MOVING SURE CAN BE A HASSLE!

Wow! We've really been up and down the crazy ladder with trying to move. We had a wonderful family who wanted our house in the worst way, but, the loan fell apart thanks to the stupid appraiser who said we had to connect our septic tank to the city sewer system which would cost close to $10,000.00. There was no way they could afford that.
I really hope they do find a home that works for them. They are first time home buyers and it's stressful enough, let alone when something like that happens.

The day that deal fell through, I succumbed to Type A Influenza and landed in the hospital for a few days. Not fun. I'm so tired of being in the hospital. Dan is too. It stresses him out so much for me to be there.

The day I got out of the hospital though, our realtor called with a super sweet offer on our house. The couple are retiring from California to Montana, and their daughter walked through our house with her phone doing a "face time" with them and showed them the whole thing. They evidently loved it, and made us a super good offer, of $195,000 put down $2,000 earnest money, and they didn't even ask us to pay any closing costs. Up, that's a deal we just couldn't resist!! So, now the deal is that the inspection is done by March 15, and, we are hoping that the first inspection, already done for the first buyers can be sold to the new buyers. Dan already did a lot of the work for that inspection, so we're hoping there won't be anything else that needs to be done. AND they have such good credit scores, they won't even need to have an appraisal done. YIPEE!!

Our closing date is April 15. so barring any unforseen circumstances, we'll be out of here before very long!

Did I already post pictures of the house in Monroe? I think I did, but perhaps I should go check and if not, I'll post some here. OK, well, I just went and looked and didn't see any pictures of the house in Monroe, so I'll post some here now...

Isn't it a great house! The laundry room is as big as a bedroom, so that will be a great place for the dogs. We will have to build a garage and fence the yard, so there's some work to be done there, but that will keep Dan busy, and he's looking forward to that.

We are also planning on working as campground hosts at LeBaron Lake in Utah. We'll be there from Memorial Day until Labor Day. It will be a fun way to spend the summer!

So, plan to come see us after we get set up!

LATEST HOSPITAL STAY...WHAT A SCARE

On Sept 17th, I went to bed feeling just fine. Then, I came to 3 days later, in the ICU, with an intubation tube down my throat, my arms tied to the bed rails, and nurses and doctors all around me. I had no idea what day or time it was, or where I was or why I was there. All I knew was that the tube down my throat was driving me crazy and being as claustrophobic as I am having my hands tied to the bed was really making me nutszoid. They had me tied to the bed so I couldn't pull the tube out of my throat. I managed to do it anyway though and the Dr. was very concerned. They told me that I could have pulled my vocal chords right out and never been able to talk again. Can you imagine that? ME, not able to talk....that would be torture!!

So, I was in the ICU for 6 days as they fought the pneumonia and the sepsis that had invaded my blood system. After 6 days in ICU, I was moved to a regular room and spent an additional 5 days there. My veins had collapsed and they had a very difficult time getting  IV lines running, and in the process hit a nerve in my wrist and now if I bump that spot it shoots pain from that spot, out of my finger tips kind of like a super hero shooting fire from her fingers. But I also have a spot on the fleshy part of the thumb of that hand that is completely numb. Very strange.

I was so blessed while in the hospital though, Dan was by my side, the Bishop came and gave Dan and I both blessings, we had so many prayers being said for us. Megan posted to my FB page so all my FB friends would be praying for me as well.

Last night I did a sleep study, and today was prescribed a CPAP mask and equipment. I need to make an appointment to go check them out and get fitted for what I need. I just really hope and pray that this will be the last time I get pneumonia, that the CPAP machine will help me keep my lungs clear.

0nce I was coherent, I asked Dan to ask visitors to come. it was good for my spirits, being the "people person" I am. I know if it had been Dan in that situation, he probably wouldn't have wanted anyone but me to be with him, but, we are very different in that way. He did send out text messages asking people to come visit, but, even then, he was the keeper of the gate, only allowing one or two people in at a time, and if I was exceptionally tired, he would ask people to wait and let me rest.

Jacob would come in at 4:30 am after he got off work. The security guards let him come in at that time when he explained to them that he just got off work and he was coming to see his mom. It was funny to wake up in the middle of the night and have Jake standing there. I had no idea what time or day it was, but I was so glad to have him there. I know Megan called regularly to check on me, and she wanted very badly to come up but just couldn't make it happen. Mom Pratt also said the whole family was fasting for me. I know that all made a huge difference for me, and I truly believe that pulled me through.

So thanks to everyone who fasted, prayed, came to visit, brought food etc. I am feeling much better, although when Dan and I go for walks, I do have to use my inhaler, sometimes several times, but that's ok...at least I can go walking. I try to go a little farther every day.

So, that's pretty much it in a nutshell for now. Y'all have a great day, until next time.....ttfn!

JESSICA'S WEDDING AND OTHER STUFF

So, you can scroll down to see a picture of Jessica Lassiter who came to live with us in her junior year of high school. She and our daughter Megan were good friends, and when Jessica's mother abandoned her and took off to Arizona with some guy, she came to our house. She has been part of our family ever since.

She got married on Sept. 8th and it was wonderful to be there with and for her. Her husband's name is Dan De Leon and he's a wonderful guy.

We came back from our visit with Megan and Victor to be at Jess's wedding, and it was well worth it. Although we didn't stay very long after the ceremony, they pulled out the keg and I felt like that was a good time for us to take off
...besides...Michigan was playing football and I sure didn't want to miss my game! (which we won!!)

                                            Dan, Jessica and me.
So, let me go back to our visit with Megan and Victor. We had a great time with them. We went house hunting and found two we really liked, so now it's a matter of prayer to make sure moving to central Utah is something we really want to do. It will be hard to leave Jacob, Heather, Ben and Gwen, (Gwen is the baby girl they are pregnant with now, she's due on Dec. 24) But we have more grandkids and kids down in Utah, so it will be a tough call, we'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

Well my friends, it's time for ice cream!!  Love y'all!

DAN'S SURGERY

Poor Dan ended up having to have gall bladder surgery on his 60th birthday, August 15. He went to the hospital on Sunday, the 12 in extreme pain. They thought at first he had a bowel obstruction and put an NG tube down his nose and into his abdomen to try to break it up. He was on morphine every three hours for his pain. The second day the pain from the obstruction had subsided, but the pain had moved to his right upper quadrant. They did an ultra-sound and found that his gall bladder was LOADED with stones and "slush". They decided surgery was needed and scheduled him for Wednesday morning. We were so blessed that Dr. Maier was the Dr. to do the surgery because he was the same surgeon that did Dan's gastric bypass surgery in 2005, so we know him and have every confidence in him.


So the night before his surgery, Dan had a bit of a panic attack and scared the crap out of me. He started shaking really, really bad. I thought maybe he was cold and went and got him a couple warm blankets, one for over his shoulder and one for across his front. He still kept shaking so I went and got his nurses. His blood pressure had dropped to 80/47, his temp was 102, his heart rate was 145 and his blood sugars were 201. Everything was messed up. The nurses got on the phone with the Docs and did everything they could do to bring him back to normal. The Doctors were prepared to go in and do his surgery that night on an emergency basis, but, those amazing, incredible nurses got everything back in order.

After his surgery his surgeon came to see me and told me Dan had a gangrenous gall bladder and that it was a darn good thing we got him in there when we did. So, let me give you a bit of ironic timeline going on for him right now. I already mentioned that he had the surgery on his 60th birthday....August 15th. Now, he is retiring from 37 years of Federal service on Sept. 1 and they are having his retirement party on August 22nd. Which is this Wednesday. We are hoping he feels well enough to go to his party. After that, we'll see if he makes a few days back to work before retirement!

Once he's retired, we are free! our first trip is to go see Megan and her husband Victor. They are doing the bow elk hunt down there where they live. Dan wasn't able to draw for the bow hunt in their area, so we'll just be hanging out with them. Then we go to New Mexico for a nephews birthday, then to Oklahoma for a nieces wedding, then to Michigan so I can meet some of my biological family I've never met, and then to Ann Arbor to see more family and hopefully to take in a University of Michigan football game, then on to Rochester, Michigan where I  grew up. On the way back, we'll go through Minnesota to see some of Dan's family. It will be a long trip , so we're really hoping Dan is all better by then.

Well, I am grateful for all the prayers and good thoughts our friends and family sent out for Dan's surgery and speedy recovery, and I hope they keep coming! Thanks y'all!!

MY DOGS

This is how I feel about my dogs..

This is just what came to me through a friend who knows how very much I adore my dog Riley, and how much joy he brings to my life. Although I have to admit, I'm not real fond of him trying to eat off my plate, in fact I don't allow that at all, unless I'm done eating,  but I do let him sleep in bed with me when Dan's gone and it's in the winter. He's too hot in the summer!!

Well, I have made it through today without getting on Facebook, so that's good....one day down, a whole bunch to go...I don't know if I'll make it or not.

Tomorrow, I am going with Jessica to look for wedding dresses. Jessica is one of our "adopted" kids. She is a friend of Megan's who came and lived with us after her mother deserted her in high school. She's been one of ours ever since and we love her dearly.