Boy, how time flies!

I guess it's time I updated our blog. Time has gotten away from me these days. Here's what's been happening in our lives lately. First of all, Eddie's eldest son Brice married Karen in July, 2011. They were married at the beautiful Echo Lake Inn in Ludlow, Vermont. We almost had everyone there. The only one missing was Cassie's husband Chris, who had work conflicts. I can't believe that we were all there & we didn't get one picture of all of us. Anyway, we had a nice weekend & a great time with family.

Then the end of August I had my little bleeding episode (which I posted previously). On November 30th, I had carpal tunnel surgery on my hand & elbow area. Since I was out of work (YEAH!) for a month, we decided to go to Arizona for some time with family & friends. I mostly just rested & spent time with Dad & Mom. Eddie did as he usually does and visited with family & any friends he came across. We had a good time, and although it's hard to leave, we had to get home & get ready to go to Georgia. I did get to meet up with a friend that I have not seen in quite awhile, Wendi Sunderhaus. Thanks for lunch & visiting. It was nice to catch up.

We got home & left two days later for & Georgia to spend Christmas with Cassie & her family. We were glad to see the grandkids. After having them live with us for almost two years, we really did miss them and had a great time playing with them. They took us to eat at the Cheesecake Factory (which was our first time) and promptly decided that I'm glad we don't live close to one cuz I could easily be 3 times heavier.

We now have have 6 grandchilden: Amelia & Ajax (Alissa & Aaron Smith), Kobie, Kale & Katilena (Cassie & Chris Cushing) and Emerson (Amber & Mike O'Leary). They are all growing so fast. We love spending time with them and do so whenever we can.

Here's an updated picture of Eddie's children. He still talks to them as much as he can and really likes to spend time with them. He has great kids, and we appreciate all the love & support they give us.

Amber, Cameron, Brice, Cassie, Brittany & Alissa

Medical Update: I have been very tired lately, not being able to keep up at work, and concentration & confusion have become a frequent problem for me. I had another EGD & they banded 4 more varicies. They don't know if they just missed them at the last procedure, so I am having another one Wednesday, Feb 29th. Hopefully they won't have to band anymore. I've been told that my liver is not cleaning the toxins out of my body, which is why I have the confusion & concentration issues. There is a name for this, but I can't remember what it is. They told us that there are two things they could do for this if it progresses any further. The first is to put a shunt in the liver to help the blood flow through easier & the second is to have a liver transplant. I am on medical leave right now & will find out Feb 27th if I can go back to work part-time or not at all right now. I'll update as I find out more of what's going to happen. On a side note, I love being able to stay home right now, but will be glad when Eddie goes back to work. He's BORED and driving me crazy, but I still love you honey!

Well that's about all I have right now. Our life is not to exciting, but occasionaly have things to blog about.

A bump in the road

 We had a little scare earlier this week. On Monday night, around 10:30PM I coughed up a little bit of blood. I had tomato soup for supper, so I thought it might be that. I called for Eddie & he said he thought it was blood, but then he's color blind so he wasn't sure. I was feeling fine so I went back to bed. About 15 minutes later, I had pain in my stomach, headed for the bathroom, and this time I knew it was blood. I had been diagnosed with Esophagial (?) Varices recently, but thought we had everything contolled by medication. I don't know why they start bleeding, but evidently I was bleeding from three of them. They were going to admit me & do an endoscopy in the morning, but all the sudden everything changed. I was losing a lot of blood, so nothing could wait. I was given two units of blood & taken to the ICU for the procedure. Thanks to my wonderful husband, he actually took a picture of me when everything was done & they let him come in. I woke up with my arms tied to the bed (which promptly made me mad).

Here I am in all my glory!
This is for you mom. Eddie thought you needed to see me.

After a while, they removed the tubes. I spent almost the entire day in the ICU & that evening let me move to a regular room. I don't know what they were waiting for, but they would only let me eat ice chips & Italian Ice until Thursday at lunch. I have to go back in 4 weeks for another scope so they can make sure everything is OK.


Right before leaving the ICU.

 Thanks to Bishop Finlayson & Brother Jarrod for coming in & giving me a blessing. I never really thought about dying, but I sure had a wake up call. I need to follow the diabetic diet a little better & try to reduce stress. (No pepsi for almost a week now.) Thanks to all my docs (Brian, Clay, Martha, Tom, Martin, Paul, Milap, Projwal, Joe & Fahad for checking in on me. Special thanks to Koren for being there for me.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts & prayers. We will have a struggle ahead, but we plan to work on our lifestyle together. I love all of you & will try my best not to scare everyone anymore.

Our Newest Addition (Grandchild #6)

Emerson John O'Leary

Born August 2, 2011 @ 10:28 PM

Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire

Proud Parents: Michael & Amber

(to be continued with more pictures soon)

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!!!

Just a little update :)

Eddie reminded me yesterday that I have not updated our blog in a while, so I decided I'd better get everyone caught up on what going on here in the northeast. The weather is starting to warm up & that makes things a lot easier.

Chris & Cassie, along with 3 of my grandkids, moved to Georgia the end of March. Chris had a job opportunity which will benefit them in the long run, but we miss them sooooo much! I thought life would return to normal with just Eddie & I, but it was really nice having them around all the time. Eddie is having a harder time that I am at this point, but hopefully he'll start working more hours & keep his mind off things. Anyway, that gave us an opportunity to move to a smaller place. We have actually moved to New Hampshire (about a mile from DHMC). It's a great commute. It take me longer to park & wait for the bus, than it does to drive to work now. Hopefully when it gets warmer I'll start walking. We are still using our PO Box for our mail, so you can send letters & packages anytime.

Speaking of work, beginning April 2, DHMC switched it's medical record system to EPIC. They are actually calling it eD-H. It's been a rough couple of months, but things are (hopefully) going to get better in a few weeks. Being the only secretary for 11 nephrologists equals a lot of work. However, I really enjoy my work & they keep telling me that we'll be able to hire a 2nd secretary soon (but, they've been saying that for the last two years).

Eddie & I would really like to go visit Frances & Danny in New York. He keeps checking prices for Amtrak, so soon Frances will get a call & let her know that we are coming. Does anyone have her phone number?

I'll get pictures of our new place soon, but if anyone wants to come see New England in person, we'll be happy to accommodate you.

We love & miss everyone back home. See ya soon.

Congratulations Amber & Michael

Amber & Michael are expecting their first child in August. We're excited for them. This will be grandchild #6 for Eddie & I. We can't wait to meet the new little.

We love you Amber & Michael.

Ajax Jonsippi Smith Has Arrived

Born December 30, 2010 @ 10:26 PM

Weighing 8 lbs 10.5 oz; 21 1/2 inches long

Isn't he a cutie!! 

We're all glad he is finally here & mother & baby are doing fine.

Congratulations Aaron, Alissa & sister Amelia.

Introducing

Katilena Rose Cushing

Born: 10/16/2010 2:34 AM

Weight: 8 lbs 15.8 ozs

Height: 20.5 inches long

We're sure glad she's finally here.

Trainer in Training?

Becka in the spotlight - the big screen at the Sea World Shamu Show.

Becka & I have been visiting Disneyland & California Adventure for a few days now. I decided that it would be nice to take a day trip to Sea World. We had a great time. And by the way, we were walking to the Shamu Stadium to watch the show & were stopped. Becka was asked if she wanted to be a "Trainer In Training" at the Shamu Show. She got all excited. She only had to say one thing, which was "Shamu". While I read & signed the consent Becka was learning the hand signals to give to Baby Shamu.

Becka & her trainer Robbin.

Baby Shamu is looking right at me.

This will be an experience she will remember for a long time. We had lots of fun at Sea World. She even got brave enough to feed the seals the fish (she actually didn't want to tough the fish).

Where does the time go?

We have had a busy time since the last blog. At the end of June, our dear friends from across the street (The VanBibbers) moved back to Utah after finishing their fellowship program here at DHMC. Kobie & Kale really miss having 5 girls to play with. We wish them the best.

In July, Cassie started having a few complications with her pregnancy. She ended up being admitted (which was suppose to be for 1 week) on July 26th. She really didn't want to stay, so she talked her doctors into letting her go home that Thursday (July 29th). She was very happy to be home until Saturday morning! Chris came & woke Eddie & I up stating that Cassie was having severe pain & he was taking her to the hospital. Of course, Cassie's refusing to go, but after a call to the doctor, she went. She found out that she had a kidney stone. She had to stay there until Sunday afternoon until the pain went away. They told her she probably would not pass the stone until she delivered her baby. But, at her regular appt on Aug 6th, she passed it as she was giving a clean catch. She was so excited. Now, other than the regular pain she has had with this pregnancy all the time, she is doing much better.

This Friday she gets an ultrasound & has a stress test done for her appt, Hopefully we will find out how much she weighs. They are giving her 2 more weeks for the baby to stay put & after that, they are going to be greedy & keep her in as long as they can. Did I mention that her name is going to be Katilena! It kinda had to grow on me, but now that I see how it's spelled - I like it.

Now, on to Alissa. At her ultrasound they told her that it's a 90% chance that she will have a boy. I havent heard of a name yet, but I'll keep you posted. She is doing well. We wish we could get up north more to play with Amelia. She's such a cutie. I'll post pictures when I get some.

As for Eddie & I, we have been busy at work. My department is growing & growing, which generates more paperwork, phone calls, etc. They keep telling me they are trying to get me some help (another full time sec would be great), but I haven't seen it happen yet. There are major changes coming here to DHMC, so I think they are waiting to see how everything pans out. I guess I can be stressed out a little bit longer! Eddie is keeping busy with Morrill Construction. We just hope they can keep him employed until the snow hits.

That's it for now. We love & miss everyone.

Alissa Expecting!

Congratulations to Aaron & Alissa who are expecting their 2nd child on December 27. She will have her ultrasound toward the end of July, so hopefully we can find out what if it's a boy or another little girl.

We'll keep everyone posted.

The ultrasound says . . .

IT'S A GIRL!!!

Cassie's ultrasound was yesterday. She didn't want to know right away what she was having, so the tech told Chris & I that "I didn't see any boy parts!" We didn't tell her until dinner that night. We had blue & pink cupcakes & had everyone pick the color they thought this baby would be. We then had her read the ultrasound report because I knew that she would have a hard time believing what Chris & I told her. (Of course, Grandma knew all along she was going to have a girl.) She was very excited & we are all excited for her.

Congratulations Cassie! We look forward to meeting your daughter.

Another Bundle of Joy:)

Cassie is expecting her 3rd baby on October 18, 2010. Her ultrasound is scheduled for May 24th & hopefully we'll find out whether she's having a GIRL or a BOY. I am hoping for a girl, but Cassie does not want to know. We'll see if she will be able to hold out.

Some other good news about Cassie! She has been promoted to an Admin Supervisor at DHMC in the Department of General Internal Medicine. She's nervous, but we all know she'll do a GREAT job. Her first day on the new job is this Monday, May 17th. She will be supervising approximately 10 secretaries, so her hands will be full. She'll be learning a lot.

Congratulations & Best of Luck, Cassie. I'm here for you if you need me. Remember - there's nothing that you can't learn to do (and master scheduling is one of those things). Your dad & I love you very much.

Mother, I love you!

Mother, I do!

Father in Heaven has sent me to you.

When I am near you

I love to hear you

Singing so softly that you love me to.

Mother, I love you, I love you, I do!

I remember singing this song many times as a young child. I wanted to sing it for you this Mother's Day also. Thanks for being the best MOTHER I could ever ask for & for being one of my best friends.

Last year I got to surprise you by coming home for Mother's Day. A big thanks to Colleen for picking me up at the airport & keeping it a secret.

Although I may be far away, I'm still sending hugs & kisses everytime I think of you.

Just a little bit of news!

It has been awhile since I've taken the time to blog. The last few months have been busy for us. Eddie worked in Arizona from the end of January to the end of March. I'm glad he is finally home. I flew out & drove back with him - WOW - what a way to spend a week off work. I think he got a little spoiled while he was there. He is back to work now & things can finally return to normal.

This is my Easter Cake.

I saw a picture in a magazine of this cake & decided that I should try baking once again. I think I did a pretty good job, & the cake was good too!

We have been having fun getting to know our grandchildren. We see Kobie & Kale all the time & little Amelia as often as we can. It's quite interesting here at our home. For those of you who don't know, Cassie is expecting her 3rd child in October. Everyone, except Cassie, is sure it's going to be a girl. We'll find out, hopefully, the end of May.

Eddie bought me a new Vehicle while he was in Arizona. We now have a 2010 Nissan Armada, & I love it! Kale always wants to ride in Grandma's car because we can play videos. He calls the headphones his "hearlings". This is usually how he ends up, but if we try to take off the headphones he's wide awake. We've learned to just leave him alone. He's a lot quieter that way.

Isn't he adorable?

Work for both of us has been busy. I guess that's good - it keeps us out of trouble. Hopefully I'll be able to fly home in the next few months to spend a little more time. Becka & I need to start our planning :)

Christmas 2009 & (ugh) Snow

This year we got to wake up on Christmas morning with Cassie, Chris, Kobie & Kale. It was fun to have little kids around again. They were surprised about how much was around the tree. When Kale (2 & 1/2 years) walked into the room he said "Oh, for goodness sakes!) Since they have had to sleep on the floor, Santa brought them a set of bunk beds. However, the most fun part of the bunk beds is the "ladder". Imagine that!

We gave Kobie a Bionicle (spelling?) set made by Legos. He loves those things. He can spend quite a while putting them together. We gave Kale a little work bench with tools that make noise. Now he can help Grandpa. He is Grandpa's little helper, as long as he's in a good mood.

Ben & Brittany pleasantly surprised us by coming home for Christmas. It's getting harder & harder for us to get all of them together anymore, so being able to spend time with each one of them was precious. (Cassie & her family is missing in this photo-they needed to go to spend some Christmastime with Chris' family.)

This is looking our our front door. We got most of that snow within the last week. The house you see across the street is the house Eddie & I are trying to buy.

This looking out our back sliding door. Isn't the snow pretty. (I'm sick of it already.) That hill you see is where the kids (big & little) go to sled down. They seem to have a good time, but it's too cold for me. I'll stay inside.

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. We are excited for 2010. Hopefully we'll be able to do everything we want to do. Hope to see everyone soon.

I'm the best?????

I received a GREAT COMPLIMENT this week from my Practice Manager, Koren Fay. She came back from a meeting & told me that it was reported that I was the MOST EFFICIENT SECRETARY in the Department of Medicine. This includes all the clinical departments.

A few months ago, they came to us stating that they wanted to try to be 100% booked for scheduled clinics. This means that when someone cancelled an appointment, you were suppose to try to fill that slot with another patient. Sometimes I take most of the day trying to fill slots that have been cancelled. Koren told me that I was around 4% in not being able to fill the slots. That means that I was 96% able to fill the cancelled patients.

Hopefully this will bring a good raise & a nice bonus early next year.

Just a little note

We want to wish all our family and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. We love and miss all of you and can't wait to come visit.

I just want to tell my mom and dad how grateful I am to be their daughter. Thanks for all you have done for me. I miss going to the games with you and just going to visit after work each day. I love and miss both of you. Hope to see you soon - if I have my way, January or February.

Thanksgiving Day 2009

Feeling . . .

a little homesick lately. Eddie - when can I make a trip to Arizona???

(Maybe he'll get the hint!?!)

This morning?

I can't believe it's snowing already!

I'm not ready for this.

I'm thinking --- "long winter":( (I need to get some Arizona sunshine!)