Introducing.....

The bouquet of Death!!!




Yes, this is the same flower arrangement that Mark sent me for our anniversary. It has now become known as the Bouquet of Death. Why you ask??? Well, for 2 reasons:

1) I asked him when they delivered it if there were any flowers left for funerals this weekend in any florist shop in the area. It is beautiful and HUGE!!! (My friend Jeff offered to just raid funerals next year to save Mark so money. hehehe)

2) This arrangement was in the house 24 hours and caused me the largest allergic reaction I have had in a long while. I started sneezing and by the next day my face was swollen, I couldn't breathe and I even had to put ice packs on my face. I moved it to the garage to see if I could feel better. By the next morning, I was doing much better. So now I am wondering if he is trying to kill me after 15 years or what?!?! I guess I will know when the next arrangement arrives.....

I did a little experiment last night. I moved the arrangement of mostly roses that my brother and sister-in-law sent me back into the house. The roses are not causing me any problem. So, I will pull the roses from Mark's arrangement and move them back in the house. That way I can at least enjoy some of the beautiful flowers Mark sent!!

15 YEARS!!!

Mark and I have been married for 15 years.

I can hardly wrap my head around the idea that we have been married that long. And, yet it has flown by so fast. It seems like yesterday sometimes and other times it feels like forever.

As has been the case through most of our married life, Mark is not home for our anniversary. (That's what being married to a pilot gets ya!! So for all those people out there that think it's exciting or glamourous to be a pilot, think again.) When he left yesterday, we joked that he would go to Chili's in the U.A.E. for dinner and I would go to Chili's here. That way we could say we at least ate in the same restaurant chain on our 15th anniversary.


Happy Anniversary Mark!

Thank you very much for the beautiful flowers.

Love always,
H

Daddy Went Back To Work Today

We had a 'dry' run at the going back to work thing yesterday. We took Mark to the airport, then had to pick him up again when the plane had a mechanical problem. Yesterday was horrible for Ian! He cried/sobbed for about 20 minutes after we left Mark. So, I was expecting more of the same today. NOT!! He rolled down the window and yelled "Bye Dad, luv you!" But, he has been glued to me all damn day. I have practically peeled him off of me today. I have tripped over him. I have carried him most of the day. I can hardly wait to see what he is like tomorrow.

9-11

Freedom

Remember

Tales of Chicky- Cago

The kid cracks me up!! This morning he told me that Uncle David, "no live in Chicky-Cago". Then, he called my mom and told her that he lives in "Washington D.C., no Chicky-Cago". I have no idea where he gets this stuff. He has heard us discuss going to Chicago, but we have no immediate plans to go there. I wonder what made it pop into his head his morning. And, where did he get Chicky-Cago?

He is on the phone right now with Grandma. He has the phone held up to his arm 'showing' her his temporary tattoo! I hope she got a great visual on that one. Can't wait to see what he can really do with a video phone.

As I have said before, Ian is not a great eater. He eats all kinds of foods, just not very much of anything at one time. You get 2-3 bites in and he is finished. It's maddening!!! Anyway, lately he has been telling us he is hungry. Huge revelation! How does he tell us, you ask? Well, you might think he just says that he is hungry. Or, maybe you think he takes me to the cabinet to show me what he wants. Oh, no we can't be that simple!! He says "My belly is turned on now" or "I need to food it". And of course, if you ask him if he is hungry, he tells you "My belly is not turned on." I would love to know where he gets this stuff!

My Heart Is Breaking

Last week, I felt a lump on Whiskey's side. I took him to the vet the very same day. (Thank God, I have such a great working relationship with Dr. Dave!) Dr. Dave took a biopsy of the area, did a blood panel (which we routinely do because of previously elevated liver numbers) and we started some new meds for arthritis/pain around his spine. We discussed all the possibilities and decided to go with this diagnostic plan.

I was to call today after 11 AM to get the results of the tests. I got busy with a million things and realized at 6 PM that I hadn't called. The vets office closes at 6 so I would have to call in the morning. About 10 minutes later the vet tech, Candy, called. She explained that the growth is a cancerous tumor which should be removed. However, his liver panel is all over the place too. So they suggested a test to determine if he has Cushings Syndrome. (He shows all the symptoms and the liver numbers indicate it too.) Dr. Dave will not operate until we determine if he has Cushings and get it under control. And, the cancer he has is one that you remove and it just keeps coming back.

He is 14 years old. He is a different dog since his last surgery, more skittish etc. So, I worry about having him put under for surgery. How will it change him this time? Will he even be able to tolerate it? And for that matter, what good will it do if the damn stuff will just come back? So many questions. So few answers. Why did it come up so fast? Why him? Why did I not take him in sooner when he started showing the symptoms of the Cushings? (That's not fair to beat myself up over. The symptoms are not ones that you would think to be problem particularly. He was hungry all the time. He was getting in the garbage. He was having accidents in the house. WTH? Why would you take a dog to the vet for those? But, that doesn't make me feel any better either.)

Angry, confused, worried, broken-hearted. How do we explain it to Ian? When I don't even understand....

Family Fun

Not a care in the world.

The "Kiddie" pool was not cutting it.

Up at the highest point in the fort with Mommy.
Getting ready to go down the water slide.

We headed to the Great Wolf Lodge for a little indoor water park fun. We watched Alex's football game, packed a few clothes and headed out. (They won their game, by the way!! Alex did a great job. I will try to post some pictures later.) We played in the water park for a little while before checking into our room. Once we checked into our room, we spent some time in the arcade and then had dinner at the grill in the hotel. After dinner, Alex went to the arcade by himself while we got Ian ready for bed. Once Ian was asleep, Alex stayed in the room watching television while Mark and I went to the bar for a drink. We got up this morning, had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel's buffet then headed back to the waterpark.

Our room was a family suite with a balcony. We ended up on the ground floor so our balcony was really a patio with a yard for the boys to play in. We had 2 queen size beds and a pull-out sofa for Ian to sleep on. The room was very large with a mini kitchen and 2 televisions.

So what did Ian think of it all? He loved it! Mark, Ian and I went on the river canyon ride which left from the very top of the building, went outside then dumped you back into a pool in the building. It went a lot faster than I thought it would, but Ian laughed the entire way! When we first got there, he rode the 12 foot long kiddie slides a few times, but was soon over that minor thrill. He wanted to go down the big ones! So, off we went to the next step up in slides. (About 8 turns and 200 yards long!) He rode by himself about 10 times! He couldn't ride the biggest slides, because he was too small to hold himself in the tube and you can't ride together. But that didn't stop him from asking about 100 times!!

As for the arcade, it's like crack for kids! I swear, I totally understand why my parents cringed everytime David and I suggested a game room! I told my Dad after Chuck E. Cheese (which makes my eye twitch just to think about it!) last week that I know how he felt when I was a kid. Ian kept running up to us saying "I need monies!" Cute, but makes me worry about his teenage years. :-(

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

Alex getting ready for the game.

Alex started high school a couple of weeks ago. (How did that happen!?!?! I am not that old!)

He spent a very busy summer going to camps (Summer's Best 2 Weeks and OSU wrestling), then started practicing for a sport he had never played before. That's right, he had never played football before and decided to go for it as a freshman. We had some complaining during two-a- days. He stuck with it (with some butt kicking by me!) and he is playing for his school now. He is the 3rd string lineman for the Varsity team and 1st string for the Junior Varsity team. For you non-football people that means he did an amazing job during camp and earned a position that is generally reserved for a sophomore. (The 3rd string for Varsity means that 2 other guys get to play before he gets a chance in a Varsity game.) So, he has to suit up for all Varsity games as well as playing on the JV team.

The season started last weekend. The Varsity game was postponed until Saturday morning due to weather. That meant the JV did not get to play. It didn't matter to Alex. He was so excited to be standing on that sideline!! Last night the varsity won their game and this morning, Alex finally gets his turn to play.

The other standout star around here is Alex's buddy, Zach (a freshman too). He got to start in the Varsity game last weekend! And, he played a position that he had never played before. He did such a good job, that he started again last night. The rules of the Athletic Association state that a player can only play 4 quarters per week, so I am not sure what Zach will get to play this morning. But, we are headed to the game to see how they both do!

First Day of School Picture!!!

He LOVED it!!!!

Mark picked him up at noon. He told Mark that he had so much fun. The teacher said he was very cooperative and VERY friendly. Imagine that!!!!!! (How come I don't ever see the cooperative side???)

I asked him who was in his class. He told me that there were FIVE girls. (Yes he said it that emphatically!) I asked him how many boys there were. He said he didn't know. Stinker!!! He told me he had snack, played outside, learned about frogs and sat on the line like a good boy.

This evening, he came up to me and said "My school is great!"