And so it goes...

AAh Christmas is done.

Since we rarely have family here for holidays (or any other time) I think the kids will always remember having Mom and Gerry with us to celebrate this holiday.

Mom, Chyann and I played numerous games of Scrabble and if you can believe this - Chyann kicked our buns most every game! And that is not even letting her win! She was coming up with seven letter obscure words that knocked our socks off!

Watched a few favorite Christmas movies.

Wrapped the last of the presents.

Had so much fun cooking with my Mother and even doing all those damn dishes.

The weather was unseasonably warm, mid 30's on Christmas day and the wind was blowing so that made Chyann's Christmas day ride a bit blustery and cold. She had to try out her new pink helmet and the ear band that fits perfectly under the helmet.

Jenny banged up her shin so she took Scotch and ponied Casper.

She was irritated that I didn't come out and ride too. What can I say I'm a big pansy, it was too cold for me.

Mom and Gerry left on Monday about noon and had a miserable trip back to OK due to numerous flat tires and other little mishaps. Then get home to find most of their 30 cows have went through the fence. Good thing Gerry has them trained to come running at the sound of his voice. Didn't take him too long to get them rounded back up and back in their pen.

Colton is really doing well. Not a lot of pain anymore and has figured out the crutches. I'm taking him in today for a bandage change so we'll get a good look at his ankle.

Toodles :)

Christmas Eve and more

Happy Christmas!

I can't believe it's already Christmas eve.

Colton's surgery went well yesterday. The doc cleaned the area all out and said Coton's prognosis is good - if he doesn't smash that new cartilage. He had a nerve block and pain yesterday afternoon was pretty minimal. Even going so far as to make plans to have the girlie-friend pick him up on Christmas day to spend some time at her family's house. BUT the nerve blocker wore off last night and he was about 40 minutes behind on the pain meds and was miserable for literally hours. Finally got enough meds in him for him to sleep at about 5a.
He's never had this kind of pain before and has no idea how to handle it. He keeps bring up Chyann and the bone operations she's had in the past and saying he is a wimp compared to her - how did she do this - and he is a major klutz using the crutches, saying how'd Chyann make using crutches look so easy? She has been giving him pointers, but he is not getting it.. Practice grasshopper I tell him. He will get the hang of crutches and get through this.

Mom and Gerry arrived yesterday about a half hour before we got home from the surgery center. They ran into a few snow showers on the way here, but nothing significant until they hit our neck of the woods. We get about a half inch of snow that made the roads slicker than snot. Looks like we may have a white Christmas after all. Course on Monday we are forecast to get up to the low 40's so it wont last long.

Caden thinks he broke his nose at school on Wednesday. He was doing a flip and fell hitting his knee into his nose. OUCH! Had quite the bloody nose at school he said. His nose is only a bit swollen and definitely has a new bump on bridge and a slight black eye on the right. Christ o mighty!

What else?

The pigs got hauled to the butcher on Wednesday.

We got the cows back from the butcher. I'll have to take a pic and show you what almost 800lbs of beef looks like.

Packers got spanked by Kansas City last week, looking forward to this Sunday's game.

All else is well.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!

A talus bone tale

Friday Colton is having surgery on his ankle.

The official diagnosis is Osteochondral defect of the talus.

Basically this means a piece of bone and cartilage has broken free from the end of the talus bone - the ankle. If the detached piece of bone stays put, lying close to where it was detached from, there may be few or no symptoms and the fracture will occasionally heal on it's own.

In Colton's case the fragment of bone has moved and is continually getting smashed around in his ankle joint. This has caused cysts to form in the bone area above and below where the chunk of detached bone is smashing around.

The doctor is going to go in and take out the floating bone fragment, dig out the cysts that have killed bone/cartilage. Then drill holes in the cleaned up bone area to get it to bleed profusely in order to encourage new cartilage growth. At this time that is the plan any how. When the doc gets in there he'll know how deep the cysts go and if a graft of cartilage from his knee is needed or even one from a cadaver - depending on how big of an area is damaged.

Then he can have absolutely NO WEIGHT bearing for a minimum of six weeks. If he bears his weight he could smash and ruin the new cartilage growth and the operation would have been for naught.

So, since this is his right ankle that means no driving himself anywhere. A huge impediment in a 19 year old's life. Merry Christmas, eh?

Anyhow.. that is our talus tale.

Happy Hump day ~ Toodles :)

An open letter to Mr Dishwasher

Oh Mr Dishwasher how I miss you.

It has been one week since you went to appliance heaven - although your current resting place is still in my kitchen, you are indeed gone, gone, gone.

Every time I walk by you I wish you were back with me.

I long to push your buttons, to turn you on and hear your motor run.

As I slather my red and chapped hands with lotion I realize how much I took for granted that you would always be with me.

When we first looked at this house with the Realtor I fell in love with it.

I told the Hubby how perfect this house was for our family and he said "but there is no dishwasher." I promptly responded with "I'd live in that house forever with no dishwasher!"

(no shit i really said that)

We bought the house and began this fairy tale life.

Did I mention that I was pregnant when we moved in? And that it was the hottest summer on record, with high humidity and temps 90* to 100* for most of the summer and we had an Indian summer in Oct as well? And that we are from Alaska where the high temp is about mid 70's? And we had no air-conditioner?

Well, all that is true and I washed the damn dishes by hand everyday, sometimes multiple times a day because we are a family that likes to EAT and I had young children that had no concept of using one freaking glass a day.

All was well.

Until my Lovely Mother and Gerry came for Caden's birth.

I was one miserably fat and horribly swollen gal.

This pic was taken two days before Caden was born. It's hard to see, but my ankles were about the size of my knees.
And this is when my (as previously stated) Lovely Mother and Gerry decided I needed you as a house-warming present and brought you home to me.

You were not just any dishwasher, but a state of the art portable dishwasher since the kitchen wasn't built with a dishwasher in mind and there was not a lot of time available for Gerry/the Hubby to install one.

I fell in love instantly! Completely and totally realizing what a help you would be in my life. Allowing me more time with my infant son and two older kids - especially Chyann who was massively jealous of Caden. And in later years making it possible to escape the kitchen and learn new things like gardening and renewing my love of horses.

I miss you Mr Dishwasher.

But you will be replaced.

I'm not sure if it will be with another portable model or one that is installed under the cabinet or exactly when your replacement is coming, but one will be and hopefully soon.

Forever yours,

Me

xoxo

What's happening?

Got thrown off last Thursday morning by unexpectedly having no Internet service at home, then having to scramble around to make it into the office on time. Was great to see everyone though.

Mom and Gerry came up on Friday night and spent the weekend with us. Gerry went for hay and Mom did a marathon shopping expedition with me. They left Sunday around noonish and I got a good nap in, then watched the Packers spank the Raiders - did you kick the TV in Jeff?

I was nominated at work for a Service Hero award with the grand prize being a trip to Florida in February. I didn't win the trip but was taken out to lunch yesterday with the other nominees and received a nice certificate.

Colton has finals this week.

Christmas is a mere 10 days from now and I still have a snot load of shopping to do.

Mom and Gerry are coming back up for Christmas, this will be wonderful as I haven't had a Christmas with them in probably 14 years.

Chyann and Caden have the most awful coughs. I am feeling the crud creeping in again as well...

It has warmed up here and the snow has mostly melted. Sloppy mess.

My absolutely most favorite appliance - the dishwasher, took a shit on Sunday night. The kids and I have been washing dishes by hand, eeew. New experience for the kids since we've always had a dishwasher. Why does this kind of thing always happen right before a holiday or some other time you'd least like to have to replace it?

I got all the Christmas cards done last night and will be mailing those suckers today!

Chyann is keeping the cats locked in her room at night so we haven't had the tree knocked over recently. Gracie will occasionally try to climb it, but not as often since I throw pillows at her any time she is near the tree.

Got to get moving as I'm working in the office again today to attend a meeting and a holiday celebration.

Happy Hump day :)

Aaah the snow is here..

Sure is starting to feel like the holiday season here with all the snow we got this last weekend.

About 3" and it is here to stay if the cold temps after the big snow are any indication.

Yes we got that pool cover, but haven't put it on. Any bets that we end up not doing it at all? Just stuffing it in the basement until next fall - that's my guess. We've never not put a cover on and I wonder what the water will look like in the spring.

Got the Christmas picture taken too - maybe this year I'll find the time to ACTUALLY get it sent out (fingers crossed).

How's your Christmas stress level this year? Me.. I'm starting to worry a bit.

No shopping even started for me yet. I'm planning on doing some online shit shit weekend and hitting the stores on Saturday after work - yes I'm working on Saturday, possibly Sunday too.

We've got some mandatory OT going on at work. Which is relatively easy to do working from home.

Although I will say I was surely pissed off tonight when I came downstairs and see no dishes done, the table loaded down with backpacks/books/dirty dishes and the entryway loaded with messy shoes/coats and no one even thinking of dinner - Except to say "what's for dinner ma?". This after working from 730a - 635p.. Really? Are you shitting me!?!

So -- I had to get pissy.

THEN everyone starts to get into action; table cleared, entry way straightened, dishes unloaded, laundry unloaded/put away and all that - even had help making dinner.

There. No what wasn't so hard now was it? And your mama is a much happier gal.

Deep breath now..

That's better....

So..

Happy Hump day :)

Only 17 more shopping days till Christmas

Early Christmas surprise

Chyann and I received a lovely surprise in the mail.

Completely unexpected my wonderful brother Jeff sent me a card that made me cry and necklaces that his son's wife made - guess that would make her my niece in law? Funny too that her name is also Kelly, spelled different, but again there is a Kelly Wilson in the family.

Kelly is back in AK while her Hubby, my nephew Cody, is in pre-ranger school.

Kelly is a quite the crafty gal and has her own etsy shop. You can check out her items here http://www.etsy.com/shop/kellyannwilson

Chyann is trying not to look too thrilled, as one of her friends is taking the picture.

Closer pic of Chyann's heart.
It didn't occur to me to have her take a pic of mine till I was posting this today. Not the best self portrait. If you can't tell my heart is white w/yellow (my favorite color) polka dots and my initial K. We love our heart charms and the chains are of very nice quality too!

They are such a hit several of Chyann's friends are going to order necklaces as well. You wouldn't know it, because he NEVER comments but my brother is an avid reader of my blog. He usually reads it at work - he works the graveyard shift at the airport in Anchorage and apparently all his co-workers are readers as well - So HELLO to all you DOT workers in AK! Finnish your coffee and get back to work :)

Thanks Jeff, you really made my day! I love you xoxo

Have you ever heard of this this gal?

Her name is Adele and she has the most amazing voice.