Life Goes On....

I know it has been several months since my last post, there has been many changes in our lives.  The biggest of which is we have reconciled with our daughter Elizabeth and we now have a granddaughter from her!! 

Belle Elise Medina was born on August 8, weighing in at 6 pounds 15 ounces and 19 1/2 inches.  We couldn't be prouder of our daughter and son-in-law!!

Our granddaughter is so beautiful!!  So much hair!! Now as I write this she is one month old and weighs 10 pounds!! We are preparing for her Christening on September 30th.  We have not seen her since she was 48 hours old and I can't wait to hold her again!!! Living 200 miles her it is hard to spoil her, but when I get the chance, I am going to hold her as much as I can and love on her and spoil her as much as I can for the two days we are with her. 

I have just loved all the pictures Beth and Derek have posted on Facebook.  I download all of them to my computer hard drive and my cellphone.  I have printed a few of them and show them off to my friends.  My friends think Belle is so beautiful and of course Grandma does not disagree!!  

Here are a couple of more photos of my beautiful girl:

I think from now on I might be better about updating this blog because I have more to write about!! God Bless!!!

May Thoughts in June

I know it is now June 8 and I am a bit late posting my thoughts for May, but it was a rough month. First the good thoughts, our 23rd Wedding Anniversary was May 14th so that was cause for celebration. Not many people can say they are still married after 23 years, but we are, although there have been many rough years. May also brought the passing of the first year of Brooklyn Jade's first year of life...Yea!! She has brought so much joy to this family.

May also brought us closer to my sister Tanya's due date for her latest addition to her family. She is expecting her newest little girl in July, Nicole should arrive around the 19th.

We also celebrated the announcement of two engagements, James & Brittany and Elizabeth & Derek. Both couples will be getting married next spring! We are so excited for both couples and yet we are also anticipating the bills! Along with the joy of this, came heartache, there was conflict with the dates for the weddings. When it all settled, Elizabeth was no longer speaking to any of us, effective May 14, our anniversary! As of this posting, she as not contacted us by phone, Facebook, email, text or regular mail. To say this is hurting me is an understatement, but to say it is also helping ease my stress is a helpful statement.

I find not arguing with her eases the stress I was having and helps with the migraines but does not ease the hurt on my heart. I find the hurt similar to grief felt from the loss of a death, you have to take it moment to moment. I pray she will come around and realize how much I love her and how much her family loves her. I pray she will realize how much she loves her family and how much she needs us. For now that is all I can do, other than express my love for her on here. I love you Elizabeth!!! Please remember that always!!

God Bless Everyone!

April 2011 Thoughts

April is almost gone and I see it is time to post my thoughts for the month. Yesterday we celebrated James' 22nd birthday, where have the years gone? It only seems like yesterday that he was toddling around here taking things apart and sucking his thumb. I miss those days and yet I love that he is grown and on his own, graduating in a few weeks with his Associates Degree in Medical Assisting, I also love that he and Brittany are planning their wedding for next year, she is going to be a great addition to our family.

April also brought about the graduation from high school for Ben. He completed his GED requirements, passed the tests and got his diploma. He did all this in less than a week and with better than average scores. He even got a certificate from College America for passing the tests in less than a week. Then he started college classes right away, taking Graphic Design. He kept his promise to me months ahead of schedule. I am so proud of him! When the family got together for Easter, we had a graduation celebration at the same time for him. He loved it, he even got some gifts!

We got news from Elizabeth, she and Derek have set a date for their wedding, May 19, 2012! We are happy for them and are planning to be there to give our daughter away. Ben has been asked to be a part of the wedding party and has agreed. We are happy to be adding another son to our expanding family! Next year is going to be really busy with two weddings!

May God Bless everyone who reads my rantings!

Thankful and Turning 48

Very Thankful this year for my family and friends. Since we moved back to Aurora 2 years ago, things have changed in our lives. Some good, some bad, that's par for the course.

The good is we have a home that has enough room for all of us to be comfortable, even when overcrowded. We have many friends here and that's good cause we weren't sure how we would handle leaving all the friends we left in Trinidad.

The bad is that we still have not found that one church that God wants us to be in, but we know when the time is right, He will guide us there. We have lost everyday contact with our daughter and for the most part we don't hear from her for months on end. She did complain that I did not call often enough to check on her and Derek to satisfy her, but I have such a sad heart regarding the problems and the comments from her about how bad a mother I am, that I just can't bring myself to call more. I pray one day she will know how it feels and understand and come back into our lives.

Another good thing is this move has brought me back to being closer to my parents and my sisters and their families. We had a wonderful time this year at my sister Tanya's in-laws home, just like last year. Mike and Kandi are wonderful hosts and make for a great time of fellowship. There was so much food that we had some to bring home. For Christmas, we will be at my sister, Jennifer's new home. Can't wait to see all her decorations up for the first time in many years.

Money is still very tight and it will be a small Christmas but we are Blessed to include our future daughter-in-law in this year's activities. Brittany has become such a joy in our lives and has had a wonderful influence on James. They are talking about their wedding but it is still about 2 years away. I can't wait to take their engagement photos in the new year.

Today was bittersweet, I turned 48. Good in that my hubby prepared dinner and baked a cake for me. But sad in that I am only 2 years from 50! But then I think, it will be nice because by the time I do turn 50, my oldest should be married and possibly have a baby on the way to make me a Grandmother.

This has also been a wonderful time for me to get to know my nieces and nephews better. I am especially getting closer to my first great niece, Brooklyn. I have been doing daycare for her since her mom went back to work. I do know that God gives us children when we are young for a good reason, cause I am very tired each night, but I would not trade the bond I have with her for anything. It so reminds me of James and Michelle when she did my daycare for him while I worked. I remember being so jealous of her getting to see all the firsts but now I can sympathize with Chelsea as this is happening to her.

Thank you God for all my Blessings and please help me to be more patient and understanding of the things I need to.

Time to Update...

I know I have been very lax in posting but sometimes I just don't have anything to share.

Since my last post, Ben has turned 18 and will be graduating May 2011. James is now living with his girlfriend most of the time. She rented a place close to us and we love it. Brittany and James are so happy and are doing great in school. Beth and Derek came up for Labor Day and went with us to Garden of the Gods. We all had a great time hiking and talking. They are now considering moving to Colorado Springs or Aurora...that would be wonderful!

Our niece, Chelsea had her baby in May, Brooklyn Jade is beautiful!! (See picture above) Chelsea is trying finish cosmetology school and get on her feet. I am now doing daycare for Brooklyn to help out, it is fun. I enjoyed taking her 3 month old photos the other day.

Mom and Dad are doing good, playing golf and working around the house. Mom had cataract surgery a couple of months ago and is seeing so much better. She now only needs to wear glassed to read.

God Bless Everyone! Keep in touch!!

James and Ben

James found out last night that he made the President's List at College America. What a joy for me to have a son doing so well at college. He has a 4.0 GPA and perfect attendance. I am praying this will continue until graduation in May 2011. He is loving his classes and making some really good friends. Hopefully this summer, he will be certified to work in a Nursing or Assisted Living Home or will be certified to work as a Phlebotomist and working in a blood bank or something close. Way to go James!! Keep up the good work!!

Ben is doing much better since switching to online classes. He is currently working on English and History, with a B or better in each class. He is ahead of schedule for the current classes and should be moving on to the next two very soon. He has also been invited to apply at Johnson & Wales University for early enrollment for next year. This means he would be working on his first year college classes while finishing high school. Crossing our fingers and praying he will take this opportunity and do well. Way to go Ben!! Keep up the good work!!

God Bless Everyone and drop us a line sometime when you can.

New Year!!!

Just sitting here thinking and watching the posts on Facebook. As I think back over this year, I have to say it was a pretty good year. David did manage to get his disability increased some and that has helped our financial situation. I am working part-time to help with what the VA does not cover.

James has truly blossomed at College America. He has 4.0 GPA and is tutoring in his spare time. Ben has been doing very well at Hinkley but does not like the schedule or the size of the student body. In October, we were told about APS Online, an online high school, he decided to enroll and will begin classes in January. He got his computer on Monday and has begun the preliminary tests to see what he knows, he is doing very well. I think he will pass some of these tests and be able to skip some classes. He is looking forward to being able to progress at his own pace instead of staying with the class. He might even graduate earlier than May of 2011. He is also checking into taking classes at Community College of Aurora while attending high school so that he can graduate with an Associates degree.

Beth is living in Trinidad with her fiance, Derek. No wedding date has been set, but that is ok, they can take their time and plan the wedding they want. She is working two jobs and seems to be making it on her own.

Life is starting to get better little bits at a time. GOD has Blessed us in so many ways. We pray for all our family and friends to have a great New Year and the receive some of the Blessings we have and that we continue to receive.

God Bless Everyone!!

August!

Wow this year is just flying by! It has been a year of major changes for us. Beginning in December 2008 with the move to Aurora, through hard times with Elizabeth, the death of my Uncle Wallace, the death of David's Uncle Leonard, the death of David's Aunt Anna, Elizabeth's graduation, Ben's surgeries, Ben changing schools, living in a camper for 6 months and the move to a new home of our own.

The move to Aurora was tough, afterall, after 14 years in Trinidad we had a solid foundation of friends and "family". The hardest part of moving was leaving our daughter there. She wanted to finish high school, afterall, it was only 5 months until graduation. During the last months of her high school life, things got pretty bad between all of us and her. She turned 18 in January and she wanted to live life on her own. She was living with her boyfriend and his family, they had some major health issues, she was missing her family especially Ben and trying to deal with preparing for graduation. Of course the minute she turned 18, she didn't want anymore comments from us on how she should do anything in her life. She is now an adult and we have to face that reality. Life goes on.....

Ben had the first of two operations to fix a problem with his hips in March. He says it was a great relief to get rid of the pain the excess cartilidge was causing and looked forward to the 2nd surgery in June. He was enjoying the home bound teaching he received while recuperating. He now says school is such a drag. I think some of that is due to the fact he had no summer per sey. He was on crutches most of the summer thereby limiting his mobility to go do things with his friends. I have advised him to get more involved in school activities, it truly helps make the year go by faster.

James has been working most of the time since the move. He decided to take a semester off from college to allow himself time to adjust to the new surroundings and to get his financial aid in place. He began working at Elitch Gardens in April and has continued with good reviews since then. He applied for entrance to Pickens Technical College but was unable to get things moving for the fall semester. Now he says he is going to see about CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) to get the ball rolling towards nursing school. If he gets his CNA, he can work and go to school to get his degree.

I have been working since June for a Liquor store near our home. It is good to have the extra income to help with all the expenses. I have not stopped applying for others positions as being a liquor store clerk is not my career goal...LOL! David is still trying to find work of some kind but with all the health problems with his back and lymphoma it is very hard. He is now going to see about getting his VA status set to unemployable, that should help as it will increase his monthly payment. He has been seeing the orthopedic doctors about his back pain and now they have determined he needs cervical steriod injections. They will give a series of 3, if they do not help then he will need to have fusion surgery on his back. Time will tell.

As I posted earlier we have been dealing with the loss of severl family members. We are also praying for my Aunt Fran who has been so very sick for the longest time. We are thankful for the good health of the rest of the family.

I guess this is all the news for now, God Bless each of you who follow my blog and Bless your families.

Rollercoaster

Life is so much of a rollercoaster! So many ups and downs and many take your breath away. Now don't get me wrong I like rollercoasters but only when I want to ride not everyday of my life. I really wish things could be on a more even keel everyday with only special times for the highs and lows.

Things have been pretty good with Beth up until last night. It was not a fight between her and I but another problem that she has to deal with. However, she needed Mom and Dad to talk to and to cry on our shoulders. This took until almost 3 am to get her calm enough to sleep, it was nice even with the lack of sleep.

Ben is doing well in his recuperation, he is off the crutches but must be careful not to turn to quickly or get too rowdie. He loves that now he can go swimming, so maybe the last half of summer will better for him. Ben and Katie are doing good, she is a joy to have at the house to occupy him, but she is also a sweet girl to be around.

James is continuing to work lots of hours at Elitch's and enjoying it. They have concerts there and when they do and he is working he gets to listen. He and his girlfriend, Kara, are doing well. She is very sweet and we enjoy having her come over to spend time with James and the rest of us.

David and I have been working on the house very slowly so that neither one of us gets overly tired. We are going thru things and deciding whether to keep things or set them aside for a yard sale or throw them away. He continues to look for a job. I have been applying for different jobs but for now at least I have some income coming in from the liquor store. We are enjoying seeing old friends every so often and just getting out of the house.

Life is getting better slowly but surely, just watch out for the dips and peaks!!! LOL!! God Bless Everyone.

To Catch You Up

I know it has been a while since I posted on here, so I need to catch you all up on things going on around the Zehr household.

As I posted before we have moved into our own home, a mobile home, but still a home. We began moving in on May 23 and finished unloading the truck on May 24. We are currently trying to make it all fit, get rid of it or store whatever won't fit and can't be sold at a yard sale. The weekend after the move in was spent putting up a shed at the back of the house to store Christmas decorations, things that we can't get rid of but don't have room for now, and things for the yard sale. In the process of getting the shed up, Mom and I were at Home Depot to pick up things, we ran into to a nice man who offered to help us load the supplies into Mom's car. During the process we learned he is an active duty Air Force Sargent who asked if we needed help putting up the shed. I gladly accepted his offer. The next day he came by and spent the entire weekend helping us get everything done. We have a beautiful shed for all the stuff we have overflowing the house at this time. This has helped with getting some room to walk around, it also allows us to unpack boxes one at a time and then bring in another one. The process of setting up the house has been slow, as of today we are still living with boxes and looking for stuff that we need.

The week before we moved we were in Trinidad to watch our daughter graduate. It was a bittersweet weekend. We were excited for her but with the past problems it was not all happiness. She looked beautiful and is now engaged to be married to her love, Derek. That was a surprise of sorts, we had been saying we thought sometime within the year after graduation they would get engaged, but we didn't expect it at graduation. We are happy for them but a little concerned that she might be rushing things, she is putting off college for now to work and plan her wedding. I pray she will decide to go back to college even it is only for her Associates from Trinidad State Junior college.

Ben had surgery on his left hip to correct the same problem he had with the right one, on June 2nd. He is doing well with his recuperation other than one set back. Just before his two week check up, he slipped on the kitchen floor and landed on the left hip. We had to take him in to see his surgeon the next day. We got the good news, seems he may have popped an internal stitch and torn a muscle but no need to go back in to fix anything. He seems to be much better the last couple of days. He is looking forward to his four week checkup when he might be able to get to go swimming. I hope this will come about as he has been so cooped up so far and is so bored.

James has been working so hard at Elitch's. He must be doing so well cause he just began a 10 day schedule of no days off. He has been having a great time when he is not working, the benefits of working at an amusement park are good. He took Ben and Chance to spend the day at Elitch's a few days before Ben's surgery so that Ben would have some fun to think about while he was recuperating for 6 weeks. Then he went to a concert at the park after spending a day there with his girlfriend, they both said it was great.

David has been playing house husband for now. I am hoping he will get a part-time job soon as he is going crazy as well as driving me nuts. I started a job at a liquor store in Watkins, about 3 miles from home. I am working for a man that Michelle works with, she recommended me for the job. Thanks Sis!! So far it is OK, not exactly what I want for a career, but for now it helps with the bills and what VA Disability does not cover. I am still submitting applications in hopes of a job that will suit me more.

That's about all the news here for now. I will try to be more diligent about posting more often to keep everyone up to date. For now, God Bless Everyone!! Come visit when you can!

Goodbye THS and Trinidad

Graduation is done! May 17, 2009 we watched our daughter walk across the floor to receive her diploma from Trinidad High. It was a bittersweet moment for both of us. We were thrilled to see her complete her high school education but it means the end of her youth. There are several other factors that go along with this milestone. Most of you know about the problems we have been having with Elizabeth in the past year, many of which have been compounded with our move back to Aurora 6 months ago and her 18th birthday in January. She continues to tell us, not in specific words, but with innuendos, that we are not wanted in her life, yet when something big happens she comes running to us first. This is such a hard thing to deal with, I want to take her in my arms when things happen and just hold her but she pushes me away. So I have come to the conclusion that I must stay away, take the news at a distance and wish her all the best. I was able to hug her and tell her congratulations on her graduation and I told her I love her but the reception from her was very cold. Take it and move on..I told myself. The news of her engagement was a shock to a point but was also expected at sometime within this year of graduation. So I took it with shock the night before graduation when they came to our hotel to tell us, wishing them nothing but happiness which is what every parent wants for their child. The next day I was over my shock enough to go to her party and wish them both the best and to welcome Derek into the family. Going to take some time to get used to saying son-in-law and at least for now I can say she is not pregnant. She does have a job lined up and will begin working soon, I even know and respect her boss, so I am proud of her for doing this as much as I am proud of her for graduating.

We will be saying our final goodbyes to Trinidad this next weekend when we take a moving truck down to retrieve our household goods which have been storage there since the move to Aurora. We have been approved for and will close on a 16x80 ft single wide mobile home in eastern Aurora this week. Though David still does not have a job and I only have my part-time job, we did get a partial increase from the VA which is enough to live on. The mobile home is pre-owned and in good shape, not our dream home but is much better than continuing to live in my parents 5th wheel. We are going to live in this place for at least a year to see if our credit scores improve to purchase something more like what we want. For now, it is 3 bedrooms - one for each of the boys, 2 baths and more square footage than we have had in quite a while. The best part is the laundry room that is so large we can put our freezer in there along with the washer and dryer and still have room to move comfortably. I will take some photos this week when we do our walk through and post them soon.

Thank you everyone who reads this blog and keeps us in your prayers. We will continue to pray for all of you. God Bless everyone!!

Realizations

As I read the newest blog posting from an online friend, The Hawn Family Weekly, I came to the realization that the problems I have been experiencing with my daughter pale in comparison to the trials this young family is facing. They have two children, both born prematurely and both with problems that many premies face. They have endured by Faith to get their first born, Charlotte to the age of 2. She still has many problems with blood pressure, walking, and her heart but she seems to be catching up to other 2 year olds quickly. I have watched her go from a very sick little one to a cute little bundle of joy for her parents.

Just three months ago, this family faced the birth of another little one, this time a boy. Ryan was born prematurely but quickly moved out of the NICU to come home earlier than his sister did. He seemed to be doing so well until I read the new posting today. It seems Ryan has the same genetic abnormality that his sister does only it is much more severe for him. This little guy may not make it but his family has not given up and they are not turning their back on God!

If you read their posts you will see the strength of their Faith in each word. I know that no matter what happens, they will survive and they will be thanking God for every day they have with their children. That is what I should be doing instead of being depressed over Elizabeth's desire to live her own life without us, I should be celebrating and remembering all the time I have had with her. Then, if or when, she changes her mind to come back to our family, I will be that much more happy. Maybe by taking this direction, I will enjoy my boys more and I pray it will make me a better person towards everyone. I know I have been grumpy and depressed, but I am going to try this new approach and look ahead to the times with my boys and husband. I will be praying for Elizabeth when I pray for strength and patience.

Pray for me, David, James, Ben and Beth please, to be a family once again whenever God's plan allows. God Bless you all!

Time to let GO!

I have come to the conclusion that I must stop trying to help Elizabeth in any shape or form. She has asked many times for my advice but when I give it to her she just says I don't know what I am talking about or just plain ignores me. When she asks for help, I give it to her the best way I know how, but that does not suit her as it is not how she thinks I should have replied. If things are not done the way she thinks they should be done then she thinks I don't care. If I can't do things on her time table or schedule, then I am not making her a priority.

I have decided to sit back and do nothing but wait, to let her do things her way. I will always be here to listen and help but only when she really wants my help and in the manner in which I can help. For the time being, I pray God will give me the patience and the strength to endure. I also pray she will realize I am not the mean, selfish, uncaring person she thinks I am and come to understand I am doing things in the best way possible for the situation I am in.

I love you Beth and always will.

God Bless Everyone.

Ben Surgery Number 2

Ben is recovering very well from the first surgery. He will be going back to school next week when Spring Break is over.

His surgery on the left hip is scheduled of June 2nd. This will hopefully allow him enough time to recuperate in time to march in the marching season at Hinkley and possibly time to be ready to play soccer. Playing soccer is a bit doubtful as the doctor needs to see how well he recovers from this operation, but Lacrosse in the spring is a go.

Will keep you all posted on things go as they come up, until then, May God Bless you all each and everyday.

Right Hip done...

Ben had the surgery to correct the problem with his right hip on March 3 as scheduled. He was released from the hospital on March 4. It is now post op day 2 (March 5) and he seems to be doing well. He is having some pain, it didn't help that the pharmacy neglected to give me his pain meds when I picked up his prescription yesterday. They only gave me the refills for his inhalers and stomach meds, no pain meds for the first night home. Luckily, I have tylenol with codiene for my migraines. I called the doctor on call and asked if it would be okay to give him one since the meds he should have had were still at the pharmacy. Luckily, the doctor on call was the surgeon who assisted Ben's primary doctor and had written the prescriptions so I didn't have to give an entire history just for a few pills.

Today, Ben feels he may have overdone it with physical therapy yesterday and is taking it a bit easier today. He is sleeping and using the CPM (Constant Passive Motion) machine to keep his joints and muscles from stiffing up. The machine gently moves the leg from straight to 90 degrees bent for as long as Ben feels comfortable with it. He says he loves this machine because it keeps his knee from hurting being in one position so much. He still is not able to sit in a regular chair for longer than a few minutes. He must recline so that his body is not at the 90 degree angle most of us are supposed to sit at.

When he begins classes here at home next week, he will be sitting in a reclining wheelchair for the two hour session each day. He will also use the wheelchair when he returns to school in a few weeks since he will still be on crutches and limited on how much weight he can place on the leg. We have discussed this in great length, we all feel it is much safer for him to return to school in the chair since the floors are tile, there are over 1500 students in the halls for passing periods and too many chances for him to get knocked down.

The last few days have been such a blur, I had to check my computer today to know what day of the week it was. We were in Trinidad over the weekend to say our goodbyes to a very dear young man. Christian was only 9 years old when he passed away in February but this child knew that the Lord was with him. The family had such a loving and uplifting service for him, I don't think I have ever been to a more powerful service. I will never forget Christian and the love and smiles he brought to this world.

Will keep all of you posted when the next surgery for Ben is scheduled. Until there is more to report on anything going on in our lives...May God Bless each and everyone!!

Not Much Happening Lately

I realized I have not posted anything to my blog in a few weeks. There has not been much happening with our family. Ben continues to have increasing pain in his legs and hips, so he's on more Tylenol for now. The surgery to correct the problem with his hips is still scheduled for March 3 only now it will be at 11:30 am not 7:30 am. He will have the MRI of his back and his hips on February 26th, this will take several hours as they also want to do a complete bone scan. They are looking for any other problems in the hips and for a stress fracture to the back that the hip problem may have caused. If they find a stress fracture in the back then we will be seeing Neurosurgeon to determine what they will have to do to fix this.

My job hunt is temporarily on hold so that I can care for Ben. David is still looking but still nothing good to report. James is also looking for a job until this summer when he will be taking a few classes at Aurora Community College and then back to full-time in the fall. We visited with Elizabeth last week and she is doing very well. She is talking to us again but on her own terms. She has a cell phone but will not give us the number for now. We either leave a message at school for her to call us or one with Derek's Dad. We only call when there is something really important like her brother's surgery. She seems happy and our conversations are much more calm, I really like this, although I really miss talking to her everyday or seeing her.

Mom is doing well, she will be having another MRI this week to check the status of the Chiari malformation, then she will see the Neurosurgeon again for an update on what they must do. We continue to pray that surgery will not be necessary. Dad is still waiting on the doctors to determine when he must have surgery on his knee, he has had problems for years, but nothing serious. The rest of the family, Michelle and her kids, Jenni and family, and Tanya & Emma seem to be doing well also. We don't see them much but more than we ever did while living in Trinidad.

God Bless Everyone and drop us a line sometime at zehrfamily@msn.com.

Ben is having surgery

Ben will be having surgery to correct a problem with his hips. He has Femoral Acetbular Impingement (FAI) also know as Athlete's Hip. This is a condition of too much friction in the hip joint, basically the ball and socket rub abnormally creating damage to the hip joint. There are three types of conditions with FAI, he has the cam form which is articular cartilage which forms on the surface of the femur creating a buldge. This buldge is interfering with the normal movement of his hips and causing pain.

The doctors will have to go in much like doing hip replacement surgery, that is they will have to go in, remove the bone from the socket, check the socket for damage, shave off the extra cartilage and then put everything back together. It will take 2-3 hours for the entire process, he will be on crutches for 6-8 weeks, but should be back to top form in time to play soccer in the fall.

They will be doing the right hip first then about 8 weeks later they will do the left one. They can't do both at once due to not being able to walk with any weight on the one leg for 6-8 weeks. Ben is looking forward to getting rid of the pain from the hips but not the pain or recovery from the surgery. He will be home for about 2-3 weeks then we will send him back to school in a wheelchair as it is too dangerous to attend high school on crutches with not much weight bearing on the one leg.

Surgery is scheduled for March 3 at 7:30 am at The Children's Hospital in Aurora. He will be in the hospital about a week. Since we have been through most of the surgery procedures and recovery with David, we should have an easy time helping Ben with his.

Please keep all of us but especially Ben in your thoughts and prayers. God Bless Everyone!