More Catching Up...

Owls have been Sage's thing lately. Owls and horses. Thougth I'd change the layout to suit her current fancy and give a little nod to Fall. I can't help her with the horses right now (other than her stick horse, Sam) but we have plenty of owls around here. It's getting that time of year that we hear them more often and one night last week when she and I were pulling down our driveway, she beat me at spotting one. She has her Daddys eye for wildlife! Of course we had to stop and "hoot" to it. It just spun its' head around and looked at us like we were crazy:) When we pulled back up a few minutes later, it was on the ground. Guess it had caught a mouse for supper! Every time we pull up the drive now, she looks for her "hoot" as she calls them.
Yes, hearing the hoots is a sure sign that Summer is loosening her death grip and a reminder that we will be able to walk outside (eventually) without immediately being drenched with sweat.
It seems like we stay so busy lately, but I don't feel like I am getting much done. Just a lot of wheel spinning. We have had major house projects going on outside, one of the absolute best being Sages' walker ramp. I CAN NOT tell you how great it is to have her be able to get all the way to the truck without having to pick her up. So much better for her and for me. A bonus is the little side deck that the ramp comes off of, all built to tie into our existing porch. It catches a nice breeze and it is nice to sit out there at night especially. We have to redo the rest of the porch to match the new deck and railings but we will get it...one day! We've also finally gotten around to putting the stone around the bottom of the house. We've known for years that we wanted to do that but have just had to put it on the back burner until now. Lots of other home projects going on, can't wait to get our outdoor living area done, but all in time I guess! A husband that works shift work plus all the overtime he can doesn't leave much time for anything else.
We did make time for a beach trip before school started and we have a very special vacation planned for the Fall. I smile just thinking about that trip. When we even mention it, Sage just gets beside herself:) Honestly, I do too!

We will go back to Memphis before too long. I am dreading it, but also just ready to get it behind us so we can get on with the next 6 months of our life. I guess I feel like everything is broken into 6 month intervals now...
Of course, this hospital stay will be muuuch shorter than our first. As long as it all goes well, we should be back home within a couple days. I ask all of you to pray for her that it goes well and that we are not faced with some of the complications that so many of our VEPTR friends are facing. There seems to be a new family dealing with awful infection every week and without going all off into what that means for kiddos like ours, I will just say that if the infections are bad enough, they can lead to rod removal, washouts, antibiotics that really don't even work against them (but what else do you do???), and can mean the difference between life and death in some situations.
I know that Halo and the rods saved Sages' life, but there are some times that the realization of what we have done punches me in the gut and literally makes me loose my breath. My tiny girl has titanium rods in her back, attached to her vertebra and her ribs with hooks, bolts, and screws. We did this to save her life, but at the same time, she has to go through surgery after surgery, each time possibly exposing her to life threatening infection and complication. Don't get me wrong, I am GRATEFUL for the technology and knowledge that allows doctors to help kids just like Sage. But that does not keep me from being scared to death each time we have to go back.
Overall though, she is doing great and I can say that the good days definitely outweigh the bad.
Of course our lives are different than others. My closest friends are other special needs moms. My heart holds hurts that only special needs parents can understand. Yes, there are things we are still trying to figure out about Sage. Things we may never have answers for. But you know what? We make it work. We live, laugh, and most importantly LOVE, together. We do the best we can and we just make it work.
In all of the complexity that is Sage, there is a simple innocence that she is blessed with. Oh you better believe, she is such a typical 6 year old in so many ways, but there is a precious innocence that we cherish.
You always hear people say that God picks the right parents for special kids...well, I think it goes both ways. People might say Sage is "lucky" to have us, but Richard, Tehya, and I are the ones who are lucky to have her.
And I honestly think that as she is right this minute sound asleep in the middle of mine and her Daddys' bed, she knows she rules this roost with her little iron fist:)

Tehya turned 14 today. Growing up way too fast, but into such a wonderful young woman...Time just rolls on, doesn't it???
Birthday activites all weekend have left her (and me) worn out. I think I counted 10 teenagers in my house at one point...that's enough to wear anyone out!

There is so much more going on in our little world, we have so many dreams and plans for the future. But as they say, one day at a time, right??? It is good to at least have things to work towards. I guess I would feel lost if there wasn't some project going on!