A Sporty, Busy Weekend

Golf & Auction

Friday was the big day: we held the charity golf tournament and silent auction at Snohomish Golf Course to benefit my mom's cancer treatment fund.   It's only been in the works for the last 6 weeks and at times I wondered if we would even be able to pull it off.  Thanks to a lot of hard work, a little luck, many hands and loads of faith, things came together with relatively few hitches.

It was a success with 40 players and gobs of awesome donations for the auction, but it was a very long day out on the greens in 90 degree heat for me.  This pregnant lady doesn't do well in heat, so it was a bit challenging; I was sweaty hot mess by 11am.  While some tolerated the heat better than I, everyone was thirsty.  After setting things up, I made several trips to get bottled water... and I may have also stopped at Pilchuck Drive-In for one of their famous shakes.  OK.  I did - and I seriously considered bathing in that creamy, chocolate-malty goodness.

*Our Motley Planning Crew*

Random pics of helpers, family, golfers & one darn cute Ellie

And here's a BIG thank-you to all of the people who donated time, money, talents, goods and anything else in support of our efforts.  I'm not a big fan of this trite phrase, but it really did "take a village" to pull this gargantuan event off!

Lake Stevens Sprint Triathlon

Last year, I competed in this local triathlon and while it was tough and like nothing I'd ever done before, I felt so proud of myself for simply finishing.  When Dave told he was a little jealous watching from the sidelines last year - wishing that he could have been out there too - I told him to sign up for the 2012 event even though we couldn't do it together.  He didn't have a ton of time to train (maybe a month?); the cycling would be no problem for him (9 miles in the race and he does a 40-mile wide on weekends just for fun), but he began to run (which is at the bottom of his 'favorites list') AND he taught himself proper swimming technique via YouTube.  And you know what?  He totally rocked it - which would not come as a shock to anyone that knows him.  And as I sat, taking my turn with Benjamin on the sidelines, I have to admit I was a little jealous that I wasn't out there with him.  Well, everything except the swim...

  

The big finish - 1:17 (3rd in his division)!  Way better than my 1:33 from last year... but again, no surprise.  I'm so proud of him for putting the effort in, facing the daunting task of learning some new skills and competing in the race.  It was a very good day as Benjamin & I cheered for him as the crossed that big blue FINISH line.

Asthma - My Dirty Little Secret

You know that phrase, "walking through the valley of the shadow of death"?  Well, that is about the best way I can describe the last several weeks of my life.  I haven't been up to much of anything, including my desire to blog.

Since I was about 10, I've known I have had a situational form of asthma, typically brought on by a severe allergy to animal dander or a respiratory infection.  Fast forward a couple of years and it suddenly morphed into the real deal, with an official diagnosis:  "Michelle, you have asthma".  I have hated admitting that to anyone because it makes me feel weak.  And, for the most part, I've done a good job of hiding (or maybe denying I have) it because I have magically kept it at bay for a long time.   Several of my old prescriptions have expired without being used much at all.

However, I now find myself very pregnant (27.5 wks) and have been struggling to breathe for the last 6 of those weeks.  It's frustrating, unnerving and even a bit scary at times - even I take the ability to breathe freely for granted at times.  After several doctor visits, a couple rounds of steroids (super-low dose due to the baby) and a slew of different inhalers, you'd think I would be breathing like a champ.  But alas, no such luck.

The inability to breathe has taken away my ability to sleep well, think well, work efficiently, any desire to do housework - not to mention totally messing with my emotional well-being.  My energy stores are abysmal and I think I've pulled some muscles from all of the intense coughing, which happens round the clock.  I'm normally an upbeat kind of person, but I'm struggling to stay positive when I just feel like such a mess.  Things got bad on Sunday (coping-wise); Dave had tons of meetings and so I was rushing to get things ready and get to church, only to turn around because I could not function without one of my meds, which I'd forgotten.  Running late, I had to park extremely far from the door.  Grabbing Benjamin in one arm and the ginormous church bag in the other, I literally ran to get into the meeting before someone else got up to direct the hymns.  After leading the music in a stuffy, hot chapel (that environment does not lend itself well to breathing easily), I went to take Benjamin to nursery and he slapped me across the face.  At that point, I was seriously questioning if I could stay for the block.  Dave took him to nursery and then we went to Sunday School.  I slipped out to take something to the car and then plopped down in the driver's seat.  Turning on the ignition, I flipped the air conditioner on turbo-high and then, most uncharacteristically for me, had a very good, ugly, cathartic cry.  Fifteen minutes later, I headed back in, somewhat composed.

The next step in combatting this problem is to see a specialist - a pulmonologist.  I'm terrified to walk in to the unknown world of weird tests and new drugs, but I'm so desperate for a solution I've swallowed what little pride I have in exchange for clear, functioning lungs.  Unfortunately, most specialists are super busy with their niche clientele; this place is no exception - they can't get me in until next week.  Doesn't sound like a big deal, but try sucking in your oxygen through a straw and you will understand why it sounds like an eternity to me.

And you may ask - how did I find time to blog about this yucky state of affairs?  Because sleep is so elusive and difficult, I dread going to bed so I use any number of stall tactics to avoid it.

So, that my friends, is my dirty little secret... and confessing this big weakness, though scary and uncomfortable, helps me cope with in it a weird way.  Once I get things under control, I hope to get back to a regular blog-posting schedule, devoid of these random confessionals.  

Out & About

While working from home, it's so easy to get logged on to the computer and let Benjamin just run wild & play with his toys.  But, I've been making a great effort to actually get Benj & I out of the house on occasion.  It is easier said than done, but here are a few of our "Out & About" days:

~lunch date~

We had to run some errands so I stopped to grab a Macho Burrito at Azteca and then we zipped across the street to one of Benjamin's favorite places, the Mill Creek Library Park.  In between stealing bites of  chicken, beans, salsa & chips, Benjamin was scrambling up the climbing wall, flying down the slide, running around and hurling wood chips into the air.  I count that as an awesome and most successful lunch date with my little guy!

striking a pose

wood! chips! 

~sand & water~

Willis Tucker is our go-to play place because it is 1) close to home, 2) has a ginormous sand box, and 3) supplies hours of fun in the splash pad, which Benjamin calls the sprinkler!  As I've said in the past, this kid LOVES water.  

our little digger 

 on a mission

 lots & lots of sprinklers!

"mom, i'm having so much fun!" 

the sweet tastes of summer

"Save Our Mom"

This week, my minutes, hours and days have been monopolized by the work to get a very important fundraising effort off the ground: my mom is sick and needs our help.

The long and short of it is this (which I posted on Facebook):

A humble call for help: In 1999, my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Multiple Myeloma, but after a successful stem cell transplant it went into remission. However, it has returned; at this point, her only option is another transplant in Jan 2013. Unfortunately, the cost has skyrocketed to $425K; insurance will cover most of it, but we must come up with $25K before they will even book the transplant. We have tentatively scheduled a charity golf tournament for Friday, September 7th at the Snohomish Golf Course. Anyone interested in golfing, working as an event volunteer or donating items for the silent auction would be wonderful and appreciated more than you know. I'm not one to ask for help but I know that my family can't do this alone. 

The amount of work involved with this has been incredibly massive.  In the last several days, we've started putting together a golf tournament, a website, fliers, donation sites, bank accounts, and so much more.  And the tournament is just one of several events we have in the works.  I think my average bedtime this week has been around 1am, and only because I collapsed from exhaustion.

But, the response to this call has been incredible.  We've had numerous people say they want to volunteer, others who want to golf or kindly donate items for our auction.  Last night, I received an email for a valuable silent auction donation that made me cry; a big feat, as I am not a big "crier". Somebody else has already given a sizable cash donation for the treatment fund.  We have been so humbled and overwhelmed by the great support and love from family, friends and our community.

If you want to know more, check out our newly-hatched blog/website, Save Our Mom.

hodgepodgery

What happens when you have a busy life and can't seem to etch out the time to blog about it?  You have lots of pictures in your hard drive and have no idea how to blog about them all in this lifetime.  This is where I find myself... so here is my patchwork blog with loads of randomness.   

Seattle Summer Gear

This is a Seattle kid, through and through: the "shorts & mittens" combo is as Northwest as socks and sandals... well, almost.  

Dance Party with the Cousins

We had the girls over one Friday night so that Bracan & Rachel could do some work down in Seattle.  We ended the evening on a high note; they "danced like dervishes" while Dave strummed punk-rock versions of Primary songs on his guitar.  "Do As I'm Doing" has never been so cool.

Playing at Willis Tucker with the Williams

Our local park started a farmer's market on Friday afternoons.  We headed up to see what it was all about.  Much to our surprise, we ran into Bracan, Rachel & the girls.  With an afternoon of cousin/aunt/uncle fun, digging in the sand, stomping in the mud and running around with sheer abandon, I can almost hear Benjamin say "Best Day Ever!".

Rainy Day at Willis Tucker Park

As you can see, we just have to go with the flow (and by flow, I mean copious amounts of rain).  We had been cooped up inside for far too long, so we piled in the car and headed to the park when the skies parted.  Sure enough, as soon as he got in the sand pit, the rains started again.  And, you know, we just went with it; got a little soggy, but it was a much-needed day at the park.

Potty Training Antics

As we near preschool days, I am desperately trying to get this kiddo out of diapers.  We've tried different things, to no avail and lots of Resolve cleaner.  But, he really likes the underwear he picked out and loves to wear them, even if it is not in the conventional way.

Forest Park Splash Pad

Following closely behind his monkey blanket, recreational water play is one of his favorite things.  Oh, and trains (he's swinging on a train model at the park, at right).  After changing him into his swim stuff, he was in the water for two full hours... in fact, I had to drag him away, kicking, screaming & shivering from the chilly dip.

Top 5!

If I remember correctly, I believe that our June in Seattle made it into the Top 5 for one of the rainiest Junes on record.  You can't tell very well, but it was pouring in the picture at left.  I guess the benefit of such a record is the grass looks very, very green this summer!

Our recent Relief Society Meeting

This was one of our most popular RS meetings ever!  We had sisters in the ward do 3-5 minute mini-presentations on things like quick hemming tips,  how to wear a scarf, proper exercise technique, how to make laundry soap, DIY baby headbands, how to make the perfect pie crust, etc.  It was such a fun night... highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a clever night for their next meeting!

Recent Sewing Fun 

I whipped up these for my SIL, Azzlinn, who is expecting a little girl in September.  I made two fleece, machine-quilted & embroidered baby blankets; three embroidered, flannel burb cloths; baby booties, and much more! I had to leave the party early, but I heard she really liked everything.