On July 7th, we went to a Detroit Tiger's game. The kids had fun...and I was the one who got to take them to the bathroom, walking around, etc....

Duncan had a real THRILL...we took him to see Monster Trucks at the Oakland County 4-H fair on July 10th. (I have NO idea who the girl is...) Duncan was awe-struck by the sight of the big trucks and could barely believe we could go down to see them up close!

OK, gross-out time: This is my snap...for my BAHA (Bone attached hearing aid). I will get the BAHA on August 17th. :o)

The thing that's REALLY annoying is that even now, July 31, my scalp is STILL NUMB! Surgery to put this titanium rod in was on June 18th. I would REALLY like to get feeling back soon! I've whacked my head on a few things &, while it doesn't hurt, I know it's not good to do!

The other picture is a couple days after surgery. (With the pink pad) I was so glad to be able to wash the whole thing after 2 weeks!!

Kids are REALLY getting excited about going to school again. Got their backpacks & lunch boxes. Got the school supplies, got a few new clothes...now I need to talk with the principal and school nurse to make sure they watch Gabby for gluten stuff. I think the principal & I will become good friends...sigh....

The GREAT thing is, I'll have more knitting time...both kids will be in school ALL DAY! Duncan will be in full day kindergarten and Gabby will be in first grade. I'm so excited! (Can't understand why most moms are sad....I never said I was normal....!)

Oh, GRRRRR!

Why don't I remember blogger puts pictures in in backwards order?

OK, the beautiful afghan is from the women on Ravelry.com (http://www.ravelry.com) The day I went into the hospital for Acoustic Neuroma surgery (March 12), they started a group to make a blanket for me!! I was STUNNED to receive it on Good Friday. I could NOT believe a bunch of people I've never met in real life would put so much love into something like this for me! But, not only for me, but also the kids...they each got a little blanket! We all ADORE our blankies!

Gabby's blanket is nice & fuzzy--even after being in the wash a number of times! Duncan uses his not only for himself but also his puppies and bears in his room. (Don'tcha just LOVE the tie!??)

Here's the 'gruesome' after surgery picture....now, a couple months later, it looks pretty decent. My hair covers it, so no one knows I've been thru surgery...and no one can tell I'm deaf in one ear! The next surgery is scheduled for 9 days from now--June 18 at Providence Park Hospital in Novi, MI...surgery at 8:30...be there at 6:30...means getting up at about 4:30 or 5. Oh, such fun! It will be another 2-3 months till I can have the BAHA installed--gotta make sure the titanium rod is firmly cemented into my head!

Oh, also, like my 'head dress'?!! Yep, that's the day I came home from the hospital. It was another couple days till I could wash my hair...drove me CRAZY!!! ICK!

A warm day in February!

Picasso Gabby drew a cute picture entitled: A Girl Walking Her Puppy. (The next day it rained buckets & washed it away...such is the life of a sidewalk artist!)








Duncan 'helped' at Gabby's school Valentine Party....
And Gabby totally dressed up for the shindig! This is her with her very favorite teacher, Mrs. Melnechuk.

When Gabby's tired...she really sacks out!

Duncan turned 5 on February 14....he was SO HAPPY to have the number 5 on his cake...and to have his VERY BEST friend, Connor, at the party!

Now we are waiting for surgery day (March 12). Duncan has been doing lots of crying and worrying about it lately. Yesterday, Miss Deb prayed with/for us in the Kindergarten-first grade large group time. Gabby was so happy and GEEKED to be able to go sit next to Miss Deb! Praying with Gabby really seems to help her feel better. She's pretty scared, but we're working thru it.

Also waiting for a swap package from whoever my swap person is on Ravelry's Karma Yarn Swap group. I had a great time putting my box together for Joy. I was able to get a couple really neat yarns for her (and me)--Noro Cash Island (cashmere/wool blend) and a yarn made from sugar cane! Joy seemed to really like her box...yippee! I got a couple extra skeins of the Araucania Ruca (the sugar cane). It is SOOO SOFT and silky! I'm knitting a scarf for Aunt Lillian using it. She's allergic to wool and I wanted to knit her something nice.

I'm also knitting a pillow cover for Mrs. Melnechuk & her husband for their first anniversary. The design is called Twining Trees. http://knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/afghans/twiningtrees.htm

I'm knitting it in BRIGHT WHITE cotton...I hope they enjoy it. (The colors in their regiatry were white, chocolate brown and turquoise) I also knit a pair of socks for her for the end of the year...The design is called Running with Scissors and is SO CUTE and EASY! I'll have to put some pictures up of this one later.

Steve & I have been doing Financial Peace University for the past month. So far, we're doing OK. We have paid off a number of credit cards and finished paying some medical bills. We are working on saving $1000 for our emergency fund. We trimed the weekly food/gas budget from $200/week to $150. It's not easy, but we're doing decently. Of course, the fact that Gabby & Duncan eat very little really helps! Now if Steve & I can eat less.....

Time to go relax with more knitting...the scarf, the pillow cover, 2 pairs of socks and mitered square scraps that will eventually become a blanket! :o)

Life's been good...and kinda hard too....








Let's see, Long time, no blog...sorry!

Had a nice Christmas...KNIT many gifts for people, most notably fingerless gloves for Gabby and Duncan's teachers, market bags for them, coffee mug cozies for them and family, bath mitts made from silk noil. I made a pillow cover for Steve's mom that I just LOVED! It was made from KnitPicks Andean silk and KP Telemark on the front and an UBER-SOFT hand spun alpaca in a rich chocolate brown. Also used the handspun to make a mug cozy for Mrs. Melnechuk. I have a teeny little ball left.....(Must learn to spin alpaca.....)


The kids got to see Santa...even tho we don't 'do' santa! Covering their behinds, I guess!

My yucky news was that my new ENT sent me for an MRI...got it done the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I have an Acoustic Neuroma...:o( That means I need to get this tumor taken out of my head/inner ear. Saw the surgeon on January 13...surgery is set for March 12 at Providence hospital in Southfield, MI. They are using the trans-labyrinth approach, going THROUGH the ear, so I will be left with no hearing in my left ear. Surgery will be 6-8 hours. I'll spend the night in the ICU...spend 4-6 days IN the hospital. (Aside from being born and visiting people, I have NEVER been in the hospital....) I will have about 4-6 weeks of recovery at home; tho I can drive after 3 weeks.

God is blessing the socks off us, having people from church volunteering to learn to cook gluten free for us/Gabby; people willing to drop Gabby off/pick her up from school when Steve needs to go to the office & I can't drive yet. LOTS of prayers...they are working because, so far, I am calm. The last time I felt like this was during the adoption travel. I have NO CONTROL. God knows the outcome & I need to rely on Him...I spend lots of time praying.

A person, a VERY NICE, SWEET person from Ravelry sent me a whole BOX full of yarn last week!!! I was STUNNED! She wants to see what I make from it while I'm recovering from my head drilling! :o) I'm hoping I will feel up to knitting while I recover.

Oh, about 2 months after surery, I'll have outpatient surgery to implant a titanium rod on the left side of my head...to get a BAHA (bone aided hearing aid). It's very cool...the hearing part will be added 2 months after I get the rod. http://www.umm.edu/otolaryngology/baha.htm Cool stuff!

Another very neat thing...I actually won a set of knives from a favorite blog of mine, Wasabimon. Here's the blog: http://www.wasabimon.com/archive/ja-henckels-santoku-knife-giveaway/ I never win anything...so this is pretty wonderful!

Ah, back to helping the kids with Lego's...Gabby's building a princess castle and Duncan has a 4x4 firetruck.... What fun!

Ya gotta love goofy quizzes...especially when they get it right!

The Ultimate Color Test

When you are at peace, you are: Energized and innovative When you are moved to act, you are: Confident and optimistic When you are inspired, you are: Spontaneous and adventurous When your life is perfectly balanced, you are: Philosophical and expressive Your life's purpose is: To find contentment

The Ultimate Color Test

Getting LOTS of Christmas knitting finished...already gave Mrs. Melnechuk her fingerless gloves because she kept opening the door to let the kids out wearing her down vest snapped ALL the way up and her hands shoved in her armpits! Gabby & I took pity on her and gave her the gloves. Of course, now it's a bit 'warmer'...but she did seem to like them! :o) Now I'm finishing Shelby's flip-flop socks, a few mug cozies, some more market bags, a hat for myself and thrummed mittens for Steve using the roving we got at the Michigan Fiber Expo. It'll be a 'home made' Christmas this year.

Still praying for Steve to keep his job. SO many layoffs, SUCH a BAD economy around here, it's SO SAD....

So far, teaching Gabby's small group is going well. The other 4 kids have been pushing & trying to 'get away' with as much as they can, but really, they ARE very good. :o) I LOVE how FAST the hour goes by too! Now if we can just remember to do more bible study at home....

Duncan couldn't get in & out of his Remy the Rat from Ratatouille costume, so we had to find another one for preschool. That's my boy: the Wise Man!

I think Duncan's bothered by the feelings around halloween too. He doesn't like scarry or spooky. He wanted to be a Wise Man because "They were nice guys and gave Jesus gifts." Good boy!


These are the only things left of the kids halloween pumpkins. Last night, someone took both and SMASHED them in the street. In driving around the neighborhood, these were the ONLY smashed pumpkins...the ONLY evidence of 'devil's night' in our area. How sad. The kids were thrilled with their pumpkins when we carved them a couple days ago. I hope whoever smashed them knows how sad the kids were...The kids were sad that someone was THAT MAD that they would smash someone else's pumpkins. They weren't really sad over the loss of the pumpkins tho.

Daddy's taking the kids out tonight with Connor's family for their first ever trick or treating. I hope they have fun. I really HATE halloween and EVERYTHING that goes with it...but I like the kids to have fun with dressing up.

Been knitting up a storm...finished Mrs. M's fingerless gloves, I'm almost finished with Mrs. D's market bag & fingerless gloves. Have to make a bag each for the 2 preschool assistant teachers and Gabby's speech therapist. Also working on socks for Steve, a mitten/scarf for me (scarf with a mitten on each end!) and need to START coffee cozies for the in-laws. The cozies are small and should go quickly. :o)

Managed to claim another cashmere sweater to frog for projects. (Frog=rip back to resue the yarn...from 'rip-it, rip-it') I'm big into frogging sweaters these days! Go to the Salvation Army, buy a cashmere sweater for $3 and get 100's of yards of lace weight yarn!! Oh yeah...that's good! I also like getting old cotton sweaters--got a 1980's neon pink one that's now become a market bag for one of the teachers! (With yarn left over for about 4 more projects!) I think that sweater was $4. The only problem with cotton is that it 'unplies'...so you end up with 8 or 10 very thin 'strings' making up the yarn. So far I have not had trouble with that in knitting it...maybe I just know how to knit that way instinctively?!!

Well, looking forward to Thanksgiving...a much HAPPIER time of year! I can't WAIT to put halloween behind us for another year...what a sad, sick 'holiday'...espeically since the word "holiday" actually means "HOLY DAY". Halloween is the polar opposite of holy.

May Jesus bless and PROTECT you during this icky time. :o)

We've had some fun lately...Had friends over and the kids insisted we make the chocolate garbanzo bean cake...Picture one is Gabby "helping" clean the melted chocolate chips!



Then, we got to go to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch with Duncan's class; Gabby came along and had LOTS of fun chasing the 'little' boys. (Duncan outweighs her by about 4 pounds and Connor by about 30 pounds!! But, she's older....!)


Duncan enjoyed the animals but was a bit scared by them too. He loved feeding one of the little kids some hay. I think this Mama Sheep intimidated him!

Connor and Duncan on the playground...on a tractor! They also had "Straw Mountain" and a dirt pile to climb up & down! (Must be NASTY when it rains!!)

We are getting ready to celebrate 4 years of being a family!! AMAZING!!! FOUR YEARS! Yep, Saturday October 25 will be 4 years. Duncan was an only child for 1 night...Gabby wouldn't look at me because I was holding Duncan when we went to pick her up! I'm amazed at how GOOD the kids are and how sweet they can be. Today Gabby decided to take the project box she got as a birthday gift & make all 4 projects for other people: Grandma, Aunt Diane, Alex & Shelby! We are STILL working on things like toilet training, but her heart is in the right place. Duncan is suddenly into BIG hugs and telling me he loves me over & over. Oh, and my favorite, "Mommy, you are the RIGHT mommy for me!" Not sure where it came from, but it's sweet....