Hi friends! I’m so happy it’s Friday! How about you?

Well time just keeps on ticking along, doesn’t it? And out of nowhere, April is here!

Many of you know I am part of a Facebook Group for women to inspire us to get some intentional exercise. Goodness gracious we have fun in that group! It’s called “The Sizzlers Challenge”.

We are a no pressure all positive encouragement group.

And it’s free. No strings. We aren’t selling anything. Just come as you are and we all inspire each other to get some exercise and get a healthier lifestyle. This is exactly what I need!

And they are the nicest group of ladies you ever met! We have all fitness levels so where ever you are at is absolutely perfect for this group!  Come check us out!

We sure would love to have you join us! Click Here: Sizzlers Challenge

Now for those of you who don’t know, I fell on the ice back at the end of February. I had a pretty significant ankle break which required surgery, and I am now healing and doing all the things I need to do to get back on track. So many people have been so good to me!  I’m not allowed to put any weight on it yet, so I use a walker and I “hop”. Yes, you can call me “Hop-along Kennedy”, Hah! So this has changed things in not only my life, but my husband and son’s as well, as they take turns making sure I am set with things I need before they leave for the day.  I appreciate them so much!

One thing I added was a new backpack purse. I was really struggling taking a purse to my appointments because it would fall down my arm while I was trying to use the walker. So I thought, “A backpack would be perfect!” And I ordered this nice gray one on sale!

As you can see below, the backpack keeps my hands free to work the walker. Let me tell you, I am not the most coordinated, so having my hands free is a great safety precaution! With my new backpack purse, I am a “happy camper”, Hah!

Another note, this was my first day wearing jeans since I fell. I’ve been wearing sweat pants and or scrubs every day. But yesterday I put on a pair of blue jeans. I was so happy! It sounds silly but it was a personal victory!

There have been so many kind people stepping forward to help me out. I’ve been blessed by calls, meals being delivered, cards, treats, visits, I have just been absolutely overwhelmed by the kindness people have extended to me. And it is so appreciated, and it all encourages me and inspires me to keep moving forward!

A week ago, some of the ladies I work with at NorthRidge Church came by and brought me lunch. These are my friends Jenny, Dena and Tracey.

They brought a beautiful lunch for me, and the best part was that they sat down with me right in my family room, and we ate together! Isn’t it something what a gift a visit from a friend is? They told me all about things happening at work, and in their lives. There was so much to catch up on! And we laughed, and yes I got a little teary because I so appreciated them taking the time to come and see me! I told them when they left that I would remember their dear sweet faces in my family room, and it would make me smile to remember this lovely time we shared. These ladies are so kind, and it meant so much to me that they would do that! How could you not be cheered up looking at those beautiful faces! Goodness Gracious!

My physical therapy has continued, and the people that work with me are so kind and patient. They make me want to do better even though it is not always comfortable. They help me understand why I need to do all the exercises, how they will lead to me being able to walk again. Right now, they are helping me get the range of motion back in the injured ankle and foot. This list below is my current list of PT exercises I do a few times a day. Each one of these I do 30 times. I do them at home, and I do them at Therapy. And at Therapy I add in a one pound weight strapped to my broken ankle to begin to strengthen that ankle for many of the exercises below. Ok, I came up with some of the names (like “toe crunchers” Hah!) but they help me remember what I have to do.

After all the exercises, the therapist works/massages your injured leg/ankle/foot trying to get the muscles loosened up, and further increasing your “range of motion”. Then, it always ends with me on the ice machine for 10 minutes. This is awesome. It really helps the swelling go down. The wrap around my foot in the picture below has icy cold water flowing through it on the inside. So my foot never gets wet, but it feels the cold all around it. It is a very nice reward for the hard work. Can you hear me saying, “Ahhhhhh”! Life is good!

My biggest goal right now is to get my foot to lay flat in this boot. That means my foot must be at a 90° angle. My foot does not want to do this. It is recovering from the surgery and all the added new hardware presents new challenges for the muscles and tendons to work around. But it has to. So, many of my exercises are geared towards this goal.

And it is working! It is not easy, but I see a little more progress every day.

Eventually I will be putting weight on it, so those muscles, my ankle, my achilles and my calf need to be ready for when that day comes. It’s kind of like getting ready for a big exam! I’ve got to be prepared! I’m pretty close if not there! Woohoo!

My Sizzler group I mentioned at the top of this post have been so supportive! They make me feel like a champion every single day. That little boost makes me try just a little bit harder each time I do my exercises.

Then maybe the best medicine of all, my parents drove up and surprised me with a visit! They did not tell me they were coming because they didn’t want me to worry or fuss over them. They came loaded down with all kinds of treats! But the best treat was seeing them!

Aren’t they just beautiful? And they are the sweetest most loving mom and dad ever! I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world! I love them so much!

Here you can see how happy my son Jake was to see them too!

This has been a challenging road, but I am so blessed to have people encouraging me and helping me every step of the way.

Some of it has been hard, but through all of it I have seen how blessed I am to have friends and family help carry me through. And I am so very grateful!

It occurred to me that the challenges in this life are quite a bit like climbing a mountain. I have connected with many people along this journey going through far more difficult circumstances than me. And I see them rise to the challenge each and every day with courage and a great attitude. They have faith and a prevailing spirit. This inspires me to say, “Ok, I can do this!” And while yes I have good days and difficult ones, I have set my mind to the fact that I am not in this alone (that truth feels amazing!) and I am going to climb this mountain, and nothing is going to stop me!

Maybe you are going through something very challenging too. If you are, my friend, my heart is with you. Do not give up, do not be discouraged. You are going to get through this! We both will! We just have to take one step at a time. Sometimes all you need to focus on is that next step. And pretty soon you will be amazed at how far you have come. Remember that you are never alone, and the one who goes the journey with you loves you more than you could possibly imagine. So trust that, hold on to that, and keep moving forward. We are going to make it, my friend! The summit is just ahead!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

I will be back Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.   ~Barry Finlay