We are starting to move forward even more . . . Kinda! Ha. We still can't put much pressure on it until I can get into the pool [next week]. But today we raised the stakes. Jeff works my ankle a lot to retain the movement we have got thus far which kills but is good. The Jeff was like, "Let's take a walk". Ha. I just looked at him, "Are you serious?". He said "kinda" then I walked! . . . with my crutches! Ha. It was good. There was not very much weight on my ankle at all but I was "walking". It felt good as it was the first time in 2 months! Other than that, we just worked the ankle and got it ready to start next week in the pool for aquatic therapy. I can't wait for it to progress more so it does not hurt so darn bad! Haha. The price I have to pay for recovery, I guess. I hope everyone is doing well! Let me know if there is anything I can do for any of you!
LIVE.LOVE.LAUGH.

Inspiration

Through our lives, we all inevitably face obstacles and trials. How we react to those trials is a great mark of our character. Through such trials we are refined and developed. There is always something to learn and potential to grow. As I have grown and developed, not only a testimony of my Heavenly Father's perfect love and grace, but also character, I have found that knowing where I am going always aids me in safely maneuvering through the trials of life. I know where I want to be. I know the impact I want to have on others. I know the difference I want to make. I know that I can accomplish all of my temporal and spiritual goals as a part of the great and all-encompassing Plan of Salvation and Happiness. As I look to the future and to the goals I have made, the trials I face are but bumps along the world from which I am strengthened. I was listening to a song today, "On My Way" by Phil Collins, that helps me maintain my inspiration and motivation to continue to work as hard as I can to get there, and I wanted to share it.

On My Way
Tell everybody i'm on my way
New friends and new places to see
With blue skies ahead, yes i'm on my way
And theres no where else i'd rather be

Tell everybody i'm on my way
And i'm loving every step i take
With the sun beating down, yes i'm on my way
And i can't keep this smile off my face

Cause theres nothing like, seeing each other again
No matter what the distance between
And the stories we tell, will make you smile
Or really lifts my heart

So tell'em i'm on my way
New friends and new places to see
And to sleep under the stars and could ask for more
With the moon keeping watch over me

Not the snow nor the rain, can change my mind
The sun will come out, wait and see
And the feeling of the wind
In your face can lift your heart

Oh... theres no where i'd rather be
Cause i'm on my way now
Well and true
I'm my way there
I'm on my way now(x3)

Tell everybody i'm on my way
I just can't wait to be there
With blue skies ahead, yes I'm on my way
And nothing but good times to share

So tell everybody I'm on my way
And I just can't wait to be home
With the sun beating down yes I'm on my way
And nothing but good times to show

I'm on my way
Yes, I'm on my way

Also . . . A couple of pictures since I have been back . . .

Matt Matt, Sissy, and I at the airport.
"I love to see the temple . . ."Family reunion and fireworks. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, and Fireworks! Can't go wrong!Sparklers with Mom! Ha. I was trying to stay standing . . . Haha.

LIVE.LOVE.LAUGH.

PROGRESS!!!

We kinda have progress!! Ha. I had physical therapy again today and my favorite physical therapist, Jeff, decided to up the stakes. The incision still has not completely closed so we have not gone into the pool to start the real physical therapy but he said that we will soon. Today he worked my ankle a lot. It was way painful but it is starting to help some movement to get back into my ankle. It's just the price I have to pay. So we are starting to get some movement back into the ankle which is great. Something big happened too!! I stood up!! For the first time in 2 months!!! . . . Aided by a table. Ha. So I guess I wasn't completely standing on my own but it is moving in the right direction. Ha.
The other day, Matt Matt said something super funny. The Warriors just drafted Stephen Curry from Davidson. They were doing a special about him on TV that we were watching. They mentioned that he wrote a scripture from the bible on his shoes before every game. Matt perked up and was like, "Steph Curry is a Mormon?!" ha. I chuckled and told him that he wasn't and that many people read and liked scriptures. He looked like he understood and said "Oh. Gotcha . . . " There was a 5 second pause ". . . He's an investigator!!" Haha. it was funny!
Thanks again for all the support! You are all wonderful!

Hey! THough there isn't much to report, I just had my most recent physical therapy. Since the incision still hasn't closed, we still have not started the aquatic therapy [phase 1]. Instead my physical therapist and I have been working my ankle trying to get some movement back in it.
The other muscles in my leg that are important to recovery are non-responsive and won't engage right now so we have also been working on getting those back and strengthening them. Ha. Today we tried attaching some electro stimulation to it to get the muscles to at least engage but it didn't work. So we are still working on it. Ha.
Thus far these two posts have not been exciting at all! Ha. I am sorry. I promise I am working as hard as I can to progress so they get more exciting!! Haha.
LIVE.LOVE.LAUGH.

Hey all! So to quickly update everyone and anyone on what is going on . . . two months ago I came home from my mission to have surgery on my ankle. I was supposed to come home during December but stayed as long as I could before coming home for the surgery. They performed the surgery and, though my surgeon had to do more than expected, it went well. Ha. Initially, my surgeon had said that he expected recovery to be 4-6 months but couldn't put a definitive time-frame on it. For the last 4 weeks I have been going to physical therapy but they have not been able to do much because my ankle has not been responding the way we had hoped. My incision also opened back up and has kept me from starting the first stage [aquatic therapy] of my real physical therapy. So my physical therapist has just been working my ankle to try and regain movement. Right now, we cannot start until the wounds heal back up so we are kinda playing the waiting game. Due to the way my ankle has been reacting, my physical therapist has said that it will take at least 6 months and probably more. EEK! Not exactly what I wanted to hear. So we are waiting right now for all of it to heal, hoping that we can hit the ground running soon and get recovered.
So last night I was officially released because of the expected, yet entirely unknown, length of the recovery. It wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do and was sad, but President Bingham and I both agreed it was the right decision. I feel very much at peace with it and am ready to take on this next chapter. Through every experience in our life we have the opportunity to learn and grow. There is a great and eternal plan for all of us and each experience is part of that plan. That is my charge right now. That is my responsibility: to learn what I am to learn and to grow through this trial. There is so much room for me to improve in so many aspects and there is so much I have to learn, I am excited for the opportunity, as undesired as it is, to learn and grow in this.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I have truly felt their impact and their help. You are all in mine. I am here for each and every one of you, no matter the circumstances. Please do know that! Love you all!
LIVE.LOVE.LAUGH.