We're off...

I won't be blogging for about a week because we're off to...

...we're so excited!!  :)

...we've got lots of people to meet and lots of places to go!
Can't wait!

A few bumps in the road...

Last week my in-laws took their 5th wheel camping to Pismo.

On their trip there they had a tire blow-out on the trailer...
AND then on the way home they had yet another blow-out on a different tire on the trailer...
AND then after that they encountered major truck problems involving a fire...eeks!!

We are all in agreement that God was/is trying to tell them something.  :)

Thankfully they were safe, sound and had AAA!  Since they store their trailer here at the property, the tow company had to brave the bumpy dirt road and what a sight...

Here's Maxine with a great attitude and a smile on her face...God bless her!

And a Happy belated Birthday shout out to Maxine!
We love you!!

When your puppy is 11 months...

...everything, no matter what it is, should be fun and played with, right?  

For instance when Ruger saw the above...those packaging-nylon-strip-thingys just called his name...

it was entertaining to say the least...

He's a keeper... :)

A sight for sore eyes...

The day finally arrived....Dalton was able to pick up a golf club!
And actually swing it...
Last week, Dalton had his first lesson post-surgery.  We didn't know what to expect since it had been two months but I am happy to report that it appears that the surgery was a big success!  His coach, Marshall, was quite pleased at what he saw and rambled a lot of golf terms/techniques that I can't recall but the bottom line is this:  his shoulder is better and this whole surgery ordeal was worth it!!

Taking a look at the swing...

And again...

Looks good...

Practice, practice, practice...

It was a great lesson in which we laid out the next 10 months to prepare Dalton for playing college golf!  He has a lot of work to do but we are all confident that he can do it!  He has proven to be one who when he puts his mind to something, he gets it done!

We are praising the Lord for His healing of Dalton's shoulder and so thankful for this opportunity and ability to  play college golf...fun times are on the horizon and I can't wait!!

This just in...

Since the completion of my online credential class, Teaching Social Studies, I have been checking for my final grade.  And when I say checking, I mean at least 5 times a day, everyday since Monday.  About 40 minutes ago the final assignment was graded and, drumroll, please.....

I got 500 points out of 500 points!  

Oh happy day!!  :)

Kiss Me I'm Irish...

In honor of my Irish heritage and because all four of us would be home for dinner at the same time, I planned on a traditional St. Patty's Day dinner....
The table was set...

The grub made...

The dessert bought...Lofthouse cookies, really good sugar cookies that we settle for since we don't have a Smith's Bakery in town!  :)

Ready to dig in...the table was quiet for the first ten minutes, it seemed.  Give my boys meat and that's what happens...

Dessert time...

Below is a fine piece of china that my Grandma and Grandpa Hogan brought back from Ireland  when Derek and I were first married.  I really do love it and every year when I pull it out I am reminded of how much my Grandpa Jack loved Ireland and his family heritage...

So Happy St. Patrick's Day (a day late) from our family to yours...

*picture taken from Dalton's iPhone...not the best but I'll take it!  :)

Allergy testing, part 2...

Yesterday Dalton and I went to see the allergist, Dr. O, for further work-up on his allergies.  He was tested with the above allergens...

Side note:  Dr. O has a very distinct and strong accent.  We originally thought maybe he was from Germany and then I remembered a couple we used to play hockey with from Finland and Dr. O sounded just like them.  So Dalton's bet was still Germany but I changed my guess to Finland.  After our discussion of allergies, I asked Dr. O where he was from and he said Israel!  We shared with him our guesses and he said that his parents were both from Germany and after the Holocaust moved to Israel!  We chatted a bit and I was fascinated by his life.  He is the type of person that I would love to have over for dinner and just sit and listen to his life story...

skin testing...

before...

and after...apparently Dalton is allergic to Weeds too!
ALL weeds...lucky for us our property is weed free!  :)
But when we do get weeds, I guess Dalton gets a free pass....lucky!

So that's it.  The end of our journey for now...
Dr. O will definitely be consulted if and when Dalton needs another surgery.
Thanking the Lord for Dr. O...

Shooting for a cause...

Last Saturday my dad, Derek and the boys participated in a charity shoot in the outskirts of Bakersfield.  To say that they had a great time would be an incredible understatement!  The event consisted of teams of four shooters where each team traveled around to a variety of stations.  I was so glad that they participated and had a great time for a good cause!  :)  Above is Dillon's turn to shoot...who also beat Derek and my dad by one point!  Yep, he has bragging rights...

Dalton's turn...

Dad's turn...

What a beautiful day to go shooting...
Thanks Dad for setting everything up...what a great memory of fun!

Moore Wedding...

Meet Jon and Brittany...he is the son of our pastor and his wife, and she is an Oregonian who originally came down to study at the Master's College.

These two became man and wife last Saturday, 3/5/11, and we all could not be happier for them! It will be so exciting to see how the Lord blesses and uses this union!

Dillon and Brooke were both in the wedding :) ...such a good looking foursome!

And take a look at the cake! It was b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l.!! And guess what? Brooke made it! I am so proud of her and stand in awe...not only was it lovely on the outside, it was delicious on the inside!! Click on the picture to enlarge and get a better look...
Seems like yesterday that we were those young kids getting married...
Okay, so how observant are you? I'll give you a gold star if you can identify the difference in Dalton...

It was a great day shared by our entire church family. :)

Congratulations to Jon and Brittany!

May God continue to bless you as you start this journey together!!

Life is Good...

Thank you Munoz family for my birthday gift...a new walking hat! I l.o.v.e. it! Notice how it matches my shirt? Knowing my sister-in-law, she already knew that and that is why she bought it! You know me so well...My walking partner... :)

Life is Good...I am so very blessed!

Special Gifts...

We met my parents for lunch a week ago to celebrate Dalton and Derek's birthdays...mmmm good, thanks Mom and Dad!

My mom made this special quilt for Dalton which contains many of his hockey jerseys from over the years. See the teal one, right under my mom's hand? That was his very 1st jersey when he was only 4-years-old! I must admit, my eyes got misty when I saw this quilt, as the years just flooded over me. Also notice the referee shirt...Dalton used to earn money being a referee with Derek for the younger games at the YMCA. Such a fond memory for him!

The morning after he slept with his quilt on his bed he awoke and said, "Wow, I slept great. I think it was because of the combination of grandma's quilt and the benadryl!"
Then, my mom gave Derek a special quilt which she has been planning on for years. It is so great and perfect for him...a woodworker's themed quilt! He loves it and is found snuggling up with it every night on the couch!

Mom, thank you for blessing our family with your amazing talents! We love you and appreciate your thoughtfulness and time, in addition to keeping us warm and cozy!! :)

Welcome to 45....

February in our family is a very busy month of celebrating birthdays!! Derek's birthday is the finisher on the 28th. Since we had care group the day before I brought a cake and we all sang...twice! Let me explain...

It is tradition in one of our families at care group to sing in the most horrible voices possible. It was hilarious! I only wish I had it recorded...oh well, it is forever embedded into our memories!
On Derek's actual birthday, Dalton and I (Dillon had class, boohoo!) met him on his lunch hour for lunch at one of our favorite places, Baja Fresh.

I was sooo super deduper excited for his gift this year!

An 80 minute massage at Glen Ivy Spa! :)

Being a good wife, I had it all arranged for him to go right after work as I really wanted him to redeem it on his actual birthday.

I love this picture of Derek when he realized what it was...he was truly surprised and oh so happy...
Checking out his options....
A homemade card from Dalton...
And new swim trunks to use at the Spa... :)

So, welcome to 45 Babe!

I am so glad we are on this journey together at the same age! Our 45th year will be a good one as we experience many changes in our family this upcoming year.

I wouldn't want to go through this life with anyone else but you! You're the greatest!!

I love you and am so thankful to the Lord for you!

Update...

Look at how far we've come...

Here is Dalton, 5 weeks post surgery...what a difference! We are very pleased with the scar and his range of motion is excellent. Praise the Lord!! He has no restrictions except for heavy lifting and still no golf. I made it clear that he is able to vacuum, pick up dog poop, etc. :) ...there is no room for excuses.

We were able to get in to see the Allergist (finally) and he started the patch testing...quite an interesting process. He tested 29 allergens that were placed directly on Dalton's skin. These had to remain dry and in place for 48 hours. Fortunately, Dalton could take anti-histamines during this process because he was very itchy...
Two days later the patches were removed and studied. Obviously, where you see redness and inflammation is what he is allergic to.

Here is the list:

• wool alcohols (lanolin)
• fragrance mix
• epoxy resin (used in adhesives!)
• colophony (used in products for its ability to make things sticky!)
• balsam of peru (used in fragrances)

So there you have it! Dalton was allergic to the tape they used post-surgery! It feels good to get some answers about what happened. We are continuing a full allergy work-up since Dalton still gets puffy around his eyes and itchiness on his neck. The skin/prick testing will be in two weeks and until then we have to go through all of his daily products and discard any that might contain the above allergens. I better get busy...