Friday, March 18, 2011

A to Z on Katie...


A. Age: THIRTY-ONE

B. Bed size: KING…NUFF SAID

C. Chore you dislike: DUSTING…SERIOUSLY WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DUST?

D. Dogs: YES PLEASE, A BIG OLE BLACK LAB NAMED DIESEL

E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE AND KISSES FROM THE MAN

F. Favorite color: PEACOCK AND NEUTRALS

G. Gold or silver: SILVER

H. Height: 5' 8”

I. Instruments you play(ed): PLUNKED ON THE PIANO

J. Job title: WIFE, NURSE, CARE GIVER TO MY MAN

K. Kids: PLEASE SOON!

L. Live: JERSEYLICIOUS!

M. Mom’s name: EDE

N. Nicknames: KATIENANA, KAITLYN, KT&T, KATE, KATERS, SWEETS

O. Overnight hospital stays: 10 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT

P. Pet peeves: PEOPLE CLIPPING NAILS IN PUBLIC, NOISY APPLIENCES

Q. Quote from a movie: “TAKE LOVE, MULTIPLY IT BY INFINITY AND TAKE IT TO THE DEPTS OF FOREVER…AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE A GLIMPSE OF HOW I FEEL FOR YOU!”

S. Siblings: OLDER BROTHER, TWO OLDER SISTERS, THREE LITTLE BROTHERS

T. Time you wake up: 0730-0800

U. Underwear: I WEAR THEM…

V. Vegetables you don’t like: PEAS

W. What makes you run late: KISSING, HUGGIN AND LOVIN ON MY MAN-IT ALWAYS HAS!

X. X-rays you’ve had: TEETH, STOMACH, ARMS…WHOLE BODY

Y. Yummy food you make: WHITE CHICKEN CHILI, TORTILLINI SOUP, PARMESAN CHICKEN

Z. Zoo animal favorites: GIRAFFS

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A to Z on Ben...



A To Z on Ben…

A. Age: THIRTY-ONE

B. Bed size: KING

C. Chore you dislike: DOING DISHES (he always left a pile)

D. Dogs: WANT A BIG ONE

E. Essential start to your day: BATHROOM

F. Favorite color: BLUE

G. Gold or silver: HIS RING IS SILVER

H. Height: 5' 11”

I. Instruments you play(ed): NADA

J. Job title: ARMY RANGER FOR 11.5 YEARS

K. Kids: NOPE.

L. Live: CURRENTLY IN JERSEY

M. Mom’s name: JAN

N. Nicknames: BONESAW, J-BONE, BABES, BENNY BOO, BOO, BOO
(ONLY BY KATIE THOUGH)

O. Overnight hospital stays: 1.5 YEARS STILL IN ONE…

P. Pet peeves: NOISE, DISORGANIZATION, PEOPLE MESSING UP HIS GARAGE,
TOILET SEAT LEFT DOWN…

Q. Quote from a movie: “STRENGTH AND HONOR!”

S. Siblings: OLDER SISTER, YOUNGER BROTHER

T. Time you wake up: 7ISH

U. Underwear: NO COMMENT

V. Vegetables you don’t like: PEPPERS…THEY BE LIKE EWWWW!

W. What makes you run late: KATIE

X. X-rays you’ve had: THE LIST IS ENDLESS

Y. Yummy food you make: STEAK, PANCAKES

Z. Zoo animal favorites: MONKEYS

...stay tuned for mine!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

a week trip...


{my family i will get to see...plus a few more nieces/nephs that have been added!
i have 14, going on 15!!}

Well, tomorrow I am off to Washington state for a week! I am heading back to have meetings with more military personel, rehab companies/short term facility and looking for a house to rent until we get settled. Those are big reasons to go back but the biggest reason for going back is that our home church there asked me to speak at the monthly women's bible study about our "Love Story" and also a bit at the weekend services on our journey of "Hope."
This is an honor for me to do!
It will be one busy week full of emotions regarding our future, coming home, seeing family, speaking in front of hundreds when I don't like being in front of that many, and making big decisions for Ben and I. I am also leaving my man behind for a whole week! This is the longest I have left him and it is super hard! A huge blessing in it all though is that Ben's bosses had two of Ben's buddies come and stay with him the whole time I am gone! They came this morning so that I could give them some instructions about Ben and what his week would look like. At lunch time they jumped right in and already started to help...it was awesome!
Huge thanks to the Ranger Regiment for blessing us with this!
It puts my heart at ease and it will make me feel so much better about leaving my man!
Today I was reminding/quizzing Ben about where and what I was doing and told him that I didn't want to go because I didn't want to leave him. Ben said, "you have to go!" I asked him why and he said, "you need to make plans for us to go home and tell people about what God has done for us." Ok Ben, I will go...even though it will be hard, I will go!

Please be praying for both of us!
Pray for Ben that he will be at peace while I am gone. Also that his week will go smoothly and nothing will go wrong but everything will go right...with more healing!
Pray for me that I will have courage while I am speaking, wisdom on making decisions, that I will be open to where God is leading us, and peace in my heart that Ben is ok!
If you don't see posts during this coming week you know why!
I will be back before you know it!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

walking together...


"Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise Him enough? Ps 106:1,2

Well, we are not holding hands and walking side by side but Ben and I are walking together! Rather it is me walking behind Ben with at times my hands under his arms! I have longed for these days and they are upon us! We have done this a few times before but this is the first time that it is getting documented by photo! Since this walk I have been walking Ben to PT and then when he is done going back to get him and walking him to lunch. His therapists keep an "eye" on us but sometimes he just says, "I am going to go to the gym and I will meet you there!" Eeeekkkk! My nerves have settled but when we first started doing this I wanted to shout, "No, come back!" the only hiccup to our walking is if someone says something to crack Ben up...last time it was, "breaking wind!" You all know that when you work out more or get moving more your system speeds up. Well, Ben just happens to do this when I am walking behind him! Stinker! His PT asked him about it the other day and Ben was stumbling all over the place, lost control over his walking and had a huge smirk on his face! Our hiccup, don't make Ben crack up while walking because he gets all wobbly! I of course had to laugh right along with both of them! If you notice his head and neck, well it still needs work! Please continue to pray that it will straighten, loosen and be positioned where it is to be!

Up and at em kid...here we go!!









One day, and I pray it is soon we will be doing this...



**Thank you to one of our fire fighter buds my compter has been healed! Virus be gone! These guys have been awesome to us and help us with anything! So grateful!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Viruses are not my friend...

This is not a bodily virus but a computer virus! It's driving me up the wall because I cannot fix it! It's only a year old and the battery is completely dead and stinky viruses! That means no long updates since I am typing from my iPod! Computer with virus=very cranky Katie! So, until it gets fixed or I throw it out the window and I replace it you will just get short blurps!

I will leave you with sayings from Ben...when Ben has his head down I ask him "Ben, where is your head?" Ben said, "it's on my shoulders!" I said back to him, "well aren't you being Mr. Sarcastic?!" to which Ben replied in a very sarcastic tone, "well you asked!" Holy batman funny! I about lost it and Ben of course had a huge smirk on his face!

Monday, March 7, 2011

payback has hit...


It was one of those lazy Sundays where it was pouring almost all day long! Ben was in his chair again watching the History Channel and I was sitting in my usual corner chair. I tool my feet and rested them on Ben's leg! Next thing I know Ben is lifting his hands and going straight to my feet! He grabbed them and started tickling them! Oh my goodness, he knows my weakness all to well! Thing is he was just starting his payback session for all the times when I have tickled his feet, underarms, neck and knees! He hates it but a girl will do anything to get her man to laugh again! I guess I cannot complain or ask him to stop because he is truly paying me back! Although it was hard to endure the tickling I couldn't help but let him do it because Ben initiated it, he remembered what bugs me and he knows how much I have gotten him at times! I think there will be more payback sessions in the future that include more than feet!

The weekend was good and busy! Saturday Ben had to morning off and then after lunch it started getting busy. Ben was asked by his Art Therapist if he could interview Ben for his thesis that he is writing. Ben agreed and so he came in on Sat afternoon. He started out by asking Ben some questions and then asked Ben to make a piece of art that showed how he was feeling or how the brain injury has affected him. First he drew some stick people of whom he told us they were me and him and then another set was him and his buddy C. Ben couldn't think of anything else at the time so the art therapist then gave him a malet type thing in which he dipped in paint and pounded on his paper! Ben was going for it and hitting it so hard! It was a mess and paint drops were flying and landing on the floor, walls, sheets, my clothes and the windows! I truly think that it was very theraputic for Ben and he created how he was feeling and what he might be experiencing!




Sunday like mentioned above was just a lazy rainy day. We were going to go to the hotel but Ben actually said he wanted to just stay and snuggle in his room because that weather was to bad! So, chill and snuggle we did! It was nice just to chill and be together with not to may interuptions!

Today was a whole day of first for Ben and to that I was thrilled! They may seem small and what not but for Ben it was huge! These are things that we thought we may never see or be able to experience! It started out we me getting to Ben at my usual time and asked him how he was and all my usual questions. I told him that I had a decent sleep and that I got up and worked out. Ben said, "good!" But he didn't stop there! He went on to ask me how it was and what I did! Usually it stops at "good" but it didn't! He kept asking questions! Ben went off to PT and I started working on a writing project. He came back after many walks, stacking things and balancing and we headed off to lunch. When I got back to the dining room I saw that his ST was with him and he told me he came up to Ben and Ben looked at him and said, "Hi Fred! How are you?" !!!!!!!! Do you know how long Fred has been trying to get Ben to do this!! It was a joyous moment for all of us!

In OT today it was not alot of Ben doing the work but him trying things out! It was bathroom adaptive trialing day! It was Bens job to get into several pieces of equiptment! This was something that we needed to do to get prepared to go home. It was fun yet serious at the same time!



After we got back from OT I asked Ben if he had a good day and he said, "yes, it was a good day!" I asked him why it was a good day and his response, "I am excited!" (back to that) Me-"why are you excited?" B-"because I got to try out those things for the bathroom which means I get to go home soon!" Oh my stinking goodness! He had me at EXCITED! I didn't care why Ben said it but it was so good hear! Ben has not said that word or anything in that catergory since the accident! Yes, he was excited about trying out toilet chairs, shower chairs, tub benches and going home but the fact that he said excited blew me away! I was excited for his excitement!!
The rest of the afternoon and evening went well and we enjoyed our time together!!

Looking forward to more miracles to come Ben's way and see the Lord work in him!! To God be the GLORY!

God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

why the hard work...


I got to Ben at my usual time Thursday morning and Ben was just getting done with ST. I asked Ben how he was doing and he said, "good, because you are here now!" I sat on his lap to get close! This is always funny because he is in his chair with the armrests but I fit just fine thank you! I have to sit sideways so I can get close! We chatted for a bit and I told Ben that he is doing so well and working so hard! Ben responded, "I am?" I told him that he has been working so hard since day 1! I then went on to ask him why he is working so hard and these were his answers:
1. I want to go home with you
2. I don't give up
3. I want to make kids
4. I want to see my Ranger buddies again
5. I want to get home to my boat and truck (haha such a man)
6. I am working hard to be with you all the time
7. Because I love you

I would say that those are pretty good reasons to work hard! You can tell he has really been thinking about it and that his answers just didn't come out of no where!

Another question that I asked Ben is what the Lord is teaching him through all of this and these were his answers:
1. It takes patience
2. He saves lives
3. It takes time-not on our time but on Gods
4. How to pray for the guy who hit us
5. We have family that love us and come see us

Lastly I asked Ben what he wanted to tell all the people that read our blog and pray for us all the time:
"thank you!" "Tell them I love them, even the ones I don't know!" "Keep praying for healing, to go home, Katie, and the people that hit us." "Even though I cannot see them I know they are there!"...that is all of you!

Do you remember on the bottom of this post this post to pray for initiation of conversation for Ben?? Well keep up those prayers because I see improvement from him almost every day! He is asking alot more questions, responding to greetings at a faster time and even his therapists have noticed that Ben is conversing and initiating more! Ben has never been a big talker but def more then this! Keep those prayers coming because they reach the ears of the Lord and he is answering!

{this was ben at 4:30pm...he must have been tired because he has not fallen asleep this early in months!}

Fridays is always cooking class day and usually Ben is up to going! I told Ben that in cooking class they were going to be making nachos and asked if he wanted to go. Ben gave me an adamit NO! When I asked him why he said, "I don't need a cooking class, I already know how to cook!" I told Ben that they were not going to tell him how to cook but that he got to make it! He quickly then said he would go! He did great and loved every minute of it!







A lovely lady who has been following our blog debut us on her last post! She has a wonderful ministry called A Meal In The Mail! She goes by Big Fat Mama and has left some amazingly, encouraging comments for Ben and I! This was her blessing to us and wanted me to share he post with all of you! You can find her
here!