PRC Day 15 - Hannah Graduates!

Wow! I can not believe that we have finally arrived at the end! It has been an amazing journey!

Sarah Jordan was able to spend yesterday and today doing the program with Hannah. She jumped right in and was involved in everything. (Be prepared . . . the quality of the photographs is all over the place tonight. But I figured, why should tonight be any different?)

 

Today lunch was provided by the program. Cracks me up that you can ALWAYS find Hannah in these pics. She likes to stand out. It's her father's DNA.

I don't know whose DNA this is . . .

 

 
On the last day of the program they do a little graduation recognition. This is Hannah and her case manager.

More of the team.

When a student graduates from the program the whole group will usually get together and do something like eating out or a movie. Tonight they went to see a movie.

The final goodies in the RMH mailbox.

And a last picture of her door.

We have been amazed at all that has happened over the last month. We know that your faithful and relentless prayers have sustained us. Words are inadequate to express how grateful we are for all of your support. You have sacrificed your time, talent and treasure to bless us and minister to us. Thank you.

We have seen some miracles here this week. The biggest, of course, is Hannah. The change in her has been huge. Hannah was running in the halls yesterday. It has been a long time since I have seen her run. So I didn't say anything to stop her. I just prayed for the people she might run into. And that they weren't the lawsuit type.

Getting this blog done every night was another miracle. This program is exhausting for Hannah, but I'm here to tell you that it isn't a piece of cake for the parents! There were nights I wanted to go to bed at 6:00p. And not get out of bed. Ever. However, the RMH doesn't let you keep food in your room. Enough said.

Sarah Jordan did much better than we expected. We were afraid it would be really hard on her to be away from mom that long. Ummm, no. She did just fine. So I am sending her to college. Next year.

There was one thing that did not happen. Sarah Jordan did not get her dad on a schedule and into a routine. She tried. She really did.

I am so looking forward to going home. I have missed home. I have been gone so long that I have forgotten what home looks like. Please tell me that it looks like this . . .

I can not wait to sleep in my own bed. I have missed my electric blanket. That I use year round. In fact, I will be lighting a fire in the fireplace when I get home. To thaw out my feet. Ohhhh, bliss.

And after I get home and settled I am going to invest in a new pair of these . . . for obvious reasons. Which I plan to use. Because I have tried just looking at them and that hasn't help me.

God bless you all. Signing off....Anne

PRC Day 14 - Hannah's Post!

 Hey ya'll! Hannah here! The Program Director wanted me to write the blog tonight because she wanted me to make you aware of what I can and can not talk about. It might be boring.

You can not ask me if I am in pain. You can ask me if I am having a difficult day. You can also ask me about anything else. You can ask me about the program, what I did in Rochester, my new friends and practically anything else. Just not the pain. But I can't wait to talk to each of you about everything under the sun.

This has not been an easy journey but it has been fun. I have met the most amazing people in the world. The program is hard but worth it. I found out that I can do stuff I never thought I would be able to do. The people who work the program actually want to help make you better.

I even played a little volleyball today.

I don't know how to put this into words but I just want to thank each and every one of ya'll for everything you have done for me. I loved getting home after the program at 5:30p everyday and finding mail in my mailbox. All my PRC friends were definitely jealous!

Thank you for praying for me! I definitely would not have been able to get up and go each day without knowing that you guys were praying for me and in my corner.

You guys are the most amazing people in the world!

Thank you!
Hannah

PRC Day 13

Yesterday one of the ladies who works in the program pulled Hannah aside and told her that she would be really good at leading a support group for teens with chronic pain. She told Hannah that because she is so positive and has such a great attitude she would be a great group leader.

So this started me thinking that I could lead a support group also. Like maybe "Eating Healthy When You are Out of Town." Ummm, well actually, I should be in that support group. Maybe, "Functioning When You are Emotional Wreck." Oh, I need to join that one, too. How about "Criers Annonymous." Oh yeah, bingo!

Help has arrived! It's amazing how fast I can feel exhausted when I know that I don't have to be on duty 24/7! First order of business was to make the bed. Which I'm sure must be much easier for him since he is taller. Otherwise I would have just done it myself. Yeah, riiiiggghht.

The girls are complete opposites in every way. Which is really fun. Except that I have to be a different parent to each child. Which can be challenging when I don't remember who I am. One of their biggest differences is that Sarah Jordan moves in a stealth-like manner. She is quiet and never leaves any evidence of where she has been. She can seem invisible.

Hannah, on the other hand, well, let's see, tornado, tsunami, hurricane . . .   Hannah leaves a trail. There is evidence of every place she has been. We get the biggest kick out of it. It is kind of hard to see with the quilt pattern, but all of the stuff on the bed was placed there by Hannah. One thing at a time. In a matter of oh, 20 minutes.

Please pray for her college roommates. And her husband. And that he has a good job. And can hire a housekeeper. Full time.*

We are feeling the love! So grateful for your expressions of love. Thank you for caring!



*Hannah reads every post before it is published. I wouldn't publish anything she wasn't comfortable with. Hannah is an amazing and funny gal and her shortcomings pale in comparison to her strengths. We all laugh together. So what I'm saying is, no Hannahs were harmed in this post.

PRC Day 12

Happy Monday! It is a happy Monday here! Ken and Sarah Jordan arrive tomorrow and Hannah and I are so ready to see them! I can not wait to revert to the wallflower that is my comfort zone! Our time here has been a real stretch for me. It has taken me out of my comfort zone in a lot of ways. And it isn't that I'm not capable to doing these things, it's just that they stretch me. You know, things like, talking, finding my way around a new town, talking, figuring out the hospital, talking, moving in and out of hotels, talking . . . you get the idea. And now I am ready to ride the coattails of the man who signed up for the job 20 years ago. Okay, maybe he didn't exactly sign up for that part. That was just a bonus! Lucky guy!

Hannah skyped with her 7th grade girls Bible Study tonight. I think they all got a kick out of being able to do that. She talked with them a bit and showed them around the room. Then she took them on a tour of the Ronald McDonald House and introduced them to one of the guys in the program that she happened upon. (Insert the sound of screaming 7th grade girls here.)

You can see them a little here in this picture. But what you can see even better is the fingerprints on the screen. I'm saving them.

Sunday Wrap - Up

Did you happen to notice that we went to the Twin Cities yesterday and didn't go to the Mall of America. Melissa asked if we wanted to go. But Hannah and I are not shoppers. It's like torture to us. Which makes us like aliens among the female population. But maybe popular among potential spouses? Um, not for me. I already have someone who totes my luggage, washes my car, puts my laundry away and makes the bed. I'm not in the market.

But if we have gone shopping with you, it is because we want to be with you. Not because we want to shop.

Again, we missed our home church today. No news there. I know I'm not really impartial but I love our worship and our senior pastor and his sermons.

After church we took care of chores. Changed the sheets, washed clothes, cleaned, put things away, blah, blah, blah, you know, just the regular drudgery of home. (Except laundry, which you know is not drudgery to me. More alienish behavior?!? Don't say anything.)

Speaking of home. You know you feel like you are home when you go to the refrigerator and open it and just stare. Yes, yes I did. And this is what I saw . . .

Only one of these bins is ours. And it has NOTHING in it that you want to graze on at 8:00p in the evening.

And I had already visited this today . . .

Oh, did I forget to tell you about this? Probably because I didn't want to share. This sits downstairs in the hallway. Fully stocked. Free. And incredibly tempting. Get thee behind me Satan!

Hannah got started on her verses for the week. She only has four more left! Wow!

Again, the nightly ritual of watching a movie together. I hope she doesn't get used to this!

The kids watched The Blind Side tonight.

Headed to bed. Later than I would like. It takes me 2 weeks to adjust to this one hour time change. It would be easier for me if we could phase it in. You know, maybe 4 minutes a day. Then after 15 days we would be there! I'll suggest it.