Sorry for the delay. We have been sick at our house & about the only thing I have been doing is work.

On the other hand, Kjerstin is doing well. Her spirits are good. She is excited to come home & working towards that goal. She is doing well in the driving simulator & her therapies. Her & Mom are staying in a "apartment" within the hospital for the next three nights as a transition to coming back home. She has been cooking in the kitchen & shopping in the grocery store at the hospital. It is amazing the things they have at this facility. Thank you Larry the Cable Guy for donating millions of dollars to make this wing of the hospital possible. And along that line, Larry the cable guy went to visit all of the kids at Madonna last week. Kjerstin got her picture taken with him & they gave him one of Kjerstin's fundraising shirts.

I saw the neatest thing today. I'm driving down the road, fighting a migraine, just frustrated & tired & I look up and see a lady I don't even know standing in a parking lot wearing one of Kjerstin's lime green shirts! It was so awesome to see. Thank you to whoever you are. It made me smile and reminded me how lucky we are to have such support from friends, family, the community & even strangers. We couldn't have made it this far without you.

We will be having a welcome home party for Kjerstin. I will post more details as we get it organized. We decided to have it at a later date because by the time we get Kjerstin home & situated next Thursday, they said she would be pretty tired.

We are so excited for Kjerstin to come home. Please pray that she has a smooth transition.

Kjerstin took a shower all by herself today!!! She was sooo excited that she sent me a text to tell me about it!! The therapist said that she can start walking by herself without us holding onto the belt while she is in her room. We just have to be close by. This means she can walk by herself to the bathroom & around her room. May not sound like much, but compared to the "she will never walk again" statements we were hearing this is tremendous. I absolutely can't wait to take her to see the doctors & nurses at Wesley Pediatiric Unit. They are going to be so excited & I can guarantee their won't be a dry eye in the place!

We will get the results from her neuropsych test next week. I'm sure it will be good.

Dad is back to work. It was a bit of a challenge for him to get back in the groove & focus. he called me three times on the way. He kept thinking of things he needed to tell me about the golf tournament & the last time he told me he was having a hard time focusing. He had forgotten his keys, bag & other stuff he needed for work so he had to go back & get them. I'm sure it's hard to get back in the groove after 2 1/2 months. He says this has really aged him! Thank you so much to all of our friends at BNSF for donating personal leave days to Dad so that he was able to stay with Kjerstin as long as he was. Not only did it help Mom & Kjerstin, but it helped Dad & Kjerstin's relationship tremendously. They are much closer than they have been in a very long time.

Kjerstin will be flying home on the 23rd! Only 14 days left! Keep Praying!

Kjerstin is getting a bit frustrated with her therapy. She says it's really hard & that her life is like a nightmare she can't wake up from! We keep encouraging her, though. If she only knew what she has already overcome. It will all make sense to her soon. So, if you get a chance, please send her some encouraging words & say a prayer for her.

She is doing very well with her therapy. She is doing much better in the driving simulator! She only crashed one time out of seven the last time she was in the simulator. Much better than last time. They are doing a neuropsych test tomorrow & that will give us a much better idea of where she is.

She now knows about the school issue and she is pretty upset! We have been trying to explain it to her, but she just wants to go back to see her friends & to the school & staff that she knows. Just please keep praying about this.

Tonight Mom & Kjerstin got to go to a movie. Getting out helps Kjerstin to pass the time more quickly. Her & Mom have a great time together!

Dad has settled in back home pretty well. He seems a bit lost though. On Sunday, he asked me if I wanted him to come clean house with me. When I said, "No. Thanks though." He said, "Well, I can. I'm in the cleaning mood!" What? I thought. Is he sick or possessed or what? Of course, it's neither. He is just really making an effort & Kjerstin's accident has really had an effect on him! I had to call & tell Mom. She didn't believe me at first! It's a big change from going nonstop for 2 1/2 months constantly doing things to coming home to an empty house. Today he told me he did 8 loads of laundry because the sheets & blankets smelled stale & he wanted the house to smell nice for when Mom & Kjerstin come home! He cleaned the pool, watered plants, cleaned out the fridge, organized food into rubbermaid containers for his lunches, went to Wal-Mart, worked on the bathroom. I don't even remember the rest. I was tired by the time he got half way through the list & it was before noon when he called me! Wait until I tell Mom this.

The house is coming along. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped. We hope to have it done by next week.

I have been working with Kjerstin's puppy, teaching him manners! UGGGHHH! What a chore. I think huskys are the most stubborn dogs I have ever worked with. We have mastered the chore of learning not to jump on people! We want to make sure that he doesn't knock her over. Now if we can just get mom's crack head dog to learn to not bump into people, I will be doing good!

It is all coming together & I am counting the days until Kjerstin comes home. I must say I have never been so emotionally & physically exhausted in a very long time. I can't imagine what Mom is feeling. Please pray for continued healing for Kjerstin. She is our little or should I say BIG Miracle!

On Sunday, we got to take Kjerstin for another brief outing. We went to Pizza Hut & then her & Mom went to Target, as we all had to drive back home. We moved Dad back home & moved Mom's things into Kjerstin's hospital room. It was really hard for Kjerstin to let Dad go home. After we left, Mom & Kjerstin followed us and Kjerstin had to talk to Dad again & get another hug. She cried & told him she didn't want him to leave. That made Mom & cry, too. On the way home, Kjerstin sent Dad a text and asked him if he was at work yet! She doesn't realize quite how far of a drive home we have.

She was walking much better once she got her insersts & even better when she got her new shoes that didn't cause her feet to hurt! Amazing what inserts can do for your walking & posture. We saw a huge improvement for Kjerstin.

Today Kjerstin got to go watch a friend's soccer game in Lincoln. She really enjoyed it! There were some raindrops that fell while they were sitting there & she thought that was fun. We are always looking out the window, going great...it's raining! Now we have to work in the rain all day or find the umbrellas, etc. Kjerstin has a different outlook when it comes to rain, now. She thanks God that she can actually feel raindrops & see rain! My how our priorities have changed. Makes you stop and think about what things you take for granted in your own life! Is it your family, your job, your kids, your friends, the fact that you can walk? Or what about things like being able to experience emotions, have memories & live through the seasons of life? Whatever it may be in your life, stop and think about that and see if there are some priorities that need changed in your life. We have the gift of a second chance with Kjerstin, but we almost didn't. Will you have a second chance with your loved ones? No one knows. But what we do know is that we have a chance right now to change our priorities & not take life or family for granted.

Please continue to pray. These last few weeks before getting to return home are going to be very hard for Kjerstin.

Kjerstin & I were hanging out looking at comforters & looking at email, etc. & decided that we should share this:

To realize the value of a sister/brother, ask someone who doesn't have one.
To realize the value of ten years, ask a newly divorced couple.
To realize the value of four years, ask a graduate.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of nine months, ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of one week, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one-second, ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

Kjerstin just wants everyone to realize what gifts God has given them & to remind everyone to cherish them! Tell your loved ones what they mean to you......TODAY!

A new bed and wheelchair are in order for Kjerstin! She has moved from the bed that has a canvas net cover around it that you zip up to a regular bed! She does have an alarm on the bed so that if she gets out of bed, the nurse will know. Her wheelchair is just a regular wheelchair that she rarely uses. Such progress in such a short amount of time!

Today we got to go on an outing. She wanted to get a manicure, her hair trimmed and strawberry crepes from Village Inn! There is a wonderful lady that donated her time and gave her a manicure. Then we went and got her hair trimmed. It had not been trimmed since weeks before the accident. We worked on changing her part so that we can cover up the part of her head that was shaved. It looked so good that you can't even tell she had it shaved! Then it was on to Village Inn. She had her strawberry crepes, lemonade & french silk pie. She was in heaven!

Kjerstin's new inserts wouldn't fit in her tennis shoes, because we couldn't take out the insoles that originally came in the shoes. This was causing her feet to hurt, so we went and got her a new pair. She was very happy. Her new inserts fit & she said her feet didn't hurt for the first time!

She would really like to walk without anyone holding onto her belt, but they haven't released her to do that yet. They are letting her walk without any assistance during physical therapy, but otherwise she has to have one of us holding onto her belt. She is still laughing a lot and enjoys all of us here and any visitors that stop by. She played UNO, Life, and some other games. Tonight we put a blonde streak in her hair like she had before. (It was part of the hair that got shaved off when they put her pressure monitor in her brain.) She took a shower & we put some Moroccan Oil on her hair to make it smooth & healthy & Steph straightened it for her. It looks really good. She was really happy with it & she felt a lot better about how she looked. You know teenage girls!

Dad is coming home with us tomorrow, so we have been packing up his things and moving some of Mom's things to the hospital. They were out of hotel rooms tonight because of the Nebraska football game, so we are all sharing a hotel room! Yes, all 9 of us - well all 7 of us. Jerimiah & Braden stayed at the hospital tonight. So much love in this room! Actually, it's not too bad. We have all been getting along well. However, this roll away is HORRID! Nothing like sharing a twin size roll away with your 8 year old! But, it's only for one night & we get to see Kjerstin so it's worth it!

Kjerstin & I worked on putting her make up. She did pretty good. The mascara is a little hard for her & she smears it some, but otherwise she did really good. Getting her ready in the mornings is quite a feat! You have to help her do everything. From bathing her to dressing her to brushing her teeth, make up, deodorant, brushing & blow drying her hair, etc. Girls, just imagine verything you do to get ready & imagine doing all that for another person! By the time her & Mom get ready, it's nap time nearly! It is a full time job for Mom.

We ended the evening by talking, joking & looking at her scrapbooks. Thank you so much to Marvene, Tammy, & all our other friends who helped put those together for her. She really has enjoyed them and so has Mom & Dad.

We told Kjerstin we would have a Welcome Home party for her & her eyes lit up! She is so ready to come home and we are ready for her to be home. As we near her homecoming, please continue to pray & especially pray for her to have patience & perserverance.

Kjerstin tried out the driving simulator and, well.... it didn't go so well. That's Ok, though, we didn't expect her to be ready to drive yet! And besides if Mom is assisting with her driving, she's never gonna pass! We have all seen my mother's driving. There's a reason why the kids refer to her as "Crazy Linda" when she drives..........mailboxes, garage walls, corn fields...... I know Steph is dying laughing right now................All I can think of is Steph screaming, "We're gonna DIE! We're Gonna DIE!! Aww, Steph, it's just corn stalks. We are in Tennessee, who needs roads when we can cut through the field! Oh, the memories Mom has provided us with!

So, back to the simulator.... The driving simulator helps Kjerstin to deal with her fears and anxiety about driving caused by the wreck. It is a wonderful tool that works very well and is completely safe. She is also practicing getting in and out of the car and putting her set belt on and taking it off.

Another area of therapy that she is working on is basic everyday skills like vacuuming or grocery shopping. The hospital has a room set up just like a bedroom that they go and practice in. Mom sent a picture of Kjerstin vacuuming and it said : "Miracles have happened! How many times have you ever seen Kjerstin do this!" That's the truth. Kjerstin did not like vacuuming. Even when she was a baby, she didn't like the "noisy" vacuum. They also have a room set up like a grocery store. Kjerstin is given a list and she has to go and find the items and place them in the cart. She then has to check out and pay and put the items in a bag. It's pretty amazing the things this hospital has. I must say, Madonna Rehab Hospital is an amazing place!

Every time I talk to Kjerstin, she tells me how she wants to come home. I don't blame her one bit, but I just keep encouraging her and telling her the harder she works at therapy, the better she will get so she can go home. She has a calendar hanging in her room that she crosses out the days on to count down the days until she gets to come home. Otherwise, her spirits are good. She is happy and laughs quite a bit. She gets to go on an outing this weekend again. She hasn't decided where she wants to go yet. We are going to play some card games and rent a movie one night. She has decided that. If you have time, would you please drop a card in the mail with some encouraging words in it. I know many of you have already sent cards, but now Kjerstin is at a place where she will be the one opening & receiving mail. I think it would help her tremendously. She has a wreath hanging in her room with all of her cards attached to it by ribbons. It is really neat looking and it would be good practice for her to open and read cards and tie a ribbon on them to hang on her wreath. This will help with her fine motor skills. The address is : Madonna Rehab Hospital, Pediatric Floor, c/o Kjerstin Webb Room L56, 5401 South St., Lincoln, NE 68506.

Please don't forget the golf tournament on October 9! WSU Men's Basketball Coach, Gregg Marshall & his wife, Lynn, will be participating in this event! We hope you will join us! There are more details at kmwfundraising.blogspot.com or you can contact me at wtiday@gmail.com or my cell 316-209-8972.

As you go through this holiday weekend, make sure you tell your loved ones just how much they mean to you. Now is the time, as we have no promise for tomorrow. You may be traveling to see family or you may just stay home. Either way, hug your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you.