She's 6 months old!

Today is Rachel's 6 month birthday! Here's the girl having a good time at Nana's!

Weird day...

Well, today I really didn't want to get out of bed. That seems to have started a day straight out of the weird world. I had to take the kids & Andrew to Calhoun b/c Andrew didn't have the Bronco here to transport the kids. I didn't mind but it did make me run late - especially since we went to the lawyer's office to sign the paperwork on Andrew selling the garage (more on that later).

As I was driving from Calhoun to Madisonville, I had a horrible thought... I had court in the furthest tip of Western KY with my supervisor. Since I was late I called the lab to tell them & ask about court. Of course the cell signal was iffy so I could only hear a small part of what the Admin. Assistant was telling me. Of course, I heard her loud & clear when she answered my question about whether my supervisor was mad at me or not... It was a resounding yes. Uh oh! I put my foot to the floor as I reached behind my seat to grab my ever-present suit (I'm always paranoid something like this is going to happen). I was putting my skirt on over my jeans as I drove down the road - believe it or not it is possible to do that w/o a) flashing other drivers & b) ever taking both hands off the steering wheel!


I pulled up at the lab in my suit minus jacket (it was way to hot for the jacket) - thank goodness I had the sense to dress w/ a good shirt & shoes this morning! My supervisor already had the car started & pulled close to the door. I shot our of my car & ran into the lab to grab my wig & my case information. We got on the road & he wasn't really too mad at me (or else I just suck at noticing). We talked as he drove the 2+ long hours to court. This is a place we all hate to go b/c its the furthest point in Western KY & just a horribly long drive. There are no restaurants or even recognizable convenience stores. Part of the city is falling into the Ohio River. To get to the rest of the town you have to cross a ferry!


The weird part of my day was starting... While in the city we saw 2 one-armed men (one used to be Sheriff), a waxed mustache, a guy that talked like SlingBlade, houses falling into the Ohio River, and LOTS of underwater farmland. It also stormed w/ lots of wind, lightning, & hard rain while we were there... On the drive back it seemed as if it only rained in that county... If I'd seen a man playing banjo I'd have thought I was in Deliverance & gotten the heck out of Dodge!


After sitting in the courthouse for over 4 hours, we finally started back home. As we drove my supervisor's GPS was calculating our estimated arrival time. He was driving well over the speed-limit, but for some reason the ETA stayed the same the WHOLE way home... Talk about teaching you that speeding - especially when you're in Deliverance land - does not get you home appreciably faster. So that was my day in a nutshell!


On to Andrew's story. Since 2007 he's had his own garage/shop in Rumsey/Calhoun. He's an ASE certified automotive technician (mechanic). He seemed to be doing ok since opening. However, after careful examination he's found that a) people don't pay you when you cut them a break, b) people are *really* tight w/ money right now, and c) busting your butt just to pay upkeep is NOT worth it. So he's officially closing his doors sometime soon. I think he's still going to be doing some side-jobs, but he's primarily going to focus on either going back to school or finding a decent job around here. I'm disappointed for him, but I'm glad he's going to be pro-active and do something good for himself. I'm hoping this new endeavor lets him be himself & fulfills his potential. I know he's great, now I want everyone else to know too!

Great day!

Today was a great day to be alive! The sun was shining, the temperature was warm, but with a nice breeze, and the kids were happy. The only thing is that Febe got out TWICE and ran from me TWICE! We think we've figured out where she's getting out, so hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to fix it. Otherwise, the kids & I played outside all day. Andrew played on his tractor all day - mowing Rowan & Laura's fields, Febe's field, our yard, etc. Simon got a 'man' haircut today & looks SO CUTE!!! He didn't like it much, but it was worth it! Abby, Sarah, Laura & Lukas came over this afternoon to pick cherries off my cherry tree. We're not sure what Laura's going to be able to make with them (there aren't very many), but she's going to try for something.

Some weirdness did happen today though. In the mail I got a notice that my Louisville plastic surgeon's office scheduled me for surgery without calling to ask me for a good date/time. Apparently, they think 2 days b/4 my birthday would be a great time to have surgery. Hate to break it to them, but I think that would make my birthday SUCK! I'm kind of weirded out that they would schedule my surgery and inform me of it via mail when we never really talked about when I'd like to have it. I just got a notice about the surgery & some pre-op blood-work orders without a phone call or discussion with the doctor.

Over the hills & through the grass...

This morning I got the pleasure of sleeping in since I get time off to vote in the primaries. So I slept in until about 9. Then I got ready to leave to vote & go to work. On my way out the driveway I looked in the field for Febe. I didn't see her. I stopped, got out, & looked again. Still no Febe in the field. I went back to the building to grab her halter & lead-rope so if I saw her I could catch her. Well, I rounded the first curve and saw my horse's rear in the tall grass. I got my car situated so I could drive it and lead her back to the house. I walked up to her thinking, "Well, at least she's not far from home." I don't know if I jinxed myself or if its just the sudden spring-like weather that got to her. All I do know is that she got it in her tiny little brain to take off running. I followed her up and down hills through sometimes waist high grass. At one point I'd chased her probably 1/4 mile & decided it was time to go get reinforcements. I left her happily grazing while I went to go get my mom. She leapt to action, even though she had both of my brother's girls with her already. My dad stayed behind to watch them. She drove until we saw Febe again. then she let me out & she tried to position herself to keep Febe from going to the highway (less than 1 mile from where she was at the time). Sure enough, Febe ran straight at her going toward the highway. Luckily my mom honked the horn, revved the engine, and turned Febe up another hill that is backed by a cattle pasture. I kept walking after her.

Mom went to trade the car in for the 4-wheeler since its more manouverable. I followed Febe up another hill and finally got her along the fence-line. Of course, in order to get there she had to go through 2-3 peoples yards... Sorry neighbors. One of the neighbors came out to see if he could help. In a way I was hoping all the neighbors were at work so they wouldn't witness my horse tramping through their yards. In another way I was glad for any extra help since Febe was NOT cooperating. I'd gotten close to her several times only to have her jump and take off running/bucking as soon as I tried to slowly move the rope into position. Finally between the 4-wheeler, my neighbor, & me we got the halter on her. It took about 45 minutes just to catch her & put her in a (hopefully) secure area. She doesn't canter/run much, but she sure can trot FAST!

I have no idea where she's getting out. I just walked the fence lines Saturday and repaired, patched, propped, and/or barricaded some areas. However, it all seems to be sufficient to keep her inside. However, the old axiom "The grass on the other side is always greener" is *very* true for horses. In Febe's case it is really true b/c the grass on the other side of the fence is nice & tall w/o any old horse piles (they don't like to eat grass around piles) while the field she's in has been cropped close to the ground except around the clover patches (Wally's favorite). For some reason, Febe will let the clover get quite tall without eating any of it. We have a simple latch on the one gate in our backyard & I'm thinking that she's figured out how to open it. One of my old horses, Moonshine, was capable. I had to keep something wrapped around that gate/latch to keep her inside. I'll walk the field again this afternoon. Hopefully I'll find the problem.

When I got to work my arms, chest, and shoulders were already sore. That's definitely a bummer. My pants were also soaked from the knee down w/ grass seeds & mud all over my shoes. I did get to vote though!

I love horses!!!

I have been afraid since my surgery to ride or even play with my horse, Febe. I bought her in October and have only tried to work/play with her once since then (until last week). Anyway, her *real* job is to pull the cart so I can take the kids (and maybe even Andrew) with me. However, she's in need of a HUGE refresher apparently! I've been ground-driving her (doing everything but putting the cart behind the horse) for a couple weeks. However, I'm still a bit nervous about hitching her b/c she has some issues (like excitement when she sees the cart). In my pre-breast cancer/kids life, I was a pretty good rider (if I do say so myself). So riding is much more comfortable for me mentally, plus you're not within striking distance of those big feet! However, I was unsure whether she had actually been ridden... Sometimes horse-traders live up to their expectations (that's a BAD thing). So I took a risk today after ground-driving her again. I actually climbed aboard. I was a bit nervous, but I put my noggin protector (helmet) on and took things slow. She is a cart-horse through and through - she'll only go the slowest two speeds - walk & trot. In other words, the KY Derby is definitely NOT in her future! However, she was very good and it'll help me get her in a better place for pulling the cart comfortably (for me).

The only down-side was that the foobs did NOT agree w/ riding. Walking was fine because its minimally bouncy. However, trotting (the main working speed) was quite uncomfortable. My ribs are still quite sore apparently (duh)! The bouncing on a good day can be uncomfortable. However, this was not my best or even a good day (compared to pre-breast cancer/surgery). My chest muscles are also quite a bit sore. Thankfully, the rest of me isn't saddle-sore at all (that I can tell). Muscle memory is an awesome thing!

Oh, something else new... Rachel has 2 - count them TWO - teeth. Mother's Day Mass is when the 1st one became apparent, even though it was basically invisible, just feel-able. However, by Wednesday of this week, the lower left one was visible. Now the whole flat edge of the left one is visible as well as the beginning nubbin of the right one. She's doing pretty good with it too, not much complaining. She has always (it seems) chewed on her hands really badly, so that's not much different. Simon is feeling much better too, so hopefully everything is good for now!

Name that baby!

I think my two babies look pretty much just alike. So I'm going to post photos of them at similar ages. I'm asking for responses as to which baby is which. Here's the 1st in the series.

Baby A...

Baby B...

Baby C...Baby D...

Baby E...

Hopefully I get final surgery clearance tomorrow!

Tomorrow I go see the plastic surgeon in Louisville. I'm pretty sure he's going to clear me for surgery... Although at this point, he still thinks he's doing the surgery. I'm pretty sure the date I have in mind will be good - July 5th or 6th. That'll give me time to celebrate my birthday, mom's birthday, & our nation's birthday! It'll also let me get the surgeon I want for my hysterectomy (she doesn't get back from maternity leave until then I think).

Rachel has a *very* small 1st tooth. Actually, I've not seen it, but I've felt it. Mom noticed it at church while she was letting Rachel gnaw on her knuckle. I felt it when I did the same thing. However, I can't feel it if I rub her gums though. She's also trying to learn to sit-up by herself (ie balancing, not actually pulling up to sit).

Simon slept through the night 2 nights in a row only to ruin it by making Andrew sleep w/ him last night. He had a good time today at Papaw & Mamaw's house. They bought him a motorized John Deere lawnmower w/ a wagon. When he pushed the pedal down & the thing moved he was so shocked that he cried. So funny!

Tomorrow I hopefully get a surgery date!

Tomorrow I go see the plastic surgeon in Louisville. I'm pretty sure he's going to clear me for surgery... Although at this point, he still thinks he's doing the surgery. I'm pretty sure the date I have in mind will be good - July 5th or 6th. That'll give me time to celebrate my birthday, mom's birthday, & our nation's birthday! It'll also let me get the surgeon I want for my hysterectomy (she doesn't get back from maternity leave until then I think).

Rachel has a *very* small 1st tooth. Actually, I've not seen it, but I've felt it. Mom noticed it at church while she was letting Rachel gnaw on her knuckle. I felt it when I did the same thing. However, I can't feel it if I rub her gums though. She's also trying to learn to sit-up by herself (ie balancing, not actually pulling up to sit).

Simon slept through the night 2 nights in a row only to ruin it by making Andrew sleep w/ him last night. He had a good time today at Papaw & Mamaw's house. They bought him a motorized John Deere lawnmower w/ a wagon. When he pushed the pedal down & the thing moved he was so shocked that he cried.

Bad internet

Well, I've been meaning to post, but the internet here at home is not wanting to work consistently. I'm not supposed to blog while I'm at work, so that means I don't get to do it at all!

I've been off the Neurontin for a week now & feeling 100% better. The crazy emotional feelings are gone, thank God! My neuropathy doesn't seem to be too bad. Its not keeping me awake at night too much. I've not noticed that my fingers & toes are numb or anything. I go see the plastic surgeon Tuesday & hopefully that'll give me a date for my next surgery.

Work is going ok. Hopefully I'll be proficient again shortly. I've done lots of tests and read lots of articles. I've also testified several times.

Rachel is rolling over & can actually balance while she's sitting up now! The only down-side is that her stomach has been upset this whole week. I think she's teething more too. She's also seemed really sleepy lately. Maybe she's growing!

Simon has slept through the night in his own bed for the last 2 nights! I'm so happy! He's been rather challenging today though. He woke up before us & proceeded to empty out the silverware drawer, empty out my make-up drawer, & empty an entire container of wipes on/in Rachel's crib. He's completely unremorseful too. He went down for his nap well though. I'm hoping for a good afternoon.