The Coombs Family

I can't believe how fast the years have been going by lately. Caleb and I nearly didn't make it to celebrate this year because it snuck up on us. We were both in bed with the flu last week and it was miserable. By Thursday night we could finally eat again and we were suppose to go out on our weekend getaway on Friday. We decided that we had to go. Rescheduling is too hard, he had the time off work, we had the babysitter lined up, and we needed to get out! It had been too long after my surgery, secondary infection, and the flu to boot. Caleb called his friends the Blodgett's and asked for a favor. I looked online and every place we wanted to go had no vacancy for the weekend. We didn't want to go too far since we only had two nights. His friends have an amazing house in Bend and they let us stay there. I still can't believe they said yes. Something about that house made us feel better instantly and throw some stuff in a bag and run out the door. There was no lookin...

My cousins all came to town last weekend to celebrate the life of Frances Bergevin. She is my mothers-sister-mother-in-law. She lived with my aunt for the past 15-years and my aunt lives right next to my parents house. We grew up with Grandma Frances and she always came to every family event we had. She was a wonderful woman with a tremendous testimony. It was great having my cousins in town and we got to play a lot. Motorcycle rides, going to the park, riding the horses at the carousel, hiking at Silver Falls park, eating a lot of food, birthday party, fake photo shoots, having a music night, and just catching up. I wish all my cousins didn't live in Utah. We have so much in common with them and I wish we saw them more.

For the past 9 years Caleb has made me a card for Valentines Day. This year I remembered to take a picture of it. It has his sense of humor built into it, which is why I love it.  I've never made him a card before but this year I kind of did. He needed new arrows for his archery hunting hobby so I took one and made a card. With some help from a friend because I only had one arm at the time. Shelby helped us out too. Here's to celebrating love! It doesn't have to be an expensive day, just a thoughtful one.

We had one of the most trying weeks last week for Caleb. Yes, he's been through finals at dental school, board exams, and learning to speak Portuguese after being dropped in Brazil for his mission. But I think last week put hair on his chest, took years off his life, and almost made him pack his bags and run away. Lucky for us, he stuck it out and he's still here. Friday night Calvin got really sick. He had croup again, could not breathe at all, and was up almost all night. No parent can sleep when their baby cannot breathe, so I was up all night trying to help him along with Caleb. Caleb took off for work and I got Calvin in for an appointment at urgent care at 11 am. My mom agreed to watch Shelby for me. Calvin got some steroids to help me breathe and we went back home. Shelby was very excited to see us because she is in LOVE with going to the doctor. Don't ask me where she gets it, because it's not from me. Calvin had too many appointments at a young age so if he...

I have been putting off surgery for the past four years on my right arm. I couldn't do the surgery if I was pregnant, nursing, or without Caleb at home. Now that he is working in town again, I booked myself a nice little arm cutting session. Here is my uncut wrist before surgery. You can see the lump from the cyst kind of, trust me, it's in there. Carpal Tunnel Release-  (right side only for now) Incision in the palm of my hand. This will stop my hand from cramping whenever I paint, knit, write, type, or hold my kids. I also will hopefully stop dropping things all the time and finally be able to open a jar on my own. Ulnar Nerve Release- incision at my elbow to stop my ring and pinky finger from going numb and hurting if anything touches my elbow. Ganglion Cyst Removal- the doctors always told me that my cyst was not causing my arm pain and it was related to the two issues above. I knew I had direct pressure at my cyst and it drove me crazy. It wasn't until a...

My wonderful husband just had a birthday, and this time I think we celebrated it perfectly. I didn't buy him a gift, and not for lack of effort. I tried to buy him a bullet proof vest to be very safe for his tactical shooting class he is taking soon. Well, I am not allowed to buy that unless he is law enforcement. I tried to argue, but it didn't happen. So he got to open no gifts from me, and he didn't care at all. In fact he asked me if he could take his birthday money and Christmas money he got from his grandparents and buy me a bow. I've recently got a taste of archery and I LOVE IT! I had no idea it was so fun to play Hunger Games all day, but holy cow- it is fun! We took our kids to my parents house the night before his birthday because my parents were watching my sisters kids for her anniversary trip. Once you already have her five kids, my two just blend in and they hardly notice. Ok that's a lie. My kids are much more demanding but her kids help balanc...

We have 5 new resolutions this year, and I am documenting them to see if we can make it. 1. Home for good! Caleb needs to sleep in his own bed, at his own house, and get a job in town. It's been over two years now that he spends the week away from his family and I'm over it. Done. I have threatened to move to Roseburg and sell our house, but anybody who knows me knows that's an empty threat if there ever was one. I think Salem is too small, so Roseburg is pretty much out of the question. Caleb no longer works in Medford, but he is still gone the same amount of time. I am tired of having weird noises at night frighten me, running with my kids in the jogging stroller that now weighs 120 pounds, crawling into a cold bed, and doing family prayers without him. He has had many possible opportunities that have not worked out, but it appears he has a real one now and will be home in February. Crossing my fingers on this one, and my toes! Please come home Dr. Coombs. We need you!...