Reflection on 2011

I didn't post anything for the whole month of January.  No I didn't abandon my blog.  It's just been even crazier than usual around here.  I went to my first Physical Therapist appointment last week (that's a whole post on its own).  And as he was look at my back issue he asked what was going on in my life......well let's see.

In January I was just getting settled in at my new job at Via Christi.

• On January 28th, Lena's baby Amira was born and I got to be there for her birth.  That same night, we found out that my 55 year old Aunt Marsha had passed away. 
• In February we moved in to the 3 bedroom 2 bathroom trailer house permanently because we got tired of running around like crazy people trying to clean up our house in town every time they had a showing.  We thought it was only going to be for a few months.
• Late in February, I took Libby by myself to a basketball tournament in Ark City.  Between games I ran her to a department store and had a major grand mal seizure (never had one before) and was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
• In May my Memaw went to the funeral of her first husband in Indiana.  While there she had a massive stroke.  They transported her to a major hospital. We weren't sure if she was going to make it.
• As a family, we decided that my Memaw and Pepaw didn't have access to the health care they would need on their rural farm. So we started working on getting her moved to Wichita.  We could not find a way to transport her.
• Finally in June she was well enough to ride in a car, and my Sister-In-Law and Pepaw drove her (while she was on a matress in the back of their mini-van) all the way to Kansas and we got her into a Rehab Facility.  Carrie (my Sister-in-law) decided to stay in Wichita to help take care of Memaw.
• Pepaw brought his large RV up from Oklahoma and parked it on our land, and he and Carrie lived there while Memaw was in Rehab.
• Lena totalled her car in July.  She had to wait on insurance money before she could get another one, so she and Amira rode the bus to her school and baby sitter until she could get another one.  And we also helped pick her up and get her places.  She stayed with us alot that month that she didn't have a car.
• In August, both Frank and Libby were in Junior High.  And Bob started his first year as our head football coach.  He wanted to make a good impression so he was immersed in football.
• The first week in August I took the kids to get School Supplies at Walmart and had my second grand mal seizure and during the seizure was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher which gashed my head open and required six stitches and twelve staples and caused a concussion.  I had to have an MRI and was officially diagnosed with Epilespy.  I couldn't drive for 2 months, and had to carpool with my friend Sarah who blessedly lives a few houses down and works nearby the place I was working.  It SUCKS not being able to drive BTW. 
• Our whole routine also changed as Madi and Carlie went to their new grade school and the kids began riding the bus for the first time.  Frank was playing football, Bob was coaching football, Libby was playing volleyball.  I couldn't drive anyone anywhere.  And I was terrified that I would have another seizure.
• Dec 7th we found out that Memaw had to leave the Rehab facility THAT DAY.  We had no place to put her.  They were working on selling their farm in Oklahoma, but it wasn't done yet. They couldn't buy a house here in Wichita until their house was sold.  So we rented a hospital bed and moved Memaw into our living room.  Along with a lift, port-a-potty, wheel chair, etc.
• Then we had Thanksgiving and Christmas sandwiched in there.
• Then Dec 30th, we learned that their house in Oklahoma was finally going to close on Jan 7th.  So we rented a UHaul and went down there to pack up and move 30 years of house stuff and farm stuff.

So through noboy's fault....just that crazy thing called life....in the month of January we ended up with five adults (one of whom was in a wheel chair), four kids, three dogs (two mine and one theirs), three cats (Carrie is allergic to them BTW) living in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom trailer house.

Oh, and did I mention that we were also building a house during that month, Madi and Carlie were playing Rec Basketball on Saturdays, Frank was wrestling at the Jr High, and Libby was on the Varsity Basketball team for Junior High.  Oh and Frank also call 911 on us...but that's another post too.

So that brings me back to why I went to see a Physical Therapist.  I hurt my back while we were doing all that moving and it wouldn't heal up.   So when the PT asked me what was going on in my life, I started rattling all this stuff off.  He looks at me with his mouth hanging open and goes "Well, you've got a few things on your plate!"  A Yep!!!!

Kissin' Cousins

I have always suspected this is true. Now Family Tree Maker (Genealogy Software) has proven it. Bob and I are 6th cousins once removed. Me on my Maternal Grandma's side and him on his paternal Grandma's side. Explains alot!!!

We Labored

I needed a good weekend, and we had a GREAT time. My parents came up, and Bob's parent came up and brought their tractor, one of our friends came over to help, and we paid 3 football boys to move rocks for us. We got a TON of stuff cleaned up on our land, plus we had a great time. My Dad brought his tiller and saw. We cut down trees, cleared off a pile of rocks by the well, rehung the tire swing that broke. Brushhogged most of the place. Granny brought a huge dish of lasgna and Memaw fixed the sides and we had a great family dinner. There were tractor rides and wheel barrow rides. A great time!!!



I don't think I've ever seen Bobby so dirty!!!!



Princess Pee-pee Head. Don't ask me how she got her name...and yes, I am talking about the cat...not Frank!



Carlie is driving the tractor.




Frank and Libby's turn



Memaw and Arlena



Madi's turn...she's turning into a true farm girl. She wants boots and a hat for Christmas.



Madi and Snowball worked so hard...they are worn out!!!



Frank is the master of the lawn tractor. No telling how many miles he put on it this weekend.



Pepaw worked hard brush hogging the whole place.



Frank and I piling up brush.
















They are coming to pour concrete for the new building this weekend. As soon as the new building is up, this shed will come down.





My two "pet" Orb Weaver Spiders.

We were expecting to find snakes in the pile of rocks we moved. Instead we found a possum living at the bottom of the pile!!! We also saw mice, squirrels and a pack rat, but no snakes.

All My Chicks At Home

JB asked me if I would come and pick him up from his grandparent's house on Sunday so he could watch football with us. He even offered to cook. It was nice to have all my "chicks" at home.

"The girls and I are watching the movie "A Dog Named Christmas" and the three boys are downstairs whooping and hollering over the Steelers game. And I am smiling."

Busy Weekend

We went to the home El Dorado football game on Friday night. JB's grandpa (Ken) met us at Pizza Hut before the game and bought us pizza, then went to the game with us.

Frank's last home game was on Saturday at 10:30am. I didn't know it but Frank and Libby's Birth Dad had called and talked to Bob earlier in the week and told him they were coming to the game. Bob forgot to tell me!!!

So I get to the game, and we walk by this guy and he reaches out and pulls Libby's hair and grabs her. This Momma Bear had her karate chop out and was ready to do battle until I realized who it was!!! Mr. Robey brought his Mom with him and his grandson who is four. Frank and Libby think it's really cool that they are an Aunt and Uncle.

Saturday night we headed to Madison. My Grandma Obie is there visiting, and we spent the day with them on Sunday.

We got lots of family time in.