SIP

Anna and I pour for Viento Wines at our local wine festival every March.  It is a blast to catch up with people, sell fabulous wine and hang out with my sister for three days! 

(I wish we had a picture or two but not this year!)

Rowland Road Run

I have run a few 5K's this past year and one 8K, but Audrey and Beth never have had the opportunity to walk or run in a race.  I was just a week post-surgury and thought that a walk/run with some friends out in the country would be a blast and a great way to spend the morning.

Happy 40th Birthday Heather and Jamie

You know you have those friends that you have literally known since you were a kid? These are the types of friends that make your life fun and interesting.  These are the friends that you love to have around, trust their advice and are your history keepers. 

I have known Heather since pre-school.  We have attended elementary, junior and senior high school together and then OSU.  We have seen, done, said, shared, laughed, cried and stayed up too late too many nights doing all of the above and more.  She is one of my dearest and greatest friends.  I trust her with my secrets and so much more. 

Jamie and I became friends in the 4th grade...Gunny Sak dresses, good and bad teachers, laughter and treating each other like sisters since the day we met makes me never want to know what this earth would be without my Jamie.  Her inner strength and no-nonsense look at life reminds me that the rose-colored glasses I like to wear need to taken off at times.  She is a Mighty Mouse and Care Bear wrapped up in one.  Volleyball, Turkey Rama and train trips really would not have been the same without her!

Happy Birthday Ladies.  I love ya!

Happy 40th Heather

Trouble...since 1990!

Kim, Shannon, Paige, Mark and Jen

Dave, Heather,Jamie, Paige and Gary.

OOOOOOOO-SSSSSSSSSS-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Oregon State...fight, fight, fight. 

SNOW!

It was and will be our one-and-only snow day of the year.  It was a great day.  I was one day post-operation (see previous post) and didn't have to use a sick day! Yeah!  School was cancelled on account of the 4-6 inches of snow (or something like that...I am not really sure).  The last time Zac saw snow he was just four months old and we had 18 inches of snow!  So, these little inches at 2-half years old is a big difference.  Less snow, but older and much more able to appreciate it...plus big brother and nephew were there to show him the ropes...how to make a snowball, how to make a snow angel, how to run and jump in the snow, how to do it all in the snow!  It was great fun! 

I called Melissa who was about ready to give birth any day (her due date was 2/28) and she enjoyed getting out for a bit and helping me with the boys.  Funny times, a pregnant lady and a bum-wrist lady out with three kids in the snow. 

Zac and CJ right outside our house.  CJ showed his little brother right from the start how to make and throw a snowball! 

They had a blast!

The gloves were soaked in about 3 minutes with the only kind of snow Oregon gets...super wet! The hat pretty much stayed that way all day!

CJ...the snow angel!

Zac...the little snow angel!

Perfectly done!

"Mom!  I am going to get you!"

He loved walking all the way across the field.  So cute.

My favorite picture.

Melissa was quite the trooper!

Baby Gwyneth Louise was born 3-3-11. 

CJ and Cole are all smiles...Zac, not so much.

He was just not happy posing.  He wanted to play.

Oh, those eyes!  Mr. Handsome!

HUH?  That is pretty much my nephew Cole.  Love that kid!

Perfect timing on this picture.  Zac is face down with Cole.

Now they are heads up and CJ is the king of the heap!

Another one of my favorites! 

And of course they had to make a snowman.

Cole and Zac literally flew off the slide.  What I didn't catch on film was that Zac landed right on his buns!

A great day in the snow!

Operation

Here is Carlos reading some great magazine while I am checking into the hospital.

Almost ready to go.  That tube?  Pumps warm to cool air INTO the hospital gown...the three-ply very cool gown.  I was toasty warm.

Out of surgery and feeling no pain...yet.

Home with some very swollen fingers.  Ouch!

A few years ago I had a cyst on my wrist.  It didn't hurt and after some pushing on it for several weeks it just went away.  A bit later it came back.  Bigger and stronger and started to annoy the hell out of me and frankly it looked gross and creepy.  So, my doctor sucked the life out of it with a syringe and then filled it up with some poison.  (Condensed version of the doctor's visit)  Now fast forward another year and  "it's back".  Again, bigger and stronger and it hurt more and was really gross to look at...so I opted for surgery.  Everyone asked/told/indicated that all I had was a "Bible-bump" and only needed them to whack it good for me and it would go away.  After I told them the above story they would either say "Oh, yeah...good call on the surgery" or "I could still whack it for ya".  The later was not going to happen. 

Scheduling surgery is hard with 2 kids, a full time job, a husband and all the odds and ends that make up a busy and full life.  But, the day arrived rather quickly and all was taken care of nicely.  Good thing I got the surgery because the doctor told me that the cyst was wrapped fairly well around my tendon and stuff inside my hand and I had to have stitches inside my hand.  Ouch!  Those are what really hurt the most.

So, now I sit here 12 days post-op and I am about 85% back to normal and really getting stronger everyday.  My stitches come out Tuesday and then out of the brace too!  I am thrilled. 

All in all it was a fairly good experience (as far as surgery goes) and my husband gets the "Husband of the Year Award" for putting up with me, helping me and just being a great guy!  A shout out to Hayley too...she came in a saved the evening too! 

Thanks!

Happy Birthday Brother

My brother Troy calls Zac his Zu-Zu Bear...too cute!

All the kids and the old guy!

My brother and his kids.

Make a wish!

More than Busy...

If I just blogged about how busy we were or titled my blog "Busy", that would just seem lame.  But..."More than Busy" implies that it has not just been busy work, busy stuff, busy...it has been more than that.  I digress.

Running has been taking up a large portion of my life.  I enjoy it and and my family is super supportive.  Carlos is often watching our kids and a few others..while we all run.  It is so perfect and fabulous.  He is awesome!  CJ  has been busy with school...so much homework lately.  He has exceeded on his state tests, participated in OR Battle of the Books (and his team is in the semi-finals), he is a 5th grader ready for middle  school and I freak out a bit more each day!  Zac is talking up a storm, asking a million questions and involved in so much.  He is just starting to play for longer periods of time, a bit more independently (which is nice) and he is loving being involved in everything that we are doing.  Both my boys are huggers and snugglers. 

Spring is just around the corner and I am wondering how gardening is going to fit into the already busy schedule. 

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.