Back in the swing of things...

My computer was the unfortunate victim to a virus. I finally got it back last night (plus an extra two gigs of ram), and am working on catching up in life. How did I become so dependant on a computer, by the way? Banking and paying bills seemed impossible. I couldn't call anyone, because I think I may have forgotten how to use the phone book. And I had withdrawals when I could no longer stalk some of my favorite blogs. Hopefully that is all behind me now.

While I was absent, we've stayed rather busy. I've been working on the back yard, which now has 6 trees and a bunch flowers that are starting to fill in the flower beds. The kids play set "Dew-Hickey Park" received a fresh coat of stain. And, I made use of the tomatoes I grew by bottling my first two batches of salsa - without major incident! Wooha!

Allison is growing like a weed. She has some of the most kissable cheeks I've ever seen, however, she's learning to toddle away from me when I start looking like I'm about to devour them!

I signed McKenzie up for Catholic preschool, which should be interesting. More than half the students aren't Catholic so I'm hoping our religion won't be an issue. The program is highly recommended and taught by a family friend who is highly respected, so we are both excited about it. Right now, I'm not so excited about the uniform policy, but who knows? I may end up liking it.

McKenzie also received her first set of stitches. She was sleeping over and grandpas and fell on the frame of the trundle bed when she got up in the middle of the night. She came out of the bedroom saying "I think I'm bleeding" and never even cried (until the needle came out at the ER)! She ended up with about 5 stitches at the top of her cheek, near her eye. She had to be wrapped up and held down while they stitched her up, (which was hard for me) but otherwise, she hasn't been bothered in the least.

I've also had my share of doctor visits. I've been having problems with my knee and hip for 15 years, but this last year had really started to bother me. 15 years ago they had me expecting a knee replacement, but luckily thats not the case. My tibia (shin bone) is rotated more than 60 degrees, so they'll need to break and reset it. The problem? This surgery is usually only done on toddlers, so only pediatric orthopedic surgeons have expertise. The knee specialist I had been seeing pulled some strings and got me an appointment at Primary Childrens hospital next month. We'll see if the surgeon agrees to take my case from there. If he does, no walking for 8 weeks. Should be fun!

I've got a bunch of fun pictures to post, some funny stories, and other junk to share, so stay tuned! :)