Kelly Deanne Huddleston

So much has happened in the past few months.

For anyone who doesn't know, Ivan's sister Kelly has been battling lung cancer since the end of 2008. After a stretch of chemo & radiation, she had part of her lung removed in February. The cancer seemed to be gone. Things took a quick turn for the worse in the past few months. The cancer came back very aggressively and Kelly got pneumonia. She was hospitalized with problems breathing and fluid in her lungs. The cancer spread quickly throughout her body and the doctors told her there was no more they could do. Within a day of that sad news, Kelly passed away, surrounded by her family.

Kelly is survived by her husband (Darren), 3 sons (Jacob, Jared & Corey), parents (Ivan Sr. & Georgia, 2 brothers & sis-in-laws on the Johnson side (Ivan Jr. & me, Jeremiah & Kathy), and a host of loved ones on the Huddleston side. That doesn't even include the cousins, aunts, nieces & nephews, and many loved ones who adored Kelly.

Kelly constantly praised the Lord, singing almost non-stop. She was a wonderful mother, wife, friend, and (most recently to me, although known to Ivan & Jeremiah from birth) a true blessing as a sister. Jesus was her heart and she left this world with a peaceful understanding that she was on to bigger, better things.

I love and miss Kelly so much already. She touched my life in ways I can not begin to explain. I am sorry for the time we should have spent together but never did. She is an inspiration to me, and truly the example of love that Christ wants us to be.

Gina's Kitchen ~ New Blog!

For a while now, I have said that I want to be this generation's Punk-Rock Martha Stewart. For anyone that knows me, this isn't too far of a stretch. I can give you tips on getting stains out of your carpet while whipping up a delicious antipasti platter, which I have paired with a complimentary Pinot Noir... all in heels and a skirt! Okay, mainly its jeans and Converse, but whatever... you get the idea.

Today I started a new blog in that very spirit. Its called Ginas Kitchen. The main idea behind the blog is to get people to "think outside the recipe box."

Check out my new blog & let me know what you think!

http://ginamarieskitchen.blogspot.com/

Dreaming

Dream interpretation has always been interesting to me. The past few weeks, I have been having insanely vivid dreams that often jolt me awake. That is an obvious sign that there is something in my life I need to address.

Last night, I had a dream of visiting a friend I recently reconnected with. While at the airport waiting for my flight home, 2 planes crashed into the walkway to the terminal... the second right after the first had been cleaned up. The crashes weren't too terrible (just enough to scrape up the front of the plane and rip off part of the metal) and happened while the planes were already landed and just taxi-ing up to the terminal. After the crashes, I looked at my itenerary to make sure my plane was not one of the ones that crashed. It wasn't, but I did realize that my flight was supposed to leave 12 hours or so ago. When I went to the gate to talk to a rep, they told me there was nothing they could do for me, and I would have to wait at the airport until further notice. Then I woke up in a sweat and felt stressed out! I couldnt shake the feeling for an hour or so.

In trying to interpret this dream, I came across a few key ideas...

Airplane:
To dream that you miss your connection flight, indicates that you are feeling helpless and trapped by some situation. You feel that you are being held back, either physically or mentally. Alternatively, the dream may also suggest that you are feeling disconnected in some aspect of your life - work, relationship or home life.
To dream that a plane crashes, suggests that you have set overly high and unrealistic goals for yourself. Your goals may be too high and are impossible to realize. You are in danger of having it come crashing down. Alternatively, your lack of confidence, self-defeating attitude and self-doubt toward the goals you have set for yourself is represented by the crashing airplane; you do not believe in your ability to attain those goals. Loss of power and uncertainty in achieving your goals are also signified.
To dream that you miss your connection flight, indicates that you are feeling helpless and trapped by some situation. You feel that you are being held back, either physically or mentally. Alternatively, the dream may also suggest that you are feeling disconnected in some aspect of your life - work, relationship or home life.

Airport:
To see an airport in your dream, symbolizes birth (arrivals) and death (departures). If the airport is busy, then it signifies the desire for freedom, high ideals, ambition, and hopes. It is an indication that you are approaching a new departure in your life. Some new idea is taking off or is ready to take off. You may be experiencing a new relationship, new career path or new adventure.

Traveling:
To dream that you are traveling, represents the path toward your life goals. It also parallels your daily routine and how you are progressing along. Alternatively, it signifies a desire to escape. If your travels come to an end, then it symbolizes successful completion of your goals.

So.... to conclude... I guess that I am feeling stuck on my path toward goals in my life? Hmm... That would make sense on many levels. Weight loss, unsatisfaction in my career path, etc. Interesting stuff!

Check out Dream Moods and see if your dreams match up to their interpretations. I would love to hear if its accurate for you too!

What a month!

January is over and what a month it was!

Ivan's surgery went really well and he is now in "recovery mode." His incision was about 4-5 inches long. Last Friday, he had a follow up appointment and the staples (yes, STAPLES) were removed. Ivan is healing really well and has been doing more with every day that goes by. He still has to wear his brace 24/7, with the exception of showering, and can not bend his knee.

I have been trying to get back on track with my fitness goals. It's harder since I started a new 4 day work week. It's extremely difficult to squeeze in a workout when you are up by 4:30am and don't get home until almost 6:30pm... then have dogs, dinner, housework, and a husband to deal with (not necessarily in that order!). As is, I barely get 6 hours of sleep. But because of my inability to work out M-Thur, I have forced myself to get to the gym on my 3 days off. And when I go, I am SERIOUS about it. I am on the treadmill for an hour, and usually lift weights too.

I hate it for the first 20 minutes, but once I push past the negative thinking (I'm so tired! My legs are sore! I shouldn't be working out when Ivan is home with a bum leg!), the rest is cake. Well, not cake, but much more enjoyable. I love how strong and capable I feel when I am done with my workout. It's a great feeling to have acheived a concrete goal... for example, over 600 calories burned, or lifting 5 more pounds than I could last week.

If only I could figure out a way to get a few more hours in the day... I know that if I had 1 or 2 more workouts a week, this whole "losing weight" thing would be much quicker!

Ouch! Part 2...

Yesterday, Ivan had a follow-up appointment and xrays to determine the full extent of his knee injury, as well as a course of treatment. Unfortunately, its not as simple as we had hoped.

Ivan tore his Patella Tendon (which holds your kneecap in place and allows your leg to bend) pretty badly. His kneecap is "free floating" in his leg... around his lower thigh. Crazy! He needs surgery to repair the tear, which is scheduled for the morning of Monday the 19th. Basically, the surgeon will make a vertical incision over his knee, suture the torn tendon back together... through drilled holes in his kneecap... so it heals properly. He is looking at 6 weeks in a brace, then he can start physical therapy. We are praying that he gains full mobility relatively quickly, even though the doctor said it might take 6 months to a year.

This is Ivan's first surgery (at age 37, thats quite impressive) so he is a little nervous about it. We have complete and utter faith that God is watching over us, and he will be fine.

Ouch!

Ivan hurt his knee yesterday. Long story short, he fell while running on a wet track. He thinks that the kneecap disclocated and then "popped" back in place. Ouch! After a trip to the ER, the doctor determined that Ivan's knee and leg did not have any breaks (thank God!) but wants him to follow up with an MRI on Wednesday to determine if there is any damage to the tendons. We are definitely praying that he doesn't have significant damage. ACL surgery and the like are NOT fun.

In the meantime, my poor husband has to wear a knee brace. And use crutches. And take it easy and stay off his leg as much as possible. And take vicodin. And be waited on by his ever-loving wife. :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Ivan & I rung in the new year in style... by snoring the night away! I have had a cold for a few days now, and after a few glasses of wine and some nyquil, I was out cold by 10pm. What party animals we are! :)

I can not believe that its already 2009. 2008 was a crazy-busy year, full of happy and sad times.... 12 months that went by so unbelievably quickly, especially the last month. In December, we celebrated Ivans birthday, Christmas, my birthday, and had a trip to San Diego to visit my family and a few friends. Plus, we had a killer snowstorm that had us waiting out the weather in the comfort of our homes (with 3 stir crazy puppies!). We bought a new car too. What a crazy few weeks!

This year, we vacationed in Las Vegas, the Caribbean, Southern California, and the Oregon coast. We played hard, but worked harder. Ivan got a new job, and I started a new schedule with longer days. We have had new additions to the family (my brother's first born child), and health scares (Ivan's sister is battling lung cancer). We had 3 car accidents in a 5 month period, but were blessed enough to come out the other side with just a few bruises. We have lost some weight and gained some back. Ivan & I have struggled with the emotional turmoil that goes along with trying to conceive with no luck. We have been affected by the economy, but have been blessed to keep our jobs. We as Amercians historically ushered in the first black president elect. Friends have moved out of state, and Ivan & I have been carefully weighing the pros and cons of our desire to move as well. Overall, 2008 was a rollercoaster of emotions and situations. Needless to say, we are really looking forward to 2009.
There is something promising about the fresh start of a new year.

I hope that 2009 promises to be a good one for you and your loved ones. May God bless you over the next 12 months, and always.