It snowed...in October

Yesterday morning we woke up to quite the suprise...



We had about 2 inches of snow covering the ground! CRAY-ZAY!! Kept snowing till late in the afternoon and was absolutely Beautiful!

Cooper went to his second obedience class this week. He sits on command really well and is now good at "down" as in laying down. I have been trying really hard to spend a few minutes everyday working on commands with him. He seems to not really be interested in learning at the house right now so we have been walking to the park to practice till he gets more focused.

He really liked playing in the snow at the park yesterday while we trained. I am trying to get him to "Stay" for a longer period of time. We also worked hard on his "leave it" command which he gets the jest of after the first few reminder times.

After we got home last night I was in complete shock because he just laid down in my room and watched me re-arrange my closet. HE JUST WATCHED ME! This was huge for him because usually he has to have something to focus on like a bone or toy. I even freaket a bit when I noticed he had snuck away, I was so sure he was getting in to the pizza that was for dinner or destroying some Halloween decorations... NOT AT ALL! He was just laying on the floor in the living room and as soon as I walked in he rolled over on his back wanting a belly rub. I think he was a little tired of hearing me yell at the Rangers as they let game 6 slip from them in the 9th, 10th and 11th innings. But I was still so SO proud of him!

Big night for Cooper and I! He even slept inside on the floor by my bed until 4 am when he needed to go potty. Hopefully we can work on that and get him to sleep soundly through the night inside with me!

One Year

Sunday Drew and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary together! I honestly CANNOT believe that it has been one year since we started dating. It feels at times like it was just yesterday he spilled water on me on our first date and then it feels like we have been dating for a decade.

Sunday morning when before we left for church he suprised me with this BEA-UTIFUL bouquet of red roses. I am personally not a huge rose fan but these were stunning!

I gave him a bottle of True Religion cologne from Drug Imporium... they sell mainstream scents there for a fraction of the cost. However for the fraction I did not get a box with the cologne so it looked a little jicky. He has wanted that cologne for a while and could care less about the box so it all worked out.

After church we went to eat out and then got pumpkins to carve. Before I could carve any pumkins though I needed a good ole Sunday afternoon nap while he watched the Cowboys, who FINALLY won a game!



We had a fun time together carving pumkins after the Cowboys game and while waiting on my meatloaf to cook. He LOVES meatloaf and is probably the ONLY person who could get me to make it for him.

I went with a white pumkin this year. Drew kept telling me it was too small but when I was finished cleaning it out and carving it long before him he realized why I got such a small one.

Our pumkins in all their glory... I totally think we should  make this a yearly anniversary tradition. So much FUN!  Mine is supposed to be a mummy with pennies as eyes. Drew of course did an AWESOME job on his scary pumkin face.

It was such a wonderful, chill day to celebrate with him.  I am so blessed by him and his calming influence in my life. I learn new things about him everyday and appreciate how much he struggles to be the best man he can be for me. He stands up for me and tries to protect me even when I think I don't need it and listens to all my "i'm overwhelmed" breakdowns. I love and adore him!

Shrimp Con Queso

Since we didn't do the Alzheimer's walk on Saturday I decided that after I slept in a little bit it would be a great day for Mom and I to make Shrimp Con Queso.

This is a dish that my Mom has made during the Fall/Winter seasons as long as I can remember. I remembered it always being a BIG deal when she made it for us. It was always a very special night.

I have been craving this dish for such a long time because I don't think she has made it for the couple of years. Neeley and I have talked about wanting it as soon as Mom got here.

We went to the store yesterday to gather our ingredients and invited all of the family over to celebrate the season with us.

The recipe is in our Powell Family Cookbook but Mom originally got it from our dear friend Linda Talley in Alvin.

The recipe is pretty simple actually, I was amazed I never took the time to look it up and try to make it myself. Things are always better when Mom makes them anyway.

I cannot believe that I totally forgot to take pictures of the finished product, but the best part of the day was cooking with my mom!

Tired at the end of a long week

SOOO Thankful it is Friday! This week has really kicked my butt.

After a lot of consideration I am really extremely sad to report that we are going to have to skip the Alzheimer's walk this year. Everyone here is busy with stuff going on and mom doesn't feel like she could actually walk in it and I do not feel confident leaving her sitting on the side by herself. I really thought it would be a great opportunity for her to feel surrounded and supported but it looks like this year it won't be happening.

With everything that has been going on  I have not fundraised for the Walk at all. I posted here and on Facebook but never really made it a need. We did get one donation from an AMAZING family member. Someone who I feel like in the midst of complete chaos knows what it feels like to have their world crumple around them. She has walked with such amazing Grace through hardships and challenges. She too has been deeply impacted by Alzheimer's disease in her own immediate family. When I feel discouraged I look at her and find the strength to carry on. Nancy Thank you so very very much for your donation! You are such a light in my life.Thank you for all your support and love!!

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I talked to Christie last night about my Dad. He had a surgery this morning to remove the port in his shoulder area. He is very succeptible to infection right now. He is still not quite up and moving around yet. He is able to eat real food but doesn't have the appetite for it.

They doctor's have confirmed that the tumor moved around in his abdomen and that is what caused the holes. They said he was very very very sick for a couple weeks before it actually burst, while the holes were probably ripping and then was in excruciating pain when it actually burst open.

The nurses and directors at Marie Crowley have told Christie and Dad that they have several Clinical Trials for him to be a part of once he is up and moving around and ready to go through that again. They also said the tumor used to be the size of a Grapefruit and is now the size of an orange... but are not sure what caused that change. I am ecstatic about that news!

Next week sometime, with no more complications over the weekend, they are hoping he will be able to be moved to an Acute Care Facility in Grapevine, which is closer to home. They will help change the dressings on his Wound Vac, that is what is closing up his incision, and help him with the physical therapy he is needing to move around.

He is still slipping in and out of clear communication. The nurses say this is normal, that he is dead tired, fighting infection, has not eaten and it is a symptom of that. I know he is ready to go home and getting sadder and more depressed with each day he remains there. I wish so badly I were closer to cheer him up. Instead I am sending up continual prayers for his recovery!


I feel like I could sleep ALL DAY tomorrow! Happy Weekend!

Out of Control

Today I am spinning, and I don't mean aerobics class.

I feel as though I can usually, USUALLY, be pretty good at juggling. Juggling everything at a time. People coming at me from all angles needing stuff and me trying to manage my own life on top of it all.

However lately it's been a different story. Lately I feel like it is ALL crumbling down around me.

I am realizing that I cannot control it all. That I alone really cannot control any of it! I am concentrating to much on the little things. Putting too much pressure on myself to have deadlines or handle it all.

I am being given A LOT more responsibility at 25 than I would have ever imagined. Handling my mom's affairs can be draining but I am honored to do it. Dealing with picky Brides is exhausting but I want to make sure they have the absolute best product I can give them. Relationships can be incredibly difficult when all you want to do is sit in your room and craft something pretty to make you feel better but they are one of lives greatest gifts!

I had a slight (ok it was MAJOR) meltdown today. After running home to put on a Meatloaf I have been wanting to make for Drew and discovering that most of my ingredients had been used up, I then recieved a super annoying and frustrating email and then had to deal with some other financial issues, I called Drew and told him I am ready to just quit. Quit it all! He like a good boyfriend listened, helped me cuss people out for a minute but then quickly told me it would be ALL be ok. That I don't need to blow things out of proportion. That he would help me. Just the comfort of finally having someone say I will help you figure this out was a relief.

But the truth is I have had that all along. God is always there to turn to when Things seem overwhelming. If I would just learn to immediately lean on him instead of myself my world would spin alot easier!

Update

Dad was moved to a regular room yesterday! Thank goodness he is out of ICU, although the care there was awesome it is scary to have him in there.

This morning his Surgeon along with the nurses from the Marie Crowley clinical trial chemotherapy and another Dr. all came in to consult on him.

The news was that he is looking good. Healing well. They did find a blood clot in his right arm that was causing some major swelling and will give him blood thinners for that. They are hoping to have him up doing rehabilitation therapy such as walking today. He is going to be able to eat normal foods, which I know is exciting for him!

The nurses from Marie Crowley told him that there are several trials he can qualify for and can get back on chemo when he is ready after this bump in the road. That is GREAT news!

I am asking that you continue to pray for his healing. Not only of his physical body but of the emotional toll his fight against cancer has taken on him. I cannot begin to imagine the strength he uses to fight off this battle everysingle day through the pain and emotions. He is a fighter though! And as much as he keeps his conversations with me light and positive I know it has taken a toll on him.

Day 5

Saturday night I stayed with my Dad at the hospital and bless his heart he had a miserable night. Full of constant moaning, cleaning out his throat from the tube that had been there, and not getting enough pain medication. I felt so awful for him. Neither of us got an ounce of sleep.

By early morning they had figured out a group of medication that seemed to be managing his pain and he was getting some rest. His comic antics were still in full force through his groggy, slurred speech.

I made the incredibly difficult decision of going ahead and coming home last night with my mom. I was torn and heartbroken about leaving but know he is doing better. He is still in ICU but the ICU made it sound like he was basically there because it was the weekend and his surgeon was off this weekend. Hopefully he will be moved to another room today.

Ryan spent the night with him last night and said neither of them got much sleep again because of his pain.

We have been told that the holes in his abdomen were caused by the tumor there. The tumor is attached to the blood supply to the intestines and cannot be removed without causing irrepreable consequences. He started a new trial of chemo two weeks ago and was supposed to go in for another treatment on Wednesday which is when he was rushed into surgery. The nurses at the cancer center told Christie that the tumor could have grown and caused the holes or shrunken and left the holes behind. We have not had any notification yet as to whether or not the tumor grew or shrank nor as to what the extent of care will be upon his release from the hospital.

Your prayers are so greatly appreciated! I rest in the confidence that I fully know my Dad is in God's hands.