my new nephew

the miracle mile

exactly one year ago today i woke up to this beautiful sight and this wish.

it would only be a few hours later that i would receive a phone call from my sister amber letting me know that our baby sister had been backed up over in my parents driveway and had been rushed to the local hospital.

my routine drive to show low that day would take an eternity and the devastation of seeing sweet callie's limp body on that huge hospital bed would be a memory that wont be forgotten.

that day would be the first of many days that callie would not be with us. she was not running around. she was not playing with her sisters. she was healing.

that very difficult time would be the beginning of an incredible lesson on faith and miracles and love.

today i feel so grateful for the blessing of callie's life. she is a miracle and a living testament of the power of prayer and of a merciful and powerful heavenly father.

one year ago today i witnessed a miracle and i've not been the same since.

if you would like to read all about callie's amazing journey you can begin here and move on through by newer posts.

callie also has her own blog which is occasionally updated here.

there will also to be a open house/gathering at my parents home this sunday afternoon to give thanks and recognize the amazing year that we have experienced with callie jayne. you have all been invited here.

thank you so much to everyone who has prayed and cared for callie and our family over this past year. we have been so truly blessed.

{love.ash}

for teeny tiny toes

come december i am going to be made an aunt once again. i am very excited! i am trying to subside my baby hungers for a while longer and events such as these seem to help me. i love babies. i want another baby {or two}. maybe just not in the next nine months.

thursday is ultrasound day! i have already informed amber that she is having a girl...but apparently she needs hard evidence. as for me, i am fully convinced and if i find out otherwise... well, it will shock my shorts.

not to mention i will have to head back to the sewing machine. i just don't know how she would feel about putting these on little man feet.

i'm thinking about mass producing these for hazel.jayne. what do you think?

answered prayers

sunday evening i tucked the boys in for bed a little later than usual.

i was exhausted and expected to find relief after laying the last tired body in bed. but i didn't. not only was the calm missing that usually comes once my home is finally quiet, but i felt in a panic to the point of a stomach ache.

i stood in garrett's room for a few moments wondering what in the world was going on. i said a prayer quietly to myself for my boys and when the anxiety was still lingering i walked into our bedroom and asked matt to come and pray with me.

together we went into each of the boys rooms and prayed for their protection and prayed for our home, that it would be a peaceful place. i felt comfort after we were finished. i gave the boys a kiss and went to bed. the calm was back.

NOW ON TO PART TWO::

yesterday i got a call from the hubby. he had taken the boys over to his parents house so that i could get some much needed cleaning done.

"gage rode the green four-wheeler all by himself." he said.

"woo hoo! well how did he do?" i asked.

"well.....he went from four-wheeling, to two-wheeling, to NO wheeling." he told me.

i was shocked and asked him if he was kidding. i figured he must be because he sounded much too calm. he assured me that he was not. and then told me that gage was fine. he was actually off riding his blue rhino now.

this green four-wheeler we're talking about is a honest to goodness four-wheeler just built in a smaller proportion. it is still large enough for matt to ride along on. apparently gage decided to go full throttle all of a sudden and turned too sharp. he rolled the quad on asphalt and went skidding across the pavement.

all he has to show for it is some pretty good scrapes on his elbows and chin. {he was wearing a helmet.}

i'm just so thankful that he was being watched over and that he wasn't injured. it really is a blessing that nothing more happened to him.

it's amazing the power of prayer.

{please pray}

Some of you may remember when I mentioned my best friend Toni coming to Arizona this week.

Well her husband ended up finding out he needed to go in for a knee surgery and she decided to stay home and help him out as he recovered.

The surgery went well and he returned home without any complications.

When Toni got home from church this morning she found her husband, Nathan, unconscious and not breathing. He was rushed to the hospital in Wyoming and then life flighted to a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He remains unconscious and in critical condition and it is still unsure what the cause was.

Please keep Nathan, Toni and their son Grant in your prayers.
Lots of love. Ash

{a very special event for a very special girl}

Remember when I shared this little lady's story with you?

This dolly girl is my babiest of sisters, Callie Jayne.

She was accidentally backed over in September at the tender age of 19 months.

The SUV was being driven by a family friend who was leaving my parents' house. The doctors told us that the damage Callie received indicated that the rear tire had completely gone over the top of her tiny head.

The doctor's initial prognosis for our little sweetie was not hopeful. I can't even describe the strength and the faith that my parents embodied during this hardest of times. Their never failing faith in our Savior and the many many prayers of family, friends and strangers were the things that pulled Callie and our family through this hard time. We truly witnessed a miracle. And we continue to witness this miracle every day of Callie's life.

After two months at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Callie returned home to us in the mountains. She is a different Callie in many ways. But also much the same.

She continues therapy locally and makes her occasional trips back to Phoenix where her progress is monitored.

Callie has been such a blessing in our lives. She has touched our hearts as well as the hearts of many people we have never met. We are so grateful to have her.

Callie requires special attention and special needs right now. As she grows we will get a clearer picture of what to expect. We have already seen such progress with her. We remain hopeful that her recovery will continue and that she will be able to lead a life in the way it began. Independent and full of adventure.

Some WONDERFUL family and friends have spent the past several months organizing a benefit concert for miss Callie Jayne. We are so excited to be there! You know Callie will be doing a whole lot of this

And who could miss out on such a lovely sight?

The concert is being held at The Women's Club of Mesa {AZ} this Friday night {the 27th}. From 7:00 to 10:30 pm.

There will be FOUR bands performing.

The Dorsets

Just Us

The Alstons

And Callie's very own, very talented cousin, Collin Freestone Band from Las Vegas!

Tickets are purchased by donation. The recommended price is $20 but anything is welcome and appreciated. You can reserve your ticket by purchasing online {just go to the "Purchase Ticket" button located on the sidebar} or they can also be paid for at the door.

We've had word that Channel 15 News may be covering it! So look for little Callie shakin' her groove thing for the cameras!

For more of Callie's story you can visit the links on my sidebar or visit her very cute blog at www.kissesforcallie.blogspot.com

Thank you so much to all of you who have prayed for, donated to and cared for our special little girl!

We are grateful to you every day. Truly.

{the looking back part}

With Callie Jayne being home, I've actually had a chance to REALLY look back on what has transpired in the past two months. It still doesn't feel entirely real somehow. Is that possible? For those of you who have not heard Callie's story, she is my 22 month old baby sister and she is a miracle. On September 8th, she was backed up over by a family friend in my parents' driveway. She was critically injured as you can read here and here. Her first days in the hospital were trying. She was comatose for the first few weeks and her body was fighting a very difficult fight. After being air evacuated to Phoenix Children's Hospital, one doctor gave his 'opinion' that if Callie were his child he would let her go on. He felt that there was no hope for her case. My parents stayed so strong through it all and put their baby girl's life entirely in the Lord's hands.

A lot has transpired since that scary day. It's hard to accurately put into words what we have experienced. I don't think anyone can put into words what Callie has personally experienced. She has made SO much progress and she has been so happy all the way. We went from wondering...Will she walk again? Talk? See? Live? To seeing that yes, she would. She has been so feisty and determined. Much like the personality that we loved prior to her accident. You can go here, here, here and yes even here for little snippets of her PICU experience.

It's so exciting to get to tell you all that she left that hospital talking and walking {with support}! There is still damage that we are praying will be healed, but we feel so incredibly blessed to have Callie in the form that she is now. She truly is a miracle.

So many prayers have been given on her behalf. So many good deeds have been done. For me not only have I been renewed in my faith of prayers and healing but also in the goodness of people. Even strangers. It has turned into such a beautiful experience. We can't change what happened to our little Cal gal but we can see the beauty and the miracles in the circumstances.

So now we look back with gratitude and thanks. But mostly, we look forward with hope and faith for her future.

Thank you so much to all of you who have kept Callie and our family in your thoughts and your prayers. We are so grateful for everything that has been said and done in our behalf. We can truly say that we love you all. And certainly if you should meet Callie Jayne one day, she would love to share and HUGE smooch with you. She seems to have become the Queenie of Kisses! And we all love it!

You can go HERE to read more of Callie's physical therapy experience {per my Mom} as well as her return home. You can also read through my September and October posts to read more on little Callie Jayne!

And now some Callie News!

Our shining starlet will be featured on Channel 3 News, tomorrow morning during their 'Your Life A to Z' section at 9:00 am. So if you are in Arizona, watch for that!

Also, don't forget that this Friday and Saturday {the 14th and 15th} you can buy one of these adorable onesies from the etsy shop ONESIE TWOSIE and 30% will be donated to "Kisses for Callie". All you need to do is put "Kisses for Callie" in the comment section when making your purchase! This girl is awesome! She just finished a similar benefit sale for Nie Recovery and has been so generous to also help support our little Cal! So stop by and see what she has! This is only ONE of her adorable designs!

And don't forget to check in on KISSES FOR CALLIE to see the good works that are being done for this sweet little girl!

Thank you everyone!

{lots of love.ash}

{we like to move it, move it}

What a fun weekend and a special one at that! As most of you know our little miss California sunshine was released from Phoenix Children's Hospital on Friday, after nearly a full two months there! Yay! So in celebration of her newly found freedom The Hubby, Bossy Pants, Baby Boy and yours truly joined her and my parents and cousin Erika {her new BFF} for some pizza and a movie! We all thought Callie would enjoy the movie, but had no idea HOW MUCH she would love it! What movie you ask? Only the best! Madagascar 2! The first one is a favorite of theirs {and mine} and the second one in my opinion was even funnier. Callie, Bossy Pants and even Baby Boy LOVED it! Callie was clapping and shouting "yay" nearly the entire time, as she chomped on sour gummy worms {her new favorite snack} and Bossy Pants found a new love of popcorn and larger than life animated animals. This was the first time we've taken him to the theatre for a movie since he was oh 6 months old. I don't know if our sad little tv will be enough for him anymore! :) And what a doll our Baby Boy is! He was perfectly content as long as he could see the movie. It was so much fun!

While we were down in the valley I made it to JoAnn's! Yay! I love that place! They had their fleece 50% off so it was the perfect time to buy for Christmas projects. Have I mentioned that I had this hair brained idea to do a "mostly" homemade Christmas this year? What was I thinking?! No, I'm actually really excited it's just that I should have had the hair brained idea about 10 months sooner! I'm cramming now but hoping to make it. I'm almost done with gifts for my 5 youngest sisters which is so exciting! I will post when they're complete! Wish me luck please. I for sure will need some happy thoughts coming my way if I'm going to do everything on my list!

And just to end on a wintry note....we had the first snow of the season last night! Bossy Pants and Baby Boy are both a bit under the weather, so we won't be playing in it. I did take the two year old out to throw a few snow balls and make hand prints on daddy's truck but that was the extent of it. I promise next time we will play our little hearts out in all that fluffy white stuff!

{and that's all she wrote}

Well that isn't entirely true. Neither rain, nor snow, nor carpal tunnel could restrain me from writing! However, there will be no more musings as to when Callie's doctors will send her home. Know why? She's coming home on Friday folks! Yay! {feel free to give a huge Yay Hooray yourself!} Today at 'Rounds' the doctors made a definite decision to let her come home. My parents have been busy getting things in order for this to be possible, as have many other very kind people. We can't wait for her to be home in the mountains where she belongs! I'm having a little John Denver moment here. I've said it before but it can't hurt to reiterate....THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

{evaluation day again}

Hello again Tuesday! Today is the day we await the doctors evaluation. I have my suspicions that our little lady will be returning to us soon! Can you believe that in two months, our little Cal gal has gone from this:

To this:

Awesome! We can't wait to have her home to play with and love on! The doctors usually make their 'rounds' sometime around 11:00 and noon. So by then I should have good news to share with all of you!

Here is just a little run down of Callie's current condition:

First off, she is awake. I realize now that I never was very clear on that fact. The reason for that is mainly that her 'waking' process was foggy and gradual. It was nothing like I expected, nothing like the movies portray. I expected to receive a phone call one day as I was doing the laundry with my Mom on the other end shouting "She's awake! She's awake!" But that was not how things unravelled. She began showing signs of being awake, but her eyes did not open and the signs were just that, nothing clear. Day by day things progressed in slow but steady fashion. Until it was obvious that she was awake. At that point, her being awake was almost a secondary thought to all the amazing progresses she was making. If that makes sense. Now to continue on...

She cannot open her eyes fully on her own. Her left eye will make the tiniest slit and that is greatly due to the fact that she has paralysis on the left side of her face. There's no saying if this damage will be permanent or not. Her right eye will open half way on her own and that is how she sees what she wants. She can see, her vision is just very blurry. This is because her eyes are still fully dilated. Again, something we are not sure is permanent or not.

She can crawl anywhere she sees fit to go. She pulls herself up to things and can walk with support. That seems to be her big focus right now, getting those crazy legs of hers to cooperate again!

She talks. And to me, all her struggles put aside, she probably says more than most kids her age. And you had better believe she is just as bossy, sassy and active as any other 21 month old out there!

She will continue therapy when she returns home. I feel like being at home with the kids will really help her in her progress. I am sure she will miss all of her friends there at PCH though. They have become like family to her through her time there.

I am sure I have missed some things. If you guys have any questions please do ask and I will answer them, or try to. My thoughts all seem to jumble up when I get behind the keyboard.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, your generosity, your support and your kind thoughts. You have all reached us and helped us. Callie truly is a miracle girl. You have all taken part in her recovery whether you realize it or not. So thank you a million times over!

And Lastly {and on a whole other subject}, Don't forget to vote today! Polls are open until 7:00 pm. So get a sitter for those kidlets, or grab a sandwich and spend your lunch break in line {sounds fun huh} but do what you need to do to get there! From everything being said in the media, this will be a close one. I hope you have all done your research on the candidates and the propositions as well. Arizona voters can go HERE for information on the 2008 Propositions. And on a last note: Don't forget to punch those CHADS with fury!

{callie's surgery update::and a special birthday}

Hi everyone. Sorry that this is late coming.

Callie did not have the surgery yesterday. Her and my parents met with the Opthamologist and he decided he would like to wait for her left eye to heal more thoroughly. He also said that with the progress she has made with her right eye, he may not have to tack that one open at all. Yay!

Her surgery has been tentively scheduled for December 1st. We will be able to tell more as we approach that date.

So now we await evaluation on Tuesday. My parents feel that she will get the okay to go home, but we can't say that for sure. I guess we just continue the "wait and see" game.

{Callie & Dad teetering at Moylen's Pond in July}

And now a big fat Happy Birthday wish for my Dad!

The man who has ALWAYS put his family before himself. The one who can have a kid in both arms and still have room for more somehow. Who taught me how to ride a bike and didn't even make fun of me when I used a giant bush as my brakes. The one who mowed special messages in the lawn for his 'Wifey'. The man who made sure I had a water bottle full of kool-aid to take on my field trips with me and a quarter in my pocket for chocolate milk on Friday. Who sent me birthday cards via mail when he was on the road and couldn't get home for the big day. {He always threw in a little cash so Mom could take me to Dairy Queen for a special treat.} Whose hair I nearly turned gray, whose money I spent, sometimes without much gratitude. Who told me I was a beautiful bride and who thinks somehow that I am a wonderful mother. The man who I admire and love with all of my heart. I could not have asked for a better father.
You are amazing Dad! I love you so much and wish we were there to celebrate with you! I hope your day is great and I feel certain Callie will share kisses and hugs with you on our behalf.
We love you!!!

Here's hoping for LESS of this....

And a little MORE of this in the near future!

{open those babies up!}

I got some good news from my Mom yesterday! On Friday it is very likely that rather than donning her Halloween costume, our Cal Gal will be in surgery. They would like to tack up her eyelids for her. And in the next few days following, they would like to get her home!

As far as I believe things are not entirely set right now. The Opthamologist would like to be able to do both eyes at the same time {there are large benefits in doing this} but he is unsure if the left eye is healed enough for that. We would definitely like to see both of them done and are praying that there will be substantial healing to her left eye prior to the surgery.
This procedure is reversible and will not inhibit her from regaining her eye functions. We feel it will really benefit her through her continued therapy.

My Mom has definitely begun to get homesick. Although Callie can't really tell us, I know that she is missing her brothers and sisters in a big way. And her nephies too of course! We will be very glad to have her home. There are things to be done to have the house ready for her return. My parents are busy making lists, finding what she will need and mentally preparing I am sure to take over Callie's recovery. She will have therapists up here in the mountains but the constant care of Callie that the hospital has given, will be surely missed at times. They have been absolutely WONDERFUL!

So that is what we have to hope for within the week. I just want to make a huge Welcome Home sign and string it across the streets of Show Low for our little miracle girl. For sure there should be a marching band, baton twirlers and maybe a small circus! Yeah I am that excited for her to be coming home. After all she has been through it seems that would be a small portrayal of my excitement!
Thank you so much to everyone who has kept Callie in their thoughts and prayers. As well as to those who have generously donated to her cause. We are so truly blessed!

Oh yeah so my Dad's birthday is on Saturday but I think we will wait to celebrate it until they are home since Callie will be recovering from her surgery. I was thinking that since little California will miss getting to see everyone in their Halloween lovelies and she herself will miss out (and I did make her the cutest little witch tutu...sigh) that it would be fun to do my Dad's party kind of Halloween themed. What do you think? Is that lame? Well if you think it is a fabulous idea then what kind of games have you played at Halloween parties? I know one thing for sure, there MUST be homemade rootbeer!

{blown away}

I have been hearing all about Callie's progress over the last few weeks but haven't got to actually see it for myself. Well yesterday the boys, Amber, Winnie and I took a quick trip down to Phoenix so we could visit with our tiny patient girl!

When we got there, Callie was sleeping on cousin Erika. She was able to wake her up and when Callie saw me sitting next to the bed she reached for me! When I took her she started kissing me ALL over! She grabbed around my neck and then my head and then just rubbed her hands all up and down my face to feel it. And "smooch, smooch, smooched" away! It was so sweet and so exciting for me who had not seen her this active yet.

First place we headed was outside to the play area. I put her in one of the little flinstone style cars and was starting to push her when she just grabbed hold of the steering wheel, stood up and attempted crawling right out. So I took her out and took her to the slide. She had a blast! She did a good amount of the walking as long as she was being helped and she was loving it. It was so cute to watch her clap for herself anytime she did something impressive (which was about every 60 seconds!) I even got a few high fives!

Trying to make her ES-Cape from the car!

Me and California making it up to the BIG slide

Ready, Set, Go!

Merta & California ready to go some more!

Amber letting her stand. Just look at her!

We got Callie's lunch from the nurse and headed to the cafeteria. She had PBandJ, a banana, chocolate pudding and a sugar cookie. I was so happy to sit and hold her while she ate and see how well she did. I was painted in chocolate and banana goo by the end of the feeding, but I don't mind one bit!

After lunch she headed off to a string of physical therapy sessions. She was so much fun to watch and so amazing! I was blown away by her! She could crawl to any thing she wanted. She'd get that little eye slit open and tip her head back a little for a better view, and off she went! She was even bound and determined to stand up on her own. She is getting so close!

She loved the play dough!

She was bouncing away on this huge ball!

It was so nice to be there for her therapy and watch all of her amazing progress first hand. She really is so excited about life and doing things. She was SOO tired after her therapy but managed to stay awake and entertain us until we left the hospital. She is a sweet little girl and we love her so much!

Snacking on a cracker right before we left. You can see how worn out she was.

We missed seeing Dad since he was on his way back from a quick California {as in the state} run, but it was nice to visit with Mom and Cal. They are really missed back at home. Winnie made sure to get in lots of extra hugs and smoochies before we left. She was so happy to see her baby sister and her mommy!

We love you guys!

XOXOXOXO

{at least your tongue isn't bleeding}

Before Callie was "officially" evaluated today my parents were told that she would remain another week. She is working really hard on her walking skills. It could be a ways out before she is back in the groove entirely but she definitely knows what she needs to do and knows that she WANTS to do it! She is off her meds, off her feed tube and more alert and stable every single day. She is doing absolutely amazing!

Tomorrow I am heading down to the valley with my boys, Amber and Brinley. Plus a car load of garage sale items for Callie's benefit yard sale in a few weeks. I can't wait to see her and hopefully get to join in on some of her therapy sessions. I have not seen the little warrior woman in over two weeks and SO much has changed since then. So yay!

Brinley has stayed with us the last couple of days. Bossy Pants is really diggin' the play pal idea! This morning when he woke up he came into my room, dragged me by the arm to his room and pointed at sleeping Brinley, with a 100 watt smile, "Winnie!" It was just like Christmas morning as he realized he was one good hair pulling away from having someone to play cars with ALL morning long! It will be so fun when Baby Boy is old enough to keep up with the energetic, sometimes crazy, big brother!

Today we decided to whip out the mixer and make some

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! My little helpers were great and I couldn't help but smile when both of them had eyes bulging out of their heads as I dumped in the chocolate chips. Oh the joys of childhood! They turned out super delish! We went ahead and walked a plate over to the new neighbors. I told Matt my plans, and he told me I should have lived in Mayburry. Well honestly, Mayburry would suit me just fine. Bossy Pants out in his overalls, no shirt at all. Coming home with a frog in his pocket and his homemade fishin' pole. Yup. I think that would be just fine. But back to my story.

After taking cookies to the neighbors {who were very friendly by the way} Bossy Pants and Winnie decided to take the Rhino out for a spin. {The Gage sized Rhino of course} Well Bossy Pants drove for a while and became entirely frustrated by his lack of understanding of all the gears and knobs and pedals so he hopped in back and let Winnie take the wheel. They were having a grand old time. Bossy Pants held that bossy little finger out in front of Winnie and led the way. As a loving and faithful auntie, she of course did his bidding. About 20 minutes into their excursion, tragedy struck in the form of a "bit tongue". Apparently Bossy Pants was not prepared for one of Winnie's abrupt stops and he chomped right down on it! It was bleeding pretty good so I grabbed him up and took him inside to get a cloth. Bossy Pants is sitting in the sink nursing his wounds, I'm of course being super mom, and Winnie is looking up at him with a face of pure concern.

Winnie: "Is he going to be okay?"

Me: "Yes he will be fine. His tongue is just bleeding."

Winnie: "Oh. At least Callie didn't bite her tongue."

Me: "Yeah that is good for Callie."

Winnie: "Yeah. Poor Gage. And poor Callie, but at least her tongue isn't bleeding."

I guess a bleeding tongue would have really just been too much! ha ha It reminded me of Pollyanna and her 'Glad Game'. I think maybe I should play that game more often....

My back is sore, my legs are achy and my eyelids weigh 10 pounds each. But I am glad, I mean REALLY GLAD, that my day has been spent playing with, loving on, bouncing and chasing around the sweetest men there ever were!

I have a sign in my house that says There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. Yes there is indeed!

So if your day has been rough and your feeling a little downer...at least your tongue isn't bleeding!

{Lots of Love. Ash}

Tuesday, October 21st

11:36 p.m.

{she got another week}

Because of the giveaway I haven't posted anything on Callie in a few days. I hope you guys were checking in with my Mom's blog because our little girl is doing AWESOME!
She has been exploring all kinds of new foods and loving it! She has even gone through the night without her feed tube! Woo hoo! While liquid chicken tenders don't quite sound like my cup of tea, I am sure she is enjoying it big time!
Little California can sit up on her own now! She is vocalizing more and more! And she is becoming more and more interactive in her therapy sessions! It is so amazing to see all that she has overcome in the past weeks. What a woman!
Yesterday was her weekly evaluation and YAY! She will be staying for another week for sure! The personal care and attention that she is receiving there is just incredible and we are loving every day she has there!
Things are being lined up for her therapy to begin as soon as she comes home to the mountains. In the next few days she will get a consultation to see about getting her a chair to come home in! We will love having her back home for sure. She has lots of adoring fans who will love to meet this sweet inspiration!
Oh yeah! Did I mention that Callie is being filmed for one of the hospital's movie projects?! Yeah she's going to be famous! ha ha
I can't wait to get my hands on some pictures to share with you all. Thanks for all your concern and love!

{HAVE HEART MY DEAR}

{One of my latest fave songs right now is Run by Snow Patrol. Anytime I hear it I think of little Callie Gal. Take a listen. In most ways it is very fitting.}

I was listening to that song this morning and thinking I wish I could send that little lady all my strength right now. Strength to open those sweet little eyes, strength to hold her body up and do all the things that she loves. I sat still and tried to concentrate on sending that strength to her. Urging her in my mind and prayers to have heart and not fear. It's hard to imagine what she may have experienced over the past month {today is her 1 month mark}. I pray that she did not suffer too much pain. I picture in my mind that she was cradled in the arms of our Savior as her body experienced excruciating pain and her physical world turned into one of confusion. I know that He has already experienced and felt all of our pains and sorrows. And I know He loves His children, specifically I know that He loves our Callie Jayne.

In General Conference it was said that if each answered prayer was recorded in a book, the earth would not have room to contain the volumes. I feel that the same thing can be said of the answered prayers that have been experienced on Callie's behalf in just this one trying month. I am overwhelmed with comfort and love in the realization of the number of people who have poured out their hearts to our Savior on behalf of Callie and our family. I feel so inadequate in returning the gift that all of you have given our family. And even more so inadequate in thanking my Heavenly Father. That is a feeling I however am familiar with as He has blessed me beyond my deserving throughout my entire life.

I am so thankful for the strength has been sent to my parents and to Callie by each of you. That same strength has been felt by me. It has held us up and it has opened our eyes. It has been an indescribable blessing through these difficult times. Being in the room with Callie and my parents you feel like you are among giants. The faith and dedication my parents have portrayed is inspiring and humbling. And the continued strength and dedication to life that Callie possesses touches the hearts of any who meet her. I am so proud of my family and the way that they have all lifted their heads through this trial of faith. It has allowed our faith to strengthen and to grow rather than becoming bitter and torn down. Some might question how God could allow this to happen to one of His innocent children. I have firm faith that these trials are put in place for our benefit and learning. I don't have all the answers, but I believe in a loving Lord and Savior who can see what I cannot. I find constant comfort in this portion of scripture found in Isaiah "...yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." What a promise to His children.

So this pondering all began as a desire to strengthen Callie. I continue to pray that my strength will be lent to her in her recovery and healing.

Have heart my dear.

Go {HERE} for a funny Cal story of the day!

{ROUND TWO}

After our first "Kisses for Callie" raffle several people contacted me to offer donations for "our next raffle". To be honest I wasn't planning on a second raffle. But we have had so many people asking if they could donate things for one that I have decided to plan another. I am not sure of the date yet but will let you all know when something is set. If you would like to donate any items for this raffle please contact me as soon as possible at ashley.broomall@yahoo.com.

You guys are awesome!

{WILL SHE STAY OR WILL SHE GO?}

Today was the awaited evaluation from Callie's Neurological Rehabilitation team. The final consensus...

She will stay!

My Mom said all the therapists had "glowing reports"! One doctor did say that they will begin working on a discharge plan so that when she is ready to go home, it will be a speedy process. But until then they will continue to work with her. She has such an awesome team and this time with them is really a blessing to her recovery. We can't wait to have her home but we know that this is the best thing for her right now.

She has been progressing with her eating, as she is being allowed to try more things. So far she has enjoyed yogurt, applesauce, rice pudding, crackers and juice! Yum Yum! We know she will be thrilled to have that feed tube removed from her nose!

Three cheers for Callie and all her progress! And also for all of you and answered prayers! We are so blessed!

Happy Tuesday to all!

{Love.Ash}

{GROWING STRONGER}

Callie continues to improve daily. It's not any huge steps that she is taking, but gradually she is building herself up. The hospital has promised to keep her as long as her progress continues in this way, and once it slows they will send her home where she will need to continue therapy locally. She is doing great! I am glad for her time in the hospital where every one can be focused on her and her recovery.
Her persistence in moving forward is so inspiring to me. I know that through life I have had challenges, none as severe as this, but I wish that I had stuck to my resolve more firmly. I seem to get frustrated and distraught when I don't have my instant gratification. I like to see results and when I don't see them right away, I get distracted and just let things slip through. She amazes me with her dedication to her life. She isn't going to be content in just sitting in her chair and being catered to. That isn't Callie...that has never been Callie.
The day before her accident I had gone to Show Low for my nephew's baby blessing and then my cousin's blessing afterwards. I sat there as Baby Boy was being held by Grandma and Grandpa and I was reflecting on the family in Heber whose son had just passed away the day before. I sat there thinking what a blessing each day is with our precious little people. And as I sat there thinking, Callie waddled down the pew and climbed into my lap. This is such a RARE occurrence. For the most part Callie just preferred to be doing her own thing. So I grabbed her up and held on her and squeezed on her as these thoughts continued to pass through my mind. I wonder now if she knew what I was thinking. And she so sweetly let me get my hands on her to prepare me for what would happen the following day. I was SO grateful to have had that moment with her. As I sat in the sun room at PCH that day I kept thinking how squishy and tiny she felt as she sat on my lap in that church meeting. And I found comfort in it.
Thank you Callie for your sweet spirit and your strength that has inspired me and so many others! I love you!

For updates and pictures of Callie while I am still out of town go {HERE}

{GO CALLIE GO}

Callie has been making such progress with her physical therapy! She has been able to pull her knees up under her while laying on the floor, put pressure on her feet all by herself {very important in learning to re-walk}, and just this morning while Dad was tickling her, she actually rolled over from her back to her stomach all by herself!
All of these things are so awesome to hear!
When we went to see her Friday morning she looked so good! We laid Baby Boy next to her with her arm under her neck and it was so cute, she turned her head towards him and got close. Both of them were both so content to lay there next to each other.
We hope to continue to see all of these progressions repeat themselves! She has continued to get her eyes open to slits. It is for short periods of time and very small slits, but still SO promising.
Thank you for all the love and support you have been giving for her to help give her strength to do these things.
We love and thank you all!

{P.S. I am still needing information from some of our winners. Please email me with your addresses AND sizes for your item if that is an option.}

{P.S.S. I am with my family in California for the rest of the week but will still try to get updates on throughout my stay here. Sorry if I fall behind a little but keep checking my MOM's blog for updates as well! Love you guys!}