Week #20 @ The Dahlhouse

HANGING out with this little one.  She missed three days of school due to a horrible cough.  When Miss B gets sick, she gets asthmatic.  It requires 2 inhalers, honey, cough meds, Advil and a pulse ox monitor for me to be able to treat her. 

LOOKING at buying a new laptop.  I have some funds to find a laptop for my VIPKID business.  It would really be a blessing to not have to haul the computer up and down the stairs. 

PAINTING with this fun group of ladies from church.  It was so good for my soul to go and just be.  There is something very therapeutic about art. 

CHAPERONING a kindergarten field trip for B.  Matthew tagged along of course.  It was a long day. I am feeling impatient at this point not having heard any results on my pathology test.  I admit to checking my phone several times this day for a missed call or email.

 LUNCHING with my mom at McMenamins Edgefield for an early celebration of my birthday.  After we went shopping, just the two of us.  I love our yearly tradition. 

CHECKING into the doctor's office...again.  This time with Man Cub.  He had been super grumpy and digging in his ear.  Sure enough...ear infection. POOR guy.  Antibiotics all around. 

 ENJOYING his amazon delivery from Mimi!  He LOVES it!  Anything with wheels. 

No post is complete with a seven year using a golf club as a boom mic!  LOL.  I think they have watched too much reality TV. 

At the end of Week #20, I am still waiting for the pathology results and I may or may not have said a few swear words when talking with Mark about my frustrations.  Limbo is not a good place for me.  Knowledge is power.

The Dahlhouse: Week #19~The Call No One Ever Wants to Get

Waiting for biopsy results,  is a nerve wracking experience.  So when the doctor's phone number flashed on my cell phone screen, I immediately knew this was not good news.  I got the call I had been terrified of getting for years.  The call that I have cancer.   He informed me that the mole I had removed off my arm was benign and one mole off my shoulder was Melanoma in situ.  In situ is classified as stage 0, meaning the cancer is sitting on the top of the skin.  It has not spread, and it is all in one place.  The treatment is surgery to remove more skin surrounding the melanoma and test for clear margins.  Once the margins are clear, the follow up treatment is more frequent skin checks.  In one five minute phone call, I found out I had cancer and was scheduled for surgery the following week.  My head was spinning.

I had a few days of a pretty good pity party.  I vacillated between being extremely thankful it was caught so early, and feeling angry and scared (mom to four kiddos). 

Tuesday, May 9, Mark and I went in for my surgery.  The doctor removed a lot more skin than I was expecting.  Here I am all marked up so the surgeon knows what is being removed.  They used a special light in marking up my skin.  My poor eyes, I had only had one break down in front of the doctor by this point. 

*NOTE: We choose not to tell our kids about my skin cancer at this point.  They know I have moles removed, as this has been happening since I was a teenager.  They knew I had have some additional skin removed but for the time being...they don't need to know.  Especially since I have two kiddos with anxiety disorders.  If you know our family personally, please do not mention this to them as they won't have any idea.  Thank you so much!

Here was my shoulder the night after the surgery.  Out of all the difficulties of this process, not being able to hold Matthew with my right arm has proved the most difficult challenge.  After the skin was removed...I found myself waiting again.  For pathology results.  Waiting to heal.  It has been a lot of waiting. 

I think that one of the most interesting lessons I have learned with all this is that life continues and moves on.  It didn't stop because I found out I have skin cancer.  I continued to teach classes, carry Matthew with one arm, go on a field trip, take the kids to a rabbit show, laugh, go out with friends. 

We even sold our Honda Odyssey during this time period as well. 

I celebrated Mother's day with this sweet girl and her class a few days after surgery.

The three olders and I went to a rabbit show at Clark County Fair Grounds. 

I even sported my 4H shirt and had a pretty good day being with my kids. 

At the end of week #19, I was still waiting on the edge of my chair to hear if things were "all clear" or if I was going to have to undergo another surgery. 

The Dahlhouse: Week 18

Week 18 found us busy as usual around here!  Mark was invited to speak at Luke's middle school chapel.  The introduction Luke gave to Mark was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. 

SLEEPING on mama while daddy is speaking.  Such a sweet, tired, boy.

TALKING to the students about having courageous faith. 

PLAYING outside.  This boy!!! His heart is outside in the grass and dirt.

ENJOYING baseball season with Luke playing on the Giants.  He LOVES all sports. 

WORRYING about this weird mole I have on my shoulder.  I made an appointment to see him this week. 

RECOVERING after the dermatologist decided to biopsy the mole and one other.  Now the waiting begins on the results.  I am never one who is good at waiting...

Week #16 & 17 @ The Dahlhouse

Week 16 & 17 at the Dahlhouse were rolled into one for this update.  Week #16 began with the cleaning of the girls room (which seems to be a weekly thing). 

How is it that my 12 year old is more messy than my 7 year old?  Questions to ponder :)

TRUTH...it probably looks like this right now!

Miss B clearly needs an intervention in the beanie boo department.  She has all the love for ALL the animals.  Beanie Boo's are her love language I think!

LOVING...my new iPhone!  Totally went a new direction than Mark and I am oh so HAPPY I did!  This phone was clearly made for me.  Red...apples...teacher...need I go on? 

CELEBRATING 100 days working at VIPKID!  Seriously, the best job I have had in a LONG time!  I would love to chat with you about it if you want to know more.  Send me an email at misscarissa@hotmail.com

THINKING about getting this swing for Matthew for our back porch.  I had one for Luke many moons ago. 

ENJOYING my new van that Mark brought home for me.  Seriously guys, he is wonderful!  He works so hard and is so giving.  This van is AMAZING...like it will do things I ask it to! 

LOVING the moon roof, which by far, hands down, is my FAVORITE option it has. 

FEELING happy cruising around with my mini me.  :) 

Week 15 @ The Dahlhouse

Our Easter week started with the annual coloring of the eggs.  This girl!!! She would dye eggs until you rip the colored cups out of her hands.  She dyed eggs and then re-dyed eggs!   LOL

SMILING for the camera!  Next year I foresee a little chubby toddler hands covered in colored egg dye.

TAKING Lots of pictures to document this fun and wonderful holiday.  Seriously the suspenders on Matthew KILL me!

HANGING with Mimi.  Poor Papa was sick and Mimi was so gracious to still put on an amazing Easter dinner. 

HUNTING Easter Eggs in Mimi and Papa's backyard.  It is a family tradition!  Matthew's first time participating.  Of course he wanted NOTHING to do with the eggs. 

DRESSING up for Easter!  The bow tie!!!

PLAYING outside Easter Sunday.

WATCHING sweet kids eat together.

ENJOYING friends and a good meal.

BABIES!!!

HUNTING more Easter Eggs. 

RELAXING on the back porch.

We had an amazingly wonderful weekend filled with great food, fantastic company and memories I will not forget!