At the end of last year I thought this would be a fairly uneventful year...what with no babies to add, just a son-in-law!
2018 was our first year since 2014 with no new baby/babies. 2014 - Noah, 2015 - Lydia, 2016 - Charles, 2017 - 2! Benjamin in January, Hannah in November!
Not a baby year, but a year of broken bones, surgeries, mountains (literal and figurative) and of course one spectacular wedding!
So as I sit poised over this keyboard; wondering where to start....
I guess I could go by month, or by injury, or by the level of insanity!
January:
I was still working full time hours at Alice Hyde Medical Center as ED receptionist (same hospital as Kevin, and Luke works upstairs in IMCU) I had to take a few days off for my surgery on the 24th, (I had a hysterectomy), the following day Benjamin turned 1! The 26th we had 13 kids here to celebrate Noah's 4th birthday! Marah had a DJ gig the 27th, but I didn't help with that! I went back to work at 3 weeks! My recovery was amazingly quick!
Was still doing mostly full time hours for February, but on Thursday the 22nd we left for our first trip to Long Island to begin the process for Marah's surgery! We stayed with our long time, dear friends, Paul and Shari....what a blessing!
We returned home Saturday JUST in time for Charles and Benjamin's combined birthday celebration!
Working as many days as I could squeeze in in March, between Burlington appointments, baby dedications, etc. We left for Long Island a second time on March 20th, Marah had her surgery on the 21st.
The story of Marah's surgery is a God thing. This whole year has had some pretty amazing GOD stories! Marah has pretty severe esophageal spasms. Eating ….getting food to go down...was becoming more and more of a problem, as well as choking at night and sometimes during the day now. Food was just not going down. Last year she had suffered from aspiration pneumonia due to the "splash back" from the full esophagus. We had visited a new GI doc, and then she got into a new Primary who is absolutely great! She is mine and Kevin's and she and Kevin have a great repour.
She found an article about a new procedure called the P.O.E.M. (per oral esophageal myotomy), only a few doctors in the country do this, Marah researched some more on her own and found this doctor at Stony Brook in LI. Near our friends so that staying wouldn't be a cost and much nicer than a hotel..as we had to stay almost a week following the surgery. The surgery was a complete success! The doctor said that he hadn't seen a stricture as severe.....the base of her esophagus was almost completely constricted; with that and she has almost no peristalsis, it is a wonder she maintained her weight. There is nothing to be done for the lack of peristalsis, but with her esophagus now open food can flow through. She is doing spectacular!
2 days after we got home, just before my 52 birthday Kevin and I took 2 days and went away! We have a favorite get away now, 1.000 Island Harbor Hotel in Clayton NY! It was much needed! I had made the arrangements BEFORE Marah's surgery had been scheduled, but we decided to keep it. Marah stayed with her sister, just in-case she had any post op issues, though she was a week out from surgery.
In April my work backed off to a couple days a week, and them finally we to the 2 nights a week I was actually hired for! We rolled through may with Grandkids, appointments, Luke's birthday and work! Sunday dinners after church and Mom was starting to discuss the possibility of called the Laser Spine Institute about her back....her walking was getting worse and worse....right foot dragging more and more.
The last full week of April, Lydia fell off her rocking horse and hurt her arm...Papa took a look and said she better go! and she had broken her collar bone! The same as her momma, who broke her collar bone 3 times when she was young! Keeping a 2 year old still and quiet! ? She did great though!
We rolled into May excited and planning for a Hill Family reunion at the Hill Farm Inn in Sunderland VT. It was a GREAT time on the 12th! My kids love the family history!
Kevin began his self imposed "training" He was going to hike Azure Mountain in St. Regis Falls, 4 days a week to train for a marathon Hike he was going to attempt (for the 3rd time) later in the year. In the process accomplish another challenge; 52 hikes in a year!
We had Talitha's birthday and our anniversary! ON our anniversary Lydia had a follow up Xray of her collar bone and it was healed nicely! Kevin and I hadn't figured out our celebratory dinner plans for that evening yet....when we were called to check on Benjamin up at Luke and Talitha's. Luke was at work. Benjamin had taken a tumble and was having a hard time with his leg. BACK to hospital and X-rays for grandchild #2 ! He had a greenstick fracture of the femur above his right knee! Splinted his whole leg and wrapped it! He had only been walking about 4 or 5 months! He rode in a stroller in the house....or was carried! So our dinner....was a drive through with Benjamin and Mommy! wouldn't have traded it for anything....everything except Benjamin's leg!
June brings....if you remember a busy time of year. We end the month with Vacation Bible school! Which requires work prior! As well as the usual events through out!
Mom was in communication with Laser Spine at this point and figuring out the astronomical cost and deciding it needed to be Florida, flights and hotel arrangements etc!
1st mountain in June....Kevin's attempt at the Ultra 6er (6 mountains in 24 hours, a total of 32 miles) He DID IT!!! in 19.5 hours! He had several supporters meet him along the way, they each hiked a different peak.
2nd "mountain" ..Tracey doesn't fly! BUT when it was determined that the best place for the surgery Mom would need was Florida....I booked the flight for 3 of us!
Benjamin got his splint off and leg was healed great!
July was the big month! We flew to FL on Saturday the 14th with surgery scheduled for Wednesday and we would fly home Saturday.
Well along comes mountain # 3! Mom had undiagnosed severe spinal cord compression, which required more extensive and possibly paralyzing surgery, to be done closer to home.....and for those who didn't follow that story go to this link!
Caring Bridge
We came home and had a week, to get redirected and reorganized before we headed to meet with neurosurgeon in Syracuse. We (Mom, Dad, Leah and I) went to Syracuse on the 30th and Mom never came home again for 30 days!
Now, woven through out all this was wedding planning! With shower invites readied and sent out, order upon order of lights and trees and table clothes and lights! (yes lights were mentioned twice! It was the wedding of lights!)
The day of Mom's surgery at Crouse Medical Center, the RSVP's for the shower were due!
Mom's surgery on August 1st was an amazing success!
but it was ...and has been a LONG road! Still moving that mountain!
During this time, Kevin's step mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, we had 2 close friends under go surgeries and heart catheterization.
Mom was moved in 9 days to a rehab facility closer to home, and up the road from the hospital Leah works at! Dad stayed with Leah, I did some. I drove back and forth mostly.
We had Marah's bridal shower on August 18th. Mom couldn't come, but video chatted with all of us during. Very hard for Mom to miss anything of the children's, but Marah's bridal shower was big!
August was flying by with shower and travel and wedding invites to get out, family fun trip to a water park, meetings and phone conferences about wedding cake and food!
Mom's goal release date was October 4th .....August 28th Mom came home!!!
So we are at August....and I am not done with broken bones OR surgeries for the year!
August 20th Marah and I took Andrew to the ED (all visits so far have been to the ED Kevin and I work at) he had jumped of a rock ledge at a local swimming hold, his toe caught and his foot was bent backwards, and had a spiral fracture of the tibia with displacement of his right ankle!
Surgery to put 12 screws, a plate and 1 large anchor screw was done the 31st!
First day and last day of August consisted of surgeries! I said "this could STOP anytime!"
thank the Lord my job is per diem, and I can basically pick the 2 nights I can work!
September......We traveled to VT for a bridal shower for Marah and Andrew, but Andrew could not make the trip and neither could Gramma! Andrew joined us for a video chat this time! It was a beautiful outdoor shower and saw a good number of family!
Rachel also surprised her sister with a small bachelorette party! Marah even was the DJ...though she didn't know it until the last minute! Was lots of fun and Marah loved it!
We kicked wedding prep into high gear, making and freezing meatballs and brownies, shopping for other foods. Watching the weather, a follow up appointment in Syracuse for Mom, small renovation projects on the house and yard, where the wedding was going to take place! My lists were growing bigger each day....even as I checked things off.
Stopping right here to say ….all of this was done with a fantastic bunch of loving caring people helping out!
Weather was turning colder much quicker than we had hoped!
So as the first week of October arrived we were wedding ready!
We had fitted Andrew with ...what I called his "peg leg" and that gave him much more mobility than crutches or even a scooter, as he could put NO weight on his foot at all.
The circus arrived the 3rd.....oh...just the tent! 40'x120' It was a TENT!!
House was ready, yard was ready, a beautiful path edged with solar lights, (thanks to Luke, he did lots of work to help ready the outside) and even despite a bit of chill we had Friday dinner and reversal outside in the front yard.
But come wedding day the forecast didn't look good for the evening...and Marah made the decision early in the day..the whole ceremony would take place in the tent. The rain held off until after pictures which were taken before the ceremony ..while there was still daylight.
Pictures turned out great! Even after dark in the tent!
It was a unique and beautiful ceremony that was as much about Christ as it was about Marah and Andrew. Truly a union of 3! We had much fun dancing as the rain did it's own dancing on the roof of the tent.
Mom was at the wedding and stayed to watch most of the dancing...she and Dad even came and stood by the dance floor and had a "dance " with Marah!
Marah and Andrew were off the next day to Syracuse and the airport for their Yellowstone honeymoon!
The 14th we celebrated moms birthday at church with fellowship dinner and our church family.
The 15th Kevin and I flew (Yes! the girl who would never fly has now flown twice in 3 months!) to Dulles International in DC. The plan was to visit a friend who moved from up here 6 years ago...that visit didn't work out, BUT friends from DE were willing to meet us half way at Annapolis Cheesecake Factory! It was so good to see Kris and Wes after, what we figured out to be, 20 years!
We got to do some touring around DC and the MD area and enjoy some rest and relaxation!
We even managed to hike a local trail (actually next door to Marah and Andrew's) when we got home!
The month rounded out with a harvest party at church and an Incredible Family, Peg Leg Pete with Edna Mode (from the Incredibles), Spot from The Good Dinosaur and a fireman!
In November we reconnected with another couple from DE! Patti and Jerry traveled up and spent several nights with us! They got to meet and hang out with ALL the kids!
Luke even gave them a ride in his new "buggy"
November was celebrations and sadness. Celebrating Leah's birthday! We make sure we celebrate every one. She wasn't feeling the best, it was chemo week. So just, mom, dad and I went to have lunch and visit with her
We celebrated Hannah's 1st birthday! And we celebrated thanksgiving! Luke and Talitha hosted both families! A day to be thankful! The end of November, beginning of December brought sadness as we had several pass away..2 that we are closest to..Michelle Mills and Rene Durant...we pray for their families, especially this time of year.
The 27th of November Andrew had his 2nd surgery to remove the large stabilizing screw from his ankle. Went well and he was again able to bear weight on his foot...it took a week before he was able to get around with out to much trouble and back to work on December 12th! Marah had a list of what her 1st day home alone as a new wife was going to look like! A trip to the ER was NOT on it! I was at the hospital in Potsdam waiting as a good friend had hammer toe surgery (they broke all 5 of her right toes and reset them with pins). While she was still in surgery I talked to Marah who was on her living room floor in so much abdominal pain she couldn't stand or really even talk! I told the ASU staff I was leaving and "keep me posted" and I would do the same! Ran and got Marah and determined the ER in Potsdam was needed....5 hours, CT scan, a visit from Andrew on his lunch break and pain meds later...They determined Marah had a kidney stone! They sent her home with pain meds, a cup and strainer!
December also had Christmas dinner at church, caroling for our independent living housing in our community, prepping for our Christmas program as well as just Christmas! The 17th was COOKIE making DAY!
All 5 grands and several adults! Including cousin Alix! What fun! Nothing puts you in the holiday mood like icing, sprinkles and powdered sugar! And that is the day Marah, uneventfully, passed her kidney stone!
One of the things I try to do..all year, but especially this time of year ..is make sure we visit with friends. Coffee, snacks, even time for dinner...just to make sure we keep our connections and enjoy the friends God has blessed us with. Not an easy task with Kevin's work schedule as well as others and life in general! But we have managed a few get togethers and will continue! We even managed coffee Christmas morning with our neighbors! (not Luke....the other side!)
Our Christmas program turned our very cute this year, the Sunday before Christmas...an adorable reminder of the season.
So Christmas morning as I sat with my coffee, waiting for my wee ones to arrive and turn the Christmas morning quiet into amazing, spectacular, lovable chaos...(my intention was to post Christmas morning!) I was humbled, yet again, by this God who loves each one of us so much He sent His Son to this earth.
To be born to such a simple and lowly life...or so it would seem. Humbled by Jesus...who willingly came as a baby...to grow into a man...to be scorned, ridiculed, and killed....all so I, we, ALL could have life in heaven with Him some day!
I am humbled by the events of this past year...the mountains that were moved! The events that could have been worse, the tragedies where we can see His hand holding ours the whole time!
My prayer for you this Christmas time and New Year is that as we celebrate ....we celebrate the wonder of a baby, rejoice in the life of the Man, and sing praises for ALL that we have been blessed with!
As I was rushing to try to get this published by Christmas I thought about how it was about the whole year! So maybe I should wait until the whole year had past! I mean last year our BIG news happened Christmas EVE!
And this year the week after Christmas we celebrated 3 more Christmases! Friday Kevin's younger sister Bobby Jo and George came out to our house, dinner and LOTS of fun!
Saturday we drove to Argyle and celebrated with Kevin's oldest sister, Donna and her family. Kevin's mom and uncle rode down with us. All of our children were there!
And Sunday we did Christmas at my Mom and Dad's with Leah, Tim, Jamey and Allan! The 5 little ones, never tire of seeing each other! My heart is so full when they are all together, loving on each other! And cousin Allan has gotten so big, and is great with them!
Our New Year's celebration was a fairly quiet one. Marah hung out for the day here, then she and Andrew celebrated just the 2 of them at their house. Luke and Talitha and boys joined us and Rachel and family for supper and a movie, Luke had to work at 11pm. Kevin was here for the first time in several years! Good friends, who happen to be Thomas's parents, stopped in for a visit.
But come 11:59 it was me, Kevin, Rachel and Thomas still here and awake....their 3 kids had crashed and were snoozing! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
SO this became a NEW YEAR'S LETTER! Reviewing 2018 and anticipating 2019!
We pray no more broken bones, hope for no surgeries, and try not to get too anxious for the 1 grandbaby (that we know of so far!) in May!!
And these were just the "highlights" of the year, in between was "every day life"! Mom is still improving and doing amazing! My sister is still battling, a warrior and true hero in my eyes!
My grand kids keep growing into amazing little people! God is still moving and working, watching over and blessing! I pray you can look back over your year and see God's work and blessing in your life, and you look forward to seeing Him in 2019! Love to ALL~
Aunt Bobby, Charles and Granpa Ron
