The 12 Project ~ Month 6

June 2010

June ended up being much different than we anticipated.  We left Phoenix, AZ heading towards Texas, then in Albuquerque, NM we got diverted to Colorado Springs, CO.  We spent a few days exploring Colorado Springs, such a truly beautiful part of the country.  While in Colorado Springs, CO our plans changed again and we were now heading to Waterloo, IL (just outside St. Louis, MO).  So we headed across Kansas and while in Kansas I broke my foot, which changed our plans for the entire summer.  The children and I went to Texas for a week and then met up with Nick in St. Louis, MO.

The children loved the days of exploring new places, new RV parks, new playgrounds and new pools!!  We are sure suckers for new places and not just new towns or states, we love new rest stops & highways too.  We have all continued hooping, but the broken foot slowed that down a bit.  The night before I broke my foot I was hooping on the prairie in WaKeeeny, KS and mastered getting the hoop from my waist to my neck without using my arms.  It was such a magical moment.

I don't want to guess at whose life changed the most with me breaking my foot, but if I had to I'd say it was a three way tie between Jericho, Nick & I.  Jericho went from being on my hip or on my back almost all the time to me only being able to hold him if I was laying down.  Nick went from a very hardworking man and very helpful husband and daddy to having to do two fulltime jobs - his night job & my job, cooking, cleaning, laundry, dishes, diaper changing and on and on.  I went from being me to being me laying in a bed and all I know is its VERY hard to be me from a bed or a couch.

The second half of the month we were in St. Louis, MO (actually Cahokia, IL, but its close enough).  We have been staying at the Cahokia RV Park which is only 5 minutes from St. Louis.  E flew to Texas to drive the children and I to St. Louis and was able to stay for almost a week.  She was such a huge help and help me stay comfortable, as always it was so hard to see her go, I cried off and on for hours.  We did not do as much exploring we normally would.  I was in a ton of pain and a lot of our time with Daddy was used doing "daily duties" and not the fun stuff.  We did enjoy driving over the Mississippi River and seeing the St. Louis Arch.  It was more two weeks of surviving and guess what we did, we survived.

Previous "The 12 Project" posts here.

Flat Doesn't Equal Nothing

June 9-11, 2010

Once we found out that we would be headed to Illinois, we knew we would be traveling all the way across Kansas.  And whenever we mentioned Kansas to a family member on the phone or a neighbor at the RV park wondering where we were off to next, there was a consensus...there is nothing in Kansas, Kansas is flat (both being negative).  I have to admit I am a tad rebellious, have you guess that yet?  So all this negativity about Kansas just sparked my interest and I was SURE that I was going to love Kansas.  And that I did.  Actually we all loved Kansas.  Having come from spending two months in dry barren Phoenix, AZ, the flat green nothingness with fluffy white clouds against bright blue skies was beautiful to us.  Now mind you we spent two (and a half) days driving across Kansas, stopping at two different RV parks, so we didn't get to see much of Kansas, but what we saw we loved.

We hooped on the prairie in WaKeeny, KS at the WaKeeney KOA.

And then we headed on to Lawrence, KS the place that will never leave our memory, not because it was a super cute little town (which it was) but because it was the place where life threw us a MAJOR curve ball and the next six or so months of our life would be changed dramatically. 

Photos of our drive across Kansas here.
Photos of Lawrence, KS here.

And then life throws a curve ball.

On Thursday June 10th we spent the day driving from WaKeeney, KS to Lawrence, KS.  We had made the decision to spend the night in Lawrence at the KOA.  They had long pull thru sites, a pool, a Jumping Pillow, playground and we could have a real live CAMPFIRE.  You wouldn't believe how many campgrounds don't allow campfires.

We arrived in the afternoon, took a few minutes getting settled and headed out to explore the lush green (humid) campground.  We made our way to the office to get our wristbands to jump on the Jumping Pillow.  We were all very excited.  Well honestly I was excited to photograph the adventure, not jump.

Nick and the children were having a blast, bouncing, running, hopping and just sitting.  The backdrop was beautiful.  I was enjoying taking photos and walking barefoot in the sand that surrounded the Jumping Pillow.

Nick told me to go jump, I hesitated.  I headed up, took a few small jumps and I was laughing.  I did a few grand jetés and toe touches.  Nick summoned me off the pillow to check out the amazing photo he took.  I felt weightless and limber.  I think it may have been all the hooping I have been doing lately, I just feel very in touch with my body.

I decided I was going to do a series of leaps across the pillow and Nick wanted to video it.  I never made it all the way across, I actually never even made it to my first leap.  I did a pas de bourrée (kind of a skipping movement in preparation for a leap or jump), my right foot landed and popped.  I collapsed and screamed.  The next hour I endured the worst pain ever.  YES worse than childbirth.  Childbirth is terrible terrible pain, but there is a reason for that pain and a beautiful ending to that pain...that makes it different to me.

I ended up being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, while Nick and the children followed behind.  I could barely keep from passing out, the pain was unbearable and then my thoughts (freaking out) about trying to be a mom of 5 and travel through two more states with what ever was wrong with me was more than I could take.

And just because I am that person that slows down when I see a car accident, here is the proof that this actually happened...most likely more for my viewing pleasure than yours, but just in case you wanted to see.

The children and I went to Texas to be with my grandparents (bless their hearts) for almost a week.  We were all struggling with not being together as a family, so  even though we knew it would be MUCH harder doing it all on our own, we decided being together was better.  We flew my sister to Texas, she drove us to Illinois and stayed for a few days to help out.  Sadly we had to say goodbye to her yesterday.    

My ankle/foot is broken in two places and the ligament that is on my talus bone ripped away from the bone taking a piece of the bone with it.  I had an MRI and it showed that I fractured my talus all the way through.  I have to put absolutely no weight on my foot for 6-8 weeks and there is still a possibility that I may need surgery (if the bone moves out of place).   I am holding up ok, still in a lot of pain.  Not able to do much for me or the children is a very humbling place to be.  Nick is in the process of buying a vehicle that will hold all of us and tow our trailer, since it will be quite a while until I can drive.  

I have a lot blog catching up to do; more adventures from Phoenix, AZ and then our travels from Phoenix, AZ to Winslow, AZ to Albuquerque, NM to Colorado Springs, CO to WaKeeney, KS to Lawrence, KS to Fort Worth, TX to Cahokia, IL and our first few days exploring Cahokia and St. Louis.  Whew...we've been busy.

Photos from KOA Lawrence, KS here.