elliottsurf

Happy LOVE Day 2012

2012-02-14T19:51:00.001-08:00

London

2012-01-30T09:07:00.001-08:00

I love this moving image of London. The Ferris Wheel is something that has been added to the skyline since I was a student there, but Big Ben, the River Thames and those fun red double decker buses bring back so many wonderful memories.

Image courtesy of More Design Please.

Fly

2012-01-28T08:07:00.001-08:00

Isn't this an awesome photo of Jack? He loves swimming the butterfly and we love watching him! Go Jack.

S.O.A.R. one

2012-01-28T08:00:00.001-08:00

While these photos are certainly not impressive, they do represent a nice accomplishement for me on my quest to Sort, Organize, Arrange and Recycle! My goal is to get rid of some stuff that we have hanging around here...so once a month I want to take a car load (or just 1 bag!) to our local thrift store called the wise penny. The photo of the bags of stuff marks my first attempt to clear some clutter. I also posted a FREE listing on craigslist for those boxes. Maybe someone would like them to use for moving, storing or shipping... Anyhooo I feel like I am on a roll. Today I am going through all of the Christmas cards We've received from the past few years and putting the ones with photos in some scrapbooks that I started when Richard and I were first married....soooo exciting! More to follow!

Record Boy

2012-01-28T07:55:00.001-08:00

Jack holds the school record for the 500. Here he is with his time from last season. He hopes to break that record this season so he stays on the boards for a long time! Congratulations Jack

S.O.A.R.

2012-01-01T16:14:00.003-08:00

I love picking a word of the year. For me, it is a great way to start off the new year with an intention to accomplish something. Last year my word was TRAVEL. You can take a look back and see why I chose that word if you like. This year my word is SOAR. It evokes a feeling of being free of what weighs you down and getting up and doing the things you want to do. I am also looking at the word as an acronym for the things that I want to accomplish this year:

S for Sort
O for Organize
A for Arrange
R for Recycle

I really want to get in and dig through the boxes and bags of things that I have been saving, relocating, shuffling, and "hoarding" and lighten my load so that I can SOAR! I want to work hard at this task so that I can play hard once it is done (and most importantly while it is being done!)
Happy 2012. I think it is going to be a good good year!

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T16:14:00.001-08:00

Around the house

2011-12-30T18:07:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

My Little Tree!

2011-12-30T18:03:00.001-08:00

Desired Things

2011-12-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Desiderata is Latin for "Desired Things". I've read this poem before but recently saw it on a this blog and remember how true it is. It is a great read during this time of upheaval in the world, a bad ecomony in our country and craziness with the holidays. It is good to remember that "With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world." Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.Strive to be happy.

Norm's Wayside

2011-12-12T05:38:00.003-08:00

Saturday night Rod and Sheila, Renee and Monti and Richard and I ventured out for some Detroit style pizza and a couple of pops at the bar. We went to Norm's Wayside and had a festive and fun evening. It is always great to spend some time with this gang! Thanks for the presents Sheila!

Holiday Show Choir

2011-12-12T05:38:00.001-08:00

Lizzie and Abby getting all gussied up for their holiday concert. The Bloomington Jefferson show choir is so impressive! It was my first time attending a real live "GLEE" event and it exceeded my expatations! These girls are outrageously talented and better yet, they are good girls who listen to everything their sweet mama tells them to do!!! hahaha are you reading that girls? The songs of the season really got me in the mood to celebrate Christmas and more importantly, go home and get my tree decorated!

Fun with T

2011-12-12T05:37:00.001-08:00

Swim Team 2011-2012

2011-12-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

Ice and Sunset

2011-12-12T05:34:00.001-08:00

Francis Family Christmas Card

2011-12-05T14:20:00.001-08:00

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A Christmas Carol

2011-11-29T05:54:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat?

2011-11-02T05:23:00.002-07:00

No more trick or treating for the Elliotts because we are too old and too tall, but we still had fun handing out candy and making a haloween fun-fetti! We only had a handful of trick or treaters this year. We bought way too much candy (6 bags) so next year take it down a notch!

UMD parents weekend

2011-11-02T05:23:00.001-07:00

Aspen Vista

2011-11-02T05:22:00.001-07:00

Santa Fe

2011-11-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

River Birch

2011-10-11T06:03:00.001-07:00

Richard re-shaped our little side yard garden, moved the rocks around and then planted a cluster of little river birch trees. The boys look huge next to the little trees, but in a few years the trees will reach for the sky!

Homecoming 2011

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Pink Street Party

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Little Froggy

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Homecoming Invitation

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Junk Bonanza 2011

2011-10-11T06:01:00.001-07:00

Pardon My French

2011-10-11T06:00:00.003-07:00

Duluth Photo Shoot

2011-10-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

First Day of School

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Britt and Joe Wedding

2011-10-11T05:59:00.003-07:00

Will to UMD

2011-10-11T05:59:00.001-07:00

Canoe on the Crow River

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Minnesota State Fair 2011

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Winnipeg

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Summer Road Trip

2011-10-11T05:57:00.003-07:00

Britt Bridal Shower

2011-10-11T05:57:00.001-07:00

SSP Open

2011-10-11T05:56:00.003-07:00

Annandale Triathlon

2011-10-11T05:56:00.001-07:00

The Brotherhood

2011-10-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

The boy cousins call themselves "The Brotherhood". Here we have Pete, Braeden, Kenny, Jack, Jake and Will over for a summer campout!

Hi Laura

2011-09-19T06:16:00.001-07:00

Evan White came to visit us in Minnesota. On the way back from the airport, they decided to give Laura O'Neill a call...they talked to her for about 15 minutes and everytime they switched talkers they said "Hi Laura!"

Minnesota Grad Parties!

2011-09-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

4th of July parade Annandale MN

2011-09-19T06:14:00.003-07:00

A tradition in Annandale is the 4th of July parade. This year Richard was a driver for Country Chev. We joined about 12 others and had a nice showing of new and old Chevys. The day was gorgeous and the crowds at the parade were amazing.

Here is the crew of drivers at lunch! Thanks Country Chev!

Later in the day we went out to the Melgard's cabin...such a beautiful day.

God bless America!

Rod takes the kids out tubing on Cedar Lake in Annandale.

A very cool cake made by Sheila to celebrate Monty's birthday.

Hail Hail...

2011-09-19T06:14:00.001-07:00

Today we were just minding our own business. Jack was out on the lake water skiing, when some very strange looking clouds showed up and dropped some crazy hail (and dented the boys truck) on us. Boohoo.

Jack Flies

2011-09-19T05:46:00.001-07:00

On Saturday June 11, Jack and I went over to the Buffalo Airport to say hello to Uncle Mike who was there filming for his tv show The Flightline. While we were there, Mike Wiskus asked Jack if he would like to go for a "little ride" in his stunt plane. Uncle Mike gave him a camera to film the flight (some of that can be seen here). Jack headed up into the air and I stood on the tarmack and prayed! Thank the heavenly lord that he arrived back down to earth safely!

Francis Family Vacation

2011-09-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

An amazing, incredible, rainy, cold and sunny at the end of the week trip to Gull Lake with the Francis Family! We were able to get a good family shot with the entire crew...all 47 of us!
Thanks to Grandpa for footing the bill so we could all get together! xoxo

Will's Graduation 6.10.2011

2011-08-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Grandy, Will and Grandpa

It is hard to believe that we've lived in Minnesota for 4 whole years and Will is graduating from Buffalo High School. He has truly embraced the move to the midwest and had an outstanding high school career. We are so proud of you Will and can't wait to see where your future will take you! Go out and change the world! xoxo

Will's last day of high school! 6.10.2011

2011-08-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe he is heading off to college in the fall!

Buffalo Triathlon 2011

2011-08-23T04:53:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Buffalo Triathlon was raced on an amazingly beautiful midwest summer morning in our little town of Buffalo, Minnesota. The prep day ran smoothly and everything was set up and ready to go. Will and Jack brought their "A" game and both had great times in all three legs...Swim, Bike, Run!

Jack, Britta Oden, Chris Legh, Katie Oden and Will!

Graduation Rumpshaker 5.28.2011

2011-08-07T17:45:00.001-07:00

In Minnesota, the kids graduating from High School usually have a big open house. We've been invited to about 35 grad parties. Will wanted to do something a little different, so he hosted a Graduation "Rumpshaker"! Cousins Kenny and Pete brought some great music and worked as the DJ's. Lots of the kids came in "vintage" costumes...Those in attendance danced their butts off! After the music was turned off (thanks to our nice neighbors who didn't complain about the noise) the kids had a great bonfire! Good times.

Academic Awards 5.16.2011

2011-08-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight we attended the Academic Excellence Awards at Buffalo High School. Both boys received some awards. Jack accepted his on stage, but Will had to wait until after the ceremony because he was teaching swimming lessons! We are very proud of how hard these boys are working in school!

We run long time! 5.24.2011

2011-07-06T05:39:00.001-07:00

The Elliott boys are running distance this year for spring track. They hope it helps prep them for the Buffalo Triathlon in June. In the meantime, they are running a lot of miles and having fun after school with a great group of kids. Here is the team facebook page .

Storm Watch 5.21.2011

2011-07-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

The Elliott Family has been "treated" or "tortured" to a few shows from Mother Nature this spring. We sit on the front porch and are amazed by the power of these storms. The midwest is getting so much rain making for some high water levels in lakes and rivers leading to lots of flooding. Our hearts go out to those who are under water tonight.

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

My friend Kathy and I spent the fall and winter of 1981 in London. We arrived shortly after the wedding of Prince Charles to Diana. It was fun to be royal watchers and we tried to follow them around London! So naturally, we had to get together to watch the royal wedding of William to Kate! I spent the night at Kathy's house and we woke at 3 am...to drink tea and watch the wedding! It was so sweet and beautiful. I just loved it!

April in Paris 2011

2011-04-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is the fourth year that I've attended the April in Paris event at The Porch and Atelier in Buffalo Minnesota! What a wonderful time we had this year! xoxo This year in attendance were: Therese, Bonnie, Mary, Sheila, LaVonne and Dawn

This was our table. I loved those vintage lamps.

We won some prizes and enjoyed some de la bonne nourriture, un bon repas!

Can't wait until next year. xoxo

Jack gets confirmed 4.10.11

2011-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Jack with Grandy and GrandpaThe Holy Spirit on the Cathedral DomeAuntie Sal is his sponsor as he receives the confirmation name "Christopher"
who is the patron saint of surfers! Today Jack was confirmed at the St Paul Cathedral. We were so honored to have

been present as he received the gifts of the Holy Spirit:
wisdom,

understanding,

counsel,

fortitude (or courage),

knowledge, piety,

and fear of the Lord.

Jack you have always been a kind hearted soul and I am so proud to be your mom.

You are helping me to reconnect with my spiritual xoxo

Inspired by Thomas Campbell

2011-04-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

Today I am noodling around on the computer, giving myself 30 minutes of free time to just look around on the internet and see what jumps out at me...came upon these amazing sewn collages by Thomas Campbell. I would love to take all of the bits and bobs of paper, photos, artwork and other ephemera and make some of these little beauties.

The Sartorialist

2011-03-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love his point of view and his photographs.

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

An Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

The artwork is from designer digitals...you can get it for free here.

Cool Coach in Glasses!

2011-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute Coach from the Minnesota State High School Swim Tournament! Jack and Will are in the background. The lady in the purple shirt is the Buffalo Coach, Pam Brophy.

Minnesota State High School Swim Tourney!

2011-03-05T12:35:00.001-08:00

Richard, Jack and Grandpa Kay Francis!

Jack swims the 500 which is 20 laps of the pool. He is in lane 7 with his hands on top of his head.

On your mark, get set, go!

Swimming very strong

Brother Will working the lane cards to let Jack know how many laps he has done.

A sigh of relief!

Third in his heat! Just under 5 minutes.

Francis cousin power!: Nathan, Jake, Kenny, Holly, Claire and Hannah, Ben, Joanie, Aunty LaVonne, Grace, Uncle Kippy, Richard, Johnny Stone, Britta, Aunty Sal and Aunty Reen.

We are so proud of Jack!

Brotherly Love!

You gotta love cousins! front row: Claire, Nathan, Grace and Holly. Back row: Hannah, Joanie, Will, Jack, Jake and Kenny!

going to state

2011-03-05T12:27:00.001-08:00

Senior Night

2011-02-21T13:51:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that we've been here in Buffalo for 4 swim seasons already! We celebrated with Will for his Senior Night and in a few more days, his high school swim career will be over!

73 inches

2011-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, we have 14.5 more inches of snow this weekend. That makes this the biggest snowstorm in Minnesota on Feb 20, ever! We now have 73 inches of snow for the season which is well over 6 feet! That is a lot of snow. Thank goodness we have a new (to us) snow blower!

Be Mine

2011-02-14T05:41:00.001-08:00

Happy Lovin' today! XOXO

Saint Louis Park Invite

2011-01-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

Swim season is in full swing and we are spending lots of time at the pool. The boys both did very well at the Saint Louis Park invite where Jack got 3rd place in the 200 free and 1st in the 500 free (20 laps of the pool!) Will had his personal best time in the breast stroke! Go boys!

1.11.2011

2011-01-11T11:13:00.001-08:00

Have yourself a lucky little day!

THE BOOK!

2011-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the cover of Uncle Fred's book!

...I have finally finished "The Book" for my dear Uncle Fred. My cousins commisioned me to put together this book about a year ago! I scanned in over 800 photos, old and new. Each of his kids, grandkids, sisters and wife wrote him a birthday note to tell him how much he means to them. I put all of that together into a 120 page book that is 13" x 11" and I have to say that it is awesome!

We printed a "first edition" for them to take down to Mexico to give him on his birthday trip in May (only 80 pages) and since then, we have been adding all kinds of fun photos and memories. It could go on forever, but I think we are finally done! You can see the entire book here at Blurb. Here are a few thumbnails of the inside pages!

Now I want to "travel" down memory lane with my own brothers and sisters and make one for my mom and dad for next Christmas! We will have a lake/vacation theme and have each of the kids and grandkids write their favorite memory of the lake! It is the perfect gift for the special people in our lives that have everything they want and need!

In the news

2011-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Swim season is upon us and the boys are off to a good start. Will is proud to be captain this year. He is in charge of sparking up the troops and does so with a vintage boom box and vintage tunes complete with dancing on the other team's bus! Have fun this season boys! (click on the images above for a bigger version if you want to read the details!)

One little word...Travel

2011-01-01T19:40:00.001-08:00

I've been picking a word for the last few years that describes my goals for each new turn of the calendar page. Ali Edwards is the one who first inspired me to do this. She has such a great blog with ideas on how to stay creative and use the simple things around you to get inspired.

In 2009 my word was Vitality, In 2010 my word was Photograph...which I did every day for 365 days! I read a lot of tutorials and challenges about photography and I do think that I made some improvements.

This year I want to make a very big dent in the stacks, boxes and piles of paper, photos, memorabilia, postcards, baby books, and saved memories that I have "hoarded" in this house of ours. Will graduates from High School in June, so I'd like to make him a book or two of his childhood experiences. I want my word to reflect the tasks I would like to accomplish, but I want the word to be more fun than the initial word that popped into my head... organize

From organize, I came up with arrange, systematize, blueprint, etc...but they all seemed a little too mundane! Then I came across Clarify...

Clarify was good, but still not the right word...that led me to tidy, tailor, filter, get act together, sort...still not right

Then I came across Travel...ahhh this sounds like I could be getting closer to the word that describes what I would like to do in 2011. Now this is not the traditional travel, like getting on a jet plane and circling the globe, oh no...this is the travel down memory lane, roaming through boxes of old photos, taking a trek through a "vintage" stack of photos with negatives, taking a journey back in time when my 18 year old William and 16 year old Jackson were just tiny little things with feet that smelled good! I think that is my word for 2011, TRAVEL!

Now I still will have to sort, organize, filter, clean, purge, and basically get my act together around here, but doesn't the word travel make it sound like it will be much more fun?

361_365

2011-01-01T19:36:00.001-08:00

I did it! I took a photo of the day each and every day for 365 days! It was fun to do (once in your life) but I have to say that I won't be continuing this practice in 2011. I found that it was an excellent way to work on my photo techniques, but the presure of taking a real meaningful photo every day took the fun out of the process for me.

White Christmas

2011-01-01T19:11:00.001-08:00

We had a fabulous White Christmas with so much snow that we broke the record for the most snow ever recorded in December! Way to go Minnesota...33.4 inches were recorded at the MSP airport, just breaking the previous record of 33.2 inches from 1969!

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-01T15:15:00.001-08:00

Josephina Ann on Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve at Grandy and Grandpa's was amazing and festive this year. We enjoyed the children's choir at St. Pat's at 4:00 and then off to 348 6th Ave for some dinner and gifts. Grandpa read his annual book to all the kids and Santa made a stop to pass out some presents for the little ones. Pete, Jake, Jack, Brooke and Holly turned 16 in 2010, so they got to come upstairs with the adults for the gift exchange...what a fun year for them!

Merry Christmas everyone!

See the slideshow here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23958194@N04/sets/72157625596479275/show/

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Grandy2010_4x8

2010-12-13T08:07:00.001-08:00

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2010-10-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Basal cell update

2010-10-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Well to my delight and surprise, my little nose is healing up very well. I thought I'd post a photo of the recovery at 3 weeks. The area is still a little red, but as far as I can tell, you can barely see the scar. I was joking that I would be ready for Halloween with the stitches and scars, but to be honest I was very worried that I would look like that forever!

There is a little spot that looks like there might still be a stitch left behind, but I went in to the dermatologist and he said he didn't think it was a stitch. He did say if it was, it would work its way out on its own. I think the body is pretty amazing to heal so quickly. If you want to take a look at the original post you can take a look here.

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Boo!

2010-10-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to T for getting me started on my Halloween decor. She made me this fabulous Boo banner and the little paper garland...I love them both. Thank you so much! Had a great time with you and Laurie in Hudson and Stillwater! XOXO Dawn

10.10.10

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on turning 50

2010-10-10T15:22:00.001-07:00

Fall in Minnesota

2010-10-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, with the gorgeous weather and the low angle of the sun, the leaves are absolutely spectacular! This is my favorite time of the year and you can see why! It is great when you are driving along a country road and get slowed down by a tractor pulling a trailor full of pumpkins! Love it!

skin cancer_basal cell

2010-10-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from my recent skin cancer surgery. The spot on my nose was very small, about the size of a pin head. It was red and looked like a bug bite. I went in to see the doctor because the "bite" would not go away. The biopsy was done and basal cell was determined. Cutting the bad cells and quite a bit of the area around it was recommended. I went with a Mohs surgery where they remove the tissue (mine was about the size and depth of a medium sized pea) and examine it immediately while you wait to make sure they got all of the bad cells. Mine procedure was complete in the first attempt. Here are my observations:

Sorry about the graphic nature of these photos, but I wanted to document this for myself for any future visits.

Day 1_ Holy Cow, that was a much bigger chunk of skin than I had anticipated. When the anesthesia wears off, my nose is pulsing and painful. I take Tylenol every 4 hours through the night (not aspirin or ibuprofen because those contribute to bleeding). The contraption/bandage has to stay on for 24 hours so that pressure can be applied to the wound. It is a little uncomfortable to sleep in, but it looked worse than it was!

Day 2_ After 24 hours I was able to take off the pressure bandage. The wound looks pretty good and I count 8 stitches. The incision is "L" shaped and the surgeon did this to follow the shape of my nose. I think that was a good idea! I lay low all day. Instructions are to clean daily with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. I take a q-tip and gently roll it over the incision and stitches to remove any crust. The area is very tender and bubbles up a little at the stitches and in the little crevice on the side. I dry the area well with another clean q-tip, apply Vaseline and cover with a band aid. I apply an ice pack on top of the bandage twice during the day.

Day 3_ I go to work with a bandage on my nose. The day goes well, but I notice when I clean the area at the end of the day, it is much more red and swollen. I don't take any pain medication today, because it feels fine without it, but am woken up at night with a twinge of pain and then can't get comfortable. I take some pain reliever and ice the area for 15 minutes and it feels better.

Day 5_ I drive an hour to an 8th grade reunion (yes, with the damn bandage on!) and am up until 11:30 (late for me). When I clean the wound, it looks much more red and swollen than it did in the morning. I am slightly worried that something is wrong. The stitches are "hidden" because the skin around them is so swollen. I do get a good night sleep but the area is still pretty red in the morning.

Day 6_ I ice my nose and this helps the swelling, but the area is still red and more crusty. I am getting a bit of blood on the q-tip. I will call on Monday if it looks like any infection is starting.

Day 7_ Area is still painful, a little bloody and really bubbles up with the hydrogen peroxide. Hubby says it looks good and is not infected. I take some pain reliever and go to work and have a good day.

Day 8_ Follow-up for stitch removal-the nurse says it looks a little redder than they like, but that it is not infected! I am very happy to hear that. The Doctor removes the stitches and says the incision looks great. She is pleased with how symmetrical the nose looks even though she took a big chunk out of the left side. If she is happy, then I am happy.

Day 9_ I continue for a week with Vaseline on the incision but don't need a bandage. After a week, it will be OK to put make-up over it. Dr Cronk suggests that I use "paper" tape at night over the scar. She said this will help to keep the scaring at a minimum! She said it works better than Mederma!

Overall, I am very happy with the results of this procedure. We'll see how well the area heals! The bottom line is that it is better to have a scar than cancer!

WEAR SUNSCREEN and a hat!

***** update***** I have posted a photo of what my nose looks like at 3 weeks after the surgery and I think it looks fantastic...you can see it here

BHS Coronation

2010-10-01T17:46:00.001-07:00

Nicole in her Grandmother's Prom dress. She looked just amazing!

Will and his new scepter!
Elliotts + Nicole

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2010-09-27T16:41:00.001-07:00

16 candles

2010-09-27T16:36:00.001-07:00

Jack turned 16 on September 19th! Happy Birthday my boy. I hope you have a wonderful and adventurous year! I love you xoxo mom!

205-216

2010-09-20T05:52:00.001-07:00

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2010-09-20T05:44:00.000-07:00

Junk Bonanza 2010

2010-09-17T05:16:00.003-07:00

Another year of junkin at the "junk bonanza" with Therese, Laurie and Donna. We saw lots of old refurbished, reclaimed and reused stuff. T bought a few little goodies. I did get 5 vintage christmas ornaments for a buck each. The day is always a fun way to spend time with the girls.

Wicked

2010-09-17T05:16:00.001-07:00

Lucky me got 2 tickets as a birthday gift from my boss Michele to go and see WICKED at the famous Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Therese Trudell was my date and we had a lovely evening. I really enjoyed the music and the twist in the story is amazing! The costumes and sets were out of this world.