bonjour/ciao/guten tag

When I was younger I used to watch  movies filmed in Paris and think " I want to go there". The city seems so alive. and romantic. So I put it on my mental 'to do someday' list. And a week from tomorrow- we will be there! I feel so old checking things off my 'someday' list. but I am going to be 30 this year...yikes!

*thank you to all who messaged me and commented on things to do /not do while we are there. I really appreciate all the input!*

I know, some of you are thinking ' didn't you just go on vacation??'. well, yes we did. While our Europe trip has been planned for months, Bonaire was sort of last minute when I found out I got a week vacation in February. And it was a trip Philip has been dying to take. we both realize that trips like these won't happen once babies come along. and we are also very fortunate Philip's job allows him to moonlight and pay for these trips. We realize how lucky and blessed we are. 

So anyway- next Sunday we fly out (easter sunday, not so ideal, but we are going to be able to have easter brunch with the fam before we leave). The flight to Paris is about 8 hours (not as long as Hawaii thank goodness. I have restocked my meds and patches for nausea.) We will get to Paris around noon (paris time). We stay there for 4 days, then take the train to Zermatt Switzerland. 3 days later, we take another train to Venice Italy. 

Paris seems to be the most challenging city to 'fit it all in'. There are so many things to see there. So the other day we sat down and decided on things we each really wanted to see/do. While this will come as a huge shock to my family- we don't have an agenda really. I want to have time to picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower. To roam the cobblestone streets at night. to walk in the rain and dry off in a cafe. I am most excited to go here.

We keep going back and forth about skiing in Zermatt. Right now it is 30 degrees there. that is really cold. and requires a lot of extra clothes to stay warm. I am running out of suitcase space! I dont think we can go wrong in Zermatt- the pictures look beautiful (and if you watched the Bachelor this is where Ben proposed to Courtney). I think it will be a nice change from the busyness of Paris. I know I am excited about the chocolate there! Philip's grandparents have been to Switzerland a lot. Philip has gone with them and loved it. it seems like an 'outdoorsy' place, which fits us both. 

Venice poses a challenge for me: traveling on water. I envision myself puking off the side of a gondola! (except people have told us this really isn't that great, and too expensive. so I dont think we will be taking a ride in the old gondola) This city is somewhat of a question mark for me. I have no idea what to expect.The churches and museums there are beautiful in pictures.

There is always a certain level of anxiety for me when we travel. I always worry about something bad happening when are gone. Especially with Grandma being sick right now, it's hard to go so far away. but we should have wi-fi at our hotels and able to keep in touch/face time. that way we can also say hi to Jackson:) 

au revoir :)

(think I can pull this off in my KY accent? Philip laughs at me when I try! )

plants, NOLA, grandma

9 days people! we leave for my dream vacation in 9 days!!! 

(more on this in another post)

For now, let me update you on our landscape situation. 

I left off that mom and dad were coming up on saturday to help me rectify Jackson's destruction. dad laid chicken wire under the mulch, mom and i put these long sticks around the plants to try to keep him out. 

Mom and I also planted purple tulips out front and around our mailbox! i love them. and we also hung new blinds on the door where Maya destroyed them. all while poor philip was sleeping the day away from working nights all weekend.

Monday I came home from work to find this 

the SECOND rose bush- torn apart. and one of the sticks.

::sigh:: 

Anyway- Monday night it was supposed to frost and I was scared for my new tulips! My wonderful husband helped me cover them up, with  his light weight sleeping bags and some trash bags:)

A few of the tulips were broken but Mom put them on my kitchen table so i could watch them bloom :)

LOVE the purple!

So enough about flowers and destructive animals.

My parents, Aunt Ellen, and their good friend Vic, leave bright and early tomorrow for NOLA!!!! They inherited tickets from a Duke fan who obvi doesn't need them now :) 

They went last year and had such a good time. I am so excited for them and can't wait to hear about their trip this year! 

Philip and I are getting together with our life group to watch the game and cheer on the CATS! (fingers crossed I don't get called into work though)

Update on Grandma: She has taken a small turn for the better. She seems to be getting stronger and more alert. Her only remaining and baby sister, Aunt Lou and her husband Gene are in from FL to visit. Philip and I are headed to gtown to have dinner with everyone tonight. I know Grandma loves getting to see her family she doesn't always get to. 

Hope everyone has big plans to watch the game Saturday night! don't forget to wear your BLUE:)

Happy Friday

I am supposed to be at the gym right now. Friday mornings I go to spinning at 9am. I try not to miss it unless I'm working. But when my alarm went off this morning, my body screamed 'do not move yet'. so I didn't:) lazy, I know, but 4 12 hour shifts in a row has taken it's toll...

I have quite the fun day planned for myself today :) Philip just went to bed after working all night. I try to plan things on days he works nights and I am off. Otherwise I find things to do around the house and wake him up.

so anyway, I am having lunch with my friend Sarah who goes to CRNA school in WV. she's home on break this week, so I get to see her and catch up!

Tonight, I am having dinner with my good friends Jessie and Erin. THEN we are going to see the Hunger Games!!!  I am soo excited!!! If you haven't read this trilogy, you are seriously missing out.

UK plays at 9:45. Yikes! we are cutting it close. So I am going to go from the movie to meet some other friends to watch the game. GO CATS!

Lastly, I have no words for how upset Philip was to come home to this : 

(you can see how we weakly tried to prevent him from getting in with our patio chairs...)

my first rose bushes... scattered around the yard :/

Luckily, I have awesome parents who are coming up tomorrow to help  me rectify this situation. (as I said Philip is working nights all weekend...). Hope we can find a way to keep the crazy man out of our new flowers. Do any of you have dogs who dig?! what do you do???

Spring is Here!

Sunday I was so excited to have a day to just relax. I had a long week of work ahead of me, the weather was beautiful. I had a good book... I was so happy.

THEN my husband woke up. He had other plans. He wanted to do landscape (finally- we have only been in the house 2 1/2 years!) 

So he trekked to Home Depot and came home with all of this :

So we mowed. and planted. and weeded. and mulched. allll day. but the weather was great. and Philip doesn't get many days to do stuff like that. so it was nice. here are some pics of our hard work. 

On the left side of our house:

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Front and right side of our house:

BEFORE

no before of front- just all my hard work after

 

AFTER

baby trees. they will grow, I hope.

Back of house (no before pics. we were too dirty and sweaty to think about that)

Philip bought me two rose bushes that will (fingers crossed!) produce pink roses! I am so excited!

Jackson was also excited, as he dug in the mulch yesterday and got in big trouble. 

speaking of big trouble...

damn cat. she has now ruined almost every one of our blinds.

Happy First Day of Spring!!!

Grandma Update

Update on Grandma Wilhoite:

She has gone home from the hospital and is much happier there. The bone biopsy from Monday diagnosed her with Multiple Myeloma. We are not sure what stage.  Hospice is seeing her several times a week plus whenever we need them to. Since she has left the hospital, she has seemed to 'perk up' a bit. Philip and I took her a milkshake from McD's yesterday and she drank almost 3/4 of it, which is huge for her. She has a catheter in place and a hospital bed in her room. She is still able to get around with her rolling walker, and assistance.

She is very thankful to be home and have her family around her. Uncle Curt, Aunt Rita, Tiffany and little Harrison came in from GA this weekend. loved seeing them. I know Grandma did too. 

So for now we are focusing on comfort and just spending time with her. There is no way of knowing when she will make her home in heaven. But we know that is where she is going, and she tells us she is ready to be there. We tell her that we understand, and we will see her when it is our turn to get there.

Thank you for all of your prayers, emails, texts and thoughts. I have relayed all of them to Grandma and she always says 'thats wonderful' or 'thank you'. 

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." Revelation 21:4

Prayers Please

If you are reading this, I am assuming we are either a)family or b)friends. I am not cool enough to have random people read  my blog. and I mean, why would anyone who doesn't know me want to. I dont talk about anything exciting:) 

Since that is the case, I know I can be open on here and ask for prayers.

My Grandma Wilhoite is not doing very well. She went to the doctor on Monday to have some tests done, and they called her Wednesday to tell her they wanted to admit her to the hospital due to some concerning things on her blood work and urine tests. 

Grandma is not eating. that is the main problem. but many problems are stemming from this issue. Her kidneys are not functioning properly due to the lack of fluid in her body (creatinine was 5, BUN in 50's). If her kidneys aren't working well,  her potassium level gets high (this issues has since resolved). However yesterday they found her blood levels were low (Hemoglobin was 7). They gave her some blood, which I felt certain would perk her up. It didnt seem to do that. So now the question is, why is her blood level so low.

They have found some protein in her urine, which is also concerning.

Monday they will do a bone biopsy to test for multiple myeloma. They are also going to run some tests on her kidneys. 

If you know my Grandma at all, you know how stubborn she is. You can't make this woman do anything she doesn't want to do. It just won't happen. We cant' shove food down her throat. And no amount of coaxing or persuading is working on her. believe me, we are all trying.

So, if you could please say prayers for her. for our family. for Auntie Jo who is taking such good care of her. I know I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for reading this and caring about me enough to pray. 

 

Happy 2nd Birthday Maya!

Happy Birthday to our sweet (but rotten) kitty, Maya!! 

Her presents :)

I can't believe it has been 2 years since she was born, I remember when we got her and she was this tiny!:

at pet smart before we brought her home

She definitely keeps life interesting around this house. Mischievous and cuddly, all in one tiny little ball of fur:)

Happy Birthday! 

Jackson's "dad insisted I get a present too" football. he loves it.

Tornado Update

When I was writing my last post I really had no idea the devastation that had occurred for so many in West Liberty KY, London and other counties.

Philip was working a shift in Morehead that night. Which is the neighboring county to Morgan County, where the worst of the tornado damage was. Looking back we know God put him there to be there that night.

 the victims went to St Claire's ER. Philip said it was unimaginable. Ambulances were showing up with 6 people in them. A man with a femur fracture, instead of coming in strapped to a back board, rode up front with the ambulance driver. He told Philip ' they didn't have any room for me in the back'. The ER doctors that work there came in, unasked, to help out. It was mass casualty, just like you learn how to do in the healthcare field. but you never expect to really have to do it. 

They were tagging people based on the mass casualty criteria: green if you can walk, yellow if you require attention but not immediately, red if you require immediate attention, and black if the attention you require is too much given the amount of victims. They opened a family medicine clinic where all the greens went to be treated there. the ER was reserved for yellows and reds. Philip said the organization and effort from Morehead was incredible. He is so proud to be associated with a community and hospital that took care of people the way that they did. The CEO of St Claire was down there asking what they needed and getting it done. They all stayed well after their shifts to take care of people and help in any way they could (which left me home alone wishing he was here, but so proud of him for being there).

I am on the SORT committee at work, and was called in to respond to the code yellow (mass casualty) that was called at UK. As I frequently do, I had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to several missed calls, voicemails and texts. Freaking out, i called work where I was told there were more than enough resources there and to sleep since I was coming in the next day. I feel terribly guilty for not being there.  And even more guilty when I got to work Saturday and so many of my coworkers were working off of little sleep after having been there all night to help. I work with some amazing people.

A picture could never really portray the heart ache and emotions that West Liberty is going through. but the pictures you can see online are devastating. A whole town- completely gone.

Saturday morning I woke up thinking if only the tornado had taken a different path, we could have been the ones waking up to the destruction that West Liberty was waking up to. and I feel guilty for thanking God for protecting me, my friends, and my family. because I didn't deserve it. and yes, I am so so very thankful. but it doesnt seem right that we were spared the heartache while others weren't. (I still haven't sorted through these thoughts yet).

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength,
      always ready to help in times of trouble.
 ² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
      and the mountains crumble into the sea.
 ³ Let the oceans roar and foam.
      Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.

Tornado

We are all alive and safe.

When I got home from the gym this morning, all over the news were predictions for the terrible weather that was heading to KY. 

Philip is working in Morehead. we have no basement. i am freaking out. 

here is what we were shown :

They kept telling us the white area was the bullseye where the most damage was going to occur. The man from the weather channel was spotted in the Lexington Airport. Facebook was blowing up with statuses about people having to pick their kids up early from school, people offering up their basements and other storm related comments.

Luckily for me, my friend Jordan took the day off from work and was freaking out a little bit too. She came over and laid on the couch with me while we watched the news. 

I texted my neighbor to see if she was home and we could use her basement. She is so wonderful, she said yes and bring Jax and Maya. 

I packed my storm bag. I dug out an old dog crate to put Maya in. I folded up Jackson's sleep blanket. It was all sitting by the door ready to go with me when things got bad.

Jordan's husband Nick got off work early (as did everyone else in Lexington. even Wal-Mart closed!). He came over and kept us calm. I am so thankful they were with me and I was not alone.

When the tornado watch went to a warning, we hiked next door and hunkered down in their basement.

Thank God that the tornado passed over us. Damage was shown to Indiana and it is devastating. May God offer comfort to the people that live there and are suffering.