Link's Mini Album

I mentioned in my September Monthly round-up that I had planned to use this Zelda themed journal from Hobby Lobby to make a mini-album about Link. I have been having a lot of fun with it so far for many reasons.

For one, most of pages have only taken me a few minutes to put together. I also like being able to use up some of my scrappin' stash I've accumulated over the years.  And not to mention, it is just fun  to try something a little different.

But most importantly, I'm kind of obsessed with Link, so there's that.

The inside cover of the book was already printed with a map from the game. I did not worry about coordinating with that page, when I made my title page.

For the title page, I just cut up some scrapbooking paper, framed the white space with some washi tape (I feel the words-hi/hello are perfect for a starter page), and I stamped Link's name repeatedly.

On the next page, I typed some journaling on a 4 X 6 pocket page card all about Link's adoption from the pound. I had some pet themed cards from a journal card set from Studio Calico, and I used some chipboard pieces from there as well.  Isn't the sentiment that, "In a perfect world, every pet would have a home and every home would have a pet," just perfect for this project?

This is probably my favorite page so far. I love how it turned out, both cute and simple. These pictures are from Link's first few days with us. I wrote about what it was like just having a puppy in the home again.

For decoration, I used repeating star embellishments. The green ones are vellum and the yellow stars are stickers. The up & up card is from an Ali Edwards kit. Then I framed the pictures with an alpha set to make a title.

I can't wait to make more, and I will share as soon as I do.

Love,

B

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5 Days Post Op

Last Friday, I had three procedures. I had abdominal skin removal, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. I was pretty nervous, but it was something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and it ended up going fairly well.  I did not only do this for cosmetic reasons, the extra skin has also caused me health issues. As I would get rashes underneath the fat rolls, and I have suffered with back pain, throwing my back out on multiple occasions.

I am pretty pleased with the results. It is so crazy to me to have a flat stomach.  The fat roll the surgeon removed from my abdomen weighed 15 lbs! And in weird news, they made me a new belly button, as they removed my old one. That fact blew my mind.

Recovery is going OK. I haven't been in an immense amount of pain, but I'm taking my pain pills on a regular schedule to avoid pain. I do have a lot of medications, even one in shot form. I have two drains attached to my abdomen in order to drain excess liquids from surgery. But those are having to be emptied less and less as the days progress, and I'm hoping to go down to one drain pretty soon.  I also have to wear a binder around my stomach at all times to keep it compressed.

I've been overall pretty tired, napping a lot, and taking a shower takes up almost all my energy. But I'm starting to walk more and more, and just today I walked to the end of the street and back, which is good progress. 

I've been overwhelmed with gratitude for Adam, and how well he has taken care of me. Every morning he empties and cleans my drains. He makes sure I get my blood thinning shot and all my medications on time. He reminds me to stay hydrated and makes me walk around, even when I don't want to because my incision is hurting. He has prepared almost all my meals. He has helped me shower. And since I have to sleep in the recliner downstairs, he has slept every night on the couch. We are having a family camp out in the living room. He is amazing, and it is such a reminder that I am so lucky to have him. 

Heck, he even filled in for me at bowling league night.

Even Link has been quite the sweetheart. He seemed to understand when I first came home that I wasn't feeling well. He stayed by my side, and he often times looked concerned. And not once has he tried to jump on my lap or up on me, like he typically would. He has such a gentle heart.

My friends have also been super supportive, checking on my frequently with text and calls. My friend Lark stopped by on her day off to visit, and she brought me Starbucks & cookies. And another friend, Anna, sent me some adult coloring books and colored pencils. How sweet and how fun!

The best part of having this operation done is that it has reminded me how loved I am. I'm usually pretty independent, but it is nice to know when I need help, there are so many people willing to do so.

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A Big, Quick Catch Up Post

It has been a busy couple of months. I had been busy at work over the summer and the early fall. My stepfather passed away, along with other life events. And now that things are finally settling down, I want to catch up on a few events I never had time to blog about. I'm going to keep the descriptions short and sweet for simplicity sake.

I've been waffling lately, wondering if I even wanted to keep on blogging. I haven't felt so passionate about it lately, as I've been in years past. I'm documenting my life in other ways (I.E-scrapbooking, social media).

I've always enjoyed having this as an outlet and a source to keep my memories. It's been hard for me to believe I would ever not feel like blogging, as I've been blogging since I was 15. But I'm not quite ready to pull the plug yet, so I'll see what happens over the next few months.

My all time favorite TV show is hands down, The Gilmore Girls. That show was so much a part of my late teens and early twenties. I can't even tell you how much I'm excited about the revival. It has been at the fore front of my thoughts for the last few months, and I've watched the previews like crazy.

An off-shoot of my love of Gilmore Girls, has been my love of the podcast Gilmore Guys. That podcast is too funny, and I am seriously in love with Demi & Kevin. Soo funny. So when I saw they were doing a live taping in nearby Nashville, I had to go. Adam tagged along with me, and they put on such a good show! They tossed pop tarts to the audience, made us take a live oath (which doubled as an advertisement for blue apron), and took us through all the regular segments. Such a good time. I even wore my Luke's Diner shirt.

We went to a wedding in October of a good acquaintance that used to host the trivia nights we frequently attend.  It was a fun wedding, they had a super hero theme and such fun touches throughout. I loved the photo booth, and I really loved my new grey dress that I wore. Going to weddings with Adam is always my favorite, as weddings feel so romantic. 

Our friend Luther came to visit from California, and we did so many fun activities. But they only one new for me was touring The Hermitage in Nashville. The Hermitage is the home of Andrew Jackson.We enjoyed seeing this historic home, walking the grounds of the old plantation, and learning more about the 7th president. 

For Halloween, we stayed in and passed out candy to the trick or treaters. I got a little into Pokemon Go this summer, so I couldn't resist dressing up a Pikachu. The kids loved it! Link was a very reluctant monster. 

Adam and I met some family members down in Shreveport, LA, for the Insane Inflatable 5k.  We had so much fun with the obstacles, some were surprisingly tall! But going down the slides after climbing up them was super fun, and not one of us managed to get hurt. So props to us!

Packer's season is well underway, and although our team sucks this year! I wanted to share this picture of the cutest Packer fan ever!

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Valetine's Day Weekend Report

 

While I was still in a considerable amount of pain from throwing my back out Friday morning (lame), we did manage to get out and have a little fun on Saturday, when I felt a little better. After his and her's haircuts, we headed out for lunch at Smash Burger. I built a delicious avocado & goat cheese burger. Soo good. We completed some errands, and then grabbed some frozen yogurt at 32 degrees. Yellow Cake Batter yogurt with Conversation hearts? Don't mind if I do.

We took Linkerdoodles on a mile long walk at a nearby trail, just to get him out of the house a little bit, he had just seemed so bored lately. He seemed to really enjoy it.

When I woke on Valentine's day, I found a trail of apples leading down the stairs into the kitchen. I will admit that this threw me for a minute, until I remembered I had been wanting Snow White on Blu-Ray. That is exactly what I got, I was so excited! It was so creative and so funny. Everything I love in a surprise!

Not to mention Adam went out at 5:30 in the morning to Wal-mart to get it, since that was the only place open! He said he was trying to sneak out of the house and not disturb anyone. But right before he was stepping out the door, Link came running into the room, like he just caught Santa. So of course, Link had to go on the outing, since left behind, he sometimes cries. That would surly have woken me up. He said Link had fun though!

I had gifted Adam a Disney Infinity character he had been wanting, and I had picked up a sweet V-day pin back when I was in Disneyworld.

We really had a good holiday weekend. Luckily, my back is feeling a little better now, but now my leg hurts from walking "funny." Oh brother.

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Five Things

Notes from this Week:

Monday is usually Trivia night for my mother, Adam, and me at a local Mexican joint. And this week was one of those rare weeks where we actually took 1st place! We were on a roll all night, and we knew most of the questions (that is a rarity). While we often will come in third, it always feels so good to win first place! Go Team Blueshell! 

I really am still loving Jamberry, and this week I gussied up my nails for Valentines' Day. I'm loving the hearts, red, and silver. I have gotten so many compliments on them, and it makes me happy every time I see them. I heart pretty nails!

Oh my gosh, how cute is our Linkers? There is basically no room for him to sit with me on the new recliner. But does that stop him? I think not. He still insists on cuddling with me, with his nose under my neck! It may not be entirely comfortable for me, but I kind of love it anyway. He adores his Mama. 

I did Pure Barre for the first time in a couple of months last week. I got so busy with marathon training, that I let that slide a bit. Not only did I forget how hard it is (hello, 3 days of soreness), I forgot how much I loved it! I love the challenge, and because it is so difficult, I always feel accomplished when it's done. I'm looking forward to spending more time at the Barre! Plus, cross training keeps things interesting! 

So this morning when I was getting ready for work, I bent over to pick something up and when I popped back up, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. For the first time ever, I threw out my back. I was in so much pain, I couldn't even straighten up, and I was walking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame! I had to call in sick to work. I've spent the day on the couch with muscle relaxers, netflix, a heating pad, icy hot, and Link sleeping on top of me. I feel a little better tonight, but it's been a long day. I guess now that I'm 3 months from age 30, it is all down hill from here.  

P.S-I recently purchased a new domain due to my old one expiring and being more expensive than I wanted to pay. Old address was http://www.one-by-land.com. New address is http://www.one-if-by-land.com/

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Squirrel!

Lately, Link has been tortured by our backyard squirrels. They have been running up and down the roof, storing nuts in the lip of our chimney. I suppose this is to get ready for the winter, I'm convinced is not going to come this year.

Today, he might have succeeded in his attempts to scare them (or at least distract them), as one squirrel FELL into the chimney.

This afternoon I got an email from Adam while I was working, entitled FYI. When I opened it, it said,"Just FYI, there is a squirrel in our chimney, so I lowered a rope down, to give it a way to escape." That is one of the oddest e-mails I've ever received. 

Adam was pretty sure the rope trick worked, as the scrambling sounds quit.  But tonight we had to double check the chimney to make sure the squirrel had left.

I walked into the kitchen to find Adam having made a chair barrier, which lead out the patio door. I guess this was a road map for the squirrel just in case he came barreling down Christmas vacation style.

Link was, of course, standing guard near by (a.k.a. being useless), as Adam messed around up there with a broom. Luckily, we suffered no squirrel attacks, he had indeed left the chimney, and now I know Adam is a modern day Macguyver with his whole rope trick.

Although I should have already known this about him, considering the whole incident was reminiscent of the mouse in the window incident of 2011!  

This is home-ownership at its finest. 

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Holiday Memories of 2015

We just walked in the door from our Christmas road trip a little over two hours ago. Adam and I are sitting on the couch, watching the so far ugly Packers/Cardinals game, and eating pizza due to the desperation of having no food in the house, and no energy to go to the store. Let me tell you, I'm so tired of road trip food. I just can't wait to be back on diet tomorrow, I feel gross! 

I worked till 6:00 on Tuesday, and we got on the road a little after that.  It is an 15 hour drive to Adam's home in Wisconsin, and 8 hours till our typical stop in Lafayette, Indiana. This was our first ever trip with Link in tow, and we did not know how he would behave. I had given him a little Dramamine to keep him calm and prevent motion sickness. I thought that would totally knock him out! And while he yawned non-stop, he refused to sleep, he was too excited. But he was good the entire trip! And no problem at all. 

After a long 2nd day on the road, we got into Wisconsin that evening, and immediately headed out to finally see the new Star Wars. I am no Star Wars nuts. In fact, I just watched New Hope for the 2nd time ever last weekend. "Space" is just really not my thing, even if Star Wars is now produced by Disney.  But I really enjoyed the movie! It was funny and exciting. Adam had mixed feelings due to the "emotional" part of the movie, which I won't spoil. 

Luckily, it snowed Christmas Eve Eve, or we would have not had any white on the ground at all! Can you imagine a green Christmas in Wisconsin?!? Link had several new experiences this trip. He got to play in snow, which he loved!! He just kept running around and around and eating the snow! When we would tell him it was time to go in, he would look at us with heartbroken eyes! He also met all of Adam's family, who fell in love with him. 

Unfortunately, I had to bundle up and head into town because I woke up with a horrid double ear infection. I was counting on the clinic being a nightmare, but I got in and right out. It was awesome.  And got just the right kind of pain medication to get me through the festivities! 

In the evening, all of Adam's family joined us at his mom's house to celebrate. We did a white elephant gift exchange. We scored this awesome hot pink "Santa" boot and wacky glasses. We also did the regular gift exchange as well!  Link was so spoiled, I think he was given about a million toys! Adam looked good in the toys I bought him as well, let's call these his "nerd clothes."

Christmas morning started with a family walk through the beautiful, country side surrounding Adam's childhood home. Link loved it so much. We saw turkey tracks and cow tracks, and the cold air was invigorating.  

We put on our "Christmas" family best. I wore a new dress, and Link had a vest that his grandma got him for Christmas. I think we make a pretty family.

We had a huge dinner and played board games (rotten apples and Dr. Who clue). We also watched the Dr. Who Christmas special, which has become a Christmas tradition for us.

It was a lovely Christmas.  

We left to come back the next day around noon. We made a quick stop in Green Bay, at Lambeau Field, to hit up the Packers' Pro Shop for new fan gear (yay for new socks and fuzzy dice).

I so wish tomorrow wasn't a work day, but at least it's only a three and a half day work week, before a long weekend.

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