Waterfalls, Sad Goodbyes, and Preparing For New Digs

This past weekend, we had so much fun. We finally made the jaunt to Palouse Falls, taking my mother along for the expedition. It was so beautiful and so worth the drive. We just marvelled at the beauty and enjoyed the sound of the water beating the stone beneath it. Watched as it carved a passage into the basalt. It was wonderful.

Looking forward to seeing the waterfall, enjoying the ride

Linus, Steve, and Mamaw on the way to the lookout

I wish I had got a picture of Linus' face as he viewed the falls for the first time. He was simply blown away. His reaction made the moment, looking at the waterfall, seem more powerful. I saw it through his eyes. My Mom was so excited to be there and seeing a marvel of nature, which all waterfalls are.

Linus taking it all in...

Mamasita at Palouse Falls

Palouse Falls

If you look closely, you can see Steve and Linus walking across the top of the ridge

Beautiful Sagebrush

We had such a wonderful time. I enjoyed having my mother here so very much and wished I could keep her here. When I dropped my mother off to get on the plane back to Kentucky early (very early) on Tuesday morning, I felt like we were being swept back into the normalcy of life. And while I was beyond sad to say goodbye to my mother, I was looking forward to getting back to life as just a little family.

And within this fantastic normalcy we get to create a new world for ourselves in a new home. We sign a new lease on Friday afternoon for a home just a few miles down the road. Yet it seems a world away. It will be a new place and a new start. It's always a new start and a new chance to make things even more beautiful for yourself and your family. Isn't it fabulous how life gives us these chances!!!

Baking Our Lives Bright

For St. Patrick's Day we had a load of fun at Casa de Wyrembelski!!! That morning I woke and fried up some tasty bisquick pancakes in a variety of colors to create our very own rainbows of pancakes. Linus was thrilled by the colors and ate nearly the entire 4 stack. Apparently, adding food color will make the child eat just about anything. That night we feasted on some homemade Shepherd's Pie in some true Irish tradition. It was simply delicious (especially the garlic chunks I added in...YUM).

We've just been having so much fun, baking and trying out new recipes and changing many of those recipes to suit us better. The best in my opinion have been the homemade oreos. They hit the spot with me just fine.

The original batter for the chocolate cookies called for no eggs, but I just felt the need to add them. It just made them cake-y and I found that delightful. :0) My Mamasita liked them as well, but felt the best concoction so far has been the mandarin orange cake I have baked up twice so far. Beyond tasty to find little chunks of mandarin orange within your piece of tasty cake. And so easy to bake up to boot.

Beyond the baking, we have continued spending quality time with my Mom. She's been able to help us look for a new rental house and helped us narrow down our choices. We've watched good movies together, mostly oldies but goodies.

Linus just thinks Mamaw is a fun toy. He climbs her and talks to her and brings her his things to look at all the time. He sits on the end of her recliner seat and watches TV, just to be near her. He works with her here and there on one of his many coloring/sticker/gluing creations. He watches for the garbage and recycling trucks each week. His excitement knows no bounds and he tells his Mamaw when the trucks have arrived so she can join in the celebration. Everything going on outside the house is a reason to celebrate for Linus. Which makes my mother smile. She's his Mamaw, she loves him and he loves her!!!

watching tv with mamaw

linus' many creations

linus creating

what's going on outside

And along the way, Linus and Oswald have become even closer friends. Linus is starting to think of his little stumpy dog as the best friend he could ever have. When we have to leave him behind to go to the store, he cries. They are pals and it warms my heart to see that. I am so glad and feel they are both blessed by each other. They have so much fun!!!

feeding oswald, a big no-no, but oh well

oswald really wants that cup of milk...lol

We are just having tons of fun. Did I say that already? Hehehe...It's hard to believe that within all this fun we are still going through stuff. Steve's side is still a major source of pain and he is now being sent to physical therapy for his ilioinguinal neuralgia. And on top of that he has to return for another CAT scan in the near future, to check on both his pancreas and the swollen lymphnodes. It's scary for me, as I am sure it is for Steve too, because doctors are still raising their eyebrows at the swollen lymphnodes. I hate the stress of it, and the worry stinks, but we move forward. We have a happy day, we smile, and we bake. It brings us joy!!!

Joyous Steve...lol

Mamasita in the House

i just never really thought i would have my mom here to see where i live 2300 miles from her. but, alas, on march 8th my mom arrived and i feel so blessed to have her here! it has been a surreal experience, showing her all that my new home has to offer. and i am already dreading the day i am going to have to say farewell again for a short while...these days, months and months of time feel like a short while between visits with family and friends back east. 

having some truffle ganache

fun times with bowls

watching some tv with mamaw

we've already had so much fun, between making up truffles, baking a mandarin orange cake, and enjoying some savory pot roast, we couldn't be more full of smiles and laughter and joy. i love being able to be the mom in the house and showing my mother how i cook, clean, and care for my family. and it makes me feel wonderful that she thinks i do a fantastic job. it makes me smile a mile wide.

attacked by the sticker monster

feeding oswald...a big fat no-no

spending some time with daddy at a friend's 1st birthday party

covered in ketchup...he loves his ketchup!

i've also been enjoying the fact that i have been able to take my mom around town and introduce her to my friends and show her my favorite spots. she got to go with us to a friend's son's 1st birthday party. it was wonderful to have her there with us!!! we are also enjoying such mundane, but super fun, activities as our afternoon dance parties and sticker mania and coloring and gluing and painting. the happy times just never end. and it has been a blessing having my mom here, as well, because she has helped renew my joy in watching my son play and grow and develop. sometimes we lose sight of what is important and beautiful in this world. i feel like i have been reminded lately and i feel like a new person because of this. of course i still have my tough moments and hard emotions, but they are hugged in by a layer of happy these days.

our family has been through a lot in the past few months...heck, in the past year...and i feel like we might finally be heading down a path toward normalcy and contentment.

Muddy Sunday Walking

so life has seemed a little hectic lately, a little haywire, a little "where's the hidden camera?". but on sunday, life felt a little more simple and lazy and full of contentment. we woke early, had eggs and toast for breakfast, and decided to take a simple walk at bennington lake. the weather wasn't that cold, just crisp. so we put on some light coats and headed out the door.

as soon as we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the vehicle, linus' eyes lit on fire. something told him fun was just around the corner. we started onto the path and the rock collecting began. linus must have collected over 100 rocks. of course, he couldn't carry them all back to the car. he picked them up and when he saw the next great rock, he picked that one up. he was in a sea of joy...ROCKS!!!

  

of course, this certainly makes steve and i happy since one of our main loves is rocks. we will have tons to share with him regarding those aggregates of mineral crystals in the future. and i have no doubt linus will want to know more. he shows the rocks to us like they are pieces of gold. and then just as excitedly, he notices another rocks that is somehow better.

along the way, linus found mud puddles galore. he splashed through them. he fell into them. he sat in them. and he was so very happy to do so. steve and i looked at his pants as they grew soaked with mud and felt a twinge of "oh dear me" right before we started to laugh. linus was having fun and so were we. there was so much joy on that walk and i can't wait to take another!!!

Attacking Pneumonia, Bronchitis, and Laryngitis All At Once

Well, Linus has now been sick on and off for two months and some more. Some days when I think about that I wonder what life was like before snotty noses, mild fevers, and hacking coughs. This past Monday, just a couple days after finishing an antibiotic regimen to treat a sinus infection, I had to take Linus to urgent care because, well, he was hardly breathing. It was basically like he couldn't catch his breath no matter what. In true Linus fashion, you wouldn't have known otherwise anything was wrong. He kept playing with his toys and wondering the waiting room like any other kid. I could see the front desk receptionists giving me questioning glances, most likely because they thought I was being an over-worried mom. Well, over-worried or not, I was getting him checked out.

And it turns out I was right to do so. When the doc took a listen to his lungs, I saw a grimace on his face as he put the ear buds of the stethoscope in my ears. "Do you hear that?"...I nodded..."That's not good." It certainly wasn't good. A couple x-rays and horrifying breathing treatment later, we found out it was pneumonia. What craziness was this? Well, turns out, it was our craziness.

That evening, a home medical care group delivered Linus' nebulizer and we started his home treatment. He takes steroids and antibiotics each day. In fact, today is the last day for that. Yippee!!! And then a breathing treatment, via the nebulizer, 4 times daily. Let me tell you about the joys of that. Why don't you go out side and grab a raccoon from your nearest forested area and bring him back home and hold a mask releasing vaporized medicine over his face. Imagine the screaming, thrashing, kicking...Yep, that's what it's like.

Unfortunately, just as we were getting Linus started on his healing regimen I started to feel ooky. Oh dearie me!!! I thought, well I will just fight this at home. I can not go back to the doctor. I can not fill one more prescription. NO!!! Boy, was I ever wrong. Yep.

Yesterday Linus had a recheck with his doctor, who said he is doing fine!!! Oh what wonderful words to hear I tell ya. But, then we scooted across the way to my doctor (I had finally given up and decided to go in). Ugh, a diagnosis of bronchitis and laryngitis. Lovely. Needless to say, my hacking cough which sometimes produces bloody sputum was a bit more than a cold. So, alas, I had to fill another couple prescriptions.

Today is a new day though. Linus and I both are feeling so much better. I can't tell ya how rejuvenated I am feeling right now. Just at this moment. Maybe we are turning a corner finally. And maybe as the sun peeks out more and more from behind those clouds, we will all start feeling better and emerge from our sicky houses to a new way of life. That's my hope!!!