Rebellion...

So I thought I would share a funny story from last night. Dan and I are pretty strict parents and our children aren't allowed to say certain words...obviously curse words, but others like stupid and butt come up most. So Trey and Macy know to call their backside a "bottom". Sometimes we run into problems when the word is being used as a transitional phrase, but most times they know. Anyway, Dan put the kids to bed last night, Macy first and then Trey. When he came out of Trey's room, he heard Macy talking and singing (not highly unusual). As he put his ear to her door he heard her saying "butt" over and over. Sometimes singing it and giving the word multiple syllables. Butt, butt, butt, buuuuuuuuuutttttttt, bu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-tt-tt-tt, butt, butt. Seriously, what to do? We decided on nothing...she was in the privacy of her own room. We have gotten a whole day of laughter out of it though.

I will post more pics in a couple of days! This will be the first time we celebrate Christmas in our own house. We have always been "home" with our parents every other year. We are looking forward to Christmas morning with our little family of 4! Merry Christmas!

Aggie game...

This past weekend, we had the awesome opportunity to spend some time in College Station and see some Aggie football. Dan's brother, David, and his wife, Callie, came into town. We got to stand on the reviewing stand and watch the corps march in and then were invited to watch the game in the 12th Man box. (This was David and Callie's hookup:) I am totally spoiled...football in a climate controlled room where I sit in a cushy chair and someone brings me cokes. I was in heaven. Also the fact that the Ags won wasn't bad either. It was a nice getaway...my mom kept our kiddos, so I very relaxed...not worrying about nap times, mealtimes (other than my own) or behavior.

Dan and I
Dan, Gen. VanAlstyne, and David

David, Dan and their Dad standing at attention singing the Aggie War Hymn

Callie and I

(I would like to make the note that my brother in law, David, was making us laugh so my smile is unnaturally large, but it was the best of the three he took. Also note, that I am in flats and Callie is in 4 inch heels and I am still towering over her. It really sucks to have to stand next to cute skinny petite people...especially when you are just growing larger by the moment:)

Belly Shot...

OK, so I feel a little weird posting a picture of just me...but I thought I would share a belly shot. Baby William is moving and grooving. Anytime Macy sees a picture of a baby (like her or Trey) she points it out and says that it is Baby William. Well, this picture is nice, but I know from experience that I will get three times this big and by the end my face (especially my nose), my ankles and feet will be HUGE! oh well, luckily it's not permanent.

Wordless Wednesday

Halloween Pics...

So here are some pictures from Halloween this past weekend. As I said in another post, Trey was Dash (a re-run from last year) and Macy was tinkerbell.

I really did take a ton of pics of the two of them and this was my best one, Trey with a funny smile and a crooked mask and Macy looking somewhere else.
Maya, Trey, Macy and Noah.
The Voltin family goes all out. This year they were characters from The Wizard of Oz / Wicked. Maya was Dorothy, Noah was the Lion, Ryan was the Scarcrow, Pam was Elphiba/ The Wicked Witch and Jaida was Ga-Linda/ Glinda. (If you haven't seen the musical, Wicked, you REALLY should)

Dorothy and Dash

Sweet big brother

Baby William

So, if you are wondering, we are having a boy:) His name will be William Patrick Moran. The amazing thing to me is that these ultrasound pictures were from over 6 weeks ago when I was 13 1/2 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor to get this ultrasound and Dan didn't even come with me. I mean, I was 13 weeks, what were we going to see? Obviously a penis! Anyway, I had my big 20 week ultrasound (of which my pics are not on disc and I don't feel like scanning) yesterday and we saw the penis again...I guess this is a confirmed boy! It is just amazing to me that some people argue whether that precious baby is really a baby...LOOK AT HIM...his sweet face...his beating heart...not to mention at that time he was a little maniac...moving all over the place. What a precious miracle and such evidence of God's love for us.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in that secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" Psalm 139:13-16

Really???

Well, I certainly don't mean to offend anyone, but this evening on my way to CVS to get some Aquaphor for Dan (which I cannot find since we moved)... I noticed about 6 houses with Christmas lights up. I just thought it strange...The beginning of November? I will probably have decorations up the weekend before Thanksgiving, but now? I am a bit surprised, especially since I was eating candy that I stole from my kids Halloween baskets that are sitting on our counter:)

Surgery...

This past Friday, Dan had another surgery. I think we are close to 30...You think this would be something I would have an exact count of, but...I don't. The real reason for this is that I am never sure what to call "surgery" and what is a "procedure". I have come to this conclusion...if he is under general anesthesia...it is surgery. If his body is cut into...it is surgery. I know this sounds cut and dry (no pun intended), but sometimes it's not. Regardless...Friday he was under general anesthesia, but no knives, only lasers...so it was surgery. Dan is having this new laser treatment with a CO2 laser. This last one was the third in a series of five. We are seeing amazing results. It is smoothing the texture of the scars on his face, evening out the pigmentation, and giving his skin more pliability. Anyway, we drove to San Antonio Thursday evening for Friday surgery. The best part of the trip was the excuse to stay with our best friends, the Voltins, for a long weekend. Pam and Ryan have 3 awesome kids, who I am thinking about stealing:) Their younger two are Trey and Macy's ages and then they have a 14 year old, Jaida. I wish I had planned better and had a 14 year old first. Man, she is so awesome! Anyway, the kids had constant playmates, we had home cooked meals and Dan had a comfortable place to recover. Not to mention the fact that although I was pretty prepared...I totally forgot wound care supplies...luckily we were at another burn guy's house, with plenty of supplies. One of my favorite memories was Saturday morning when I was applying aquaphor to Dan's oozy swollen face...all four little ones were standing and sitting around him discussing our method of wound care and how to care for him best...holding his hands or giving him kisses... among others... just another day in our kids lives:)

Saturday night we all went trick or treating on base. I don't know what life is like outside base, but our kids may have rung 3 doorbells. At almost every house, people were sitting outside on chairs to hand out candy. We had so much fun. Macy dressed up as Tinkerbell (courtesy of her Abi, Dan's mom) and Trey wanted a repeat from last year, so he was Dash, again. (No complaints from me!) I will post pictures tomorrow...with some news about whether this baby is a boy or a girl!!!

3 Years Ago Today...

Three years ago today, a lot of lives were changed forever. 1095 days ago I could never have imagined the trials, tears but more importantly triumphs that we would be a part of.



I received a phone call in the middle of the night, (the second one in 10 days of this kind) telling me that my husband had been very severely injured. ( I would soon come to know this as VSI -an actual medical term). I immediately called my in-laws and they were on a plane within hours to North Carolina where we waited for information for days until we found out that Dan would be transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas to be treated for numerous injuries, the most life-threatening being 3rd degree burns to 50% of his body. I recall this information not to be dramatic or re-tell a story most of you have already heard, but to thank our Lord and Savior for the compassion, comfort and truth that only He can give.



In our first meeting with the doctors, my in-laws and I heard their "best case scenario" for Dan. During this meeting, Dan was in ICU, with machines performing all functions so that he would continue to live. The doctors told us that he would have a MINIMUM of 5 skin graft surgeries, (more likely 8-10), be in ICU for 4 months, the hospital for another 4-6, and it wasn't IF he got an infection in his skin, but "when, how bad and would it kill him". But, on December 26, exactly 2 months after being admitted to the ICU, Dan walked out of the hospital after being in the ICU 3 1/2 weeks, having 3 skin graft surgeries and ABSOLUTELY NO skin infections. Smaller things, like the scarring on Dan's body, the strength and range of motion of his hands, his perfect eyesight and his energy should all have had different...worse outcomes. This testimony doesn't change who God was, is and forever will be, it changes US. God would still be as almighty, compassionate and loving if Dan had died three years ago or had followed the doctors predictions throughout his recovery, but for some reason, God chose to give us this beautiful testimony and we feel honored to receive it and tell of His almighty power and love forever.



Below are a few pictures from the last couple of years.

Dan, three months out, working the range of motion of his legs, as well as cardiovascular strength and endurance.

Our sweet Trey, who was only 19 months old at the time of Dan's injury in the hotel we lived in for 3 months

Dan on the treadmill

Dan and I, 5 1/2 months out, on Macy's birthday.

Almost 3 years later, Dan literally walked out the same gate that an ambulance had brought him through when his odds of survival were less than 50%.

How true are the words by H.C.G. Moule, "There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot, from that situation, create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today."

Thank you Lord for the last three years. I am not the same person, nor would I ever want to be.

Things I will miss about hospitals...

So as I type, I am alone in my house. Dan had surgery on Friday and my mom and Dan’s Aunt Lilly came yesterday to take Dan and the kids to Houston…for good. My brother came last night and left this morning hauling a Uhaul semi-full of stuff that the military will not move (ie-open food/open liquids/cleaning supplies) and things that I didn’t want the military to move (ie-my files/jewelry/pictures) Reminiscing about our time in San Antonio will be the next post (not for a couple of weeks as we will be getting settled into a new house) but today I thought I would share a couple of pictures of our hospital life that I love and also think is CRAZY!!!

So when you look at this picture you might just see a picture of me, but this is the craziness of hospital life. Dan and I held hands as we walked into the hospital together Friday morning after sleeping in the same bed the night before (trust me, this is part of the story), as we do every night. After we checked in at the nurse's desk, a very sweet nurse led us to a pre-op room where the doctors, anesthetists, and OR (not or, OR for Operating Room) nurses come in to talk to Dan before surgery. Right as we are about to walk into the room, the nurse reminds me that he is on "contact precautions" and that I must gown and glove up before I enter his room. I love it...really...if I were going to catch something from him or vice versa it probably would have already happened!

1 grilled ham and cheese sandwich - $0.90
1 order french fries - $0.55
1 large soda - $0.20
Knowing by heart that Tuesday is taco day and Friday is Pizza - priceless

This is one of my other favorite things about hospital life. While Dan was back in surgery, I went down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. This is my receipt. $1.65 for lunch. Crazy!!! And it's not like I chose the cheap stuff. When Dan was first injured, I kid you not, his parents and I would spend then ENTIRE meal discussing in disbelief how cheap our food was. It might take me a little bit to adjust to civilian life:)
Just thought you guys would like this little insight to our lives!
ps-do not judge my choices for lunch...I am pregnant and having SERIOUS food aversions.

Pictures of the house!

One of the adaptations made was an extended covered patio

The view out the front

Good Things Happen in 3's!!!

Well, a lot of things have been happening lately and as you can probably tell by our newest ticker...we are beyond thrilled to be expecting baby number 3!!! Our babies like spring, b/c this baby is due March 25, which is the day before Trey's 5th birthday and within two weeks of Macy's 3rd birthday and of course Daddy's too!

Other big news is that July 30th was a big day for our family. Dan retired from the Marine Corps and we closed on our new house in Houston. We are just going to be tying up some lose ends here in San Antonio and should be moving in a couple of weeks.

Naked Summertime afternoon

Lots of Pictures...

Trey and Macy with their cousins, Andrew, Luke and Sam

Macy, Andrew and Trey

Best friends, Maya and Trey

Loving ice cream...Macy, Noah, Maya and Trey

Wordless Wednesday

These were taken this past weekend by my sister, she is a great photographer!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...

Sweet Feet!!!

Macy playing in the water

"Before"

Our basement has been the catch all for everything we didn't know what to do with and I was convinced that I was not going to move a bunch of unorganized stuff, so I spent a LOT of time and energy going through it all on Monday. The best feeling was being able to get rid of the medical stuff, knowing that we are past that for the most part! As shameful as this is...the picture doesn't do the mess justice...it was larger than it looks.

"After"

Our new house...in the middle of being built!!!

Full Circle

I finally got the pictures of Dan in the intersection in Ramadi where he was injured. The pictures speak for themselves. For more information on his trip, a long journal entry and what was written on the note, see my post, "Quite a Trip", from March 3, 2009.

Dan with some beautiful Ramadi children

The note and 1/6 Battalion coin he left at the spot.