So much has changed.

I wish I had been writing regularily, but it has been a scary couple weeks and now I need to get you caught up.

My dad had been sick during and after Christmas. He went and got antibiotic for a sinus infection and was doing better.
Yet, a few weeks ago, he woke on Sunday morning with excruciating pain, so bad that he couldn't help but throw up. He was miserable.

Mom too him to the emergency room in Cavalier. Nothing really added up between blood tests and the xray, so they decided to have him undergo a catscan.

Thank God they did. The found an Abdominal Aortic aneurysm. 12 cm in size (that's really big). It's amazing that my dad had not ruptured it from all the coughing the week before and the throwing up that morning. If they burst, there really isn't anything that can be done. It happens too fast.

My dad was rushed to Grand Forks for emergency surgery. Dustin and I loaded up the car and Ian and drove to the hospital. There was another surgery before him, so I did get to see him before he went in. It went from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m.  Surgery went well and my dad is home recovering, but isn't feeling good at all. It takes awhile to heal from having all those internal organs moved so they could get to the problem and repair it.

We've been back and forth quite a bit and would like to go up again soon. We have a few weeks of things that we can't be away from. Time sensitive and so forth, but hopefully after that we can go see them.

In happier news. Ian is crawling like a rockstar and pulling himself up ot standing on anything that doesn't move. I'm amazed at how quickly he is growing and changing.

Blessings.

God Bless My Neti Pot

You may find my title odd, but truthfully, this is the best thing that ever happened to this girl and her sinuses. I'm through with my antibiotics for the sinus infection, but I still am struggling with congestion and so I have upped my use of the neti.
During the round of sinus infections at our house, Dustin and I and Ian with his ear infection. Dustin's doc recommended 4 times a day with the neti pot and 2 times a day when you are healthy.
I was doing two. Morning and night, but I do believe that I will up the number to at least three until this is all cleared up. I just want to breath again.

We pulled of Christmas, including a blizzard! We were safe and snug in our house, my mom and dad stranded in with us. No one could make it Christmas day, so the four of us feasted and froze a huge portion of an 18 lb turkey.
I brined it and roasted it in wine, apples and vegetables and it turned out perfect! It must of. My mom said it would be nice if it was a bit dryer. Huh?
Dustin pointed out that my mom doesn't like to be out done, so if this is all she had to come up with, well, enjoy the triumph. I think I will.

Ian had fun playing in the paper. He actually enjoyed his new wagon. If he got fussy all weekend, we'd put him in the wagon and roll him to wherever we were at and he'd play in there for like an hour. It was fabulous.
And, even with all this comfort and joy. It is the neti pot that has brought me the greatest relief.

I'm drinking lots of water. I cut down on the tea today. I have been drinking a lot of that too. Today, I skipped it. The water tastes so good. I may go get a skinny french vanilla steamer at the coffee shop across the street in a little bit.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. May you all be illness free, but if you aren't...get yourself a netipot. It has made the difference.

T'was tjhe week of Christmas!

And all through the house, not a thing is ready, not even the couch.
I was sick all last week. Dustin is this week. We are hosting Christmas and I have no idea how we will pull it off, but somehow I know we will.
I am at work today catching up from my absense last week. Happily, I don't have tons to do. Why? I don't preach this week! HAHAHA!

We have a messy house, home improvements that must be improved upon. good news. Dustin has wrapped just about all the gifts.

I should be able to get the letter out tomorrow.

We'll get there. I feel like the little engine that might could.

December 8

So, we got a call about Ian getting his helmet today. When. Tomorrow. So I have to miss work to go to Bismarck for the helmet fitting. I have decided to make it worth Ian's wild. He'll get his picture taken with Santa Claus, I'm sure he'll be thrilled!
so, not going to report much right now. Just going to say, Help, I need to get my annual report done today!

December 7

So, I'm not capable of blogging every day. Life goes on. I'm still doing better than normal.
The livingroom is still a mess, but we did get most of the painting done and some things put back so we can live again. The new wall colors are fabulous! More fall, rustic tones. I think our house is starting to really feel comfortable. I will have more mudding to do. I have decided to try to fill the lines in the old paneling that we didn't remove. It shouldn't take too long or too much sanding...I hope.
I have to get a Christmas letter written and pictures done very soon. We're getting very behind. Wait, that would mean we need to take the picture! It's on the list.
For work it is the week of reports. I need January calendar report, annual meeting report, and council report done by Wed. Deadline for the first two is Friday, but I wont' be here. So, I'm hoping to hammer one more out before I go home in 45 minutes. I have no idea what to say for the council this month. I'll figure it out, I always do.
Well, I better get back to it for the last 45 minutes.
later all

December 4

I home again today. What fun. We bought seed this morning. We did the order anyway. I've touched up the drywall for hopefully the last time. Now I'm trying to find the paint roller so I can start the part of the room that I didn't have to drywall.
Ian is napping.
I also caught a mouse. Not with a trap, but underneath a tupperware container. More details later.

December 3.

Note, wrote the following yesterday, but it wouldn't post. grrrrr. So, does that mean I didn't make it or that I was defeated by technology?
Anyway.. Here's what I wrote yesterday at 11:00 p.m.


Greetings. I love being home today. Well, I haven't been home a lot and the morning sucked, but it was still good to be home. I did bookwork most of the morning. Dustin cleaned house. Ian was a doll and played on the floor and in his exersaucer.

We had our tax appointment at 3:00 p.m. That's why I did the bookwork. Our appointment went well and then we ran errands. The great fun of the evening. We decided to bring supper home, so we called my inlaws and our neighbor CG and they came over for supper and we had the best time. CG was gone on a trip, so it was so nice to have her back again. 

good night.