I think the best place to begin the details of this memory would be to mention my in-laws treadmill. I average 20 miles a week on my treadmill at home. My running friends think I'm crazy. But that's another story. Anyway. My in-laws treadmill is nicer than mine. Or at least newer. The incline feature works on theirs. So during our visit I was taking advantage of the opportunity to get in some nice "hill" workouts in prep for Hood To Coast. Logged 5 miles of "hills" Friday morning.
As the day went on, my entire abdomen started to feel sore and tight. I get sore abs from running sometimes. This soreness felt different and more widespread. But I assumed it was cause I was running that incline that I wasn't used to. So I went about my day, sore or not. I pulled weeds in my inlaws garden for a couple of hours. (I actually find weed-pulling very enjoyable and therapeutic.) There were a couple of times where I would stand up after crouching for a long time and my vision would get all cloudy. But nothing I hadn't experienced before. So I thought nothing of it.
That night, my love and I went out to dinner. Really "sore abs" still a bothersome companion. I actually commented to him, "I feel like my insides are getting all squished." Little did I know, that's what was actually happening!
That night as I crawled into bed, not only were my "abs" painfully sore, but my shoulder started to hurt too. (Come to find out that was yet another symptom I was ignoring.) With some additional blankets I made myself as comfortable as I could and went to sleep.
I usually do my running at 5am, so I my body wakes up early out of habit. I got up to go to the bathroom and started feeling really weird. My skin felt hot and cold at the same time. My hearing went all funny. I could hear everything less, yet I could hear more loud background noise. I decided to wash my hands as quick as I could so I could get back to my love. I don't remember turning the water off. The next thing I knew I was laying on my back in the hallway. I don't know exactly how the fall came about. But my nose still hurts to touch and I have a small bruise on my knee. Anyway, needless to say we decided a trip to the emergency room was in order.
The hospital closest to my inlaws is a smaller hospital. They were able to determine that I was pregnant. (I had no idea.) But they didn't have a ultra sound available on the weekends so I had to go to a different hospital.
Once I got there it was determined that all that "sore abs" was really internal bleeding (that had been going on for who knows how long!) and that they would need to to do laparoscopic surgery to find and stop the cause.
Once inside they found a tubal pregnancy. My tube had not ruptured but the pregnancy had already failed and was causing all the bleeding.
Waking up from surgery sucked. I felt like crap. And all I had was a little laparoscopic surgery. I can't even fathom poor people who have major open surgery. Man!
Now apparently under some circumstances, one could go home the same day. The doctor who performed the procedure was surprised that I was still there the next day. But all that internal bleeding had kicked my butt. After the surgery, I couldn't stand up to go to the bathroom without turning white as a ghost and blacking out. So I had to stay overnight. I told my love I wanted him to go back to his folks house, get a shower and sleep in a bed. But I also had been crying at random increments for no apparent reason and bless his heart he stayed with me. My prince charming slept on a fold up foam pad on the hospital floor. That's true love right there. I did improve enough to go back to my inlaws the next day. But just eating dinner that night was exhausting and I gave up half way and went to bed.
We rested a a full day before making the trip home. I was stressing about traveling with my girls. Dealing with rest stops and helping my 3yr old and things like that. But it went really well. We pushed on through and only stopped at the half way point of our 7 hour journey. And I didn't even feel all that tired.
Since I've been home it's been my own little mini rollercoaster. Sometimes I feel fine enough, other times I feel SO TIRED. Plus a little random crying for no reason. Fun times.
It all feels so foreign to me. I'm usually such a "go go go," "push push push," "do do do," "work work work" "run 10 miles," "sleep is optional" person. Now I just sit here a lot, and try to wrap my head around it. And the thought of walking around the block sounds overwhelming and exhausting let alone RUN a mile. Which is so weird to me.
But I'm here. I'm alive. And I'm not even really in pain. I'm not sure what to do with myself, but I am blessed.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Northhern Idaho PART 1
Time to record our fun memories from our trip to Northern Idaho!
This years visit started out a little differently than usual. Grandma and Grandpa invited the twins to come a little early. To spend a little Grandma and Grandpa time without Mom, Dad, and little sis. This was a BIG deal for my girls. They had a lot of anxiety about breaking routine and going without Mom and Dad. In fact it took several weeks of "prep work" to even get them to agree to it. But eventually they mustered up their courage and took on their little adventure. I was so proud of them. (It was super sunny and super windy when we took this particular pic. & Shortcake didn't actually get to go early, but she wanted to be in the picture.)
Don't feel too bad for Shortcake though, she got Mom & Dad's undivided attention for 2 whole days.
One of the fun things the girls got to do was pick their own breakfast from Grandma & Grandpa's wonderful garden.
They got to pick strawberries, (I told you Shortcake was excited to be there.)
and they got to pick blackberries.
We also got to stop in and visit the dam where Grandpa works.
Inside . . .
. . . and outside.
The twins also got to try out sewing for the first time! They did really good. Their first project: pillowcases.
Then Grandma turned those pillowcases in to swimsuit cover up dresses!
(Also pictured, one of their other Grandma's house projects: balloon flip flops.)
But Grandma's sewing skills didn't end there. She made AMAZING little outfits for each of the girls special stuffed animals that they brought with them. No patterns or instructions, she just whipped these up out of her own imagination! A double breasted suit coat for a WHALE! A PRINCESS BELLE dress for a PANDA! Ya, amazing.
And if that wasn't enough, Grandma also helped throw a birthday party for Mouse.
The girls also enjoyed playing Wii with Grandpa while we were there.
The girls favorite way to end our days was a dip in the hot tub (unfortunately didn't manage to get pictures of that) and then snuggling in Grandma's bed to watch a movie.
Lots of great memories with Grandma and Grandpa. BUT, our trip had just a little more excitement in store. I had to have emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. (No I didn't even know I was pregnant.) But I'm gonna putt all the boring technical details of that piece of our trip in Northern Idaho PART 2
This years visit started out a little differently than usual. Grandma and Grandpa invited the twins to come a little early. To spend a little Grandma and Grandpa time without Mom, Dad, and little sis. This was a BIG deal for my girls. They had a lot of anxiety about breaking routine and going without Mom and Dad. In fact it took several weeks of "prep work" to even get them to agree to it. But eventually they mustered up their courage and took on their little adventure. I was so proud of them. (It was super sunny and super windy when we took this particular pic. & Shortcake didn't actually get to go early, but she wanted to be in the picture.)
Don't feel too bad for Shortcake though, she got Mom & Dad's undivided attention for 2 whole days.
But needless to say she was awfully excited to finally be at Grandma & Grandpa's house with her sisters.
They got to pick strawberries, (I told you Shortcake was excited to be there.)
We also got to stop in and visit the dam where Grandpa works.
Inside . . .
The twins also got to try out sewing for the first time! They did really good. Their first project: pillowcases.
Then Grandma turned those pillowcases in to swimsuit cover up dresses!
(Also pictured, one of their other Grandma's house projects: balloon flip flops.)
But Grandma's sewing skills didn't end there. She made AMAZING little outfits for each of the girls special stuffed animals that they brought with them. No patterns or instructions, she just whipped these up out of her own imagination! A double breasted suit coat for a WHALE! A PRINCESS BELLE dress for a PANDA! Ya, amazing.
And if that wasn't enough, Grandma also helped throw a birthday party for Mouse.
The girls also enjoyed playing Wii with Grandpa while we were there.
The girls favorite way to end our days was a dip in the hot tub (unfortunately didn't manage to get pictures of that) and then snuggling in Grandma's bed to watch a movie.
Lots of great memories with Grandma and Grandpa. BUT, our trip had just a little more excitement in store. I had to have emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. (No I didn't even know I was pregnant.) But I'm gonna putt all the boring technical details of that piece of our trip in Northern Idaho PART 2
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Godspell
I LOVE going to plays. For a short piece of time, I forget everything, and let myself get sucked in to the world unfolding on stage. I love it. My Love is usually a willing companion and happy to take me to a play. BUT, this time it was a little different.
The play I wanted to go see was Godspell. This play was made into a movie back in 1973. My love recorded it off TV a while back. We watched about 10 min of it and just couldn't finish it. The afros, the color scheme, the bell-bottoms, and the curious face painting. It was all just so distracting and . . . confusing.
So when I asked my love if he wanted to go see it live, he was NOT interested. But every other play put out by this particular theatre group has been just phenomenal. I wanted to see their take on it. I didn't want to miss an opportunity to see an amazing performance. So I found a friend who doesn't mind "weird" and "different." We both really enjoyed it!
Let's start with the costumes. I love what they did with the costumes. The play itself calls for "colorful outfits." It is meant to symbolize how when we live by God's standards, we are different from what the world deems as "normal." But in the movie, there were trying so hard to to look "different" that they looked like they were ready to join the circus. In the play, each cast member had a different colored shirt, that had a word printed on the front. One said "faithfulness," one said "self-control", one "kindness," another said "joy," another "goodness". There was also "gentleness," and "patience." I thought they made great "colorful outfits" that looked "different" from the rest of the world.
Now let's talk about the character, Jesus. Oh my goodness. I can not complement this actor enough! He was amazing. He did such a good job. There are people who would complain that a play such as this is "irreverent" or "sacrilegious." But the gentleman they had playing the role of Jesus exemplified reverence and respect and honor for the sacred role he played. The word printed on his shirt was "love," and he did an amazing job of portraying that love with the tone and candor of his voice. The entire cast performed the scenes of the last super, the Lord's suffering in the garden, and the crucifixion, with powerful, respectful, reverence.
My favorite scene was when they acted out the story of the prodigal son. In this play, all of the "parables" are "updated for modern audiences." Which often translated into silliness. (Go figure.) But voice-overs and silly facial expressions aside, this one was still my favorite. My favorite part was near the end of the parable. The "good son" who stayed by his father's side, who did all that had ever been asked of him, is NOT inclined to rejoice and party in honor of his long lost brother. In this particular reenactment, despite repeated urging from his father, he does NOT want to hug and welcome home his brother. Then "Jesus" walks around and stands off to the side. The "good son," looks up and sees "Jesus" in the background, just watching, silently reminding him what is expected of him. That moment just really resonated withe me. Because that's me. I'm "good" and "obedient" and physically do all that is required of me. But really, I'm just as much of a mess as the "good son." I complain, I judge, I'm prideful, and vain.
The other part of the play that I loved was near the end. Before the crucifixion scene, he "says goodbye" to each of the other cast members. No actual words are spoken, and it's almost a dance. "Jesus" does some small movement, or other unique thing, that each person did at some point during their performances during the play. And then hugs them. With the last character, he strummed an air guitar with the guy. My first reaction was, "Right, Jesus wouldn't play an air guitar." BUT, then my mind opened a little more. It wasn't Jesus strumming an air guitar cause that's his idea of fun. It was showing how Jesus KNOWS and loves all that makes each of us unique!
It was really good. I'll admit,there were times where I sat there slightly confused about what was unfolding before me. But overall, I left there with a greater desire to be a better person and a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
The play I wanted to go see was Godspell. This play was made into a movie back in 1973. My love recorded it off TV a while back. We watched about 10 min of it and just couldn't finish it. The afros, the color scheme, the bell-bottoms, and the curious face painting. It was all just so distracting and . . . confusing.
So when I asked my love if he wanted to go see it live, he was NOT interested. But every other play put out by this particular theatre group has been just phenomenal. I wanted to see their take on it. I didn't want to miss an opportunity to see an amazing performance. So I found a friend who doesn't mind "weird" and "different." We both really enjoyed it!
Let's start with the costumes. I love what they did with the costumes. The play itself calls for "colorful outfits." It is meant to symbolize how when we live by God's standards, we are different from what the world deems as "normal." But in the movie, there were trying so hard to to look "different" that they looked like they were ready to join the circus. In the play, each cast member had a different colored shirt, that had a word printed on the front. One said "faithfulness," one said "self-control", one "kindness," another said "joy," another "goodness". There was also "gentleness," and "patience." I thought they made great "colorful outfits" that looked "different" from the rest of the world.
Costumes from the 1972 movie.
(Mr. Afro/Superman/Suspenders is "Jesus.")
Costumes from the play.
(Red shirt that says "LOVE" is "Jesus.")
Now let's talk about the character, Jesus. Oh my goodness. I can not complement this actor enough! He was amazing. He did such a good job. There are people who would complain that a play such as this is "irreverent" or "sacrilegious." But the gentleman they had playing the role of Jesus exemplified reverence and respect and honor for the sacred role he played. The word printed on his shirt was "love," and he did an amazing job of portraying that love with the tone and candor of his voice. The entire cast performed the scenes of the last super, the Lord's suffering in the garden, and the crucifixion, with powerful, respectful, reverence.
My favorite scene was when they acted out the story of the prodigal son. In this play, all of the "parables" are "updated for modern audiences." Which often translated into silliness. (Go figure.) But voice-overs and silly facial expressions aside, this one was still my favorite. My favorite part was near the end of the parable. The "good son" who stayed by his father's side, who did all that had ever been asked of him, is NOT inclined to rejoice and party in honor of his long lost brother. In this particular reenactment, despite repeated urging from his father, he does NOT want to hug and welcome home his brother. Then "Jesus" walks around and stands off to the side. The "good son," looks up and sees "Jesus" in the background, just watching, silently reminding him what is expected of him. That moment just really resonated withe me. Because that's me. I'm "good" and "obedient" and physically do all that is required of me. But really, I'm just as much of a mess as the "good son." I complain, I judge, I'm prideful, and vain.
The other part of the play that I loved was near the end. Before the crucifixion scene, he "says goodbye" to each of the other cast members. No actual words are spoken, and it's almost a dance. "Jesus" does some small movement, or other unique thing, that each person did at some point during their performances during the play. And then hugs them. With the last character, he strummed an air guitar with the guy. My first reaction was, "Right, Jesus wouldn't play an air guitar." BUT, then my mind opened a little more. It wasn't Jesus strumming an air guitar cause that's his idea of fun. It was showing how Jesus KNOWS and loves all that makes each of us unique!
It was really good. I'll admit,there were times where I sat there slightly confused about what was unfolding before me. But overall, I left there with a greater desire to be a better person and a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
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