The first week of October was busy and great!

This post is for the 28th...Friday:

It was mom's birthday today.  She would have been 91 and has been gone 7 years already.  Miss her every day. 

This was also the day we got Kitkat from a girl from Craigslist. We met her and her boyfriend at Target (he didn't want the cat). This cat is so awesome. We've had him 7 years. Such a blessing!

SAT THE 29th:

Dylan's birthday!!!  21 years old.  Seems so hard to believe he has grown up so fast. 

For his birthday we chatted for awhile on the phone. His family went over and went to lunch, showed Madi UW, and went to the Mariner game together.  Then Dylan went home with them to spend the night and watch the Seahawks win with his dad.

They had a great time, I hear. 

My sister, Lois, came over.  Don dropped her off and Libby and Kevin came and picked her up.  She stayed long enough for us to learn not to talk politics.  haha!  It was nice to see her again.  Here is a picture of us but we didn't get one this trip:

She went to spend the week with our other sister Libby.  Thursday I met them at Chimicum Cafe for lunch.  Libby's treat and we had a nice time.  I got Lanny a burger to go and took it home to him.

Josh and Jared had a game. They won 67-0 and Josh got 3 touchdowns!

Saturday night Lauren went to her Homecoming Dance with a group of people.  Nowadays they go in group. Some still date but many kids like to go with their friends.  She looked so beautiful. We ran over there to see her before she left. She said the Greek Restaurant in Kingston was terrible.  They forgot there was a reservation for 18. They were slow. And the disk jockey was not great either.  But Lauren had fun dancing etc....

Moving on to Sunday and the Seahawks won!  Which was good because we are in the middle of rebuilding. Sunday was a really mellow day. Lanny and I enjoy our life together.  We laugh so much and get each other.  We think alike and rarely argue about anything.  I love my days with them and hope they continue for a long long long time!

We got out of September and into October! The trees and weather are starting to show it too!  So pretty!

October 2nd Papa took Lauren to the orthodontist before school so she got to go in a bit late.  Later Lanny and I went to Applebee's to meet Lester and Cheryl.  I really don't know when the last time we met up with them!  It was so great visiting with them.  We had fish and chips and it was pretty good.  After the visit I went and got a pedicure.  That was past due too!  Felt so good.

Then we went and picked up Lauren after school. On our way home we say the most beautiful rainbow in Port Gamble! I took a few pics:

on the left is the famous haunted house!!!

Wednesday, October 3rd

I went to Silverdale to get my echocardiogram.  The lady who does it is so nice.  While I was doing that Lanny was getting the flu shot.  After I finished I got one too. 

In the afternoon I went and picked up Madi after school and took her down to Linda's salon.  When she was done there we went to Pho Kim Chi (Vietnamese Restaurant) in Poulsbo for Madi's favorite meal: Steak and Brisket Pho.  I had an appetizer of tempura shrimp. 

Dylan's 2nd book has been published!  I ended up ordering both of the books. I let someone borrow my first book he wrote and never got it back. 

http://www.lulu.com/…/til-k…/paperback/product-23819928.html

I am excited to read his next book and I will probably read the first one again. 

Yesterday I talked to Kevon for a while.  The company is moving their office's and shop to Bremerton from Poulsbo.  I hope it works our for them all and he takes care of his back.

Plus, like I said earlier, I went to lunch with Lois and Libby!  Then I went and picked up McDonalds for Lauren after school. She had Debate Club so I didn't get her until after 4.  Papa wasn't feeling well. He had heart burn all day.  

This morning Lanny went to see Dr. Johnson (cardiologist) again and he looks really great.  Doctor seems pleased.  Me, too!  And I got my message from my doctor regarding my echocardiogram the other day. She said:  "Your heart ultrasound shows that your overall heart function is normal. You have some scarring around your aortic valve but this is not causing significant impairment in your valve function at this time."

It has been raining all day. But we need it.  We haven't had a good rain for a long time.  

This morning, 14 years ago, we found out my dad went to be with the Lord.  It was heartbreaking for our family. Especially mom.  Over the past several years before his passing he had some health issues with his breathing. On Y2K night (December 31st, 2000) he stopped breathing and was taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator. In 2002 he they removed his left leg from the knee down due to loss of circulation in the toes.  A year later they had to take his other leg which was terrible for him. But he was always the trouper with a sense of humor. He only made it one more year.  It took a lot out of him. He had been in and out of the hospital and nursing home those years. The last time he went into the hospital we were sure he was coming home again. The night before he passed all us kids called him and said goodnight and told him we loved him and he said he loved us too.  Pastor Joel went to see him and gave him communion and spent time with him. All of us still thinking he was going to come home in the morning.  He didn't.  Mom got called from the hospital to come in.   She knew.  I met her and Libby there. They were in his room and even though there was a sign on his door saying not to enter but go to the nurse's desk first... my thoughts were "that's my dad! I can go in there."  Mom and Libby had their backs to me.  Dad was laying flat on his back which is when I knew he was gone.  Because of his emphysema he couldn't lie on his back. I gasped. Mom and Libby turned around and came and put their arms around me. Libby closed the curtain so I wouldn't be looking at him.  That was really rough. That was 14 years ago and I still miss him so much.  I love him so much.  I miss his laugh, his smile, the twinkle he would get in his eyes, Even his stupid jokes. I miss asking him for advise. On him coming over and fixing anything.  I miss going on drives and vacation with him and mom.  Dad loved going on rides. He didn't care where we were going... we would show up and open the door and we were off! Over the North Cascades, to the Grand Coulee Dam, to the Ocean, Lake Sylvia, to the Elk Horn, Mt. Walker, looking at Christmas Lights and Fall Leaves.  We went to Ricks and Ellensburg Fair, both sides of South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Colorado, singing the whole way and even picking up a puppy for them in Oklahoma!!!  So much laughter and memories of two people who loved us, supported us and were always there for us and the whole family. I guess that is long enough.  Love and miss you dad.  I have a website for him on the left if you want to look!

Finally, this morning Scruffy was a little upset Papa didn't come straight home after taking Lauren to school.  I think animals can tell time.  So he climbed in my lap. lol!  I turned on Animal Cops for him. He likes watching it with me.  

Have a great week!!!!!   Leave a message if you want!  xoxoxoxo

Crazy week! sleepover, power outage, septic outage, suicide at bridge, concussion, traffic jams, money hungry vet, low blood sugar, old friend, and music

This is the last day of July.  Already August tomorrow. The summer is going so fast!!!!  I'll try to catch up on recent activities.

Yesterday (Monday)
I took Lauren home (still has her headache from her concussion ... read down further for that) and got Madi for her haircut.  Karla is back to work for an acupuncturist.  She just started and seems to like it.  Anyway, I stopped at Starbucks to get Madi a Peach Tea and an Almond Croissant (heated).  Then we stopped at Walmart and saw Papa there.  Next stop was Burger King. Finally we got to her hair appointment.  It was very hot out yesterday.  After her appt. I took her home so I was home early!  Too hot of a day to do much else.  I love talking with that girl though. She is interesting and funny!  Had a Costco Dog for dinner. 

Saturday
I get a call from Lauren seeing if the girls could come spend the night (her, Madi and Riley.  Of course, they are welcome anytime they want to come over.  So the parents brought them over and Leah dropped off Lauren all around 4 pm.  They had to decide what they wanted for dinner and snacks so Papa and I ran to Hadlock and left those girls on their own. So, what did they do when we left them alone? The same thing Lauren and Madi did at Christmas time.  Jokester time! Rearranged things!!!  They moved clocks, pictures, mirrors, candles, etc..and switched things all over the place. Funny girls.  They didn't think I would notice. First thing I noticed was the guilty looks on their faces.

Sunday
Papa cooked them all a big breakfast.  Lauren's head hurt and she went and laid back down in the den.  They stuck around until about 4 when Brad and Karla came *separately to get their girls.There was a 4 car collision and traffic was backed up everywhere!!!  Took them a while to get out of here.  When Papa went to take Lauren home a bit later it was still a mess and her mom just told her to stay here.  So she came back and had ribs and rice and went to bed. 

Let's keep going backwards.  Friday Lauren came over and spent the night.  We had shrimp for dinner and she had to take it easy.  Papa took the cat to the vet to catch up on shots.  The vet gave him his rabies shot and another respiratory shot but not his feline leukemia.  She said she needed to give her a test to make sure he didn't have it.  They tried the test twice and it came back inconclusive.  Which scared Papa!  Finally the vet called the factory and the tests were faulty so they had to ship the sample to the factory to test.  So I don't know if we have to pay the factory too but we'll have to pay for another office visit and the shot when they get the results.  Then the vet said his stomach felt hard and treated him for worms!  Lanny told her he's not outside often and when he is we watch him.  The vet, I guess, didn't believe him.  Our cat will only eat one flavor of canned cat food and his dry food. He won't eat snacks, he won't eat people food of any kind, and he certainly won't eat mice, moles or birds.  Worms?  Doubtful. Papa cleans his litter box 4 times a day and never sees anything.  Then the vet found a tooth that was broken. She said it will need to be pulled.  She said he was in pain (he doesn't act in pain of any kind...not even while eating). But she didn't offer pain meds either.  That's all she said about his tooth.  I called the office back to find out the cost of a tooth extraction. They sent me the estimate... over $900,00!!!!  I couldn't believe my eyes. We've been going to this vet for over 20 years when the first owners started it. They sold recently and we are not happy at all with the new vet.  Scruffy had a biopsy and we never got results.  Now we need to find a new vet. :(

Kitkat turned 6 years old on Thursday!!!!

Also on Thursday Papa went grocery shopping. I called papa while was at walmart and he wasn't feeling well. He asked if I could come get him because he was dizzy, light headed and confused. He was walking around looking for a place to sit down and feeling disoriented. So I called Amanda to go to him (she was the closest at work). On my way to Walmart I called Karla (who happened to be there) and she went and found Amanda and Papa. Amanda got him a sandwich and orange juice (he hadn't eaten yet). He was very sweaty, clammy, along with the dizziness and confusion. By the time I got there the girls had it under control and he was much better. A bit clammy still but I took him out to the car and bought him a chocolate milkshake and brought him home. He napped after we got home. It scared him and me! We're pretty sure it is his blood sugar. In the morning it runs low sometimes plus he didn't eat. It happened around 9:00. 

Now, the reason for Lauren's headaches .... she went to church camp on Monday...but only until Wednesday.

Wednesday she was competing in an outdoor game and fell and hit her head on the ground. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital.  Leah and Josiah followed the ambulance and Andrew was just going into work in Bellevue when his mom called.  He ran to the hospital to be with his sister. Then his mom and Aaron showed up. She had a concussion but no brain bleed or anything.  We were thankful for that. She was so upset she couldn't stay for camp and had to come home.  We are happy she is OK but this concussion has thrown her for a loop.  It has affected her memories, her headaches, the sensitivity of her eyes, etc...  Just please pray her head heals quickly. 

On Tuesday Karla started her new job. We went to Walmart and then to the hardware store to get a heavy duty hose sprayer. Our power went out at 8 a.m. and stayed out until about noon. I guess a tree fell over the lines. Madi came over and spent the night.  She came up with some games.  The main one was about naming songs and who sings them from her iPhone.  It was fun!  I did great on the Beatles.  She knew all of the Pink Floyd. It was so much fun! 
There were probably 20 state patrol at our end of the bridge. Come to find out the bridge was closed at about 3:30 in the a.m. A guy was parked waiting to take his two daughters to the airport.  A 20 year old military guy pulls up behind him and another guy is pulled up behind him. Well, the 20 year old shot at the car ahead of him 4 times. The girls were in their car seats leaned towards their doors and the dad was leaning over the passenger seat looking at his phone.  All the bullets missed them! The kid then turned around and grazed the guys elbow behind him. Next he pulled the gun on himself and died.  So awful.  I'm glad the Lord protected the others.
https://www.kitsapdailynews.com/news/man-kills-self-after-shooting-at-other-drivers-on-hood-canal-bridge



Monday was a quiet day!

Saturday our toilets and sinks backed up and we were basically shut down.  What a drag!!!!!  Papa tried to fix but to no avail. We had a plumber come but he didn't really know what he was doing ($150 later).

Sunday my old buddy, Ronnie Todd, came over and showed Lanny how to clean out the pipe coming from the house going to the septic.  It was fixed!!!  I was so happy!  It was great to visit with Ronnie about the good old days of Suquamish too!  Lots of laughs!!!

Me and Ronnie on my birthday! 

I think I am caught up.  Oh, except some other pictures I took of me stuck on the bridge. I got stopped right at the beginning. For a stinkin sailboat. 

Good bye for now!!!!