I'm back and we're SO happy! :)

It's never a good thing when I get behind on what's been going on. I picture that my brain turns into a tornado; swirling and whirling around, picking up any word that's in the path, but throwing words out too. The result is a jumbled, chaotic, messy disaster.

But here I go...

While I was on my trip, Cale started using his cell phone! I have been working with him for a while now, trying to get him to call me and answer on his own. If I would ask what he needs to do to call me, he would always say "push 2" but getting his brain to connect the dots so that he initiated it was a whole other hill to cross. I know at first it was the staff helping him, but I'm 99.9% positive that a lot of the calls he made to me was on his own, and when I called him, he almost always answered! This is such a big deal! Now, if I have to be a way at all during the day and he feels like he really needs to call he can, but also the fact that he's at a point that he can remember what to do on his own is a miracle! There's a couple other area that we've been working so hard at and hopefully he'll be able to connect (cell calls Kathleen and call light gets the nurse) soon. It's at least a start-and a very good one! :)

On Monday I had my meeting with the staff at the Seattle facility. This is the next step before going home. The last facility was a no-go, so I was rooting for this one. The first big difference was that when I went before, I had really been wanting it to work because there was a plan set up, and it didn't look too horrible to me. The whole time before I hadn't been feeling any peace, but tried to go and see what was going to happen. Nothing great. This time, I have felt so much peace about going once I bought the ticket. There were so many blessings about the meeting! God went ahead of us, paved the way, and fought the battle for us! I was ready to put on my boxing gloves (yet again...) if I needed, or at least exhaust the ears of the staff on my many thoughts and opinions on what I really felt Cale needs, but there wasn't a single moment that I had to take any kind of movement towards the boxing rink! All my questions and concerns were answered and turned out to be just what I had been wanting for Cale! It was such a blessing! Praise God! I'm not going to say the facility is better, because we're at one of the best we could possibly be at right now, BUT, as of now if all plans stay the way we think they are, it's going to be a really good "next step" for us before getting to finally go home.

Thank you for praying for me about the meeting. If I could go into all the details (which would take lots of time) about how everything went and all that happened, I know that you would be reading with your mouth hanging open in complete awe of the Lord and His goodness!

He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people's prayers for our safety have been answered. 2 Corinthians 1:11

After a very long day of traveling, I climbed in my bed and slept. I had my alarm set for 7:30am and had plans to get ready as fast as I could and get to the hospital and see my crazy amazing husband. At 7:15am, my phone started ringing. It was Cale calling to tell me that he missed me! How sweet is that?! It didn't take long to jump out of bed and get ready! I had a couple important phone calls that I had to take, so it took me a little longer than I was planning to get to him. When I finally did, his face lit up like he had just won a million dollars...I'm pretty sure my face looked the same ;) I missed him soooooo much! I gave him such a big hug and after a minute he said "I can hug you even tighter than that!"

I slept, but my heart was awake, when I heard my lover knocking and calling: “Open to me, my treasure, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.” But I responded,“I have taken off my robe. Should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them soiled?” My lover tried to unlatch the door, and my heart thrilled within me. I jumped up to open the door for my love, and my hands dripped with perfume. My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh as I pulled back the bolt. I opened to my lover, but he was gone! My heart sank. I searched for him but could not find him anywhere. I called to him, but there was no reply. Song of Songs 5: 2-6

There have been more moments in the last year than I can count, that I have been able to put myself in the place of this woman that was longing for her lover. She had a dream that he was there wanting her, desiring for her, but when she opened the door, he was gone.I could have been sleeping, day dreaming, or it was in the middle of my thoughts, and every time I opened the door, Cale was gone. I have spent so many hours longing to have him back, longing for what we had together, longing for my lover...and no matter how many times I tried, he was never there-and I didn't know if he would ever be back. I feel now, that when I open that door to see him, to find him, little by little, I am! My heart is leaping with excitement for the love that we have and the future that is possible. It might be different than what we had pictured and that's ok! He's coming back to me everyday! There is a growing excitement each day that grows within me!! One day we will be out of a hospital and together again at home! :)

Dr. Howe has started more formal testing on Cale to monitor if he has come out of PTA (Post-traumatic amnesia). Once this happens, things in his recovery will be so much different. I was told before that this would never happen, but Dr. Howe seems very hopeful! She cautioned me that she can't say "if" or "when", but that she feels like he's close. She's using GOAT (Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test) to see his progression. It's a big deal just the fact that she has started using this with him! The next step after emerging out of the coma is coming out of PTA. Please be praying that God would take hold of Cale's memory and begin to release his mind from the hold of the injury. Pray that Cale would come out of PTA and be able to continue recovering. Please pray that God's grace would be on Cale when the time does come and that Cale would not fall into depression because of his new understanding of what has happened to us. Pray that the joy of the Lord would continue to be his strength!