What's Up?!

Happy Fall everybody!

It's been a while since my last posting - that's a good thing. Since "Jiminy Cricket", Bailey spent one more night at Riley for observation about a week later when she was having symptoms of heart pounding and chest pain. They didn't find anything on the monitor this time. Dr. D has since made minor changes to medicine and she's been on a 24-hour heart monitor a couple times to get a good look at things. She's been symptom-free since her two nights of observation. She's getting into a good routine with school now and even drove herself and her best friend, Paisley, to the homecoming parade where they rode in a float with their SADD Club (Students Against Drunk Driving) and then a bonfire at school. Tonight they're getting all spiffied up and going to the formal homecoming dance at the high school. Bailey's wearing her dress that we bought her last year for homecoming that she ended up missing due to one of her many hospitalizations. We attended the American Heart Association's Heart Walk last weekend! That was SUCH an exciting and emotional time because last year we took turns pushing Bailey in a wheelchair - she was so sick and couldn't walk any distance at all. We even took the wheelchair in to the grocery store. But not this year! This year she was able to walk 2 miles on her own without a problem! (The walk was 3 miles, but we took a short cut - it was pretty hot out there!) We walked with Bailey's Team which consisted of Bailey's Aunts (my sisters) Cindy and Vickie, cousin Cody, sisters Josie and Marissa, and our favorite med student EVER, Matt. We reminisced about last September when we spent most of it at Riley and it happened to be the month that Matt was assigned to the Heart Center. He's a great guy and will make a great doctor! It was quite a celebration to see how far Bailey has come since last Fall. Miracles do happen, you guys.

We're looking forward to Thanksgiving this year - Bailey and I ate Thanksgiving dinner on the Heart Center last year just a week after her latest life-saving surgery. I'm probably starting to sound dramatic, but it is dramatic. To think back to 365 days ago when Bailey was very tired, uncomfortable, and scared . . . and to see her today driving around with Paisley attending normal high school functions . . . it is dramatic and it makes me cry happy tears.

I'm doing a little better with her driving. I'm not following her around town anymore. I made the mistake at first of making her call me when she got to her destination and when she was leaving to come home. Depending on the errand, if it was a short trip, like Kroger, that was a mistake! Because when the phone would ring 5 minutes after she left, a shot of fear stabbed me when I heard her voice only to hear "I'm here mom." I have since told her NOT to call me on those short trips unless, of course, she needed something. I have fewer little heart attacks that way.

Josie (now 14) just found out that she's been accepted to go on a 19-day trip to Europe (England, France and Italy) next summer with People to People Student Ambassadors. This is a program started by Pres. Eisenhower after the war. He thought if there was any hope at all for world peace, the way to get there is through kids meeting and spending time with kids from other countries. Josie was nominated by a teacher, attended an informative meeting at Butler University, and even went through an interview process with letters of recommendation, etc. She jut got a call this week that she's accepted. Now we have to start selling our possession to pay for it! Ha! It is expensive, but I'm so proud of her for this opportunity! She has been sitting quietly and patiently in the background these past several years as our family rides this roller coaster with Bailey, and now we get to focus on something really great for Josie. Such an exciting time for her. Last year's group got to meet the Queen of England! They get to interview a member of Parliament, scale the wall of a castle (after being trained by world-renowned rock-climbers), spend 3 days and 2 nights at a family's home in France who doesn't speek any English, and all sorts of really really exciting things. An opportunity of a lifetime. We're excited for her!

Rissy (turning 9 in 2 weeks) just made her first "real" basketball team. She's playing in the school township league. She finds out in about a week which team she's on and when she has her first practice. Last year she played at the Y on a co-ed team. It was pretty successful, but she's looking forward to an all-girl team.

It's so pretty outside today - such a perfect Fall day. We're going to Tuttles Orchard for apples and anything else fun that we might find. I got to spend some time with my hummingbirds lately - they went on their feeding frenzy before they migrated south, heading across the Gulf to Central America. It's crazy to think of them flying 500 miles across water. I wish them well!

We have a little friend Cody (my friend Lori's 13-yeard old nephew) who has recently started his chemo treatments for Hodgkins. Please add him and his family to your prayer list. They have a long road ahead of them but prayerfully a positive one. They do great things at Riley!

Have a fabulous Fall, everybody! Catch ya later!

Angie