Good News

Kaylee has spent the last few days in and out of Memphis for various reasons. She had therapy yesterday followed by a urology clinic. Therapy went well. The urology clinic went well also. They were happy with the size of her bladder and have put her on two experimental medicines to help with bowel and bladder control. Also, appointments have been set to teach her how to cath herself which will be nice and provide her more independence which sometimes we wonder if she really needs it.

She recently got a new pair of braces which have been rubbing some places on her foot. She went to see the medical professional who makes the braces today. He made some minor modifications but wants to pursue possibly making a new style for her. So, she has another appointment with the orthopedic doctor for consultation.

Things are really moving along quite well with her. This past week has been busy but is just part of the routine of having a child with "special needs."

Please keep reading the family of N.

-J&S

From the Message Bin

“Someone has said that there are two classes of preachers: the good preachers who have something to say, and the poor preachers who have to say something. But there is yet another and higher class. It consists of these who both have something to say, and who have to say it” (Unknown).

-J

Family Pictures

We made some new family pictures tonight. Here is a sampling of them. Enjoy!

-J

This Just Had to Make the Blog

Oh, you would not beleive it. A buddy and I wanted to go and see the new Star Trek movie today. We planned a time and met at the theater. We were enjoying it so. About halfway into it, the movie stopped and some radio station came on the sound system. I used this for a bathroom break. About 15 minutes after my return, a lady who worked at the theater came in and said the projector was down and that we could either go see another movie or get free tickets to another showing. How weird is that? The movie is coming to the climax of the show and it quits.

I just thought it was blog worthy! It made for an interesting trip.

-J

From the Message Bin

“I would rather suffer the consequences of a noble action than be humiliated by cowardice” (John Baxely).

-J

Let Me Brag...Just a Little Bit...

The kids are officially out of school. And we have had a really good year as far as academic achievement is concered. Both got all A's on thier final report cards. Here is Kaylee's report card.

Here is her first award. She made the principle's list for the fourth quarter or nine-week session of the year.Here is her second award. She made the principle's list for the second semester of the year. We are so proud of her.And in the gand tradition of things, she obviously made the principle's lsit for the year.She also got the citizenship certificate. This award reconizes a good attitude, good cooperation skills, helpfulness, and generally being a good student. She rocks!I (J.T.) also did well. Here is my report card. I got all A's. I made the honor role for the fourth quater.

I made the honor roll for the second semester.I made the honor roll for the year!I got the language arts achievement award.I got the math award.I got the reading award.I got the science award.I got the social studies award.I got the spelling award.

Finally I read more acelerated reader (AR) books than anyone else in the school. I got this plaque and a gift card to Books-A-Million.

Oh, and my goober parents got the very important parent award.
We are blessed!

-J&JT

From the Message Bin

"God is still God. And God is still good" (Chuck Morris).

-J

The Voice Must Continue

Mark, one of my many teachers taught me that counselors sometimes have to be a voice for people who cannot vioce themselves. The counselor is the advocate, the proponent, and pleads the case for the less fortunate. Mark excelled at this, but not as much as aunt Diana.

I always thought of her when Mark talked about being the voice for the less fortunate. Diana had a compassion for the elderly, children, handicaped, and others who just were not able to advocate themselves.

She departed this life yesterday after a nine month battle with leukemia. I posted about her here. My hope is that the vioce she was for so many will continue to be heard through us who knew her.

The voice must continue.

-J

From the Message Bin

"I know karate ... and a few other foreign words" (Unknown).

-J

I Think We Might Make It!

I don't want to get my hopes up and I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch but...

As most of you know, Kaylee has had a bad habit since babyhood of sucking her finger (not her thumb, but her finger). We have bribed her. We have deprived her. And some how this bad habit just kept coming back. She went 30 days without sucking it to get her phone but we have had to take it away a few times since then because she would go back to sucking her finger. Oh, it has been a frustration.

I HAD TO DECLARE WAR!!

About two and a half months ago, I took her phone away and informed her that she would have to go a month without sucking her finger to get it back. The deal was simple: Every time she got caught sucking her finger, I would take something else away and add another month. Two weeks later, she got caught. So, I took her TV away and told her it would be two months.

SHE . GOT . MOTIVATED!

She started wearing gloves to bed at night so that she would not suck her finger and was so much more cautious of it while awake. I think we may finally have kicked this habit. For about the last week, she has not worn any gloves to bed and has not sucked her finger either. She came home from school today and informed me that she gets her phone and her TV back on Tuesday. She is ready. I am thankful.

I THINK SHE'S GONNA MAKE IT THIS TIME!

Please keep reading the family of N.

-J&JT

From the Message Bin

"Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts" (Robert Fulghum).

-J

You Can't Make this Stuff Up!

Usually, our afternoons go something like this. I am at the office, Shawna and the kids stop by after school for a few minutes and then go on home. On days that Shawna cooks dinner, I usually stay at the office till she calls me home for dinner (the office is about 300 yards from our house). This was the case this day. I come home, go into the back door and see Kaylee sitting on the kitchen floor. Here is how the conversation went:

Kaylee: "Dad, you scared the world out of me!"

Dad: "What?"

Kaylee: "You scared the world out of me!"

I look at Shawna and we exchange those goofy I'm-a-parent-and-I'm-confused looks.

Dad: "Kaylee, what does that mean?"

Kaylee: "Well, at least I didn't say the H-word."

-J