Thanksgiving in August

Last month when I asked Ryan what he wanted to do for his 28th birthday (besides surgery!) I was pretty surprised when he said he wanted a full Thanksgiving dinner the night before surgery.  Before any procedure, Ryan has to fast after midnight so he wanted a really big meal to tide him over until he could eat again.  How could I say no to Ryan's only birthday request?  

So, sure enough, we did it!  Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, the whole nine yards.  And Ryan couldn't be happier!  We invited our good friends, Dan and Teal, over and had the unique fortune that Teal's mom, Diane, was in town.  She was so excited she demanded to be allowed to help cook.  And I was all too willing to let her!  She made a DELICIOUS stuffing, sweet potato souffle, and green bean casserole.  I cheated by ordering a fully cooked turkey from a BBQ place in town, and I don't feel even a little bit bad about it.  It was yummy and I didn't have to cook it!  Everything came together perfectly and we had a great day.  Ryan ate more food than I thought possible and all in all enjoyed his birthday!

Gathered around the table for Ryan's birthday feast

Ryan blew out his birthday candle in a piece of pumpkin pie.

(Please pay no attention to my naked daughter!  She stripped down after getting soaked playing with the water hose in the backyard.)

The kids let their meal settle by jumping on the trampoline!

Wounded Warrior Project Caregiver Retreat

Last weekend I had the honor of being invited to attend a Caregiver's Retreat hosted by the Wounded Warrior Project.  We were taken to the amazing resort The Charter at Beaver Creek in Colorado.  It was an all expense paid trip filled with thoughtful touches and awesome opportunities.  We shared all our meals together and spent our mornings in guided sessions with two incredible social workers from St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City.  Our afternoons were free time to hit the pool, indulge in a spa treatment, go horseback riding, or just relax, and I did all of the above.  But what I found myself wanting to do every chance I got was talk to these other women.  These incredible caregivers who are walking in my shoes everyday.  Our ages ranged from 20-40 and included sisters and fiances as well as wives.  Some are dealing with injuries from 5 years ago and others from 9 months ago.  Our loved ones might be retired, still undergoing therapy, or still inpatient in the hospital.  We are living all over the country in California, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, and more.  But no matter where we are from or where we are in our recovery, we all had something to learn from each other and something to give to each other.  I can't describe how powerful it was to be with these strong women.  We shared laughter, tears, and hugs, and no one left without feeling rejuvenated and ready for the hurdles that are yet to come.  I came home realizing just how lucky I am.  

When I was invited to go on this trip I declined.  I didn't want to ask anyone to come out to watch the kids on such short notice.  But when I told Ryan about it he said, "GO!  I can handle the kids.  It's just a weekend!"  He practically had to force me to call back and accept.  I just couldn't believe we were there.  We were at the point that I could confidently leave and Ryan and the kids could survive without me.  I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.  Taking care of the kids so I could get away for a little while is something that Ryan would've done before his injury, so it just felt so "normal" for him to offer now.  And most the time our lives don't feel very "normal"!  

Ryan knew how important it was for me to take care of myself before the next round of surgeries we have scheduled.  On Monday, Ryan will have his face reconstructed with the skin they've been expanding on his shoulders.  Then on September 2nd, they'll disconnect the flaps from his shoulders and finish his face.  And just today we scheduled a surgery for September 22nd to release the capsules in the knuckles of his left hand again.  It's just the first of many surgeries we have planned with the new hand surgeon we are working with from the Hand Center of San Antonio.  We are excited for all that Dr. Pederson has planned for Ryan.  But surgery after surgery is exhausting for us all and the coming months will be challenging.  My weekend of respite came at the perfect time and I'm so glad I was able to take advantage of it.  I'd like to ask you to please keep us in your prayers.  Pray that these surgeries will be successful and that we have the strength to endure.

Our group photo on the first night.

Having some social time at the Coyote Cafe.

Enjoying the view on a trail ride.

Family Time

Our house has been full of family these last couple weeks.  First Nana and Papa John came to spend a few days with us.  They are only in the U.S. for a couple of months, so we were glad they had time to drive out to Texas to see us.  Hurricane Dolly kept us mostly indoors with all the rain it brought.  But we still had a great visit.  

Nana, Papa John, & Jaida

Maya hiding from the camera

Noah likes it when Papa John feeds him breakfast.

The next week we had a house full with Grandpa, Stephanie, Asa, Aslyn, and Aevin.  It was non-stop excitement with all the cousins in the house.  We went tubing on the Comal River and it was a perfect day.  Then the kids hit the pool on base for water slides and fun.  We got to celebrate Aslyn's 6th birthday with cupcakes and presents.  And everyone just really loved being together.

Turning in the tubes at "Rockin' R" after a great day.

Getting a group picture (it had to be "photoshopped" because Maya 

was crying in almost every shot!).

Noah's Birthday Party

Can anyone guess what this is?

If you guessed Noah's little hand covered in chocolate cake from his birthday party, you're right!  We threw Noah a little backyard baby pool party to celebrate his first birthday.  And it was a blast.  We kept it pretty simple with just a few close friends and neighbors.  But all the kids had a great time splashing around.  Especially the birthday boy!

He was a little less thrilled about having to wait through all 4 lines of "Happy Birthday to you" before he could get to his cupcake.

But in the end it was all worth it!

Look at the way he shoves that cake into his mouth.  Is it possible that he takes after a father whose callsign is "Worm"?!?  (As in "tapeworm" for the way that Ryan can eat and eat and yet still be hungry!)

Looks like someone's ready for another cupcake!

Maya was a little more dainty with her cupcake, tasting a finger-ful of frosting at a time.

We all had a really nice day, but it's hard to believe that it's been a year since Noah was born!  Time sure flies!  Noah told me to tell everyone thank you for all the nice gifts he received.  So thank you!

Yuck stomach bug : P

Hey Everyone!

So sorry it's been forever since my last post, I know you've all missed me so much!

I just returned from Park Creek Camp (pretty much the best camp in California.) and from visiting my Grandparents.  But I came back with this stupid stomach bug.  Aw well at least I'm better now, but while I was sick I discovered the wonderful world of Jamba Juice!  I am pretty much in love with that stuff!!! My favorite smoothie so far is the Banana Berry!

 At the moment Nana and Papa John are visiting from Thailand.  And tomorrow is their last day :( :( :(

Well I'm gonna miss them a lot.

But my Aunt Steph and cousins are coming soon so that will be pretty fun!  And then I am off to Oregon!!!  Well I will have to do dishes (yay...) I will pop on when I get a chance!!!

BYE my adoring fans!!!

- Jaida's 'da bomb

 

Preparing for the "Face-Off"

Pam and I have certainly hit the ground running since we've come back from our trip to Niagara Falls.  We were only home a couple of days before Jaida was off to California for a week.  She'll be home tomorrow and I know she had a great time but I'll let her tell you all about it later.  

Maya and Noah seemed so much bigger after only a week of being away from them.  Maya's vocabulary is getting so much better and Noah is quite the little man.  He loves to grab hold of Maya's chair and pull the whole thing closer to his seat.  The impressive part is that Maya is still sitting in the chair when he does it!  We also have to watch out when he's playing in our ball pit upstairs because he is strong enough to pull himself up and over onto the highest bars.  He loves to do that and then look over at one of us with his feet dangling so we can enjoy it, too.  He's such a funny little guy.  And Maya is such a happy little kid and so full of energy.  She can throw a crazy tantrum that is really a wonder to behold but she is also a very good big sister.  And Jaida is learning more everyday about the meaning of patience and understanding just by being around the two of them.  

Pam has been crazy busy with all of the above.  She recently coordinated a night out for the Marine Spouses and it was a big hit!  Pam was pretty nervous leading up to it but she made sure everything came together and I know there are going to be more of these as a result.  It's a great outlet for the families here.  

I have been getting back into the full-time therapy schedule again while coordinating other various treatments and scheduling upcoming surgeries at the same time.  The one on our plate right now is a big one.  Pam and I have always referred to it as the "face-off" surgery because that's essentially what it is.  A few months ago I had tissue expanders (essentially breast implants) inserted into my shoulders.  Since then I've been going in at least once a week to get them pumped up with saline.  What this does is stretch all of the unburned skin on my shoulders and produce an excess of good skin.  This excess can then be used to replace burn scar.  The doctor performing the procedure is a rockstar brought to BAMC specifically for the severe burn injuries here and surgeries required for them.  I've been fortunate enough to see first hand the results of his work and I am blown away (If it's okay for a burned guy to even use that term!).  The doctors are very pleased with how my "shoulder boobs" have been coming along and yesterday we scheduled both surgeries.  On August 11th they will remove most of the burn scar on my cheeks and flap the excess good skin from my shoulders to replace it.  The flap will remain connected to my shoulder for three weeks to provide blood supply to the flap until the vessels take hold.  On September 2nd the flap will be disconnected from my shoulder and the remaining tissue will be used to resurface my eyelids, nose, upper lip and chin.  It will be a major surgery but I have a really good feeling about it.  When we met for the scheduling and discussed the surgeries the doctor was almost giddy talking about how good he felt about the surgery.  He said that based on how my shoulders looked, how the expanders were coming along and his experience with other patients that he thought it was going to be a home run.  And if you knew this doctor as well as Pam and I have come to know him you would realize that he is hardly prone to false enthusiasm.  I think that's what I like best about him.  It will be a chaotic couple of months up ahead but hopefully all goes well.  I will be sure to post pictures ("shoulder boobs" included!) soon.  Thank you for your prayers and continuing support and God Bless. 

People are good

This is Ryan standing in front of The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, home of the Original Buffalo Wings.  Yum!

I'm finally getting around to blogging after returning from our anniversary getaway.  Ryan and I took a week off together and went to Niagara Falls to relax and reconnect.  We left the kids at home with Ryan's sister, Rhonda, and spent 7 full days having "grown up time".  It was great! We stayed in an amazing bed & breakfast, Kilpatrick Manor, and achieved the perfect balance of doing fun things and doing nothing at all.  We went for a ride on the Maid of the Mist.  We had dinner in the Revolving Restaurant at the top of the Skylon Tower.  We went for a tour in the Niagara wine country.  We saw the Broadway musical "Wicked" in Buffalo.  We ate lots of delicious food and saw fireworks on 4 different nights.  But we also managed to read several books, take several naps, get a great massage, and watch the entire first season of the show "Army Wives".  We came home very refreshed!

Here Ryan and I are standing in the vineyard at Pilliteri Estates Winery.  It was beautiful!

I think the best part of our trip was all the nice people we met.  I kept teasing Ryan that he was "Mr. Most Inspirational" because everyone wanted to meet him, shake his hand, and hear his story.  It was our first time really being away from the military and people who have seen an injured Marine before.  I had no idea how deeply affected everyone would be when they saw Ryan.  Sometimes it was just people in the airport who wanted to thank him for his service or give him a hug.  One person even went to the ticket counter and requested that we be upgraded to first class for our trip home.  (That request was granted and we had a very nice flight.  Thank you Mr. Ken Morris!)  But we really got a chance to get to know the other guests at the bed and breakfast. Most people only stay in a B&B for a couple of days, so after a week our hosts, Kevin & Nance, started to feel like family.  And every two days it seemed like Ryan was telling his story around the breakfast table.  People were always touched and amazed.  But the most amazing part for me was seeing how talking to Ryan made others comfortable enough to talk about the tragedies that they had endured.  So many people have had unbelievably difficult trials in their lives, but you would never know it by looking at them.  Talking to Ryan gives them the freedom to share their pain with another soul who knows what pain is.  And by sharing our burdens, they become a little easier to bear.  Ryan wears his scars on the outside, which unconsciously gives others permission to show the scars they wear on the inside.

This trip was exactly what we needed when we needed it.  It was hard being away from the kiddos for so long, but we knew they were in great hands.  (Thanks, Rhonda!  And thanks to Aaron, Kaitlyn, and Kassidy, for giving her up to us for so long!)  Jaida is off at camp all week in California.  And then we're expecting visits from grandparents, aunts, and cousins.  Noah turns 1 at the end of this month.  So there should be lots of blogging to come!  I'll try to keep up!

We survived a boat ride to the base of Niagara Falls on the Maid of the Mist.  It was awesome!