share a bed with Bryson so Jodi came home with a black eye. During the night Saturday night Bryson sat up (mind you he is asleep) and then proceeds to lay back down but in the process, head butts me so hard that not only do I see stars...I think that I see Jupiter and Mars. I just knew that he had split my forehead open and once I could think I just felt around and made sure that I didn't feel blood and then just tried to lay still because the entire bed was spinning. The next morning after getting out of the shower I saw it. My prize. My first black eye at the ripe ole age of, well...that isn't important but I have to think of a good story for it because I surely can't go around and say that I got it from a 9 year old boy!

love to you all and til next time-

A TRIP TO KENTUCKY

Friday October 26th, Chad and I decided to let the boys stay home from school and even though he couldn't travel with us because of work-I packed the boys into the car and headed north for a weekend back to Kentucky for a quick visit so that they could see their friends. I knew that I would not get any time to visit with anyone other than my family because I would probably be busy playing taxi driver for them taking them here, there, and yonder. But plans were made and we set out around 8am friday morning and arrived in Lexington around 330pm and headed over first to see Pappoo as we had to deliver the famous "pots" that were noted on the last post. We visited with him for a while and then after leaving had a few stops to make before arriving at Jamie and Chuck's house which is where we would be staying during our visit for the weekend. The one person that I had intended on seeing while I was in town was my best friend Cathy and while I took Bryson over to play with friends from our neighborhood, I stopped by her house and there was no one home when I rang the door bell a couple times. I was very disappointed not to have been able to see her but sometimes that is just how things happen and like I said, I really didn't plan on getting the chance to see anyone myself this trip (I didn't tell any of my friends except Cathy I was even comning because I knew I wouldn't have any time to see anyone) so I just chalked it up to bad timing and tried to deal with it with a little retail therapy. :0) That seems to always help!!!

We headed back home to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon and for the first couple hours of the trip the boys talked NON-STOP. They were really excited about coming in and leaving, I know, for them was bittersweet. But it was an easy drive and I told them that we could definately come back, and would be back, really soon as the holidays are right around the corner. Thanks to all of you who visited with us. Thanks Chuck, Jamie and Briana for having Bryson and I in your home for those days....and making me get up at 6:30 in the morning :0). I enjoyed being with you all and as always hated to leave you but makes getting to see you soon more special- We each brought home a special souveniour to Tennessee so check out the next post to see about them!!

Love to you all and till next time-

pots for mom and dad

Everyone can ignore this...I took pics of these pots at a store for Mom and Dad and couldn't get them to download in email so I used the blog as the way to get the pics to them. But anyhow...aren't they pretty???? You should see the ones they already bought. WAY COOL!!!

Love to you all-

10th Annual BUDDY WALK

Sunday October 14th, Bryson and I headed to the Memphis Botanical Garden for the 10th annual Buddy Walk for the Down's Syndrome Association. Although we have been associated with Kelsey, my niece, for 13 years and know about the syndrome, we really didn't know what to expect from the Walk and the function itself. We arrived when the gates opened at 12:30pm at the encouragement of Daddy and met them in the parking lot. There were people EVERYWHERE. I guess that I knew there would be alot of people there but didn't think that there would be the magnitude of people there. The amazing thing was that as we got out of our car the people that parked right next to us were the people that we sat with at the picnic (Down's Syndrome Awareness) who have an infant with DS names Savannah that I held and played with. The mother was telling me that after the Buddy Walk they were going to be taking Savannah to LeBonehr Children's hospital because she had a raspy sore throat but no other symptoms but they just couldn't miss the walk because of the "cause". I talked to Savannah in the stroller and even feeling bad, she smiled at me really big and kicked her little legs and I just know that God is going to take care of that precious baby. But what a small world we live in that of all the people, we pull in and park right next to them.

Anyhow, the Walk was great. Prior to the actual walk time they provided food (which those of you who know and love me know that it is all about the food for me...), had booths set of for games, Buddy Walk bios on the kids (compliments of our sister Cyndi), inflatable jumping areas and slides etc...and other activities for the kids. Then when the time arrived, over 4000 people lined up on the track and walked one mile TOGETHER to support Down's Syndrome and it was an amazing experience. The path was beautiful but the people that it was for and the children that were there were even more breathtaking than the view.

I think that we each need to thank God for all that we have in our lives but as I have said in the past many times, God doesn't make mistakes...but he makes miracles EVERY DAY. And I saw so many of the miracles that he made that day and I only wish that you could have been there to have shared in them with me-

Thank you to each of you who gave donations through Bryson or myself and if you still would like to it is not too late. You can log onto http://www.buddywalk.kintera.org/ and it will ask you for a participant's name. You can enter either myself or Bryson and then enter your monetary information. Thank you and God bless

Love to you all and til next time-

The place where I come from-

There have been several years when Austin has had to compose a poem about "where I come from". We have enjoyed laughing at the poems (along with him so don't think I am cruel) not because it wasn't well written but because of what he sees as things that personify...who he is and what all pieces come together to make him, well, Austin-
Well- he came home from school today to inform me that he had to write another one and it was complete and wanted to read it to me. As I settled in Grandpa's chair to prepare to laugh along with him I was in AWE of the poem that he produced. I just had to share it with you all-

The Place Where I come From

By: Austin Hudnall

I come from a place that's pretty normal,

Not much different than the others.

Just about everything you can see in other houses,

You will more than likely find where I am from.

I come from a place where GOD comes first.

All other things are less important,

There is church every Wednesday and Sunday,

But every day we try to live to the fullest.

Some of the best cookers in the world are where I come from.

Meatloaf, chicken and pumpkin pie are out of this world.

Whenever grandparents visit, it's always the first thing I ask about,

I get a "yes, I knew you would ask.".

Sports also help run my life,

Football, hockey and wrestling are just a few.

My weeks are usually filled with these tough priorities

But that's just fine with me.

Chores are an every day thing-

From cleaning my room or taking out trash.

You earn what you get where I'm from.

Life is great where I'm from,

It's not perfect, we have our problems.

I take what life gives me.

That's where I'm from.

Now...are you all crying at how grown up he is!!! :0(

Love to you all and til next time-

A remembrance of success.

"The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing...and it seems to have very little to do with wordly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others." Fred Rogers

October 3, 2007 God welcomed home Dr Russell Shearer after a long and very courageous battle with kidney cancer. Dr Shearer was such an influencial person in so many people's lives an I am one of those who would stand up and say, he touched mine. Reading his obituary, you can see all the many councils, boards, staffs, associations and likes that he served on, but to have known the known the man was such an honor to me and I am sure those of us who were able to have been blessed with that opportunity. Dr Shearer first met me at Saint Joseph hospital as an ICU nurse and became such a mentor to me as a physician. I looked up to him as a resource and for advice when I needed it for my patient and valued the direction he would advise me in. That fellowship continued for several years but developed into a wonderful friendship and he helped out several family members, even operating on my son Austin, as well as my sister Jennifer. I will always be indebted to him for the grace, attention and care that he provided to each of them as well as the time that he took out to keep me informed of their care. But, just because I was a nurse, he wasn't giving me special treatment. That is the care that he afforded all his patient's. And he recieved compliments from his patient over and over again.

When I first learned of his illness, I was floored. I actually took care of Dr Shearer in the Recovery Room after his surgery, which to me was quite a honor. I felt like it was a small token of repayment for all he had done for me. I wanted to care for him and do all I could to make him as comfortable as I could at a low point in his life. And I vowed that I would try to continue that. I tried to send cards and make phone calls to him as much as I could. Not just because....but because of who he was. He was a wonderful man. A wonderful Doctor, a wonderful role model and a wonderful friend. He adored his wife Linda and his two daughters and taught me that NO MATTER WHAT...I always need to make time for Chad and the boys because in the end, that is what you have left-FAMILY. He and Linda had a date night every week. How awesome is that???? I hope that his passing was a peaceful and painless one. I know that his family was at his side and I know that God was there in the room waiting to take him home.

Although we here lost a beautiful soul, a wonderful physician and a wonderful man, Heaven brought home a beautifu angel and God welcomed home yet another very faithful servant. God Bless you Dr Shearer and until we meet again, you will be missed!

HOMELESS IN KENTUCKY...

WELL....

It is official. We have sold our house in Kentucky so we have officially become residents of Tennessee! It was a bittersweet thing for me in that it was that last little thing that still held us to our permanence to Ky. I know that we still have all of our family and friends there and that we can come for visits any time, but to know that WE still had something of our own possession there in Ky made it still seem, to me, like we still had something tying us there and now that it is sold just made it a little bittersweet...for me! (and thank you Jamie for going by and taking the picture and mailing it to me so that I could include it on the blog...just in case any of you were wondering...NO I haven't discovered that I have magical flying powers or anything mystical like that. Just wonderful family that will help me out with things).

BUT on the flip side, it is quite a relief with the housing market like it is and with all the hub-bub (and yes I said hub-bub) that we have had to go through in our short time with it on the market to get it sold and us not being in town. So it was definately a blessing from God and we are thanking him that it all worked out and that it did sell and it did in such a timely manner.

SO...NOW OUR QUESTION IS.......Who gets us first when we come in????

Love to you all and til next time-