Spring Camping

 March 12-14, 2021

Camping in Harper's Ferry

Winter amidst a pandemic had really taking it's toll on our moods and we needed a respite. The Brink's and Shumakers had gone weekend camping a few times over the past year and when we were asked to join them in spring, we said yes. We were disappointed that Jim wasn't able to get off work because it was St. Patrick's Day season at Guinness., but the rest of us still really needed a change of scenery. 

We divided some meals up between the families and the rest was pretty straightforward packing wise. We would be staying at a KOA campground near Harper's Ferry in cabins with heat and electricity, so not too rough. The hardest part would be hiking up to bathroom which was farther away since it was off-season. Megan had just gotten her stitches out and was still in crutches and a boot. We determined that I'd drive her up as needed. The cabin was cozy and served it's purpose well. I gave Megan the bigger bunk so she could keep her things within reach. 

Megan hung out around the firepit most of the weekend and she progressively absorbed layers of smokey campfire scent. On Saturday Aunt Becky and Uncle Eric lead the kids and I on a hike, while Jimmy, Kirsten and Megan hung back at the campsite. Jimmy brought a large piece of beef to slow roast over cherry wood. The hike was fun. The kids collected walking sticks as we went down to the railroad tracks along the Shenandoah river. We then made a decision to take a path straight up the hill toward a battlefield and Murphy's Farm. This climb revealed how out of shape I had gotten over quarantine. We rested up top and checked out the earthworks and the view. the kids discussed the perfect spot for lunch and Evie suggested a large pine along a path on the battlefield. it was soggy so we went by the cannons and some logs where we enjoyed the shade. The sun was hot but the shade was chilly on the early spring day. We had packed subs, grapes, carrots and chips along with our drinks for a good picnic lunch. When we got back the beef smelled amazing but it still had a few hours to cook. 

As we were sitting around the fire, dogs from the camper next door kept visiting. The dogs were friendly but not familiar. Johanna was leery of them but most of the other kids welcomed the visitors. Soon enough the beef hit the right temperature and it was time to slice it and eat. We missed Jim. He sent up some beers and everyone toasted him in his absence. Being outside and with friends was so renewing. Everyone was pleasant and agreeable. The kids played outside, lounged by the fire, went up to the GaGa ball pit and the playground enjoying each others company. It got colder as the sun went down as we spent more time closer to the fire. The brinks also brought a cotton candy machine, and Joseph brought his gaming system so there was some Mario cart and other games played in their cabin.

We were all exhausted and fell asleep quickly that night. Sunday was all about a quick breakfast and packing. I was the first up in the chilly morning and restarted the fire. Johanna came out a little while later, but as she made her way to me one the the dogs went up to her. She was scared and backed up with her hands in front of her. The dog grabbed her coat and shook her. I scolded the dog and he let go but it was scary. I snuggled her in my lap by the fire until she felt safe again. Everyone else soon appeared from their cabins. While the adults finished up the kids went up to the KOA mini-golf course and played a round. With the packed van I checked out and them drove to pick them up. It was a wonderful weekend. We came home tired but our moods were renewed. 

Bunion Surgery - Right foot

Megan's first bunion surgery was a success, and her follow-up visits have all confirmed that she is healing well, and that the left foot was now strong enough for regular activity. With that news we shifted our attention to the bunion on the right foot. It too causes pain and is a candidate for surgery.  

The coronona virus pandemic has dragged on and escalated through the holidays. Public Schools have continued to operate virtually so we were again presented with the least disruptive time for a teenager to deal with recovery and inability to engage in activity. We scheduled surgery for the middle of February. Our winter had a series of decent snow storms in which we actually got accumulation. They called for another one the morning of surgery. 

I think Megan and I were both more tense about this surgery, because there was a big chance it would be canceled. She was the first surgery of the day and when we got up it was still on, despite there being a few inches of sleet piling up already. We headed out early and I slowly made my way to Kernans. It was bad out.  But we got there and got checked in. It went smoothly from there, except that Dr. Brandao got delayed by the weather. They did some prep but not meds until they confirmed he was there, and then everything went in fast forward. I gave Megan a blessing and they moved her almost immediately to the OR. 

The surgery took about the same amount of time. I got some breakfast, said a rosary and waited. Then in quick succession the patient liaison came out, then Dr. Brandao, then the discharge nurse and as the nurse was reviewing things, Megan was rolled out in a wheelchair. The discharge seemed to happen very quickly and it was a bit overwhelming. Last time I had gone back and I sat with her as anesthesia wore off. Megan looked scared and disoriented and said she wished I had come back. I really wished I had come back too. Especially when Megan shared on the ride home that she had fallen in the bathroom. We just wanted to get her Subway and get her home

Luckily this time we knew what we were doing. I had a plastic bag to cover her foot. Jim had come out and chipped away at the 6 inches of sleet that solidified into ice. We got her into the house and into her room. I had a medication chart and timing system already set up. It was good to be back safe at home. 

We were able to keep Megan comfortable and stay ahead of the pain. We had talked with Dr. Brandao and he updated the recovery plan. Megan would get out of the splints sooner and get into a boot sooner than with her first surgery. Megan had much less swelling this time. 

Ice pack help from Hanna and Momma

Cards with Katherine

Visit from Zach

In the fall Megan had a lot of pain when the wraps and stiches were removed, and she was really relived that it was not the case this time. He said that he used external stiches instead of the internal dissolving stiches like last time. Taking pain meds before the appointment probably helped with this too. She was cheery on our way home instead of being in tears.

Megan's recovery has been rapid. She has more confidence walking in her boot. We are hopeful that her transition to the hybrid high school schedule will go smoothly. 

Rachael gets her license

Rachael got her driver's license!!! 

It was a winding journey to becoming a licensed driver but there were blessings along the way. Rachael took Driver's Ed back in 2019, but driving was stressful and practice took a lot of energy. I would take her out to practice and it didn't always go well. One time she asked to stop driving, because she said she kept envisioning hitting other cars. It was just too much. We took it slowly. Drive time with the driver's ed class is supposed to happen with in a few weeks of the class but we never scheduled it. The pandemic hit and she was ready to practice. Luckily the pandemic meant that they weren't enforcing the driver's ed timeframes anymore and we'd get the 6 hours of behind the wheel time despite being a year later. She did 2 of the 3 drive times with an instructor, but the first time out he talked politics the whole time and that certainly didn't make for a low stress endeavor. The second time out she was at least prepared for that. But he got injured and the last time got canceled. 

I took her driving in parking lots, and around UMBC. The Covid-19 shutdown in March was the perfect time to get on the highway, and we put in some hours. It was great to do highways with so many fewer cars on the road. Through 2020 Jim and I logged hours behind the wheel with her and she got more and more comfortable. It got less scary and less stressful. She played a Hozier play list each time. She scheduled her test in August, only to discover a few days ahead that it was canceled due to overbooking at the MVA. We also realized she had to log the last session with a driving instructor. So we got that scheduled and she got picked up from her new apartment. 

Since Rachael had recently moved out, I was driving her to and from work, and usually we had her take the wheel to practice. I quickly saw this time as a great blessing. It was a great chance to catch up with Rachael and hang out. With the pandemic we weren't getting together much otherwise and the driving was a great opportunity to see her.  I looked forward to it. Rachael scheduled a new test session in December so we did some parking practice and ran through the new Covid modified driving test. We went to the MVA and were surprised to find out that the appointment was not the right type. It bought us a few more weeks of work taxi time together and more practice. Every month Rachael grew in maturity and got comfortable driving. She scheduled for a 3rd time and it got canceled due to snow. 

Finally March 3 was the day. Jim took her out to practice parking and then that day I picked her up early, and we used borrowed traffic cones for more practice. I took her down to the MVA and everything went smoothly. She took the test in the Rav-4 because we were confident it had no issues and had a back-up camera. She did great and said it was easier than expected. We waited for our number to be called and she made it official. I am so proud of her.

We did the work taxi for another week while we got her used to the Xtera and then we let her bring it to her apartment. The journey was longer than we expected but it got us to the right place. We are all confident that she is ready to be behind the wheel. God Bless you Rachael!