June 6, 2014

I made a quick trip down to Vicksburg yesterday and today to take care of a number of matters. Sheri stayed at Vanderbilt to be with Afton. I was not prepared for what I experienced. Before I even left the house Dana Tankersley and Tondia Ferracci walked right inside the house and started cleaning. I was in awe that they would spend some of their precious summer time to clean our counters and mop our floors. I left the house in their hands and this type of treatment continued. I was stopped at the bank and asked if I was Afton's father. I confirmed that I was and then was told that she and her family and her church group were all praying for us. I then went to my office and what was supposed to be a 15 min in and out dash ended up being two hours as person after person saw me in the hall and raced over to tell me that they were thinking of us and praying for us. The same thing happened at the high school, at the bank again that afternoon and at the DMV (more about the DMV later). It happened at Mission Primary Care and at the pharmacy on they way home. People have just gone out of their way to shower kindness on my family and especially on Afton. I have probably used the following expression a hundred times over the past weeks but words simply cannot express how we feel about your kindness, your generosity and your faith. We have been lifted up, prayed over, cheered on, supported and encouraged by an army of people, many of whom probably don't know us personally. Thank you for helping us in every possible way.

As you can see by the photograph I published earlier, Afton's feeding tube was removed today. True to her nature, she has been excessively motivated to get that thing taken out. She hated it so badly. So she asked the doctors exactly what metric they needed to see her accomplish so that she would qualify to have it removed. Wouldn't you know that four days after being removed from intravenous feeding, she has achieved what she set out to do. I have an amazing daughter who has achieved most every goal she has ever put her mind to. Wow! I am one proud papa!

Now, about the DMV. Kaylynne's one year probationary stay in driving limbo (the learners permit) ends next Friday. I did not know if we would be back to help her get her license on that day so I took her down today where she took the driving test. She passed. Congratulations Kaylynne! My insurance bill will never be the same. Two teenage drivers. Yikes!