I Love Summer!

I love summer! I love the warm, although I must admit it would be better with air conditioning. I love being outside whether it is at the park, pool, in the mountains or just spending time with family and friends. I love all of the fun new things that you get to do and experience. Summer seems to be full of adventure and I do love adventure! As I was lying in bed at 5:00 this morning I realized how sad I am to have summer coming to an end. Kurt's school starts in just a few weeks, Draven begins preschool and we will be back to the grind. So, I have made a goal. I am going to continue to create or experience (with success or failure) something new each week.

Here is a list of some of the things I experienced this summer:

• Canned tomato soup, sweet salsa and apricots for the first time.
• Learned how to crochet a flower (still mastering that one) - thanks Teresa
• Taught my nephews swimming lessons after almost 15 years of not teaching - they did awesome!
• Experienced the copper chutes in Anaconda - I thought they were so fun and have decided that when I grow up and have my own house I want some of my own :).
• Hiked to the M in Missoula for the first time
• Joined a card group because I have always wanted to make cards. I must say I have gotten so much better each month (my first card was super scary - this also happened in the Spring but hey I figure it still counts)
• Learned how to make one of my favorite foods, eggrolls - thank you, Katie.
• Attempted crocheting a blanket and didn't even get one square done :)
• Made a pin cushion by paper piecing and then hand stitching it together. - thank you, Zeph.
• Created a wall of pictures - which I am quite happy about because usually my harebrained ideas usually never turn out as well as I picture them. In fact, I will have to post a picture of this one just so you can see it :).

Kurt Update

I know we have talked to some of you but for the rest here is the most recent update. During the middle of July Kurt hurt his right knee playing basketball, well not really playing he was just messing around on a 6 foot rim - which is slightly amusing since he managed to make it through the whole season of football unharmed. He was in a lot of pain so we took him to an orthopedic doctor who wasn't able to find anything wrong so Kurt had to have an MRI. The MRI showed that he had completely torn his ACL and probably part of his meniscus. Due to his bum leg, Kurt cancelled his backpacking trip in the wind rivers and his fishing trip to Alaska and scheduled surgery (great trade, huh). Surgery was set for August 4th but was later moved to August 18th. The reason the surgery was moved back was that Kurt also has bone spurs on the heals of his feet and decided to have them removed at the same time as his knee surgery. The 18th was the earliest the two surgeons could coordinate their schedules.

Last week Kurt's leg started to feel strange and he lost most of the feeling in his foot so on Friday he called the doctor and was told to ice it and watch it over the weekend. On Monday things weren't any better so he called back in and was told to go straight to the ER because of possible blood clots. My amazing friend Tammy rushed over to watch the kids and Kurt and I headed off to see what else was wrong with him . . . at this point, I was really thinking my husband was falling apart. After a couple hours in the ER, an ultra sound, two injections and one pill of rat poison (literally) Kurt was released. He has blood clots all over in his right leg (starting above his knee and going down to his ankle). The doctors are confused because apparently this is not common with ACL injuries so they took some blood work to see if they can find the cause. At this point nothing looks abnormal in the blood work but they are still waiting on some results. In the meantime, Kurt gets to have injections for three more days and continue on with the other blood thinner (I like to call it rat poison since that is what it is). Due to the harshness of the blood thinner he has to have blood work at least once a week, and his surgeries are now postponed indefinitely.

I must admit I was a little freaked out and worried with this new development. The more I thought about it the more the seriousness of the situation hit me (and I am not usually a worrier). Our amazing neighbors came over last night and gave Kurt a blessing. I honestly must say it was a beautiful - I probably would have bawling if I wasn't so inept at showing or expressing emotion. I am feeling so much better today and am so grateful to everyone for their love and support!