Butterfly Reflections

Life...what can I say but it happpens and then you learn.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

My Celebrity Look-A-Likes (I wish)

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Snow Anyone?

I must say that yesterday when I saw it has snowed in the mountains I was a little jealous. It didn't really snow a whole lot but it snowed. I love snow and how beautiful it looks falling and how beautiful it looks when the ground is covered in such white powder. When I was a little girl we live in Virginia. Every year it would snow and not just a little. We would wake up and have 2 feet of snow. When we lived in Waynesboro, VA, we had like a major blizzard. It was probably a little over 3 feet. I just remember that it was even with our front porch that was pretty high. We lived in a very old house. When I say old, it was like 100 years old, no kidding. It was on top of a hill so you had to drive up to it. My Dad opened the front door and being the funny guy he is decided to see how deep the snow was. He took our black cat and dropped off the porch. All I can say that all we saw was white snow and a hole. Soon the cat came scratching to the surface and by that time the black cat was now white. Needless to say, the cat wouldn't go near my Dad for a long time for fear that it would travel to the white wonders again. Some of my favorite memories are sledding down the hill with my whole family having fun outside. My grandmother lived with us and she would always watch us out the window and wave. When we would come inside she would always have hot chocolate ready for us. I miss those days. I was telling Wayne last night that I hope we get a good snow this year so I can try to play in it again. I know it won't be as fun since we don't have a big hill where we live but still I would love to make a snowman.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...please!!!!

I know it might be too soon for it to but I can't wait until it does.

Let me know what your best memory is with snow.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Backyard Blues

As many of you know, we just purchased our first home. We lived in a beautiful community called Lions Gate. It is a townhome community so we do not have to worry about the yard upkeep. I am glad for that because I certainly don't know what I am doing and Wayne just doesn't prefer to do the yard either. Since day one of moving in, we have had a drainage problem in the back yard. Wayne being the wonderful husband and provider that he is said he would handle it. He emailed the customer service person for our community and told them about our problem. Well, finally after a month, they finally decided to do something about it. They sent a crew of men to install a special drain in the backyard. These men came and tore our yard apart and unburied our phone and cable lines that had been freshly buried only 2 weeks prior. Don't get me started on the cable thing, it is a post in itself. Here we are a week later and the yard still looks a mess and the lines are still just laying across our yard and our neighbors yard. I knew it was going to rain today and thought, great this will make them go even slower on this little project. Aaaawwww, the joys of homeownership. I must say that I do love living here but I would love to be able to walk in what little back yard that I have. Okay, I guess enough about that.

Until next time...

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

If These Walls Could Talk, Maybe I Wouldn't Be So Bored!

Well, here I am one week after my surgery. I feel great considering what I've been through. Each morning I get up, take a shower, take all my medicines, multi-vitamins, & calcium supplement. Then it is downstairs to start my exciting day of drinking protein shakes because that is really all I can........aaauuuggghhhhh!!!! I feel like that is all I do. It takes me one whole hour to finish 8 oz. of carnation instant breakfast no sugar added. Then I am supposed to spend the next hour drinking another 8 oz. of water, crystal lite, or decaf tea. (I must interject that I have not been successful doing that yet!) It is so hard to do because I am not hungry whatsoever so when I drink the protein shake I am so full that I can't drink the water or any other liquid listed above. It is so frustrating. I just try to drink as much as I can. I must say I found out that I can have light yogurt so I have added two of those a day to mix it up a little. Yes, folks I am leading such an exciting life right now. My highlight of the day is waiting and watching the door in the afternoons for someone to get home. Usually it is JJ that is the first to walk in the door, then Katrina and Stephen, then sometime later Wayne gets home(YAY!!). Let me tell you it is so good to see them when they get home. Being here all day with Phileo is great but he can't talk back to me. He probably thinks I am crazy because I talk to him constantly. If you know me at all, I am such a people person. I do enjoy having a good conversation or watching something and being able to laugh at it with someone else. I guess you take it for granted. That is why I am not single. The highlight of my day is when Wayne and I get to go and take walk together. The doctor ordered for me to walk at least five days a week but we have decided to go for seven days a week. It feels so good to get out of the house and just walk through our neighborhood. I never knew what we were missing by not doing this before. God has really shown me how strong I really am when it comes to this whole process. It is pretty hard watching everyone eat real food but I know I will be able to eat and chew again soon (aaaawwww to chew again, never thought that would be so nice). Thank you to all my wonderful friends and family for your wonderful words of encouragement and prayers. I know God has placed each of you in my life to help me get through this time. I love you all very much. Okay well I guess that is all I wanted or needed to say.

Until next time...

Thursday, October 05, 2006

There's No Place Like Home

Hello all, I am finally home. I must say that I am not cut out for the hospital life. I also must say that I am not cut out for IV's either. I am sure if you read Wayne's blog you heard about his take on the day of surgery. Yes, it is true my veins do not cooperate no matter how many times you ask them to. I was ready to scream after the 2nd one blew and just when they said they would go ahead and do a central line, the 3rd one began working wonderfully. It lasted all the way through surgery and recovery but not to my new hospital room. I know Wayne said that I was doped up and probably wasn't really in pain, let me tell you, I was indeed in pain. I was doped up but that just made we be out of it but it certainly wasn't relieving the pain. Once I did get that 4th and final IV (which by the way was in my right wrist so I couldn't use that arm or hand whatsoever), the morphine was flowing and I was feeling pretty good that was until I woke up. Every time I woke up, I would get nautious and start gagging and all that fun stuff Wayne told you about.

Over all, I guess it wasn't the worst experience ever. I actually am surprised at how mobile I am right now. Of course, now I am on vicodin so that may be helping. Well I will post more later, my incisions are starting to hurt a bit so I need to rest. Thank you all for your prayers. I could really feel God cradling me as I was completely in his care during the surgery.

Well, until next time....

Sunday, October 01, 2006

My First Post

Well, here goes nothing....I always said I would never do this but maybe it will be therapeutic. My problem is that I think my life is pretty boring and I don't have much to say. I guess in time we will see if that is true. Anyways, I am going in for surgery on Tuesday and after that life will never be the same. I am on a mission to a new healthier lifestyle. I know that with the support from my heavenly father, my wonderful husband, and family that I can make it.

The first lifestyle change was to first survive the two weeks of liquid diet. I must say that Carnation Instant Breakfast (no sugar added) has become my new best friend. I might add that it really doesn't taste that bad. I have had chocolate milk that tasted worse. The one thing that I haven't dealt well with is the hunger pains. I guess the 10 pounds lost so far make it worth the while. I must say that even once this first two weeks is over I still have two more after the surgery. I have heard that it will not be as bad......please Lord let it be so.

Well I guess I have rambled enough for now, but I will definitely keep up posting as I start this new adventure. Keep me in your prayers. I have a feeling it won't be that easy but I will survive and be better for it.