Progress and Success

It is late Sunday night and I would prefer to be sleeping. Annie has determined that she should not retire at night until closer to 10pm though. Annie does not realise this yet, but tomorrow morning I’ll be waking her up earlier than normal. Hopefully we can adjust her new preferences slightly and stave off repeat occurrences of her nocturnal activity. Fortunately I have this blog to write, and an opportunity to reflect on another week of blessings.

A funny story to begin: Chanel said something during the week that I misinterpreted as rude. I was quite wrong, but in my annoyed state I expressed to her that as she got older her BIG mouth was getting BIGGER. Ella, who was sitting at the dining table listening intently, piped up in defense of her sister’s big mouth: “Yours is too Dad!” They say that children help us understand our inadequacy. I never expected it to be so succinctly expressed though, especially by my five year-old.

I forgot to mention that Monday afternoon we enjoyed a visit from mum and dad. Dad was coming to Wollongong to play golf with Lloyd, his friend of some 20 years. Mum decided to come along for the ride. They stayed with us Monday night. It was a great treat to have them along – and we were spoiled from the visit too. They came to the velodrome to watch Chanel do some bike training. When this was finished we all went out to a restaurant for dinner. In typical Coulson fashion we over-ordered. This was wonderful for me! I ate a lot. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Soups, breads, canapés, pasta, meat, fish, and chicken! Oh, and then dessert. I was a little uncomfortable when we left though. I probably didn’t need the cheesecake!

The highlight of mum and dad’s visit was twofold. Firstly, dad bought my bike from me. He balked at the price but I assured him it was very fair and that he wouldn’t be complaining after he rode the bike. A phone call on Friday confirmed that I had a very satisfied dad. His friend, Lloyd, can no longer keep up with him! He likes the bike a lot.

Mum and dad also gave me a gift. For close to a decade I have been trying to get hold of my priesthood line of authority. It provides the names and dates of priesthood ordinations from my own back to Joseph Smith’s receiving the priesthood under the hands of the ancient apostles Peter, James, and John. They received the priesthood, or authority to act in the name of God through service and priesthood power, from the Saviour Jesus Christ himself. After ten years of waiting it was a really exciting gift to receive. I’ll post it to the blog in the coming weeks.

It’s been a great week for Chanel. On Tuesday the school swimming carnival was held, inclement weather notwithstanding. I took the day off to be at the event. Chanel loves swimming and her squad training is providing for a beautifully developing stroke. Of course, Chanel is not as big as many of the other children. Despite this our 9 year-old won each of her breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly races. She also won the 200m individual medley. As Kylie and I watched we wondered if she could make it! 200m is a long way for a little girl. Chanel placed second in the 100m freestyle and third in the 50 free. Her efforts saw her in front of the assembly at school on Friday where she received the Junior Female Swim Champion award. This Wednesday (18th Feb) Chanel will compete in the district carnival.

Abbie, Ella, and Annie have all had relatively quiet weeks. Abbie is regularly demonstrating how sweet she is. Ella is still wearing her cast and has not eased up in the slightest. In fact Ella obtains enormous delight hitting her cast against walls, doors, or tables to get attention. In spite of this, the doctor is pleased with the progress her broken ulna is making and we think she will have the cast removed after only four weeks. Annie has been moody and easily aggravated this week. Very difficult. Kylie has also had a relatively quiet week in comparison to her recent action-packed weeks. At least that’s my perspective on things. I’ve been extremely busy though, so my workload may be contributing to my inability to describe everyone else’s activities.

This week I continued data collection for my project. The questionnaire will remain active on line for a couple more weeks. But I have personally collected at least 500 surveys for my analysis. I’m feeling pretty pleased with that effort. I would not have imagined that I could get so many done in such a short period of time. I was also excited to see that the local newspaper had an interest in what I’m studying. Our family featured in a huge front-page photo! Then we got a substantial write-up on page three, with another photo. This was all great news. The only disappointment was that the paper ran with photos that didn’t include Kylie. It would have been nice for our whole family to be together.

We’ve had a week of rain which has meant I’ve only been able to ride a couple of times. Mt Kembla is a huge hill behind us. It’s around 10 kms of steep climbing. Probably nearly as tough as Macquarie Pass. I had a good go at it on Thursday and hope to do it a couple more times this week. Extremely hard riding. I cannot express how excited I am about riding. We’re expecting big surf this week but I’m not even slightly interested in it. I just want to ride. But I’m not ready to sell my board and wetty just yet.

Saturday night we were invited to a Valentine’s day dinner with several other couples from church. We enjoyed the evening and appreciated the huge effort our friends went to in organising the event for everyone else. Kylie and I don’t typically do much for Valentines Day. I may have to remedy this in coming years. I couldn’t help feeling that a nice quiet night at home with a delicious home-cooked meal would have been perfect. But quiet nights at home are rare, and very hard to come by with our four girls running around! So we were grateful for the opportunity to get dressed up and go out.

Today at church our family was invited to sing during the sacrament meeting. We sang without accompaniment. Ella began for us and sang with confidence and commitment. In fact even as the remaining voices of our family joined in Ella dominated. She brought smiles to the entire congregation. Her efforts were wonderfully appreciated. Kylie wept as our little girl sang. Only twelve months ago this little angel could not communicate with anyone in any decipherable way. In just one short year Ella has found her voice. We were so grateful for her progress and the amazing people who have assisted her. The special assistance from Jenny at her preschool, and the ongoing tuition from her speech pathologist, Alison, as well as hard work doing homework with Kylie, and lastly the gargantuan dose of love and support from her kind Sunday School teacher Sue; each has contributed to the stunning and precious development we saw during the service.

In Sunday School we spoke of receiving guidance and revelation from our Father. Young Mens was an extension of this theme. And during the afternoon I had the opportunity to connect with one of the men at church who I’ve found hard to reach. He and two of his sons visited for pancakes and ice-cream at lunch time. He is beginning a course of study and is academically unsure, having done poorly in school. He has not studied in close to 20 years. I spent an hour teaching him essay skills. It felt good to be helpful. Finally our night ended with a beautifully cooked roast chicken that I am still savouring. We invited a good friend, Greg, to visit. His wife is in Melbourne for a couple of weeks and we wanted to be sure he was getting well fed!

We have had a full week: full of friends, full of work, full of energy, and full of blessings.

Whoa!

Cataclysmic! Stunning! Miraculous! Breathtaking! Arduous!

I am unsure as to whether I really have the vocabulary to describe, in brief, the phenomenal week we have just lived through. Things began ordinarily enough with the children at school on Monday and me collecting data for my project. It was a busy day but nothing too exceptional. Until. . .

I was at the swimming pool collecting data from parents for my PhD when Kylie came in. The children were in the car in the car park waiting for us. Kylie informed me that Ella had hurt her arm while Chanel was doing her bike training at the velodrome. Ella had been swinging on some bars with Abbie when she fell. She had whimpered a little and then gone to sit in the car. After 10 minutes someone told Kylie Ella was still crying. This was unusual so Kylie tended to her straight away. Her arm didn’t look bad, but it didn’t look quite right either. Kylie came to me and hurried me along a little. We left the pool immediately and headed for the hospital, dropping Chanel and Abbie off at a friend’s home on the way. Ella was quiet - chatting occasionally, crying occasionally – but generally in good spirits. The tears began again at the hospital. We were seen to immediately – unusual for the public hospital system – and x-rays revealed a broken ulna. The elbow was twisted too unfortunately with a bent radius just to complicate things even more.
Tuesday morning Kylie and Ella returned to the hospital for Ella’s operation. At the same time I received a phone call from mum asking if I’d heard from dad. He was flying, in a light plane, from Newcastle to Grafton for some work that morning. I instantly froze as mum told me dad’s plane had crashed. The pilot had misjudged the runway and, being too low, had crashed into an embankment situated just before the airstrip. The plane had been written off, but somehow – miraculously – dad and the pilot had walked away uninjured. Fence posts had destroyed the underside of the cabin, the wings were torn from the cabin, and the propellers destroyed. Clearly there is still work for my dad to do on this planet!

Ella’s operation went smoothly and she emerged from theatre in reasonable condition. Her emergence from anaesthesia was good, and she immediately began pleading for food and drink. The doctors indicated some concern about the likelihood of a perfect outcome due to the radius being badly bent but not broken. We are praying that our little girl will have good results at the next x-ray.

As Ella returned from the operating table I went to see my specialist for a procedure akin to a ‘mini’ colonoscopy. I can’t remember what it was called, but I do remember that it was quite uncomfortable! I received a clear bill of health though which was pleasing – and he told me I can ride my bike as much as I want with little risk of any unpleasant reoccurrences of. . . well – you know. So Tuesday was a BIG day! And I finished it off with another couple of hours of data collection. Phew.

While we ate dinner Tuesday evening I got a call from the Thayers, some of our favourite people from Brisbane. Shaun has been accepted into medical school in Canberra, so was driving with his wife and three children to their new home. I had forgotten to tell Kylie that one of my previous conversations with Shaun ended with me promising they could stay here a day or two on their way to Canberra. After dinner Tuesday night I raced off to give a blessing to someone in need, but not before telling Kylie we had 90 minutes to prepare for the Thayers’ arrival. Oops! I am blessed with a forgiving wife.

Wednesday morning began with the Coulson family on the front page of the local paper. We were featured in an article where I was promoting my study, trying to get participants to take my survey online. Ella was becoming comfortable with her arm in plaster and enjoyed running, jumping, and falling over as much with the cast as without it. We do not seem to be able to slow that little girl down at all! Add to that her increased appetite. . . when asked how hungry she was, Ella replied “100 hungry”. I’m guessing she really needed more food!
I continued with my data collection, Kylie entertained the Thayers, and the children went to school. The Thayers stayed Wednesday night too and the children loved the extended opportunity to renew acquaintances. Roast lamb and chicken for dinner followed by the most wonderful Bavarian and ice-cream made for a very enjoyable night – and the company was terrific too.

Thursday I took the morning off. I visited with a new friend from the Illawarra Riders Club and we built a new bicycle for me. In a matter of hours we had added to the frame a carbon fork, stem, handlebars, bottom bracket, compact crank, pedals, seat post, seat, front and rear derailleur, 8 speed cassette, levers, cables, brakes, brake cables, wheels, tubes and tyres. The entire bike built from top to bottom. It all came from second hand parts and he gave it to me at a great price! As we finished work I looked at the time. I had 45 minutes to travel 22 kms against a headwind in 35 degree heat to get to uni for an appointment. I rode very hard and did not look good when I got there. But I was there in time to swallow lunch, wash, change shirts, get equipment, and arrive for the appointment with 2 minutes remaining. Wow!

Thursday night was quiet. I spent the evening putting the data I had collected into a spreadsheet, and we tried to sleep in the oppressive heat.

I honestly cannot remember what happened on Friday. I think it was a normal-ish day. I watched Annie in the morning while Kylie went to a meeting. Then I raced back to uni and spent the afternoon working hard. That evening we went to the velodrome where Annie tried to run onto the track while a race was on! We’re going to sit outside the arena from now on rather than in the middle.

Saturday morning I finally got to take my bike for a real ride. Mt Keira was my objective. The gear ratio makes for some tough hill climbs as the gears are fairly heavy. I did the climb twice. Once alone, and the second time with about 15 men from church who were having a ride for an activity. The first climb was awesome. I went really hard at it and was very pleased with what I’d done. The second climb was very slow. Almost painfully slow in fact. It takes me about 25 minutes to ascend. It took the men I rode with a little over an hour. But we got there. Each of them felt they had accomplished a real feat and it was terrific to be there with them. The barbequed eggs and bacon were good too. The remainder of the day Kylie and I worked at conserving energy. The heat was oppressive and so we stayed inside, attempting to occupy the children quietly and calmly. It was largely ineffective. We went to the chapel to enjoy the cool of the air-con with some friends. But the kids were even worse there. I lost my ‘cool’ and the afternoon ended abruptly. I do NOT like hot weather. At all. Not one bit.

Sunday (today) we travelled for conference. Campbelltown was over 40 degrees, but we felt grateful for air-conditioning and a modern building. The conference was positive and uplifting in parts, but not what I had been hoping for. Several others shared similar thoughts. Oh well, every day can’t be perfect at church.

So an enormous and draining week is over. We are finally expecting some cooler temperatures from tomorrow which will be welcome. Annie is intrigued by powerpoints and light switches. She is becoming louder and more talkative, even pronouncing random words as she copies her sisters. She is cutting more teeth too. And she will no longer allow anyone to feed her. She feeds herself – very messily.

Ella is rambunctious, full of energy, and not letting a broken arm get in her way. She seems to be a little more compassionate since her accident too.

Abbie has been having difficulty adjusting to the new school year. Combined with the heat, I think she’s very tired and that is affecting how she relates to her family. We’re confident she’ll calm down in the coming days. Tonight at dinner as we spoke about what we were grateful for Kylie suggested she was grateful for cold water. Because of Annie’s noise combined with the fan blowing, Abbie thought Kylie said she was grateful for “Bob the Builder”. It was a cute moment.

Chanel is hooked on bicycles, swimming, and reading. She’s also doing really well with church and enjoys memorising scriptures. And her grade 4 year has taken off in a big way.

Kylie is hooked on bicycles but hates the heat. She is absorbed in some wonderful friendships and loves her stamping craft activities.

Our lives are blessed. We have received blessings, even miracles, this week and are grateful for them.