Graduate 2011

Announcements are mailed……… she will be graduating High School with her class.

As we look back on what all she has gone thru and how hard she worked, I can only give praises to God. Being Faithful to Him, I know He will be Faithful to us. I know God is in control of Kristen and what Future she holds. As a mother you have plans for your child and we direct them in the direction they need to go. We teach them right from wrong and to respect others with all understanding, but some don’t teach them of who God is and what He is capable of doing in their life. He is truly in control and I have allowed Him to do this since day one. I have rebuked the negativity, anger and bitterness that one may have in this situation. I know that God has plans for her and I pray every day that whatever His plan may be……. she will be the person God wants her to be.

The joy that we have in our lives is the joy that everyone should have in theirs. Knowing God, Reading the word, Praying and Fasting is your link to Him. We have tapped into something so wonderful. Pastor Tim had challenged the church in the beginning of this year to read the bible cover to cover. I have never done that before. I had always gone to Bible Study and follow the scriptures on Sundays and Weds. “The New Living Translation” is readable. I can easily read this………..I am not a reader by the way. I got that one year Bible and started the next day after his challenge. I have been reading it since. It is about 10-15 minutes of your time every night. To read this, is to know Him… to pray to Him, is to feel Him. I would love to have everyone come to church with us. He can deliver you from anything that you are struggling with. It could be your marriage, alcohol, drugs, sickness, finances…ect. He forgives and changes your desires and molds you to the person you want to be. You just have to come and see what He has in store for you. (New Life 2050 Hogg Mountain Rd, Watkinsville) It’s only about 20 minutes away from Winder. We have 2 services 9am and 11am. Our family would love to see you there.

Kristen received her “Senior Gear” Her cap and gown! What a feeling to have as a parent. I knew I would be excited, but I was not prepared to feel this way. I am such  honored mother. She worked so hard and struggled so. I am so thankful to the Administration and Faculty at Apalachee High School for challenging Kristen and supporting her thru this.

Graduating…………. When they called out her name, I was praising God for this accomplishment in her life. I couldn’t even hold my camera still. I managed to get some good shots of her receiving her diploma and some quick ones with her senior friends. Her friends will never know how much they mean to her. They also supported her throughout this trying time in her life. They all looked out for her in the halls and in the classrooms.

After graduation she rushed across town to the other High School’s graduation. She got to see some of her friends graduate as well. Time goes by so quickly………….

She did it!

On the Path to Graduate…..

Classes are in and Kristen is working so hard in and out of the classroom. She studies all the time. She continues to work on getting her GPA up to the best she can. Kristen worries about her grades and being able to graduate with her class this May. I have no doubt that she will pass her classes and graduate with a diploma. It’s hard to believe it has been less than 10 months since her accident.

She has taken her ACT, which she struggled and did not do as well as she thought she had done. She wants to retest soon. The SAT scores are not back yet. She will wait patiently for them. Her dreams are to still go to college this fall. With her mind set, there is no stopping her. I pray that her scores are high enough to do this.

Golf season is in full swing. She is doing much better on the course. Kristen had to make some swing adjustments because of her hand, but she is doing great. She really enjoys being out there playing golf. Everyone has been so supportive about her situation and gives her a lot of positive feedback. The only thing that has changed on her is her hairdoo!

Prom…how exciting. Nails, hair, dress, shoes and hair…did I mention hair? One of the ladies from Church (NLAC) placed some hair extentions in her hair. Kristen looked beautiful! She wore a lime-green/purple gown that touched the floor and her hair was in an up-doo! The extentions looked great and Kristen was more than satisfied. Pictures with friends and dinner too. She had the best time with everyone.

Spring break…….. she had to get her wisdom teeth out. She only had 2, which was better than all four. She tolerated this very well. Of course we had to get a medical clearance for this because of anesthesia and the surgeries she had on her head. Kristen recovered very well.

Classwork, homework and more school work every day. The teachers challenged Kristen and she has done very well. Her grades really shows how hard she worked. A average. She will exempt her finals, which is very good for Kristen. She was really worried about test taking and having enough time to take them if she didn’t exempt. I am so very proud of her a long with her teachers.

Senior week with dress-up was interesting. She dressed as BOO, off of “Monsters Inc” cute!!!!! She had her long large pink t-shirt and purple tights and had her short hair pulled in little pig tails……cute! One day she wore Georgia scrubs and a stethiscope. She wore her hair short of course……she had to straighten it though. She had a great week and to be able to spend it with her friends was so memorable. Yearbook signing was fun she said. The school and yearbook staff was great. The yearbook looked great and the spread on Kristen was so moving and an inspiration in itself. Great job!

High School Happiness…..

I awake every morning and get myself ready. It is not a struggle like it used to be. My hair is getting longer and hard to manage at times. I wear it spiked up most days. Sometimes I place a small ribbon in my hair to match what I am wearing that day.

My teachers at my high school are really helpful and are accommodating my needs each day. I am currently in British Literature and Physics. Oh yes… Physics. I will need to pass these 2 classes to graduate with my class this May. Before my accident, I didn’t have to study to make A’s and B’s. If I just listened in class, I could maintain my grades. Now I have to study every night and I struggle with vocabulary. Memory at times come very difficult for me. I get frustrated when I know the answer and I can’t find the words to explain it. My teachers are exceptional. They have gone above and beyond.

I’ve just taken my ACT a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t gotten my results back yet, but very anxious to see them. I had prepared and prepared myself to take this  and actually was scheduled to take it this past August and the SAT in September, but with the accident, I didn’t get to take them.  I am going to take the SAT next month. Most of the colleges that I was looking into prior to the accident has deadlines for submission of these results last month.  I am working hard to take these and do the best I can to make a high score to be accepted into college this year or next.

I have been working on scholarships to help with the financial end of college. I have to do a lot of writing and critical thinking, it’s hard! I am determined to be the best I can be and to be back on top of my academics and my athletic ability.

My friends and my fellow students at my high school has been so supportive. Every one has been great. Every “Hello” and for every positive smile I get, makes me feel like I am back where I was before. The students at Apalachee, will never know how much each of them mean to me. I thank them so much for praying for me and being there smiling and laughing with me. I love my high school and respect what it means to me. The ones that fill it up makes my school what it is today. Go Wildcats!

I can’t leave out the Bulldogs….. AWESOME. When it comes to community, there is no other town than Winder. The students at the high school across town will also never know how much they mean to me. Every single one! The students, parents, athletic programs, staff and administration…. I am so thankful.

God is restoring me every day. He has touched my life in so many ways……. He has given me my life. I haven’t missed a Church service since I have been back home from my accident.  New Life in Watkinsville is not far away. It’s just a town away. I learn a lot and I learn the Truth. Pastor Tim always preaches the Absolute Truth. God is real and I am living abundantly just like God said. I am going to a Women’s conference on March 5 at the Apostolic Church in Winder, behind Akins Ford at 10:30 – 3pm. I will be talking briefly, but a great speaker will be there to give her testimony and what God is doing in her life. I am so blessed and I know that God will continue to work in my life and will use me to his benefit.

Driving Test……

How exciting Kristen is to be able to take a written test and a driving test. She is NOT nervous at all. Always confident in everything she does……..

We get to Scottish Rite and I sign her in. We both sit and pray together. We are welcomed by the kind staff there. Everyone is glad to see Kristen and see how well she is doing. It gets time for Kristen to begin testing. She walks away with her head held high and a smile on her face. I sit patiently out in the waiting room. From time to time, I watch every child that enters and exits thru the door. I pray for each one. Time passes quickly and the hour is upon us. I hear her talking and giggling at a distance. Her giggles get louder and louder as she rounds the corner. I stand and she runs to give me a hug……… she passes the first exam. Her vision is excellent, her reflexes and knowledge of signs are also excellent. I tell her how proud I am of her and that I had no doubt that she would pass.

She wants to eat lunch, so we head towards Panera Bread. It is cold outside and it would be a great day for a hot bowl of soup. We sit amongst the busy shoppers and begin to talk about the driving test. She went on and on about how easy it was and how excited she was to be able to get to drive!

OK now I am a little nervous. We get back and Kristen is so ready. Questions are asked and answered. The student driving car has a passenger break incase that is needed by the therapist. Oh my…. I may  need one of those. Kristen gives me a hug and tells me she is going to be fine. I tell her that I know and that she was going to do great!

This test will take about an hour…………… an hour and a half has passed and she comes walking thru the back door. I walk around and see her. She doesn’t see me. She is talking and laughing with all the therapists. The driving therapist walks over to me and tells me that we all need to sit down and discuss results. We gather around at the end of this long table. She begins to tell me that Kristen passed and did very well. She didn’t have to use the break and was not nervous at all in the vehicle. I was so excited for Kristen. Now that she has passed both written/verbal and driving test, these results will be forwarded to the MD and he will have to complete a certified letter. Once we recieve this, she can begin driving and we will need to send the letter to the DMV. She expects this to be done in the next week or so.

Kristen can’t wait and I have all the confidence in Kristen.

News From Children’s Healthcare

I received a call from the Neuro-Psych from Children’s Healthcare Specialist. I wasn’t sure what the news was going to be. The news was awesome. It was about her test that she had taken on her last day of Day Rehab. She informed me that Kristen’s test scores came back very impressive. Although she has some deficits, she was impressed. Kristen will be tested again in about a year at her follow-up visit.  She will have an appointment on the 15th to see the Neurologist there at Children’s to discuss clearing her for driving. She has already passed her vision testing. She is back to 20/20 and her peripheral vision is normal. This is awesome news.

She has difficulty with expressive language. She knows what to say, but the words will not come out. She can type it, spell it and write it down, but it just won’t come out of her mouth. She is distracted easily. Processing has decreased. Her true deficits will take about 1-2 years. The brain is still healing.

All in all………. great news and moving forward. Praise God.

Birthday Wishes………

My Kristen turned 18 last Monday. We had her a surprise Birthday Party at Constance Manor in Winder…. thank you John and Lee Perkins. They called about a week before her Birthday and informed us that she was going to have her party there. Scott and I were very excited and this was so unexpected. We had to get the family together in a hurry for this BIG and Special Day for her. It seemed we just had her welcome home party with our family. Kristen never asks for anything and all she wanted to do was to go bowling at Stars and Strikes and meet up with a couple of her friends. Maybe she will get to do this too.

The week is about near and the planning is in full speed. The cake? I need to get a cake ordered, but how am I going to do this. Then I recieved a call from a dear friend of ours and she said not to worry. Sugar Kneads, out of Loganville will do her cake. They said they would be honored to do her 18th Birthday cake. God is good. I just wanted to cry. I couldn’t wait to see what Sugar Kneads had in mind. They are so creative and can do anything with cake!!!!

Monday is here and time to set up. I only have a couple of hours so I don’t slow down. Thank you Penny and Mat. Kristen is not a “pink” prissy kinda girl, so the theme was going to be in fall colors. To represent this new season of fall. Oranges, yellows and browns covered the reception room. I placed index cards on the table so that everyone could write their own “Words Of Wisdom” to our new adult in the family. I wrapped pens with floral tape and fall flowers.  The plates and napkins were all fall themed as well. The tables were set and everything was placed perfectly. I need to go and get Kristen and head home so she doesn’t think anything is up. I gave her the OK to make plans to go bowling, but it will be a little later than usual.

I have Kristen with me and it is time to go by there. The excuse was Scott was working and we were going to pick him up to go eat dinner. There were no inside lights on and we walked thru the entrance of Constance Manor. Scott greeted us at the door. We all walked thru the dark halls talking and laughing. All of a sudden, the lights came on and voices yelling “Surprise!” Kristen was so surprised. She never knew or had any idea.  We all gathered for prayer and began to eat together.

I walked over to the cake………. can I say, OMG. Absolutely Beautiful. A 2 tiered chocolate on chocolate cake. Perfectly designed for Kristen! Chocolate covered strawberries and chips of milk chocolate delicately cut and placed on top. The cut chips of chocolate was airbrushed like lace and stripes. It looked better than the “Ace Of Cakes”. It took everyone’s breathe away. I had Kristen gather at the back of the cake and made several pictures. Each family member was pictured with Kristen. The plan is to place these individual pictures with the note cards, that has their own “Words Of Wisdom” in a picture album. This will be her first Adult/Family album. We celebrated her life with cake, candles and love.

Singing Happy Birthday to her had a whole different meaning to it.

“Happy Birthday P-Nut”

A New Season Arrives…….

Fall is here and the leaves are falling. When the weather was changing, I told Kristen that when we finally get home the leaves will have changed and fallen. A season has passed a new one arrives.  This fall season is a blessed one, like most of ours in the past. I have my daughter this season. She is alive, she is walking, she is talking, she is writing and reading and very chatty. There is constant prayer that I whisper daily and on my knees at night. I am so thankful and greatful of God’s Grace and Mercy. He is so worthy of my praise.

She will be turning 18 years old on Monday the 22nd of this month. I will always reflect on this day, because God gave me her as his first miracle. The miracle of life. Her life began and her daddy and I began as well. Scott and I had known each other since the 8th grade. We had always been friends. One day before our senior year, I had gone to the High School to get a locker and take care of some Senior things and he drove by with some friends and seen me waiting outside. He pulled in and jumped out to talk to me. We talked for about 30 minutes or so and then I had to go home. I knew that we were going to see more of each other in the near future. We ended up in several classes together and soon began to date. We were young and started spending more time with each other. We both enjoyed our Senior Year. We were in athletics and we were both involved in several clubs.  Scott and I had college plans out of High School. Both of us had opportunities to play sports at the next level, but we chose to have Kristen. We started our family and began to make memories together. I am so very thankful that God blessed me with Scott and gave Kristen to me twice.

I could not imagine what my life would be like with out her then or now.

At School……..

I am finally at school. I am walking the halls. I am talking to my friends. I am laughing. I am sitting at my desk. I am reading and writing. I am understanding my teachers. The roll gets called and I am here. I am thankful that I am here and alive!

I get tired at times, but I push myself as like I have always done before. I know that I can depend on the teachers for any help that I may need. My friends watch me move thru the halls to make sure that I get to class safely. Strangers watch me, but they are not strangers to me………. because they prayed for me. I can’t thank everyone enough for what they have done and are still doing for me and my family.  While I am back at school full time, so is my mom. She works at the Elementary School next to my High School. She is close if I ever need her. My mom worries about me a lot. I know she does. I see it in her eyes. I feel it when I hold her.

I sit in my classes and listen to every word. I participate and challenge myself everyday. I am doing very well in my classes.  I have them all amazed, teachers and my fellow students. The brain is a unique organ and I give all the glory to God. I want to graduate with my class this May. I am working hard to get an academic credit for this semester to make it easier for next semester. I doubled up on my academics my freshman, sophmore and junior year so I have all but 3 academic credits.

November 3, 2010

First Day of school as a Senior Wildcat…………

The morning came and I walked up the stairs to  wake Kristen up. I opened her bedroom door and there she laid with covers up to her ears. Her clothes perfectly folded on her chair where she had laid them out  the night before. I reach over to touch her and silently tell her that it is time to wake up. She slowly gets up and starts to get ready. This will be her first day as a senior at Apalachee High School. She looks in the mirror and makes sure her short hair is in place and her mascara is applied delicately with every stroke. She places her class ring on her little finger.

She grabs her jacket and places her book bag on her shoulder. We head outside to get in the truck and it’s cold out and raining. We hurry to get inside the truck. I ask her if she ready for today and of course with a smile, she tells me yes. She has been waiting for this day for a very long time. 3 months……………. since the accident and she will be walking thru the halls once again.

We parked and began to walk in to the school. Kristen was greeted by several of her friends awaiting for her arrival. We have a scheduled meeting early this morning with several of her teachers and administration to discuss an academic plan. Kristen and I walk by her locker and she notices that a picture of her in her softball uniform is hanging there. She just “awwwwed” over it. Some one had placed that on her locker. That was very thoughtful. We continue walking down the hall to where the meeting will be held. We get to the office and was directed to the conference room. There sat several teachers, staff and a clinic nurse that are prepared to accommidate Kristen with whatever she may need to help her succeed this year. She will be able to audit her classes the rest of the semester to prepare her for those classes next semester.

The bell for 1st period will ring soon. We both will walk to the gym, where she will have weight training. She was prepared to dress out if needed to. With Kristen leading the way, we both went to the coaches offices where she had greeted them with her smiling face. They were all excited to see her. Once the students started to see her, they were all welcoming her back to school. She seen one of her friends that she’s known since kindergarten. They both had 3 classes and lunch together. She felt  more at ease and so did I. One of her girlfriends welcomed her back with a cute balloon and a bag of treats. This was so very sweet and thoughtful.

I will be leaving Kristen  during this class to take care of her lunch account. I walk away and I don’t look back. I am confident and know she is going to be fine. I walk to the cafeteria to place money in her account. Her account will need to be re-activated. She will have lunch at school today. Everyone has been so helpful to get Kristen back to school. I make my way to the PDC to discuss when I will return to work. I may be starting back on Monday. Kristen and I are ready to move forward. I forgot what my life was like before her accident. It’s all just a fog. I have been so focussed on her and getting her back to normal, somewhat normal.

I don’t take long and head to my place of work to give them a quick update. The elementary school is next the Kristen’s High School. This will make things a lot easier and quicker, if she ever needs me. It was great to see some of the ladies that supported Kristen and my family during this time. I can never thank them enough. I love them all. My mind is on Kristen and can’t get her off of it not one minute.

I leave and make my way back to the High School to check on her. I have a copy of her schedule, so I know where she is. I walk down the hall and see the class room on the right. Students are still in the hall way, making their way to their class. I turn and look anxiously in the classroom. I see her. She looks up and sees me. She waves from afar and we meet in the front of the class. I look at her as she talks to me. I make sure her eyes are fine and her speech is ok. When she gets tired, she says the wrong words and her eyes get really heavy. She doesn’t look tired. She remains excited about this day, so I am excited for her. She hugs me and I tell her to have a good day. I exit the classroom and begin walking down the hall. I will leave once again, but I will go home and prepare the sofa for Kristen to take a nap when she gets home today.

It is close to time to pick Kristen up from school. Still raining oustside, I pick up my umbrella at the door. I lock up and run to the truck to get in out of the rain. I am anxious to hear about her day. My thoughts are of her constantly. I walk in the building meeting staff and administration. They all have been watching her thru out the day. They all said that she seemed to be tolerating the day and looked great. I was pleased and eager to see her again. One of the staff members walked me to her last class of the day. She also watched Kristen thru the day. She said positive things as well. We got to her class room door and I stood there watching her thru the glass window. She is sitting in front of a computer monitor watching and listening to a lecture. This class will be an important one. She will need to get this academic credit to get her closer to graduate with her class. I talked briefly to her teacher and she says Kristen is doing well for her first day.  I was relieved.

It’s about 3:10 and I will go ahead and take her home. She looks great. She is not tired, but she is hungry. She starts telling me about her day in excitement. Her kindergarten friend walked her to each class. Kristen said it was good to see him and all of her other friends. Everyone was so helpful and excited to see her back. She said she enjoyed all of classes. We got home and she got settled in. She was hungry, so I made her a snack. She wanted to watch a movie so we both sat in front of the tv snacking on chips and salsa. I covered us up and snuggled on the couch. I told her how proud I was of her and how brave she is. She tells me, “Thanks mommy.”

There will be a guest speaker from Germany coming to church tonight. Looking forward to hear what message God is giving tonight.

October 27, 2010

It’s raining out and early. I wake Kristen up to get ready for today. It’s half way home! She eats a quick breakfast and the shuttle arrives. We load the shuttle and ride on over to the rehab facility. She will be tested today in her reading, comprehension and math.  She is not nervous or anxious. She is not afraid of failing. She is CONFIDENT! Of course I will be anxious until I see her this afternoon.

We arrive and she reaches over and kisses my cheek. She wraps her arms around me and I feel her heart beat. I cling to her a little longer. I close my eyes and breath in the fabric softener from her shirt. She tells me, “Have a good day mommy.” I tell her to work hard and that I will see her this afternoon. With her binder at her side, she smiles and starts walking to her classroom.

Kristen will be graduating this Friday here at the day rehab facility. I need to get some things taken care of down here so our future trips will not be so many.

It’s almost 3pm and it is time to ride over and see P-Nut. The shuttle arrives and takes all the mom’s over to the rehab facility. The children that are here all suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Kristen had the worst diagnosis, but the best recovery. These other teens can’t hardly walk, talk or even express themselves. Kristen has only been in therapy since September 1st, less than 60 days. Absolutely Amazing!

I stand in the back of the hall awaiting for Kristen’s class door to open. There she is smiling as usual. She spots me and begins to start walking towards me. When she gets to me, she begins to start telling me about her tests. She had two. The first one, she scored an 87%………………….when she tested the first 3 days when she arrived, she didn’t even score enough to be charted. (the therapist said that this increase is unheard of) The second test, she scored at 95%, again unheard of. Kristen had taken extra work sheets home every night and worked on them very hard thru out therapy. She surely put in the extra effort. What progress!!!!!!

The group of all of us made a trip over to the hospital to see the other children, where Kristen was at the first part of September. Kristen and the others had made goody bags filled with small toys and candy Monday night. She was so excited giving these bags to the other children. She enjoyed fellowship with them as well. Kristen really enjoyed seeing the therapist there that helped her thru the beginning stages of speech, occupational and physical therapy.  Haley, you rock!