The Story Behind The Colquett 5s 1st Cast

 This past weekend we decided to go camping.  The kids love it and we all do too and since they were out of school Monday, why not?  Saturday we had gone on a bike ride and Sophie rode in the baby seat that is still on my bike.  When we got back she wanted to go again with KyKy.  So she sat on the back of his bike which they have done a gazillion times. 

I got her situated on there and gave her the speech about holding on tight, etc.  and then I went back to sit around the fire with the rest of the family.  I don't even know how many minutes had passed by before I heard her SCREAMING!!  I looked around and said, "That's Sophie...." and jumped up and ran to her.  I knew something serious had happened by the look on my Mom and brother's faces.  When I got to them, Tyler said, "just don't look at it... just don't look at it".... and that really scared me. 

This is what I saw......

 Her foot got hung in the bike tire.  It snatched her shoe and sock off and took the hide off her foot.  It completely broke my heart.  Just looking at it made me hurt.  Tyler said when it happened he thought it was his chain.  He and Momma both jumped off, Momma said she threw her bike down.  They had to turn the tire to get her foot out :(. 

We immediately got some ice and put on it and was just going to wait and see if we thought we should take her to the DR or not.  The whole time she was screaming so badly.

Kyle was fishing and our phone service was terrible where we were, so I wasn't sure when he would find out.  Next thing I knew he was walking through the camper door.  He said Heidi called him :)!! I was thankful she did and thankful they both had service.  He looked at it and pretty much knew right away that we needed to take her somewhere.  So he called his Mom, and we met her at her office.  

On the ride to town I let her lay down and put her leg in my lap.... she was pitiful :(...

 They did some xrays and got a second opinion.  Then told us we had an appointment with the bone & joint specialist Monday.  They put a temporary cast type thing on until then. 

Kyle was doing silly faces on us to help her laugh.

 She really was such a big girl!

 Saturday night was AWFUL!!!  We went back to the campground, because I thought she would be okay sleeping there. 

THIS. IS. DEFINITELY. MY. FIRST. RODEO. WITH. A CAST.

Little did I know the pain she would be in all night.  She got to crying so badly and couldn't calm down that Kyle and I brought her home so that we wouldn't keep the others up.  I got 1 1/2 hours of sleep that night and Kyle got about 3 hours.  It really was worse than when she and Kman were newborns.  She wanted that "cast" off and she tried her hardest to take it off during the night.

Finally, Sunday morning we just took it off.  Once we did that, she was pretty much okay the rest of the time unless it was bumped.  I think the swelling was really making it hurt. 

This is what it looked like when we took it off....

Monday morning we headed to the bone & joint specialist and they did more xrays.  She has a piece of bone chipped in her ankle :(.  When we took the bandage off she SCREAMED so loudly!!!  I just held her and cried with her.....

 ... of course she picked pink :)....

 Heidi was our little photographer :)

 It still breaks my heart just looking at the pictures.  I am in shock that our 4 year old is actually in a cast and I will be 30 tomorrow and have never ever had a cast. 

She could hardly wait to let everyone sign it.....

 Since Papa is at work, Karter wanted to sign his name for him :)....

 Kyle's Dad got her a little cane that helped build her confidence up about walking on her on... yesterday morning she was doing it with the cane and by lunch she was walking on her own....

We kept her home yesterday to make sure she could get more mobile before going to preschool.  I promised her she could decorate cookies...... and she had so much fun doing it :)!

Right now I don't know how long she has to wear it.  I didn't think to ask at the time.  We go back Monday for a new cast.  They want to change it out because of the swelling and the opened skin.  It has been a painful experience for her and for all of us. 

A camping trip we'll never forget.

Looking Back on 2014

I really have debated on doing this post.  I wanted to do this post because I always have at the end/beginning of each year, BUT I wasn't sure that I could find anything positive to say. 

AND THEN I realized that everything I have to say should be positive.  It seems 2014 was a year consumed of cancer, emotions, heart ache, death, sadness, etc.  BUT what I have realized is that although my hatred of cancer is strong and although last year was the hardest year of my life thus far, God used that dreadful disease to teach me a lot of valuable lessons. 

This year I learned:
(1) How to love harder.  Life is short.  Moments are forever.
(2) Cancer strips you of so many things, but in return it teaches you A LOT.
(3) How to let go of things that never really mattered anyway.  Just things I was unknowingly holding on to that was interfering with relationships.
(4) How to lean more on God. 
(5) That cancer also forms friendships.  I have gotten very close to several people that have been a huge encouragement to me. 
(6) That God is everywhere.  He is that phone call, text message, card in the mail or email that I needed to read at just that moment.  He is that random person that gave me a hug out in public.  He is that random act of kindness from people that surprised me with bracelets, a car decal, shirts, pictures, etc.  My eyes have really opened this year.  I see Him everywhere I look.

So with all of that being said, I thought I would share some photos from the year.

My 3rd niece, Ally Anna was born.

I celebrated my friend, Danielle, turning 30 with  her family and friends at her grave.

I turned 29

I witnessed Kyle's grandmother getting baptized

 We had a huge Ice Storm

I was able to go on field trips with the kids

Kman fell in love with tball

 I witnessed my uncle shaving my moms head.

And my sweet Daddy let the kids shave his head and he shaved Karters.

The girls had their annual dance recital.  Sophie's first.

 Karter turned 5....

Heidi turned 8

... and Sophie turned 4

Kman graduated from preschool

We had a great summer in the sun! 

Heidi started 3rd grade and Karter started Kindergarten

Kman got his first set of stitches

Karter also had his first sleep over.

Sophie started preschool

 .....There were so many memories made.....

Thanksgiving 2014.... I was in the hospital with Mom that afternoon, so Kyle took this picture for me :)

 Christmas 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!