Brothers....

In my 2 week absence at the hospital and even in this long and drawn out going on 4 week recovery at home, we have had such amazing friends and neighbors offer to take the boys.  That is a GREAT friend who is willing to take all 3 of my hooligans at once.  

We have the sweetest and most amazing neighbors whose kids are grown and never tire of inviting my boys to their pool, to their house to play or make cookies or even build legos.  They are truly the most giving and kind people and we are so lucky to have them as our neighbors.  And my boys love them as much.  Mrs. K holds down the fort and bakes cookies, builds legos and swims and Mr. R loves to take the boys fishing.  The time they give to my kids is priceless and we are so grateful for them and their love of our boys.  

One day while I was in the hospital, the boys enjoyed a day in the pool at our neighbor's house.  So grateful the boys got to do something fun!

Horse Parade

At our precious school, the second graders have a horse parade during Rodeo Season.  I would say our horse turned out pretty awesome!

It's so fun that JLS still eats this stuff up.  He loves doing all the crafty projects and he plays to win!

Seeing an entire hall of kids and their horses was so cute.  Pink horses, black horses, glitter and stripes.  Creative ideas were present!

How Many Pictures Do We Need?

Mona has truly been such a blessing to our family.  You would never know how much love a dog brings to a family, but its true.  She came to us potty trained and kennel trained having just had litter of pups that were not with her when she was found.  She nursed a surrogate litter of pups that arrived to the shelter without a mom.  And then....she was ours.

She is such a sweet natured dog that I often wonder where she came from?  Is someone missing her?  Is there a child that thinks their dog was killed? (ahhh!)  Is she missing another child that was her buddy?  There is no way to ever know and that makes me kind of sad.

However, to say that Mona has become one of the family is an understatement.  She is loved 100% times 5 family  members.  She is snuggled and pet and played with chronically.  When the boys aren't home, she sleeps....and sleeps....and sleeps....ON MY BED!

Her favorite spot outside is on the couch in the sun.

And if I surprise her, I discover her "blending in" on the couch.  Take note that she is totally frozen hoping I don't see her.

And other times, she just doesn't care.  Mona is so loved.  She is the number one photo op when the boys have a phone.  She can't wait for Daddy to get home from work and hold her like a baby.  She might be missing a good home.  But one thing is for sure, she has a GREAT home with lots of love and attention here.  And we are glad to have her.  

Even if she has decided getting on the furniture is allowed.

I-45 Snoozing

This sweet angel went all over town with me running errands on this day.  Then, we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on I-45.  I was so tired.  It got pretty quiet in the car and I looked back to find this.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could ALL sleep through traffic?

For the Beauty of the Earth

After Christmas last year, we stuck this Amaryllis bulb in the ground not expecting much.  Each year, the bulb has come back with beautiful flowers in the Spring.  JBS noticed the flower about to bloom one morning on our way to school and snapped a pic.

And by the afternoon when he was home from school, look what he found.

He was so excited to have seen it before it fully bloomed.  So fun in this world of video games and iPhones to stop and appreciate the beauty of the earth.  So many things get missed if you aren't looking for them...

Before and After

Before baseball game tunes...."Eye of the Tiger"  So completely timeless.  I love that my boys listen to "my" music!

After the baseball games....just a tired little boy.

Love him so much.

Sweetness

There is no other word to describe this baby than "Sweet".  Since I have been home from the hospital, he is always making sure I feel OK.  He tells the boys, "You need to take care of Mommy.  Be nice!"  I overhear him telling the boys, "Stop arguing! It makes Mommy sad!"  He brings me plates of food and ice water when he thinks I need it.  He climbs on the couch or in my bed just to give me snuggles.  This child is sweet.

This week is my first week "on my own."  No Mom or Dad or sister or Mother in Law.  I am responsible for myself (eeks) and for 3 children while Babe is at work.  A precious friend in the neighborhood offered to take all 3 boys to and from a sports camp we are in this week with her boys. Such a kind offer.  Yesterday, day one, I got a call before the camp ever started.  WHS had thrown up.  Lawsie.  My friend had taken him, but she was working the camp and had no idea he was sick.  My own nurse was on the way and I couldn't go immediately.  By the time I finally got there to pick him up, it had been close to an hour.  There I found WHS sitting so still and so preciously with an enormous bucket by his side.  I spoke to the nurse and she told me what happened.  And then she said,  "Listen, that child.  I cannot tell you how sweet he is.  He is just so sweet.  He was sick.  We brought him to the nurses station and there he has sat so perfectly waiting for you.  We tried to give him water.  We tried to give him crackers.  He just said, 'No Thank you.'  He is just such a sweet boy."

If I took a bite of him, I am sure he would taste like sugar.  

The Van Gogh of the Family

We received a note that JBS' artwork would be entered in the All-District art show and displayed at the high school.  I took a double take.  We are crafty, but we aren't artists.  I do stick figures and Babe speaks chicken scratch.  Then, we have this sweet angel who was entered into an art contest!

This may have been a fluke, but I am pretty proud of him!  I love his artwork and I love his vision.

Way to go JBS!

On the Mend...

WOW.  Having had two abdominal surgeries before this one, I was prepared for brutal.  I was not prepared for this.  Having a husband and 3 precious hooligans is a game changer.  The emotional side of this surgery really affected me.

I "woke up,"if you can call it that, to discover they had removed 80% of my stomach.  That was a blow.  Then for several days I was in and out of coherence.  I ended up having a drug interaction and a wound care issue that delayed my release from the hospital.  In total, I was in the hospital for two weeks.  Holy Hannah.  First and foremost, we could never have survived this time without my incredible family tag teaming and taking care of my children at home.  My mom spent every night in the hospital with me.  That said, two weeks was far too long to be away from my kids and it was far too long for them to worry about me.  When I got home, I could see the worry in their faces.  I was never happier to sit in the midst of my crazy and chaotic house than I was when I got home from the hospital.  I missed my boys and they missed me.  I kept finding notes in my drawers from them telling me what was going on.  I boo-hoo'ed every time I found one.

It still took a good week for me to be able to spend much time out of bed.  Again, wonderful family who stayed with me and helped with the boys.  We are forever indebted.

I am just over five weeks out of surgery.  With my previous surgeries, I was back at work at six weeks.  There is no way I would be capable of that this time around.  I still have Home Health coming twice a day to pack and treat my wound.  I still move slow.  I still get tired easily.  If another person tells me its because I am 40, I might hit them :)   I do have scar tissue to deal with.  I do have the drug interactions that set me back.  I had a bladder infection that slowed me down for a few days.

I am doing well as far as surgery went for eating and my Crohn's Disease.  I just eat six small meals a day.  I have my fight back.  I have the will to be strong again.  My determination is just a little bit stronger than my body.  Slow and steady they say.  Slow and steady.