What a fantastic 4th of 
Jonathan has dislocated his shoulder. He was playing basketball and got his arm caught up in the guy he was guarding. They jumped up together but the other guy came down first, taking Jonathan's arm with him. It was painful, to say the least. It has been 3 weeks since the event meaning he only has 1 more week of wearing this sling before physical therapy begins.Just in case anyone else is counting or wondering, the dislocated shoulder incident marks the FIFTH time Jonathan has been to the ER since we were married in 2001. For the record, here is the list of injuries:
5. Dislocated shoulder playing basketball
4. Stitches from cutting his index finger in a circular saw
3. Staph infection surgery from blistering his foot & jumping in the intercoastal waterway in Ft. Lauderdale
2. Breaking his hand from punching a glass storm door
1. Spraining his ankle at an Oxygen event resulting in weeks of crutches while living in a 3rd floor apartment building with no elevator
I personally feel like I've had a part-time job working as a care-giver.
Moving day was amazing in that there were so many church people here to help us unload (and they brought lunch)! The apartment, however, leaves a bit to be desired. It is too small for our things so most of our boxes are not unpacked and we're storing things at other people's houses. The place is dark and dingy...my mother-in-law came out of the bathroom and informed me I wouldn't want to look in the toilet. When we had the water turned on we found out that the shut-off valve for the washing machine hook-up was broken and we ended up with water spraying all over the carpeted floor--Jonathan spent 2 hours wet/dry vacuuming so the carpet wouldn't mold while I cried. That night we realized the train tracks run along the back of our house and since the railroad crossing is just down the street, the conductors blow the whistle every time they pass. We can hear every chug-a-lug and toot-toot not to mention the vibration of the apartment. There is baseboard heating that makes a knocking noise in our bedroom. I think I've slept through the night ONCE since we moved in.
My dreams have been infiltrated by the new sounds in our lives. One night I dreamed someone was knocking very fast at a steady rhythm on our door only to wake up and realize it was the heating system kicking on again. Another night I dreamed I was in a high speed chase on the interstate. There was a cop car chasing me and another small sports car driving along side me with 2 guys trying to help: Mohinder Suresh and Hiro Nakamora from "Heroes." They were sitting on their car doors pointing guns at my chasers. That's when I noticed my getaway vehicle was a train. It had 2 cars and was flying down the interstate, whistle blowing.
We have to have a sense of humor in this place! We laugh about the fact that our address is 109 R and our neighbor's is 109 L. (for "right" and "left") Things are looking better now than on moving day. My mom came down and helped us paint the living room and kitchen--here we are warming up after having the windows open to paint all day. We are also grateful for Jonathan's grandparents' small kitchen table they ate breakfast at daily. It's the only thing that fits in our eating space!
Christmas in St. Louis was a great time to see the Whitley fam. There were presents and pastries galore! We got to see where Chef Peter works and sample his delicious desserts. How many Whitleys can you fit in a glass elevator at the mall? Looks like seven from the pic, but there are actually ten!!! My three sisters-in-law are ALL expecting baby Whitleys in the next several months. Cheers to expanding the fam! 
Thanksgiving 2008: My sister, Andra, and brother-in-law, Bruce, came into town. Bruce dared to come to Northern Indiana without a coat, so Jonathan lent him his Nascar garb....Bruce and Nascar = an oxymoron. Becky took Andra and Linda for a ride around the farm on Buc. They came back with mud splattered everywhere. (Becky gets a certain gleam in her eye when she drives Buc.... I knew better than to take her up on a ride this time)! The boys played some two-hand-touch. It's not Thanksgiving without football, right? Later, I had the task of trying to de-grass stain Jonathan's clothes from that day. Good thing my Aunt Jean knows a little secret to getting rid of grass stain: rubbing alcohol.
