Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Tomorrow we celebrate our freedom and independence. This is not something to take lightly as we reflect on those who are still in the fight to give us this freedom. My wish is for all of you to thank our military who are giving so much of themselves, away from home and loved ones. Ones who are in harms way please say prayers for their safety. I would love for our military hospitals to no longer be housing so many wounded warriors! So when you are enjoying your BBQ's tomorrow, please say thank you for our freedom.

Speaking of freedom, Justin has his newly adapted truck and will be driving us to my cousins Jon and Kandi Boda for the 4th of July! We are leaving today for a couple of days R&R. This is one more step closer to total independence! Therapy is going well, Justin works many hours a day walking the track, climbing stairs, climbing up and down an incline ramp. Then it is on to OT (occupational therapy)  where he lifts weights, practices getting in and out of his truck with his legs on, which he does not have to, playing whiffle ball etc. He leaves early in the morning and cruises in around lunch ready to hit the showers and eat a big lunch.

This past week we had a special visit from Tim Tuomey a former recon Marine who felt the need to give back to his brothers. Tim rode his bicycle from San Francisco Ca to Camp Lejune North Carolina raising money and awareness for the Semper Fi Fund.The Semper Fi Fund is a 501c3 that assists wounded Marines and Sailors with assistance after injury. They are an awesome organization that I cannot say enough about.   Tim raised $50,000!!! I am so proud of this man and we were blessed to finally meet him in person! Another special visitor who arrived with Tim was Betty Kilbride, she is an author and talk show host of All Fired Up Military Monday's where she supports the military through her talk show. I had been in phone contact, email and Facebook with these two for months and what a pleasure it was to finally meet them. Knowing there are good people who don't even know you take the time to come and meet you in person means so very much while going through the healing process. These two are friends for life that I know for sure!

Justin's room is almost finished and just in the nick of time! We are going home for a nice deserved leave and Justin will be able to check out his new man cave! While home, we have lots of places to check out like the VA, DMV etc preparing for the final homecoming down the road. We need to check out how quick he can get assistance with his prosthetics if the need arises, which it does all the time. Once he leaves Bethesda for  good, he will not have the drive by service he gets today. Literally he rolls into the lab and on the spot fix his legs! Talk about service!

Justin's medical boards are moving along quickly, too quickly for me! The parallel path between getting medically discharged and finishing physical therapy is an interesting concept. I keep telling Justin his therapy is not over until he is walking all over base with no canes and no chair! That is the goal. His med boards if they finish first can sit on a shelf until he is physically ready to go. The challenge will be holding him back! The taste of finally being home for good is a strong pull.

Well that about wraps up our month, when we get home I will post pictures of his man cave! Everyone has done such an awesome job we cannot thank you all enough. Happy 4th of July all, thank you for your continued love, support and prayers for our family! On behalf of the entire Crabbe Family, may God bless you all.  Until next update, keep a smile on your face and hug the ones you love.