Her First Graduation

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come

As a "victim" of the vid-19 (like everyone else) this girl did not get a high school graduation ceremony. Today was her first. We are proud of her hard work, great grades, multiple interests, overcoming obstacles and fighting to finish strong.

This last semester was a rough one, rehabbing from ACL surgery and struggling to figure out what her future would bring. Time and time again God meets us right where we are. I hope she knows she can do hard things because God has given her great strength. Reagan can meet a challenge and turn it into good. I'm not sure that she is sold on that message yet, but I know it to be absolutely true...every time.

 After graduation Reagan will begin a master's program in Nutrition and Exercise Science and play her 5th year with the soccer team. We look forward to seeing #7 on the pitch once again. The healing path continues but Reagan thrives in competition, she will do well!

Mom and Dad with the Grad

Liv and Regs

Joe, Emma and Willow were there in spirit

I really thought we would retake this picture but it didn't happen. Dang. 

Uncle Rodger and Aunt Laura got up at 4:30am to make it to Lincoln in time for 9am graduation. Now that is dedication. So good to have their support. 

Funny note, Laura is a nursing instructor at UMKC in Kansas City. About half way through our brunch today, Riss' older sister said, "Hey Reagan, your aunt was my sim-lab instructor during nursing school." What a small world. Amber is now a nurse in North Carolina so I guess Laura did a good job preparing her for working in the field. 

Family and friends celebrating our two favorite graduates

Reagan and Riss became teammates and best friends within days of meeting each other back in January of 2020. I am thankful that their friendship brought this whole group together. Ben and Christine are lovely people, too bad we didn't get to know them sooner. 

And then below is one of my chalkboard creations. It's just a fun thing I like to do.

However, it was raining so didn't even take it to brunch today.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

 

She’s Comin’ Back

 

It’s been 6 mo since Dr. Claire repaired Reagan‘s ACL in the Operating room. This is not an easy journey! With any surgery there’s pain, swelling, loss of strength, loss of normal activities, but for an athlete such as my daughter, this surgery also represents potentially losing your dream and sitting on the sidelines for your entire senior soccer season. The emotional toil is tremendous. 

It's December and she will be graduating in just a couple weeks with a BS in Nutrition and Exercise Health Science. In just the last few weeks Reagan has decided to stay for her 5th year at Nebraska. This will allow her to start her master's degree while under scholarship and get back on the pitch. As long as I can remember, Reagan's dream has been set beyond college soccer, she has wanted to play in the pros. Going back one more year will give her the chance to complete her ACL rehab and show the world that SHE IS BACK!!! 

This young woman has dealt with some true trials over the last few years but it is in the fire that we are refined. She will come through this better than she was before. God doesn't leave us alone in our dark days, He is right there to help us, grow us and strengthen us. God is good all the time.

I for one am looking forward to cheering on my favorite Husker for one more year. 

GO BIG RED!!!

A Husker Finding Hope

You’ve read in this blog about Reagan’s soccer “career” over the years of micro soccer to real teams to competitive & travel soccer to high school and then the injury to the recruiting process then the college commitment. We thought once she signed the National Letter of Intent in November 2019 and moved in the dorm in January 2020, the day she would take the field to play her first D1 collegiate soccer fame was right around the corner. Who knew there were curve balls in soccer? 

Reagan has now been in college for a full year and has yet to put on her Huskers uniform for anything more than media day. So again, we are looking toward the spring for game one. It has been hard for Regs but we are proud of her attitude and desire to rise above. 

A couple weeks ago Reagan’s coach recommended her to be interviewed by a Husker journalist who in turn had a writer at FanWord write this article in her voice. (Interesting way of doing things.) So >> Click Here << to read Reagan’s thoughts on her journey to playing soccer for Nebraska. 

Fall 2016

To

Fall 2020

Bucket List Item: Half Marathon

6:30am Friday: Fly to North Carolina

10:30am Friday: Drive to South Carolina

4:30pm Friday: Great Dinner in Lexington 

8:00pm Friday: Early to bed

7:30am Saturday: The fast people start

7:40ish am Saturday: Us slow people start

13.1 miles, one potty break and rock in shoe x2

2 hours 53 min later: I FINISH

2:30pm Saturday: Drive back to North Carolina (our “travel agent” may not have realized which state were were running in...Lexington, N.C. or Lexington, S.C. Yikes!)

6:25pm Saturday: Fly to Nebraska

Melanie . Linda Boden . April Binder . Kim Weeks

Why did I do this you ask? It’s been a bucket list item for me since I tore my hamstrings off the bone back in 2017. My goal was to train and run the whole thing. Along comes my long time crazy Marathon running friend April, who basically begged me to go on this trip, promising me that it’s ok if I have to walk some. My fitness level did not allow me to run the full 13.1 miles. Plan to succeed they say, so my plan was to run .75 of each mile and walk .25. It was a good plan and for the most part that’s what I did...until Mile 11. At 10:13am I was ready to throw in the towel. That’s when some serious soul searching and total reliance on God kicked in. I made it up the last hill, down the straightaway to the baseball field and then the finish line was in sight. I wanted to stop but the desire to finish was stronger. April crossed the finish line 1 hour and 2 minutes before me. As I made my way under the arch, there she stood proudly cheering on her best friend. 

My face doesn’t show it but I was sooo nervous! 

My face doesn’t show it but my feet might fall off

Heaviest medal I have ever lifted

Got home to this precious girl and sign

Will I do it again? Not sure, but if I do I want to run it all!

 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

National Letter of Intent Signing Day 2019

The day is finally here, she is officially a Husker!

Almost three and a half years ago Reagan went on her first college soccer recruiting trip. During those 40 months she has started high school, attended 10 high school dances, taken 9 (or 10) AP classes, gone on TEN unofficial recruiting visits, learned to drive, traveled the United States from Minnesota to Florida over to Arizona and up to Washington to play soccer, had 3 different jobs, taken 3 art classes, volunteered with school and church, gone "creekin'", had shingles, recovered from ACL surgery, represented her school and school district city wide, won multiple soccer and academic awards, laughed with friends, cried with mom, visited family, gone on her first date, acted silly and made us proud. (she may have gotten in trouble a couple times too but we won't talk about that) She loves soccer and spends countless hours training to improve her skills but she's so much more than a soccer player. We know you have limitless opportunities ahead of you. The future is vastly unknown and while it can be scary it is also wildly exciting. I believe in you!

God made you for such a time as this. 

2020 Husker Soccer Recruiting Class

Support System

Public Speaking

Friends and Husker Teammates

Papa is wearing Grandpa Warren Raabe's sweatshirt. He
would be so excited to have a Husker Athlete in the family

COMETS

I love this picture. We remind our kids, "Remember where you came from!" Reagan joined the Comets team as a 1st grader. Coach Mike shared his love of sports with the girls and now look at these 3 MWHS Wildcats headed to college to play soccer.

These girls are Elite Girls Academy club teammates and Millard West high school teammates headed for the next level...NCAA Division 1 college soccer. 

Loyola Chicago, U of Nebraska-Lincoln x2, U of Nebraska-Omaha and Loyola Chicago.

This senior year has been a series of check marks...
apply for college...check
official visit...check
signing day...check
graduation party up next

"For I know the plans I have for you (Reagan)," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Another ECNL Winning Weekend

So much to remember, gain and learn in the midst of club soccer season.

The long trips, early mornings and cruel environments create opportunities for building special relationships. I love listening to Reagan and her carpool buddies laugh, do homework and recap the game on those long drives home. No one really wants to wake up early but remembering the time we got to the field before the lights were on and there was still frost on the grass creates a vivid memory of soccer in KC. What about the time we got lost in downtown Chicago during the marathon or the time the van windows were smashed and all the soccer bags were stolen. It's not all good but memories are made. And then this weekend watching the girls play honorably in horrible heat against a team who was coached to play dirty makes this mamas heart swell with pride.

This weekend our club played FC Wisconsin and Eclipse Lunar (Chicago). Reagan's team finished up yesterday with two wins which translates to 6 points in the league. (Scores: 3-1 and 1-0 respectively)

win = 3 points

tie = 1 point

loss = 0 points

These points determine our ranking and placement for the end of the year tournaments.

Reags continues her #RoadtoRecovery. She is getting stronger, faster and has a determination to be better today than the day before. She had a great weekend scoring one goal in each game. I wish you could have seen the teamwork on each of those goals, so cool. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting to watch her create a breakaway, beat the defenders and punish the goalie by placing the ball in the back of the net. However witnessing 3-4 girls pass the ball with such great precision around the centerbacks that it creates a flurry of confusion is impressive. The opportunity is created and the last touch is a shot on goal landing in the corner of the net...this is special. It's like a well choreographed dance but really it's all split second decisions coming together because they have learned to work together and trust each other. Teamwork makes the Dream work!

Team Prayer

Reagan #8 battling to win the ball

Going up for a header

And She Scores!

The only pictures I have from this weekend are soccer related however that's not all our family was doing.
CHRIS: DC West Softball went 2 and 1, losing in the championship game 4-3 in extra innings.
EMMA: I made a quick trip to Kearney on Thursday to see Emma before heading out of town Friday. As always, love giving that girl a hug and having some mom-daughter time. It was Homecoming week at UNK which means all kinds of activities on campus. The Gamma Phi Beta float won first place and unfortunately the Loper's football team continued their homecoming game losing streak. Ouch!
OLIVIA: A quiet weekend for this one. Liv has found herself in showchoir, sing omaha, the school musical (Wizard of OZ) and band so one quiet weekend is a good thing.

Be A Blessing

Off to Seattle for ECNL Post Season Play

THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED IN LATE JUNE 2018

This year was EGA's first season with ECNL. To be honest, I was worried we would get killed by every team. The competition was just superior to any league we had been a part of before. The best of the best play here, our girls rose to the challenge. We finished the season making it into "Champions League" by one point. Never did I imagine we would have the opportunity to play for the ECNL National Championship. The girls played very well but did not advance the following week to Virginia for the finals. (Can I secretly say, Thank goodness? Money does not grow on trees!)

 Reagan and I had the great pleasure of going to Seattle 3 days before the soccer tournament started. This city offers so much, we just couldn't resist. The only thing we didn't do from our list was ride the ferris wheel...next time! Here we are at the top of the Space Needle. When I was 12 my Aunt Delma took me to the top, we even ate at the restaurant. I can't imagine how much that cost. In 2018 it's $29 per person to have the privilege to go to the observation deck. No drinks, No snacks, No souvenirs, just looking. I was pleased to hear Reagan say it was worth it!

Pearson Family

My dad's brother moved to Seattle when his 3 kids were little tykes. Fast forward 40-50 years, they all have kids and grandkids of their own. Coming from a small family, I really cherish what I have. I am so glad we were able to see the fam.

Ocean Shores, Washington with Marianne

Loved this place

Throwing Fish . Gorgeous Flowers . The Original Starbucks .  Bing Cherries

Plenty of Weirdos . Fish & Chips . Crazy Traffic . Gum Wall . Ferris Wheel

Pike Place Market had it all and we took it all in.

 In October 2017 when Reagan tore her ACL we did the math and knew she was done for the rest of the year, all of high school ball and couldn't be back in time for the Championship Tourney in late June. After all recovery is a 6-9 month span and there was NO WAY we were going to push/risk it. We were very disappointed but our focus wass on the future not one tournament. Low and behold, everything fell into place and Reagan was released to play 10 minutes per half of each game at 7 months post op. WOW! Great job Reags! It's hard to see in this video but Reagan scores in her first game back on the pitch. What a comeback!

 There was about 20 of us players and parents making the drive up to the falls. We didn't hike down to the falls. First of all we were starving but with our handicaps it wasn't advised.

We would have liked to hike Mt Rainer but activities like that just aren't the best on a soccer weekend, especially when one has a bum knee and the other a bum arm. 

All but 4 of the team at the Seattle Reign Women's Soccer game

Jaycie Johnson, a midwest girl, from Kansas City who played college soccer at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and now is playing professional soccer with the Seattle Reign. I was so impressed that she took the time to come up in the stands and talk with these 3 Nebraska commits. She was friendly, very open, told stories about Coach Walker at UNL and gave the girls great encouragement. I don't know her parents but they must be so proud of this fine young lady!

Parent Bonding during Team Bonding

The Gum Wall

Kind of gross but now I can say I was there

This was a very important stop for Reagan. 

Bucket List item checked off.

Teammates and the Needle

Great memories were made with my girl, just wish we could have had the whole family there to share our experiences. All great but the part when we almost missed our flight in Dallas. This out of shape mama running with a suitcase, carry-on and an arm in a sling must have been quite the sight! HA

More Tendon Damage = Shoulder Surgery

I started this post about one week after surgery but couldn't make my brain form a sentence. We'll see if I am much better now at 22 days PO (post operation). Probably not. :)

Here's my story...

After a successful trip to Trader Joe's, I was chatting with a friend on the phone and about to finish putting away all my groceries when I bent over to pick up an empty bag from the floor. While exerting almost no effort at all, I heard and felt I loud pop in my shoulder. It was slightly uncomfortable but not a big deal until I tried to move my arm. I had no lateral or front extension of my left arm. For the next two days I tried to hide my malady until my most observant child noticed. She's such a tattle tail, Reagan told our physical therapist that I couldn't use my arm. From there I had an evaluation the next morning and because Claire the PT is amazing, I was in the surgeon's office the following morning. Another heavily medicated MRI followed two days later which confirmed what all medical professionals suspected, I had a torn rotator cuff (aka subscapularis) and bicep tendon. Surgery was lurking somewhere over the horizon but my hopes were wait until after summer.

Here's an interesting side note to this story. As I was examined first by my PT, then the surgical resident and finally my soon to be surgeon ALL three asked if I had taken any antibiotics. This is strange right? It turns out to be a very serious question in which we are still investigating. There is a very dangerous family of antibiotics that cause tendon tears in healthy tissue as well as several other side effects. These drugs should be avoided at all costs. You can ask your doctor for an alternative even if you are allergic to penicillin. I have torn 5 tendons in nine months under very strange circumstances. I am praying that I do not have damage from taking a fluoroquinolone, I prefer to chalk this up to some bizarre injuries. There will be a later post but please research Cipro, Floxin, Levaquin etc. You can find info on WebMD, FDA site, Mayo Clinic and many many other sites as well as blogs of people with permanent damage.

Back to surgery...

Four weeks after my initial injury and 15 PT appointments later I leaned on my left arm during a chat with my daughter and experienced a ripping of tissue and tremendous pain that would last for the next week. Back to PT and straight to the surgeon...surgery was scheduled for 5 days later. It turns out that my bicep tendon was damaged more along with the rupture of a 3rd tendon, the supraspinatus which is on top of the shoulder. My injuries were all in the shoulder but 3 completely different areas. Let's face it, I enjoy giving my doctors a challenge.

Pre Surgery but Post Drugs

2 of the 5 little incisions
There's one large incision that goes into my armpit

Way too many drugs!!!

Outside with Liv 8 days PO

Here are a few things I have learned along the way...

-Let people help

-Get the best surgeon

-Sleep deprivation isn't just for new mamas

-Find your daily gratitude

-Let the house be messy

-Rest

-Take the least medicine you can but take what you need

-Drink copious amounts of water

-I have a love/hate relationship with my brace

-Getting dressed one handed is not for the weak

-You will be surprised by people

-Look at recovery based on today vs last week

-Have good books and movies on hand

-Get adjusted

-Get over yourself

-Laugh often, it helps reduce the pain

-Get your favorite drinks, it makes you happy (McAlister's Tea)

-When you over do it you pay for it later

-God is still Good!!