Off to Camp

The last few weeks have been unbelievably busy. My poor cousin Kelly called me Friday evening - just as Isabella and her friend let the dogs out into the backyard and Roxy proceeded to eat my squash plants. I coaxed her into the house with the promise of a dog treat only to have my front doorbell ring and have to prevent the dogs from tackling our guest.

I took care of the visitor (they were here to borrow something) and as soon as they left - Samantha made it very clear I was to leave and pick her up from dinner at her dad's house so we could do some shopping to prepare for her week at Camp Wapiyapi. I breathed a sigh of relief as I crawled into bed around 11pm - proud with myself that I made it thru the day.

Saturday morning - Isabella was off to tackle an adventure with Jeremy while Samantha and I again hit the malls to find some shoes that would fit over her new leg brace (zebra striped of course). I don't know where Samantha came from - she is so organized - a list for everything...

Sunday morning we wrapped up everything and after loading 3 bags, a sleeping bag and over sized pink pillow - we headed off to Camp Wapiyapi. It started out as a beautiful day but as we climbed higher into the foothills it actually started snowing! Can you believe it?

Oh well - camp drop off went smoothly - both Daniel and Samantha are there right now and probably having the time of their lives. They were so excited - I love the fact that this is something they can do together . It reminds Daniel how much Sam went thru and Samantha has a chance to feel normal.

It is a bit hard on Jeremy and myself - we work so hard to keep our family life normal - seeing children with no hair and boxes full of medications can be a bit overwhelming. But it also reminds us how far we have come and how wonderful it is that Sam is 15 months cancer free!

Anyway - we dropped off Sam at camp and headed back to the sunshine (sort of) at the lower elevations. We had a great lunch in Lyons. Jeremy promised to take Isabella fishing - she just got a brand new pink fishing pole. We found the perfect spot and I pulled out a book (yes a real book) to read.

Get this - Isabella's first time fishing - probably the 3rd cast - she actually caught a fish! She was super excited but as soon as Jeremy took out the hook to let her hold the fish - it started flipping and flopping. It jumped right out of her hands as she screamed like a little girl.

I was really lucky to get this picture.

Needless to say after all this excitement she decided it was time to go home. Just in time as the gray clouds rolled in...

We arrived home at to a dirty house (2 weeks in a row that I have not been able to do my regular cleaning). I was able to work a bit in my garden - do some weeding and set up a makeshift support for Isabella's peas. We also did a bit of rearranging to prepare for my new sun room. Yes you read right - we are adding an addition to the house. Since we can't afford to move any time soon - Jeremy decided that we can put on a sun room. We couldn't afford to have all of it contracted out but we have someone doing as much as we could afford and Jeremy and I will do the rest. I am more than excited - I am planning on moving my office into this room. I will actually be able to keep the kitchen table clear and have beautiful scenery to look at all day as I work.

Well - it is time for me to wrap this up. I am hoping to soak a bit in the jacuzzi tonight and mentally prepare for another 'fun' day at work.

Take care - Love to everyone!

Lovin Life

Sitting here listening to the rain outside - having a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate. We had a fantastic weekend.

Samantha has wanted a chance to get out of town for a long time now. We took her to Gunnison - but it wasn't the same. Thru Gold Ribbon Families (my cancer mom support group) we received an opportunity to stay at Keystone Ski Resort for free. It was perfect. The weather here in Denver was overcast and raining so we wouldn't have been able to do much outside anyway. The weather in the mountain was about the same but there is something about sitting in a jacuzzi in the rain that is really relaxing. The outdoor pool was heated so the kids pretty much lived there for 3 days straight. Jeremy and I got to read books and Daniel and I went for a couple of bike rides.

It was exactly what Samantha wanted. The best part was that all kids got along - Isabella was a bit cranky after no naps for 3 days straight - but for the most part is was a drama free weekend!

Life has been rolling along - Jeremy got a clean bill of health last week and now gets to ride his bike to his hearts content. Daniel and Samantha have only 1 more week of school (finals) and then they are off to Camp Wapiyapi. Isabella has her Cultural event marking the end of her school year on Friday. I hope summer goes well for her - a lot of her regular friends won't be going to the summer program. There is one little boy - just turned 6 - that likes Isabella. He walked up to Jeremy on day and handed his phone number to him and said, "Have her call me."

Every time Isabella refers to him - she says his whole name - Aidan Fransisco Carnivalli - never just Aidan. He is a line backer of a 6 year old who loves to play basket ball and chase the girls. Isabella finally gave him a call tonight and they talked for almost 20 minutes. Oh man....

Daniel was eyeing these 2 girls around the pool this weekend - they were young looking and well rounded. Later in the evening I was sitting in the jacuzzi watching the girls play in the pool when those same 2 girls slipped in. Two young boys also showed up and I was trying really hard to not listen to their conversation. I wasn't successful - however, I overheard them mention their age - 13! It was so fun to tell Daniel his 2 "hot" girls were only 13... Sometimes being a mom really pays off. :) Oh the love life of my children.

Work is interesting - busy as I try to justify my role to my customers. I was successful with one of them and I have until August to convince my other one. In the meantime we have Hannah's graduation in a couple of weeks, I am hoping to get to a girls weekend away to Austin and then the Courage Classic. Stay tuned for info on that - I will be asking for donations! I want to get to Cody for a bit and also go to Washington to visit Dianna at some point.

I have been spending most of my spare time working on my garden. Jeremy put in another garden for me on Mother's Day. I have cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas, onions and tomatoes in one garden. In the other one I have 2 kinds of squash, cucumbers, watermelon and pumpkins in the other. I also planted some raspberry and blackberry bushes. The yard is really coming along. I so love to walk thru my yard and look at all the new growth. I quite a bit of weeding to do - but it is definitely a labor of love.

We also got the ok ( well Jeremy GAVE the ok) to finally get started on an addition to the house. Jeremy and I are going to build a sun room off of the main living room of the house. Originally when we received quotes it was for the whole kit and kaboodle and totally out of our budget - but this time we are only hiring out the foundation. We will be doing the rest of the work. I am so excited - big windows and a space to grow even more plants. I am going to move my work area into there as well. We are thinking it should be done by October.

I hope everyone else is plugging along like us. Normal is wonderful!

I wish normal for everyone!

Love!

Another Near Miss

Jeremy is feeling alright today. Pain is being managed with Ibuprofen for the most part. We met with an Orthopedic surgeon today and found out that - once again - Jeremy is lucky. He has a medial clavicle break most likely. The doctor only sees this severe collarbone break every 10 years or so. It dislocated to the front of his chest which is really good, since if it would have gone the other way - Jeremy would not have made it. Usually (50% of the time) the heart or artery is punctured. I don't know about all of you, but hearing that my husband was so close to dying yet again is not getting any easier.

You can see the helmet damage from the first picture - the major scrapes, the clip is pretty much gone (my finger is pointing to it) and the protected chin flap has a good sized gash. He can be the poster child for wearing a helmet when skiing. That Natasha actress wasn't wearing hers and only took a minor fall. Jeremy would have been a goner...

Noah captured the next 2 pictures of the ski patrol loading him up. Jeremy has no memory of this part. Noah says he was pretty ashen and didn't open his eyes.

I have to confess I get a little bit angry when I look at these pictures. Not to make this about me, but I have been looking at major scars over my daughters body and then to see Jeremy in pain and his chest all malformed - I feel like puking. Jeremy is quite a stud - he handles all this with ease. He wasn't being reckless - this was just a freak accident. His odds are actually pretty good - he has been skiing 33 years and this is the worse thing that has happened. That actress was on the bunny hill and it turned out much worse for her.

I guess when you lead an active lifestyle things like this will happen. Thank God for good drugs and insurance. I believe I have now met our out of pocket for both Samantha and Jeremy now - probably even the family amount. LOL

The doctor tried to get an idea of what his condition was exactly, but the x-rays didn't help. His shoulder is pushed down near the ribs and there is too much confusion looking at all the bones overlapping in the x-ray. Tomorrow we go back to the hospital to have a CAT Scan done which will give the doctor a better idea of what is going on. We will then meet with the doc again on Monday afternoon to find out the exact plan of attack. He will definitely need surgery and the doctor said is it pretty neat (his exact words) repairing this type of injury. Once the bone is put back together you can see the chest go back to it original shape.

I tried to capture the extent of the injury - You can see from the profile picture how is pec is flat and his shoulder bone is pushed back and down. We joke that he is the hunchback of Westminster... The front picture shows the bruise and how much lower his left nipple is than his right. What you can't see is how that whole muscle is kind of slumped down. Picture a landslide - everything gathered in a pile at the bottom of the hill. That is sort of what it is like. His jaw is still pretty swollen and a bit black and blue on the left side. He has been eating soup all day today...

All in all - he is doing great. He feels ok and is taking it easy. I think the toughest part of this whole thing is the fact that he will be sitting on the couch for another weekend (at least). I suspect the surgery will be on Wednesday but I will post again when we have all the details on Monday.

This could have turned out so much worse - we are blessed. I hope my Papa is feeling better (he is battling pneumonia). Love to everyone!

Just when you think you are out

Just when I thought I was done with injured family members, doctor visits and hospitals - I get sucked backed in...

Jeremy broke his collarbone skiing today. He doesn't remember how it happened - his friend Noah saw him go into some rocks. Jeremy didn't just fall a little bit - he fell hard. Thank God for his helmet - which had the straps torn from it. I don't know if you can see from the pictures but he landed on the left side - his face is swollen and you can see the bruise where the collarbone is broken. It looks much better in the picture. You can't tell that it is thrust forward about an inch. He broke his bone all the way thru. We are meeting with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow and I suspect that surgery will follow soon after.

He is doing ok now - comfortable for the most part. I will post again tomorrow to let everyone know how the doctors appointment goes.

Other than this latest drama, everyone else is doing well. Samantha went back to school on Monday and is happy to be back. She is pretty sharp and catching up on her class work like a pro.

Daniel was mad at me a bit today because he thought the news about Jeremy was an April Fool's joke and he thought it was a bad one. Isabella is glad to be back in school and hanging out with her friends. We signed her up for Kindergarten next year and she is getting really close to reading. She is still fighting it a bit - but I catch her sounding words out when she really wants to know what it says.

We are getting snow again - everything is white and crunchy. :)

Guess we are back in normal waters again - doctors appointments scheduled, prescription bottles on the counter and a glass of wine sitting next to my computer.

Stay tuned for Jeremy updates - until then...

Love to everyone!

It is about Time

Would you believe that every night I look at my computer and think I should post about today... But instead say - 'I will do it tomorrow'. Well tomorrow is finally here.

We are all doing great. Sam had a doctors appt last Thursday (the day of the BIG snow here in Denver). She was pretty apprehensive about getting her stitches out but Dr. Heare just said - DO IT! She was happy in the end. Since her stitches are out and the leg is looking fantastic, she was able to get a waterproof cast this time. That made her day - her month even. She went into the jacuzzi for the first time in 2 years. I cleared a path thru the snow. :)

Here you can see a picture of Sam' leg. I may look a bit frightening to some but to us it is absolutely beautiful. The main section there is her muscle flap. It is pink and healthy and the skin is filling in perfectly.

The scars look dramatic here but as a whole her leg looks so much better than before with the infection and uneven healing.

Once we got home, I cleaned up her toes a bit and painted them a perfect color of pink (what else?).

You may have heard we got some snow. I was actually going to post on Thursday night with the title "Dumb Ass". Daniel of course thought, 'what is a little snow - everyone is over reacting!'

Well here is my son looking so 'cool' meeting us at the van which he got stuck in the snow. He wasn't even wearing a coat. Jeremy and I had to dig out the van and bring him home.

Here is a picture of our front walk on Friday morning.

Last weekend Jeremy and Isabella went skiing - so I included a picture - so cute!

Saturday was a pretty fun and busy day as well. We visited the Denver Art Museum as a family. It always amazes me to see all that talent. Then later Samantha wanted to get her hair cut and colored. She chose a natural black color with red undertones. She feel fantastic and of course looks beautiful.

Isabella could not be left out - she used some of the money she earned to buy a pink hairpiece of all things. She wore it for 2 days straight. Jeremy just walked around shaking his head - but he was the one who gave her the money to spend. :)

Today was a great day as well. Jeremy is feeling healthy again - he spent the day skiing. I sent to kids to the movie (Monsters vs. Aliens) and I spent the day cleaning the house and making spaghetti and meatballs. My cousin Kelli and her boyfriend Rich came for a visit. We had a wonderful time - I am just hoping that the house full of kids didn't overwhelm them too much.

I know it will take her some time to get used to Colorado - but I am super happy she is here. She looks beautiful and it was a lot of fun talking with her and Rich.

Spring break is finally over and I for one am super happy. Samantha is going back to school tomorrow - she is a bit nervous but excited as well. Isabella will have an adjustment going back to school but I think she will be happy to see her friends regularly again.

Other than that - we are waiting for the snow to melt and the spring bulbs to bloom. I will try to do better on the updates...

Love to everyone!

We have a ROCKSTAR that Pees in the toilette

I love being home! I was actually preparing mentally to come home on Tuesday. The usual stay for a big surgery like this is 4 to 5 days. Samantha made it 3. About 1 pm today she decided she would rather be home. Last night was a rough one - not because of pain - but because we had a pump malfunction that beeped continuously and another machine that sounded like a fire alarm every time her oxygen level dipped below a certain point (which was usually wrong).

The night nurse had to take blood and her IV wouldn't draw so they had to poke her again. On top of all that - 7 am (daylight savings time) came so fast - I wasn't prepared. At least Sam got to go back to sleep until 11:30 am or so, but I had to work.

She took her percoset expecting that when she moved it would hurt more - but it turned out that she had too much pain meds and she was feeling a bit dizzy. Once she ate a bit she felt much better. Then the nurse removed her catheter - letting us know that once she peed in the toilette she was cleared to go home.

We were super excited when that happened - hence the blog title...

So we are home now - Isabella is in bed after her bath and book - Sam is relaxing watching a Harry Potter movie - Daniel is hanging with his dad tonight watching a basketball game. Jeremy of course is working so I decided to take this time to update.

We have the next doctor appointment on Thursday where she will get the splint off and a cast on.

Hopefully I will have some pictures (x-rays) of her leg by then as well.

Until then - Love to everyone - especially my Rockstar of a daughter!

A Little Ornery

You know Sam is feeling good when she is ornery - and she is with a capital O! The surgery on Friday went just as it should and she now has a bone in her leg. Yahoo!

She managed pain fantastically all weekend - today they took the epidural out and she is on oral pain meds. Tomorrow we will see Dr. Heare again (I am going to ask for x-rays) and I assume we will be going home tomorrow evening or Tuesday afternoon.

Sam did her nails today - and is currently (at 10 pm) eating a piece of tandoori chicken while watching some late night TV.

This time around - Sam's choices for boredom busters are the Gossip Girl season one set of DVDs and Harry Potter movies.

It is getting late so I am going to finish quickly tonight - 7 am comes even quicker with this Daylight Savings thing we have going on.

Night and Love to everyone!