Dustin's Accident

Tuesday, July 21.

Dustin was in an accident. He was rolled between the wheel of the oliver tractor and the pickup. The mower conditioner was on the Oliver. It was coming toward him, luckily it stopped.

I know I should start at the beginning.

Dustin was servicing the tractor and the mower/conditioner. He was trying to grease the last zirk and couldn't reach it. He decided to run the mower a bit and the zirk would rotate so he could grease it. He reached up and started the tractor from the ground. It was in gear. It started going. Dustin pushed away from the tractor to get out of way from the wheel. He didn't realize that the pickup was behind him and he got caught between the wheel and truck. It rolled him like you would roll a pencil between your hands.

He could have been killed, but fortunately the tractor stopped before the conditioner could run over him. His pelvis is fractured in three spots, but it is stable, so he can walk on it, painfully, but as much as he could stand. His left knee is really messed up.

His ACL and PCL are both ruptured and we'll find out how bad at his MRI tomorrow.

I'm so glad that he is alive, battered, but alive.

I don't know what I would have done.

I currently am taking care of two little boys. Ian and Dustin. I'll take 10 Ian. Ian doesn't have opinions yet. But, I'll take all of Dustin's opinions, at least he is here.

Thank you to everyone who had helped, offered to help and thanks to everyone who has prayed for us.

Peace.

I'm back! and I have to have my gallbladder out!

We have been back from MS for awhile now. It was a good time. I had fun. I sat by the pool at the hotel for two days with frozen drinks and a book. It was a lot of fun. Every night we ate a local seafood places, which was wonderful too.
We got to my mom and dad's last Friday. We recovered from travel on Saturday. Sunday, we went to church, ate lunch, and I had a gallbladder attack. I wasn't sure if that was what it was, but I was suspicious. This week I have had blood tests, ultrasound, pokes and prods. I then got an appointment for surgergy.
So, I am having my gallbladder out. The good news. I have caught this early enough, so it will be pretty easy.

Ian is now sleeping in his fullsize crib. He loves it. Apparently the new amount of room is a new sense of freedom for him. I'll post pictures soon. I have the crib bedding up, and it is too cute.

Later

Taranto's Boiler

This restaurant just blew us away tonight. Some of us went out looking for a restaurant someone recommended for seafood. We couldn't find it and by the time we figured out where it was going to be, it was getting late. Dustin randomly picked out this place from the GPS because he figured "boiler" meant it was going to be shrimp and crab in boiling water. He was right and it was incredible, the best shrimp ever!
It was all you can eat crawfish night. We didn't know about that, the waitress brought out some so we could try. I can now say that I sucked a crawfish head.
We also tried the local blue crab. She brought a few of those for us to try too.
Our table ate two lbs of boiled shrimp. Then Dustin had the snow crab, I had the dungenous crab.
All the food was amazing.
Dustin and I went off by ourself some this evening before we went for supper. That was fun.
I spent the entire day at the pool reading and having frozen drinks. I caught a nice little buzz, but don't worry folks, I wasn't a puddle. Just enjoying life.
We had appetizers in the afternoon. We being me and the other wives along for the ride.
We had a great day.
Well, I think I'm going to bed. I'm in a casino and going to bed at 11:30. I'm not a gambler, so the wonderful hotel and pool, food and friends and Dustin, that is really all I need for entertainment.
Peace.

Biloxi, MS

I am in Misssissippi people. Without Ian! I think I should be given an award for leaving my baby at 3 months with my mom and dad. It was tough, but I did it and so far, I am fine. I think it was maybe even good for me.
Dustin is at a conference, I am going to hang out with the two other wives that are on this trip. This is a disaster preparedness thing. I think we are hanging out at the pool this morning and then going shopping this afternoon. I'll meet Dustin for lunch in between.
I read a devotion this morning. It was a little thought on faith is all you really can be sure you have. I'm really paraphrasing here. I can't wait until Dustin reads it, it seems like this devotion is words we needed to hear.
"Continue to have faith and do what you know is right. Some people have rejected this and their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 timothy 1:19
We have been really trying to do the right thing lately. For our family, our entire family, and the future.
We know we are making the right decisions and going in the direction we should. There just seems to be so many other commitments that others want to pull us toward. Some of them are good things, but it takes us away from the things we know are important.
More updates from MS later.

Identity.

I have been struggling with identity lately. Mine. I preached two times this week. A Sunday service and a Wednesday night one. It was fun. I enjoyed putting a sermon together. I preach again this Sunday at our church. Our pastor is out of town. I will also preside over communion, something I have not done in a very long time.
I have really enjoyed this.
I was at one of my old congregations for a celebration anniversary service a couple weeks ago. On the way home, Dustin asked me how I felt about it. If I had made a mistake, had regrets?
I was almost relieved to say, I left when I was supposed to. I loved the people, still do. It was great to see them. But, my call there was done. I knew it in my guts, but was unsure how to express that then. I was doing the right thing.
Now, I wonder if there is another ministry adventure out there for me.
I really don't completely know who I am right now. Pastor. that doesn't seem quite right, fully, I'm not in a call. But that is really what I see as what I do, but I don't "do" that anymore, so what is next.
Farmer/farm wife. I do the stuff, but I don't think I have ever fit the role, I don't know if I ever will completely. In some ways, I see it clearly, I can combine, dig, etc. etc. I have helped pull calves.
Mom. I feel good about this. I'm amazed at this job. I also see that I don't quite know what else to do. I feel like some of my time and talents aren't being used. I'm trapped between my old career and my new life. I love it, but I also am left asking questions of what else is there. I also know that I have a huge gift given to me staying home with Ian. I read to him. I am teaching him his prayers. I can't help but think that what I do now will effect his learning and life later.
I realize I also putting a lot of my identity in what I do. I wish I new other ways of measuring myself.
I am who I am, but I don't quite know who that is anymore.
hmmmmmmmm