Thankful

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some time with a friend of mine. My friend has been having some difficult times and has been fighting health issues to go along with it. She has been having some tests done here and there and one of the tests came back suspicious. She really is very independent and didn't want anyone to worry, so she didn't tell anyone. We snuck out of town to visit a specialist to get some biopsy done. It was a little scary and we were praying alot.
We were admitted rather quickly, but then we had to wait nearly two hours for her procedure to start. We visited, talked some serious stuff and some not so serious stuff. When you are relatively young (she's just a little older than me) and you face what could possibly be a "death sentence" you tend to talk about some serious and not so serious things. So we did, we laughed, and we cried some. She made fun of all the items in my purse, although I had everything she needed :~). They finally took her away, they told me it would be about an hour. I wondered about this facility, brand new by the way, trying to locate a diet Pepsi. That is all I wanted. It was quite the trek to find, but an enjoyable trek. There is this grand lobby that looks like a Swiss Chalet (not that I have ever seen a Swiss Chalet, but what I imagine it to be) a fireplace in the center, chair and lounging spots around the fire, a grand staircase that has two sides, a grand piano with a sweet little lady playing some soft music. WOW! I just really wanted to find a diet Pepsi. So some nice little volunteer directed me to where she thought "maybe, just maybe" there would be a vending machine, "if we even have those". But, the direction she sent me, up the grand staircase, passed the piano, through these double doors entered into the "cafeteria", which is a far too generic name for the fine establishment. But, I found Diet Pepsi. I made my way back to the waiting area. I read for a little bit, then thought about heading to the ladies room. I went back to my chair, read again and thought to myself, it has been over an hour, maybe I should see if she is done and I just missed the volunteer looking for me. So I ventured over to this reader board that told me her procedure was done and she was ready for family. I made my way to the volunteer and asked for her, "oh yes, I called for you!" I must have been in the bathroom. I went back to the room and sat quietly in the darkened room next to my sleeping friend. I touched her cheek to let her know I was there, she mumbled something to me, unintelligible. Then every few minutes she would arouse and say something, usually something pretty funny and then doze back off. After a while I asked the nurse if the doctor would be back to talk with us, oh yes of course he will. So she dozed.....and she dozed....and she dozed....for nearly an hour and a half. I sat and spoke with her when she would awaken. Finally, the nurse said, "let's get you up and get you something to drink!" After she was up and to the bathroom and had something to drink, the nurse paged the doctor. He came and explained the procedure to us and that he had opted not to do everything he had anticipated because he found the problem. He found a stricture that shouldn't have been where it was and that was what the problem was! Hallelujah! Praising Jesus for answered prayers. He explained himself so thoroughly and then answered my friends questions. We were ready to celebrate. After her discharge we headed to a big name store because we thought we could get a watch battery, cause hers had quit working that morning (which she thought was a bad omen, It wasn't :~). She was slightly wobbly and big name store said, we don't have battery for you because your watch isn't from here. So we wobbled out. Food was our next desire. We headed for PF Chang's! I hadn't eaten there, only heard about it, so we were on our way. We had a great meal, she started waking up a little more, she ate pretty slowly!! Anyway, we visited and laughed and I relived my conversations with her that I had had at her bedside while she was "dozing", because she didn't remember a one! We giggled and felt true joy that our prayers for her healing had been heard and answered. We had a great ride home and felt truly blessed that we could spend the day together and get good NEWS! Thank you Jesus for good friends. Ones that we can share anything with!

New Glasses

Here is a picture of my new glasses. I had to do it leaning over so my little cripple girl could take it to show you. They are hard to adjust to, but I will get it. They are green, you really can't see that from this pic, but here there are. This is for my little friend Aubrey. She just got new glasses too!

Uh-Oh

Bugg got to drive herself to practice for the first time last night! But at the end of practice we got a phone call from her, she had twisted her ankle and couldn't drive herself home! So today I took her in to the Urgent Care, not broken, but sprained and she shouldn't play for a couple of weeks!! Oh my goodness, that really made her sad. She has a Power League tournament this weekend in Salem, they will have to play without her. Her coach isn't to thrilled either! I have to go get her a brace and exchange Peanut's crutches for a longer pair! Uh-Oh!

Today!!!

Bugg made an appointment to take her Driver's test at the DMV at 8:50 am. She actually made the phone call by herself and everything! So, she got all fixed up, just in case she had to have her picture taken and we headed to the DMV.

She is driving to the DMV. I started getting butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it!

This is her face after she came back with the test driver~Guess I don't need to tell you how she did!

Getting her picture made with her new jacket and top from yesterday's shopping trip!

Adjusting everything in the car so that she can drive off! Wow, how weird! My baby is headed out all by her self. She is now a licensed driver. Her dad picked her up from school and headed to a car lot to look at this car she really likes. They even test drove it! WOW. I feel so old and weird and I am not sure exactly what I feel! :~)

Congratulations Lynsey, you worked hard for this day.

I love you!

Sunday March 1st~Laura's shower

Laura and Richie are expecting their first baby in less than 7 weeks. They are going to name her Addison Marie. The shower was Sunday and we had a great time. They did a great job. The new Community Center in Winston is amazing. When we lived out there it was a run down building and then the tree fell in it. Now it is gorgeous and that is where we "showered". Here's a few pics to remember the day.

The Mother-to-be~7 weeks to go

Laura and Brooke~ Brooke works with me at the Surgery Center

This is Grace, her Mommy is cousin-in-law to the Father-to-be, she also works with me.

Grace's mommy~Trixie~she is due again in June

Nicole~the Hostess, Laura and Brooke

This is Richie's little sister~she is expecting as well!

Trish and Grace~

Grace and I~we were looking at the "camera". She wouldn't take her picture with me until we had the play camera, so while her mom held the play camera, Bugg snapped a shot of us. Too funny that I was looking at the wrong camera! You think I would know better :~)

Those Mom's again~Gramma Willy, Nana and Gramma Gail~

forever friends

Kimmy~my big (little) sis

Richie's mom and Brooke~aka the Gramma and the Aunt of Addison

Brooke and Laura again~

Mom and Willy

Gail and Kimmy

one of the outfits we got her

Gracie helping with the tissue paper~

Richie~getting in on the action.

Saturday the 28th of February....

This is a really weird blog, I got myself all mixed up...so good luck reading it :~)




We went to Chili's in Eugene at the Valley River Mall after the tournament. This is the kids...

Here we are waiting for a table...

Talking to Little Lion and Mommy Lion...

On the way to the restaurant....

They wanted the Olive Garden, but 6:30 on Saturday night....long wait and she was a little hungry.

At midnight, her siSTAR Puddles, made her open her present from her. They couldn't go to sleep til they did. Here is why...

A blanket~made to match Puddles blanket. So Puddles couldn't get hers out to sleep til Bugg opened hers.

and a mug from her little sister, for all those hot chocolate moments....

Bugg's 16th Birthday! We were headed out of the house by 6 am to be at a volleyball tournament in Springfield by 7:30am.

So that is the day...in reverse! Sorry. I will try to do better on the next one. :~)

Friday the 27th of February...

Bugg's birthday is the 28th, so after I got off work I asked if she wanted to go shopping. We headed to get a new pair of "birkenstock's". To Brown's we headed. She has been scoping them out on the internet, so she has already decided what kind she wants. We walked in to Brown's and she sees the pair she had been "eyeing" on the internet. I was still scoping out the sale rack for some new Dansko's, but enough about me. She asked the gal about her size and she had them picked out and on and bought before we could shake a stick. OK, well not quite that quickly, but it didn't take long. Then she wanted a back pack. Really? A back pack? for your sweet 16? Ok, you are driving, wherever you want to go! To Fred Meyer we went. It didn't take her long there either. I have this purse fettish, and the back packs are near the purses, so it took a little bit longer for us to get out of that store! :~) She had plans to be with her dear sweet boy for a movie and her sister needed a ride to a b-day party. So we were done for now.
After the movie, the boy came over and she opened her presents from him. These are the photos from that.

Mom~ you are making me nervous!

It was a Dooney and Bourke wallet!!!
it's a beautiful long necklace with a big heart on it...

He finally let me take his picture :~)