Christmas 2010

So another year comes to a close.  I have finally finished all my Christmas cards….going out tomorrow.  Presents are almost all wrapped and packages have been sent.  Work is picking up and busy as ever which is always nice this time of year.

Jared had surgery a few weeks ago, he had a hernia that needed to be fixed.  So unfortunately this meant we didn’t put of Christmas lights this year as this happened right after Thanksgiving.  No worries, Jared is already planning next years Christmas decor.  For a little bit we thought Jared might have to work on Christmas this year.  We have always been lucky to have him home on the holidays and it looks as though we are lucky again this year as well. 

We got news also in the past few weeks that my little brother not only is building a home that is almost finished, getting engaged to the sweetest girl ever….we totally approve, but that they are also expecting.  A bit of a surprise but we are more than happy to not only have her apart of our family but also to be adding a new addition to the Salisbury family. 

I hope this time of year finds everyone healthy, happy and spending some time off with their families.  Merry Christmas and hope to see you in the new year!

Much Love – xoxoxo

Heather…..and Jared (and the pups)

Breathe

What word says it all?

My emotions are running high these days. Am I worried, sad, mad, happy, lonely, excited, stressed?

I'm so built up that I don't know what I'm feeling.

I need a wide open space to breathe....just breathe.

A serene beach front with soft rolling waves, a light breeze and just the sound of the water hitting the sand.

I still feel like I'm fading....more like drowning.

The week in Review

This last weekend we were able to once again head to Leavenworth, Washington with good friends to celebrate a birthday and do the Oktoberfest activities. It was great fun. We met the Watt's, Gjerde's, Wolf's, and Burn's there and some new friends then spent the weekend eating great food, enjoying each others company and of course taking part of all the Oktoberfest festivities. May I add, I was crowned Miss Oktober by our friends. As one of the only couples that had par taken in this fun German festival it was fun to introduce the craziness to everyone else.

Before we left I spoke with my doctor who informed me that my blood tests came back great, besides the Calcium levels which needed to be higher and that my MRI looked good. My tumor is still shrinking without the help of medication now and the blood that was once surrounding it is still slowly disapating. The headaches were a concern in which I have been referred to a Neurologist. Another doctor....AWESOME! Can you you feel the enthusiasim in my typing? Well, at least one thing seems to be under control...hopefully this is nothing but they want me to see this doctor to rule out anything serious as a precaution. Let's keep this good news going.

Sunday, when we returned home we attended a wedding of Jared's cousin David. The event was held at Bookwalter Winery which is a fun little venue that I have been to just tasting however it was pouring down rain and the wedding was supposed to be outside. If I was the bride or the venue I would have thought of a tent for possible rain fall during the event considering it is OCTOBER? Anyway, we all cramed inside this small tasting area and dining area so the couple could marry. It was quite intimate if you could imagine with all 85-100 people that were trying to fit in out of the rain. Of course as soon as the ceremony was over, the rain stopped and we could all breathe slightly better as people started to head outdoors under some umbrellas on the patio. At the end of everything the only thing that mattered was that they got married and are super happy. So Congratulations to David and Ashley!

The rest of the week was a whirlwind of activites that both had us going every which way. Jared then told me Thursday he wanted to take me on a date Friday night. When I got home Friday, he told me to get my costco list as that was where we were headed. Of course, the last few Fridays we have had off we end up going to Costco. So he thought he was funny, what's better to do on a Friday night than go to Costco? I had to laugh, he thought he was pretty clever. We didn't end up going to Costco, but we did go on a real date by ourselves! It has been a while. We're just so busy these days it's crazy and we don't even have kids yet! Where does the time go?

So that is my week in review....not too exciting but it was lived. Time to start a new week!

Is no news, good news?

As I have been waiting for the doctor to give me any type of status update I figured if I was really in trouble that she would have called me right away. I walked down to get the mail yesterday only to find part of what I was waiting for. My test results. Everything is looking on the up and up when looking at my blood work. On the other hand, I had to reschedule MRI and now it has officially been a week. My headaches are unbearable. What gives?

I have been really watching what I do throughout the day to see what brings on my sudden crippling headaches. Is it what I eat, the activities I'm doing or just the stress I put in front of me? I just don't know.

I've been eating more organic and fresh. I feel better. My workouts are getting longer and I feel like I'm getting stronger. Still can't hit the pavement and run though. The doc says to stay away from running. I was really looking forward to training again for a half marathon. With one broken bone out of the way, the other one still gives me pain. I guess that means I need to stop wearing all those fabulous stilletos that Jared cringes to when I pull them out of the closet every morning when heading to work. I am sad about the whole training for 6 weeks only to break a darn metatarsal and be told that I need to stop hurting myself and stop running. I guess that is where the low calcium has played.

I would really love to start Bikram yoga again but I can't spend $130 a month for something I don't know if my schedule will allow. Work has been great but we are getting into a really busy season and heck, it's been busy all summer! It sounds as if this blog is full of crazy complaining. Maybe I will end this for now and come back in a more positive place. Ugh.

So it's been a while....

We have had a crazy hectic schedule of anything and everything in between. I think for the month of August I was out of town every single week and had to cancel one of my favorite things to do (OREGON STATE FAIR WITH AUNT VICKI, KATRINA and MOM). If I wasn't in Seattle for work, I was out of town for yet another doctors appointment and/or scheduled weekend of fun with friends out of town....let's not forget going to Arizona to visit Mel and Dan.

Though it was a fun summer, where did it go? I can't believe it is already mid-September and we barely had a month of super hot weather. As much as I love summer I am really looking forward to fall and all that baking that Jared as well looks forward to.

I am trying to make more time for myself. I have taken more vacation time this summer than I have had in a while from work. It's been nice to get away and relax, hang out with Jared and take some mini-vacations. I've really needed the time away as I'm not feeling any better lately. My headaches are back, my vision is slightly blurred even after making two trips to see my optometrist. The doctor took 7 vials of blood two weeks before my last appointment and then requested another 5 the day I was in. Though I am still waiting on more test results I am scheduled for another MRI to check to see if my tumor has changed at all. I'm praying it isn't doing anything at this point, then again it could explain a lot of things. Doc says that while it was hemorrhaging the last time that it ruined some brain tissue and cells. At this point I am just following the motions...what else can I do to change anything? I'm frustrated, emotional, scared that this is never going to get better. I'm sure Jared feels the same but doesn't show it around me. I think I would be more of a mess if it wasn't for him. Well, for the time being....I'll cross my fingers and wait for the doctor to call.

Happy Birthday Jared!

Jared always says age isn't anything but a number but lately he has been commenting how he doesn't want to get old. He has gotten more grey in his hair and he thinks arthritis is kicking in his knuckles and there are more aches and pains to come. I told him I don't have that problem because I'm not THAT old. ;o)

~BUT~

Today, it's official - JARED TURNS 30! Happy Birthday babe!

Out of Sorts

The last few days I have been feeling as though my back is slowly getting out of sorts. Not necessarily my bones like normal but my muscles. I was doing some normal weekend chores....vacuuming, giving the dog a bath when all of a sudden I couldn't stand up any longer. Well, now I am all out of sorts. I can't move too much. The standing position is always awkward.....not so straight, a little this way and a little that way. You can't sit really and laying flat seems to be the best. How do people do this? I am known to the mere back bones out of balance with a quick one or two trips to the chiropractor and I am fixed. This is no easy quick trip to the chiropractor.
So, when I really do yell, "I've fallen and can't get up".....it's no joke.

As everything in life, this too shall pass. Unpleasantly, but it will. The worst thing about it is I have to work all this week.....no getting out of it either. YIKES!

"The Plan"

My sister and her husband have been living in Spokane for the last 5 1/2 years working and going in school. We knew the day would come when they would have to move away for Dan to go to medical school. That time is now. They're headed to Glendale, Arizona at the end of July to a new start of jobs and specialized med school. I am really excited for them however sad that I can't take the usual day trip to Spokane to play and shop with my sis after my doctors appointments. As much as we both hate to admit, we actually seem to like each other more and more as we get older. It's funny how those things work.

For the longest time we both thought we would never get along. At one point they thought they were moving to Maine, which would have kept in line with "The Plan". You see when we were in high school, Mel and I always said she would move to Maine, have ten kids and never visit back home with the exception of sending the ten kids to see Auntie Heather and the grandparents.
When they were talking about Medical schools there was one in Maine, boy oh boy my eyes lit up and I couldn't stop laughing....Melissa then realized why and started busting a gut. Now we were seeing eye to eye and no one else could figure why. However, "The Plan" didn't work out this time around, BUT...there is still time in this lifetime for them to move there. Oh, how we amuse ourselves.
Well, MelSue and Dan.....you are moving to a place where there is plenty of sun and I will surely be there to visit and get my tan on. Good Luck and see you soon!

Another New Card

So here is another card made with some spare time I had. I used these colors before and loved them together. It's with another Stampin Up! set, "Big On Spring". Enjoy!

So I've been Stamping

I finally took some time to myself and started scrapbooking. One of my first projects to finish was two scrap book pages for my friend Lexie who is having twin girls any day now.

I thought it would be nice to do something with the same colors she was using to decorate their room. They turned out so cute, I can't wait to give them to her! Now all we need is the babies pictures to finish the page. So Lex, that means those babies need to hurry up and get here! I wish you the best of luck! Congratulations!

Christmas Cards and The New Year

I was so happy finishing my Christmas cards early this year that I sat back and relaxed. Little did I realize that the time would creep up.....oh then Christmas passed and I didn't get them sent. I didn't ever get that chance to sit down, address them and get the postage to send them out. I don't know where the time went. We have been so busy.

I feel 2010, is going to be great. I have started off feeling good and being organized. Ok, mostly organized. It's hard being organized with Jared. For how clean he always wants everything, he seems to leave the biggest mess.

Jared is still working at the Moose Lodge and loves it and spends his days off being crazy with his brother Jason. I have been filling my time with crafting and yoga when not at work. However, I had to give my poor friend Lexie a store bought baby card....SAD. I got really behind and completely had no time to make one before her amazingly beautiful shower. Who buys generic cards....ugh, I did. Of course her sister Erica was the first one to point it out. I just bowed my head and said sorry. I will make it up to her, I've got some great stuff in the works. As for Erica, when her baby shower comes around I will make sure I have a card ready. Don't want to disappoint. Ha ha. It's so funny how so many of my friends and family always look forward to that great homemade "Stampin' Up!" card. So, I better keep doing it.

We are making big plans for this New Year, we will see where it takes us. I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!