Special People Installment 2/3

Gayle Benson has been a faithful employee of UAB hospital 39 years! It was her first job out of PT school starting at $9800/year salary. Her first task to work on with the OTs was smoking splints for the spinal cord patients. She has seen quite the changes in technology, reimbursements in healthcare, skill level of therapists grow and UAB grow. I started halfway through her career in 1996 and have worked with her in some capacity most of these last 18-19 years. She has worked many of those years as the only one in Alabama doing custom wheelchair evaluations and started the clinic I now continue. Thank you is not strong enough to say for the example of commitment, perseverance, integrity, honesty, leadership and dedication she has shown me in how she has worked. She has been my direct manager for the last 10 years and I say "Hats Off" and God Bless you Gayle in your retirement!

Special People: Installment 1/3

Stephanie Walton was my roomate my freshman year at Miss State. We didn't find out we'd be living together until about 6 weeks before school started. Little did I know the long term lasting influence this girl from Pelahatchie, MS would have on me. Prior to meeting her I did believe in Jesus but She had a real relationship with Him that exuded in Joy and I wanted it. We read devotionals together each day and really did a lot of growing up together that year. So you can imagine the sweet time it was when I got to see her and Jay and their kids, Willie and Ruby and friend from the Dominican that is living with them now. They were so fun to be with as I wrapped up a conference in Nashville at the end of Februrary. Thanks for the friendship and love, Steph and more importantly, living out your faith to me!

Joel Turns 2!

WOW are we proud!Here's our son at 5 min old, 1 year then 2 years! What amazing growth and development! He's a strong 26 pound 8 oz (30%) boy standing 34" tall (40%). He loves trucks and trains, books and his rainboots. He loves his school and teachers, kindermusik and parks! He won't put his lips around anything sweet and can eat meat like the next grown man. He has tons of words including, "excuse me", "magazine", "bookshelf" and "Hunter Street church"...epecially "No, Claire, that's mine!" He trails behind Claire all day and mimics her every move! He knows right where her gymnastics class is and wants to eat Chick Fil A after..or anytime! Running is his mode of mobility and jumping and giggling are daily activities.

We celebrated by having a family party in our home with a Sesame Street theme..cupcakes and ice cream for the guests since he does not like sweets. He also had a party at his school with his buddy, Tanner, whose bday is the 14th. They will both be heartthrobs some day! Claire is a proud big sis and has done a great job showing him the ropes and teaching him. She's as protective of him as he is of her. Some of you have asked if his fever ever subsided...NO. Our pediatrician is working to get in contact with our infection disease doc and another specialist to see how comfortable we should be at 75 days and no break in fever. BUT, you would never think this little guy felt bad at all..he's full steam ahead and moving in the right direction. Thank you Lord for this precious boy you have given us! May we be found faithful to raise him to know and love you and others!

Cute Videos

Valentines Day!

Valentines is fun when you have young kids...the school parties and the junk food they get tanked up on and the chance to have a "date" with your child. I got to be Joel's date to his school party and while Jeff and Claire had "Daddy/Daughter Date Night" at our church on Feb 13. They got dressed up (I did her nails!). Jeff came to the front door with flowers and walked her to the car and off they went to dinner at Jason's Deli and had fun and activities with dancing (yes at a baptist church!). Joel and I grilled a steak and danced around our den! Good Times!

23, 51 and CMV...

What do these things have in common? JOEL! Our 23 month old has run a low grade fever for 51 days now and in the words of that great Medical Professional Doc McStuffins, "We have a diagnosis!" CMV (Cytomegalovirus). He has been tested and tested over the last 7 weeks...3 rounds of blood work, 2 urine samples, stool sample, chest xray and abdominal ultrasound...We've had 2 visits to Dr. Kevin Cassady at Children's Infections Disease clinic and he called today to confirm why Joel has had this asymptomatic low grade fever - CMV. Very common, we all probably have antibodies built up to it...common in kids who go to day care...But can you sing Hallelujah with us?!?!! thank the Lord for no long term issues with this virus and that he's doing what his body should do and build up the antibodies to it. He has never looked or felt sick in any of these 51 days...the only reason we checked his temp the very first time on Dec 28 was that he was clingy and fussy around dinner time and he never does that...(he used to with ear infection but he has tubes now). It was 100.5 then and we kept checking it to see if we could get passed the 24 hour fever free mark and we never did...3 weeks into it we met with Dr. Cassady and he cleared him to return to school and assured us that he was not contagious or immunosuppressed. Joel basically has hit 101-101-5. for the last 51 days...including today. Jeff and I played tag team for most of that first 3 weeks and had help from our sweet friend Sarah from our Sunday School class! Joel still asks for Mrs Sarah! So many thanks to all who have prayed for him and us as we journeyed through a forever fever and can take a deep breath of relief that we now know what he's been fighting! So encouraging to have such great family and friends who have checked on him/us so regularly! What a blessing from God! So we want to name a new Superhero after him...Instead of Superboy we have FeverBoy!!! So from here we "press on!"

January Highlights

2015 Jan - Kizoa Video Maker

FUN Stuff this month...Claire started Dance/Ballet with her friend (since 7 months old!) Sophie. They are adorable and loving it! We got a visit from Anna Morgan (Friends since freshman year at MSU!) and her 2 daughters (Joy and Mary Katharine) as they came to town for Joy to compete in a gymnastics meet. What a special time to enjoy her and her girls and Claire LOVED getting to play with the big girls and do gymnastics with Joy. The timing was perfect in that they babysat Joel and Claire for us as we went out to dessert fondue at Melting Pot with the Hintons and Stephens to celebrate Jeff turning 40! Handsome as ever! In his birthday card I wrote down the 40 things I loved about him and it took me about 40 seconds to come up with it! We are grateful for these 2 couples and such a rich and real friendship with them and their precious children! We also celebrated my bday since Jeff and I are one day apart...my milestone was 2 years ago :) Later in the month we got the pleasure of having Whitney (friends since my Jr year at MSU/her SR year H.S.) and her son Luke since they were in town for several days! Some friends can stand the test of miles, moves, marriages and mayhem (only M word I had for children!). She and I share the same birthdate - Cool! Along the way you'll see snaps of our morning at the zoo on MLK day with Jack (Jen and Sam were somewhere!) and a trip to the playground (Joel wants to go everyday!!!) and finally a visit from Grandmommy and Granddaddy! They picked quite the weekend to come...little did they know that within 6 hours of their arrival, Claire would come down with stomach bug and 24 hrs later after that, Jeff would have completed his GUT-wrenching experience! I have never prayed so hard to stay healthy! Not sure Joel was ready to take over for us all if I'd taken the dive! PRaise the Lord, I was spared...Poor Grandaddy made it back to Baton Rouge but the next day, had to deal with it. YUCK! Sorry Granddaddy! Memories..some so precious you could burn them on your soul, others, maybe you will laugh about someday :) Sooo blessed!