Abby update - March 18

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Abby goes back to school. Her backpack is packed, her clothes are laid out, the special treats for her lunch are set aside...I feel like it is the first day of school, ever. In some ways it is. For one thing, God has granted Abby another opportunity at life. For that we are very grateful. In other ways, it will be a new experience for Abby--different than she has ever had before. Things that were once easy will be difficult. For that, we still seek your prayers.

This week will help us transition to her final schedule for the spring. This week Abby will go to Hill Country Christian School about five hours Monday through Thursday (including workouts with her volleyball team!), plus we'll have two visits from her home-bound teacher. Then, next week we'll meet with the education team at Wimberley ISD and see how selected classes and services will fit into her schedule, plus we'll be looking into how to weave some formal speech and cognitive therapy into her day. It sounds overwhelming, but, thankfully, no one is demanding that Abby take on a "full load" in any of these locations, so I think we can find a nice balance.

Finally, I've got to tell you that today had its own milestone...for the first time since her accident, Abby rode her bike! Maybe it's true you never forget, but not many people have to regain all their coordination and balance, and Abby did great! We rode for nearly an hour this afternoon (we chose some fairly flat areas down near the river--not Hoots Holler!), and Abby was even standing on the pedals to pump uphill (better than her out-of-shape Mom...). Abby has always really enjoyed going for bike rides, so today was really a blessing.

Thanks for cheering us on through all these milestones--blessings are better when you get to share them!
Lee Ann, Gordon, Abby, & Frank