So Far, So Good with Wrist Healing

My wrist seems to be healing nicely.  I had a great week back in my routine.  I was able to walk several mornings, and I even did a mini leg workout on Thursday.  It was a beautiful weather week.  We walked to school on Thursday and Friday.  The kids complained like I was killing them.  We have gotten lazy this year!
Back to walking whenever we can.

Anyway, some gross pics of my wrist in the healing process.

Before
(The surgeon said my cyst was pretty "tasty" or good sized.  He said I should feel relief for sure to get it out.)

What I wore for the first week after surgery.  

Right after they took off the cast.  You can see the stitches still in there. They removed the stitches right after this picture. I've been wearing a splint off and on this week.  My hand therapist said I should taper off and do my stretches 2 or 3 times daily. 

Today.  Almost 2 weeks post surgery.  Still some swelling right around the incision, but I'm doing my stretching and getting my range back.  Yesterday I didn't wear the splint at all, and was able to do pretty much everything except the yard work I was hoping to do.  Couldn't wield the big clippers.  

Making Progress Outside...

We can't really do anything outside right now, between Derek's pec healing and my hand healing.  But thankfully we have the best gardener to help us get our summer project started.  We have been putting this off since we moved in.  Our shed is falling down with the city soon to settle a contract, we should be able to afford a new one (without dipping into savings) this summer!  So we are getting rolling on giving the backyard a facelift.  The key is to make it easier to maintain.

So many old rhodies and bushes.  Overgrown!  Strange flower beds that make mowing hard!  

Take that old rhodies!  

Lots of progress in just one day.  Now we will clean up and plant some of this with grass to make it easier to maintain.  I'm hoping to fill in the old pond with wood chips and make a little seating area out there.  We will see.  Exciting times ahead! 

  The next step is to see where our property line actually is.  We're planning some fencing, a new shed (ours is disintegrating) and more relaxing yard.

Sun Room Project Progress

In December I bought this new couch for our Sunroom, and it started a whole unexpected project.  I finished the painting during Winter break.  Then no progress until Mid-Winter Break.  Derek helped me put the chair together (he hates the chair, btw...but it was the only one that felt good just after his surgery, ha!) Then we got the ottoman and pillows.  Ben helped me choose the pillows.   He loves them. 

I made the curtain and the pillow on the chair below.  

Then we had to wait for Spring Break for further progress.

I still had my favorite globe in the attic.  Pulled it back down.  I spray painted the thing above the globe gold, and it now is a perfect place to hang postcards.  The Explore box below the globe is now home to our extensive postcard collection (thanks to the many friends and family who send us postcards).  The kids have been loving having them so accessible.  

I found the map of Paris at Hobby Lobby and framed them in these frames from Leanne's wedding that I also spray painted gold.  A pic I took in Discovery bay and two water colors from Prague finished this side of the room.  My friend Jen gave me the lamp in the corner when she was moving.  You can't tell, but the color is perfect.  And the globe I found at Home Goods.  The room is shaping up! 

I constructed this bookcase/blanket holder out of a bunch of Christmas bins over Winter Break too.  They are to hide the mechanical aspects of the couch.  (The back of the couch doesn't go all the way to the floor.)  So, this space I'm declaring done for now.  The family room is on hold because the chairs I finally decided on are on backorder.  So, I just wait. And focus on the outside!  (See outdoor post...)

Not My Favorite Spring Break

This week was Spring Break for us.  In years past, we have gone to be with family in Utah.  This year, I decided to have my cyst removed.  It made for a long and boring week.  I had spurts of energy where I did a few small projects.  Then I retreated to bed.  I didn't have much pain, but I felt really tired.  And frustrated with my limited bandwidth.  It's all for the best, right?

Anyway, here is a rundown of our week.

Monday:  Surgery.  I slept for a few hours after my surgery.  Then in the evening, Derek and I ran errands and did the usual dance run.

Tuesday: I felt much better than expected.  I made new wreaths for the front doors.  I have been wanting to do this forever, and it helped that I couldn't find my regular wreaths after I took down the Easter stuff.  I must have put them in a very safe place. I found that I already had two wreath forms.  The flowers were on sale at Michaels.  I could do this with mostly my right hand and a little support from my left.  I also hung some pictures in the Sunroom.  (See separate post.)

Derek also got his sling off!  Hooray!  He still can't even do PT for another month.  But his doctor says he may be back to regular duty in July. 

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday I made it my goal to take the kids swimming.  The pool has extra Spring Break public swim times.  Ben technically is too young to go in alone.  2 days they didn't care and let him swim.  On the 3rd day they weren't going to let him swim. They finally did, but wouldn't let him go in the deep end, even though the day before he spent the entire hour and a half in the deep end, going off the diving board and rope swing.  Sigh.  Anyway, they had fun and I read and worked.  Thank goodness for Wifi at the pool.

All 3 kids passed the swim test and are going to be swimming for the Gator swim team this summer.  8 am Mon-Thurs. all summer.  I'm way more excited than they are.

Saturday we went to the Husky Spring Game/Fan Fest.  Derek was in heaven watching football.  I was happy to feel the sun on my face intermittently.  We also shopped a bit at U Village.  I'm looking for a new desk--turns out that is hard to find.

Then we went to the Everett High Musical because our cousin Emma had one of the leads.  She was AWESOME!  It was really fun.  I was exhausted by the time we got home.  Hoping one last day of recovery has me ready for school tomorrow!

A CRAZY Randall Week

It was such an amazing week to be a Randall!  This week our family added a SISTER!  Drea has been a part of the Randall clan for quite some time.  But now it is official!  I couldn't be happier about this addition to our family.  Drea has be perfect amount of sass and kindness, energy and chill, just everything.  I am so happy that she is my sister!  Nick and Drea eloped, and it felt so perfectly them!  Beautiful. 

AND on the SAME DAY, David Bryce Cottle made his appearance.  I am so happy for Rachel.  Wish I could be there with her!  (I was planning to go for my Spring Break, but instead I am going to have my cyst removed.  I'm going to go for her 40th in August.  We will meet little Davey in Utah over the 4th of July.)

 Devin meeting his new brother.  SO sweet! 

So much joy in our family this week.  It was downright exhausting and none of it even happened directly to me!  (Ben wants me to add that Devin is acting like it is HIS baby.)

Ben Update

I feel like Ben has grown up so much in the last few months.  And not just outgrowing his pants and shoes. 
After wrestling ended, he decided his next sport would be swimming.  We haven't done official swimming lessons for a couple of years, so I just put him in at youth level 1.  It was too easy, but he enjoyed it.
He passed!  So this week I'll be registering him for Level 2.  We are thinking about swim team for all the kids this summer.  Going to see if our expert Anne Ducey can get them all ready over spring break to pass the placement.

Ben has also become obsessed with READING!  Best thing ever!
He is reading every morning when I come in to get him.  He is taking books with him to read in the car.  Yesterday he had me check out all 9 books in a Dave Pilkey series so he can read them all.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this kiddo.

When we came home from the library yesterday, he just plopped down on the floor of the laundry room and started reading.  He read book 1 & 2, skipped 3 since he has read it, and started on book 4.

April Fools and Easter

Ben was so worried about how we would combine April Fools and Easter in one day.
Well, we did it.  Or maybe overdid it.  Too much fun in one day!
We dyed eggs on Saturday night late.

Sunday morning we had an April Fools Breakfast.  Ben & Sarah (the early risers) helped set the table in a wacky April Fools fashion.  Sarah wrote the names backward (mine is "shirt" apparently).  Ben chose to put not water, but MILK in the glug glug pitcher.  Crazy talk!  Sarah actually ate her crepes with the giant USU spatula.  Some people swapped out for real dishes once the eating began.  It was a fun breakfast!

 Before we actually ate, we woke up Dad & Libby (the late sleepers) and had a quick egg hunt.  The Easter Bunny hid eggs filled with dried pasta, pistachios, goldfish, and some with candy.  (April FOOLS!)  The baskets (that somehow I didn't take a picture of) had veggies, fruit, and a few Reese's eggs.  Libby got a shirt, Sarah got a game, and Ben got a soft frisbee.  Ben said, "I know why the Easter Bunny brought me a soft frisbee!  It's so I won't get hurt when it hits me in the face!"  Smart cookie that Ben.  And later that day when he got hit in the fact, he wasn't hurt!  Genius Easter Bunny!

We watched the first session of conference (I prepped food for Easter dinner--so I listened).  Then we went to Maren's for her annual egg hunt.

The Barretts didn't come down in time for the egg hunt, so it was just this bunch.  They each got to find 32 eggs!

The slime eggs were a huge hit, but had to be played with in the kitchen, not on the new carpet in the family room!

Back at our house, we watched the 2nd session.  The Barretts joined us.  Slime eggs were a big hit with the older kids too! 

We did more cooking. 

Set lovely tables. 

Then we ate and I stopped taking pictures.  

The evening ended in parent meltdown.  The kids put up about 50% more Easter decor than I wanted them to.  So I made them promise they would help clean up.  They weren't getting the job done.  Derek and I both got really frustrated.  No More Easter!  Was the way we ended the night.  Sigh.  Holidays are hard work.  What we are really thankful to celebrate is the resurrection and grace of Jesus Christ.  He does the clean up for our sins.  We don't need to clean up a lot of Easter decorations to remember that.  So I gave away 2 of my 3 bins of Easter stuff this week.  Simplifying to focus on what really matters feels good.

Also, I'm happy that April Fools/Easter/Conference isn't usually a one weekend whirlwind!  Bring on Spring!