Well, we woke up to 8 inches of heavy snow, no power, and broken trees all around the neighborhood! The power was off from 4:45 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. Rudy took the turkey over to Devon and Alicia's to put in their oven at 9:00 a.m. We were all VERY glad when the electricity came back on and we were able to enjoy another great day of General Conference and Declan's un-birthday party dinner here at our house. He loved the frosting - the cake, not so much. :) It's hard to believe that this sweet boy is a year old...
Okay, Guys... It's time for MORE blog updates!!! We want to hear from you!
I know that ALL of you have checked your computers several times today hoping for the final pictures of the new bathroom to be posted. Well... Here they are!
The important thing about the playroom (besides the painted ceiling) is that it is CLEAN! Well, the bathroom door still needs to be hung. But we are happy to have the playroom back!!
Again, the blue isn't as bright as it looks in the photos. I am VERY happy with the way it turned out. Single most important purchase was probably the shower curtain - 'cause it ties everything together. And your Dad is responsible for that! :)
Thanks to ALL of you for your $$ and your muscle...
First of all, the blue in real life isn't as bright as these pictures would make you believe. But we're almost done! THANKS to Dev and Keats for helping with the painting yesterday. They also got the playroom ceiling painted!
Marty and Kindy are coming tonight. Hopefully tomorrow the last shower parts will be installed, the new can light IN the shower will be put in, and all the little finishing touches will be added.
Come on over and shower, take a leak, or just admire the newness of YOUR bathroom. :)
Damian wanted a report in progress on the new bathroom downstairs. (He likes to see all the "fun" he is missing out on...) Pretty exciting, eh? Dad worked really hard last weekend to get the sheetrock, taping, and texturing done. His shin is healing from the chisel puncture. His back is not quite so resilient. :( This weekend "we" paint and Marty will be here on Monday with the rest of the shower parts. The bathroom will be DONE for Keaton to enjoy for 4 whole days before he leaves for New Zealand! Stay tuned for the finished product... Think blue and white with brushed nickel fixtures... THANKS, Kids!!
I Well, a week ago I had no idea of the fun I would have THIS week... Rudy came into town for a job interview. So Thursday, I got to go OUT to eat... On Friday, we went shopping and then he installed for me a mirror in the bathroom (that I have wanted for months and months), a new lockset for the front door (it hasn't NOT latched a single time!!), and he and Devon took out the window air conditioner in the family room. He also winterized the sprinkling system, did a fall feed of the lawn, and a bunch of other tasks that needed to be done. It will be fun for KEATON to NOT have this witch hanging on the INSIDE of the front door. hehehe... October 15th was a beautiful Utah fall day outside! We had one last hot dog/marshmallow roast and ate on the patio with Devon and the kiddies. (Alicia is in Idaho helping out her brother - It will be sooo nice to have that family back to "normal" soon...) I think the little girls loved spending time with their granddad. He just might be back for good in a couple of weeks... :)
Ava told me last night that she can't remember what her daddy looks like... :) Both girls are very excited that Mommy will be home tomorrow - and that Daddy will get home "very early in the night, after we are asleep..."
Miss Amber said to tell Mom that Monday's letter is "A." On the way home from preschool, we remembered that Ava is going to be on an Airplane on Monday!
Here's a photo report of what they've done while at Grandma's house... :)
(BTW, Aria wants you to know she's been dry FOUR nights in a row...)
m e My real reason for blogging today is Spiche's visit to the vet...
But to have some pictures for those of you who would rather have a photo story, here are a few from Salem Days.
Devon and Keaton made a GREAT showing at the duct tape boat regatta. They were only seconds behind the team that won first place. (Next time, I think you outta leave the extensions ON the oars... I think you would have taken it with that little extra leverage... Next year!)
One can still get a front row seat for the parade minutes AFTER the parade starts. And there's still LOTS of candy. Tressa should comment about how her every dream was fulfilled parade-side that day. Kin did okay, too! :)
So Spiche... Me thinks she's "My Girl" after all. :(
'Got a letter in the mail from the local police telling me that Spiche's tag was expired and we needed to take care of it to avoid a citation and hefty fine. (It had been 3 years since we last got her licensed. Seriously, she wasn't expected to live long enough to renew!!)
First of all, guess how much she weighed today? ........ I'm waiting for your guess!!! Okay... she weighed 42.4 pounds! She's lost 20% of her body weight since she last visited the vet. That has to be part of the reason that she isn't quite as crippled lately...
Soooo.... Keats and I had a good "chuckle" about her latest health report. (No wonder she hovers at my side all the dang day...) Do you recognize any similarities between her and her faithful "keeper?"
She has arthritis (we already knew that)
She has a heart murmur :O
Her heart murmur is likely from valve problems! (Not closing all the way allowing regurgitation to occur)
Her bladder problems stem from the fact that she has no ovaries and uterus - more specifically a hormone imbalance/deficiency (Is that TMI?)
Given the findings of the x-rays of her spine and hips 2 1/2 years ago, Dr. Evans also feels she is "neurologically challenged." I hope that on this point she and I differ!!!! But who is to say for sure. :) That may also play a factor in her incontinence.
(Suddenly I'm feeling very concerned that my comment to Keaton's recent blog might be taken literally. NOT SO!!!!) FYI :)
So $119. later, she's "legal" for 3 more years. $25. of that was for a prescription that hopefully will help her bladder control. I certainly hope so. (Except that if it does, that will be a new monthly expense...In addition to the ham required to smash the pills into to get her to take her pills twice a day) Her peeing is a daily occurrence - sometimes twice a day problem. So I'm anxious to give it a try...
Anyway, that's Spiche's blog for the day... She sends a holla and a hug to you all... :)
We did it!! I still find it hard to believe that we made our trip to Europe...just like we had planned for many, many weeks. It was awesome... Really, it was...
Memorable moments:
In Paris:
Keaton's detour from Philadelphia through Dublin, Ireland!
We ALL finally arrived at Paris Charles DeGaulle airport - Jaron there to escort us to his home...
Wonderful feast at Jaron's - prepared by Gregan
Notre Dame
Eiffel Tower - 700 stairs to the 2nd level - then an elevator to the top - beautiful view of the city!
The Louvre museum - spent only 2 hours there! But we DID see the smooth monkey! (Mona Lisa)
Jaron treated us to ice-cream that became a trend on our trip - had ice-cream in EVERY city we visited - sometimes twice in a day! (Actually it was gelato - closer to sherbet)
Genuine French meal at Jaron's favorite French restaurant
Singed my hair - melted my curling iron
Basilique du Sacre' Coeur (Sacred Heart) - 300 stairs to the tower (but many more than that to get to the staircase!) :)
Pizza and pasta and souvenirs
Sainte Chappele
Sidewalk cafes
Church in Paris - Sister Elizabeth Smart gave talk in Sacrament Meeting - Date was July 25; sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" and "Faith in Every Footstep" in Paris (and in French)
Easy Jet to Spain - almost missed flight (THANKS, RUDY)
In Barcelona:
Packed so smart for 4 days in Spain - left it all in the other suitcase in Paris!
Ornery, crazy taxi driver!
Great 2-bedroom apartment!
Seafood in my "egg tortilla" meal - not even a tortilla!
Sagrada Familia - designed by Gaudi' - buried in crypt inside
Beach - "optional" swimming apparel ;)
Spaghetti with Marinara sauce = seafood!!
Ice cream!!
Colom' (Columbus) statue - he LEFT from Spain :)
Parc Guelle by Gaudi' - camera "battery exhausted" at 11:00 a.m. that day!!
Picasso museum
Train trip to Girona - sent to wrong platform, almost missed train! (THANKS, GREGAN!!)
In Girona:
"20 minute" walk from train station - straight uphill and winding streets - 5 star hotel! Red faced and dripping with sweat - "Clampetts are here!"
Quest for Gregan's steak dinner in Spain - 3 courses - rain; dessert indoors
Lost count of stairs - some were Spiche stairs; some were NOT
Necklaces and a curio cabinet "Spiche"
Bullfighting arena - never found (end of an era for bull fighting in Spain...)
Boys retrieved luggage
Chocolate and pastries
Catalan - not Spanish
Girona airport = card games and food
Ryan Air baggage limit - not weighed!
In Oxford:
London Stansted Holiday Inn - string in showers for handicapped guests - alarm! Tressa laughing...
National Express bus to Oxford - 3 1/2 hours
Kryn's bag taken by another passenger - 2 long days
Oxford charming!
"Ducks in Oxford make Salem ducks seem like Ghandi"
Dragon House and quidditch practice field
Midsummer's Night Dream - Jaron wished to trade seats with Kryn (actress sat on Kryn's lap twice and he was obliged to kiss her on the cheek)
Graduation day - dinner at Wolfson
Lost graduation event tickets - taxi ride to Wolfson
Lots of pomp and ceremony! Latin, bowing, and donning of caps
Pictures and more pictures - Moju (Tanzania) and Giannina (Peru)
Punting!
Brits chanting "In, In, In" as Gregan straddled the punt (his toes) and the dock (his arms) - only got the front of his shorts wet
Captain Jaron, wench Tressa, mate Keaton on one punt
Kryn: "I did really good!" as we were flattened by trees and lost his pole to the river :)
English chips
Pitt River Museum - T Rex, family of foxes, shrunken heads, so much musical instruments!
Sunday afternoon in the world of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tokein - the chapel, the halls, the cloister, Addison's walk, deer, and the words of Lewis
Getting home:
National Express bus from Oxford to London
Pricey taxi ride to Comfort Hotel
Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear beds
No boarding passes
Two shuttles to airport - 3 different terminals
Keats no money-no card and delayed in London 2 more hours
American Airlines emergency landing at JFK - LATE evening to Dallas - hotel for Keats - finally home a day later
Ava's huge grin and hug when I unexpectedly showed up at her soccer game - her telling me last night to not ever go away again because she missed me more than anything! :)
Came home with only 2 regrets:
We did NOT go to the top of the tower in Oxford - which was the most important on Gregan's "things to do in Oxford" list. I hadn't remembered that. It WAS at the END of 10 days of many, many stairs and steps...
I didn't get a picture of "Mind the Gap" painted on the train station floor by the track (Barbara Thompson story)
