Road to Recovery

My heart has been heavy and burdened for our friends, the Startups and their baby boy Copeland. I know my last post was urging for prayer. Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter have been updated through that, but if you haven't, please take time to check out Will's blog at http://willlaurenstartup.blogspot.com/. Copeland has made tons of progress and the Lord's Hand over all of it has been so evident. Thank you to all that have been praying for this sweet family. I have been blessed beyond words and inspired by our sweet friend's faith thru this journey. They still have a road ahead of them, so please keep them in prayer.

Our situation seems so minimal after putting things into perspective with what Copeland and the Startups are experiencing. God has been good and gracious to us through this rehab journey. Daniel recently got his cast off and stitches out, YAY! The doctor commented on how beautiful Daniel's hand is healing. We are happy to be moving forward. There have been moments where we have caught ourselves being disappointed or upset over our situation, but again, it's all about PERSPECTIVE. And again, people are dealing with far more harder situations. Instead of being upset we have decided to choose joy. We have always said that our desire is to glorify our Lord thru baseball and if this is where He has us right now, I'm confident He will use it for His glory. All is looking good for Daniel to be back playing mid to late July. He has full mobility and function already over his hand and is getting daily rehab on it at the field. Thank you to all who have been praying :)

Daniel giving the "thumbs up" after getting his cast off & stitches out.

Daniel and I at Mariners/Diamondbacks Game

Love this pic!

Next Picture is one of Daniel's hand during surgery (pretty gruesome)-so scroll down with CAUTION.












Doctor took pic of Daniel's hand during surgery. That is his actual hamate bone that broke that is on his hand. They just completely removed it. Second pic is 2 weeks after surgery with stitches out.

Please Pray for Copeland Startup

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Please be praying for this precious guy, Copeland and his parents Will & Lauren. They are dear friends to us and their son Copeland is in critical condition right now.

Goodbye Hamate Bone!

Daniel's original surgery was set for yesterday, Tuesday at 8 am. The trainer picked us up from the hotel right on time and we arrived at the surgery center a little before schedule. They called Daniel back and began prepping him for surgery. They drew a mark on his hand to show us where the incision would be, the doctor discussed the details with us, I kissed Daniel goodbye and made my way back to the waiting area. About 20 minutes passed and the doctor called us back. I thought it seemed quick and when the doctor led us back to Daniel and seeing that nothing had happened, I knew something must be wrong. I wasn't sure what to think. The doctor then informed us that the patient before Daniel had passed away and they decided to put off Daniel's surgery to make sure everyone would have a clear mind before doing further surgeries. Turned out, it was an elderly woman in her late 70s getting a routine carpal tunnel procedure. The surgery went fine and she woke up from anesthesia and was talking and laughing with the nurses before she passed away. Don't know any more details then that, but please keep her family in prayer.

They were able to reschedule Daniel right away and Daniel had surgery at 7am this morning. Our spirits are high and we are feeling so much peace. While waiting today before surgery, Daniel was making jokes about how his surgery gown looked like, in his own words, "medieval peasant clothes" and that all he needed was a belt, sword, and face paint and he'd be ready for battle. I guess he was feeling Braveheart inspired. I love how he still always knows how to make me laugh. I really do see him as a warrior though. He is so strong and I admire the way he handles himself in these kind of situations. His faith is a constant inspiration to me!

The surgery went absolutely perfect! So thank you for the prayers! The doctor said Daniel's bone was a complete break and he was able to shake it as if it was a loose tooth. So we are thankful it's out! The anesthesia hit Daniel kinda hard, but he was still the sweetest thing. He was entertaining the nurse with his sweet gestures telling her that he loved her and thanking her for taking care of him. Definitely had a little of a 'David after Dentist' moment (if you don't know what that is then 1.you must live under a rock and 2. youtube it). Overall, it's been a great day and Daniel isn't in much pain at all. Thank you so much for all the prayers and constant support. We're excited to be moving forward.

Nothing Comes Close to the Golden Coast

I have concluded that I am and will truly always be a California girl. Don't get me wrong. I love seeing and experiencing all these new places, but my heart craves for an ocean during the summer. I absolutely LOVE being at the beach! And the desire of my heart came true this past weekend because Daniel actually had the weekend OFF! Some of you might not understand the rarity of a weekend off in the baseball world, but during the baseball season... they are hard to come by! Usually at most during the season, the guys will get 2 or 3 days off a month and that's never together unless it's the all-star break. So we were so excited when we found out we were actually going to be able to visit HOME! The drive to Cali from Arizona is only about 4 and a half hours and we've done it countless times, so it's easy breezy to us! 

Friday night, we got to go on a triple date with our best friends. We saw the movie Snow White and the Huntsman, which I actually really liked. Saturday, we went to Santa Barbara with my in laws and celebrated my brother in laws birthday at the beach and then out to dinner with him and his wife. I also got to catch up with my sweet friend Stacie who just gave birth to her precious little boy a couple months ago. So got to meet and hold her precious little guy. Sunday, spent more time with our best friends, got to visit Daniel's grandparents then spent the night eating my dad's famous spaghetti and meatballs and having a game night with my fam. We headed back Monday and I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. 

Never would I have thought we'd be able to be home in California during the middle of a baseball season. I would have never wished for it to come the way it did, but I am thankful for these sweet little blessings in the midst of our circumstance. It was a great time at home with our family and friends.

With sweet lil Levi

 Daniel and his brother Ryan