Yesterday we celebrated two birthdays!...Libby again

The first one was our dog Emmy’s birthday. She turned 49 years old! Well... in dog years and we made her a cake.

It was Yummo (to her at least)

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And my parents surprised me for my 15th birthday and took me to Mimi’s Café.

I like to celebrate my birthday at the beginning of the month instead of my actual birthdate December 30th because it is so close to Christmas.

They where so sweet to give me cutie clothes, a movie and an ihome for my iPod!

After that, we went to Target and Old Navy then they surprised me again and took me to the movie “Enchanted” we all thought it was great. We finally headed home at 12:30 in the morning!

Thanks Mom and Dad for a such a wonderful surprise!

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Here are some family photos we took this week in our backyard

Thanksgiving...Libby's take...

Ok we had to break the tradition, well I had to break our tradition of putting our Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. I could not wait any longer! So me and my friend Britani put up the tree in our living room two days before Thanksgiving.

Our Thanksgiving was quite splendid!!! While My Dad laid on the couch and watched the Macy’s Day parade, the Dog show and Miracle on 34th street, me and my Mom cooked the Bourbon butter glazed turkey stuffed with a delicious stuffing wrapped in cheesecloth, mashed potatoes, bacon wrapped asparagus, sweet potato casserole, broccoli salad, spinach dip and a homemade apple pie. Yumo!

After we stuffed ourselves till we could not move, a few family’s came over for some pie and games.

And to top off such a wonderful day we stayed up till two in the morning watching Charlottes web.

Joe's flashback to 4 weeks ago....today!!!

Its hard to believe its been 4 weeks since I broke my ankle. Time sure flies when you’re having fun…As you can see I have plenty of time to lay around and Libby just happened to catch me after a hard day of playing the Wii gaming system some friends of ours let us borrow. Thank you Horne family...As I was laying here I was thinking about the whole ordeal. Here is a flashback of the thoughts that went through my mind…

Out on the soccer field…me looking around thinking, “I’m the oldest guy out here, what am I doing?” I’m not gonna let those young guys get the best of me…
I’ll show them that this “old man” can keep up with them. Here comes the ball, I’ll drive it up field right past those young guys. Hurry, hurry you can do it. Just kick it past them. All out now. Oh no they are closing in on me. Oh oh, I misjudged it and now my foot is coming down on the ball….and slipping off the left side….with all my weight bearing down. Wow, that was a loud snap. Get up and keep after that ball. Oh no, that’s odd how my foot is pointing off to the side. Whats that lump under my sock? Oh no, this looks bad. Its funny how it doesn’t hurt but I know it should. “Hey Joe, you alright”. No, I broke my ankle and I need some help. Why me? Boy this feels awkward lying here on my back with everyone looking down on me. Who’s hand is that in mine. “I’m here for you daddy”. Oh Libby you are so sweet sitting next to your daddy holding his hand comforting him. Who’s that guy? “Hi my name is Scott Brady, I’m a doctor, can I take a look at your ankle.” By all means please do. Thank you God, where did he come from?…yes its broken…he needs medical attention…compound fracture…maybe surgery…anyone have a splint? Thank you Jeff Merwin for using your shinguard for a splint. Oh no, I have to teach childrens ministry tonight. “Hey Amber can you go tell your mom that I need a replacement for cm tonight?” “ Nate can you get Tammy she is in one of those campers playing scrabble with Kristen and Kelly?” “ Libby can you go get my gear from the sidelines?” I can’t believe how calm I am and there is still no pain. Thank you God for your grace in all this. It has to be the peace of the Lord. “Oh Honey are you alright?” Oh Tammy it is sooooooo good to see your lovely face. “Yes I’m alright. Sorry for interrupting your scrabble game.” “Do you have a way to get to the hospital?” Oh here come the Thompsons with their Suburban. Good thing this car has a smooth ride down this washboard entry to the camp. Keith, How much longer to the hospital? Oh no its starting to hurt a bit now. I knew I should have gone to the bathroom earlier. Oh no, my leg is starting to cramp. Ow ow ow ow ow. Ok now its better. Oh no now the other one is cramping. Oh God please help me. Ow my foot is starting to lean to the side and I can’t reach it. If I can just get my toes in the crack in the seat. Ok, now shift my weight and it’ll move my foot back. Oh yeah, much better. Oh oh here come the cramps again. Are we almost there yet? Good here’s the hospital. I can finally lay down in a comfortable position. What, they don’t bring stretchers out to the car and I have to go in a wheelchair. What no foot rest on the wheelchair. Please hold my foot up straight Tammy as they wheel me in. Ok now what!?! “My husband needs some help, he broke his foot and needs pain medicine.” “Just fill these papers out and we will be right with you.” I’m in pain now please give me something, anything. Thank you Sue for keeping my foot propped up. I can’t believe they are going to let us sit here in the middle of the waiting room when my foot is falling off. Oh no, oh no my other leg is cramping again. Let me reposition myself to stretch the cramp out. Oh no big mistake! owwwwwwwwwwwwwww. My foot hurts. My foot, my foot, my foot. Owwwwwwww. “What can we do?” “ I don’t know but it just started hurting really really bad just please make it stop.” Sue, “I felt something crunching when you shifted your weight.” “It hurts when its tilted, please straighten it up.” “Is that better?” “Oh yes, that’s better.” “Can you hold your foot still while we try to get a pulse from it.” I’m trying to hold it still but it wont stop shaking uncontrollably. Lets get him into an exam room now. Can someone bring me some dry clothes? We’ve been playing in the rain and I am freezing. By the way can I go to the bathroom? Bedpan or urinal? Oh great, this is going to be an interesting time. Oh Libby made it to the hospital, great to see her. Jeff Getz thank you so much for the dry clothes, I’m freezing. Nurse 1, “what happened?” “I was playing soccer out at Kamp Kulaqua where we were having a Christian retreat….whats that guy doing to my foot? I need to get a pulse from your foot to check for circulation but I can’t seem to get a pulse. Oh great! Who’s this other guy now. No wonder you can’t get a pulse that’s the wrong machine. Well they didn’t tell me which one to use they just told me to get a pulse. That’s a fetal monitor, you need the doppler machine. Oh, I didn’t know. Great, what kind of place is this? Do these people even know what they are doing? Good, here the doctor finally comes. Well we need to get xrays and then we will know for sure whether you need surgery or not. Surgery?!? I was just playing a simple soccer game. I can’t need surgery. We are on a Christian retreat. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen. I’ve never had a broken bone before or been in the hospital or even had any kind of surgery. I’m hardly ever even sick. Nurse 2, “are you the one who broke his ankle playing soccer?” yes. Yikes. Can you hold your foot up here so we can get an xray. Now turn it that way. Please pile the blankets up so I can,t see it. It will gross me out. Nurse 3, “Can you feel it leaning over to the side like that?” No, and I don’t want to see it either. “You’re the one who broke his ankle on the soccer field right?” Yes, word sure does travel fast around here. Good, the doctor is back. Yes you will need surgery it is broken in 3 places and its dislocated. I’m going to need to reduce it(put it back into the socket) first before surgery. Will it hurt? We will need to put you under for about 10 minutes while we reduce it. You won’t feel a thing. Ok as long as it doesn’t hurt. Nurse 1,”I want to be here when they reduce it. I want to watch. You are in luck because doctor Maxey is on call tonight and she is a foot and ankle specialist and she will be doing the surgery tonight.” I would call it the sovereignty of God rather than luck. Thank you God for providing a specialist on this auspicious occasion. Nurse 2, “you sure did it up good. Good thing it happened today because Dr Maxey is on call.” Nurse 3,”yes, Dr Maxey is the best.” So I heard. I can’t wait to meet this Dr Maxey. Yes Lord, you are in control of this whole thing. I definitely see that. Oh, hi Dr Maxey. I have a choice. Surgery now or splint it and send me home to Titusville so I can find a doctor there to do the surgery. No way, lets get this over with now. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. So Tammy when are they going to do the surgery? What, I’m already done. I can’t believe it. A plate with 8 screws on one side and two screws on the other. Wow. 6-8 weeks before I can walk on it and then another month before returning to work. I’m sure glad I have the sick time to cover it. Thank you God for giving me the integrity to save my sick leave for such a time as this. Thank you that I didn’t use and abuse the sick leave throughout my 20 years with the Post Office. Lord, please allow me to heal up properly so that I can work as a mailman with no problems walking.

That reminds me. The session that Friday morning during the praise and worship time, I was praising God and asking him to help me to be more dependent on Him. Wow. That’s kinda like the people who pray for patience and then watch out. Lord, I am definitely learning to be more dependent on you now. Please give me the grace to walk this out. Well, that’s about it except for the 2 ½ hour ride home in the back of our Jeep laying on a blow up air mattress with Jeff Getz at the wheel. Ya hoo eee. Thank you Jeff for doing that for us. Tammy was in no condition to drive home with two days in the hospital with little to no sleep taking care of me and a hundred other things. Thank you God for being with us and encouraging us with visitors at the hospital and for using your family to care for us the way they did packing all our stuff up and taking care of Libby and everything else involved behind the scenes. This will definitely be a Celebration that we will not soon forget.

Sunday Afternoon Over and Over Again.........

Do you remember groundhogs Day? Well, I think we are living it! Everyday seems to feel like Sunday afternoon.....We are slowly moving forward....Joe has some good days and some bad days. Sleep doesn't want to come...pain doesn't want to end... and slowly the days are turning into weeks....Joe has had some very helpful visitors....Dr. Greg Goode who came by to check on the patient...He thought all looked well...Thanks Greg! ...And Nurse Sue Thompson who faithfully gave Joe his shots every day for 10 days...his blood should be very thin by now! Thanks Sue! Thank-you seems so small to all the love that has been shown...Many Many meals...many many phone calls...many many visits with dear people that we love so much! Thank-you dear friends for your care...It is heartfelt!

Last week Joe got his staples out. It was a painful experience, but he survived it. i think the apprehension was killing him~ but he did survive! He is slowly getting through the pain which has changed from all over pain to an aching bone pain.... God has been so faithful to meet at us every turn though....He will come out on the other side and we will be better for it! Thanks to the love of our God........


Joe has watched several movies, read half the bible, conquered many bowling and cow races courtesy of the Wii that Sydney Horne has so graciously sacrificed and special thanks to the Horne family for your love and care for us! We have loved the apples, and juice and chips and...meatballs which we will enjoy I am sure with the great sauce you sent!I am sure I have missed something in there...but we don't want to miss saying thank-you for loving the Neus!!! We love you guys!!

My mom and step dad Irvin are here for a visit...We have enjoyed the break in monotony! We went to the commisarry today! (Just me and them...)it was so fun! I got a ton of errands done and it was nice to get out for a little while. They will be here til Monday and will be heading out to my brother Scott's in Delaware.

Here is an update on all of us:

Joe is worried he is going to get fat....He has got on the scale to make sure that he is not losing his teen-age weight...I will keep you up on the progress...He is getting in alot of surfing....the internet that is :) He was able to go to his work and talk to his boss. The first thing his boss said was"Man Joe, you are getting gray" I think he is looking up hair color as I type...hmmm....

(Just kidding!) he is getting to know the furniture real well.....all kidding aside...He is facing this change in his life with strength and he is trusting God with his recovery... We know it will be long, and we are praying that God's grace will be there for every step of this journey....

I am doing well....I fell and hurt myself before we went to Celebration and I am feeling much better. I have some bruising on the bone, but am doing well...I am tired and need God's strength for this season of life...Right now, I just want to be the best help I can to Joe as he walks this out...so life for me has changed and slowed way down.....and I know that God has a plan for me too:)

Libby is well...she is one of the greatest people I know! She has cared for Joe and I and has served us so well..all the while being patient and kind and stopping to pray for us when we know we need it, but just can't think it through.....She will say, can I pray for you? She is so kind and loving and I can't understand why God was so kind to Joe and I to give us a girl so sweet and kind...We love you Libs! She is working on a play that she will be in in the Spring of next year...homeschooling, chores, voice lessons, soccer...well....maybe not for a while on that one....~smile~ and serving her family....

well..that's about it for now...Joe and Libby will be catching you up next...