A little update for the room Daisy stays in when we leave her at home alone.

*No, she's not spoiled at all... why do you ask?

It took over 5 days of constant printing to make all the intricate and moving parts. It was quite a learning process to make all the different size pieces fit, but the finished product it very impressive!

It has been one year since we adopted our "totally not spoiled" pup, Daisy!  

BEFORE: 
The time has come.

I have been living with and trying to manage a great deal of pain for many years now.  I have had the pain of endometriosis and ever growing fibroids. These have grown to a point that has begun to include nerve pain throughout the left side of my body for over the last 18 months. The students have even begun to remark on my crooked posture. I lean very far to the right to avoid certain points on my left. This has caused a slight curvature of my spine and my right foot to point almost 45 degrees to the right. It has gotten to a point that I cannot hide my discomfort from the students anymore.   

The cases of COVID are reducing in the hospitals, I am fully vaccinated, and I feel now is a safe time for me to be proactive in approaching this head on.  My doctors,  surgeon, and I have made the decision for me to have a full hysterectomy.   With the loosening of restrictions - Mom and Jeremy will be able to wait at the hospital as I undergo the surgery.  I am excited to have this taken care of.

AFTER: (7/21)
It is done! 

I was told I was going to be tired after surgery, but THIS is intense!  The first day I could hardly stay awake for more than 1 or 2 hours at a time. The next few days, I had 2-4 good hours before I HAD to take a nap or risk falling into a deep sleep where I was.  The last few days have been getting better. I have been able to stay awake 6-9 hours at a time.  Today I am pushing through to see if I can make it through a day without a nap!!  (These have not been your typically cap naps - I mean full cycle REM, deep sleep)

My movement has steadily improved each day.  I think I am hitting all my marks with my movement and breathing. It is really just the way I am truly fatigued that surprises me. I was told NOT to plan to work for two weeks and not to be back to my old self for 4-8 weeks. The waiting is hard. Ya'll know how 'incredibly patient' I am.

Didn't make a dime, but cousin Jayden was quite a star. People danced. Owners of shops and restaurants came out to listen. We slowed down passing traffic. People parked in their cars listen. Several people stopped by to give compliments. Security even came by and waved. 

Loving our season passes! Turns out - our cousin Jayden has one, too! We bought a day pass for Uncle Randy so the whole gang could have a day of rollercoatering fun under the Texas sun while the men were in town. 

We spent the 3rd and 4th in Arkansas and Oklahoma to be with Jennie, Jon, and the kids as they came on through to their new home in Alabama. 

To commemorate the occasion, Mom got us all shirts from Old Navy.  Unfortunately, she accidentally got all "women's" shirts by mistake, but to be kind we were all very mature  for the photo.