The Lake

I've been trying to keep the girls busy lately. I try to give the things to do during the day and the occasional movie or two. But when Steven is home we definitely try to get out of the house to let them 'run out their crazies' before bedtime. It helps bedtime go a little more smoothly, especially Lilly who will try to keep herself awake until she can't keep her eyes open any longer. We've been going to the playground behind our house, but we decided to try and find the lake that the base owns here. We've tried to find it before but always ended up in the wrong place, but it wasn't a 'need' to find place, we were always just exploring.

Last weekend we finally found it! Since we don't really fish, yet, or go boating, Steven took the opportunity to try and teach the girls to skip rocks. It didn't go so well, but they had fun anyways and I got to take lots of photos of them. I edited some of them and the rest I'm going to save for my treatment days. 

Lilly got a little frustrated because she couldn't skip the rocks, but she kept trying. 

Sadie figured out an alternative way to skip rocks. She would throw handfuls of small rocks and since they hit the water in different places she said they 'looked' like skipping rocks.

Ruby? She collected sticks and rocks. And tried to bring them home. We had fun and the girls seemed very interested in learning how to fish.

 Hopefully sometime soon we'll be able to take them out there to fish with Daddy. I'll go and take photos, ha! For now they are just happy to go and throw rocks and play at the playground there.  I think we'll try to spend as much time there as we can this summer. 

Oh, and when we left to go home, we got stopped by a freight train. I thought it'd be fun to count the cars. We started counting and I thought it'd be a small train, but it had 120 cars! Crazy long, but they had fun. And they slept pretty well!

-K

The One Where I Really Do Have Cancer

So things have been really crazy and hectic around here, and I don't think they are going to slow down any time soon. As soon as we got here we went to the base clinic and scheduled an appointment for me. The doctor referred me to an endocrinologist at Creighton University Hospital. The did another ultrasound and then a biopsy. They came back again as papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. Nothing could have prepared me for that, I guess I was just trying to hold out hope that the Turkish doctors I saw were wrong. But they weren't so now we're just trying to move forward and get all the surgery and treatment done. I was then referred to a great head and neck surgeon and Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha. He said that I have the most common and highest recovery rate type of cancer. Since I'm young and have no family history of thyroid cancer I have great chance at a full recovery, so a surgery was scheduled. On April 25th, I will have my thyroid removed, then 4-6 weeks after that I will do radioactive iodine treatments and then I'll have to take a pill for the rest of my life. Luckily I'll only be in the hospital for 1 night and the iodine treatments are only pills that I have to take. I am nervous but I'm also optimistic. I'm hoping that the sooner we get all this done, I won't have to worry about it again.  Now the doctor did say that he will take out only as much as he needs to and there is a chance that it could come back in a few years, but again I'm being optimistic. I am really grateful that I was able to be seen so quickly and the insurance company for expediting the approvals.

Even with all that going on, we really love it here. Our house is much smaller than our house in Turkey but we still like it and we are thinking about buying a house in the next few years. Even if we stay in this house for a few years I'll be happy. I am burnt out on moving. We've moved 6 times in 7 years so I just need a little break.  And our household goods will be here in a week! We are all so excited to have our beds back. This gives me two weeks to unpack before surgery and I'll be happy for the distraction. I'm also sure that Steven will go crazy again and unpack like a maniac. I think our last move he had everything unpacked in a couple of days, that leaves me with the task of finding everything a place in the house which I really don't mind. The worst part is having to wash all the linens, clothes, and kitchen stuff.

I have theory in my mind that once everything is unpacked and placed life will slow down some. I'm hoping I'm right because Lilly's birthday is tomorrow and I have no idea how she is going to be 6 years old?!?! She's getting so big and smart. She is reading a lot, especially in the car. It really trips us up when she reads billboards and store fronts, we're just not used to this. She is way too smart for her own good. Last night we were telling the girls that they had to go to sleep because we had to get up at 5am to take Steven to the airport- he's picking up our car from Illinois and driving it back here. Lilly, without skipping a beat, says,'At least we don't have to wake up at 1 in the morning.' I almost choked. It's just crazy.
Hopefully life will slow down soon because I'm just plain tired. But if you pray, could you just say a little prayer for me. I'm holding out on faith and optimism to get through this crazy journey.  But I do know will get through this a little tougher and stronger.


-K

We're Here!

It only took 2 short flights for us to get here at Offutt AFB. We've loved everthing, except that they don't have FMO loaner furniture here, so far. The night we got here, Steven took a taxi to a local car dealership and bought a truck. That alone has been a huge blessing for us. We've been running around since. Our first morning here Steven went out to get his in processing check list and check out his new squadron. When he got home he dropped a small bombshell, they don't have loaner furniture here. Since we've lived overseas for most of his career we are used to having to wait a couple of months for our belongings and vehicle to catch up with us. Apparently when you PCS around the states your stuff goes along with you so there is no need for it. Without loaner furniture, we'd live in an empty, 4-bedroom house. We managed to find some klik klak futons so we can use them as couches and beds, but man was that a shocker for us.
On our first trip to Target we missed a turn and had to turn around in the local VA home. They happened to have to have a tank sitting out front. We had to stop and take a photo for Papop!



We were so excited when we saw this outside in our yard! We were hoping to see some snow here :)



I was having a serious lack of caffeine issue, so we stopped at a local coffee chain and got some coffee. Ruby has decided she has a taste for coffee so she tried to get the very last drops out of the empty cup. She kept saying it was yummy in her tummy just like Yiayia's coffee.



A beautiful sunset. And if you look closely you'll see a water tower in the back, we live across the street from it.



We took Sophie to get her haircut and when we went to pick her up she had hair bows in her hair. Steven kept saying, "What did they do to my dog?" And the fleece she has to wear most days, our little Turkish bichon frise does not like the cold Nebraska weather.




I forgot to take a photo on the 27th so here's a filler photo instead. This was on the 24th. Literally seconds after Lilly got out of school and into the truck it started snowing. It was pretty much white out conditions. It stopped after about an hour and then the sun came out again and melted it all. It was pretty while it lasted!



I found this idea on Pinterest. When you use green onions, don't throw away the roots. Put the roots into some water and they will grow back. You'll never have to buy green onions again and even I can grow them with my black thumb and all!



Ruby has been pretty sick for a week. When we got to the doctors she had an ear infection, but she did try to stay happy even when she was feeling her worse. She saw me pick up my camera and asked if I could take a picture of her. I obligingly complied. She really is too cute!

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See I told you even I could grow green onions!



We checked out the thrift store on base. Even though 99.9% of the stuff wasn't for me, Steven did find this for me. It's a Pentax 110 with all the trimmings. It's pretty dirty on the inside so I don't think it will work too well. But for $15 it will look great on my shelf :)



Ruby looking a lot better after starting the antibiotics. She's too much. That twinkle in her eyes, it's her rottenness.



We stopped to check Menard's one day. It is like Home Depot on crack. Seriously, it had electronics, furniture, paint, flooring, window treatments, outdoor things, lumber, automotive things, tools, clothes, food, and so many more things. It was nuts. Steve and I could have stayed there all day, happily! It was nuts!



Like I said, we are loving it here. We are so close to Omaha and it's easy to navigate the area. In the next couple of weekends we plan to go to the zoo, which is only 15-20 minutes away. The girls are so excited. And Lilly, she has been loving school. She's still trying to get used to the longer days, but she has really been enjoying it. Now we just need our things and my car to get here, ha!

-K

Day 4 and More Furniture!

We have talked for a few months now about getting the girls new beds. We debated about the beds we already had and the ridiculously cool bunk beds they have here. Seriously they have a set of stairs up to the top bunk instead of a ladder! But our kids were blessed with their Daddy's balance, well lack of, and their Momma's klutziness. They were practically born with hazard stickers. We would have loved to be able to get them some bunk beds but with our luck they'd wind up with a broken limb. We ultimately decided that our old queen sized bed we wanted to be a guest bed, because we love when family and friends come to visit ;). That bed is also what Lilly is using right now, so she is getting a new bed. Sadie and Ruby's beds are going to be painted and spruced up as soon as they get to Offutt AFB, Nebraska. After going to a few furniture stores in the Alley, we decided to go with Aydin's. Aydin is actually the uncle of Sunny, who we had make our bedroom set. Lilly and I looked at a lot of different styled beds and finally decided the features she wanted. I have nothing to show you of it because it will be a custom design, but it will have a couple of shelves on the headboard. She likes to read at night. It will be pink. And she wanted her name carved into it, but I know in 10 years, she'll wish she hadn't picked that. So instead it will have a lily flower carved onto it. She is beyond excited, but we also got to see a bit of her anxiety about moving come out. She started getting upset because she thought it wouldn't be ready before we get packed out, but it will.
Steven also found a bar. They have huge, extravagant bars for your home here. We didn't want that, but Steven did want a small bar. He finally found one he liked and it will be ready soon too. It will also feature a lock on it so curious kiddos or teenagers can't get into it. Once everything is made I'll post some photos.
These are photos, from my iPod, of Ruby. She choose the hat to wear and insisted on bringing Elmo. And 2 minutes after these were taken, she was out like a light!



-K