My latest scrapbook pages that I made for the Design Team!

So Cool In Grandma's Shades

The first layout is pictures from when Tyler was 3 years old and I thought they were so cute!

I was supposed to use to big green letters and use as many as I could fit on a layout and look good. These pictures were from 2005 and I thought they were also very cute! I had to find something to scrapbook with this paper and these pictures fit well.

I woke up this morning with my feet and legs swollen almost double. I don't know why. I always joke when it swells and say that the Mayo Clinic says there's nothing wrong with my feet and legs...oh goody! I took a water pill and I hope it helps get rid of some of this edema. I am also getting the cellulitis back in my right leg. It is turning red and feels warm to the touch. I called the doctor on call and he called in some anti-biotics. I also have a slight headache but I think it could bould be from either the edema but most likely from the beginning of the cellulitis.

Rhebeca is here this afternoon and one thing she likes to do if it's on the weekend is play the game called "retirement village". I am the one (of course) that is in the retirement village and she is assigned to me to help me when I need it and I can call her on my cell phone...as long as it's the weekend because then it's free. I have free weekend calls so we can have fun doing that game.

I have the American Idol DVD game and we played that game and it's a lot of fun. We can choose different adventures to do and what we choose is how the dice falls. She loves the one where she can take the microphone and sing. She ended up winning the game today and I didn't even cheat to let her win! The game ends with idol trivia and she answered every question...correctly. I didn't get my answers in there soon enough:)

Before going to Steve & Katie's for lunch we were able to stop briefly and see Eutemia and the kids.

Rhebeca...getting more beautiful inside and out everytime I see her. It's the maturity and the beauty that come from the inside that complete the beauty you see on the outside..make sense??

Wayne and Kaleb

Kael. ...he had gotten that little candy you see on the left at his school this morning and was very proud of it!


Today I celebrated my 52nd birthday. I never really thought I would ever get this old. I have always felt young because I have done thngs and been the youngest in the group...like becoming a mother. I was 18 when I had our 1st baby and was usually the youngest in the group, etc. So...anyway...here I am turning 52 and feeling young at heart:)





My family did all they could to make me feel special today and it was really appreciated.. My Mom called me first thing this morning to wish me a happy birthday and brought over 3 days of wonderful looking food. Katie and Steve and the boys had us over for lunch and made me feel special. Katie even baked a cake for me. Wayne brought me a card and flowers. He wanted to know what I wanted for my gift and I told him summer sandals and he'll get those later. Our daughter and grandson called this morning from Tennessee to wish me a happy birthday also. My in-laws had sent me a check 2 days earlier...that's always a welcome surprise.


I don't want to diminsh anythng that anyone did for me because it was greatly appreciated. The 2 things that touched my heart the very most were the things our 2 oldest grandchildren did for me. Rhebeca called me to wish me a happy birthday. I asked her how she knew it was my birthday because I had talked to her Dad earlier and he didn't seem to remember. She said she had put it on her calender...WOW!!! ....what a way to touch a Grandma's heart. And 2nd, our 2nd oldest grandchild is Tyler. He spent $12 of his own money to buy me a very pretty necklace. I could almost cry to think that he would do that for me. I will take a picture of it tomorrow and post it but right now it's in the room where Wayne is sleeping. There are a lot of things that a little 6 year old boy would like to
think of his "old" 52 year old Grandma and want to do somthing to bring me joy. Both things bring me to tears if I really thing abou it very long...I am really blessed.

I wanted to add more pictures from today but I keep falling asleep...more tomorrow!!

I almost forgot about doing this one too. It is Caden the day he was born...what a sweetie!!!

This is probably my favorite of the layouts I've done for the scrapbook store. It's just one that turned out better on paper than it looked in my head:)

This was a ballet recital in Greenwood, Indiand when Alan and his family lived there. I believe the pictures were taken in 2004 which would have made Rhebeca 6 years old.

Kristi and Katie were pregnant at the same time and this layout is made to reflect that...

I just finished up this one today. I was given this paper and asked to use it to scrapbook on. I remembered the pictures of Kael fishing down by the pond and thought it fit quite well. I have another page I need to do to go along with it but for now I'm done! I don't need it for the scrapbook store design team.

It's been a while since I've posted. I just haven't known what to say. I will try to update this blog since my last post.

I have started exercising in the pool at the golf academy here in town. I love it because there's hardly anyone in the pool area...it's like my own private pool. Tyler and Caden have come with me and make it fun to exercise. I figure I can walk around and around the pool or I can play with them and get the same exercise and have fun at the same time.

I had a pump refill yesterday and the doctor is changing the concentration of the medicine in the pump. It doesn't change what I am getting...there is just a longer period of time between pump refills now. Yesterday he said he couldn't get the new medicine figured exact and there would be an 8-10 hour period today where I would get less medicine...and I can feel it today! He said if he gave me a bolus I would get way too much medicine and I know that kind of scares them to do that although I would rather have had him do that rather than feel so crummy today. I even had to post pone the dentist appointment today. When I go to the dentist I use the sedation and since I had diahrrea from the change in the medicine in the pump they told me NOT to come. She said it doesn't matter what the daihrrea is from but since I have it I would lose control of my bowels when under the sedation...and she said it would be very embarassing. I go back in two weeks and will be sure not to plan anything the day before.

Monday I go to a neurologist because of the shaking in my hands and the buckling of my legs when I stand up at times. It is driving me nuts!! I worry when I carry a coffee cup that my hand with shake and I'll spill the whole thing. And, I'm so afraid my legs will give out completely and I'll fall down. I hope I find out more from him than I found out at Mayo Clinic.

I don't remember if I mentioned that I got asked by our local scrapbook store (Wayne calls it the crapbook store...he thinks he's pretty funny!) to be on their Design Team. I was really excited. I feel ready to do this physically and hope that holds true but I've talked to them about my physical problems and they are all very understanding. I've been really busy this week getting everything done that they asked us to do. It was challenging and fun at the same time. My cousin's daughter (is that 2nd cousin or 1st cousin once removed??) is on the design team also and does such a nice job with her layouts. I just realized the other day that I'm the oldest one on the team. What happened to me? I used to be the youngest for everything. The youngest mother in the class with my kids, the youngest , etc. Now, it seems to have reversed...what happened to time? It's a mystery and time seems to go faster the older I get. I would love to just slow the clock down...keep the grandkids little and enjoy them longer. But, it just won't happen. I remember making Katie promise me to never grow up...but guess what?...it happened anyway and she won't know till her boys leave home how it breaks a mothers heart:(

I better change the subject! I have added some of the layouts I have done for the scrapbook store. I forgot to scan the first few that I took in so I won't get them back for a while.

Below is a picture of my beautiful nose a day after I fell out of the chair and landed on my nose/glasses. It really hurt and, as usual, I paniced and that made it even worse. I was asleep so it woke me up and I didn't know where I was at first...whether I was in a car accident or what. Thank goodness I was in the motel room. Every time after that when Wayne saw me leaning forward he would make me lean back. I didn't realize how much I did that...leaned forward in the chair...and I know that I do it to take the pressure off my spine. I would probably be shocked how many things I do like that to keep out of pain without even realizing it.

Tyler kind of played a trick on Grandpa Dick this morning. Grandpa Dick picked him up from school and he told him he needed to get a toy that was here. As soon as he got inside he took off his coat and decided to stay. I said...are you staying with me today? He said..yes. I told him rather than keep Grandpa waiting outside he had better go out and tell or ask him if that was all right rather than leave him sitting in our driveway for the afternoon.

Tyler went with me to run some errands. We went to WalMart for a variety of things and I was in the electric wheelchair. We got a cart to put the groceries in when they were in the sacks because they were heaping full in the wheelchair basket. The cutest thing is he wanted to do everything. Some of the things like the milk and pop were pretty heavy for a little boy but he wanted to do it. He flung the pop over the side and I'm surprised that it didn't split the pop open. Then he flung all the groceries over the cart like that but I wouldn't say a word....he felt so special and big.

Tyler wanted to use the bathroom when we were at WalMart. I had a whole basketfull of groceries with my purse on the bottom so didn't want to leave the cart. I told him that I thought it best to go into the women's bathroom but he didn't want to. I said...if you go into the men's I want you to scream as loud as you can if anyone talks to you or tries to touch you. He walked in the bathroom and came running out. He was scared. I hated to have to scare him but he has to be aware that not everybody has the best of intentions. It's just the world we live in and I want to prevent anything bad that could happen to these grandchildren. I thought I could relax once our children were married and happy and then along come these grandchildren that just steal my heat away and I worry all over again!

My hospital bed was delivered today. I hope it helps and I hope that I can sleep well in it. I am so used to the recliner that it may be an adjustment! I couldn't let myself think about the significance of having a hospital bed delivered for me. I just have to think that maybe my pain and swelling will get better. I started to think about me sleeping in a hospital bed and felt a little weepy but then tried to refocus my mind and am so thankful that there is something that may help me!

You may think the Simon Cowell is an old meanie but he has his soft side too. Here is a video of Simon talking about animal abuse and how passionate he is about preventing the suffering of animals. Pretty impressive...at least I think it is because I feel the same way.

By the way, if anyone has any money they don't know what to do with I would love a puppy of a dog breed that I just discovered yesterday. It is called a Morkie and is a blend of the Maltese and the Yorkshire Terrier. They are SO cute!!!

We are still in Rochester, Minnesota and I just finished my thorough checkup at Mayo Clinic. I have been tested, scanned, x-rayed, poked and prodded with about every test that could possibly be relevant to the swelling of my feet and legs.

Here is the conclusion:

I have passed all the tests. The reason for the swelling is a multiple of factors. I need to lose weight is the first thing many of the doctors told me. I need to exercise to push the fluid out of my legs...there is no other way to get rid of the swelling. And, the most surprising...my sleep or lack of sleep is a big factor in the swelling. I cannot explain why and they really didn't explain why to me. I have a mild form of sleep apnea but not bad enough to wear the cpap at night. In fact, I had the sleep test last night and the cpap made the apnea worse because I paniced because of feeling so closed in with that mask over my nose. I had 6 incidents of apnea an hour before the cpap and 38 an hour with the cpap. Wayne and I talked to the sleep doctor for quite a while and the thing that needs to change is my sleep habits. I got into bad habits when the back pain was so bad (before the pump). I couldn't sleep then because of the pain. I continued watching TV, playing games on the computer and scrapbooking all night long after the pump when the pain got better. I also slept so much better in the hospital bed than I ever have in the recliner. My feet were raised higher than the recliner thus keeping the swelling down and it was just more comfortable. The sleep doctor said the changes took a long time to start and I should expect it to be slow turning them around.

So, I have to:
1. Lose weight
2. Try to exercise (only possibility is in a pool)
3. Change my sleep habits.

Sounds easy but will take a lot of effort on my part. I think as I do these I will feel better and that is worth the effort. I have had 2 good nights of sleep here the last two nights and the swelling has been minimal. I still have a lot of numbness in my toes and I will address that with my pain doctor when I see him for the next pump refill.

I am so anxious to get home and see my house even though I left it pretty dirty and then to see my family.

Today should have been a whole day of testing again but when Wayne woke me up I couldn't move I hurt so badly and was so tired. I called and they rescheduled my 3 appointments. So, now tomorrow will be a big day and then I'll have the weekend to rest and back at it Monday and a little bit Tuesday and then we plan to leave on Wednesday.

I was up getting ready to go yesterday and Wayne said he could in no way go with me for the day...he felt too sick. I felt really panicy inside and said WHO is going to push me in the wheelchair??? He said I would have to rent one. I think he felt a little sorry for me because he warmed up the car and drove me there instead of making me take the shuttle.

I was able to rent an electric wheelchair/cart and could I ever zip around in that thing!! First thing I had to have blood work drawn. They had a terrible time finding a vein. It took two of them digging around to find a vein..they said let us know if this hurts you...I thought what do you think...you're digging around my arm with a needle? They finally had to use a vein in my hand. It hurts a little more but at least they could get the needle in my vein there.

We just got back from the grocery store and the weather is TERRIBLE!! It is snowing and it's all ready whiteout conditions. Wayne was a little worried when we had to take the interstate back because of the visibility. Hopefully it will work its way through the area by Tuesday /Wednesday morning when we're ready to come home. I'm starting to really miss home....and my family.

American Idol results from Dial Idol...don't scroll down if you don't want to know:)












Bottom 4 boys
Nichalos Pedro
Chris Richardson
AJ Tabaldo
Jared Cotter


Bottom 4 Girls
Gina Glocksen
Stephanie Edwards (I really like her)
Haley Scarnato