Caught Up!

Alright. The vacation is over. The catch up that inevitably must happen after every vacation is done. My brain is rested. And so, back to the keyboard!

Our vacation was, well, nice. I forget just how beautiful Montana is this time of year, green and new and fresh. My family enjoyed the time with my kiddos, and my kiddos enjoyed the attention lavished upon them with exquisite detail. Bean had her grandpa James wrapped securely around her little fingers and Mr. Gray spent every available moment with his uncle Jeremiah. Evan and I were able to sleep in a bit, spend time doing nothing more than cuddling and reading a good novel, and even had a night to ourselves that we spent in the company of some old friends. I knitted a beanie and a pair of adorable shorties for Aidyn, and read about 8 romance novels. Evan was happy just to sleep and play some paintball with his male in-laws. Bella had a rousing time with her Montana cousins, my mom's 7 month old golden retriever Tucker, and her timid little spaniel Freedom. She couldn't make up her mind if she wanted to play or be a big tough girl, but in the end they got along well enough. It was a rather wierd feeling to sleep in my old bedroom that still sports a lovely rose pink carpet, I felt like a little girl again. Teehee, teehee.

We returned to our house in good spirits, after a nine hour drive in the dead of night made to avoid the whining tantrums of kids who have been in a car all day. They slept peacefully for the last six or so hours. We passed about 32 dear on the way home, all through Idaho. Go figure. The next day was spent unpacking, putting laundry away, and going through the stack of mail that filled my table. And that about sums up the 11 after May 16.

Since then....

We spent an entire Saturday cleaning up the debris that comes along with a major construstion project in the backyard. When it was done I planted a garden full of peas, carrots, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, beans and cantelope, followed by a few pots of tomatoes and peppers and one of chives. Over fifty more plants made it into my flower beds, a mix of hosta, lilies, walk-on-me, and red sedum. Finally, I dug out the bare spot by the patio where grass apparently cannot grow, though not for our lack of trying, and put down a total of 95 red concrete pavers in a haphazardous pattern. I finished the spot with a few chairs and some pots and voila! An extension of the porch and a perfect sunny place for sitting and admiring my container flowers, and goodbye disgusting bald patch of yard.

This weekend the electric is going into the garage, one more check on the never ending list. It's so nice being able to pull into my own garage and not have to park on the curb where people like Evan's aunt will pull a hit and run on you (long story, but yes, it's true). And the best part is wonder van has a built in button that is programmed to my garage door, so I don't even have to carry a remote, leaving an extra to give to someone in the chance that Evan's is lost or for some reason we lock ourselves out.

Bella is growing at a remarkable pace, filling out in the shoulders and getting that big, bristly bully look. She's a huge sweetheart, albeit a little smelly. Last night she finally learned she was big enough to jump up into mommy and daddy's bed, and she's been doing it all day. Speaking of the mommy daddy bed, Aidyn is going through a phase that has him running into our room sometime in the night and bounding into Evan's side of the bed to sleep for the remainder. I think Evan secretly enjoys having his firstborn cuddling so sweetly beside him. He's also hit a phase of girliness. He's obsessed with my shoes, and keeps telling us he is a pretty princess. This morning he spent 15 minutes before we woke up experimenting with my makeup. Kids, you gotta love them. And Ely is, well, Ely. She has perfected the art of the perfect tantrum, and is now working on a pouty face that does a basset hound proud.

I had a doctor's appointment the day after we returned (I suppose this actually belongs in the 11 days after part). After an entire rundown of bloodwork and a complete (and I mean complete) physical, she concluded I was in perfect health, with all tests within normal range. There was just the little problem of my toes being blue all the time and beginning to become dry little stubs. Dying in other words. After consulting, I was told that since we can't find a cause we better just treat the symptom or else I would risk permanent nerve damage in my feet. More acurately, I already have nerve damage, and we needed to stop the progression. And so she prescribed a heart medication for blood pressure, a calcium channel blocker called Procardia that is supposed to open my veins and put the oxygen back in my toes. I hear oxygen is important to us mortal beings. Anyway, I am two days into that, and while the blue is subsiding, I now have to deal with muscle cramping and pins and needle sensations in my toes. I think they've forgotten what that good 'ol element O feels like. And my legs could do without the cramping and the slight swelling that they're experiencing, but I'm hoping once my body adjusts to the meds, it will return to some semblance of normal. I also started Lamictal, an epilepsy medication that also has uses for bipolar II. It will take a month or two to start noticing any real difference, but I'm holding out hope that someday soon, I will be able to feel a normal range of emotion without the extremes.

Levi and Dani are planning on moving out within the next few weeks, which means I can slowly begin to remodel the basement domain that they've occupied for the last year. I'm turning it into a family room, complete with Evan's weight set, a play area for the kids, a workspace for myself, and a pirate bar. Yes, I said it, pirate. I'll post as I get closer and it will become more understandable. I also plan on rejuvenating my laundry room into an area that will make me want to do my laundry......rriiiiiggghhhhhtttt.

Alright, that's about it. I'm sorry for such a long lapse in my writing, but I trust this finds you all well and happy. Caio.