Life in a Blender

It has been such a long time since I have posted anything.  So much has happened.  I have thought about writing so often, but my biggest hurdle has been where to start and how much to say.  Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and all of a sudden I have no idea of how to start again.

I feel like my life has been put into a blender.  Everything thrown in and blended up to the point of no longer recognizing it.  There is no yummy drink coming out to enjoy.

Lets throw all the ingredients out:

Vane's cancer came back
Still can't taste
Many trips to Iowa
Lamar was offered a new job in Iowa City
Calum pokes my eye and damages the Lasik
Shianne went to Costa Rica
Shianne goes to Iowa
Still can't taste
Lamar moves to Iowa
Vane dies
Two girls in softball
I put house on market and get packed
More trips to Iowa
Costco Opens
Find new house in Iowa
Get Bulldog puppy
Drive to Iowa with three dogs and two kids
Move into new house while Lamar is at work
Shi arrives in Iowa
Volleyball starts
Shi breaks her leg
Still can't taste
Boba loses an eye
Oregon House sells
Gymnastics for NB begins
Constant PT appointments for Shi's leg
Holidays begin
Boba dies
Calum gets sick
Still can't taste

So...there is is.  A nice, neat condensed list of what has been happening.  Add a continuous stream of visitors and trying to get to know our new surroundings and you have a small taste of what has been on our plate.

Playing Catch

Calum has an obsession with cars and balls.  He spends most of his day driving a variety of cars around the house.  If you are not careful, he will take you out with his large dump truck.  He hauls all kinds of stuff around the house.  When he is not driving around the house or eating marshmallow fluff, he is playing catch.  He just loves to play with you.  Once you start, you are his hostage until he is done with you.  Tonight was Lamar's turn to play.

Look...I even got a rare picture of Shianne when she thought I was just paying attention to her brother.

Wordless Wednesday: Marshmallow Fluff

National Pancake Day

After school today Shianne announced that today was National Pancake Day.  Since I did not have any plans for dinner yet we decided to make pancakes to celebrate.  I did not want to make the same ones that I always make so we searched my Pinterest boards and found the perfect recipe.  Welch Breakfast Cakes.  These are more of a cross between biscuits and pancakes.  Sturdy little cakes that are made similar to biscuits except they are cooked on a griddle.  They puff up and have a fantastic flavor...butter and nutmeg.  I could not just leave the recipe alone and I used one cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour instead of using all white flour.  We simply put some butter and cinnamon sugar on these.  Rave reviews from the kiddos.

20/20

I am one week out from having Lasik and each day gets better.  I am still having to put in eye drops on an hourly basis, but I am quickly getting over my fear of eye drops.  I went for my one-week check up and I now have 20/20 vision...WOO HOO!!  Some expensive sunglasses are within my reach now!

I still can't taste.  Bummer.  I can taste extreme salt, so Lamar and I celebrated by drinking margaritas.  Very appropriate  :)

Tonsilectomy...3 Weeks Later

I just got home from my post-op appointment with the doctor.  My throat is feeling much better and healing well.  Still a little sore, but I no longer need any pain meds.  My biggest problem is the loss of taste.  I said that wrong, a loss of taste would be great compared to what I have.  Everything I put in my mouth tastes like a combination of vomit and the sensation of chewing on tin foil.  EVERYTHING tastes like this...even water.  I did not notice it at first since I was in so much pain, but now I cannot get away from this taste.  The doctor said this is a rare side effect and it is caused from nerve damage to my tongue while they were compressing the tongue for the surgery.  What really upsets me is that he told me that it will be 3 to 9 months before the damage heals itself and I can taste like normal again.  I did not even know this could be a side effect!  I am trying to force food down but it is really hard.  I have already lost about 25lbs.  While this does not upset me, it is to much weight to lose in 3 weeks.  I can only imagine how much it will be at the 3 month mark. I am having problems with being lightheaded and no energy due to the lack of food. I also have no desire to cook since I can't taste any of the food.  This is hard since I enjoy cooking so much.  This is not a good combination for my family.  I feel like they will have a bunch of slacker meals over the next few months...sorry  :(

Wordless Wednesday: Sick Day Fun

One Week Later

It has been a week since I had my tonsils removed.  One long, painful week.  Today is the first day that I can say that I see an end to the pain.  I can barely swallow.  Talking is excruciating.  I have had friends come and hang out with me for the past few days so I had a bit of help with Calum.  Today was the first day that I was completely on my own.  Calum and I survived.  Of course, he chose to not take a nap, so it made the day a bit harder.  I was so tired all day, but I knew that I could not sleep.

Lamar and Shianne have been so great through all this.  They have kept everything running here at home.  Hopefully by next week I will at least function a bit more.

A Tonsilless Tale

What does a flood and a tonsillectomy have in common?  The answer is both describe my day on Thursday.  When Lamar and I arrived at the surgery center and saw that their parking lot was under water.  We parked in a neighboring lot and walked over.  Of course we blamed our being late on trying to find a parking spot and not on the Venti white chocolate mocha in Lamar's hand.  Everything went as planned for the surgery.  Routine tonsillectomy.  The whole process was over even before I knew it had started.  Apparently, while I was in surgery, the water continued to rise and it became important to get out of the surgery center as fast as possible...so no three hour wait for me in recovery.  Good thing I was on some happy drugs.  I was more than happy to get out of there quickly.

We had to stop by the pharmacy on our way home.  The Costco parking lot had quite a bit of water in it.  We were hearing reports of flooding from all around town.  Good thing we live high up on a hill.  If the water was to reach us an arc would be needed!

It is now Sunday evening and I will admit that this is the hardest thing I have ever done.  So much pain.  I knew it was going to be hard, but I did not expect this.  Every swallow is a full body event.  I feel every breath of air.  A cough brings me to tears.  None of it is enjoyable.  I have been trying to take my meds every 6 hours, instead of every 4.  I hate to be so dependent on them.  I do not like the way they make me feel, but I really hate the way I feel if I don't take them.  I do not know how anyone could willingly abuse these things.

Lamar and Shi have been a big help to me.  Shi goes back to school on Monday and Lamar back to work on Tuesday.  I do not see how this is going to be good.  Lamar left me alone with Calum tonight just so he could go get Shi from practice.  It ended up with me in tears in the kitchen.  This gives me no confidence for Tuesday.  I am not sure what we are going to do.

A Quick Recap

I know...I have not posted in a bit...but, my excuse is that we have just been so busy! If I add lots of photos will you forgive me??

Shianne turned 13!  Yes, we officially have a teen.  I took her to Portland with two friends and let them jump until they were exhausted at Sky High and then took them out for burgers, fries and extra large milkshakes.

Lamar also had a birthday, but his did not turn out as fun as Shianne's did.  Someone decided to do a hit and run with his truck.  Messed up the back end.  Boo!

Our dishwasher also celebrated it's 5 year birthday.  Why is this significant...well it decided to get a leak.  We fixed the small leak that was originally found, but water was still coming out.  After more research we found a HUGE hole in the pump housing.  The cost to fix this part was close to the price of a new dishwasher.  So, we got a new dishwasher.  Do you know the best part of a new appliance...THE BOX!!

As if the box was not enough excitement, we got some SNOW!!  Everyone in the house was thrilled about this.  It was not much snow, but enough to make everything white.  The kids all waited patiently until I said it was OK to go outside and play.

Calum was so excited to drive his car in the snow, but got really irritated that it would just not move.

Our driveway is the best for sledding!

Calum had so much fun.  I just could not get him to keep his gloves on!.

Shi even got in on the action.  She did try to show off a little and ended up in the blackberry bushes...I hope that taught her a lesson.

Zara thinks the snow is one of the best things ever.  She loves to run and play in it.  She ran so hard that she took a nap for the rest of the day.

After the snow play, Nora Beth and Calum took a bubble bath to warm up.

Shianne tried picking on her father and quickly learned that he can still open up a can of whoop-ass and show her who is boss!

Now, tomorrow I am going in to have my tonsils removed.  Not my idea of a good time, but it needs to be done.  Lamar is taking a few days off to take care of me.