25 more days

Yesterday Bridger and I managed to get his tree decorated. We had fun doing it. We missed Grammy and her input on where things go. This year the tree is right by the TV in the family room. We can enjoy that one for the month now. The bigger tree is still in the basement. I decided to stain the new trim around the windows in the movie room. I didn't get to that just yet. I did buy stain yesterday when we were at Menard's.


Bridger and I did manage to "injure" Darin yesterday. I tripped over his extended leg, which, of course, jerked his knee. Then Bridger was allowed to push out the store cart at Menard's while I handled the pellets on the flat cart. Bridger can't see over the top of the cart, very well yet, and ran into the back of Darin. While they were doing that-I ran over my big toe with the flat cart. Aren't we all something?

We had a nice dinner at Outback. Hadn't been there for quite awhile. After dinner we decided to see if the Xmas lights were up in the neighborhood where they get quite fancy. They were and we sat and enjoyed the light and music display. I am sure we will be back by numerous times. We all enjoy it.

So the pant leg picture. Bridger insisted on wearing these PJ's while Cadence was here. She had some pink PJ's with monkeys on them. They were on Judi's blog. Anyway, we told Bridger that these were too small for him now. He insisted and so he wore them. When he received them from Grammy 3 years ago they were too long. The glow in the dark thread still works!

Thanksgivings past

I was thinking about past Thanksgivings and decided to look back through our pictures. We only started saving pics on the computer about the time Bridger was born. We also lived where family didn't easily come see us in November. Of course, our biggest Thanksgiving ever was our wedding in 1991. 20lb turkey in the oven in a paperbag (thank goodness) for 8+hours, thanks to a wedding and a snowstorm. Turkey was great and the marriage has lasted. But, alas, no pictures of that turkey on the computer for easy downloading.




We have been lucky enough to have Grammy for a visit the last few years, with a compromise one year in a motel room. She and Bridger also have had a tradition of decorating his little Xmas tree together. This one is from 2007 when we got together in Bismarck in October for a long weekend. We celebrated Halloween and Xmas. No one was having a turkey dinner special or we might have actually got that holiday in on the long weekend.

In 2008 Bridger was bestowed a visit by two grandparents. Bridger also got introduced to Monopoly-Grammy style.

Bridger doesn't still bat lefthanded, but he did take a few family members to the park yesterday. Just no baseball.

2008 Xmas tree decorating

This was the first year that started it all, 2006. This is in the Lennox house.

We made it over to the Black Hills in 2006 with Grammy. Ever sewing, she took along the machine she gave me.

We made it into Rapid City for Black Friday and to the dinosaur park in 2006.

2007 was another trip to the Black Hills. Truth be told, Darin loves Black Friday as much as any other die hard shopper. He pores over the sales ads, throwing out comments about this or that GREAT deal. We went to Rapid City again for Black Friday in 2007 from the cabin. We also went to Storybook Island. It was so cold, but the geese were friendly, until you got near them. Goose poop is nasty. They are looking at all the geese behind me. Darin didn't make it out with me yesterday for Black Friday, but I know he was there in spirit.

I bet someday, we have a hot tub and if we don't Bridger will grow-up and have one. We always enjoy "the soak" at the cabins. Bridger usually starts his day with one, ends with one and numerous ones between. We haven't made it to the cabins in the Black Hills for over a year. Things just haven't worked out, like having surgeries and such.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hope it was a wonderful day. We are thankful for so many things, family, friends and I would say our health, but it hasn't been our year. Maybe we will qualify for that medical deduction this year-that really isn't a good thing though.

day after surgery

So we got done with surgery and recovery sometime around 9pm. They did take him back around 7pm. It seemed very quick to when the doc came and talked to me. Then I waited just a bit longer for Darin to come to before I joined him in recovery. These pics are in recovery with the cell phone. Neither one of us put much effort into figuring out how to rotate the pic. Just use your imagination. It's Darin-you can tell.

The doc said he would wear the immobilizer for 6-8 weeks. We started stressing about how he would get back and forth to work. I asked post-surgery and he told me that he could take it off to drive.

My patient is not being a good patient and staying put. He was up and down all night-shuffling around. He actually went and got his own ice and I never heard the door, but the shuffling-back and forth-I hear. I said something about it and he told me I am just so attuned to little feet shuffling on our wood floor in the bedroom. He was up and facebooked at 2am. He had responses before 6am. He was back up to observe the sunrise. Now we are watching TV. I think we will get around here and head out. Bridger asked last night if I could come have t-day lunch feast with him at daycare.

Darin might as well go shuffle around at home. All on a positive note-the surgery to his knee went well. The doc cleaned up things and "thinks" this should help. Time will tell. Darin just wants no pain. He recovered without nausea and throwing-up. He actually had pizza for dinner after surgery. I was waiting for that to NOT stay down, but it did. So the after surgery stuff is going really well. Wish me all luck for the drive home as to not hitting bumps.

mon am

In less than a week we will have been married 18 years. Good for us. Where has the time gone?

This should prove to Darin that I am remembering. It's not like I have ever forgotten. I just sometimes "forget" the date. Between my birthday number, Bridger's bday number and our anniversary number they sometimes get jumbled.

What a whirlwind weekend. We went out with Linnea Friday night. We had decided we didn't want to go to our Xmas party from the clinic.that was Sat night. So we went out Friday night as we were going to Gillette Sat. Kayla watched the kids for us. They were excited to see her and see her new home.

We went to Gillette on Sat. My friend wanted us to bring down sushi from one of the numerous Asian restaurants. I was a little worried about our luck and that we would end up with sushi all over the back seat, but it went just fine. We had a nice time. She invited a lot of their friends and acquaintances over. The major connection was her fitness center. It is a beautiful facility and it seems to be going well for her. She is in super condition as she leads some of the classes and she does personal training. She really enjoys the working out. Her husband is in the banking business. Their daughter Mya is 5. Bridger and her got along great. She kept shortening down his name to Bridge. My friend had her oldest daughter (18) take the kids from the party to a movie. It was some alien cartoon. Bridger had some cute stories out of it. I sort of wonder if it didn't have too much of an adult theme.

We got up fairly early Sun and took back off for home. We got back in time for hockey practice. Bridger was acting very grumpy and we kept quietly discussing that maybe he should stay home with me. But, in the end he showed so much enthusiasm for going that Darin took him. It was game day and he scored at least two goals. I got there a bit late. I hadn't picked up a bday present for his 2pm bday party for Haley. One of his goals was so cute-he was trying to lift the puck on the edge/end of stick and pop it in. He was at the corner of the net facing back to center and it obviously seemed the easiest way to him. He didn't get it scooped up, but eventually swiped it in.

He went to the bday at the Art Museum. There is an activity area in the back where kids can be creative. So they all messed around and had the bday party. I got Haley an easy bake oven. Thank goodness she didn't have one. When I got back I asked if she would now bake me a cake. She quickly replied no. I don't think she was remembering back to her presents.

I picked up Bridger and we met Linnea and the girls back at home. Darin was watching the girls while Linnea, her sis-in-law and myself went out to a movie. We got some dinner out after the movie. By 8pm last night I couldn't believe the none stop day or the weekend that went pretty quick.

Darin's surgery has been scheduled for 3pm Tuesday. I think we have everything arranged for Bridger and Shasta. Linnea is going to be a huge help for Bridger's care. I keep thinking we should just spend the night in Laramie Tues. I would imagine 3pm is going to end up being later. Don't take this wrong the Myers side of family, but I am glad you are not coming until Friday. Maybe I can get the house back in order now on Thursday. Looks like I will have lost Wed to being the nursemaid.

So for those that eagerly anticipate the blog-it might be another couple of days for another blog. But, no, not a week.

2 posts in one day!!!!

Thought I could squeak out two posts today. Surprise!!!!

We had swim lessons tonight. Bridger kept pace with the other kids. They are all a head taller than him, by the way. One little girl gave up and went down a level. I decided to remember the camera and got a couple of photos. Go Fighting Sioux!!!!


Doesn't it look like there is a big wave around him?

We were going to go to swim lessons, have dinner and then grocery shop. We all got tired after swimming and just had dinner. After this photo I thought of the male Myers' tradition of taking your time to eat. Bridger had a taco and then polished off my rice and beans. I know it is sort of gross, but he was having so much fun. Can you tell by his smile?

Have a nice weekend everyone.

one week and counting

You should see him go now. This picture was from June 2007.

Just think next week at this time, most of us will have visions of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie dancing in our heads. Wonder if I will be up yet-NOT!! Now maybe Black Friday I will be up this early.

Seems like I have been anticipating Thanksgiving for so long. Don't know if it is all the stuff going on around it or not. Darin will have had his surgery by this time next week. He is dreading it, just knowing that he has to go under anesthesia and having to depend on me giving him tender loving care after. HA!!

We started a busy time again. We decided last minute to put Bridger back in swim lessons. Since I took off the cast last weekend and lessons started this week we went for it. Bridger has had some ouchey moments, but seems to be doing just fine. I think it is more that he hasn't moved his wrist for 5 weeks and it is stiff. He did superb at swim lessons. Jumped right into the deep end and took off. They worked on strokes and it was fun to watch him try the harder ones. Darin watches him and is so proud of his arm movements. Darin gets to recall his swimming days-the fun and the victories watching Bridger at this level.

Hockey club Xmas wreaths came out this week. This reminds me of how my mom worked to sell Girl Scout cookies and candy bars for softball. I usually got high sales for the cookies because she worked at a large insurance company. She won me an aluminum softball bat on the candy bars won year. Thanks Mom! I don't even compete with the whole wreath sales thing with some people though. I am just happy I sold 58 this year. I think last year it was 60. I wondered with the economy if people would buy. I have 4 more to deliver and I am done. It started on Monday. Tuesday after school, we loaded up the truck, went to the clinic, parked rear end up to the back door and as the employees came out at 5pm-they got their wreath. I made sure Bridger was there to say thank you to each person that bought a wreath. There were a few jokes about doing deals in the parking lot after dark.

We are going to Gillette this weekend. We have been invited up to visit a high school classmate of mine. My parents might remember Barbie. We lived together the last several months of Senior year. She has remarried and has a child with this husband that is younger than Bridger. She opened a fitness club and went to NYC for the marathon also. I don't think she did as well as Rance. I told her his time and she didn't respond.

By the way, Bridger knows how many more days to Xmas and is keeping tabs on the chalkboard we never took down from last year-as a joke.

Self Portrait (Bridger)

Bridger and went to the open house of the Science Zone this afternoon. They have moved locations and we went to see the new offerings. I wasn't so impressed, but then, I am not a child. Bridger had a good time and I had to suggest to go when it was time. Since it was free to get in it was a tad overcrowded. We both always enjoy the bubble maker station. We stopped at an experiment station and watched them blow-up a bottle of dry ice and Gatorade mixed. The bottle was dropped into a bucket of water and exploded. Bridger actually was more alarmed by the noise then the cool thing of the explosion.

I let him have the camera on the way home to look at the couple of pictures I had taken. I was pretty sure I heard the camera being used and found these nice pictures he took. He asked to get two cookies before we left. I reminded him Daddy's had to be no chocolate. I wonder if Darin got them when Bridger got home. I dropped him off and went on to the store for dinner supplies.

I have been having some great memories of my grandparents (Mem and Papa) lately. Today was no exception. There were two things Mem liked to tell me about their marriage. One-they never had a fight in all of their married life. After I became more observant and older, I realized that was a possibility if one person just never said what was on their mind. Kudos to her for keeping peace. She also told me how if Papa didn't agree with something she wanted to do, like remodeling or building something, she would wait until he was gone and just go ahead and do it herself. Then when he got back-it was done and he couldn't say anymore.

I tried that today-wait until Darin was gone and just do something. I promised the window installer that we would get the bush in front of the house under control to make installing the windows there easier. Darin went off to his hockey coaching clinic and I went outside. I tried the electric hedge trimmer, but the stalks of this particular bush were thicker than it could handle. So I debated with myself about 30 seconds as to whether I could get the chainsaw running. I did!!! It was sort of fun, but nerve racking all the same. I demolished two bushes all by my lonesome. I even got to load it into the truck when the truck arrived home shortly after I was done. Darin was supportive and appreciative that it was done, but he threw in a remark about wanting to count my fingers. That was the first time I ever tried to run a chainsaw. I did get a speck of wood in my eye-forgot to get the goggles in my debating. I got them on after I got my eye cleaned out.

The windows that are done look great by the way.

friday, the 13th

I was looking for a picture to add and noticed Darin had a file of old pics. I could make out this one fairly easily from the tiny choices for downloading options. I am sure Rollie and Judi remember where this is and when. I wish it could have been more of a profile. I would have loved to see Darin's expression. I certainly see Darin in Bridger. This could easily be Bridger sitting there on the banks at Buffalo State Park. Darin took me there in the "early" days on our adventures to North Dakota. We just might have to take Bridger there sometime.

It has been sort of a blah week. Bridger has woken up every night around 3 am insisting that he needs his back rubbed to fall back asleep. He gets up to go to the bathroom and then wakes me up. It has been frustrating. I always wish I could figure out what brings on things like this week. He isn't having nightmares. He just wants to be with us. I just want him to sleep through the night!

Darin had his EKG and bloodwork for his pre-op. They look fine to me and I am sure we are still on for 2 weeks. They finally called him and took his health history. So funny that the doctor didn't do it at the last visit. I guess that is what is so nice about specialty care. The doc doesn't have to do all the little things. There is some sarcasm on my part there. I do like the doctor Darin has. He has called me after every visit to update me. I am the referring provider for Darin to them, which means you can get a consult visit. I also think even if I wasn't the referring provider he would call just because I am a PA. He has been very nice and friendly.

I X-rayed Bridger's arm while we were at the clinic. I so wanted to take the cast off this week. The report says there is "interval" healing. It still looks "bowed", but I can no longer see the tiny nick along the edge of the bone from the first X-ray. I guess we will leave it on 2 more weeks. I hope Darin can bring him in tonight around 5 and we will change this one out. It is looking so grimey.

Bridger's teacher decided after hearing him say he was going to hockey practice that he could go back out to recess. It sort of miffed me that she over-road the note about keeping him in. I can see her point of view that if he can go to hockey practice, he should be able to go outside. We just feel there is more danger on the playground than on the ice. After all he is padded up on the ice. I worry he won't get his coat zipped and that he gets stuff in this cast from the ground. I also know he loves to hang from things. He just isn't supervised on the playground like he is on the ice. Oh well, 2 more weeks.

We had a skiff of snow last night. I hope it melts quickly. However, it is supposed to start getting colder through the weekend. We got the RV and the boat to storage this week. I didn't get the last two leaf piles sacked up. It is dark after 5pm now. If the snow melts and the leaves can dry-maybe I can get it this weekend. Darin has a hockey coach clinic again on Sat. Looks like Bridger and I will be on our own.

I think I got everything updated.

quick weekend

Here is the little Emperor and his cast. The other person is the bad guy that locked him in the tower. Thanks to Judi for taking pictures. We decided to buy the theatres pic CD and will be waiting for it.

It sure seemed like this weekend just flew by. Rollie and Judi got to enjoy Bridger's play Fri night. Judi got to enjoy her new computers sat evening while we were at the play. We took Gage, Bridger's friend. We stopped for ice cream at DQ after the play. Bridger and Gage enjoyed their ice cream and my popcorn shrimp. Bridger ate a whole banana split by himself and then on our way out we picked up a side of popcorn shrimp just for Bridger. In his defense, he only had a 1/2 PBJ for dinner before the play.

Sunday was more computer time for Judi. Over the weekend the dining room table took on an appearance of a computer lab. I had no idea she was having as much trouble as she was having. When she told me the new computers didn't come with Photo Gallery I thought it must just be a Dell thing. Our Gateway came with everything I wanted. Darin told me at one point there was 3 laptops spread out on the table. Bridger wanted to get ours out so he could spend time with Jami at the table.

Sunday morning, after I heard her woes of Sat night while we were gone, I said I would take a look and found Photo Gallery for her. I downloaded that and then we set up the desktop and downloaded Photo Gallery again. I hope she has success the next few days with her computers.

Bridger's final performance of "the Emperor and the Kite " was yesterday. Darin stayed home and cleaned up the garage. I think yesterday's performance was Bridger's best. However, all the other little minnions-not so good. There was a lot of vacant looks, nose picking, crouch pinching and oh yeah, forgotten lines. I think the majority were done in their little bodies and minds.

Last night we took Bridger to see Cirque Dreams. I was so amazed at the balancing, contortionists and trapeze like acts. They were all so great. Bridger didn't seem to enjoy it as much and I was so excited for him to see it. Oh Well. Next up is Annie in January.

Sunday 7AM

Darin & Bridger having a little bonfire to burn leaves & enjoy the autumn smell.
Shasta wants someone to throw his toy.

Somehow we got the pictures working!

sat pm

Our blog is messed up. Pictures do not download such that I can see them before I finish the blog. Judi and I worked on the editing possibilities, but couldn't get something concrete. So for the time being I guess this blog is suspended.

Unless you want chit-chat without pictures?

raking leaves

The day after

Ah, the day after and we gained an hour.  I was thinking that it is 6:30am and Darin will be getting up soon and he can take the girls home.  But, the computer clock reminded me that it is not 6:30am. It is 5:30am.  The Meline girls had a sleep over as they fell asleep before Linnea went home.  It was a late night for us or an early morning depending on how you look at it. 

We probably could have called Rance to wish him good luck.    We had a fun day yesterday. 

We went downtown after Bridger's play practice.  We had picked up the Meline girls to take trick or treating with Bridger.  We wandered in and out of the stores gathering candy.  It is always funny to see the looks of people when it is just the two of us and the 3 of them.  The kids are like a staircase and could appear to be ours. 
  Later in the afternoon we went to the theatre to do a "carnival" and then to DQ for a snack.  Darin and I didn't realize that would be dinner.  Right before we were to trick or treat on the street (ours) Linnea's brother called her for help as he had locked his keys in his vehicle.  She left to help him and we took the kids up and down our street.  The girls are not as "hardy" as Bridger and up and down was fine for them.  We had our typical Wyoming wind going and it was sort of miserable.  Darin's goal was to get to the house with the BIG candy bars, which we did.  We had a few trick or treaters.  We let Bridger answer the door and pass out candy.  It was a fun day.