Adam here. Manda has been moved to the rehabilitation floor. She is doing a lot better, but it is obvious that she is in unbearable pain. The pin and her knee and the screws in her ankle are really starting to bother her, and the doctor switched her morphine and vicadin regiment to weaker narcotics. She now takes Hydrocodone and Loritab on and off through the day. Within the next month she should be able to kick the habit and move on to Motrin. Things are getting better. We are all going to lock ourselves in the hospital on Thursday and hopefully make her feel more normal. We will all miss her signature pumpkin pie, though. Let us hope that our oldest sister (Penny @hornetmama) is as good of baker as she boasts.

SK again with an update on Amanda's status. It's about 3AM Central. Amanda had an event a few minutes ago. She aspirated (breathed in a foreign object), and a code blue (general medical emergency) was called. She was very lucid, but still very weak and breathed in as she swallowed a pill. She is fine now and thiseh as nothing to do with her blood disorder. She had a screw put in her right ankle, on the growth plate, and therefore is now in recovery phase. She's obviously had to take a medical leave of absence from AC because of missing nearly two weeks of class. Her leave duration depends on her recovery progression. Even after this extremely frightening event she is still on course and could be ut of the hospital in mid December. She remains stable.

This is Valerie (otherwise known as @Gingeravenger) with Amanda's post-op update. She went into surgery early this morning to have several screws put in her right knee. She gets three doses of Loritab a day so she is never fully conscious. She has one more surgery still to go. Then the doctors will wean her off the painkillers and she will start to function better.

Amanda gets to chill like this for another eight weeks. We don't know exactly when she'll be taken out of ICU, but we know it won't be for a good while. She's doing well for now. Her ankle surgery was put off. She had an "adverse" reaction to the anesthetic during her knee surgery so the doctors want to wait until she can "recover". She's looking good for now, but the drugs are starting to take their toll.

Sally Kate here this time. Amanda just went into the OR. She's having two screws in her left knee, and tomorrow will have a screw put in her right ankle. Looks like she won't be walking until after Christmas. Let's hope she's out of the ICU within the week!!

This is Adam again. Manda had her spleen out this morning. Her condition remains critical. It all depends on how she handles the night. She's awake now and (as you can imagine) quite uncomfortable. She will get her third dose of Loritab tonight at 8:30CST. That should make her more comfortable (high), and hopefully she'll fall asleep.

Most of our family has been able to make it. Our youngest brother will not be able to make it until his classes let out on Thursday. Our brother from Houston made it in last night, but our sister from Amarillo is still trying to make arrangements for her newborn. Our father's wife's sons made a point to have dinner with Amanda. She feels comfortable, but obviously wants our whole family here.

She was pretty loopy after surgery and demanded that we snap a picture of the wires sticking out of her midget hand. To her; "They look like vampire snake monsters!" She is still clearly herself, just extremely altered by narcotics.

After tonight we will know her long-term prognosis. She is hanging in well for now. Thanks for all the kind wishes.

This is Amanda's brother Adam. Mandy was in a car accident on her way home from school. Her wounds were not very bad, but there was a glitch in her bloodwork that is looking like Thromboctyopenia from an enlarged spleen. I am making a point to hack into all her social networking sites to let her friends know. They are going to remove her spleen and we hope things will get better after that. Thanks all, and let us hope my little sister gets better.

Day 01- A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didn't have..........
Day 05 - A picture of your favourite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

The Giver

I've always kind of felt like I'm cheating by having a children's book as a favorite, but The Giver is amazing.

The book focuses on a twelve-year-old boy named Jonas residing in an immaculately-organized, tightly-run, but strict utopian society known as a Community, where eccentricities in behavior, appearance, or personality are strongly outlawed and opposed. Nearing an age where he will be selected for the position that he will hold in the Community throughout adulthood, Jonas is selected for the role as the Receiver of Memory, the keeper of all ancient memories in the Community before the start of the strict system through which the world is now run. Under the guidance of the older Receiver-of-Memory, the Giver, Jonas is transferred memories that had taken place years prior to the events of the story, involving color, emotion, freedom, and pain, which have since been drained entirely from the Community. Through the Giver, Jonas receives stunning wisdom of the true secret runnings of the Community, including secrets remaining heavily-guarded from its inhabitants, and the boy starts to yearn for the happier world which had been available during the past. He is exposed to shocking footage of his father, a Nurturer, injecting a baby twin with poison (as a means of living up to the Community's mandatory standards of population control) and is shocked by the true intentions and behaviors of the residents in the Community, how their utter inability to accept pain forced their hunger for a Receiver of Memory. The Giver informs Jonas that it is up to him to help restore freedom to the world, and therefore he must flee the town late at night with the other closest option for a Receiver; a baby boy named Gabriel, who Jonas's family had been sheltering for the past few months, so the Giver may convince everyone that they have died so they may once again accept the burden of the pains of their own memories and everything can be restored to how it had formerly been. Jonas must escape to Elsewhere, an unknown land located beyond the boundaries of the Community, and the pair must endure through the freezing cold together, just as Jonas "thinks he hears singing" (a reference to a past memory he'd received).

This book has a little bit more to it than other children's novels, but the reading level is the same. I read it in the seventh grade and have loved it ever since. I honestly cannot think of a book I like more. Right on Lois Lowry!

For those who are curious... this is what we sound like.

Day 01- A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didn't have..........
Day 05 - A picture of your favourite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

Microeconomics

I think this one is a little self-explanatory. Microeconomics analyzes economics on the small scale. Micro studies how individuals, house holds, and firms function. I hate it. There's a ton of math involved, and I suck at math.

While these graphs look simple, it takes a lot of algebra to be able to draw them correctly. i'm enrolled in Micro this semester, and it's looking like one of those classes where I sit in the back, get the C, and get out of there. Not a cool subject! - i wish I was better so maybe my GPA won't suffer from calculating the total cost, total revenue, and tax revenue of a hypothetical pizza company.

Day 01- A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of a habit you wish you didn't have..........
Day 05 - A picture of your favourite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.

My Older/Younger Brother's Grave

My sister Cassie is such an amazing photographer - it's a little bit perverse. Anyway, no, you are not looking at a flower on concrete. This is the grave of my baby brother who died in 1980. We're pretty sure it's SIDS even though he was born with some kind of heart defect. I was told the defect was congenital, and that he wouldn't be able to play sports when he got older. Stuff like that, but nothing that would shorten his life.

I went to stay with my mother over... Memorial Day I think it was. I will never forget when she woke me up and six in the morning and said, "Get dressed. We're going to see your brother." When we got to the cemetery, I remember asking my mom a lot of questions about him. Things like "What did he look like? Was he born at the same place I was? Did he have red hair, or did have blond hair (only two options in this family)? Did he get brown eyes or green eyes (again, only option here)? How old would he be now? (30) Can I see a picture of him? Do you think Alex and Penelope remember him?" Maybe I asked too many questions. But c'mon, this is a brother I've never even met.

I really don't wish I could forget him so to say, only what became because of him. And because of whatever "heart defect" he had, every new baby in my family has to be admitted to the NICU for twelve days for extensive testing and observation. I will never forget visiting my brother's third baby in the NICU  one afternoon, noticing a 1lb2oz baby in the crib beside my brother's baby, then returning the next day and that crib being prepped for a new baby. 

My younger/older brother's grave... absolutely something I want to forget.