Back in the room!

yah!!

just called down and they are closing up!!! all went well!! we should be able to see her in about 1/2 hour!

Just checked on her, the fixator is on and the dr is working on her hip. First taking out the old hardware and then fixing the femur head. They said she is doing great!!

We are heading down now, they switched cases so gerri is first , pray!!!

on our way to Philly!

The start of our trip!! only 5 hours to go!

 We had to drive to work to pick up Nana, but we got to say hi to both Auntie's and grampy!

Hugs and kisses Grampy! Miss you!

We stopped in Devon, CT for lunch and to switch drivers

So far so good, weather is nice and mom is taking over the driving now, time to close my eyes :)

been busy :)

Last weekend we went to a small circus at the high school that benefited the education fund :)

Bucky was the ringmaster and used to work for Ringling bros

Slav was so much fun to watch, hurt to watch

Liu Lu was so pretty

Bucky balanced this spinning ball on a very tall pole

The BMX guys were amazing!

this is called being Spiderman!

so amazing!

the girls had so much fun

Slav went up SO high! with NO net!

Just riveted!

6 chairs high!!! wow!

One guy jumping over another one!!

We had so much fun!

paper project for each girl

made a muppet car for Nana :)

Grammy learned all about spy mouse after dinner last weekend

while grampy rested his eyes :)

for the first time ever we had to rake leaves and the kids got to help.
(leaves don't fall off the trees in FL) Victoria was trying to stick the leaves back on the tree in the background!

Thanksgiving was at our house :) so much fun having 16 of us for dinner!!

the oven was chock full!

Nana was cooking

Football was on!

The boys were playing their ds games

Cousin Katie was so nice to bring glow in the dark nail polish!!! the girls were so excited to do it right after dinner!

Auntie Carla had a craft project!! very messy and SO much fun!!!

Uncle Mikewas nice enough to cut up the turkey remaining on the 22 pound bird, Nana was giving pointers and Maggie was just hoping he would trip and fall and drop a handful :)

snooze time after all that eating!!

We went to check on Nana's new in-law apartment at auntie Denise's

 then we headed over to Auntie Carla's to drop off the table and chairs and it was SO beautiful out!!

The girls played outside!

Did lots of bouncing!

Uncle Adam's prize deer head! He pawned off some meat to Dan :)

I go back to my Dr on Monday for my 6 week followup - get to see an xray of my new metal hip. I still have an open spot on my incision that I am battling with, my hip and thigh are still aching and my right (new hip) leg is still noticeably longer which makes walking painful. I am hoping he says this is all normal and in a couple of weeks it will be better, but he also told me that at 6 weeks post op I would be so happy I did this and I am not there yet. I have not had a good nights sleep in 6 weeks and it is getting really old, I just cannot get comfortable at night.
Hopefully there is nothing wrong since Tuesday Gerri, my mom and I head out to Philly for her surgery on Wednesday. I asked my mom to help with the driving because I know I just cannot drive for 5 hours, I have only driven locally around town. I am planning on taking some pain meds since I figure I will be very stiff and sore by the time we get there.
Gerri has been getting noticeably more nervous as we get closer. Up to now it has been way in the future for her, after thanksgiving. As soon as thanksgiving was over and I started taking down the decorations she looked at me and said "thanksgiving is over? then it is almost time for philly??" Smart cookie!! We have not talked specifics to her, but she does know what is going to happen.
Please pray for her surgery, her Dr and her healing!! It will be so hard for her to not be mobile for a bit. Monday I have to run to school to get her walker and it is hard to believe she will not be back at school for a month or 2 :( She loves school. We will be having a tutor once we are home, but it is not the same. It will be as hard for Danny as Gerri, they love seeing each other at school. The teachers say they will walk hand in hand down the hall :) :)
Gerri and I will be heading to Philly weekly during the "distraction" phase which is while we are turning the screws to spread the bones apart. This should take about 4-5 weeks. Then we hit the consolidation phase where her new bone grows in to fill in the gap, hopefully quickly!
December will a tough month for her, but if her hip heals well she will be up and walking in her walker prety quickly.
Thank heavens we picked a house that has all the living area on one floor!!! It will make it much easier for her, just as it has for me the last 6 weeks.
Victoria will take the train down with Auntie Carla and her daughter Nicole next Friday to join us in Philly. I do not know when Gerri will be discharged, but she will be happy to see Victoria and Cole :) :) Auntie and Cole will stay for the weekend and then take the train back home while we stay there till Gerri has her follow up appt and we can come home.
So holidays here we come!!! I plan on doing the decorating tomorrow so it will be done before we travel.

tree time and first concert!

I have started driving around just locally and it feels SO good!! I have only been using hte cane when I am outside the house just in case I loose my footing. I am feeling so much better, I just wish I could sleep well!!!

I just missed saying Timber!!!

Dan and our neighbor brought it down, cut it up and didn't draw any blood!

you can see how rotted out the tree trunk was

yup, I stood around and watched :) :)

 Dan had to take down part of the fence so it would not get ruined when the tree came down. So he took it down the day before. The dogs never even realized the fence was down :) They walked all around the backyard and never once even attempted to go through the poles. But once they saw the gate open-out! so so funny :)
The sellers had done so much planting but hardly any trimming so we have spent a lot of time cleaning up the property. There are lots more trees that need attention.
Danny had his third grade thanksgiving concert this morning. We were really worried since last years was such a disaster (Danny had stage fright and cried and sobbed the whole time).
He did great today and it was a much bigger crowd!!

the whole 3rd grade

that is Danny right in the middle talking to the girl next to him

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=fb420643bf373a832cc441&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

I had a meeting with his IEP group yesterday and Danny was tested for speech and language. In FL they had dismissed that part of his IEP saying he did not qualify anymore. Here he tested as severly delayed in both. He is getting speech and language 3 x's per week :)

Another one bites the dust!!

Look mommy!!

2 teeth gone!!!

I can't believe she has lost 2 teeth already, she just turned 5! Danny didn't lose his first tooth till he was 7.

Happy Veterans day!!

Playing on Thursday (no school for teacher day)

If you look at this picture while enlarged you will see a whole gaggle of turkeys just strutting up our street!

The girls got all dressed up for Veteran's day for daddy :)

We made him a cake :) (yes it is a leftover halloween cake I never got around to making)

Grammy and Grampy came over for dinner last night, Grampy is recovering from shoulder surgery so we could commiserate together :)

Grammy played doll house and trucks with Danny

Then grammy got all jewelry'd up :)

Danny stepped in to do her hair

After dinner it was puzzle time!

then Grammy and Grampy had to learn IPOD touch games :)

MUCH sisterly love!!

they were both laughing so hard - I should have taped it :)

Thankfully they are all back to school tomorrow as routine is best for Danny!!
I hit 4 weeks post-op on Friday and am felling a bit better, I just wish I could get a really good nights sleep :( I still have a spot on my incision that is weeping fluid, mom has been good about coming by to tend to it.  I will be SO glad to not have to wear my TED stocking anymore, I spend most of my time pulling the darn thing up. (It is an anti-embolism stocking that goes hip to toes) I am rubbing vitamin E oil on my scar to help it. I am able to got around quite a bit without my cane, just need it when first getting up and when I am tired. The PT exercises really help alot. I will be SO happy when I feel better enough to drive again!! :)