Bumblebees!

The kids were bumblebees for Halloween this year. (I like going with a theme.) Logan wanted to be Bumblebee the Transformer so I decided Bergen would be a bug.

 

 

I didn't go all out and make the kids costumes this year with everything else that's been happening, but I don't think they missed them. It was only Berg's second Halloween after all...

Does this mean I'm not going to make costumes in the future? I think not -- I already have some ideas for next year! Bwaaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa haaaa

Halloween Fun

Craig was planning to carve pumpkins with the kids, so after Logan chose the picture he wanted for his blue pumpkin they got to work. Unfortunately once things were underway, Logan and Bergen decided they were more interested in playing in the backyard and just stopped by to check his progress every once in a while.

 

Also, the (very cool looking) blue pumpkin was so thick it was uncarvable! Clever man that he is, Craig decided he would just remove the skin and let the light shine out through the flesh instead. Little did he know it would take TWO HOURS to do it! Alas, only two of our pumpkins were completed.

 

That was okay though; two pumpkins -- two kids. And Yoda ended up looking awesome!

 

So after a day of carving and a quick dinner we were off to the annual ward trunk-or-treat. Did I mention that Bergen didn't get a nap? On Halloween of all days! She didn't. She did fall asleep on the way to the festivities however.


Once we got to the church we quickly decorated our trunk. (Logan had drawn some spooky ghost and skeleton faces for it.) Then Craig stayed outside with Bergen while she napped and Logan and I went inside for the parade. He was very excited to wear his costume and had a fun time with his friends!

 

 

 

After the parade we headed outside again for the candy smorgasbord. Bergen was awake by then, so she, Daddy, Logan and Grandpa Don went around collecting all they could. Grandma Lynne and I stayed at the car and passed out our candy.

It was nice to have Grandma and Grandpa with us this year! We sure hope they'll come again.

 

A family photo op before packing up and heading out.

 

We had a couple of stops to make on the way home and even though it was after 10:30pm when we landed we still went through the candy and ate a few pieces.

 

 

I couldn't resist a few pictures of the kids after they'd had their fill of candy. They were so cute together!

 

After the kids were finally in bed and a bit more candy was consumed, Craig and I were off to sleep too.

It was a "bizzy" day! Doesn't this face say it all?!

 

Leaf Pile

Logan has been asking to play in the leaves for days. And that would be fine with me, but we don't have any trees! Long story...

We arrived home just in time to see our neighbor raking his leaves this afternoon however, so we asked if we could have some. When he was finished, he had left a nice little pile in our backyard.

 

The kids had a grand time playing in them. Bergen was having so much fun that I couldn't even get her to look at the camera! Logan? He was as happy as could be.

Thanks Don.

Treats!

Logan's taking goodie bags to school tomorrow for Halloween! They'll be filled with McDonald's treat coupons, play dough, candy sticks, and little "sucker" ghosts.

 

Logan had a great time making the ghosts and did a really good job on their faces. Each time he'd draw one he'd say "Dot, dot, BOO!"; meaning eye, eye, mouth!

Vampires

 

If you thought this was going to be a post about Halloween, think again!

I recently finished reading Twilight and have vampires on the brain. Okay, one vampire in particular. Too bad he's not real. It's a good thing I have a husband who will humor my desire to have my neck nibbled on...

Prognosis

I had my stitches removed today. Ouch! I wasn't expecting it to hurt, but it did. Go ahead, call me a wimp. One of the incisions bled and another hadn't closed very well. Nice.

The doctor was great to go over the surgery and explain what he'd done as well as what to expect. I'll be heading to physical therapy very soon.

I'll also know if the surgery was successful when I try walking on my own after my relationship with my crutches ends. If not, there is another option... More surgery! What? I may have to got through this again?

I must have been in too much pain to hear that initially. However, I just learned this was the first recommended course of treatment. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be the last.

Stung!

I've been wracking my brain for something to blog about even though I can't really sit up at the computer for long. It seems I haven't done much since being laid up for almost a week. Today however, something new and unusual happened...

I was stung by a bee!

In. my. house.

I felt something "stick" me while I was sitting on the couch with Bergen, so I reached around to my back and felt nothing. She was pointing to something though so I took my shirt off and found the little devil on the sleeve.

I'm allergic to bees and my Epi-Pen had expired. So after a couple of quick calls to the pharmacy and doctor's office I took a bunch of benadryl -- and survived! I can't really tell if my throat felt swollen because of the sting or the cold I may be getting. Whatever the case, I'm glad not to have had a bad reaction. I'm still itching like crazy at the sting site, but that has taken my mind off of my itchy knee for now.



In other news, the kids have been busy this week.

Logan cut his lip open (on Craig's thigh?) yesterday and was taken to urgent care, but didn't need stitches. He just can't eat anything salty for a few days. And Bergen saw the doctor today because we'd noticed some crusted blood in one of her ears over the last couple of days. She was given some ear drops. Again.



So that's it for now. I certainly hope the next time I blog things won't have been so eventful.

Surgery

I had surgery on my knee Wednesday.

After seeing the doctor on Tuesday and learning that surgery was inevitable, I wanted to get it done asap. Lucky for me the doctor had an opening.

The MRI showed that there was NO cartilage between the bones on the right side of my left knee. Beautiful. Apparently it's been bone on bone for quite a while. (That light pink line from top right to bottom left is bone.)

 

There was a lot of cartilage floating around in there so he cleaned it out.

 

Then he removed the cartilage hanging from my bone,

 

along with the *pieces that were embedded in the tissue! (*My favorite picture.) GROSS!

 

Next the bones were resurfaced and tendons checked.

 

Finally, holes were made in the femur (using a tool like an ice pick) so that blood and bone marrow can come out and form new cartilage. Of course it won't be the same kind that was originally there, but it will provide a cushion and be better than nothing.

 

I've said before that I'm grateful for modern medicine. I was out during the surgery although it was arthroscopic and have only four little incisions in my knee where the doctor went in and fixed it.

 

Oh, and I figured out what happened to wreak this all this havoc!

I was carrying Logan to bed when I was pregnant with Bergen and tripped on a box of toys. I landed square on my left knee. It was the only thing to hit the ground. (No big deal. Or so I thought.) That was probably when the cartilage initially broke apart. Then a week or so before this whole episode started I banged my knee into the corner of a kitchen cupboard. And it hurt, but again, I thought nothing of it -- until the fluid started to build. Unfortunately that bump was just enough of a blow to trigger the recent developments. (That little scar in the middle of my knee is where I hit it.)




So, there you have it. I have to stay down for one week, keeping my leg elevated and iced. I will also be on crutches for six weeks, not being able to bear any weight on my leg.

Did I say I was grateful for modern medicine? I should also add Lortab. And Craig, who is working hard to take care of me and everything else for the duration.

Jumping Bean

Logan was a jumper when he was little, but he never did anything like this... Look at that air!

 

Bergen had a lot of fun on Uncle Lee and Aunt Nicole's trampoline over the weekend. I'm just glad her grandpa was there to spot her!

 

The little (dare) devil!

WWE

I love watching Logan and Bergen play with Craig. He does lots of fun things that I don't do. (Way to go Daddy!) One of their favorites is "wrastling"! They can't get enough of it.

 

Look out WWE -- we've got ourselves a tag team in the making! All we need is a catchy name.

 

Come on over some Sunday afternoon and you can watch them practice! Or better yet, just come on over.