Sunday, March 28, 2010

Cancun!!!!

First of all, i have to Thank The Tanner Family for making this trip possible for Jake and i! (i sound like a PBS fundraiser...."proceeds made possible by Jonhson and Johnson..."). Dallas and Maury - We owe you big time!!!!! Thank You!!!
And another massive thanks to Jakes dear dear parents who sacrificed their week off to stay with our kids for the whole week so we could leave. They endured vomit, more vomit (ugh!), school drop offs and pick ups (when the vomit was over), figuring out how to feed picky eaters, more vomit (this one was Grannies), messes, stress, love, patience, and hopefully a little fun inbetween! I feel horrible that our kids got sick while we were gone; but so grateful that Jakes parents dealt with it so well. I'd also like to thank Skype for keeping me sane...My heart ached for my children, but I was able to see them for a few minutes each night!
Now.....VIVA MEXICO!

Before the trip....White and tired....

And after several days of sun, relaxation and tan....and some red

Our dessert on our last night there - Creme Brulee with a nice touch from our awesome waiter!



The delicious red snapper i caught while deep sea fishing(well, i just reeled it in). There is a restaurant on shore that will cook up your catch for $10 - veggies, rice and drinks included. It was the best fish i have ever had. One hour previous it was happily swimming in the sea, now its fried and cripsy!



Jacobs fishing skills need some work. He caught a seashell.


Amazingly Beautiful Ocean......



These signs are in all the Taxi Cab buses that shuttle the Resort stayers around. They really do serve beer during the ride....but not while the car is in motion?? Crazy Cancun'ians.

Shopping in Playa Del Carmen, 5th Avenue - totally fun, and a little annoying...

Jakes "stone bowl" lunch. Its full of melted cheese, salsa, cactus leaf, chicken.... . I stuck with a chimichunga.... the best one i have EVER eaten!




One of the many hotel pools at our fine resort...It really was an amazing trip!

KARATE!

We have enrolled Jonah in a Karate class for kids with special needs. He's almost the youngest in age, but no one really notices. He loves his Karate class and has a great teacher and staff to work with. I'm seriously overcome with joy and pride each time i see Jonah (and the rest of the class) perform their Karate moves. Everyone is so encouraging and excited to be there - thrilled when they do a great job (and even if they dont). So much fun!!!! (and we still need to get him a uniform, he'd love it!)





Our little monkey!

She loves her Kindergym class. As soon as we get in those doors, she's off swinging, tumbling, and exploring!





Sunday, March 14, 2010

I've never been in an ambulance before......

Until now.
Lets back up a bit. As long as i can remember, i have had these little "speedy heart" episodes. Every once in a while - whether i am exerting myself or not - my heart will start to beat very rapidly for about 10-20 seconds long. It will always go away with a few deep breaths and relaxation. It used to only happen once or twice a year, therefore i never felt alarmed by it or felt the need to see a cardiologist. But as i am getting older and becoming more physically active, it has been occuring a lot more. In the past few weeks, it occurs as often as 3-4 x a week! So, moving along to my story...
So i have been training for a half marathon. And yesterday was my 8 mile run day. I have a cold, and i wasnt really in the mood to run. But i figured i was being a baby and just needed to do it. So i found a nice little trail to run on and began. I was getting tired very quickly, which isnt normal for me but i figured it was due to my little cold. But i persisted, i was determined to get this run in. And about 1 1/2 miles into my run, i had one of my heart episodes. I was aggravated b/c of the inconvenience. I had to stop running and wait until it passed. So i did. As soon as my heart regulated again, i began running. Another mile into it, it happened again! I was totally annoyed, stopped, waited. But this time it didnt go away. I figured i would just run slower and i would be fine. I began running and eventually forgot about it. It happened 2 more times before i realized that i couldnt run anymore. I had gone 5 miles and felt like i had gone 10! I was beyond exhausted and felt like i had destroyed my body. I stopped running and walked slowly until my vision started to go funny.
I wasnt seeing as clearly anymore - it was still bright, but dark at the same time - yellow and black. I knew this is what it must feel like before someone faints. I sat down on the side of the trail, put my head between my knees, and tried to relax and breath this episode out. But it wasnt getting any better. It was getting worse and i knew i was going to faint. I got way out of my comfort zone as asked the next runner (luckily this path is full of runners and bike riders, i was never alone) if she could help me. She asked what i needed and i told her that i felt like i was going to faint and i needed to lay down. So i did, and i closed my eyes. Next thing i knew i was totally relaxed, dreaming about mundane things (i need to finish the laundry, i should run to the store too....boring stuff); i thought i was in my bed simply sleeping.
After what felt like 10 seconds, i came back around and heard lots of people around me talking. I suddenly remember that i was trying to get that damn 8 mile run in and was laying next to the trail instead. My eyes were closed, i remember wanting to keep them closed, not ready to see any light. I felt something wet on my cheek and apoligized to the lady next to me for falling asleep and drooling. She said not to worry and began talking to people, describing to them what had just happened. I heard her say, "she was out for 15 minutes, she vomitted and wet
herself ". !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was only then that i realized that i had passed out for 15 whole minutes! I was totally embarassed for losing control of my stomach and bowels and apologized to everyone; i felt like a complete idiot. They of course told me not to apologize. Suddenly the EMT's were asking me tons of questions, which i was happy that i knew the answers to. Name, birthday, address, phone # - i knew them all!! The lady who helped me stayed there the whole time making sure i was ok. I know her name is Nicolette, but i dont even know what she looks like. Im immensly grateful for her help! I shouted out jakes cell phone # and someone called him. The EMT's loaded me up in the ambulance and took me to the ER. I decided to open my eyes when i was in the ambulance only to realize that i was surrouned by good looking EMT's, and i was lying there coverd in twigs, dirt, unshowered, and in soiled clothing!! Aw man! Embarassment settled in and i quickly let it let pass realizing they have dealt with worse and they dont care what i smell like (at least they pretended to not care). But one thing was for sure - i had clean underwear on!!!! Well, it was clean when i started running....
Anyway, at the hospital Jake showed up with all 3 kids. He threw a handful of diapers in the car and rushed over. The kids were happy to see me, but Jonah looked a little worried. I think he knew something was up. But i fought back the tears best i could and kept a smile on my face for him. The doctors ran all kinds of tests and diagnosed me with Wolf Parkinsons White Syndrome ( http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4785 ) which sounds exactly like what i have experienced my whole life. Since my episodes are more frequent than the average person, it is recommended that i undergo catheter ablation procedure. It is quick, safe, very low risk, and a cure! So i plan to set this up as soon as i can. It was terrifying to sit on the side of that trail knowing i was going to faint and not having a way to call Jake and tell him. To have to rely on complete strangers to get medical help for me while i lay there unconscious. Im grateful that there are so many willing and helping people out there! Im grateful that im home now, safe and well. Im still super tired, but after some r&r, i'll be back to normal. No more running for me. Its time to take up Yoga!

Smiley boogers

Okay, so i know this is gross, but it is also kind of cool. During one of the many snot'fests going on in my home, i noticed the beanbag had been used as a tissue. This happens all the time and i usually just wipe it away. But this particular booger smoosh looks kind cool so took a picture before i wiped away the random smiley face. Yup - my kids happened to wipe a random disgustingly happy booger smiley face onto the beanbag. They are artists and they dont even know it! Of course, next time i will give them a canvas and paints...

The Dog Bowl

A couple of months ago i was at my friend Cynthias house with the kiddos, just hanging out. Jonah was going in and outside following her little dogs around. While Cynthia and i were talking (probably about chocolate cake or something) i glanced out the back door to see this:

Jonah was drinking the water out of the dog bowl...just like a dog. It was pretty funny and i didnt stop him right away. I had to get a picture of it first, of course!