Day 373 - David Wolfe, Hippocrates & Zero Energy

Another lazy day. Wow. I must've needed some sleep. I slept from midnight until 1300 today! Wowser! I managed to sneak outside for a few minutes of sunshine while I finally spoke to Jenn! Yes! I am missing her terribly, but I was happy to hear her voice, what's left of it, as she has a cold. They are settling into their new home just fine & the kids are adapting well to life in Texas. I keep thinking that I can hop in the car for a few hours & I will see them. Sadly, I don't know when that day will come, but it will!!!

I also had a message from a wonderful girl I met on ships about 3 years ago. She lives in Florida & suggested I come to see her & her son, while I go to the Hippocrates Health Institute. I started watching a few YouTube videos & one thing led to another. Then I ended up watching some David Wolfe videos, also on YouTube. Ironically enough, Andrea recommended Hippocrates & Roxy follows David Wolfe's program & is planning on attending his Longevity Now Conference early next year. As both programs are Raw Vegan diets, I find it quite interesting.

A raw diet is quite daunting to me. I am not sure I have the commitment to do it. I would like to think that I do & certainly more chemo vs. a raw diet should make for a VERY easy choice, however, I still feel myself sitting on the bench, rather than plunging into the pool. I think I'll visit Roxy for a while once Jaco flies home & see if I can't get a better grasp on how to make this raw thing work.

I have tried Wheatgrass shots on a few occasions & they have made me quite nauseous. I guess I'm fairly toxic from the chemo & a poor diet - I smell a good detox in my future!

Anyhow, even Jaco was impressed with David Wolfe's information. He agreed with his 'Hormone Health' lecture & even looked up his Longevity Now program.

Sadly enough, we were pointed towards some disturbing food facts. Like chocolate bars - "every time you eat a chocolate bar, it may contain a rodent hair and 16 insect parts and still carry the blessing of the FDA.  For chocolate powder or cakes there must not be more than 75 insect fragments in three tablespoons of powder. Four percent of cacao beans may be infested by insects. Animal excreta (such as visible rat droppings) must not exceed 10 milligrams per pound." Umm, I think I'm going to be sick. I'll leave that one alone for now. I don't even want to look into it, as I'm scared I'll never be able to touch chocolate again - raw, organic or otherwise!

The rest of the day was spent fussing over the dogs. I've never seen two more spoiled dogs in all my life. I had really wanted to take them out for Halloween, but my costume is buried deep in the bunkhouse, so I guess it will have to wait until next year. For those of you who did go out trick or treating, I hope it was a great evening - just watch out for the chocolate!!!

xxxxMJV&O

 Why the sad face?

It's all smiles... 

Smiles & kisses... 

around here!

Day 372 - Sleep Much?

And finally I can catch up on my sleep! We arrived home last night around 0030 & I slept until about that time this afternoon! Yes, 12 hours! I managed to crawl out of bed & walk down to the bunkhouse with the intentions of finding the mustard costume, but I decided the boxes were too heavy. At least the girls & I were able to get some fresh air & a bit of exercise!

When I returned to the house, I was exhausted. I haven't been feeling well today. I am shaky, weak, nauseous... so much so that I took an anti-emetic today. That's the first time I've ever taken one 3 days post-chemo. I hope this feeling goes away, as it's pretty icky & I would hate to spend the last 4 rounds feeling like this! My pick line is awfully sore too. I'm hoping it will smarten up soon as well!!

Enough complaining! I went back to bed at 1600 & I didn't really get out of bed! Jaco made me a grilled cheese sandwich, as per my request, and peeled me an orange. (It was his first time making a grilled cheese & he did a great job!) We watched the latest episode of The Office & then I watched Killers with Ashton Kutcher & Katherine Heigl. It was cute. Pretty bad acting, but cute. Tom Selleck was a nice addition to the movie too. It's worth the rental. (Or you can borrow it from me!)

By 0030, I was back in bed & the lights were out. What a day.

xxxxMJV&O

 The girls under the covers, enjoying the good life. 

Day 371 - CT Scan, KC & Smith's

Today was the big CT scan. I was dreading it. I would far rather have a PET scan than a CT. With a CT scan they inject a contrast dye that makes you feel like you just pee'd your pants & you have to hold your breath for an uncomfortable length of time. And unfortunately I was having my abdomen scanned too, which means I would have to drink a terrible liquid called Telebrix. It's about a litre & a half & you have 2 hours to drink this horrible stuff. Ick. I really wasn't keen to have my entire body zapped with radiation equivalent to 500 chest x-rays. Adding the fact that I felt the entire scan was kind of useless. Why?

Well, I can still feel lumps in my neck, which I believe to be only scar tissue. A CT scan is only going to show masses, not active growth. A PET scan will show active growth. I know I have 'masses' in my neck. I want to know if they are actively growing cancer or not. (Let's opt for NOT!) Thus, why I feel the CT scan is unnecessary. (VERY) Adding to the fact that I don't believe the cancer has spread elsewhere & I really don't see the need to nuke the organs below my diaphragm. Capisce?

To make matters even more ridiculous, they wanted to give me a few chest x-rays prior to my CT scan. Huh? I changed & went into the x-ray room. I thought perhaps they were checking my Picc line again. After the first x-ray, she turned me to the side. I asked why I was having these x-rays. She said the Radiologist always has the patient to chest x-rays prior to a CT scan. I told her that I had just had one 2 days ago with my Picc line & I was about to have 500 with the CT scan. If the CT scan wasn't going to give them a good enough look at my innards, then we were in big trouble, as a few chest x-rays certainly weren't going to either! Luckily the Technician was kind enough to let me refuse the remaining chest x-rays.

At this point I returned to the waiting area to drink my Telebrix. Or not. There were two empty-ish glasses on a small table next to my chair. I was alone in the waiting area. I filled both glasses with my very full glass of Telebrix & found the nearest waste bin. Yes, I'm a bad, horrible person with a few good taste buds left. I poured another big glass & walked to the Picc line girls. My line had a little blood & I wanted to make sure all was well. The boss lady was there & she was horribly rude. They were just returning from lunch. They looked at me & walked right past. As they passed, I said, 'Excuse me, could someone take a look at my Picc line for me?' To which the boss lady replied, 'We're closed. We're not taking patients today. What is it?' I asked about the blood & she didn't even look at it. She just said it would bleed for about 2 weeks & that it was fine. Wow. Thanks for coming out!

I headed back to the waiting room & chatted with a few ladies that were waiting as well. One of the gals was also having a CT scan & was trying hard to drink the last of her Telebrix. A Nurse came out with a fair bit of attitude & topped up the gal's glass. Oh boy. This was going to be a fight. And it was. I told her I wasn't going to drink anymore Telebrix. She told me I would have a suboptimal scan. I told her I was fine with that, as I didn't think the cancer was there anyhow. She says, 'So you're refusing the scan?'
'No, I want to do the scan. I'm just not drinking the rest of the Telebrix. I can't. It's awful.'
This carried on for a bit & I could tell I wasn't going to make any progress with her. I told her to come back in 1/2 an hour & I would drink some more. I dumped one more glass in the trash & then chugged one glass. Done. Let's do this thing.

I found the Dictator Nurse & told her I was ready. She injected the contrast dye twice. It was awful. I'm going to check the dosage, as I've NEVER had the dye twice. I could feel my breath running away & I was gasping for air, the burning in my lungs was awful & I felt light headed. Usually they check up on you, but not this chick. She told me where to change & which way was out. Thanks for coming out.

I find out the results next round. Wish me luck. Ick.

After the scan we went to visit Al & Wilma. I had taken some photos of KC last time we were there & I dropped off a cd & some prints today. They were very pleased with the photos. We had a great visit & they told us of their next travel plans. I hope when I am their age I still have the zest for travel & adventure. They are an incredible couple.

Our next & final stop for the day was at Jacqueline's parents place. We were having a long overdue dinner with her Mom. My Mom was coming & Jacqueline's Dad was there as well. In fact, her Dad made the meal! What an amazing cook! We thanked them for the Flames tickets - actually, Jaco ran into Jacqueline & her friend, Adele, at the Flames game. Adele had invited Jacqueline to go. Jacqueline played hockey when she was younger.

Her Mom just returned from Arizona & is off to India soon! She is an avid photographer & loves to attend workshops in all sorts of amazing places. We had a wonderful meal & a wonderful visit. Talking travel & photography - this is my kind of visit! Before I knew it, it was 2300! Whoops! Time to go!

What a great day! It started out a little sketchy, but thankfully it ended with great friends & great times!

xxxxMJV&O

The African Trio reunites once again!

Day 370 - Flames Game Anyone?

After a lovely lie-in I woke up to a few phone calls. I had to have the Picc line flushed & the dressing changed today. The gals at PLC had told me I would work with a Cochrane Homecare Nurse. Although they told me I would most likely have to drive to Cochrane to have the dressing changed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but how is it Homecare if I have to leave my home & drive to them? Anyhow, it ended up I had to work the the Homecare nurses from Black Diamond, which suits me fine, as I like the Black Diamond Doctors, so why not the nurses too?!

Joan drove out late that afternoon to see me & was very nice. She is the perfect image of a Nurse. She is kind, soft spoken, caring, thoughtful & of course, good at what she does! They visit Jim every Monday, so we set up the schedule so they can hit two birds with one stone, so to speak.

We had been trying to arrange for Flames tickets for Jaco, Greg & Ken, without much luck. That's when Jacqueline called. She asked if we would like to go to the Flames game! Her parents have season tickets & they weren't going tonight. I told her that we were looking to send the guys & she said we could go if we wanted. So, Jaco & Greg were going, but Ken couldn't make it. We called Roxy's husband, Kevin, & he drove down from Sylvan Lake to go to the game.

The seats were in the 2nd row right next to the ice. Jaco LOVED the game. He told me later that he could have gotten into hockey if he only knew how to skate & use the stick. Is that all, eh? The boys looked like little kids on Christmas day when they came home! It was fabulous to see those grins! Thanks for thinking of us Jacqueline!

Roxy & I stopped at Planet Organic on our way in. She had never been there before, so we strolled from aisle to aisle checking out all the interesting things. Roxy is on a mainly raw diet, which I admire her for, as I don't currently have the discipline to stick to a diet like that. We enjoyed some coconut water/passion fruit drinks & I picked up some lemon sorbet to enjoy later on.

Roxy & I then went in to Mom2's place & fitted Oceana's Halloween costume. She's a burger. Valentina is a hot dog. I'm the mustard. Now to find the ketchup for Papa. We'll be one fast food family!

The 3 hockey widows sipped tea & gabbed about life & all it's wonderful paths.

I'm sacked. Lekker slaap!
xxxxMJV&O

 Finnegan tries on the burger

Does he look impressed? 

 Oceana teasing Valentina

Hamburger & hot dog. 

 Hot diggety dog(s)!

Tweet Pea as a Burger 

The Happy Fans! 

Three thumbs up!

Day 369 - Round 8

Well, today was Round 8. I'm officially 66.67% finished. On the way in Jaco turned & said to me, 'You're 3/4's of the way there today!' 'Really? That's awesome!' 'Oh, wait. No you're not. You're 2/3's of the way there.' 'Awh Man! I was all excited for a moment there! Thanks a lot!'

In any case, I am happy that I am finished with another round. The blood work went well & my appointment with Dr. Daly went fine. We were about to leave for awhile when he walked through the waiting area. He sent me to see the Picc Line girls. That was fun. NOT QUITE!

In case you don't know what a Picc line is, it's a peripherally inserted central catheter. In case you're none the wiser after that statement (I wasn't), basically they stick a silicone tube in your arm that runs inside the vein up your arm to a much bigger vein close to the heart. This helps to prevent irritation to the vein in my arm & also allows the Dacarbazine to be administered at the regular rate. (1 hr vs. 2 hrs) It will be in my arm until I finish chemo & they will send someone out to change the dressing once a week.

The actual procedure to insert the Picc line was less than pleasant. I thought they would put it in my left arm, as I use my right hand for most things. Nope, apparently the right side is preferable to put the Picc line in. Preferable for who, I'm not sure. The gal who was doing the procedure wasn't too 'warm' - to say the least. She tried my right arm. Thankfully she froze the site. She only got the tube in 15 cm & then it stopped. No luck. She pulled it out & tried another site a little lower. She didn't freeze this site. And it got stuck at 15 cm. Great. That was fun. Her boss came in a few times & tried to hurry her along. Thanks. Rush the job & pay less attention to your patient. Great. Thankfully they called another gal in. Sandra. She was much more pleasant. She tried the left arm & first try she got it. (with freezing) When she was inserting the tube further up my arm, she asked me to try & put my head in my armpit & lift my head off the bed. Then she asked me if I could hear my pulse beating in my ears. Apparently there's a nasty turn in the veins & the Picc line can head up my neck. Just what I need! Chemo in my brain! Yeesh! She taped things up & sent me to Radiology to have a chest x-ray. They needed to make sure the line ended at the right spot. It was 2 cm too close to my heart, so they pulled it out slightly. I was officially ready for treatment.

We left for lunch while they ordered the drugs. As we were exiting the parking lot, I saw a girl that looked a lot like Roxy. It was Roxy! We picked her up & went to Nando's for chicken. I was unaware that we even had a Nando's in Calgary. I knew there was one in Vancouver. What's Nando's? It's a restaurant chain I know from South Africa. I have actually never eaten at the ones in SA, but I know them from their controversial advertisements. Check one out here.

Roxy came into the Treatment Room for a bit & then had to boogie out to the Ranch to help Mom with the books. Jaco left for a bit & had the oil changed. I have to call Mr. Lube & find out when to have the oil changed, as they recorded it to be changed in 500 kms. Yeah. They also wrote down the current mileage as 4 million instead of 4 hundred thousand. Oops.

We finished up just before 1700, which was great, considering we started well after 1300. This Picc line is going to make things A LOT better! Bring it on!!!!

We drove home & spent most of the evening visiting with Roxy. Mom made two of the vegan dishes & we had a nice supper. I got busy on the laptop looking for old photos & before I knew it, it was 0200! Yikes! Time to get to sleep! Usually I sleep straight after chemo, so this was a good thing! I think!

Lekker slaap & Round 8 is done & dusted!!! xxxxMJV&O

 Okay, so this photo is pretty rubbish, but this chick had her leg in a brace/cast, her opposite arm in a sling & her only free arm was using the crutch. BUT. She was still able to hobble outside for a ciggy. 

 The Picc line finally in.

All taped up & ready to roll. 

 The sick chick & her hubby.

Roxy & the girls warming up. 

That's the smile I know & love!

Day 368 - Acupuncture & AMA

Today was my first acupuncture treatment. I decided to give it a try after the last round's fiasco. Dr. Zhao was recommended to me by Andrea, the gal who had the same disease as I. The treatment was fantastic. I never dreamt that I could sleep with 20+ needles stuck in me! I woke myself up snoring a few times! Ha! I had needles in my feet, calves, wrists, forearms, chest, forehead, head... Crazy!

Unfortunately I managed to lock my keys in my car. I haven't done that for a long time! I was flustered parking in the underground parking, not knowing how to get aboveground & running late. Luckily I had AMA. However, when the fellow came to unlock my car, he asked for photo ID. I couldn't find my Driver's License. Where was it? I went through my purse, my wallet... Nowhere to be found! Luckily he took my Costco card as a form of ID. When he jimmy'd the door open, he commented that my car has been  broken into many times. Quite likely, as Contemplate is 20 years old.

I stopped at Community Natural Foods & picked up some groceries. Why, I don't know. I had picked out 5 recipes in my vegan cookbook & thought I'd experiment. Although tomorrow is chemo & I won't be cooking for a few days. In any case, I was feeling ambitious for once. I'll keep you posted on the cooking front.

My next stop was to Mom2's. She was going to re-henna my head. There wasn't much left to trace of Larissa's design after the shave, so we had to improvise a little. It turned out quite well! I'm happy to have another funky design for a week or so. It's a pity it doesn't last a little longer, as it is a lot of work! Mom2 had fun playing with my head & some henna, and I enjoy having the paste applied, so it was a win-win!

I arrived home around 2100 & got a few things ready for tomorrow's big treatment. Oh please let it go well. I'm having a Picc line put in... Wish me luck!

xxxxMJV&O

Day 367 - Hello Home & Laundry!

Wow. That was one comfy bed. A great mattress & a fabulous duvet. It was like a little taste of heaven. Can you tell I'm sleep deprived? How do these Mom's do it? Ugh. I'm exhausted & I don't even have a kid!  Let alone 2 or 3 of them!

This morning we had a delicious breakfast of bacon & pancakes, along with toasted walnut tea (two thumbs up!). We packed up our things, helped tidy up the house & away we went!

Thankfully the roads were clear all the way home. Much to our surprise, there was hardly a speck of snow when we pulled into the yard! I was expecting a good six inches!

I am absolutely exhausted, as for the rest of the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning, I unpacked, cleaned, tidied & did laundry. (And now I'm trying to catch up on 2 weeks of missed blogging!)

The dogs are happy to be home & so am I, even if I have to jet back into the city tomorrow for my acupuncture appointment. I'm actually looking forward to a few down days to recover from chemo & from trucking all over the place!

I did my neupogen shot tonight. I think I nicked a blood vessel or something, as blood came gushing out when I withdrew the needle & my leg hurt like the dickens after I was done. Whoopsy. I know, I know. Jaco was busy, so I did it myself.

Jaco is peacefully sleeping while I type this in the light of the laptop screen. I think I'll join him, as you don't really need to know how many missing socks I have, nor which items I most likely shrunk (either from the dryer or too much ice cream!). Lekker slaap & see you tomorrow!!!

xxxxMaria

Day 366 - Hello Shermans & Strilchuks!

This morning we were up & at it bright & early. By the time Jaco & I got up, Henk was already out in the barn & Laura had all the girls up & dressed & was busy braiding the last one's hair. Oh, and she had breakfast ready for everyone - Quinoa, omelet & fresh cinnamon buns. How does she do it, Folks? How does she do it?

I took along my blonde wig for the trip, but forgot the little bank robber stocking that goes under the wig. It helps a lot with the itching. I hadn't worn the wig & was having fun showing off my henna. I wasn't sure if the church we were going to today would be ready for my henna'd head or not. Laura told us that 500+ people go to their church every week. When I tried the wig on for the girls, they liked it. I told them I was now Mommy's sister (because I was blonde too!). I decided to wear the wig. Thank goodness I did, as we ended up sitting in the very front row! I guess they would have only stared at the back of my henna'd head, but this way I couldn't see either way!

I met Laura's friends, who have a daughter with a rare medical condition called AVM - Arteriovenous Malformation. She is taking treatments in Colorado, as they have much success in treating her AVM. Canada offered to remove 1/2 her face & do reconstructive surgery & by the way, she might not survive the surgery. Did I mention their daughter isn't even old enough to drive a car? TRAGIC! (Insert prayer HERE!)

We drove back to the house & had a bite to eat. It was then time for us to dash away. We hugged & said our farewells. I sure do miss those guys. What a wonderful family they are! I wish we lived closer. (Did I say that already?!)

We made our way towards Beaumont. We were stopping in to see Janis & Dustin, Caleb & Baby #2. Janis is due in March. I think it's a girl. But I always think every Mom-to-be is having a girl. Janis is the ultimate Mom. I've never seen a woman handle pregnancy so smoothly. I think it's her general laid-back attitude. It rubs off on Caleb & their two Goldendoodles, so it's only naturally that pregnancy would go smoothly as well. I hope I'm like that one day! She looks stunning & I've never heard her complain about ANYTHING. What a gal. My hat's off to you!

We were planning on staying for an hour or so, as we needed to get to Rocky Mountain House before dark. Well. If Dustin didn't come home & start making thin crust Italian pizza. They asked us to stay & I think they asked right about the time the garlic was sauteéing on the oven. Psychologically they could have asked me for my first born child & I would have handed over the baby for a piece of pizza. Yeah. It was that good. Seriously, I haven't had pizza like that since... Italia! Bellissima!

While Dustin was preparing the pizza, I went to the living room to play with Caleb. This kid amazes me. He's 2 years old & he has the craziest vocabulary & best pronunciation I've ever heard. Not that I'm a Speech Pathologist or anything, but he's pretty clever! He read me a book full of animals. Lion, bear, giraffe, zebra, tiger, butterfly... I was VERY impressed. Note to self: Read your child PLENTY of books. Note to self: Read your self PLENTY of books!

We were on the road with full bellies & memories of homemade tomato sauce dancing on our tongues. We arrived at Le Strilchuk Château just past 2100 in the snow. I scared the daylights out of Mom2. She didn't hear us drive up, or come in the house. They were all watching a movie in the living room, with a fire burning. She screamed & jumped. Whoopsie! We had a wonderful chat & enjoyed a cup of Toasted Walnut tea from David's Tea. I sat up & watched the last of the Karate Kid. It was good! I like Jackie Chan.

The girls were happy to see us. I think. Valentina cuddled with Ricky, Mom2's nephew, & Oceana cuddled with Mom2. All the dogs got along fine! It's a miracle! I think it was great for them to have a few more 'pack members'.  We'll see what happens once we're back home!

I went to bed after the movie & what a cozy bed! The mattress was nice & cushy & the duvet was big & fluffy. Great sleep!!!

While I was paging through a magazine in bed, Jaco went to the loo. I heard someone get up, I think it was Mom2. She walked in on him in the bathroom. So did Laura at her house. So did Drayton at Sylvia's house. I think it's quite funny. For all other parties involved, maybe not. What are the chances of this happening at EVERY house you stay at? Maybe they don't lock doors in South Africa? They lock every other door, that's for sure!

Tomorrow we motor home... Lekker slaap!

xxxxMJV&O

 Soooooo Yummy!!!

 The Master at work!

 Caleb enjoying his ice cream

 Smiley Guy!

There's a bit of a belly bump there! 

 Laura, Henk & the girls

Tianna playing shy!

Day 365 - Hello Laura & Co!

This morning we were up early & outta the house by 1000. Well, maybe 1030. Sylvia & Drayton were taking us out for brunch before we left for Westlock. We drove all over the countryside on dirt roads, with Drayton as our guide. Sylvia was ahead of us, leaving a dusty trail to follow.  Suddenly we came to a small town with a big gas station & a really nice restaurant. We ordered our meals & Drayton entertained us throughout the entire process. I think he was still experiencing residual sugar effects! He wasn't wanting to finish up his breakfast or smile for a quick pic with Jaco & I. Then, when he finally did smile, he wouldn't stop hamming it up for the camera! What a guy!

We said our farewells & they left for home to meet Gary for lunch & we headed towards Athabasca & then south from there. We stopped at Extra Foods in Athabasca to pick up a few things - like oranges & water. As we were leaving the shop, this little fellow says to his mother, 'Mommy, that lady has no hairs on her head!' It was cute!

I didn't call Laura to let her know we were on our way. I was hoping to pull into the yard & surprise her. Of course, she was waiting for us in the house with the girls. The girls were quite shy at first, but certainly warmed up! They are so darn beautiful! Blonde & blue eyed with beautiful smiles!

We visited for the afternoon & the evening until nearly midnight! The girls took us outside for a bit to show us their bunny, Rainbow. Jaco went with Henk to the dairy barn to see how things are run. He was quite impressed & I can understand why. Henk is very passionate & progressive when it comes to his dairy business. In fact, I only noticed this visit all of his awards for running a top-notch operation. I know very little about the dairy industry (except that I like ice cream), but Henk is always informing me of some incredible technological advancement that I would have never dreamt possible - like a Milk Robot, for example.

Laura made a delicious chicken dinner. That girl amazes me. Three kids, a clean house, meals made, laundry done & she helps Henk in the barn. And she drives Brooklyn to school every morning at 0830. I am signing up for lessons. I was quite happy that Jaco was able to meet Henk & Laura. They told him a little more about Mexico & all the happenings down there to 'educate' him a little more on the 'other side' of things. Laura is in remission & doing very well. (AMEN!!) Not only that, but Henk & Laura are really wonderful people. I felt like I'd just been to see her a week ago, even though it has been 8 months! And of course, we could talk 'until the cows come home'. (Pun intended) I sure wish we lived closer!

Laura showed us this incredible book she put together of their family trip to San Diego last March. It was such a beautiful memoir of their first big trip together. What a lot of work, but well worth it! Laura is a very talented wedding photographer. She showed me some of the weddings she has shot, as well as some engagement photos. She finally went digital & is very excited about the editing process now vs. pre-digital! Yay for no more processing film!

We finally hit the hay around midnight. Tomorrow we were going to church with the family. My biggest decision for the day would be whether or not I would wear a wig or expose my henna tattoo... Was this church ready for a tattoo'd lady? We'll see...

xxxxMaria & Jaco

I knelt down to be on eye level with Drayton. Then he knelt down too! 

 Gotcha!

Hammin' it up! 

He likes Uncle Jaco! 

Yay for the Mom-to-be!!! (April 8th! April 8th!) 

Rainbow meets the rabbit mitten! 

Rainbow - the newest addition to the family!

Day 364 - Hello Sylvia!

Another failed attempt to get away early. I decided to pick up a few things for the kids along the way. 3 hours later, we're finally leaving Edmonton for Boyle. Sylvia lives in the boonies, but it's beautiful & quiet & she loves it. I'm happy for her! The girl's dreams have all come true! She is due in April & had a Doctor's appointment this afternoon, so thankfully we were late & it all worked out fine!

I had picked up some cupcake tins in the shape of ghosts for Halloween & thought that we (Drayton) could make cupcakes tonight. We had a blast! Sylvia told me he loved to help out, so I let him. When there was chocolate cupcake batter flying everywhere (yes, everywhere - even on my sock, the icing sugar bag, the table, the floor & even some in the tin!) she told me, 'Oh, you let him do that? I don't usually let him!' Now she tells me! We had fun, despite the mess. Isn't that half the fun anyhow? I picked up a little zombie that 'poops' candy as he walks. That was a big hit. Drayton enjoyed playing with him for the evening. That is, until we put Jelly Belly beans in the zombie & they got stuck. Luckily the Doctor was on had to give the zombie a colonoscopy & save the day!

Jaco & Drayton got along great. Drayton had a blast playing with Jaco. In fact, the first thing he showed us upon our arrival was the soccer ball he & Jaco had played with on the C-train in August. Unfortunately Chocolate, the Labrador Retriever, had gotten ahold of the ball & gnawed a patch off the side of the ball. Speaking of Chocolate, he was quite the welcomer! Both he & Jake, the other Lab, ran out to the car, barking away. I got out & Chocolate jumped up to greet me. When I told him to get down, he hopped right onto the driver's seat! I shut the door behind him, only to hear Jaco holler through the closed door, 'Babe! What are you doing?!'

After Drayton was sound asleep & full of sugar, we moved the living room & kitchen to the spareroom. Gary & Sylvia were having some work done on the roof & the carpenters were coming at 0900 tomorrow to tear half the ceiling down. We had to have the place cleared out before then. Even the light fixtures! I'm an expert mover with my recent practice, so it was no big deal. (just not the light fixtures!)

What a great night! We had a wonderful visit with Mom-to-be & when our eyelids couldn't stay open anymore, we hit the hay. Thanks for a brilliant night!

xxxxMaria & Jaco

 Pretty excited! Well, at least Drayton is!

 Nearly finished!

 Looking good!

 Finishing touches...

Now, for half a tube of icing... 

 And voilá!

Sorry, just tilt your head on this one! Colonoscopy Zombie in the middle. Funny - he had the same expression all throughout the procedure. Maybe they're not that bad after all?