GRADUATED!!! GOD SHOWED UP AND IS STILL PERFORMING MIRACLES!

It feels like just yesterday he was graduating kindergarten only now it's the real deal..... momma's boy has finally earned his high school diploma and you know I couldn't be prouder, especially after all he has been thru!!  Our day started out with having to be at graduation practice at the Veterans Memorial Arena bright and early at 7am! As I started driving down the highway the tears began to fall.... I was taking Alex to his high school graduation practice and it was all coming so fast!  I had been waiting for this day and praying that Alex would be able to complete the necessary courses to get to this point and he did it!  He did it with a 2.58 GPA none the less!!! Needless to say Alex was WAY OVER STIMULATED and crazy as ever!  He was very very excited and it was a bit hard for him to contain himself as the rehearsal began.  Cracking jokes and spitting every 5 seconds (his new OCD habit or nervous tick, which ever you wanna call it).  He practiced with the usher... rolling out and going to his spot on the floor.  Once they ran thru the process a couple of times it was time for Alex to practice rolling up the ramp and walking across the floor.  I wanted him to get a feel for how long the walk would be prior to actually doing it.  Sooo, the usher rolled him up the ramp, he moved his leg rests and up he went.... walked half way across the stage and then sat back in his chair.  Of course everyone went crazy because no one from school has ever witnessed him walking, lol!  I on the other hand was NOT IMPRESSED the least bit because I felt like he was being lazy!! I knew he could have walked across the whole stage...... sooooo I had a little pep talk with him and told him he needed to step up his game!!!  We left practice at 9:00 and rushed home to get him showered and gussied up for the big event to be back at 11:15 so family and friends could get pics with miracle boy before the ceremony.  As everyone crowded around I took pics of Alex with all of his graduating class.... told him to "show out" and then sent him off with his buddies so that we could go inside and grab good seats so I could get him walking across that stage.  We headed in and got the perfect seats.... just to the left of the stage where when he walked he would be walking towards us... perfect for video and pics!  As we were sitting in our seats all of a sudden here comes Alex and he has his friend wheeling him towards us..... stinker had told them he had to go to the bathroom so that they would let him come and find us, lol!  That was only the first of 4 times he came out until graduation began.  The last time out, he really really had to go and I was told we had 8 minutes until showtime!!!  Here I go running down the stairs.... running with him in the chair.... OMG you have your gown on... praying to God it doesn't get in the toilet as I'm trying to square him on the toilet to sit with all this clothing he has on.... sweating, panting.... rushing (THERE IS NO RUSHING ALEX) I don't know why I try, lol!  I think I work myself up more by trying to rush him because I get frustrated and Alex only has one speed.... HIS!  Off the toilet, in the chair..... off he goes..... this was it.....THE GOLDEN MOMENT!!  I get back to my seat in the nick of time and here comes the pomp and circumstance music and MR. ALEX!!

Escorted by his childhood buddy Sammy Alvarez.......Cane in his hand...pumping it in the air..... gotta love that kid!!!    Sammy put him in his spot and the Alex show began! OMG..... I should have known that an hour and 15 minutes would turn into 2 hours and I should have known what to expect from Mr. Crazy himself!  He sat there waving, flicking Nick off (because he had the video camera), making faces.... My little 4 year old was in FULL SWING!!  When you watch the video, I apologize in advance to anyone he offends as he thought he was being funny with his older brother videoing him not realizing that EVERYONE in the Arena as well as ANYONE watching the video was going to see.  HE LIVES IN THE MOMENT....sometimes that is good and sometimes well.... not so much, lol!  It is who he is today.... still learning behaviors of what is socially acceptable and what is not....when to speak the truth and when to keep things to yourself.... there still is no filter or inhibition.... hopefully in time the brain will continue to heal and that will be repaired as well.  If not... we are in for a LONG ride folks!!  2 hours is a very long time for anyone to sit still... especially someone with a traumatic brain injury of his caliber.  I'm not by any means making excuses for him.... only trying to make you understand that he actually did REALLY WELL considering his conception of time and sitting still is at about 25 minutes right now.  Any who... as we are sitting there watching Alex and all of his antics.... the security waves me down and I figure that Alex must have to go to the bathroom so I head on down.  As I get to him.... he informs me that Alex's behavior is getting a little out of hand and he thinks maybe I need to pull him out for a second and let him regroup!  OMG.... is this really happening!!  I walk over to the other side of the arena behind the stage and this lady comes up to me and asks me about his spitting.  I have to explain that yes this is one of his nervous ticks and the more attention I bring to it... the more he does it.  She is ok with that and says not to worry about that but could I please get him to stop "MOOING LIKE A COW" yes...you heard that right and could I get him to stop "FLICKING HIS FRIENDS OFF BEHIND HIM".... because it was just a little distracting to the people in the seats.  OMG... I wanted to crawl under a rock lol!  Security found me a nice little seat on the floor only 15feet from Alex and I gave him the LOOK OF  A MAD WOMAN, told him to get it together or he was outta there!  I then sent security over to tell him and reinforce because I figured he would listen to them better than he would me for sure!  He looked at me, said OK "go back to your seat and take pics...I'll be good"...I gave him the benefit of the doubt, said a prayer, apologized to everyone around and headed back to my seat.  Amazingly.... He contained himself enough to get him thru everyone's speeches and finally the moment we had all been waiting for!





Tears filled our eyes, disbelief at seeing him walk the distance he did and without missing a beat!!  WHO IS THAT KID IN THE VIDEO? You see him pause and talk to the principle Mr. Simmons... He was asking if he could speak! hahahahaha!!  Brother Joe usually gives up the microphone at church on Wednesdays so Alex can have his say... usually a prayer or a bible quote, lol!  Now he thinks that he can speak any where we go!!  Alex received a standing ovation and he LOVED every minute of it!  God showed up with him that day... giving him the energy, strength and will power to walk up, across, down and back to his spot that he originally started.  I can't even begin to explain what I was feeling.... there are no words to describe the happiness and the sadness I was feeling all at the same time!  I truly could NOT BELIEVE how very far he walked and how great he did WITHOUT A CANE OR A WHEELCHAIR.... INCREDIBLE!!!  His physical therapists were all really  impressed and very pleased with how good he did and with his endurance!  So much that Erica said "NO CANE" at therapy on Thursday!! YOU DON'T NEED IT!   He still has a very long way to go.... especially cognitively speaking but when I look back to a year and a half ago where we were:

GOD HAS BEEN WITH US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY...... YOU'VE WITNESSED IT.... YOU BEST BELIEVE IT!!!  I never would have imagined this day was possible on January 6,2010 but God had a different plan.... John 11:4 "When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Thank You God for one more day with my handsome boy and for choosing him for the miracle of his life and a second chance at life.  It certainly hasn't been easy and the life we live is certainly a different one with many challenges and obstacles each day.  I refuse to focus on the negatives.... the positives are endless and our glass is half full ALWAYS!!  I said earlier that Alex lives in the moment and maybe we should all do a little more of that.... enjoy and be thankful for what we have and what we are doing at this very moment.  Enjoy our children more and focus less on the negative things they do.... focus on the positives and maybe we'll see more of that come out in the long run.  I know Alex responds way more to positive reinforcement than negative..... I think you can see that in his recovery progress.   Charles Swindoll said it best: The longer I live, the more I realize the impact with attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change the past... We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge with our attitudes. 

I've said it before and I will say it over and over again.... ONE PHONE CALL CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE..... whether it is YOU or someone very close to you.... you will be affected in some sort of way.  It's a domino effect.  Don't take for granted what you have..... say "I love you" everyday to those who are special and close to your heart..... Cherish every day and moment as if it were your last.... LIVE IN THE MOMENT.... Hug those babies and give them every second of attention that you can.... they just want our love and approval, is that really so much to ask??  Leave the clothes in the dryer, the dishes in the sink, the bed  unmade.... sit and read a book together, or watch their favorite movie with them..... tomorrow is a gift and can be taken away in a second.  If you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.... or if you are doubting there is even a God.  HE IS VERY REAL.... HE PERFORMS MIRACLES DAILY IN OUR LIVES...... don't wait till tomorrow to get right with God.... the reality is that tomorrow may be too late!!  Alex doesn't even realize how many lives he has touched and how many people he has brought to God.  BLESSINGS UPON BLESSINGS!!  I would give anything to go back and get a redo..... but that is not an option.  I must deal with the cards that have been dealt.  God doesn't give us more than we can handle......My cup is overflowing.  But I am in charge of my attitude and I choose to see rainbows and sunshine.  We have missed out on A LOT of stuff....  Jr prom, homecoming weeks....friday night football games.... senior year....basketball games...... high school baseball, dreams of playing college ball but we have also gained A LOT.  My son is alive.... no, he will never be the same Alex that I miss terribly.... but he is alive.... he is still handsome as ever to me..... he is witty....he loves his family and friends....... HE IS ALIVE....ALIVE....ALIVE.....AAAAAAAAAAAANND a High School graduate...CAN I GET AN AMEN!!!

YOU DID IT ALEX..... You really did it and I couldn't be more honored to call you my son today than prior to Jan 6, 2010.  You can do anything you set your mind to do and I will be here for you every step of the way.... cheering you on, holding your hand and pushing you to be the best that I know you can be!  CONGRATULATIONS SWEET BOY..... You have so much to be proud of.  Never doubt yourself... keep reaching for the stars and remember that God has a special plan for you!!  I am sooooo excited and can't wait to see what great things he has in store for  you!!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
LISA

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY... NEED HELP PLEASE :0)

Well we are graduated and I have sooo much to blog about only I need some IT guru help from any of you out there that know how to upload DVD to youtube or other website so I can share the video with all of you.  GOD SHOWED UP ONCE AGAIN and YOU GOTTA SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT!!!  Incredible and words can't even describe what I am dying to share with those of you who didn't get to be there!  Sooooooooooo .... if there are any experts out there who know how to get this DVD uploaded PLEASE EMAIL ME so that I can get this video OUT THERE!!  Thank you mucho!!!


I also have urgent prayer request for a 3 and 5 year old that were in a very serious car accident.... 5 year old just had to undergo brain surgery.... PLEASE LIFT THESE CHILDREN UP IN PRAYER!  Lord I ask that you be with these children and their parents as they go thru this very difficult time.  Please wrap your arms around them and bring them a peace that they can only find in you and trusting in their faith.  I pray that you be with the surgeons and guide their hands as they perform their life saving tasks..... I pray that you heal those babies from the top of their heads to the tip of their toes..... I PRAY THIS IN JESUS NAME.... AMEN!!!!

THANK YOU!!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!

LISA

BACCALAUREATE PICS..... PRICELESS... HAD TO SHARE!

So proud of my handsome boy and I am bursting at the seams to share these pics with you.....GOD IS GOOD MY FRIENDS... GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!!

 These are some of his oldest friends..... all graduated from different schools but I wanted some pics of them all together as they venture onto new horizons.  Old friends are always some of the best friends and I am truly thankful for the friendships we have in the kids as well as their parents.... LOVE YA'LL!!

 As I stated on FB.... we thank you God that his personality is still in tact!  HE IS A HOT MESS FOR SURE!

 Randi is back for graduation.....Kristen will be on her way tomorrow :0)

 Dax...one of those old childhood buddies.... proud of you and Alex and glad that he gets to graduate with you!!

 Amanda.... thank you for keeping me in sync and up to date with Ed White and their activities.  You are truly special, Alex is lucky to have you as a friend and I wish you the best on your new journey in life. xoxo :0)

 Kinlin and Brandon... thank you for always taking time out of your busy days to be at my kids functions..LOVE YA'LL!!

Irene....it hasn't been easy raising these boys but one thing is for sure....THEY KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE EM!  Love you my friend!

Alex is already tired of taking pictures....LORD GRANT HIM SOME PEACE because Wednesday it's SHOWTIME and the CAMERA WILL BE CLICKING!!


PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!

LISA

Graduation is right around the corner!

Soooo many emotions running wild this past week with graduation coming up especially since attending one of his friends, Skylar's graduation party.  I have so much to be thankful for and I know this but it was very painful for me to watch him have to sit and WATCH his friends do everything that he can't on the huge jumpy slide with water and soap.... ONE OF HIS FAVORITE past times.  It took everything I had to keep the tears from falling.... wishing he could be doing all that he SHOULD be doing and partaking in his Senior year of high school... which is supposed to be one of the best moments in his life....graduation and the parties that go along with it!!  I am soooo proud of all that he has accomplished and he HAS come so far in a year and a half but the humanity in me makes me soooo sad for him.  It's so hard to explain and I surely don't mean to sound ungrateful for what we have been given.....but I'm a mom... with a huge heart and my heart aches for him when I see all of his friends having the fun that he can't.  Now... if you ask Alex..... he had a great time, lol!  THANK YOU GOD FOR THAT!  My brain injured child doesn't even look at things the way I do.... HE inspires me!  He wasn't sad that he couldn't go up that slide.... all he was worried about was going in the pool and EATING, lol!  It's times like this weekend that I am truly thankful he doesn't have emotions.

Today we practice at 9:45 for his bacclaurette and then the service is tonight at 6:45 at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.  For those of you that have written me and were hoping to go to graduation, I'm sorry but tickets are very limited and I've had to get some  from other students so that all of our family can go. However..... tonights service may be your chance to witness a small part of his graduation by attending this.  Please pray that he can sit for an hour thru this service with no major interruptions.... I will probably be on edge the whole time lol!

Stay tuned this week... I will post grad pics and hope to post video from graduation!  Wednesday is going to be one of the most memorable days in our lives and I'm so proud of you Alex Michael Ross!  Phillipians 4:13..... AMEN!!!




PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
 LISA

GETTING READY FOR GRADUATION!

With no more school work to complete, no more tests to take, Alex has been focusing on therapy and being able to walk by himself across that stage and get that diploma!  I  spoke with his occupational therapist last week in regards to his left hand/arm and wanted to know if he would ever fully get that functionality back. Her answer was that it all depended on if that part of the brain repaired itself...... certainly not something I wanted to hear and I somewhat became discouraged.  UNTIL YESTERDAY.... WHEN GOD SHOWED UP AGAIN!!!  With Alex's hard work and God's unending blessings.....ME, ALEX & JC GOT THIS FOR SURE!!  AMAZING...AMAZING ... AMAZING!  That left arm and hand did what it was supposed to do!!!



He still continues to work hard at walking ..... he tells me he has a double date on Monday... well double meaning him and two girls lol!  amazing what that incentive can do to put a little pep in his step and to push himself a little harder!  I truly hope these girls are serious and he does get to go on his date.....if not, I will be one HOT MOMMA..... and I don't mean in a good way, lol!



Graduation is a week away and it will truly be one of the best most memorable days of our lives!  I promise to video and post for all to see the glorious works of our GOD and the miracles that he continues to work in and thru my handsome boy!  Thank you all for your  prayers and support..... please continue to pray for Alex that his brain does heal those parts that we need to get that left arm back to full functionality.  God has done so much in such a short amount of time with Alex and I am putting all my faith in him once again that he will continue his work and WE WILL HAVE A FULL RECOVERY..... in HIS time!  THANK YOU GOD.....GIVING YOU ALL THE HONOR, GLORY AND PRAISE THAT YOU SO DESERVE!  AMEN!


PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!

LISA

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST FOR NICK CURRAN

Hi my sweet friends..... Graduation is right around the corner... June 8th at 1:00 pm.....THANK YOU GOD!  What an awesome day that will be!  Alex is doing great and it has been really nice to finally breathe and not have to worry about school!  We enjoyed a nice long weekend, watched my nephew get baptized in the ocean at Jax beach and then took Alex to the beach for the day.

 I am online this morning asking for special prayer request for a young man named Nick Curran, (19 I think) and his family.  There was a very tragic accident at Ginnie Springs this weekend and Nick has lost a lot of blood and oxygen and is fighting for his life in the hospital.  I don't know this family or all of the details but being what I have gone thru with Alex...... you all know I can relate and I ask that my prayer warriors please get on this and ask God to pull them all thru this.   We have all seen the miracles he continues to bless my family with and  If anyone knows that there is power in prayer it is I!!!

Thank you!!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
 LISA

SCHOOL IS COMPLETED.... GRADUATION IS A GOOOOOOOOO!

FIRST AND FOREMOST I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME THE PATIENCE, ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH TO GET THRU THIS PART OF OUR JOURNEY!  I can assure you he has been standing right by my side every step of the way.... holding my hand and guiding me to do what everyone thought or deemed impossible!  THROUGH HIM.... ALLLLLL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE....3 hours to live on January 6, 2010 to GRADUATING on June 8th of 2011!!  THANK YOU SWEET JESUS FOR ALL BLESSINGS..... GREAT AND SMALL!!! 

Alex's ankle is still a little weak but it was before he sprained it so we are just monitoring it and making sure he has his brace on when he does therapy.

We had a scare the other day at the ballpark with Alex.... he was in his wheelchair going to the concession stand and backing up in his wheelchair.  Well his back wheel slipped off of the sidewalk and got stuck in the sand sending his wheelchair flying back and him slamming on the sidewalk!  OMG.... everything flashed back and in an instant I began to run from the stands to him on the ground.  I even think the game stopped, lol!  Thank God when he flipped back his head did not hit the ground!!   Tears streaming down my face, my heart beating three times the normal..... it was hard to catch my breath with the emotions that were racing thru my mind!  It took me a good 30 minutes to finally settle back down and realize he was ok.  Alex.... well he was fine... of course making jokes how he was trying to do that and how he was doing back flips...etc.   Even though his head didn't hit the ground, I still watched him because it was a huge jolt and I wanted to make sure nothing came of it... but as always.... according to God's plan... ALEX IS ON TOP OF THIS WORLD!

God continues to send angels my way and just when I think I can't take anymore..... someone will come up to me and say... "I know you probably get this alot, but I have followed your story and still keep you and Alex in my prayers".  THOSE WORDS ARE WORTH A MILLION DOLLARS TO ME!  It's the little things in life that sometimes mean the most and it seems as if God knows just when I need a boost and he sends an angel to lift me up and keep me going.  THANK YOU.... Thank you to those of you who bless me immensely with your words of encouragment and keep me going in the midst of what seems like an eternity of neverending obstacles!  Now that school is over we can focus on his therapies and get him independent and back on track to a somewhat normal life.  Many people wonder what we have in store as far as college goes.... well... I AM TAKING A BREAK, lol.  We are going to focus on therapy until January of next year and then sign Alex up at FSCJ and decide at that point whether he will be taking online classes or will have moved further along in recovery and can actually attend classes.  He has every desire to go to college........  it is acutally I who needs a break and need to slow down a bit.  Time to take care of me for a bit and get some things done that I need to take care of that I have put off so that we could focus on getting Alex graduated.  Somewhere along the way I have lost my mind and my memory so by slowing down our pace a bit from school 5 days a week and therapy 3 times a week, laundry, housework, cooking......caregiving 24-7.... I NEED A BREAK!

A special thank you to my sweet friend Theresa Hawkins who, at the drop of a hat, came to my rescue and we did a senior photo shoot with Alex! A HOT, MUGGY, SMOKEY, BUG INFESTED, SWEATY photo shoot but together we did it and she got some amazing shots of Alex.  There are soooo many great shots I can't possibly get them all on here but I wanted to share some.  We gathered all of his Gator memorabilia from Tim Tebow and his pro day experience with some of the other Gator players and set him up ready for smiles... see below:

AND THAT'S A WRAP!!! 

MIRACLES HAPPEN... GOD DOES PERFORM THEM......LOOK AT MY HANDSOME BOY AND BELIEVE IT!!!  THANK YOU GOD FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A VESSEL FOR YOUR WORD!!!!  I know YOU  have great things in store for Alex and just as I promised you the night of January 6, 2010...... HE WILL DO GREAT THINGS FOR YOU, WITH YOU AND IN YOUR NAME!  AMEN!!!
graduation is on June 8th at 1:00pm ..... GOD IS SO GOOD and I can't wait to see my boy WALK across that stage and get his diploma after everything he has been through, the obstacles he has overcome AND the hard work he has endured.  Sooooo proud of you Alex Michael Ross!!!
PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP! LISA

GREAT NEWS!

We have been bogged down with school work and trying to get everything completed in time so that Alex can graduate with his class on June 8, 2011.  I must say that I am really proud of him for pushing through the days AND his attention span..... it certainly hasn't been easy!  All he has left now is his finals and end of course exams.... Please keep us in your prayers, lol! 

We had a visit with his neurosurgeon yesterday and it was our LAST!  She released him yesterday.... saying he looks great and we are on an as needed basis with her!!  THANK YOU GOD......GREAT NEWS!!! I want to share the images of his cat scan below that he just had taken in April......YOU ARE WITNESSING A TRUE MIRACLE OF GOD...... BELIEVE IT!!

(the pics are flipped ....the damaged area is really the right side but look as if it is the left side)
The first pic shows the normal ventricles on the right and the ventricles  that are full of fluid on the left...thus the reason for the shunt.  You can also see some fluid on the outside of the cranium between the cranium and the skin to the left.  This is the reason that we see a little swelling on his right side.  She said this is normal because they couldn't possibly sew every inch square tight and some fluid will seep through, however the shunt should and will continue to control this.  Only if I see change in personality, sleeping habits, headaches etc do I need to be concerned.  In other words... if it ain't broke... DON'T FIX IT!

Picture 2 you can see the thin line going from the center to the outside... this is the shunt..... you can also see the circle outline where the new piece of skull composite was placed back in April of last year when he was put all back together again.  The two prominent small white pieces are fragments of the bullet that will be there forever.  He is not allowed to ever have MRI or go thru anything magnetic becausse that could cause the bullet to become dislodged and surely create more damage of which we DO NOT NEED,lol!

This is a frontal view.... the bullet looks like it is in the front from this view however it is really in the back.... the pic is as if you are looking THRU his head.

This is the picture that should really make your draw drop and say WOW!  You can see the damage that the bullet did....  you can clearly see the parts of the brain that are left and what is NOT there.   The bullet spattered the right side (which looks like the left, remeber the pictures are flipped).  He has little if ANY brain left on his right side....basically functioning on half of a brain and doing the unthinkable things he is! If you don't believe in God or that he performs miracles.....BELIEVE THIS!  ALEX MICHAEL SHOULD NOT BE HERE.... HE SHOULD NOT BE FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS HE IS....HE SHOULD NOT BE AS FAR ALONG IN RECOVERY.... ALEX MICHAEL ROSS IS A TRUE MIRACLE OF GOD!!!  I sit here and look at this picture.... hard to take my eyes off of it because it seems impossible.  It humbles me and makes me want to be a better mother.... with more patience than I already have.....to not sweat the small stuff.... to cherish EVERY single moment.... to not lose my cool every once in awhile.... TO BE THANKFUL most of all.....to HIM, JESUS CHRIST!  Thank you Lord for soooooo many many more days with my handsome boy than I ever could have hoped for.

My boy is a walking, talking, funny, crazy, impatient, neurotic, OCD, ADHD young man and I am truly thankful that I have a second chance to be right by his side thru thick and thin until he is able to become independent and carry out God's will! 

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!

 LISA

Bunkered down!

My apologies for not getting on here sooner, probably the only reason I am on here now is that it is 4:18am as Alex just woke me up to go to the bathroom and I cannot for the life of me go back to sleep! Soooooo, I am putting free time to use, lol.

We have been bunkered down with a bum ankle, major school work to complete and a nasty stomach bug that just won't quit!  Just when I thought it was gone.... it pops back up again!

The xray last week was inconclusive so he had Alex wear this heavy boot thing that protected his ankle from rolling when having to stand on it to use the bathroom or transfer to bed/sofa.  All he kept saying was, "I don't need a cast".... "it doesn't hurt".... ONLY because he didn't want a cast with our cruise coming up.  Chad's brother is getting married next week on a cruise and for obvious reasons he wanted to be able to enjoy himself in water activities on and off the boat.  Anywho, we had to revisit the orthopedic doc again yesterday to see if the swelling had gone down and he could see if there was any type of fracture at all...THERE WAS NOT...THANK YOU GOD!  Doc says it is just a severe sprain.... sometimes those are worse!  It has been quite a week with the BOOT, ANKLE AND STOMACH BUG..... going to the bathroom every 5-10 minutes has not been an easy task with him!  A special thank you to my mother who has been driving every couple of days from Fernandina to watch him so that I can go to Brooks baseball games in the evenings because we tried one night with him at the ballpark and I WON'T BE DOING THAT AGAIN atleast until it's ALL OUT OF HIS SYSTEM, LOL!

We just found out from school that all of his online courses have to be completed by May 14th since we are going on our cruise!  Needless to say I have had him online every possible free minute that I can grab his attention span for!  HE WILL GRADUATE IF IT KILLS ME!  Soooo, needless to say the last week has been very stressful for me....he hasn't been able to go to therapy because he was ordered by the doctor for no weight bearing activities on that left foot until we knew what was going on, school work around the clock and the stomach bug!  CALGON TAKE ME AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!  I should have saved the Hawaii trip for after graduation, lol!

Thanks to all of you who have written emails checking on Alex.... it's nice to know you are still there even though my blogging has become scarce these days.  Once we get through school, I will be able to breath again and I promise I'll get back to my duties once and for all. :0)  I ask that you keep Alex in your prayers for the next month so that he is able to focus longer than normal as we get thru this last bit of school work and finals and that his ankle doesn't give him trouble so that he can get back on track with recovery and be able to WALK ACROSS THAT STAGE on June 8th to receive his diploma!  God hasn't let me down yet and I truly feel like he will show us once again that HE IS IN CONTROL as I see my handsome boy WALK on June 8th!!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
LISA

ROADBLOCK.... PRAYERS NEEDED PLEASE!

As Alex and I were doing school this morning, we received a phone call from the doctor that the xray they had taken of Alex's left ankle yesterday revealed a fracture.  He has been complaining of his ankle really hurting so while we were at the hospital doing the botox injections... I asked her to have an xray done of his ankle.  WOW!  On top of all this.... he has had a stomach bug and going to the bathroom like every 5 minutes so he has been having to walk on it ALL DAY!  Bless my father in law as he brought Alex a bedside commode so he doesnt have to keep walking far on it.  I have been on hold ALL DAY with various doctors, receptionists and tricare trying to get referrals to get him in today.  AGGRAVATING!!! Finally at about 4 I got authorization and we are headed to the Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute at the beach at 10am tomorrow morning to get this ankle business taken care of.  We need prayers please because if he has to get a cast this will be detrimental to his progress with physical therapy.  He will not be able to do any therapy nor will he be able to do any WATER activities..... and you have all seen how much he LOVES the water and the free spirit he is able to be while in the water.  I ask that you pray for healing.....QUICK HEALING..... hoping that the fracture is not SEVERE and that he will only be down a short time.  We are going on a cruise for my brother in laws wedding in two weeks and he has really been looking forward to going and being able to hang out at the waterpark on the top deck.  With a cast..... this will hinder his fun.  He also was looking forward to WALKING and getting his diploma in June with his class.... again... this will make that impossible. He can still graduate yes... but he would not be able to walk!  The devil always wants to pop in and put up road blocks but I'm claiming this and giving it to GOD!  Just when we get settled in and the going gets good..... ROADBLOCK!  Lord.... I thank you for always being my rock and for always showing yourself when I least expect it.  You have blessed us beyond my wildest dreams and I thank you for that.  I ask you to please wrap your arms around Alex and heal his ankle, and take away the pain so that he is not down for long.  I know his recovery is on your timeline, not mine and I know that with everything there is a meaning and a purpose.  Thank you for dying on the cross for us and thank you for your many miracles you continue to bless my family with.  We are your children and I know you are the way, the truth and the light.  I pray that we go tomorrow and it is a simple sprain and nothing serious .... maybe the doctors saw something that wasn't there :0).... I give it to you God... In Jesus Name I Pray.... AMEN!!

I'll keep you all posted tomorrow on the diagnosis.

Thanks so much for your prayers in advance!!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
 LISA

DAAAAAAAAAAY 6.... OUR DAYS IN PARADISE ARE COMING TO AN END

Today I let the boys sleep in as we didn't have any plans until 11 at Duke's Restaurant for lunch.... compliments of Duke's via Dreams Come True.  This place was sooooo cool and had the most relaxed and beach atmosphere.... just an all around cool place to hang out and the food was AMAZING.... especially the HULA PIE!

THIS PIE IS AMAAAAAAAZING!  If you ever get a chance to go to a Duke's Restaurant.... GET THE PIE!

Once lunch was over, our bellies full and it was game time for the SCREAMER!

http://honoluluscreamer.com/contact_us.html

Alex absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this ride and it was sooooo awesome to see him laughing and yelling and screaming and having the time of his life.  THIS IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED!  This boat is a 49 passenger speed boat and it was a blast!  Doing 360's and nose dives.... spraying us with water .... not a dry person got off that boat, lol.  As we were out.... all of a sudden we see WHALES!  Jumping and playing... OMG.... what an amazing thing to see.... God and all his wonders..... BREATH TAKING... and a little scary at the same time, lol.  THEY WERE SOOOO CLOSE!!!

What a great day.... An experience of a lifetime ... especially in the water... so close... THE WHALES!  ABSOLUTELY BREATH TAKING!  The kids were in awe and speechless as were Chad and I.  Incredible!  Tomorrow we rent a car and explore the island on our own..... CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT!  Stay tuned :0)

PRAYER WARRIORS I HAVE SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS TONIGHT:

My sister Kristen has a special request for one of her close friends, jonathan lavezzi? who is in icu in an induced coma after going in for a routine procedure to check out his gall bladder last week. Since the procedure he has suffered numerous strokes and seizures, which in turn led to a spinal chord injury, and oxygen was apparently cut off to his brain for some time.

One of my very dear friends JV.... she is in Mayo in severe abdominal pains and they do not know as of yet what is going on... just running a lot of tests to find out.  Praying it is nothing truly serious and that they find the problem to relieve the pain and find the source of the problem.

2 month old little girl was in hospital on life support....doctors told her mother she would have to take off of life support and would not make it as she has meningitis which caused her to have seizures and they say that more than half of her brain is dead.  Her mother refused to give up.... took her off life support and straight to church!  She is now at home, STILL ALIVE...PRAISE JESUS... and nurse came today to see her and said she looked really good.  ANOTHER MIRACLE....THANK YOU JESUS!!

You are all witnesses as to what God can do so I ask that we all band together and pray for these three in need of our prayers.  Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Thank you sweet friends for checking in with me every once in a while..... It's nice to know you are still there even though I have slacked off because of our busy schedule.  Alex had botox injections mostly in his left arm today and 3 shots in left leg...... all was successful.  He has some kind of stomach bug today.... probably will be missing therapy tomorrow which I hate doing but I feel like we just waste our therapist time when he isn't up to par... his mind is elsewhere and they don't really get the full potential out of him.  Also.... we had xray's taken of his left ankle because it has really really been rolling bad everytime he walks on it... especially at the beach yesterday.  He has a special ortho brace that he wears during therapy but I have got to figure something out for when he walks around the house or beach.... without shoes.  he can't wear the brace to the beach or without shoes.... if anyone has any suggestions... please shed some light on this.   The doctor mentioned that he may need a walking cast until his ankles become stronger.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh just another thing I gotta deal with, lol.  On a happier note... here are some pics from his beach day yesterday.... LOVED IT!  He swam and boogie boarded.... not like he used to lol... but this is as good as it gets at this stage and brought joy to my heart!!

Brooks, Brittany and Kinlin... THANK YOU!  Thank you for making it such a fun day for us.... Your love is unconditional with Alex and I thank you for your love, patience and understanding when it comes to Alex and his needs.  I LOVE YOU!  Brooks... I cannot tell you how proud I am of you and the awesome little brother you have grown up to be.  Alex couldn't get thru this without you... neither could I.  Thank YOU from the bottom of my heart for all that you do on a daily basis not because you HAVE to... but because you WANT to.  Alex is so lucky to have you and so am I!  YOU DA BEST BOO!!  Together we have a solid family....  Chad, thank you for going to work everyday and being the bread winner for our family.  You have sacrificed a lot and we truly appreciate you and all the hard work you do to provide for us as a single income.  Mom... thank you for coming at the jump of a call to assist whenever I need.  Even though I don't express to you guys on a daily basis just how much your love and support means... please know that you play a huge part in our success with this recovery and I appreciate you and all you do so very much.  Brian and Dana... thank you for having Alex on the weekends you have Brooks.... it gives him and I some time apart...... Chad and I sometime together alone with Alex becoming a little more independent from me.  Alex is very lucky to have so many caring people in his life that you all play a significant part in his successful recovery.  Soooo... I don't say it enough but THANK YOU.... to all who encourage, support and pray for my handsome boy!  Isn't it nice to know you play a part in this thing we call a miracle?  Thank you God.... it's all you.... IT'S ALL YOU!

PEACE~LOVE~N~THUMBS UP!
LISA