48 to 72 hours old

Part 3 of the Week of August 6 to 15, 1977 -  if you missed Part 2 - click here; if you missed Part 1 - click here...otherwise keep on reading :)

After going home and resting for a few hours and pumping twice (the doctor had told me even though I couldn't nurse, my breast milk would be the best thing for the twins so being the good little girl and wanting to be the best mommy in the world ~ I pumped and pumped some more).  I wanted to go back to the hospital.  So about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon Ron and I made the trek into the hospital.  We stayed about an hour ~ I must say the hardest thing is having a baby or two babies and not be able to take them home with you :(  It was so good to see Jamie in the incubator breathing on his own.  We just could not believe how tiny he was and how well he was doing.  Seeing Royce was so hard, he struggled with breathing and had so many tubes going into his little body.  As we stood there and gently touched him tears streamed down both our faces.  And said many prayers.  Our prayers were mixed ~ seeking healing for Royce's little body ~ he was fighting a Class D infection (the highest classification they would give) and pneumonia from swallowing the amniotic fluid. 

After seeing the boys we went by the Silver Nugget to get some dinner and see my mom.  She said she would be home around 11:15 that night.  After dinner we went home and I tried to rest some more.  I called the hospital a couple of times to check on the boys.  After my mom got home I asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital to see the boys - she had only had a glimpse of Jamie before they transferred him to the neonatal unit and she hadn't seen Royce since early Monday morning.  After talking and begging her to take me to the hospital, she called the neonatal unit and asked if it was okay to come so late at night.  The nurse she spoke with, unbeknown to me, told my mom she thought it would be a good thing for her to bring me to see the babies as Royce was continuing to go down hill.

(I should say here I was 19 when I had the twins and Ron was 21 - I was very niave and neither of us knew what kinds of questions to ask or even if it was appropriate to ask questions ~ things are so different now a days as we saw in the birth of Opal and the loss of little Emerald~both in how things are handled and what is said and done for the parents of these little preemie babies.)

So we drove the 45 minutes to the hospital arriving a little after 12:30 a.m.  We gowned and scrubbed up and went into see the boys.  My mom talked to the nurse for quite awhile, I just kept moving from baby to baby.  It was so quiet in there except for the noises of the different machines.  If I remember correctly there were six or eight little ones in the nursery.  Sometimes even today I wonder about those other babies.  The nurses let us stay over two hours with the boys.  And as we left the hospital to go back home both my mom and I were crying, tears running down our cheeks inwardly praying that they would be okay.

After getting home about 4 in the morning we both crawled into our beds and slept.  I remember waking a few times and cuddling & crying with Ron - and I kept saying to him "God wouldn't give us two babies and then take them away would he?"  And then we would pray and cry together and drift off to sleep.  We got up about 8:30 and called the hospital to see how the babies were doing.  Jamie was upgraded from to serious but stable yet Royce was still on the critical list.  After showering and breakfast we decided to go back to the hospital.  I had a couple more bags of milk to take in and I really wanted to see the boys.  While we were preparing to leave to go to the hospital the phone rang.  It was the neonatologist calling to tell us Royce was not doing well and that they wanted to do a blood transfusion on him and would we give permission for them to do that.  Of course!! I almost yelled into the phone ~ I don't even remember asking Ron what he thought.  I just knew that I wanted them to do whatever it was they needed to do to make my baby healthy.  The doctor than said we should wait a couple of hours till we came in to give them time to do the transfusion and make sure all was well with him.  He said they would call when we could come to the hospital.  This was about 11:30 a.m.

I think the next three hours have been some of the longest hours in my life.  Right about 2:30 the doctor called and talked to Ron.  He told him that the transfusion was not successful and it did not look like Royce would live much longer.  He said we should get to the hospital as quick as we could - Royce probably only had about 15 minutes to live.  The tears and cries just rocked our bodies.  My mom quickly called work and said she would not be in and the three of us (me, Ron and my mom) got in her car and went to the hospital.  Ron was driving, speeding all the way, I just prayed 1) that we would get to the hospital before Royce died and 2) that we would not get stopped by the police with the way Ron was driving.  As we pulled up to the red light by the driveway leading into the hospital parking lot Ron stopped.  My mom and I just looked at him, no traffic was coming, we had just arrived with him speeding all the way and then he stopped!!!  We yelled at him to run the light, just run the damn light!!  And then he did.  He pulled up by the doors closest to the entry by the neonatal unit and Ron & I jumped out of the car.  Mom went to park it.  We ran into the unit, grabbed gowns and scurried through the double doors.  I remember one of the nurses saying something about we needed to scrub and I said "why, he is dying anyway."  She just looked at me and we went onto where Royce was laying.

He was so tiny.  There was a hospital chaplain standing nearby talking with the doctor.  We just looked at Royce with tears streaming down our faces.  We couldn't believe he was dying, he looked like he was sleeping.  About that time my mom came into the neonatal unit with a gown on.  She joined us at Royce's bedside.  Standing around Royce was the doctor, then my mom, then me, then Ron and then the chaplain.  I remember asking the doctor how long it would be?  Was he hurting?  Was he in pain?  I never thought to ask if we could hold him.  Neither did Ron.  That is something that bothers us to this day - I got to hold him once in the early hours after he was born and Ron never did get to hold him while he was alive.  The doctor told us it would not be long, no he was not in pain and he was not hurting.  I remember touching his little legs, and my mom rubbing his little arm and Ron rubbing his legs as well.  After a few minutes my mom told me to tell Ron to ask the chaplain if he would pray.  Ron did.  When the chaplain said "Almighty Father" - Royce breathed his last breath on this earth.  It was 3:15 p.m.  Exactly 45 minutes since we had received the call that he had only 20 minutes or so to live.

I truly believe that the Lord kept Royce there waiting for us to be with him before he died and returned to heaven.  We were at the hospital with Royce for a total of about 10 minutes before he died.  When I think of those minutes I say again, thank you Lord for giving us those minutes with that sweet little baby.  After a few minutes of just standing there by his little lifeless body I said I wanted to hold Jamie.  And Ron asked the chaplain to call Pastor Adrian to come to the hospital.

We were then escorted intoa room with a rocking chair, a couple of other chairs and a hospital bed.  While waiting for Pastor Adrian and for the nurse to bring me Jamie I kept saying "Why, why would God give me a baby and then take him away????"  over and over and then I changed it to "I am not going to ask Pastor Adrian why God would give me a baby and then take him away, I am just not going to do that!!!"  As I was saying these questions, which really no one could answer they brought Jamie into us.  I sat in the rocking chair and they put this tiny, squirly little guy who was wrapped up in a little blanket into my arms.  I just cried - it was the first time I actually got to hold him.  I cried and rocked and rocked and cried holding that little baby.  I would not give him to anyone, not even Ron.  I don't know how long I rocked him but finally the nurse standing behind me said she thought she shoudl take him back to the incubator as they didn't want him to lose his body heat.  I reluctantly gave him back to the nurse.  And cried and rocked some more.  About 45 minutes after Royce died Pastor Adrian came into the room.  Ron and I were sitting on the hospital bed and I jumped up and grabbed his arms and yelled at him "Why,  why would God give me a baby and then take him away????"  And I remember him and Ron putting their arms around me and repeating "I don't know."

Note - I need to stop right now as I can barely see the page through my tears.  I think this is the very first time I have ever sat down and written out this whole story.  I will write more later.

12 Hours Old - How Fast Things Can Change

Part Two of "34 Years Ago Today" ~ if you did not read the previous post and want to start at the beginning of the story click here.

After finally getting settled into my room I slept for about four hours.  I then got up and walked down to the nursery to check on Royce.  He was so tiny they had him in an incubator.  I could not hold him, but oh how my arms ached to just do that.  And then I wondered what was going on with Jamie (James was too formal for such a little guy and I didn't want Big Ron/Little Ron and I hate the name Ronnie so my mom suggested Jamie and it has stuck.  And I think it fits him just perfectly!).  After watching Royce and stroking his skin for a little while I went back to my room and cried.  I was so worried about the boys.  Jamie was born so sick and Royce seemed okay.  I had a few visitors - Pastor Adrian Hall, my mom, sister, and of course Ron was there as often as could be.  

He shared with me what had happened at the neonatal unit once Jamie was settled in there.  Ron was touching Jamie and he grasped his daddy's finger.  Ron has talked often about that first touch and Jamie's response.  I think it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship that Father and Son have.


About 3:00 p.m. (Monday 8/8) the doctor came into my room and told Ron and I that Royce was struggling and needed to be transported to the neonatal unit too.  All I remember is Ron holding me and we both crying into each others arms.  Our babies were so little, 8 weeks early and so very sick.  About 8 p.m. the doctor came back into my room and wanted to talk with Ron & I.  He said the situation was serious.  He said 5 years earlier and who knows if even one of them would have been born alive.  10 years before neither of them would have born alive.  I heard what he was talking about but I just kept thinking...please tell me they will be okay, they just have to be okay.  He then said he would do his damndest to give us one baby to take home BUT the next 48 to 72 hours were going to be the hard ones.  We called our pastor and he came back to the hospital.  We prayed.  He put it out on the prayer chain - to lift those little boys up for healing and for me to not be too stressed being separated from Ron, from the boys.


Tuesday was mostly a blur.  The one thing that I remember from that day was the interactions with the lady from the business office about naming our boys.  We had six names picked out - 2 for two girls, 1 boy & 1 girl and then the boys names and the order the boys would be named.  We had to wait for the 2nd birth to know the name of the first!!!  Royce Alan was named for one of my best friends from high school...Royce Jones.  He encouraged me to attend Young Life about a month before I graduated from high school and that is where I accepted the Lord as my savior!  Thank you Royce for facilitating that life changing moment in my life.  Ron had said if we had two boys he wanted to name one of them after him...we laugh that he had no ego problem!!! So that is how the boys were named.  Well this gal came into my room and said we needed to complete the birth certificates.  Twin A - Royce Alan (spelled A-L-A-N) first argument with the lady - the spelling of Alan.  Twin B - Ronald James, Jr.  You would have thought I said name him the devil or something.  She started saying no, twin A should be the junior, no twin B is the junior.  After about 20 minutes of arguing and my crying I yelled her right out of my room.  About two hours later the doctor came in and asked what was wrong...I was still peeved and letting everyone who came into my room how much that lady was wrong.  Ron and I told the doctor and he said he would be right back...that same lady came back in along with the doctor and she filled out their birth certificates the way we wanted.  I don't think she said five words to either of us the whole time which was just fine for me.


Ron spent his time on Tuesday going back and forth to the neonatal unit and seeing me in the hospital.  Late Tuesday night he went to the neonatal unit and got worried.  Jamie was no longer on the Ohio Open Bed and in an incubator.  He thought Jamie was worse - so not the truth.  Jamie was doing better, no more on Oxygen, breathing on his own and all his blood tests were coming back with good numbers.  Thank you Lord for healing his little body.  He wasn't out of the woods but it was a good sign.


Royce was on an Ohio Open Bed - he had tubes coming out of his little foot, his head and one arm.  And Oxygen tube in his nose.  He was a very sick baby.  Each time Ron went to the neonatal unit he prayed over both babies.  And he hated to leave them but he felt he should be with me as well.  Tuesday was a very long day.


Wednesday morning I begged the doctor to release me.  I did not have a cesarean and I was feeling okay, just tired and a little sore, after all I gave birth to both of them vaginally with no meds - they didn't want to give me medication because it would affect the babies.  After much pleading and promising to go right home the doctor let me leave (little white lie #2).


As soon as we got out to the truck I told Ron he had better take me to the hospital to see the boys.  Ron said "you promised the doctor you would go home."  "I Know, but I have to see them!!!"  "Please!!!" and 35 years later he still doesn't deny me anything I want.  We went to the hospital.  We had to gown up when we got there.  It seemed to take forever and then finally we were in the neonatal unit.  And then there they were.  Jamie was in a diaper, in the incubator...he looked so tiny and that diaper was so big on him (they didn't have preemie diapers then).  And then we went to see Royce - in comparison he was so big compared to Jamie.  The difference of 1 1/4" in length and about 8 ounces really made a big difference.  The boys were fraternal twins - Royce was dark haired and chubby, Jamie was so blond he looked almost bald and so long and skinny!!!


We stayed in the neonatal unit for about an hour and then the nurses suggested that Ron take me home, I was having a hard time staying on my feet and not wobbling.  I think they were afraid that I was going to pass out on them.


So we went home early Wednesday afternoon.


**Stay tuned for part three**
 

34 Years Ago Today OR Happy Birthday Jamie!

Thirty-four years ago today was a busy, happy, scary day for me.  Let me start back to July 1977 ~ it was time for Ron to take vacation and we wanted to go to California.  We were stationed at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV.  I was seven months pregnant.  Ron said to check with the doctor.  I did and told a little white lie "he said I could go."

10 days later we made a quick return from Bakersfield, CA to Las Vegas, NV as I started having contractions while we were traveling.  (rememeber the little white lie).  The day after we returned to Las Vegas I went to the doctor.  He checked me over from top to bottom and after a big sigh he said "You are doing fine.  deep breath on his part.  But I need you to go get some x-rays.  I am picking up three heart beats and I just hope one of them is yours."  Silence, gasps, and what??? went through my  mind.  I walked out of the doctor's office, told Ron we needed to go to the hospital and why.  He responded with laughter, what?, oh my.

So we went to the hospital.  I had x-rays taken.  Convinced the gal taking the x-rays to leave them on the counter.  Fortunately I had worked with her at a radiologists till I was about 3 months pregnant.  She left the x-rays on the counter and walked out.  I held them up and just gasped ~ there were two little feet directly across from a face.  I walked down the x-ray with my eyes and what do you know another set of little feet and a cute face!!!  Yes we were having twins.  I walked out and held up two fingers on each hand.  The lady sitting next to Ron said "four babies?"  and with my eyes bulging out I whispered "no two babies."

We walked to the truck and just looked at each other.  We then drove to the Silver Nugget where my mom worked and told her.  And the wheels started turning.  Within one week we had moved out of our apartment and into my mom's house (we had orders to Holland and she thought it might be easier to move in with her and have the military pack us up there + she would then be around to help with the babies).  And then Saturday, August 6th arrived.  It was in the evening and Ron and I were watching Yours, Mine and Ours in our bedroom.  I kept getting up to run to the potty ~ like every 5 minutes.  With about 3 minutes of the movie to go, I swung my legs over the the outside of the water bed and then realized I was sitting in a pool of water.  Ron's quick observation:  either the water bed broke or my water broke.  After summoning my mom from the kitchen and with Ron and my mom standing there, she said "Get up.  If it's the bed, the water will stay in the frame, if it's your water bag there will be quite a rush of water."  You got it ~ I stood up and water was everywhere.  I ran, as quick as baby huey could waddle, into the bathroom.  Ron called the doctor.  He said come to the hospital right away.  And so we arrived at Women's Hospital about 11:45 p.m.  I was admitted.  Nothing happened and about 10 a.m. on Sunday morning the doctor came in, prescribed some cortozone shots to develope the babies' lungs and told me not to go anywhere or do anything and that included having the babies' before Tuesday. 

Well late in the afternoon I started  having contractions.  To say the least emotions were running high.  The babies were 8 weeks early - way too early to be born.  About 9 p.m. they closed one of the two delivery rooms and readied it for the twins to be born.  We were told they could come any time.  Without going into lots of details lets just say I don't do labor and transition very well.  At about 11:30 p.m. Ron overheard one of the nurses tell another mom of a patient "I don't care if your daughter delivers that baby in the hallway, she is not going in that delivery room - it is set up for the twins and will stay that way till they are delivered."  Ron told me "I was special" - you bet your sweet baby I know I am special :)

About 1:45 a.m. on Monday, August 8th I was taken into the delivery room.  I pushed, pushed and pushed some more and Royce Alan Workentin was born at 2:21 a.m. weighing in at 4 lbs 8 oz., 18" long  WARNING - the next part might be too graphic for some of you!   Immediately following Royce's arrival my cervix closed back up and the doctor said "good, I can stay pregnant tilll the next one comes along."  About 15 minutes later the 2nd baby's heartbeat went erratic and the doctor said they were taking the baby now.  I was given gas to knock me out and Ron says what happened next - the doctor stretched me, reached in and pulled out a very BLUE baby boy - Ronald James Workentin, JR arrived at 2:41 a.m. bluer than blue jeans.  He weighed 3 lbs 12 oz, 19 1/4" long His apgar score at 1 minute was -1.  Immediately I was brought back awake, got to see Jamie (he looked like an 80 year old wrinkly and boney old man) and he was stablized and then transported to Sunrise Neonatal Hospital.  It was and still is one of the best in the United States.  We were proud parents of two little bitty baby boys! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE!!!

**Note:  I will continue this story tomorrow and thru the rest of this week**

Week in Review ` Planning for the New Week

Have had a good week.  After last weekend of being sick and laying low it was good to get back to work and being with friends.

Tuesday morning I had my pre-op appointment for my upcoming surgery.  Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow (7/11).  We have to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m.  No eating or drinking after midnight tonight.  Stopped the baby aspirin as of last Monday.  No meds in the morning till after surgery.  

 Had a great week at work.  No major problems though our hearts are heavy at the park this week as two of our residents have been in the hospital.  If you think of them, say a prayer for Ellie & Stan as they fight the good fight and that they feel the presence of the Lord in these difficult days.

We were able to enjoy a dinner of great conversation and good food with Walker & Evelyn.  Always fun to do is to go out to eat with another couple.  On Friday night after work, Ron took an almost two hour nap and then wanted to do something so off we went to Bill & Rosa's for appetizers, a beer (for Ron) and ice tea and listening to some great country music.  Too bad they don't have a dance floor.

Saturday I made a deal with Ron.  He could choose - clean the motor home including the bathroom or do the laundry.    Now I know Ron hates! to do laundry and I really didn't want to clean that toilet :( ~ so yeah, you could say I stacked the deck...but hey, he did have a choice.  He chose to clean the motor home so I went off to do the three loads of laundry.  While doing laundry I visited with the Busy Bee's (the knitting and crocheting group that meets weekly here at the park).  When I was done folding all the laundry I loaded up the golf cart and came back to the motor home.  It was so nice and clean and smelled so good.  And the bathroom just sparkled.  Yep, I think I got the best end of that deal.

For the rest of the weekend we have just relaxed.  So enjoy having down time to just read and enjoy the life we are blessed with.

Today we went to church and celebrated with little Jessica who accepted the Lord as her Savior - what a joyous occasion.   After a nap we went over to a new friends, Shanna (her, her hubby and a girlfriend own The Family Dawg, the best place to get hot dogs, sandwiches or gyros locally) who French braided my hair so I don't have to worry or figure out how to comb it while I can't see as I recuperate from my surgery.  Thanks Shanna!  We also did lots of reading, watching The Ax Man (one of Ron's favorite shows) and some blogging.  Check out my new post at Alice's Restaurant where I talk about Special Friendships.

Now to settle down for the night and get ready for surgery tomorrow.  Since I can't eat or drink after midnight till after my surgery I have set the alarm for 11:30 p.m. tonight so I can get up and drink a glass of orange juice - want to do everything I can to avoid having my blood sugar drop in the night or early morning.

Talk to y'all soon.  And looking forward to seeing the world in a bright new way on Tuesday!!!

Special Friendships

I was messaging with a friend yesterday and we talked about the special friendships that are rare but oh so wonderful.  The one we were discussing is the friend you have that no matter where you are, no matter how long it's been since you have spoken whether through email, telephone or?? it is like you just saw them the day before.

I have a few of those types of friends.  The friend I have had the longest is my friend Merel.  We became friends in late 1979 when we were both pregnant with our boys, Brandon & Jeremy respectively.  We met in La Leche League, our husbands were both in the military.  Ron and I were stationed at McChord AFB and Jim & Merel were at Ft. Lewis.  We each had a two year old toddler and were far from home and family.  We got out of the Air Force in September 1980 and Spring 1982 Jim & Merel pcs'd (permanent of station) to New Mexico.  We would not actually see each other till 16 years later in Spring of 1998 when Jamie graduated from the US Army basic training at Ft. Benning, GA.  I was blessed to be able to go to his graduation and spend three nights with Merel.  When we saw each other in the parking lot of the Econo Lodge it was like we had never missed a day of being together.  We laughed, talked and cried late into each night and beamed like two proud momma's at Jamie's graduation.  

We have been together three other times since 1998.  In 2003 when I was able to go and spend a week with Merel in her home (thanks to the generous gift from Ron) and the graduation of Jeremy from Boise State University and then Jeremy & Jennae's wedding which was also held in Boise.  We don't talk often on the phone, though we do go in spurts of phone calls.  We have laughed together, cried together as my parents and her daddy died, prayed for each other and our kids as they did dumb and scary things (Jamie going AWOL (dumb thing) and both of our sons serving in Iraq.  We have called each other in times of crisis (Merel going through a difficult divorce) and (giving birth to Opal at 29 weeks due to complications and health issues) and called to celebrate one making the call. each others joys - new grandbabies for me and a new man in Merel's life!  The one thing I do know is that no matter what is going on we can call each other and the other one will be there for

And then there is my friend Dee.  We have had a great friendship that started when I was working at Home Connection as secretary and she was the mom of a sweet teenage daughter attending classes at Home Connection.  The Lord brought us together as sisters in the Lord and now we are sisters in heart and soul.  We have cried with each other, laughed with each other.  We have been known to spend 6 1/2 hours at Wood's Coffee thinking we had only been there a couple of hours just talking, laughing and crying together.  We have fought with each other, misunderstood each other, hugged each other but most of all we have built our relationship based on love for Christ, love for our families and love for each other.  We encourage each other when the other is down and we have celebrated new adventures together (like us moving to Texas and her starting a new job!!!)  We laugh and cry over the antics of our kids and those wonderful husbands that we both have.  I say I have the best hubby in the world and she says she has the best hubby in the world ~ what we have decided is that we each have the best hubby that God has blessed us with!!  We each have two bio sisters and are so blessed that we are friend/sisters of the best kind - the ones God brought together.

Mary is another one of those friends where we just pick up where we are.  We each have ridden the roller coaster ride of emotions, husbands, children, parents, jobs which are all known as life.  We have faced hurdles that no one should have to climb over and yet through it all the Lord has brought us safely to the other side.  Our friendship has included hugs, tears, laughter and joy!  We can not see each other for months on end then sit down the table, share a cup of coffee and just love on each other right where we are.  We encourage each other with prayer and phone calls, emails and Facebook posts.    I can also say that I am the first one that has "gotten her" on Aprils Fools Day for the first time in many years.  I had posted a little sentence on Facebook and within an hour or so I had a message from her via Facebook and a phone call checking on me.  I couldn't let her worry so I had to call her and tell her what was going on.  But I swore her to secrecy till the end of the day!!!  Yep, we can even pull jokes on each other and laugh about it later.

Now that I have shared about these three special friends, don't think I don't have other friends because I do!!!!  I am so blessed with so many friends: sister friends, mom friends, aunti friends, grand-parent friends, girlfriends, writing friends, male friends, friends who have prayed with me and for me, friends we have done lots of things with and friends I have only met through blogland, friends who share their kids with us and let us be their grammy's and grandpa's.  Ron will even tell you I have my Irish boyfriend, my gay boyfriend and a few other guy friends.  We have couple friends and single friends ~ we/I are truly blessed to have the friends we/I have.  

I am so thankful for all the friends who are in my life whether they have been friends for years or even just a few weeks.  God is so wonderful to bless me with friends who are now my family.  Thank you Mary for giving me the inspiration to think about my friends and how blessed I am.  And thank you to all my friends who are part of my life.  Even if i don't write often or call often KNOW that I KNOW that I am blessed due to you being in my life.

The Verdict is In

Ron and I have watched much of the trial of Casey Anthony  in  the death of her little girl.  The verdict is in and she was found not guilty on the murder charges and guilty for hindering/lying to the police.  There have been lots of comments of shock and disbelief of news reporters and many people.  Ron and I have talked a lot about this case and the difficult decision the jury had to make.  And we saw/heard lots of things that the jury heard.  And we can agree that a little innocent girl is dead and that is what is so sad.

Below is what I wrote in response to a couple of comments on Facebook.

"I think the issue was proof beyond a reasonable doubt...I think if the jury were to talk they would say yes, she was probably murdered but there was not absolute proof that Casey Anthony committed the murder. Having been on a murder trial (for 8 1/2 weeks as juror #1) there are lots of questions that have to be answered to come to the final decision of guilty or not guilty.

Saying that I do hope that Casey takes this opportunity to turn her life around for good.

I think most importantly we need to remember this family is grieving the death of an innocent little girl."

Here is what we think allowed the jury to say there was not absolute proof but reasonable doubt:

1.  Casey was not the only person who had access to the car before and during the time that Casey was "supposedly" looking for her.

2.  Yes the jury knows Caylee died but there was no proof of how/when it happened.  Or who did it?   We believe it was probably an accident of some kind and that Casey panicked.  And then things snowballed out of control.

3.  Do we think someone(s) hid her body - yes!    We don't wish for a minute that we had sat on that jury - again, they had a real tough decision and questions that they had to answer.

About the jury - we are glad that they have chosen not to speak to the press.  When we, the jury, gave our verdict, we too made a joint decision to not speak to the media.  Our verdict was our answer.  Some of us chose to speak to both the prosecutor and defense lawyer after our decision was made public.  But only to say what evidence was missing and important.  I had two reporters call me the night of our verdict.  One of them asked why we were not talking to the press - because our verdict said our decision.  No amount of back peddling, second guessing or theorizing will give anyone an idea of what the jurors were thinking or what tipped them one way or another.

In closing, if anyone wants to dialogue this with me I am willing.  I don't want to fight with anyone but am open to hear your thoughts about this whole situation.

The bottom line whether we agree with the jury's decision is that a little girl is dead and her mom, maybe her dad if he knows that he was Caylee's dad, her grandparents and uncle are all grieving the loss of her little life in their own way.  And no one can tell someone how to grieve.  No one.  I would ask that we pray for the Anthony family - that the Lord will be real to them, that some how some way this family can be healed.

I hope I have not offended anyone, that is nor was not my desire.  I just needed to put my thoughts out there.

What We Have Been Doing

Here is a picture blog of different things we have been doing in the last month.  Hope you enjoy traveling along with us.

 

As you may remember we went to Medina Lake Thousand Trails which is about 52 miles from the Lone Star Corral.  We had a good time just relaxing, swimming, reading and more relaxing.

We decided to go back up the weekend before Father's Day with another couple from LSC.  Hank & Euona went up on Wednesday and we joined them on Friday night.  We did a lot of visiting Friday night and Saturday.  In the afternoon we went to the ice cream social - not a bad deal $1 a bowl and each bowl had 3 or 4 scoops of ice cream.  You had your choice of vanilla, strawberry or chocolate or a mixture of all three.  I forgot the camera so there are no pictures ~ will try to remember the next time.

Saturday evening we bbq'd ribs and Euona made potato salad, coleslaw and corn-on-the-cob.  It was a great dinner and  of course, more visiting. Below is Ron grilling those ribs and Hank and Euona as we visited in their rig.

Ooops, wrote Father's Day weekend on the picture, but it was actually the weekend before.

Below is a collage of pictures (thanks Rick for me how to do this) of the many deer roaming through the park.  Many people pick up deer corn and feed them.  We heard one little boy say he counted 32 deer and Hank stopped counting when he hit 70.  It is not easy to keep track of them as they kept moving trying to get corn.  Some of the larger bucks could get quite mean, shoving the does and fawns out of the way.

The rig in the background belongs to Hank & Euona.

 A couple of weeks ago we were driving down the road in front of park.  Ron swerved out of the way and pulled over.  Found this little guy in the middle of the road.  We  brought him back to the park to get some pictures and put him in a safe place and not the middle of the road.  That all happened at lunch time.  By the time we were done with work, our turtle friend was long gone.  Too bad, it would have been nice to have him visit for awhile.

I have been sick the last few days.  This evening feeling a bit of cabin fever we decided to go into D'Hanis for the annual 4th of July Parade.  It went in front of the Country Mart, past the bank and local B&B and then around the block and down the main road for about a half mile and then turned to go down one of the side road and then back to Bill & Rosa's and the Country Mart.  We met Judge Bubba - he was out greeting the citizens of D'Hanis also Deputy Jeff.  Someone was hosting a free hot dog feed but we decided to head back to the motor home.  I was wiped  out.  Below is a movie of the parade.  And a picture of Judge Bubba and Deputy Jeff.

 Judge Bubba and his wife Sharon (not the lady in the picture) attend First Baptist Church in Hondo.  After church last Sunday we joined them at the Jade Buffet for some good food and great conversation.  It feels good to connecting with some of people from church.

Hope you have enjoyed traveling along with us on our short jaunts here in the Hondo area.