Slow News Day...

Ok, so there's not too much going on today in the land of Portas. I have tried unsuccessfully for the past three days to get our Camry inspected, as it expires on um TODAY...So looks like the Beetle is going to be our main source of transportation until that happens. And of course, tomorrow is a holiday. In between my trips to the safety inspection center today, I went to Walgreens and got this rad stuff my mom told me about (it doesn't take much to impress me) to put on my nails. I like to call it the poor-man's manicure...or the ghetto fabulous french tips. Whatever floats your boat. I think my short stubby nails turned out looking quite grand for 2.99 haha.
The other news I have forgotten to report about, but that is VERY exciting to me, is the new flip flops I got when the 'rents were here. They are exactly like the ones I had for 5 years--minus the love and break-in that were instilled. The thing is, they never go on sale. They are $40 Reefs. I got them for $15.00. Oh yeah, thank you Dillards.

This concludes my boring post of the day. It's a day of rest people. Cut me some slack!

Oh, there was one exciting thing...Alana and I are going to FL soon!!! Woohoo!

Peace, Love and Sunglasses inside rock.

Ted, White and Blue.

"Who the heck is Ted Nugent?"  That's what I clearly remember asking Jonathan, when he excitedly told me he'd met him upon first moving to Nashville.  Well...now not only do I know who 'The Nuge' is, but I also stumbled upon an interview he did with Glenn Beck last night.  (I was really watching to see Sarah Palin!)  Anyveeps, he was on there promoting his new book.  Dude is crazy!  But the one thing he said that struck a chord with me was how our nation has developed an entitlement attitude.  How right he is.  Instead of asking what we can do for our country, too many Americans are choosing their political candidates by what they can do for us.  They don't care how much passion the candidates truly have for our country.  They care how much they are driven to make life easier for them.  They don't want to work hard or do anything to earn their rights as citizens.  They simply think they are owed the world.  I think as christians sometimes we do the same thing.  We ask why God allows things to happen to us...we want to know why God hasn't given us more--when the real question should be "What are we doing to serve Him?"  I never thought I would have a revelation at 4 a.m. from listening to a guy that gets off on smelling the blood of animals :)  God works in mysterious ways, haha.

Do YOUR part.  Don't wait and see what will be done for you.

Peace, Love, and No I Can't! :)

Macie Time!

Felicia had a doctor's appointment today, and I volunteered to come sit with Macie while she went.  She's close to four months old already, can you believe it?!  It's crazy for me to think that time has flown by that fast.  Macie is just shy of 10 lbs, which is what some babies weigh when they are born haha.  I am not supposed to lift anything over 10 lbs for another week, and when Macie had her check-up yesterday, she weighed in at 9 lbs 15 1/2 oz.  No joke!  She is sweet and looking less and less like her daddy everyday (which is a good thing, Chris!)  Here are a few pictures I took during our time with her today...

Peace, Love and baby fixes.

Gymini Crickets

Tonight was Alana's last gymnastics class...well, at least for now.  It was her "show-and-tell" night for her "Gymini Crickets" class, and all the parents got to go sit in the gym and watch the kids perform.  Alana did just that, let me tell you.  From her "ta-dahs" to her posing in each part of the gym, she had the other parents cracking up.  She is the smallest in her class, which is made up of 4-7 year olds.  She did amazingly well, and most importantly, she LOVES it.  I felt like I was Debbie Phelps 2.0 tonight :)  My camera was not cooperating with me...when I used the auto-flash, it flashed and the pictures turned out dark.  When I turned the flash off, they turned out brighter...but by the time I figured that out it was too late :(  I hope you enjoy some of the ones I managed to get...as blurry and dark as they may be...

The Uneven Bars

My little monkey

A perfect dismount!

Posing for Mommy

Nice form!

Rings!

Balance beam

Her favorite part...Flying away on the Trampoline!

I didn't manage to get any pictures at all of her on the floor or the vault.  You will have to use your imagination or wait for her next class for those!  I am so proud of my little monkey.  If anyone knows of a good gym for kids in Nashville, let me know!  

Peace, Love and bringin' home the medals...

Blessed with the Best!

I am sad to say that I just got home from sending my dad back to Florida. I have really enjoyed his company these past days, and no matter what he says he was a great help! I went from having both of my parents here to being here by myself. Not completely alone, Alana is here...but what a difference it makes having someone here to help pass the time :) I am thrilled to say that I am feeling better than I was over the weekend. I even ate PIZZA today for the first time in I don't know how long...and didn't get sick! (If you hear something, it's probably me knocking very loudly on wood right now!) It's back to being just me and Alana for an undisclosed amount of time...It's up in the air as to when Justin will be home. So goes the Navy life. I have been beyond blessed with two amazing parents, who at the drop of a hat, traveled 700 miles (each, from different directions) to be here with me. Not once did they complain or grumble. It was never even a question. They were just here. I can only hope that I can be as great a parent to Alana, for many years to come. I know I can count on them to be there for me, unconditionally. Thank you to my mom and dad...I couldn't have done any of this without you...

I love you both! xoxo

Peace, Love and sorry for stealing your tagline, Jonathan!

On the Mend

I guess it's only been a couple days since I've posted anything, but it feels like an eternity. Probably because I've been sleeping the time away. Saturday was pretty good overall...but I woke up Sunday morning with a pretty ugly bout of nausea. I guess I overdid it on Saturday. It kinda bummed me out because I couldn't even go to the airport with my mom. Luckily I still had a stash of phenergan, but not so lucky for me it knocked me out for hours. I woke up at 8 a.m. yesterday, and was back in bed by 10. Stayed there until about 6:15 p.m. when Angie (God bless her) brought Alana home after a day of playing...and then went back to bed with Alana at 8 p.m...Today was a little better, but I still slept a lot. I haven't taken any pain medicine in about 24 hours, so that's a good sign. I am still trying to deal with the discomforts in my belly, but they are nothing out of the ordinary, considering all the poking and prodding they did in there. My mom sent this bouquet of cookie flowers to "brighten my day". That they did :) And Alana has been chowing down on them ever since! My dad is here until tomorrow evening, thankfully! He mowed my backyard for me today, too! Hopefully I will wake tomorrow feeling like a brand new person. Apparently Justin won't be home for a few more days...I'm sure all will be well.

Just wanted to update my blog and my progress.

Peace, Love and sugar highs xo

I'm No Longer Stoned!

I'm alive! I'm sore, but doing well. Yesterday was a long day, but I couldn't have asked for things to have gone more smoothly. My dad and I woke up bright and early at 330 in order to shower and get to the hospital for check in at 0500. We made it there with about 10 minutes to spare. It definitely became one of those "hurry up and wait" ordeals. I was supposed to meet the anesthesiologist at about 0630, but ended up sitting (well, laying) there for about an hour while everyone around me was being met with. My dad and I started to wonder, through our very sleepy states. Then we went from 0-5 at one time. 0-5 men were in my room...one on each side, one at my feet, one hovering over me and then one off to the side. My dad was somewhere back there too. It was unreal. I told the anesthesiologist that I felt like they were a pit crew and I was the car. Within seconds, I had IVs started in my hand, had repeated for the millionth time that I was having my gall bladder removed (at least they wanted to be sure they were doing the right thing!), going potty once more (to avoid having to have a catheter put in), I was wheeled off to surgery. I don't remember much of anything after the "margaritas" they put in my IV...and then I woke up. It seemed like only a couple of minutes, when in actuality it had been hours. The actual procedure only took the surgeon 40 minutes. He said everything went well...The only downside was my nausea. It was extremely intense. I have never felt such a thing. I had tears welling up in my eyes. The recovery nurse kept asking me what my pain level was on a scale of 1-10, and I kept saying "I don't care about the pain do something about my nausea!!!" They gave me zofran which didn't help much...followed by a "squirt" of phenergan. That seemed to ease it. I was then transported to the post recovery area, where I had to sit in a recliner and be able to drink (and keep down) liquids, pee 100mls (sorry if TMI) and have my pain under control. My dad went to get my prescriptions from the rx while I drank three cups of apple juice...I was working hard to get home. Long story short(er), I got home by about 1:30 p.m. and had a pretty comfortable night. For those of you not familiar with the gall bladder surgery, at least the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the make 4 incisions (one in the belly button and a few others). Then they put scopes in and basically blow your belly up with carbon dioxide to look around. The majority of the pain I am feeling right now is from the gas that is still there (the CO2). It's pretty gnarly in my right shoulder. That's the "heart attack" pain I was having which started this whole process...They said it should be better in 48 hours or so...and that walking around helps relieve it. Therefore, my family is now heading the MacArthur Center to go walk around and shop...and eat yummy salads at the Cheesecake Factory :) I am so completely blessed to have them here...and I am so thankful to all of you who have prayed for this process to go as smoothly as it has.

My belly is not in anyway flat in the first place, but it is still completely bloated up around my belly button...Just my disclaimer for the tummy picture :)

Peace, Love and Mr. Perk O. Set xo

Allison Update

Just wanted to post an update on Allison's day. Her surgery went well, other than an exceptional amount of nausea that delayed her discharge from the recovery area. She made it home around 1:30 p.m. and is doing well. We are so thankful to have this behind us...Thank you for your prayers. More details from Allison herself tomorrow!

Denise (Mom)

It's here.

I have to be at the hospital at 0500. Yes, that's EARLY. Not to mention the fact I have to take a shower tonight AND in the morning before leaving at about 0415. Silly, but who am I to argue? At least I'm gonna be able to rest tomorrow and am not expected to run a race or anything. My dad is going to the hospital with me, and my mom will be here with Alana. Please continue to pray! I'm not super nervous or anything, but obviously there is a bit of anxiety...I am going to TRY and go to bed! After my shower, of course :)

Mommy and Daddy are coming!

Yeah, so these pictures have nothing to do with anything. Other than the fact that this is what we do when we are bored and run out of other silly things to do. And yes, I got my hair cut. Three times. Don't ask. I am getting ready to turn in for the night, and while I will try my hardest to post blogs in the near future, I simply cannot promise anything. Maybe I will have my mom or dad post for me if I can't. Anyhizzles. My mom and dad will be here in the morning! I am very excited to see them both, but I am not so excited when I think of why they are going to be here in the first place. I guess you could say I'm having a little bit of pre-organ removal anxiety. Deep breath in, deep breath out. That should do it. OR NOT! Ok so I know that this is in God's hands...and Dr. McPhee's hands. Gosh, I hope his hands are steady hands. :) Seriously, though...I am quite confident in saying that things are going to go smoothly. Continue to pray for my sanity AND the whole sneezy thing, which is still here, but not quite as bad. I'll try to keep posting, as I would hate to see anyone have to go through withdrawals.

Peace, Love and parental units. xo

Where a Kid can be a Kid!

What do a couple of Navy wives do to pass the time on a Tuesday morning? Why go to Chuck E. Cheese, of course! Angie and I have been hanging out a lot this past week. It's annoying that our husbands are gone, but at least we have each other :) Jalen had never been to Chuck E. Cheese, and it was cute to see him experience it. From there we hit up Chick Fil-A (another playground) and after afternoons at home, we rounded out the evening at (you guessed it) the playground here. I am so blessed to be able to do fun stuff like this with Alana. Not everyone gets to spend so much quality time with their kids.

In less exciting news, I have been sneezing (and inadvertently sniffling) for the past two days. I thought at first that it was a result of cleaning out Alana's closet yesterday...The dust was unbelievable! But now, I'm not so sure. So PLEASE pray that I will be healthy and well on Friday. They will not do my surgery if I am sick. And quite frankly, both of my parents have assured me that the surgery must go on. Here's to hoping that it's allergies!

Peace, Love and Emergen-C xo

To My Not-so-Little Brother...

Allison and Jonathan, the early days :)


Happy Birthday, Jonathan! So 27 years ago, I thought I became a mommy. I've been told that when my mom brought Jonathan home from the hospital I tried to take him away from her, because I thought he was MY baby. I am blessed to have such a wonderful brother! Sure we had our moments growing up, but who doesn't? :) I am so proud of him and all that he's accomplished already...And I know that he has a lot more up his sleeve for the years to come!

I love you, Jonathan! Happy Birthday!!! xoxo

Peace, Love and Moms that look younger now than they did 30 years ago...

Dare You to Move

Switchfoot - dare you to move
Uploaded by raenishabetty

Yes, I posted ANOTHER music video :) I'm trying to sort through things in my life these days...and I find much of my therapy through music and blogging. So put the two together and here you are. Don't get me wrong, I have a blessed life. I am not basking in pity and wallowing in my sorrow. Instead I'm looking for ways to move forward in my life and not let it become stagnant. I have found that the greatest amount of growth comes from discomfort. When you lift weights, your muscles become sore...they literally tear as they become stronger. I think that the same goes for people. Sometimes we stay in the same routine of life, simply because it's what we know...and it seems like too much work to change it. My mom told me about a service at her church recently, where they played this song by Switchfoot. I thought, you know...I've heard that song a gazillion times, and I know every word to it by heart...but I really never paid attention to the depth of the lyrics. The most relatable lines of the song for me being "The tension is here between who you are and who you could be. Between how it is and how it should be." I've been accused once or twice of "taking the easy way out". I don't want to be the one to choose the simple way. I want to be the one who takes the double dare or even better, the physical challenge :)

Alana and I spent time today hanging out with Angie and Jalen. We went to the mall, back to the land of giant food. It's nice to have someone to pass the time with. Angie's husband, Jeremy, works with Justin...so we are in the same boat. Or at least are husbands are :) It made me laugh today--When we were pulling into my "court", there was this guy who was kinda chillin' in the middle of the road, and I said "Ok, Kanye...make up your mind"...(He had these ridiculous sunglasses on) and Angie said "Yeah, his sunglasses are something straight out of 1982". Think huge black plastic frames with fluorescent green ear stems...It was a good laugh as we compared all the 80s garb we had in common.

It's been a long past few days...I'm hoping the next few go by a lot quicker. My mom and dad will both be here on Thursday for my surgery on Friday! I'm excited to see them both, and equally excited about feeling better...of course there is the little bit of anxiety over having surgery, but I guess that is to be expected. I have enjoyed watching Michael Phelps the past week. Last night's 1/100th of a second win made me nervous. I literally hold my breath the entire time he swims. Lucky for me, he's fast! I've even had dreams that Michael was Alana's babysitter! Ok, I need to go find professional help now :)

Peace, Love and Reebok hightops (black OR white, Angie?) xo

Decisions, decisions.

Cupcakes Make Everything Better...

Possible Alternate Titles for this blog are:

"This is Why I'm Fat"

"I'm Celebrating (insert one of the million August birthdays here)"

"I Hate my Gall Bladder"

The list could go on and on...Yesterday, Alana and I spent some time with my friend Maggie and her kids at the MacArthur Center playground.  They have a bunch of giant food items for the kids to climb on and fall just short of trips to the ER.  It's always great fun.  Alana makes a friend, and then she runs to tell me every other minute that she's still playing with her.  Maggie's husband has been in Korea for a year now.  He used to be on Justin's ship, but when his time was up in the Navy he reenlisted into the Army.  Go figure.  Then they shipped him off to Korea.  He was coming home last night, so Maggie and her kids kept talking about the fact they were making cupcakes for him.  This just made me salivate (literally) over the thought of cupcakes.  I told her we would get stuff to make cupcakes on our way home.  That we did.  I'm not a HUGE cake fan, but I haven't eaten much of anything that tasted good in the past month...so in my mind it was a big deal.  We made the cupcakes...I burned layers of skin off my arm trying to get them out of the oven.  I ate one...and enjoyed every last bite of it.  It was like heaven on my lips.  Now if cupcakes can just learn to solve the bigger problems of the world.

Peace, Love and cupcake-powered cars. xo

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!

I will spare you all from hearing me sing another birthday wish :)  Considering the number of birthdays this month of very special people in my life...you will thank me!  I'm not kidding, almost every day I would be serenading my computer...

All that being said, Happy Birthday, Lindsay!  I hope that today brings you all the birthday fun you can possibly stand.  I wish we weren't so far away!  Then we could either a) celebrate together or b) I could watch Liam and you could go out and party :)  

The Deets on My Organ Removal Process

I'll keep this short and simple, as I am tired and have already shared this information with what seems like millions via cell phone.  Ok, it was only 3...the parents and the mom-in-law.  So I exaggerated.  But I also texted a couple.  

N-E-Way.

I am scheduled to have surgery next Friday, the 22nd, bright and early in the morning.  The surgeon seems to think I will fully recover in just 4-5 days, and that the results will mean immediate relief for my body.  

A special thanks to my mom and dad, because they are the greatest parents ever.  End of story.

Pray for my pain between now and then...Justin has to be on his ship tomorrow night and will not be back until after the surgery is over and done with.  Translation: Pain meds will be limited as a single parent :)

Answers are Near!

The time is inching closer...Tomorrow at 2 p.m. (or 1400, considering I will be going to the Naval hospital) I will meet with the surgeon to get the scoop on my impending surgery.  I am at the point where I just...want...answers.  I was on my way to church yesterday morning and the closer I got to the tunnel, the weirder I felt.  As soon as I got through the tunnel, I took the first exit and circled back towards home.  I had to apologize to Alana, as she was super excited to go to church, and let her know that instead she would be dealing with a day with sick Mommy.  I barely made it into the house before I started throwing up.  Then I made it upstairs before I threw up some more.  After a dose of phenergan and about 6 hours of sleep, I felt a little more human.  I had been warned about phenergan...for those of you unaware, it is an anti-nausea medication.  Well, it made me PASS out.  I spent most of today sleeping as well...Luckily, Justin had today off too and took Alana to the zoo, the park and the beach.  

Please pray for me as I go to my appointment tomorrow.  I'm not sure what answer I want to hear, I just know that I want this to go away so I can feel better and start obsessing with other, more important things going on in my life :)

Jon had the best offer when he said he would "take his gall bladder out too, auction it on Ebay and take me on a nice vacation".  What a caring and compassionate brother!  All I have to say in response to that is...Relient K fans are really weird haha.  

Peace, love and saltine cracker diets. xo

I Blog, therefore I am.

Nothing earth-shattering to blog about...I just haven't blogged in a couple of days, and I am having withdrawals.  It's become like therapy for me.  Therapy, I need.  :)  So yesterday I successfully finished my 3rd class at Medical Careers Institute with an A.  I'm proud to say I got A's in all 3.   I was relieved at about 8:30 yesterday morning when I strolled out of there.  I have been telling my gall bladder that it had to make it until I took my final.  I admit, I somewhat expected it to leap out of my body the second I walked out those doors.  My pain has subsided finally...thanks to a little thing I like to call "drugs".  I am not an advocate of taking pain medicine, unless it is absolutely necessary.  While I took only 2 aspirin the first week of my ordeal, the 2nd week has proven itself to be more intense...almost unbearable.  Unbearable when you have a 4 year old to keep up with.  My doctor was thoughtful enough to prescribe me with something to keep me from removing my own gall bladder before I can get in to see the surgeon.  I took it for the first time on Wednesday night.  I figured it was safe, because Justin was home.  I don't remember much about that night, except telling Justin that my fingers felt weird and him asking if they felt like toes.  This is my life.  Ah, Justin.  I remember that man.  He was so handsome and sweet.  What it would be like to see him again.  Oh, sorry...blogging.  Justin came home Wednesday, and I saw him all of 2 hours (1 1/2 of which I was highly medicated) and then he was back to the ship for duty.  I'm hoping to see him sometime today...and maybe for the (gasp) entire weekend!  Alana also had her school physical on Wednesday...5 shots, a stick in the arm and a cup full of pee later we made it home.  The girl in the lab handed me a cup and said "I will need a urine sample from her"...I looked at her like she must be on drugs herself.  Let's just say that they drew blood from Alana without a flinch or a tear...the "just pee pee in the cup" part was traumatizing...and I'm not sure who it was worse for :)   I've accomplished all that I set out to accomplish this week.  Translates: I survived.  And I'm looking forward to a weekend of accomplishing very little.   I am set to see the surgeon on Tuesday afternoon.  He will then schedule my surgery accordingly.  I will update as much as possible, because I know you are all just dying to know when my gall stones will be made into jewelry and placed for auction on Ebay.  

Peace, love and not operating heavy machinery. xo

Happy Birthday, Luke!

One year ago today, cutie patootie Luke Knauss was brought into this world.  This kid has a smile that is ridiculously contagious and a sweet spirit that can't help but melt your heart.  Here's our long-distance birthday wish for Luke (they are in WA visiting the grandparents!)

And if we seem less than enthused about our song, well, it's because my computer is having issues today and wouldn't record the sound...so we literally sang Happy Birthday to Luke about 20 times.  :)

We love you, Luke!  And Jonah, we love and miss you too!  

Peace, Love and first birthdays! xo

"National Night Out"

While weedeating my backyard today, thanks to a notice on my door that it was unkempt (ha!), I looked up and saw a tent and the makings of a fun time.  One of the few perks of living in military housing is the festivities they put on every once in a while for the community.  Tonight was one of them.  It was "National Night Out"...the Norfolk police department came out to try and promote safe community practices, etc...This was a much-needed escape from a trying day.  I wanted to share the fun times with ya'll.  Enjoy!

Alana in the "bouncy thingy"

There she goes!

And now on her stomach!

Cotton candy!

A caterpillar bouncy.

This is where things got weird...I mean, who was the brain behind this?

Getting an airbrush tattoo.

Stars!

Making sand art.

The finished product!  Ta-Da!

Officer Allison

Firedog lollipop.

Mmm mmm good.

Peace, Love and Caterpillar butts.

Wish I could tell you more...

Here's a quick non-update, update.  Still waiting for an answer as to when my surgery will take place.  There are a lot of decisions in my life pending this mystery date, and apparently my surgeon doesn't care about that :)  I will be calling into General Surgery today at Portsmouth Naval Hospital at 7:30...Please pray that I find some peace in the information I receive! 

I'm off to my last REAL day of computers.  Final on Thursday!

Back to my Roots.

So I've been saying that once my hair grew out to the point I couldn't stand it anymore I was gonna dye it back.  Today I bit the bullet and did it.  The blonde was fun, but the upkeep is way too time consuming, not to mention cost WAY too much.  I debated whether or not to try and do it myself...and then Alana convinced me (I am sick, remember?) that she would "help" me.  Here's what we came up with...

Showing my rootage.

This is not my Miley Cyrus pose.  I'm showing part 2.

AND we're done.

Peace, Love and being too impatient to wait for blog polls. xo