Mana's Visit to Chattanooga

While I was in Chattanooga with my hubby in the hospital, my sweet daughter was being bounced around between her paw paws and her aunts. Brian and I have the best families anyone could ask for. They all jumped in and helped out with Mana! I can not tell them thank you enough. I could not ask for a better family then we have!!! They took her shopping when it turned cold because she out grew her last years outfits and I had not taken her yet, they took her to play rehearsals and did homeschooling with her. So much to pack on top of an all ready full schedule of their own!! I love them and appreciate them very much!! More then they will ever know!!
My aunt and cousin brought Mana up to see me one night. I was so glad she got to come up. I was missing my sweet girl!! She was bouncing off the walls and I was in a somewhat glazed over mood. It did not match up well. We did have some good conversations and lots of tears and hugs!! Overall it was just what I needed to make it through being out of town with him in the hospital. We did have some good times while she was there. We ate at the City Cafe that was connected to our hotel. They had huge cakes and goodies. There portion sizes where huge also. I told Mana she could pick out a slice of cake to take home to share with everyone. The cake slices filled up an entire plate!! She choose the sampler cake because of the way the outside was decorated. Her and I had a small taste of all the different cake types and boxed it back up. The whole time I was up there I had my eye on a piece of caramel cake. I told myself I would not get a piece until Brian was discharged from the hospital. That way I would not have to live on cake every day I was there. When he was discharged, Brian's dad went to the cafe and got me a piece for a surprise to go home with. That was so sweet of him. It was good!!!

Mana drawingAt City CafeThat ONE!!More Goodies!!The Sampler

Hospital Bound

I am getting very far behind with the blogging. On Tuesday Oct. 19th, my husband was working out of town and called that morning to tell me he was in the ER. He was on his way into work and could not catch his breath. He took himself 20 minutes to the nearest hospital. It turns out he was having kidney failure. His blood pressure got up into the 250s and his lungs were filling up with fluid. That hospital transferred him to Erlanger hospital an hour away. His mother and I headed up to Chattanooga. We found him in the ER at Erlanger. They soon put him in CCCU. They could not keep his blood pressure down. On Thursday morning, he could not get his breath again. They ended up putting him on a ventilator with a breathing tube and sedated. He was that way for around 4 or 5 days. They started him on dialysis. They finally found medicine that would hold his blood pressure down. They discharged him on Friday, Oct. 29th. It was a complete surprise. No step down unit, no regular room, just discharged to go home for the weekend. He had not even walked in 10 days. He did fine and we were headed home. It was scary. He had a bunch of meds and a new diet that I did not understand. We made it through the weekend and he was admitted to our hospital on Monday morning. He had a kidney biopsy and it told us that he has permanent damage and he also has an infection. He is on dialysis for 6 weeks and then we will see what happens after that. We are doing ok so far. I thank everyone for their prayers and support that we have received.

Zorro

We went to the Children's Theatre today for a field Trip. We watched Zorro. It was really good. Mana's drama teachers were both in it. Afterward, we went on a back stage tour with our homeschooling group. I did not get a chance to get a picture of her with her teachers in their costumes. They had another show to do shortly so they were on their lunch break. A couple times through out the tour it was mentioned that Mana was one of their drama students and that she was also going to be in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She said, "Wow, they said that a lot."

The cast board inside.The poster outside.The poster of the play she will be in!!!

See Rock City!!

I love Rock City! I could spend hours there taking pictures. Around every turn there is something beautiful. It is the type of place that if I was one that liked to read, I would love to pick a spot, sit and read a good book and drink some coffee. Well maybe some Dr. Pepper! I often have thoughts like that, but then they go as quickly as they came.

I was very proud of Mana on this trip, she is trying things that would normally have her saying NO. After riding the Incline, she decided that she was going to go on the swing bridge with or with out me. She headed straight to it and turned around and looked at me like this is going to be a piece of cake, come on Momma! She went right on and thought nothing of it. My little girl is growing up.

There was the most beautiful tree there! The leaves were a bright orange color. I could not get enough pictures of it.

The Incline

After Ruby Falls, we headed up the mountain to the Incline.
Mana got a little nervous as we got on it,
but she came around to enjoying the ride.

Ruby Falls

Thursday afternoon, we packed up and took off to Tennessee. We have not had a family trip in a while and decided we would go somewhere. The last time we were in Chattanooga for a family trip was around five years ago. Mana did not remember any of it and she was studying rocks in Science. Great reason for a field trip!! So off to TN we go. We started out late because she had drama class and a meeting for her upcoming play she is in. We arrived in TN around 7:30 pm. We came to the first motel and decided that we would get a room. We stayed in the Motel 6. Not where I would normally stay, put it was a place to lay my head. Mana was impressed that the Motel 6 logo was on the bar of soap and that they had a vending machine for shampoo and stuff. I was not impressed that the bathroom floor grout was painted black (and may I add not very well) and that the sheets were almost a flannel. It was hot. Mana and I did not get a good night sleep.

Friday morning we got up and went to Ruby Falls. I love the caverns. I sometimes say that I want to live in a cave when I feel very unsocial. Brian preceded to point out that the flat screens on the walls for the information video would make a great place for a living room and that the rocks would be a great place for a bed. The tour was nice and I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it needed to take a slower pace. It was almost like we were running through it to keep up with the people in front of us. I want to take pictures not just look at the person in front of me to stay in line. We reached the falls and it was beautiful!

Here are some pictures from Ruby Falls...

Just like Mom. Loves to take lots of pictures!

Friend's Daughter 1 yr. old Party

I had the joy of photographing a friend of mine daughter's
one year old birthday party last weekend!
Here are a few of the day...