The Smith Family Times

Gramma Judy

(Rob:) At 9:40 tonight, Gramma Judy finally won her 13 year battle with breast cancer, leaving behind her weary, painful body and dancing on effortlessly to whatever lies beyond.

She was surrounded by all of her children, her sister and her husband. We told her how much we loved her and she just quietly went to sleep. It was a fittingly beautiful ending for a beautiful woman.

Godspeed, Mom, you'll be with us always.

She Got To 70 Degrees, Dog!

(Rob:) Tessa made it to 70 degrees on her knee flexion yesterday! Knee stiffness is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome with leg lengthening surgery and the knee bend is the most painful part of her daily therapy sessions. It's very important, though, because otherwise the leg would be stiff and she would walk like a pirate. 

Her flexibility progress had sort of stagnated in the 60 to 65 degree range for the last month, and bending to 70 has been a huge short-term goal. We went out to dinner last night to celebrate and toast to Her Supreme Flexibleness.

Here Tessa and her therapist, Michelle, are reproducing the feat this morning at therapy. Two days in a row!

I told her last month that when she made it to 70, that I would buy her a stuffed dog from the hospital gift shop that she had been coveting. Here she and Michelle pose with their trophy:

FIXATOR REMOVAL COUNTDOWN: 10 days!

Also. regarding the picture of the "Twilight" vampire in the last post, many have noticed that it was actually a photo of Barnabas Collins from the old "Dark Shadows" soap opera, and not teenage hunk Robert Pattinson, who Susan is now planning to leave me for. 

Here's a real photo of her new love:

Twilight!

(Rob:) Last night Susan and Tessa Jean went with Abbey and Beth to see the new movie "Twilight", which is based on a series of vampire romance novels that are all the rage amongst those with two X chromosomes.

Faithful blog watchers will remember much hubbub about the release of the latest installment of the series last summer in Baltimore (click HERE for a recap).

Here's the movie-going gang on their way out the door (Sam and I hung out at home and watched football and scratched ourselves):

The verdict?

Eight thumbs up! 

They said it was the best movie ever (I assume they mean other than "The Dark Knight")

Susan said she has a new love: Robert Pattinson, the guy who plays the smoldering teenage vampire hunk Edward Cullen in the movie. 

I promised her I'd post a picture of him, so here goes:

I guess he does have a certain gothic allure...

COUNTDOWN TO EXTERNAL FIXATOR REMOVAL: 12 days!

Last but not least: Happy Birthday to our buddy Kirt in NYC!

Hardware Removal

 
Abs gets her hardware off on 12/4

(Susan):  Rob and Tessa made a 24 hour turn around trip to Baltimore to see the doctor on Tuesday morning.  Everything looks good.  The doctor removed two small pieces from the frame to put more pressure on the bone.  Surgery to remove the hardware will be 12/5.  Then, Tessa will go back to the wheelchair and crutches for one month while the 12 pin site holes fill in with bone.  Send up a cheer and do the wave for some hardware free girls!!  The cage will be on a total of 150 days and we have 22 left to go!

Happy Birthday, Gramma Judy!

(Rob:) Last weekend we went to visit Gramma Judy and all of our Colorado peeps 

to celebrate Gramma Judy's 67th birthday. We had a great time despite some really horrible 

football (both the Hawkeyes and the Broncos went down in flames.) 

Here are some pictures from our visit:

Tessa and GJ 

Gramma's new dog "Noodles". Not the prettiest dog in town, but she's the most

docile and attentive mammal I've ever seen. She's never more than 12 inches 

away from Mom but never barks or growls. She could use a breath mint, but 

other than that she's really a pleasant addition to the family.

Jude, Mitchell and Sam out in Gramma's backyard

Princess Elena 

Batman Jude

Mitchell: "The Batboy"

Jude and Tessa bein' crazy

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On Sunday, Tessa Jean and Sam worked for a couple of hours on this 

rap song about bad pizza:

Grampa Jim whipping up some awesome chili before the Bronco game

Tessa displaying her paddle ball superiority

Here's a clip of Elena showing her mad alphabetical skillz:

   

Mom with her hot friend Deloma

Lots of cards and balloons came rolling in for the big party

Cake time!

 

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We had to say good bye on Monday morning. Here's Mitchell and Zanny giving Sam

hugs and kisses by force

Gramma Judy with all the grandkids now, 

 

and five years ago (pre-Elena):

It was a fantastic visit, but very hard to say good bye on Monday. I left 

my camera in the rental car with all of these photos in it, 

but fortunately the good folks at Hertz found it and sent it along a couple

of days later.

Baking a Cake Sleepover Style

 
Finished product (what does SS stand for?)

(Susan):  I am going to have to break down and read the owner's manual on this blogging thing.  I can't get words beneath the pictures without making the pictures disappear.  Tessa and her friends had pure teen girl heaven at their little sleepover.  It is so wonderful to see Tessa get back some of the normal activities she is missing.  She and Rob leave for Baltimore Monday night again.  Let's hope. . . .

The Mama Bear has finished her first week of physical therapy.  With two days of exercises things are moving a bit better.  Another 17 degrees of motion.  I know first hand now how hard it is to fight for even 3 more degrees.  I am still not able to bear weight of that leg.  Maybe the doctor will advance my activities on Monday when my yucky itchy stitchies come out.  I have to return to work Monday, in a wheelchair.  What do you supposed is going on, that I have become Tessa?

Yes, We Did!

Monday On the Mend

Catwoman Haines mans the loot

 Thanks for the flowers, TRI!

(Jack):  What will I do without a warm lap to lay on next week?

(Susan):  I am down to my last pictures.  Rob and kids return today from Denver and will have new pictures I am sure.  In the meantime, I am afraid it is more Jack the cat.  Rob offered to chauffeur me to the polls tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. Everyone here has opted to vote early except me.  Should make for an interesting morning.  VOTE!!

Snoozin'

Our beautiful winged pre-teens (well, two are teens)

(Susan):  A quiet Sunday here with reading and napping going on.  Here are our Halloween tricksters in full garb.

The smiley girls as fairies

Captain Rex scores some loot

Tails from the Cripp'd

(Susan):  Greetings from the crippled manor which thankfully does not seem haunted at this point.  Just to re-iterate my point, here is another picture from my lap.  This guy does not ever leave my side, even when I go up and down the steps, he stays right next to me.  You are right Kirt, there is healing pawer (oops funny typo) in his little two toned lips and ringed tail. Maybe he knows I have had to be Catwoman every Halloweeen since I met Rob.

Who's got their eyes closed in this one?  And is that a wine glass, Gerred?  Holly?  In the school parking lot, no less?  I am so bummed I missed it.  I heard the windchill factor was frightening.


Sam enjoys a little PSP on his day off from school

We survived the chaos of Halloween.  Tessa had a tough time.  She went trick-or-treating without her crutches (amazing) and found it was really hard to walk up and down hill.  So far she has only walked on flat surfaces.  After one block she had enough and was quite sad at bedtime that she may have let her friends down.  Sam got shipped out to his friend Carson's house and also did one block as his friend likes to hand out the candy more than acquire it.  Ok by me.  Grandpa Smith and Cody, Amy, Elena, and Jude arrived today for a visit to Grandma Judy's so we had quite the full house.  I am becoming more independent and have mastered the rump ascent and descent of the stairs by myself.  I am too chicken to crutch it up and down.  I don't know how Tessa does it.  She has started a list of things she wants to do when she gets her cage off, such as touch her toes, jump in a pile of leaves, and pepper with the volleyball.  Add me to the list.  For now, I am taking advantage of Nurse Haines' prowess in the healing department and the giant bag of Halloween candy left surprisingly close to my recliner.