Daughters . . .

having girls is such a joy! I live in a world of tea parties, dolls, princesses, and dresses. I myself am not a real girly-girl, and my oldest daughter enjoys digging in the dirt and helping in our (small) garden, yet much of our days are spent wearing dresses (E has on occasion made me dress up like a princess - old bridesmaid dresses have come in handy), taking care of our babies, and dancing. I have so much fun with my girls and am so thankful I get to be home with them. That's why this upcoming surgery is such a challenge, not knowing how I will get to play with them for the first few weeks following surgery and whether E will understand why I can't get down on the floor or bend over to do something with her. I'm guessing the girls will handle it just fine actually; they will have daddy, auntie, and mom-o giving them special attention. They will be well taken care of and I'm so grateful for that! It is really my issue - I've had to come to terms with the limitations I will have in the next few weeks: limited mobility, not being able to bend past 90 degrees, and having to take it easy in general. My pre-surgery to-do-list specifically included special activities with the girls that I won't be able to do for a little while. We have played marbles (E read a book where the kids were playing marbles and she wanted to try it out), been to the zoo, and had a few picnics. We still need to play hopscotch among other things. I have started a list of fun activities I can do with the girls that does not require being on the floor or bending over -I'm more mentally prepared now.

Another "daughter" detail is my role of being a daughter to my mom. My dad past away suddenly over a year ago and we helped my mom move closer to us. As E states, "Papa's in heaven now with Jesus"; though she understands that it is a happy thing to go to heaven, we all still miss him. My mom has had her share of hip pain, but her's turned out to be much worse than dysplasia. She was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago (E was just a few months old). She has endured several rounds of chemo and radiation and continues to fight the cancer now. She has been doing well, considering all she's going through, though her increased fatigue and shortness of breath are of concern. My sisters (I have 3 - no brothers) are going on vacation with her to Montana at the end of July. She has been wanting to go to "God's country" for about 15 years now; we decided it was time to go. Shortly after the vacation idea was conceived, I found out I needed surgery. It took me a while to convince my sisters that the trip needed to happen without me. Small sacrifices now will mean doing more in the future, on a hip that will allow me to hike longer distances pain-free!