July- We kept pretty busy with work. I tell you... work is for the birds. Why were we in such a hurry to get out of school. haha! I'm just kidding. I am so blessed to work with so many sweet little kids. They are so precious and keep me laughing all day! We went to Clay's parents on the 4th to celebrate our Independence. We had a lot of fun.
August- We were able to go to LA! Had an absolute blast! I will now get to cross that off of my bucket list.
We were able to cram a lot of activities into a short amount of time. We went on a Hollywood stars tour of homes, shopped (walked and took pictures)on rodeo drive, went to the comedy story (comedy club), walked up and down Hollywood blvd, went into LA ink, experienced Venice beach, good food, good times. Our last night in Hollywood... Clay decides that he is having some pretty intense pains in his abdomen. The description he gives me reminds me of the exact pains I had before my "Wally-the-Gally" removal a few years back. I was able to rub the right spots on his back to take the pain away. So here we are in California having a gallbladder attack and a plane to catch in 12 hours. He toughed it out over night and said he would be fine. So we wake up and pack our bags and he is still buckled over in the chair. I have offered to go to the ER many times throughout the night and he declined them all. So I offered one last time. This was two hours before we have to be at the airport. Of course he thinks maybe he should go to the ER at this point. Luckikly we had an iphone with us that took us to a close urgent care facility. Now picture me driving in L.A. with a husband buckled over in pain! Hilarious now, not so much at the time. Time ticks on and we still haven't been seen by a doctor. We now how one hour to return our rental car and make it to the airport. If you know me, this is making me extremely nervous. I don't do my best work on a time crunch. I was a nervous wreck. Clay is the mentally stable on of the two of us and he was out of working order. We left the urgent care to go to Walgreen's to get something to get us by until we could get to Fayetteville. So I'm a doctor right... I grab heat pads for his back. He didn't want to take any medicine because that would mean he would have to drink something and that would make him vomit. I am telling you.. great times! By the grace of God we made it to Fayetteville and he made a doctors appointment for the following Thursday. We were able to catch our plane and make it back home safely. He made it until Tuesday night and we had another flying trip to the ER. He was so sick. I was a mess. I am so glad his parents were able to come up to the ER to help. He was jaundiced and in the most pain I have ever seen him. After 4 rounds of pain meds he was finally able to sleep. So we began our stay at the Washington Regional Hotel and Resort for the next week. He had pancreatitis so they couldn't operate immediately. They had to wait until the infection/fever went away. I am just thankful we made it back to Arkansas before it got that bad. So he had "Holly-the-gally" removed from him over the Labor Day holiday. May Wally and Holly rest peacefully in hated organ land. So funny and weird we have both had our gallbladders removed. We were meant to be. =)September- We were all trying to heal and recover from a busy August
October- Clay celebrated a birthday and was able to share it with our friends first baby. Landon Sabatini was welcomed into the world really early that morning. He is precious. We had all of two trick or treaters this year! This was the first year we didn't dress up for Halloween. However, I am one of the ridiculous people that dresses her dogs. So I was able to dress them as a pumpkin and Tigger. We went to a friends house to watch the Hogs that night.
November- One of my very best friends got married in Morrilton, AR. It was so much fun for all of us girls get together. We have so much fun. I also got to see my high school basketball coach and his family at the wedding. Crazy how time flies. I use to babysit their little boy and let me just tell you... He's not so little anymore!Here are some pictures from when he was little. My next blog posting will have pictures of him now! This is how I remember him.
It was the first time that I have felt grown up! I could not believe how big he had gotten. I will post pics of him on my Christmas blog posting. There was also dancing at this wedding... so you know I danced the night away. I literally left the wedding dripping in sweat. Ah, signs of a successful wedding. So I return home to Fayetteville to gear up for a work week and just got ready for work. When, BAM!! A phone call from my husband who had just flown out to San Antonio on a business trip. I guess 2009 was meant to be a medically dramatic kind of year. He tells me that they just found out that my mom has breast cancer. Holy-quacomole! Talk about a rush of emotions. I was in Fayetteville, 5+ hours away from my family. Clay was out of town! Blah!! My sweet mother-in-law came to sit with me for a little bit until I calmed down and could hop on the road to Lewisville. Little side note-We had this worry crossed off of our minds because she went to the doctor back in July and they said everything was clear. "We don't have anything to worry about." Come to find out, they had read mom someone else's results. So she had breast cancer back in July and had gone this long without treatment. So I will be on Capitol Hill soon to talk to Mr. Obama and his staff about this little issue. They said they would let me in if I just knock on the White House front door. But that is the side issue. Back to the story, so we found out she had cancer on a Tuesday and she had a right mastectomy on that Thursday. So many big girl issues to process in a short period of time. But my mom was such a trooper. She was so brave and kept us laughing throughout the whole process. My brother's girlfriend, my cousin Ashley, and I went to hobby lobby to get the stuff to make her a memory box titled "Liz's perky 'lil' TIT bits"!! How funny is that. We wrote down every sweet message we got from facebook, email, or text and put them all in a box for her to have to keep her motivated through her journey. God was watching out for us though! They were able to remove all of the cancer and she does not have to do Chemo or Radiation!!!! Big praises! No, it was not a fun situation, but we really had a good time all being together. Mom was so funny throughout the whole thing. EX) mom gets wheeled away before her surgery to do a dye test. I am not really sure what that was for? She is gone for about 45 min and when they wheel her back in she says... "Well, they say I have breast cancer" My aunt (mom's sister), my cousin, brother and his girlfriend, and my dad were all in the pre-op room waiting on her. We were all nervous as all get out.. or I was to say the least. She comes in saying that and we can't even keep a straight face. So we are always thinking pink! She was walked out of the hospital wearing pink slippers and a pink feather boa! We are so blessed by everyone's contact during that time and by how our situation turned out. It could have been a much harder journey! So THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. Someday I will do a blog posting dedicated to that whole experience. Because I could have gone on and on.. but I have to go to work!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Always remember the reason for the Season! Happy Birthday Jesus!!!
