WATER, WATER EVERWHERE

My husband went to do a load of laundry right before bed. All of the sudden I hear expletives coming out of Brendan's mouth! He screams "go move your car!!" (We live in a duplex, where you have to park behind one car to fit the other) So I run outside, barefoot, to move my car to the apartment complex parking lot right next door. Brendan jumps in his truck to go around back to turn the water off.

Water is literally pouring out of our house at this point...

Well in his haste, he leaves the front door wide open. Normally Jack is very very good about staying put even when the doors open, but right as Brendan left, a neighbor from the apartments walks over to the mail box. Jack bolts. Here I am, in my pj's, barefoot on a gravel lot, with a side yard full of stickers (thanks to all the rain lately) and my dog is bolting towards some random guy.

Luckily, he is a dog lover :-)

So the guy says, "everything okay? Your front doors wide open you know" (I'm thinking DURH guy) Then he looks at our driveway, which has water pouring down it. He says, "OH NO! Wheres the leak?" I tell him its shooting out of our washer connection. He says, get this, "I'm a plumber. Let me go get my tools and I'll see if I can help"

Does God look after us or what?!

Anyway, Brendan comes back at this point, has the water off, grabs Jack and Tyler goes to get his stuff. I hobble back to the house, because my feet are NOT tough. Tyler comes in and there is water EVERYWHERE. I was SO embarrassed because I hadn't swept in awhile and Jack sheds like crazy. DOG HAIR + WATER = ICKY POO!

I start trowing towels down and trying to keep Jack from having a heart attack because his new found friend is in our house. Brendan does some banging and clanging and viola! No more water. In fact, we are doing a load right now!

So all in all, not a disaster because my man is super handy!! And my dog is super friendly and God sent us a new plumber friend. Not a bad person to have on your side ;-) cuz you just never know when your house is going to turn in to a swimming hole!

They Grow Up So Fast

My nephew, Wyatt has gotten SO big. He will be TWO in November, on his daddy's birthday... I still can't believe it! He's running like a crazy, wild man and talking up a storm... and even though you can't understand EVERYTHING he says, its just amazing to me that I have a 2 year old nephew... he;s awesome. I could watch that kid all day, every day!

Ball?

He was pretending the ball was SO heavy!

Wyatt is such a little silly ham...

DANGER, DANGER...!!

So this week has not been great. I know my problems aren't monumental... and there are way worse problems out there... but dangit, I really wish things would start to look up.

Monday and Tuesday were just SUCKY days at work. I was sick to my stomach all freaking day and nothing was going right.

Today (Wednesday) I had Coumadin Clinic. I hate going to Coumadin Clinic. Its a pain to leave work early, drive all the way across town over to TTUHSC, wait int a waiting room full of sick, weird people, then finally get my finger pricked. The entire visit takes roughly 5 minutes, but everything all together takes like 30-45 minutes. And, the best part, I have to PAY $25 EVERY time. It wouldn't be so bad if I only had to go like once a month, or every other month, but lately my level has been off and I have had to go in like every 2-3 weeks.

My therapeutic level is supposed to be between 2.5 and 3.5. Its very bad if it is BELOW 2.5, because that means my blood is too thick and I could develop a clot on my heart and well, we all know what the result of that is... it is very bad if it is ABOVE 3.5, because that means my blood is TOO thin, and your risk for bleeding internally goes up.

Well today my level was *5.7* YOWZAS!!! VERY VERY VERY bad, and very frustrating because I honestly cant figure out WHY it is so high! I haven't changed meds, my diet, anything that interacts with Coumadin (which is pretty much anything seems like.) So now I get to -carefully- walk around, watching every step I take, worry about getting in a car wreck for the next 2 1/2 days. Then go BACK up to the lab to get my level checked again. We are hoping by skipping my Coumadin doses tonight until Friday, it will level back out and be normal! One can only hope.

I know this drug will keep me alive for the rest of my life. I know that this is just a small pain, compared to having a stroke or dying... but all I can do is see me having to do this for the next, what, 40 years? Every 2 weeks, even once a month... its a frustrating, depressing thought.

So I have gone on-line to research home PT INR testing kits, just like the one they use at Coumadin Clinic and in the hospital/labs. I have contacted my insurance to see if they are even covered, because the exact one TTUHSC & UMC uses is... $1,110. YIKES. Who woulda thought?!

I know its kind of selfish & probably silly, but please pray that this will work out to where we can afford it. Otherwise, I will be petitioning for my own parking space at the TTUHSC Medical Pavilion, because I am there WAAAAAAAY too much!! I have my Dr over there in my phone people! That is way too sad haha.

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**UPDATE: Dr. Dalal called me this morning with the results of my blood test yesterday and my leve was now 1.7 *sigh* BUT this means I can start taking my doses again. I just have to keep telling myself "at least I'm alive, at least I'm alive"

We have a roof!

There's a roof!!!
Nick kinda brokeded my front porch :( Brendan promises me a new, improved one :)

Apparently this is whats called soffits and facia (no idea how to spell that!)

my guest room now has a window to the world... well, maybe, just the back fence :)

LOOK! NO SKY!! YAY!!!

Sorry these pics aren't like professional or anything... I don't really know how to take good construction site pics

Next is the electrician. Then I think an inspection... but I'm not sure

House Developments

Brendan's been working really hard lately... I spend a lot of time alone :-( He also started the roof tonight. He said that hopefully he'll get it finished up this weekend and then the inspectors can come in... we shall see. This house has been such a pain in the ass, that sometimes I think we would be better off just walking away from the project *heavy sigh* again... we shall see...

Smile :-)

WIth all of the MJ hooplah... one song keeps coming up... it apparently was one of his favorite songs, and I have always loved it myself... Smile by Nat King Cole. I wanted to share the lyrics. It always seems to make me... well, Smile :-)

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though its breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile



That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, whats the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

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Sometimes life isn't going exactly how we plan it. Sometimes it is going in the exact opposite direction! But we all need to stop and smile. Find the beauty in the dark things. Know that God has a purpose for all of us and for all things.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of those men and women who have fought, and are fighting, for this country's freedom!

We appreciate all that you have gone through, and are going through.

THANK YOU! I'm sure you do not get told that enough