Yahoo and Whoops

Tuesday was a banner day. I went to visit the oncologist and he decided my counts were low enough to take me off chemo. Frank came with me to the appointment but had to leave to Tacoma for a Support Enforcement Convention. It's a once a year thing. He was gone Tues, Wed and back Thurs night.

Since Sunday I had been having pain in my right foot. I stepped into a Suburban for a ride to church and turned my foot towards the little toes and felt extreme pain. I thought it would go away by the time I got to church, but had to limp around for the next 4 hours. (Choir practice was before church and choir was singing)

Sunday night Eric brought Adyson. She stayed the night and I spent the day on the couch with my right foot elevated and watched Disney movies. Her favorite is Alice in Wonderland. When the pain hadn't abated by Tuesday morning, I made an appointment to see my regular doctor at 4 pm, after I saw the Oncologist.

They took ex-rays and determined that my 5th metatarsal bone in my foot was broken, not a hairline fracture, but broke clear through. They fitted me with a boot and went to get crutches to fit, but had none. (Efficiency in that clinic, not) I promised I would have someone take me the next morning to pick some up. Driving home with my left foot was an adventure. I think people thought I was a beginning driver because I punched the brake way too hard at first. Then I'm thinking as I drive home,"how am I going to get into my house without crutches?" So I drove by 3 different friends, all of which were not home. One house I could see movement inside so I honked the horn a few times, waited, still no one came out so I left. Could you see me crawling to the front door. That would been a comedic sketch. On the way home a brother in our ward was OUTSIDE and I stopped the car and explained my situation. He followed me over and helped me hop inside through our garage.

So, now I'm home and no husband coming home for two days. I called some friends who brought me dinner, did some vacuuming and filled my water bottles. For those who know my house I have a split level entry with living room on that level, stairs going up to the kitchen or down to the family room. I was fine for that night.

Wednesday morning my friend came back and washed some dishes, made me a sandwich for lunch, and put her homemade chicken soup in a bowl in the microwave. Crawling up the stairs at lunch, eating the sandwich on the counter (I couldn't carry it anywhere), then at dinner heating up the soup, sitting in a chair and eating it at the oven. (Couldn't carry that anywhere either)

Another friend dropped off perfectly fitting crutches and I proceeded to look on you tube on how to use crutches properly. I have to be on crutches for 3 weeks and in the boot for 3-4 more weeks. My birthday is November 3 so I think I'll still be stylin' wearing my boot on my b-day! Yippee! (Not)

My good friend had bunion surgery a few years ago and told me I needed to get a stool for the kitchen (to do minimal cooking) and for showering. She also has the same kind of floor plan as I do. After 3 - 4 days of crawling up and down stairs she bought knee pads.

My friend Yolanda brought me knee pads which help a lot. She also brought me a much needed remedy, Dove chocolate!

I'm trying to look at this as another BIG bump in the road and staying positive about being off chemo. I'm beginning to think my life is one big adventure after another! I've had enough adventures thank you very much!

Ladies Night Out

We had Relief Society meeting which I think should be called "Ladies Night Out." It was potluck most people brought main dishes or desserts. There was one salad and not very good. We had an interesting quinoa, black beans and corn that was great. Teriyaki meatballs were a hit. I did take tuna caserole, but, at the last minute added fresh mushrooms. One of the sisters there said her favorite meal is tuna caserole but her family doesn't like it. I must have been inspired. Adyson and I had leftovers for lunch and I took the rest to feed Benjamin and I for dinner. It's all gone now.

We had a clothing exchange and I took a lot of clothes. Someone had given me a two expensive women's suits which were both too short for my tastes. Both of those went to the same woman which made me happy. I found some girl clothes for Adyson, my grandaughter and for myself.

We played a game called Apples and Apples that was pretty fun. There were only 12 of us there at first and then three more people arrived bringing more desserts so, of course we had to go try their additions.

I'm kinda bummed cause my walking partner tweeked her knee somehow. So I haven't walked since last Thursday. Shame on me.

Good news though; Frank is now walking a couple of times around the development. He comes home at night and before he even comes in the house so I know he's home he's out walking. I'm so proud of him. He is getting ready and fit for when we hopefully go to China.

Bountiful Beautiful Foods

Color in nature is so dramatic. These pears look like giant lemons they are so yellow.
This was a pork chow mein that I enhanced by adding Kale, Swiss Chard, and Parsley. I steamed the three greens for 7 minutes and added to the leftover chow mein. It has given me two meals and I still have more left!
Kale is a super vegetable with many more nutrients than even spinach. For breakfast I also stir fry these three greens and onion, then add scrambled eggs and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Yesterday I wrapped the scrambled egg mixture and had a breakfast burrito. It was yummy.

When we went to Wenatchee, my Uncle Rex gave us a whole box of free pears. They are ripening fast so every day I have to eat at least one. I have given 3/4 of the box away since I am not doing any canning this year.
Melt in your mouth goodness and so little calories! If only I could eat natural sugar ALL the time!

Tomorrow is our Relief Society meeting. We are having a pot-luck dinner and game night. I plan on going - what to make though. I'm leaning toward a tuna noodle caserole; simple and quick. I bought some whole wheat pasta noodles at QFC tonight so I think I'll try them.

Benjamin's B-Day Celebration

Benjamin had 13 other family members at his party. It was a bit overwhelming for him to say the least.

Everyone sang Happy Birthday to him and he started crying. We all felt so bad. Everyone was shsshing and telling everyone to be quiet. It was totally quiet; he stopped crying and looked around wondering where all the sound went. We all couldn't help but laugh at the futility of it all!

My two darling grandaughters, Jennifer and Adyson.

Camron interestingly enough was curious about his littlest cousin Ben and sat and watched him play with his new basketball hoop toy.
Eric, Ethan and Terrin getting ready to leave
Colin, 7 years old.

Trip to Wenatchee with Adyson

Adyson and I both wore pink on purpose so we could match! So of course we had to take a picture. Dear sweet Ady. We love her so much.
Adyson is with us for daycare on Mondays and Fridays starting with the Friday because her brothers all are in school. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday she is in a daycare/preschool for the social benefit of being with other children.

It was cloudy when we left Stanwood and rained a little bit on Stevens Pass.
I now know why I love the NW so much. The beauty of the mountains and the evergreens is phenomenal.
Pine trees growing right up the side of the mountain. They don't care as long as Mother Nature gives them plenty of water.

I wanted to get these line of trees on the very top of the mountain, but what I got was an awesome view of the change from overcast to sunny. It was very sudden. All at once the sun was upon us.
My uncle Rex is my real Mom's half brother. He and his wife Ella (as in Enchanted?) welcomed us and we had a nice visit. They even had great grandkids for Ady to play with so she disappeared for nice little while to have some kid's fun.
Their grandson, Lance Larson went to Taiwan, China on his mission and then went back to teach in a private high school while at BYU. So we had plenty of questions for him.

Ella is 81 and Rex is turning 84 in Dec. She had a reoccurence of breast cancer from 25 years ago and just had a mastecomy in May. Rex has congestive heart disease. He recently spent a few days in the hospital in Wenatchee so they could drain the excess fluid from his body that had accumlated. He was on water pills, but even then his legs were very, very swollen. He is also on oxygen. When we came in there were 25 foot long tubes for his oxygen canister so he could travel around his big rambler at will even with the oxygen hooked up. He now is on two water pills a day. Ella says they are both slowing down a lot. Still they manage to do the peach orchard (a small one). They are amazing people and I am proud to be related. He is also the Patriarch in their stake.
Leavenworth is a resort town where most of the buildings are built like an old German town. This is one example.
We had to make the token stop at McDonalds so Adyson could have a Happy Meal. The Heltons kept telling me she looks so much like me.

Anyway, the long and short of it is we got 4 boxes of peaches, two of which are going to my friend Cindy. I've decided to take it easier this year and not can. So we will eat them. They pick them ripe off the tree and they are huge. Guess what we will be eating and sharing with our friends for the next two weeks. I may freeze some to have in cobblers.

Laboring on Labor Day.

We have traveled away from home this summer quite often for extended periods of time. As a result our yard needed a make-over big time.

So today we labored in our front yard pulling those noxious looking weeds. Frank took one part and I took another area. The first hour was un-eventful and very enjoyable. We were able to begin to see the results of our hard work. The next two hours were not so enjoyable. The rain came, first a little smattering of tiny raindrops, then a little drizzle. Then the real duluge started. We felt the constant stream of wet, wet, wet and more wet raindrops on our sweatshirts. I finally went in the house and grabbed a baseball hat to protect my head. Soon we were both so soaked that we had to come in.

Then, in the pouring deluge of rain I hastily ran to the garage and grabbed my Costco sized container of “Preen.” It is supposed to control the weeds for up to 3 months. However, the last time I used it I neglected to notice that the weeds will come back if you don’t re-apply it every three months. I was un-detered from the rain. I don’t want to do this weeding again in 3 months!

My husband was kind of mad at me that I was out in the rain so long since I am a cancer patient in chemo. I just calmly told him I would take a super hot shower when I came in, which I did. Boy, did it feel great. I did not realize how cold my body was from being outside so long. I had to stand under the shower for an extended period of time to warm up.

The only one seeming to enjoy the raindrops is our white swan. You can see the raindrops falling from the roof of the house and forming a pool for our dear little swan.
Little tiny grains of "Preen."
This is the area that Frank weeded, and it got a good shot of Preen too.
This is tall wastebasket which I had filled with weeds twice. This is the last of the muddy weeds that accumulated in the bottom.

Muddy hatchet and muddy, muddy, gucky gloves. So much for summer. It's bye, bye I'm afraid.
I love this hatchet tool It has a hatchet on one end and a three pronged hoe on the other. It is a very handy tool for yard work.

Temple Square

Beautiful historic Joseph Smith Building.

We are all tired from walking Temple Sqaure. David and Rach just ran a half marathon that morning of 13.1 miles. Sunday they were poppin' ibuprofen 'cause of sore, sore muscles.

Terrin is playing the bad guy here on purpose. He's 11. Thats what eleven year olds do right?

Frank waiting for the rest of us at the water pool next to the temple.
Beautiful tapestry quilt depicting the the first four temples on this dispensation. The Kirtland, the Nauvoo, the St. George and the Salt Lake temple.
Spectacular daisies on temple square.
View from the Conference Center overlooking the SLC temple.
The State Capitol of Utah behind Terrin.
Church office building housing all the general authorities and auxiliary heads and their offices.
The Christus statue for Terrin to remember how big it was.

Tabernacle ceiling light.
Rachel explaining to Terrin how you can drop a pin at one end of the hall and hear it at the back of the Tabernacle.
How bout those pipes; enourmously large! What an awesome pipe organ. It is one of the biggest in the world.
Grandpa took this picture in the Tabernacle.

We are just heading for the Conference Center to show Terrin the huge hall and the garden on the roof.
Christus and Frank and I.
I love, love this temple!