In brief...

Our little family is complete again!

Phillip has been flying the Army's LUH helicopter for a few months now, and seems to be enjoying it.  We are all so relieved to know that he is not going to be deployed for the next 3 years.  As always, we are looking to the future; we are really enjoying being back in Louisiana, next to family and we are exploring our options for whenever our time at Fort Polk is finished.

Gabe brought home a packet for the Gifted & Talented program a few weeks ago.  In the past, his teachers have expressed that he would be a good candidate for such a thing.  I think he will be tested soon.  He loves to read and has the most A.R. points in the 5th grade at his school.  He's making new friends at school, and in his new interest, football.  Over the summer, he matured quiet a bit mentally and physically.  He's now such a young man.  I watch him these days, and wonder where the time has gone; I'm getting a bit depressed that he's growing so fast. 

Sarah is our little "firecracker"!  She is a beautiful little girl (inside and out), and makes friends so easily.  She is definitely an extrovert.  These days, she looks forward to going to preschool everyday, and is still taking ballet classes.  I think that I might try to see if she'll like gymnastics, but then again, ballet is her thing...and it teaches the little m'am some poise and grace!

Gabe, going for the ball.

Sarah, and her friend, Rachael.

As for me, I thought that it might be possible to go back to work as a Certified Surgical Technologist at any one of the nearby hospitals, but I'm seeing that being a wife, Mom, and homemaker takes priority.  Managing the four of us (and a spoiled cat) is my full time job at the moment.

I'm feeling much better since I had my gallbladder removed.  Years of feeling sick and "toxic" are in the past.  My body is finally properly digesting food, and my liver is not backed up with the sludge that was present when the gallbladder was taken out.

As for the cervical cancer and hysterectomy to remove it, I'm healing well from that also.  I'll go for a check-up soon to make sure that I'm still in the clear.

While the kids are in school, I do what needs to be done to run our household, and then when I have time, I let my creative juices flow.  I've listed some of my projects on Etsy.com, and I hope that I can generate some interest soon...I'm kinda proud of my little accomplishments.  Visit the Etsy shop when you have time (the link is on this blog {to your right}), and visit my other blog as well:  http://sagalohandmade.blogspot.com/.

As this week goes on, I will make sure that things on this blog are current; links, pictures, etc.

I'll try to write more often...

Janet

Hi!

Wow!

I haven't been on this blog in months!  I even had to google myself, and do some searching for my own blog address (I had it saved on favorites, but my computer recently took a major crash, so...).

I see that I need to do lots of updating to the blog.  I need to see if some of the people that I've been following are still active.  I need to tell you what I've been up to, and what my current interests, etc. are.

And, I need to update you on the what my family has been up to!  We've been so busy.  Now that we're together again in a new location, the train just doesn't stop...it slows down, it speeds up...but, it's an awesome ride!

For now, I've posted a link on the blog to my new Etsy page.  I've been keeping my hands busy.  I love creating new things!  The name, Sagalo Handmade, was inspired by the first two letters of my children's names. 

See ya soon.  I promise to get with you in the next couple of days to make a new post on what I mentioned above.  Updating the whole blog might take a little longer.

Until then, I hope all of you stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Janet

Hello, again! It's been too long...

Well, Guys, I promised way back in February that I'd write another post.  It's been on my mind that I'm way overdue on an update for you.  The fact is, we've been extremely busy!

I'll put it all down in bullet form for you:

• The most important thing is that we are together as a family again, and will be for the next 3 years!
• I counted up the months, and since the beginning of 2010, Phillip has been away from us for a total of 20 months, and home for a total of 9 months.
• He returned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska from Afghanistan in late February.
• I spent a week in Alaska visiting him while the kids stayed with his parents, and then we came home to Louisiana to be together as a family for about 2 weeks.
• Then Phil went on to Pennsylvania to LUH (Light Utility Helicopter; the UH-72) training, so that...
• We could accept a new non-deployable assignment at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
• We bought a house just north of Deridder, LA.
• I had a full-scope done by a gastroenterologist, sometime in March, to try to figure out why I have IBS-C (ummm...look it up); nothing was found but a small polyp.
• I learned in early April that I had Carcinoma Insitu of the Cervix (cancer).
• A HIDA scan of my gallbladder was also done in April, and it determined that the gallbladder is useless; it only "dumps" at 7%, which is way below the norm of about 35%.
• Phil and I decided that it was best to go forth with a partial (cervix and uterus, the ovaries stayed) hysterectomy on April 10. 
• My Dad had a scan done to see if the hemorrhage/stroke that he suffered in December had been absorbed; his doctor told him that there was no sign that it even happened!  Great news!!!
• Gabe earned his orange belt in karate.
• Sarah is growing more and more into a beautiful little girl.  She no longer has the body of a toddler.  She is lean, muscular (she LOVES ballet), and petite; and is a graceful little ballerina.
• Phillip finished LUH school in late May.
• The four of us took a 5 night cruise to Mexico, and got back yesterday.
• The movers will be here on Monday to pack up the apartment, and move us to the new house in Deridder.
• I will have my gallbladder removed on Wednesday of next week, to hopefully alleviate those major gastro-intestinal problems.
• I will try to upload some new pictures for you to view in the "Our Story in Pictures" album in the next few days.

I'm sure there is something that I'm forgetting to tell you.  As I go through the pictures, something might come up that I think should have been added to this list.

As for the cancer, it was caught early.  There will be no further treatments, and there is only a 10% chance of it coming back (my doctor said that it has only happened to one other patient of his).

Things are looking up!  I feel blessed.

I hope that you are doing well too.

J~

Pssssttt....

Hold your breath.

I'll make a post soon.

I've been, and will continue to be, a very busy woman. And, our family is in for some changes.

Ta ta dum...ta ta ta dummmmm.

J~

Everything happens for a reason...

The kids and I have been back in Louisiana for two months now, and I'm absolutely loving it! 

All of us are getting back into our own routines; Gabe is back into karate and Boy Scouts, and Sarah is doing preschool two days a week, ballet, and gymnastics at The Little Gym.  We're busy every evening except for Thursdays and Fridays (though the kids usually go to sleep over at my in-laws on Fridays), and I like that we're involved in things to help pass time, make new friends, etc.  Gabe has a few close friends at school, and seems to really enjoy his new life (relocating, for an older child, can be difficult and Sarah is fine with anything that comes along).  If I'm not running errands, or going to doctor appointments for my ailments, then I'm usually spending my time decorating our new digs, or reading/researching in the Barnes and Noble cafe. 

So much to do, so little time...but, I kinda like it that way.  Idleness is the Devil's Workshop.

We rented a great apartment on the 3rd floor with an incredible view of the lake with fountains, and the pool (with outdoor fireplace).  And, even though carrying groceries up the stairs is a pain in the butt, our butts are getting quite firm!

It seems that we got back to Louisiana at just the right time.  My Dad had a small hemorragic stroke the week before Christmas.  He has a high stress career (and does what it takes to be the best at it), and arrived at the ER with a blood pressure of over 200.  He stayed in the ICU for about 4 days, was moved to a regular room for about 2 days, and then had a sudden drop in potassium and electrolyte levels that sent him back into ICU for another day or two.  He's back home now, and resting.  Luckily (very), he has no permanent damage, and hopefully, he will heed the warning and take better care of himself. 

I will always be Daddy's Little Girl (yup, we clash our horns at times, but...), and I want him around for much longer.

The month of December was definitely a hectic one for all of us, with getting our household goods delivered, Dad getting sick, etc.  January, it seems, will be much better along the lines of mental and physical rest.  February brings us to Sarah's 4th birthday, and a trip back to Alaska for me.  And early March brings Phillip home to Louisiana to be with us while he is on block leave from his deployment (he leaves the "sandbox" soon!).

Who knows what the future after that holds, but as long as all of us are safe, happy, and healthy, and TOGETHER, I don't think I'll mind a bit about what happens.

Take care, Y'all!

J~