Just like that my baby girl is an adult. Where did 18 years GO? HOW? Can I hit rewind? I have to say I'm so proud of her.....2020 a year that could have broke her, but she chose to rise to the occasion and she ROCKED IT!! Both of her shoulders have been repaired and she's doing remarkably well, even ahead of the rehab schedule, in addition to furthering her education by the not so traditional way of having all her classes from Iowa University virtual here at home and she still made the fall Dean's list. She's very determined You GO GIRL!!
Now that she's 18 she was able to get her first tattoo here in WI! Here is her beautiful ink!
Do to her shoulder still being in recovery she used a crossbow for hunting this year.....too bad there were NO deer to be seen this year. Oh well, she tried!
It was nice for her to help out coach on the boards once in awhile. Twining ~ TWO PEAS IN A POD
Danny got to be part of Av's Halloween costume...... do you know who/what they are?
Then he had to get ready to "see" the kiddos that came over from the neighborhood. Doesn't he look like the most cutest lumberjack
He sat behind the door with is hatchet ...... Creepy dude!! While I handed out pre bagged goodies with oven mits on to the kiddos
Danny just loves his puppers as much as they love him
His fire engine Changing table and work station
Danny waiting on his special visitor ~
Forever my BEST Christmas presents..........
Christmas break was wonderful!! The weather was perfect, it was great having more help with Danny and the get away was needed for my sanity. Our home for 2 weeks.... it really doesn't get much better then this!
We did make the trip OVER THE BRIDGE to Fort Myers Beach one day
To watch Av go parasailing
and have a couple cocktails and listen to some music at one of our favorite outdoor bars
It was definitely nice to have someone to help push Danny over the bridge for the way back to the RV
Look whose 17!!!!! I just can't wrap my head around 17!!! Happy Birthday Lil Man ~
Gotta love the neighbors riding by photobombing and singing happy Birthday to him
What a delight it was having these two with us. We were definitely spoiled. Ms Aleana drove down with us and left once we got settled in and then Ms Cori (along with her mom and dad) spent the rest of the trip with us. How awesome is that ~ we have some AMAZING nurses. Um DANNY......you warm enough?!? LOL
Despite me always saying we are not doing any gifts ........ Santa still shows up even when we are abroad.
My Santa elf
The "Cool" elf
Merry Christmas!!
Dan got racing apparel ~ now he's all set
There were MANY areas of sandbars and you can't imagine the amount of beached abandoned boats just left in the water.
The smoker got a workout on vacation.....we ate so well!! Ham, Turkey, and Pulled pork to just name a few. We typically hardly every eat in while on vacation but with all the Covid crap we didn't leave our lil peace of heaven much this time. Might be our new tradition to just stay in as the food was AMAZING!
We did rent a pontoon this time around and toured the beach from the water. Can't say I'd do it again but it was nice to do something different.
This particular boat is right in front of our RV site. When the tide is low I was just amazed and alil unsettled at how shallow the water is in so many areas. NO WONDER there are so many beached boats!!
Danny became a popsicle real quick so we cut the excursion short ....... Danny you'd think you were still in Wisconsin will all that you have on.
We had a week plus of heavy frost..... so the landscaping all over the city was kissed by Jack Frost. It was beautiful to see
Half of my heart now resides in Minnesota!
Her dorm is so close to so many things......I am standing in front of her building looking down at the football field, and the pool is one block over on the other side of her dorm building. Being close I'm sure helps in all these subzero temps lately, brrrrrrr. She does have her car down there but parking is a pain and most places she has to go is within a short walk.
She was very lucky to have a room with her own private bath
Her room
Dan and I planned on staying over nite in a hotel which I'm so grateful we did as Av stayed with us and we got to spend some extra time together. I think we all needed it!!
"Risk something or forever sit on your dreams" Herb Brooks (from Miracle on Ice). This momma needed to see that at that moment. Man is it hard to watch your baby girl grow up!!
I couldn't be more prouder of her!!! Spread those wings and FLY ~ YOU GOT THIS!!
That lil dot at the stop sign is Av walking across the street into the pool area for the first time. Reach for the starts and DIVE IN baby girl......you will do amazing things in your life I just know it!
Driving away from your baby girl leaving her in a place she's never been before, when she doesn't know anyone, or the dorms, or the university as we never got to do a tour/visit was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.....
The meet was Minnesota, Nebraska and ........... Iowa! New coach on the left (WenBo Chen) and then Iowa coach on the Right (Todd). I think it was nice for Av to see and talk with Todd in person even if it was brief.
There she is!!!!!!!
Av continues to train in MN. With her being ahead of the rehad plan she is already diving off of the boards not only from 1M but also 3M. She says she's pretty rusty yet BUT it's good to be back on the boards. Her first 2 weeks were pretty rough with significant pain, but it wasn't from her shoulders it was coming from her back muscles. They were finally able to find a taping protocol that worked to help alleviate some of the back pain and now she's already build up the muscles as to wear she doesn't need to have tape.
Av's time with us was wonderful BUT short. See you back in the snow ~
Home is always a beautiful sight!
The sunsets are just breath taking!!
Av helping her dad install the remote start she got for Christmas...... boy was that a process! I'm glad it's in finally and she can warm up her car when it's cold out
Plans continue to change as with Av's speedy recovery she was able to start rehab and training two months early so she/we decided that she should go to MN at semester. Thankfully all her classes that she took in Iowa all transferred, she was able to get her schedule set up and have her own private dorm room in MN. So...........Jan 15th my baby girl moved on to her next chapter.
Saying see ya later to her Brother was so hard on this mommas heart.
It's been a month since I left her standing on that curbside and I have to say she once again has embraced the challenge. Her teammates are wonderful and I'm sure she has made some life long friendships already. There has been some hardships with all the covid regulations, training, and relationships but she's figuring her independence out.
Her team had a home meet and we were able to watch it live from the Big Ten + network app which was very cool. We got to see her team mates dive (she can't compete this year due to rehab that is still needed on her shoulders) and once in a while we were able to see her in the cameras view.
Yes....... I'm THAT mom!!
And Danny......... he's THAT Brother!!
Danny enjoys his facetiming with Av. Boy, Technology is a wonderful thing
Seeing she's an athlete and hasn't had Covid yet (most of the team got it in the fall) she has to unfortunately have covid antigen testing done 3 times a week, but it sounds like there is talk of getting the team vaccinated soon. Fingers crossed all goes well there.
All of her classes continue to be virtual so it's good she's in a sport to be able to see/meet people. They are suppose to be in their rooms pretty much at all times.....no visitors, no eating in the food courts, they don't recommend going out to eat. As the weeks go on and the covid numbers continue to drop the university is slowing lightening up on the restrictions as now they can have visitors in their rooms and they can eat in the food courts. Lil by Lil some sort of normalcy!!!
Other then me learning how to do day to day without my ride or die here in WI I've been pretty much same ol same. Danny and I continue to be home bound to hopefully dodge the covid crap. Thankfully the covid number here are starting to go down and we've all stayed pretty healthy. Dan is fully vaccinated, I have my second vaccination on the 24th and we are waiting to see if/when Danny can. The disabled seems to be overlooked but with that being said Danny has had allergic reactions to some medications so I'm not even sure if they will allow him to have the vaccine when it comes available.
In November I had my first 2 half doses of the MS medication Ocrevus. I have to say I was wow'd with the first 2 weeks of more energy BUT that all fell by the wayside real quick as by day 2 of me sitting in the RV on the way to our vacation I was hit with more and signification MS symptoms..... GREAT!!!!!
Once home from vacation I was put on 3 days of big dog steroids to see if that would help improve all of the issues......unfortunately it didn't do much. During more research I'm finding out that many are in the same boat as me with worsening symptoms after starting this medication. So not only did it take away my B cells (part of my immune system) BUT now I have more symptoms. Not sure I will continue on this med as Once again I'm at a cross roads as to try to slow the progression of MS by being on this med to hopefully lessening the lesions but having more symptoms or just let MS do it's thing and see how it goes. Not an easy answer or decision. Then add all the covid on top of the mess ~ BLAH!! It just amazes me time and time again ~ first with Danny being born and what we've been thru with him, then with me having an incurable painful debilitating disease, and now the the surge of Covid how the general population feels towards helping and protecting the vulnerable. Darwin's theory is very much real in our world as we see and feel how many think. Really makes me want to not like people even more.
Racing starts back up in April so let the tune ups and repairs begin...... This last week the t-birds engine went to the Dyno to get some info before going back into the car and getting ready for the season. Well unfortunately the engine seized up and now the process of figuring out what happened is ON. It's going back to be repaired and the hope is it will be back and ready to go before racing season starts. When all the trailers are occupied and the motor has to go somewhere.....Danny's van works well. Thanks Danny!!
As you can see Danny is still sporting his facial hair and now that he's 17 he thinks he likes the new manly look. Danny continues to be amazing and staying healthy. If any good has come out of this covid isolation it is that all of our family has stayed healthy. He is unfortunately dealing with another UTI but since starting antibiotics we've noticed an improvement. Danny sends is "wuf"
In true Osero chaotic form we are entertaining the idea of "downsizing". The house we have now has served it's purpose and been good to us but we just don't use all of it anymore. So we're on the look out for new property to build another adapted home on that will be even better for us then this one. So if you know any land (min 5 acres) or if anyone looking for a gorgeous adapted home with land in a beautiful location send them our way. We will remove the ceiling lift, firetruck and do all the repairs if potential buyer doesn't want them. I for one am excited to purge all the stuff I've got laying around and to have a less to maintain BUT if things don't work out I'll still purge all the clutter around and just do some improvements around here that I'd like to see.
Dan did some ice fishing this year but the fishing gods and the hunting gods must have gotten together this year as no deer and no fish (at least legal size fish).
Time will tell!
Thanks for stopping by to check on us. I hope this finds you all healthy ~ Stay safe!
Lori
1 comment:
Post a Comment