I wish I could get my videos to load...but here's the scoop ~

If Taylor didn’t text you yet, I thought I would let you all know that a date has been set for the removal of her braces…DECEMBER 27TH (HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA)!!! I’m pretty sure I’ll have a hear attack seeing her without them for the first time since I think having them off will make her look older….UGH! Taylor continues to be very busy with school work and basketball (her current sport). Taylor also made the ‘A’ honor roll again this quarter. She has been on the ‘A’ honor roll each quarter since she started Junior High…WOW!!!

If Kaylee didn’t text you yet ~ she got a cell phone!!! Kaylee continues to be very busy working very hard on her school work and basketball (her current sport). The reward for working so hard on her school work was getting a cell phone. Of course now she’ll need to keep earning or it goes away. I know, what can I say, I’m evil... Kaylee has also been busy the last 2 months working on choreography she and a few others signed up for to perform during their school music program Tuesday (11/16/10). Once a week I dropped her off at school by 7:30am for practice. She really worked hard on this!

And as soon as I figure out how to get the videos of Taylor playing basketball and Kaylee doing her dance routine I will post them. UGH!!!

Doctor Check Up (Iowa City)

I had a doctor appointment this last Thursday to see my doctor for some issues with my right (bad) ear. I felt like there was some pressure and noises that worried me and since we all know where it got me when I didn't act on what my body was telling me before, so I decided to go back. I needed him to make sure my eardrum wasn't retracted again. This was the reason for my tubes placement to begin with of which had to be removed during my surgery for fear of spinal fluid leakage getting behind my eardrum.

Dr. Hansen said my eardrum was a little retracted but nothing to worry about at the moment. Just because it is retracted doesn't mean it will continue to get worse. It's a wait and see game...worse case scenario, I will need a tube put back in.

While I was there I had him look at my left ear. This is the one he removed the tube "in office" a couple of months ago and then placed a temporary "patch" over the hole in my eardrum to allow for healing. The patch is gone however, my eardrum still has a small hole in it and the doctor said if it hasn't closed by now that it probably won't. Since this is my "good ear", and I am not an avid swimmer, having to deal with water in the ear he will wait and let it be. I have to watch for drainage and hearing loss in that ear...worse case scenario, I will need to have some fat graphed onto the hole to permanently close it.

Also the doctor mentioned the idea of a hearing aid again. He thought since my hearing loss is not due to nerve damage that I would benefit from a hearing aid to just get the little additional help I need to hear better. I left there with about 6 or 7 names of places within the Quad Cities to check into. This does not, I repeat, does not mean I am getting a hearing aid!!! I'm having a real tough time accepting the fact of maybe wearing one. Especially because this whole thing is my own fault. I didn't listen to my body and get my ears checked out at the first sign of hearing loss.

Well, that's the update for now....

Runway to Healing 2010

My Grandma was a HUGE part of my life right up until her death last year and continues to be an inspiration to me even after she's gone. On the one year anniversary of her death I made a promise to myself that I was going to do something extra special for someone else since that's what Grandma's life was all about. At the time, I didn't know what that "something" was going to be, but I knew when I came across it I would just know. That something was the 4th Annual Runway to Healing event put on by my employer, Valley Bank. Don't ask me why I never volunteered my time before, I guess life just got in the way. But I knew this was my "something" and so I volunteered for last nights event. http://www.runwaytohealing.com/

My job was to be one of two Backstage Coordinators. We were in charge of 28 models that consisted of a wide variety of ages. We saw that hair and make up were done (professional hairstylists were on hand), they were in their outfits with the proper accessories (there were 5 different clothing stores) and each one rehearsed what they were to do as they went down the runway. My models were some people I didn't know, Valley Bank employees, Miss Henry County 2010 (Kiley White), Miss Iowa 2010 (Pauli Mayfield) and some of the children directly effected by cancer. And yes I got an autograph from Miss Iowa for both of my girls.... :-) Seeing and working with those awesome kids made it even more gratifying.

If Gram taught me anything over the years it's that it is always better to give than to receive and last night was such a true testimate of that! Two things happened that made me feel as though she was there right along with me the whole night. The first, one of the models after she got done dressing said, "I feel as though I'm dressed to the 9's". This is a saying I had never heard before until the funeral director (about Grandma) said, "She'll be dressed to the 9's". It sent goosebumps up my arms when she said it. Secondly, a mother of one of the families/models came up to me and said she felt as though she knew me. I asked her if she was from around here. She said, "No, we're from Clarence, Iowa". OMG!!! I asked her if she knew any Syring's or Wenndt's. She ended up knowing Aunt Jo, Uncle Cliff, Kirk and Janel. She said they have a family dairy farm (Hansen's Dairy Farm) in Clarence. HOLY CRAP!!!

All in all, last night was a huge success! I felt such an overwhelming feeling accomplishment and satisfaction for doing my small part in helping raise (hopefully) lots of money for some very sick children. I can now appreciate, more than ever, what it must have felt like for Grandma when she did her "therapy runs" to friends in need of her kind words (and bread or cookies or course). Thanks Gram for teaching me to be a better, more giving, person...I hope I did you proud.

What a weekend....

THANK YOU TO THE STOKES FOR THE HOSPITALITY (AGAIN)!!!!

I enjoyed last weekend with my family. We were all in one spot for once (minus Tony he was on dog duty at home)! The girls and I drove up on Friday and spent the evening having dinner with Chris, Shell and Jackson, decorating and making posters. Saturday we went my parents at the airport to welcome Mike, Mara and Rohan back to the Midwest. It was great!!! We also surprised my parents with a party when we got back celebrating their recent 40th wedding anniversary. What a night we all had....but sadly, all good things must come to an end. Sunday, around 9:30am, the girls and I heading for home. I was pretty exhausted (still am)...but I wouldn't have missed it for the world!!!

New job update...and my 20th Class Reunion

I QUIT THAT DAMN STUPID JOB...(just kidding)! I can't even describe how I love my new accounting position. This past week my boss told me I was already doing all of what the previous chick was doing and MORE! Are you kidding? I told her I could even take on more so next week she is going to send another weekly report my way. I guess things have really clicked which is a nice feeling I gotta say. It's also a great confidence booster in knowing I made the right career move. The only thing I regret is not a "thing" at all. It is all of my many very good friends at the other branch. I meet them for lunch sometimes, but that's not the same as we had sooo much fun working together. You don't find that many places especially with women! I know in time I will feel the same way about the many wonderful people I work with at the new branch. They too are very nice I just need to make time to get to know them...when I am not so busy doing my job, of course! ;0)

Next weekend is my 20th high school class reunion (UGH)! I haven't gone but only once before, if you can count us attending my 5 year reunion of all of 20 minutes. Since reconnecting with some of them on Facebook I am looking forward to seeing some of them again. Friday night I am going up to Del's for a little while by myself. Then Saturday is the dinner and music at Traditions here in Eldridge. Assuming that the music and talking will be on the loud side, I doubt my ear will allow for a very long night. I will let you know how that all pans out...I'm thinking I will need a few new clothing items. ;0)

My Wisconsin trip (Stokes move & checking up on Dad)

Last friday, I worked until 4:30pm then I headed to Wisconsin. I went to Wisconsin for three reasons, (1) My kids have been there for a week and I needed to bring them home (2) To see the Stokes' new house and get in on some unpacking (3) To check up on my Dad who had a tumor removed from his salivary gland. We all worked hard and had a lot of fun!!

1st day at the new job...

Today was a great day! I can't even describe how fast it went! I REALLY believe I am going to love this new job! I hope to get up some speed as the next few days go on as I am only doing part of the job thus far. Cathie (my boss) is great. She is very detailed like me and takes the time to discuss all of the details with me as she is training it. I received a ton of emails from my old co-workers as my 1st day began saying how they missed me. My old boss even emailed me and told me how she will miss me as I was a great "go to" person and that I will "dazzle them at East Kimberly". It really made me feel awesome to hear how I was missed.

When I arrived this morning Cathie took me around to everyone's desk and introduced me. Of course after 12 years with the bank I knew the name, but now I am learning the faces that go along with them. It's a large branch...I'm hoping there isn't a test soon..:0) I believe I looked at the clock three times the whole day. The 1st time was at 11:25 (CRAP ~ it's almost lunch time), 2nd time was at 3:30 (CRAP ~ I usually call and make sure Kaylee is ready for Sherry to pick her up for swimming lessons at 3pm, yep missed it, but she made it) and then the 3rd time was at 4:50 (CRAP ~ I have too much more to do). Cathie reassured me it will all be there tomorrow. She's the greatest!!!!

Jen's surgery...

So, by now you all know I am having surgery on 8/20/10 in Iowa City. Here is what the doctor thought and verified via CT scan...

The "cyst" in my ear is actually my brain falling down into my ear canal thru a hole that never closed after my recent surgeries. Everyone has a very thin piece of bone protecting your brain from falling down into your ear canal. I don't have a bone there so my brain, due to gravity, is falling thru. If left untreated it will be like a balloon being pulled thru a small hole. The sac of fluid surrounding the brain can pop or start to leak spinal fluid if there is too much pressure put on it. If that happens it would create a much larger problem and add on 4 days to the already 3 day minimum stay I will be having after the surgery. So, with that said, the doctor did not want me to wait too much longer to have the surgery.

The surgery will take about 3 hours: They will cut a 1 inch square out of my skull directly above the top of my ear. They will lift my brain up out of the hole and take bone graphs (from the thicker bone around it) and some muscle from my jaw area (he called this my chewing muscle) and place it over the hole. Because the surgery will be taking place inside the skull cavity and involve moving the brain around, I will be in ICU for the 1st day after surgery. They will need to watch for any excess bleeding. This will take me off work for 7 -10 days. The surgery is scheduled for a a Friday so I hope to be off the whole next week and then get back to work.

Of course because I am starting my new job on Tuesday, I had to call my new boss and tell her. She was great about it...she told me I better have my brain fixed so she can use it! The timing will allow me to get up to speed at work before taking that kind of time off.

There it is in a nut shell............Whoa-Hoo.

Jen's new job...

Thank you to all of my family and friends that congratulated me on my new position at Valley Bank. I am very excited to start. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow...Love Ya!!

Kaylee's 9th Birthday party

Here are some pictures of Kaylee's birthday party last Saturday. The party started at 2pm on Saturday and lasted until 11am on Sunday. Kaylee chose to go swimming for her activity. A HUGE thanks to Tad and Steph who offered their pool for all of the girls to swim in (their daughter Lexi was one of the birthday party attendees). Their pool is 18'X45' (that's right FOOT). The threatening thunderstorms and high winds did hold off though out their swimming.

After swimming we headed back to the house for the girls to play Rock Bank and Wii for awhile. I called in a couple of pizzas while they played and invited Tad and Steph over to eat with us as repayment for the use of their pool.

After everyone had pizza it was time for our craft. This year Kaylee came up with her own craft. She had picked out some flowers and Terracotta pots and she wanted all of her friends to go home with a potted flower. We set up a folding table on the back deck and let them go at it. They all thought it was necessary to decorate the pots before planting with some markers. They all turned out really cute. Great idea Kaylee!

After the potting of the flowers it was time for the cookie (birthday cookie from American Cookie Company). They all ate it in record time. Then they all went down to the basement where Kaylee opened her presents. She got a lot of really nice girly girl things (make-up, lip gloss, etc).

At 9pm I thought they should settle down in the upstairs family room, where they all decided to sleep, and start watching the movie Kaylee picked out; Alice in Wonderland. I thought the movie was weird.....the girls seemed to like it though.

After the movie it was time to say goodnight......so I thought. It was after 1am before any of the girls started to think about going to sleep. I heard things like, "but it's a birthday party, we're suppose to stay up all night". UGH!!!!

Everyone, eventually, fell asleep. However, they all were up at 7:30am asking to do sidewalk chalk out on the driveway. What the heck???? Needless to say I was glad to see everyone go home.

Happy Mother's Day 2010

I have a great husband and kids! I hope all mom's are having a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

The New Bay Window - before & after shots

Well....It was a huge chunk of change, but we finally bit the bullet and put in a bay window. I felt like I was deconstructing a little part of Grandpa though. But when G&G built this house they put in all wood windows. This was ok for them because G-pa would sand and refinish the sills every spring to help protect the wood from the condensation that built up over the winter. Well....we don't have either the time or the energy to be doing that. So, we paid for it....literally. Unfortunately ALL of the windows will have to be replaced. They simply are not holding up to the good old Iowa winters. We thought we would rip off the band-aid starting with the BIG window (a.k.a. most expensive). I really LOVE IT!!! Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Busy...Busy...Busy!!!!

Spring has sprung and so have all of Kaylee's sports. They seemed to have started simultaneously! Kaylee has soccer, volleyball and softball going on right now. Needless to say, I am meeting myself coming and going! So far she likes them all. We also snuck in a softball clinic for two days. One of the videos shows how, amoung other things, they taught the girls how to slide into home plate. There wasn't a kid that wasn't covered in water and mud!

Taylor has been busy with babysitting, practicing her clarinet for her upcoming spring band concert and practicing her saxophone for her upcoming jazz band tryouts for 8th grade next year. She also manages to maintain A's in all of her classes and will be honored, along with others in her class and all of their parents :0), at a "Leading Lancers" evening on Thursday, May 13th.

Taylor & Kaylee - spring pictures

Yep...It's official...My babies are growing up!!!

Our "Student of the Quarter"

I recently attended a breakfast/awards ceremony for Taylor. She, along with a very selected few, won "Student of the Quarter" for third quarter. In order to be selected for this award you have to be a responsible, respectful well rounded teen setting a good example for others. The way the principal explained it the students are voted on by the teachers. If one teacher says that they don't think this student deserves the award, they are thrown out. The above kids represent 4 students from each of the red and grey teams in the 7Th and 8Th grades at North Scott Junior High. We, as parents, couldn't ask for more from a child. I know we all strive to enable our children grow up and become good, kind and responsible people. With this award it gave me the sense that we are doing something right. What an awesome feeling!!! Way to go Taylor!!!