Cautiously Optimistic

The second surgery was conducted with a general sedative rather than a local, so Tuki had to go through the full inpatient, surgery, prep ordeal. She did well and the only time her bravery faltered was when she first laid eyes on me once she had woke from the surgery. I knew she was terrified under all her bravery when we arrived at the hospital and she said "I am scared, I will stay in the van" The Doc said he is cautiously optimistic that it won't grow back, BUT if it does than he will have to remove the first knuckle of the toe, so I sure hope it doesn't come to that. Her re-check is Monday, June 25th.

the beginning of the surgery with both Bear Bears
one of the nurses helping getting the Bear Bears ready for Surgery too
Doc Williams checking in
marking and signing the toe
see the elongated growth on the toe
the anesthesiologists wheeling her away
post surgery bandage
I sang her "me cielo" song that I sang to her when she'd get upset when she was a baby. It still works, and she calmed down immediately
taking her IV out
resting at home

Here we go again

Remember this post, well the toe lump grew back. The reason is because the bone is growing rapidly, way too rapidly compared to the rest of her toes.

The last time, this past February we had the operation, a biopsy was completed and they discovered infected bone, but the Doc felt it was all taken so we would not have further problems. WRONG
We had her re-check appointment just before we left to go to Louisiana. The original Doc, Shelly took one look and immediately referred us to a orthopedic. Both commented that they had never seen anything like this before. Great, not any news that will frighten the heck out of me. The second Doc said he didn't believe cancer, but we will see after a second biopsy.


if you kook closely, you wll see the fast growing bone in her toe.

Vacation 2 - Camping at Devil's lake

Family photo while camping

My friend B and her two kids and our family went camping at Devil's Lake this last week. We swam, hiked and of course ate well. The hiking was intense, way more than we expected and way higher and more steep than we had anticipated, but the kids all did well and we figure that Tuki was probably one of the youngest kids to have ever hiked to see the Balanced rock and the Devils Doorway. I was a little panicked once I realized the steepness and ruggedness of the climb, but all the kids did real well. They were all troopers. I think B and I did well considering that we are coming up on 50 in two years...

swimming in Devil's Lake

eating hardy at Paul Bunyans

group photo, look behind them to get a sense of the height we were at

sisterly help


up the trail to the summit of the first hike

group shot again

Balanced rock behind them

resting


height view - photos don't do it justice

Devil's Lake from on high
Devil's Doorway

another height view

beginning the hike down from Devil's Doorway


notice how steep it is, the trail was called rugged and difficult

more downward photos

Were off

this morning for Tuki's surgery. please pray for a good outcome!! More later.

We have been busy

Ever since we have returned from down south, we have been busy catching up around the home front. Activities that were big on the list were grass cutting, garden weeding, animal pen cleaning, Mim's two day intensive 10 hour day basketball camp and Tuki and Ve's on-going tennis lessons, and the girls' daily summer school lessons.

I had to replant my lettuce in containers since the cottontails have consumed every last leaf. I was so disappointed since garden lettuce is one of my greatest joys in the summer. It tastes so incredibly different than store lettuce and when I saw none growing in my garden I almost started crying. But I quickly recovered and planted 4 containers of it. I will also have to replant 1/2 of the beans since the rabbits seem to have found them as well.

Even though our garden has been behind, I see a few cucumbers on the vine as well as summer squash. The other plants are growing well, have flowers and now we wait for some produce!! I naturally planted many more gourd species. I currently have 17 different plants of gourds doing well, but I didn't label what type of gourds they were when I placed them in the garden, so I think I will be a little surprised come fall.

Today we went strawberry picking, so we cleaned, froze a ton, made strawberry sauce, made strawberry tapioca dessert and canned 6 pints of rhubarb-strawberry jam and 5 pints of strawberry jam.

My egg business is hopping. I sell anywhere from 6 - 10 dozen each week for 2 dollars a dozen. I actually bought more pullets, Easter Eggers specifically because they lay blue and green eggs, and even though all free-range fresh eggs taste the same, which are great by the way (store eggs are a totally different story) people get so excited to see a rainbow of colors in the egg carton. I even have a few breeds that lay chocolate brown eggs.

I have also been able to get a work-out or two in each day.

So that is what is happening in our neck of the woods. Next week we have a camping trip planned, and Tuki's surgery, which I will explain more about later.

York, Clarabelle, Lewis and Stella

my container lettuce, a few days old

a new addition, Marcia, a Pendensenca, who will lay deep chocolate eggs

Jasmine (named after Mim's sister in Haiti), a true Americana and also a blue egg layer

the dark one is the back is Marta (named after you guessed it, our friend Marta in Georgia), she is a New Hampshire Red. She is still very young so we won't see eggs from her for a few months.

A photo of some of the original gals, Louise, Katherine, Helen, Charlotte and Edith

This is Idle. His name was originally Idalia thinking he was a hen, but since he turned Roo on us, I switched his name to Idle since all my Silkies (he is a Silkie cross) are named with "I" names. I happen to think he is one of the ugliest chickens I have ever seen, but he is also a character.

Technically we are still not to have roosters, but what can I say, my neighbors love them!! It makes them feel like they are in the country even though they live in town. I guess the Roos give the neighbors country charm.
shot of my flowers

A tan like no other

The sun took to Tuki just like Tuki took to the sun, she never burned, just became darker with every passing day in the sun while swimming. I have never seen anything like it. I felt at times I was looking at a different child. My only wish is that I could tan like her....but instead I burn a bright red that slowly turns to a light tan.

Back from our Trip to the Deep South

We returned from our trip to visit my bro and his family. We had a great time while there. They always take good care of us. It was the first time that Mim and Ve spent time there and it was also the first time that my bro and his family were able to get to know the girls for a period of time.

The good:
swimming, swimming, swimming
Gulf coast (no pictures)
alligator farm
relaxing time with family
re-getting to know family
good eating, too good
financial planning
safe travel - we saw two major accidents and a house fire while on the trip, as well as driving through a tornado for the second time this year
portable DVD player
the girls fantastic riders and NEVER asking "Are we there yet?"
seeing multiple fireworks as we were driving back on the 4th

The bad:
Mim acts like a spoiled rotten sassy teen when ever others besides our immediate family are around- we came to blows over this way too many times to count
Tuki very sick EVER in her life- and then Eden getting the same virus days later
the 20 hour drive one way that sucked up 4 out of our 10 day vacation
the over $1000.00 price tag to the traveling via gas and hotel expense
not being able meet up with another adoptive (from Mim and Ve's O) family


swimming with cousin Eden
more swimming
having too much fun
Tuki couldn't get enough
Aunt Darla with her dog Kip and Eden with her dog Sadie
creating their stepping stones Tuki attempting to play piano
Mim and Uncle Jeff
Darla playing for us all..she is fantastic..Mim is taking piano lesson next fall in school
the Jazz chicks
at an ice cream shop

one of the many alligators at the farm

group photo

an extended group photo

carousal

I forgot my camera for the beach trip and I was too busy driving to take any on the road.