Thursday, March 23, 2017

Back Home, Update on Summer and Celebrating our Ruth Ann's Birthday!!

We arrived at the ranch on a Wednesday and left on the next one - a full week at the camper and I loved every single minute of it!

Louis Dean and I sat out on the deck with our morning coffee.....


and here came Thumper!


I wish I had been fast enough to snap a picture of him when he came up at Louis Dean's elbow as if to say, "Good morning!!"


I fixed one last hearty country breakfast for us - which we ate around noon.
Fried potatoes, bacon, eggs and toast....
I have been cracking the eggs, adding some milk and grated cheese and seasonings and then cooking them kind of like an omelette except that I can't do omelettes so they end up being gently scrambled by the time I get through with them. But they ARE good!!


A tiny little moment of melancholy as I lock the door.


And one last photo of the little tank as we drove down to tell Dean goodbye!

We drove home an easier way this time. It was back roads until we came to Hillsboro and then we got on I35. Where the road splits to go to Fort Worth or Dallas - we took Fort Worth and the drive was so much calmer. The scenery is still rural and we stayed on that until Alvarado where we took US 67 all the way to I20 and then Spur 408. Best way to go!

Summer had messaged me earlier that she had arranged to be picked up and taken to Rowlett so she could see Rayne. Summer hadn't seen her daughter since March 3st when she visited her Mummers in  the hospital! Rayne did her good like a medicine!!!

It was good to be home! Louis Dean unloaded and I put things up! 50-50!
We move slowly and caught up on a little news and a program or two.
We checked his garden and outside and just eased back into life.
I started the laundry and made a big dint in that.
There was a magic moment when we crawled under the fresh sheets on our bed, stretched our legs out - and both of us sighed at the very same time!

There was no hurry to get up this morning so I lingered long in bed.
Summer can drive now and she has her car now so she picked me up on her way to the doctor's for the first visit since she was discharged from the hospital.


As soon as Summer saw the doctor, she opened her arms and they hugged and she cried.
These were tears of joy! She is healing well and is right on target!


The doctor went over what all had been done and explained the healing and recovery process and there was a real atmosphere of rejoicing all around!


God used many angels to help Summer on her journey through this painful ordeal and here are two of them!


We celebrated with lunch at The Corner Bakery!
Happy times!!

She went back to Rowlett so she can be near her daughter.
Rayne is staying with her Gram but Summer will be picking her up from school tomorrow and spending some good quality time with her.
I will be going over to where Summer has rented a couple of rooms in a home owned by Sabrina's aunt on Sunday afternoon to help her unpack and do a bit of nesting.
I love a happy ending and it looks like Summer will be getting her life back!!

This evening we gathered with Dean and Sherry and their daughter, Crystal, to celebrate Ruth Ann's birthday! The very first time I celebrated her birthday I was several weeks late. She and I went to Starplex Theater here in Irving where movies are just fifty cents all day on Tuesdays. We saw Crazy Hearts with Jeff Bridges and we still laugh about it to this day. At one point in the movie, Jeff Bridges - who played an alcoholic country singer - threw up during a break from the singing and his sunglasses fell in the bucket. He fished them out and put them back on his head - and I leaned over and whispered, "Happy Birthday, Ruth Ann!!" So the first birthday gift I ever gave her was treating her to a fifty cent movie!!

Tonight we all went to a restaurant to celebrate!


Dean drove up from the ranch and we enjoyed spending the time together eating and visiting and laughing! We always laugh!


It was a great evening!!


It's Thai food and Louis Dean is trying to find a chicken fried steak on the menu!!!!


Everything was delicious!


Dean and Crystal both used chop sticks like they knew what they were doing! And they DO!!!


Mother/Daughter!!


Daughter/Father!


Aunt and niece! 


Friends!


I love these ladies!
They have all been such a blessing to me!


When I married Louis Dean, I never dreamed I would get a best friend in the bargain!
Happy Birthday, Ruth Ann!!!
You are a treasure!!




17 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Louis Dean and his chicken fried steak! I do hope he found something that he liked. Hurray, Summer will finally be pain free!!! How wonderful to have happy ending!! God does answer prayers!!!

Nancy Chan said...

Hi Linda, I love Thai food and they can be spicy and sour. I hope Louis Dean found something suitable for him. So good to know of Summer's healing and that she is driving now. So heart warming to see her and doctor hugging each other and for the 2 angels that have encouraged her and help her along in her healing. Have a lovely day!

Susie said...

Linda, Good news about Summer. I know her heart had to be longing for her little girl. That is wonderful news. I had to laugh about LD looking for country fried steak. It looks like a fun time for Ruth Ann. Friends are a beautiful gift in our lives. Blessings to all, love, xoxo, Susie

NanaDiana said...

Those are great family pictures, Linda. I am so glad that Summer is doing so well since her surgery. I hope she will be pain free now and can actually have her life back. There is nothing more debilitating than living with long term pain. Blessings to her and all- xo Diana

Vee said...

I am so impressed that Louis Dean enjoys Thai food. I had to leave a Thai restaurant once as I could not handle the mere aromas. What a weak tummy I have and firmly addicted to bland New England food. Ha!

So good to see Summer doing so well. Loved the picture of the hug and the doctor's illustration? Well it could be anything so I am glad that you folks understood it. 🙂

Happy spring days to all!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Happy Birthday Ruth Ann!
Such a great report on Summer! So thrilled for her and happy for this answer to our prayers!

Changes in the wind said...

Such a full time of events and all good ones:)

MadSnapper said...

I have said before LD is so photogenic, it is hard to get a bad photo of him and now I see his son Dean is also. so happy for Summer that she is healing and closer to her daughter.

Linda said...

Lots of fun and good news in this post. You're drawn to people or they're drawn to you. You're always surrounded by people. Good news to hear Summer is healing well and making progress returning to life.

Nita said...

What a wonderful time ! What wonderful news about Summer ! Life is good ! God is good !

Debbie said...

An awesome post Linda, so much joy and happiness!! Best of all, Summers progress and those tears of joy. I have cried those tears as well, and it feels amazing!!

Estelle's said...

This is a heatwarming photo of a grateful Summer and her physician....I pray her recovery continues to go well. Bless her heart! Also a wonderful family birthday celebration..love it!

Cranberry Morning said...

What wonderful photos, Linda! I'm so glad that Summer is doing better and so thankful for caring doctors like hers, and interesting to see his diagram! Sounds like you had a nice time away, but it's always good to get home too, isn't it. xo

Cranberry Morning said...

What wonderful photos, Linda! I'm so glad that Summer is doing better and so thankful for caring doctors like hers, and interesting to see his diagram! Sounds like you had a nice time away, but it's always good to get home too, isn't it. xo

Arlene G said...

So glad all is right in your world Linda. I pray Summer will continue to heal properly and her health will be fully restored. We never stop worrying about our children. Nothing like clean sheets on your own bed to cause you to stop and say Thank you God.

Gypsy Heart said...

Great photos and a lovely update! I'm glad Summer is doing so well. I hope she will continue to take care of herself and heal completely. Hopefully, she won't overdo with the move. Glad you had a great dinner with great people! I love Thai food.

Get some rest! I know how you go & go when you're home! :)

xo
Pat

RachelD said...

Linda,

It was a delight to have you drop in at LAWN TEA, and I know BJ was so happy with your precious comment. Isn't she a PEACH? I so enjoy all her posts about her life and family.

Thank you for your visit and comment, and I look forward to coming back to look in on your own sweet family and adventures. Sis is in San Antonio, and they have one of those enormous houses-on-wheels, as well---they are all around the area on weekends, and I think are in Killeen right now. Your paths might just cross sometime. She jokingly calls it "GLAMPING," especially when the GRANDS go along.

rachel