Our long day was not without humor....

Today was a really long day for all of us.  I am imagining it will take us another three days to re-cooperate from this one!

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  We planned on making it to church that morning, but that didn't happen with everything we still had left to take care of before we left.  So first thing in the morning Pumpkin comes in and hands me this bundle of newspaper ads that she twisted to make them look like a bouquet of flowers.  She was so excited to give them to me and say "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!"  lol  Then they all disappeared into the kitchen and came back in with a bowl of frosted mini-wheats singing "happy mothers day to you!"  They were so cute!!  I spent the next 15 minutes scooping my cereal into each of their mouths, leaving myself about three bites.     lol

We then began the long process of packing for our overnight trip.  You would think that an overnight trip would be easy, just throw some stuff in a bag and be done!  NOPE!  Not for this family!!  There were bags upon bags of pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, sippy cups, bottles, clothes, extra clothes, night clothes, bathing suits, flotation devices, books, coloring books, snacks, dvd's, dvd players, laptops, school books, and toiletries (which we forgot).

We spent Sunday afternoon at my sister's house with her and her family, and my parents were there as well.  I had a really great time spending time with everyone.  My favorite part of the day was when my sister and I escaped to her room to try on clothes.  I needed a nice dress for a wedding and she let me borrow one from her.  I love spending time with her the way sisters should spend time with each other.  By the time we left, I really wasn't ready to leave and could have stayed there another whole day!  The girls were having fun, Nathan & I were having fun, and well...I just love spending time with my family.

We left for Charlottesville around 6:30 Sunday night.  The kids all slept on the way there so they were really awake by the time we arrived.  We unloaded luggage then reloaded the kids and went to the grocery for the toiletries we left behind, and some Arby's for dinner, then we were off again to the hotel pool for the kids to swim till bedtime.

Nathan's appointment with his surgeon was at 8am this morning.  I stayed behind with the girls at the hotel while he went, but he recorded it all so that he was able to replay it for me (although I still haven't listened to all of it).  They basically told him that he could still put off surgery if he wanted.  They said that if he is functioning at all that he still had time!!  They didn't think his weakness in his toes were as bad as the pain doctor had thought, and they gave him the option to wait longer or go ahead with it.  They said at this point if he had surgery it would only reduce 80% of his pain, so essentially he will NEVER be pain free unless God grants us another miracle.  He told Nathan that some people are just not ready for surgery and just have an epiphany one day that the time has come!  And I believe that time is here for Nathan...well..as here as it is going to get anyways.  He went ahead and told them to schedule the surgery.  They are about 4 months out with scheduling so that puts us in August/September.  They are supposed to call with an actual date soon.  Until then we will continue with physical therapy, cortisone shots, topical pain relief, and oral pain medication.  The surgery will be 6-8 hours long; he will be in the hospital for up to a week, and unable to do much outside of going to the bathroom, and laying in bed, for 3 months.  We go back for another appointment in August, before surgery, they will do a CAT scan and give us more information so far as living arrangements for me and the kids, and instructions for the surgery.

After his appointment we loaded up the kids and headed back home to Richmond.  We got home with enough time for me to put on make up (that was left behind too), and do my hair then we were off again. As we were coming out of our neighborhood Nathan read a sign that was hung up on a stop sign that said "missing cat"  he told me it said there was a 500.00 reward for a black cat!!  Just as I turned the corner I saw a black cat walking up a drive way down the road I just passed.  Starting to get excited about that $500.00 I pulled a U turn in the street and told Nathan we were going back for it!!  We get to the house where I saw it walking up into the yard and I ask him, "do you see it, right there behind the bushes!"  Nathan rolls his window down and starts to say, "psssssstttttt....here...."  and we both saw it at the same time...the little black kitten was one dimensional, and stuck in the ground between the bushes and the driveway.  It was a little  kitten carved out of wood!  And again I LOST IT!!  I was laughing so hard I was crying!  Nathan turns to me (thinking I was messing with him) and says, "whatever, look at you doing a U turn for that 500.00 reward...haha, there really wasn't a reward I was just kidding!!"  I promise though it was a real cat walking up that yard...I don't know where he went or what happened to him but he was there!!  And who in the world buys a wooden kitten and puts it in their bushes in their yard!!  Poor people probably thought we were out of our minds yelling at their decorations!! LOL

Anyways so our day ended with a trip to St. Mary's for Nathan's shot.  It took about 2 hours and the girls were really having a hard time sitting there so we walked around for a while.  After his shot he was not able to lift anything or bend over. He has to rest for 24 hours to allow it to take effect.  So that means...no lifting kids, buckling kids, lifting strollers, holding kids, rocking kids, putting kids to bed, cleaning, you name it...he gets out of it for 24 hours!!  ;)  aww...my sweet husband, I just wish he felt better!  So now...he has a physical therapy appointment this Wednesday, and another shot next Tuesday.  Hopefully they will work this time!!