Fish and Hermit Crabs

Today we were finally able to get back to piano lessons.  With our piano out of commission for the last month and Meg and Cam's tennis schedule, they haven't been able to practice.  Thus, we asked Mrs. Meek if we could wait until the end of the month to return.  That worked out with her schedule and everyone was happy to be back at it today.

After lessons we headed to Target, Game Stop and Pier 1 to do some shopping.  Doug had to work late, but told us that he would have time to meet us for dinner if we waited until 6:30.  That was alright with us as Cal had to work tonight anyway.  Buffalo Wild Wings was packed for a new promotion they had - buy one small boneless wings and get one free.  Meg and Cam took advantage of that deal while Doug tried their new loaded tots.

After dinner Doug headed home to finish working.  Meg, Cam and I went to Petco to pick out eight new fish and four new hermit crabs.  We did check out the guinea pigs, but that would more likely be a project for next week.  Once we got the animals set up and our groceries put away, Doug and I finished watching "Gone Girl."  Brett told us that it was intense.  It was, but we were glad that we rented it.  Plus the price was right as we found it at the library.

Let the Cleaning Begin

Meg talked about getting a job this summer, but with her sports schedule, two weeks at camp and a week in D.C. we realized that it probably wouldn't work that well for her.  Thus, I made her the same offer that I made Brett when he was 16 and was in the same situation.  I told her that I would pay her to help me this summer and she said she'd take me up on that deal.

After today she and Cameron may have decided that a job would be a better option.  We spent an hour and a half cleaning out the fish tank.  We have had the same fish now for over two years and every time we got new ones he would kill them off.  Thus, we first decided to move him to his own bowl.  From there we thoroughly cleaned the tank with the anticipation of getting new fish this week.  Once we were done we split up all of the rooms on the first two levels of the house and started dusting.  It felt nice to get everything done and I really appreciated the help.  Our plans are to clean the doors and windows later in the week.  After that I will take all the help I can get to set up the garage sale.

It wasn't all cleaning today as Meg and I have each started one of our favorite books - for her - Happy Golden Years and for me - Prisoner of Azkaban.  The three of us also made plans to do some crafting and sewing over the next month or so.  Cam played golf this afternoon and Doug got his bike fixed as well.  Thus, I see a lot of walks and bike rides in our future.  Summer vacation - can't ask for anything better.

Memorial Day Weekend

Doug and I took Brett to the Grand Rapids airport this morning.  He had a 12:10 direct flight back to the Baltimore/Washington airport on Southwest.  The drive was quick and the airport was very easy to get in and out of.  We had such a wonderful four days with him and appreciated him making the trip.  I was sad to see him go.

On our way home Doug wanted to stop for lunch in Kalamazoo.  His first choice was the Eccentric Cafe, but that was closed for the holiday.  He found another brewery across the street and we enjoyed some delicious appetizers on their patio.  After lunch we stopped at Lowe's to purchase a replacement shelf for the wood one in the garage.  I was more than happy to get rid of the one we had and Doug found a nice one to fill the spot.  Just as we crossed the Michigan state line, Brett texted to say that his plane landed.  We were amazed at how easy the trip was for him.  He took the train to the airport station and then a quick bus ride to the terminal.  The flight was only one and a half hours.  This was a great trial run in case he moves to D.C. permanently.

Meg, Cal and Cam had a fun day while we were gone.  Meg went to the Memorial Day parade in Milford with Preston.  They were extremely disappointed that the middle school band did not participate, but they did enjoy going.  After that they hung out at Mom's, walking to Subway for lunch and spending time swimming.  Cam slept in and then went golf with Grandma Jane.  He just finished as we got home.  Cal hung out with his friends all day, playing golf, basketball and working out.  We saw him briefly when he came home to change.

Doug spent the afternoon putting together the new shelf and by 5 o'clock we had an organized, cleaned garage which I was more than thrilled about.  We stayed in for dinner and grilled out.  Cam and I got in a game of Pay Day before we ate.  After dinner Doug and I watched "Dead Again."  It was a movie from the 90s that his Mom really liked.  We saw it, but I didn't remember it.  It was very good with a great twist at the end.  This was one of the best Memorial Day weekend's that I could remember.  The only complaint that I had was that it was over.

So Much Going On

Today was just as busy as yesterday and by the end of it Brett was able to do everything he set out to do during his visit.  He started at 9:30 a.m. mass with Doug, Meg and Cam.  When that was over he and Doug headed to Linway to see the new Alien movie.  They liked it, although, it was a lot like the previous ones.  While they were gone, Meg and I got some cleaning down.  Cam played golf with my parents until the storm hit and Cal went over to HM's to celebrate Robyn's birthday.

When Doug got home, he and Meg headed to a graduation open house for one of the soccer seniors.  They enjoyed it.  I spent my time visiting with Brett.  At five we all headed to Mad Anthony's for dinner.  It was great to have everyone together and the food was delicious.  Afterward my parents joined us for games and a bonfire.  It was the perfect way to end a fantastic weekend.  We all really appreciated Brett coming home and are looking forward to visiting him in July.

Twenty Four Hours of Fun

Brett started his day at Shopoff's having lunch and visiting with a friend from high school.  Brett has enjoyed eating at the root beer stand since he first went with my parents almost 20 years ago.  Unlike most customers he prefers the booths to sitting in his vehicle.  He had a great visit and enjoyed the food as always.  After lunch Meg and I went to the Round Barn at Amish Acres to see "Plain and Fancy" with him. We all enjoyed it as always although the character of Ezra was changed from the past.  It made for a different story, but as we had seen it so many times before it was alright with us.

After the musical Doug, Meg, Cam, Brett and I went to the winery.  We all got something to drink and Cam even tried the Korean tacos from the food truck.  They have games for the kids to play, so tonight's activity was Scattergories.  I was the big winner, but it was close.  From the winery we headed home for dinner.  Cal and my parents joined us for spaghetti and salad.  My mom brought the desserts and everyone tried a piece of pie.  Cam wanted to play croquet again.  Meg, Cal and I watched as Doug took everyone out one by one.

I started to wear out around 9, so I decided to enjoy Harry Potter weekend on TV while reading Prisoner of Azkaban.  Brett, Cam and my parents played Hearts.  Meg FaceTimed Preston and Aaron and Doug enjoyed a bonfire.  It was a wonderful day.  We are looking forward to another one just like it tomorrow.

School's Out for Summer!

It's official!  Cameron had his last day and so did I.  Thus, he, Meg, Cal and I are all officially on summer vacation.   Adding to our celebration was the fact that Brett came home this weekend to visit.  We hadn't see him since April 1st and my parents hadn't seen him since the beginning of February.  Last night we all went to Buffalo Wild Wings together.  Today Brett had breakfast with several friends from Warsaw.  Then he and Meg went to lunch at Maria's.  Dad and Mom joined him for dinner at Maria's and to top off the evening, Brett, Cam and I all went uptown to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie - Dead Men Tell No Tales.  What an awesome start to summer break.  We have been looking forward to this for quite some time.  We will appreciate the rest and enjoy the fun.

She Did It!!

Meg finished her last day at WHS with all A's and an A+ in Honors/Dual Credit Pre-Calculus.  She turned in her Chrome Book today and when everyone asked if she was sad to be leaving Wawasee,  she said, "No."  She did not make the decision to transfer to Bethany on a whim.  She weighed her options and in the end decided that a small, Christian based, academically challenging environment was exactly what she needed.  Proud of her for trying something new.  There will be new challenges in August, but Meg is ready for them.   We are so incredibly proud of her and all that she has accomplished these past two years.  One chapter of her life may be closing, but the story continues.

Academic Super Bowl Dinner

Tonight Meg experienced her first academic super bowl dinner.  The food was better than I remembered it being and we did get to sit with the Dunithan family.  We appreciated that as Doug had never met Preston's father and we had someone to talk to that we knew or at least had something in common with.  Meg got a medal and chevron for her jacket.  The evening did get a little long when Mrs. Dixon got up to rant about the lack of support for the academic program.  It lasted over 20 minutes.  We could have done without that, but as Meg said, "She's old and that happens."  Overall it went well and Meg said that being a part of the math team was one of her favorite activities this year.

Track Regionals

Tonight I experienced my first track meet ever.  Hannah-Marie competed in the South Bend St. Joseph regional and Meg and I decided to support her.  As an added bonus, Cal rode with us.  I was glad to spend the evening with him and he was a big help in explaining the events.  We first started at the long jump pit.  I couldn't believe how close we were able to stand to the pit.  Hannah-Mare had three jumps to qualify for the finals.  She did well and found herself in fifth place after the qualifiers which put her in the middle of the pack for the finals to be completed later in the evening.

After the long jump qualifiers we moved to the bleachers for her next event the 100 meter high hurdles.  That was an impressive event as I could not envision having to jump the hurdles and run at the same time.  There were two heats of hurdles and at the end of the second one HM found herself in the finals by one one-hundredth of a second.

We had a half hour break between the hurdles and the start of the finals.  Meg and I took a walk around the school.  She needed a pencil to do her homework.  We didn't find one, but we were impressed with St. Joe high school.  We had seriously considered putting the Heinisch children in the St. Joe school district five years ago.  Cal said he would have hated it, but it sure looked like an awesome facility to learn at.

The finals for the hurdles were shortly after the national anthem.  HM ran a personal best and finished 8th.  We were excited for her.  Her last event of the night was the finals for the long jump.  Hannah-Marie did very well and moved up to 4th place by the end of the evening.  Unfortunately, only the top three places move on to the state finals.  We were disappointed for her.  We reminisced about all of the times Cal or his golf team finished in 4th place, just shy of a trip out of sectionals.  Track is different, however, as there are callbacks for events.  Thus, HM still has a chance.  Either way we are very proud of how she finished her track season.

Flowers Are Done!

Tonight Doug picked up mulch from Menards to put around our planted flowers.  I didn't realize that he was going to put it down tonight too, but he got it done.  It was a beautiful evening to work outside.  Meg and I also took advantage of the sun and warm weather to fill our last planter.  We found the perfect red hibiscus at Clayton's and a place on the porch for it.  With that work our yard was complete.  

Meg enjoyed helping with the flowers this year and I appreciated her joining in.  She told me that our yard was beautiful.  In fact the only yard that she felt beat it in our community was Teresa's (when they still lived next door.)  We both agreed that neither compared to Grandma and Grandpa Heinisch's when Jeanette was still alive.  Their gardens flowed with perennials and annuals every year and we always enjoyed walking through the yard to admire them.  Now that Meg knows how much work planting and watering really are, she was even more impressed with the time that Carl and Jeanette put into theirs. 

Wow! Twenty-Four Years - Half of Doug's Life!

Today Doug and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary.  This morning he greeted me with "Happy Anniversary, we have now been married for over half my life!"  I had never thought about that, but he was correct.  I definitely am at the point where I do not remember life before Doug.  Sometimes I forget that we did not grow up together, and  I cannot imagine life without him.  He has been the rock in our family providing us with support throughout the years.  He has solved more than one Heinisch problem and has worked hard to provide us with a wonderful life.

I love that we decided several weeks ago not to give each other gifts this year.  Buying flowers and planting them were our weekend plans and by the end of the day our yard looked beautiful.  As a bonus, Meg even helped this year.  Doug did buy me a beautiful bouquet of roses for the inside of our home as well and we all enjoyed dinner together as a family with HM, Mom and Dad joining us.  Next year we will pass half my life.  Can't wait to see what the year brings to the Heinisch family.

Happy Birthday Cal!

On my blog I have never stolen from someone else's writing, but I feel like this post for Brett sums up exactly how we all feel about Cal.  I remember one of Cal's teachers/coaches told me years ago that "Cal is an enigma."   I know that must be true according to those who do not live in the Heinisch home as he definitely walks to his own beat and embraces life at every moment.  Inside the Heinisch home, however, he brings so much energy and enthusiasm to it.  From his friends that stop by to borrow an envelope to his never-ending discussion on why he should be allowed to have a dog, we embrace his excitement for life.  Happy 19th Birthday, Cal!  Don't ever change!

Now, if only we could talk Cal into cleaning his room!

4th Grade Rock Star

Today the 6th grade left early in the morning for their annual trip to Dearborn.  Since one of the 4th grade teachers wanted to go I offered to teach her class for the day.  I didn't think much about it until the past couple of days.  That was when the panic set in.  I hadn't subbed in someone else's class for at least six years and I haven't had students younger than 5th grade in all that time.  In my mind I was sure that it would be total chaos.

I am happy to report that my nightmare of everyone running wild was just that - a dream.  The students were great and we accomplished all that we set out to do.  I did have one student ask if he could bring a bottle of water into the classroom.  I said sure as several other students had them until I saw what his "bottle of water" was - A & W Root Beer!!  I explained to him that the drink wouldn't work.  He couldn't believe that I busted him.  From that moment on, all went well, especially once  I reminded them that having 6th graders prepared me for anything. My favorite part of the day was when one of the girls hugged me and said, "You are the best sub we have ever had!"

There are big differences between teaching 4th grade and 6th grade.  The 4th graders had a lot less behavior problems, but they were needier.  Their instructional time was all in the morning which made the first four hours long, but I actually liked it a lot better.   Once we got to lunch, the day was pretty much over except for math class.  There was also more down time during instruction time as students spent a portion of their day reading.  I don't think that I am ready to change to elementary, but it was fun for the day.  The best part was that I got to teach across the hallway from Mr. Larson.  I haven't laughed that much at school in quite some time.

An Epic Match

The WHS girls tennis team drew the bye in the sectional tournament.  That meant that they would have to play the winner of last night's Whitko vs. Columbia City match.  No one thought that Columbia City would win, and they were correct.  Thus, tonight's matches would pair Warsaw against Tippy Valley and Wawasee against Whitko.

Meg talked about the match all week.  She had played Whitko's number 1 singles player on Monday losing in straight sets.  Meg felt that it was not her best match of the season as the heat was really bothering her.  She wanted redemption as she knew that she could do better.  She proved that to everyone tonight.

Meg started on fire in the first set.  It was by far the best Doug and I have ever seen her play.  She put away more winners in that set than she had all season.  She won it fairly easily at 6-4.  I know her opponent was caught off guard by Meg's play.  Not only had she play against her Monday night, she had also been in drills with her at the racquet club.  I am sure that Whitko thought it would be an easy match for them, but Meg surprised them all.

Doug reminded me during the first set that tennis is a game of runs.  He was right.  Meg ran through that first set, but that changed in the second one.  She found herself down 5-2 when lightening struck.  The girls were the only court left as Wawasee's doubles easily beat Whitko's and their number 2 and 3 singles won in straight sets over Wawasee's girls.  As the lightening delay drug on and the clouds looked as though they would open up at any minute, Doug decided to go to Cam's band performance. I had hoped to make it as well and had arranged through the athletic director to take Meg with me, but it wasn't meant to be.  Doug promised me he'd video tape the Jungle Books songs and my parents made sure that Cam got to his program for his call time.

Meg started off slow after the hour long delay.  She was anxious and hungry.  Shane had the managers get her some fruit snacks after she lost the second set 6-2 and she said it helped.  I thought the match was going to end quickly during the third set.  I know that it is hard to rebound once you have lost a one set lead.  Meg was down 1-4 when all of a sudden her adrenaline kicked in.  She played methodically, moving her opponent around the court.  She served several ten minute plus deuce games and slowly came back to tie the third set at 5-5.

I hoped that the momentum would stay on Meg's side of the court, but it just wasn't meant to be and Meg lost the third set after three hours of tennis 5-7.  With her loss Wawasee was knocked out of sectional play as Warsaw and Whitko will now play in the title match.  Meg's loss ended her sophomore season of tennis, but there were no tears on the way home.  Meg played a fantastic match and we couldn't be more proud of how she improved this season.  She held her own at #1 singles proving in her last match that she could compete with a senior that was college bound to play tennis.  What an awesome way to finish up.

The Track Star

Cal and HM have been dating for almost two years.  We have enjoyed getting to know her.  She blends into our family well as she is intelligent, quiet, and a high achiever.  Last night Cal was able to attend her sectional track meet while the rest of us were at Cam's music program.  We knew that she had had a fantastic season at hurdles and in the long jump winning the conference in that event.  We were hoping that sectionals would be her chance to shine once again.  I texted Cal multiple times during the night and kept track of Wawasee Track on Twitter.  By the end of the night we found out that Hannah-Marie had not only qualified for Regionals in both hurdles event, she even won the long jump.

What an exciting time for her!  Track is not a sport that any of the Heinisch children have participated in.  It's been fun following HM's success.  We hope that regionals next week is just as rewarding for her.

Middle School Choir

Tonight was the last middle school choir concert of the year.  The Agape Bell Ringers started the program off with three beautiful songs.  I was so proud of him for being a part of the group this year.  He has learned a lot and had a ton of fun.  There was one comedic moment during the bell performance.  One of the boys couldn't find the correct bell.  He kept looking at Mr. Thomas, and finally Cam figured out that he was the one who had it.  Everyone got a chuckle out of that.

After the bells finished the 6th grade choir was up next.  They sang four songs and we all enjoyed listening to them.  Cam takes choir seriously and enjoys Mr. Thomas immensely.  We celebrated the evening by eating dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.  It was a wonderful evening and I was glad to be a part of it.

Last Week of Tennis

Tonight both Meg and Cameron had an away tennis match.  I asked Meg if it would be ok if we all went to Cam's match.  I have been to almost all of her matches and I have only been to one of Cam's. I also knew that I would struggle to drive all the way to Whitko by myself.  I was thankful that she was understanding.  It was a challenging match for her.  She was playing one of their toughest competitors who was a senior.  It was also the first time Meg had to play in the heat.  She did well, hanging in there to finish with a loss at 6-2, 6-4.  She was proud of the fact that she didn't give up in the second set when she was down 4-1.  Her coach wasn't supportive, but we have gotten used to that.  We were proud of her for finishing out the regular season.  She has been an important part of the team this year, and even if he doesn't appreciate that, we do.

Cam's match went well tonight.  He played with Caleb once again.  They started slow, but got it together in the end.  The match was tied at 4-4 when Cam won the next three points of his opponents serve to put them ahead, 5-4.  Cam then was able to serve out the next game at love giving the boys the win at 6-4 and putting Cam undefeated for the season.  It was a great way to finish out his second year of middle school tennis.  Next year will look different for him as Caleb will be in Malaysia, but I was glad that they could enjoy this adventure together this year.

Mother's Day

Today was a very nice Mother's Day and I was very glad that I got to spend it with my family.  It started with a lovely afternoon at the Round Barn Theater.  Cam and Meg went with me to see "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change."  There were only four members in the cast, and the two male leads were two of our favorites.  The first half was fantastic with a lot of humor.  We were all glad that we could go.  Brett called us on the way there to wish me a Happy Mother's Day.  It was great to hear from him and we are looking forward to seeing him on the 25th.  

Doug made dinner for everyone tonight.  My parents and HM were able to join Cal, Meg, Doug, Cam and I.  The dinner was delicious and the weather was gorgeous.  We ate out on the patio and everyone was able to enjoy a game of croquet afterward.  I loved the gifts I got this year from Doug and the Heinisch children - red, white and blue jewelry, purple plates, and a solar butterfly for our front yard. My Mom and Dad gave me a red wagon planter that also looks awesome on the front porch.  It was a wonderful Mother's Day.  

Tennis Champions

Cameron was asked by his Bethany tennis coach to play in this weekend's tournament at Angola.  It was an honor to be invited as normally only 8th graders play since Bethany can only bring 14 players.  Doug and he were up bright and early this morning ready for their day of tennis.  The weather ended up being beautiful and Cam had a fantastic time.

Each doubles team was slated to play three matches at 20 minutes each.  As Cam was the only 6th boy invited he was seeded as number 4 doubles.  His first match was the easiest of the day with Cam and his partner winning 6-1 in their allotted time.  The boys also had fun spending time hanging out with the team while waiting for their next two matches.  Doug used the down time to catch up on work.  At the end of their third round they found themselves seeded first in their bracket.  Four other Bethany teams also made the finals, so the boys had company while waiting for the championship round.  Cam kept himself occupied this time by finding a toad to chase around.

The team that the boys played were better than the previous three and they found themselves down after the first game.  They rallied, however, and when the whistle blew they were called to the top of the podium winning 4 games to 1.  Cam had a fantastic showing for his first tennis tournament and a medal to commemorate his winnings.  

Taking It Slow

Meg was home with a migraine today.  I let her sleep in and we decided that it was best for just to stay home.  It had been a long couple of nights for her at NLC and I believe that the tennis wore her out.  It was a good day for her just to rest.

I spent a lot of time resting as well today.  I did have an appointment with Dr. Mulry to follow up with my visit to the ER last Friday.  He had some ideas of medications we could try, but ultimately it's going to take some time.  I have found all of this frustrating, but I do realize that I am seeing progress.  I use my inhaler less and I have not had a fever since last Saturday.  I will get there, just not today.

Since Meg and I wanted to rest and Doug had a lot of work to do tonight, we rented the movie The Help from the library to watch.  Meg had seen it in English class this year and really liked it.  It was just as good as she said it would be and we all enjoyed a quiet night at the movies.

NLC Part 2

Tonight was part two of the girls NLC conference tournament.  Meg called me at 4:10 to let me know that she was called on to the court.  Luckily, I left right after school and was there before she started.  It may not have been the biggest match of the night, but it was an important one for Meg.  It was her chance to finish in 7th place in the conference tourney.  She felt that last year she did not play as well as she could and she had something to prove to herself.

The match against Goshen was intense and long.  I had told Doug and my Dad that they didn't have to come over as Meg was already up 3-0 by the time I got ahold of them.  Little did I know that I was totally wrong.  The first set along took an hour and ten minutes.  Both girls rallied hard and won some long points.  Meg was up 4-1 when Goshen came back to go up 5-4.  I was so anxious that I had to walk away.  I decided the best way to handle the rest of the set was to sit in the van with my windows up.  I felt like no matter what I said, I was just making Meg more and more nervous.  Thankfully, Nate Perek came over to watch her.  At that point she told him that she needed more water and a snack as she was getting a migraine.  He got her what she needed and stayed to watch her win 7-2 in a tiebreak.

The second set was just as intense as the first.  Meg, once again, got out to a lead, but the Goshen girl rallied once again and before I knew it Meg was down 5-3.  At this point it was obvious to me that both girls were exhausted and would struggle with a third set.  Meg hung tough and the match seemed to get to her opponent.  Meg proceeded to win the next four games finishing the second set victorious at 7-5.  It was definitely one of the most challenging matches to watch as a parent, but I was so glad that I was there to see her win.  It was a great one!

NLC Part 1

Tonight was the first night for the NLC conference tournament for girls tennis.  Meg drew a tough opponent - Plymouth's #1 singles.  She had played her Monday night and lost 6-0, 6-0.  The girl was definitely good, but unfortunately extremely unpleasant.  Tonight was no different.  Meg did play better than Monday and won some great points.  We were impressed with how well she hit the ball.  The outcome was the same, and the opponent was just as unpleasant, but Meg felt great about how she did.

Doug missed the first match as he and Cam went to Miss Cheryl's retirement party.  I was glad that they were able to go.  Cal, Meg and Cam thrived in her preschool and it was nice that they were there when she was honored.  After the dedication of the playground in Cheryl's name, Doug dropped Cam off at home.  He made it to Meg's second match of the night.  This time she was pitted against Northridge's #1 singles player.  This girl had beaten Meg before as well, but she definitely was friendlier.  Meg played fantastic.  Both Doug and I were impressed.  Meg won the first game, but ended up losing in two sets.  After catching her breath and talking to us for a little bit, she was able to process the loss and felt great about how she played tonight.  We were very proud of her.

Dinner Out

Tonight was physical night at Bethany.  Mom ran us over so that Doug could meet us there.  Everyone was friendly and all went well.  We do have some follow up questions about Marfan's to ask our doctor, but nothing that we haven't talked to him about before.  After physical night we all went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  While we were there Doug was also able to pick up our new ball rack at Lowe's.  It has taken awhile to get everything organized, but when we finish we should have more room in the garage.  It was the first time I had gone out in quite awhile.  It was very nice to go and I enjoyed everyone's company, but I was exhausted by the end of the evening.

Back to School

Not sure that Meg and I were ready for Monday, but it came anyway.  It felt long, but I made it through.  The Prednisone hasn't helped like I thought it would and my stomach is killing me, but I am better than I was Friday.  I don't know if it was the medicine or the fact that I am not 100% healthy yet, but someone really hurt my feelings today attacking me about my cough and letting me know that they were a lot sicker than I was.  Not sure what triggered that reaction, but it did make me tear up.  Luckily, Cherie made me feel better until Doug and Meg could make me laugh about it all.

A Weekend of Rest

When I left the hospital on Friday, the nurse said to me, "At least the weather has been rotten while you have been sick."  He was right, as it has been rotten out - cold, rainy, and windy for the past two weeks.  With weather like that there has been no temptation to go outside and tonight I realized that I had not stepped foot outside of the house for 48 straight hours.  I was alright with that as I was able to rest a lot.  Normally we go out to dinner at least once, but I wasn't up for it and Doug made some delicious ones instead.  With him working a lot and me not feeling well we have spent quite a bit of time together as a family.  I won't complain about that, and now that Cal has come home we have even more people in the Heinisch home to enjoy.

Starting to Get Some Answers

I spent the day at the hospital taking tests, waiting and getting rehydrated. The best part was that we didn't have to wait to get in.  As soon as I started describing my symptoms - shortness of breath, chest and back pain, they didn't let me say anything more.  They brought out a wheelchair and took me right back.  Within ten minutes I was hooked up to an IV, had blood drawn and answered a hundred questions.  The only part that took awhile was finding a vein for the IV.  The nurse tried, but had no luck.  She called in three other nurses, but they were afraid to try.  For the first time in over twenty years, a doctor had to start my IV.  Left a bruise, but I was glad that he got it in one try and it held for the day.

After the blood work I was taken to have a chest x-ray.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to hold my breath long enough, but I made it.  We waited for well over an hour to get all of the first round of test results.  The good news was that the blood work showed that I did not have a heart attack and my white cells were normal.  The scary news was that the radiologist felt that I had a hole in my lung that was producing fluid.  The blood work also showed that I tested positive for a blood clot.  The second part did not scare me as the doctor said a false positive was normal.  The first part caused the most worry as 50% of the time a hole in the lung means cancer.  With the seriousness of the first tests, the doctor said I would have to have a CT scan.

They came pretty quickly to take me to scan room.  It was different than when I had one two years ago.  It was a long tube like an MRI.   Panic set over me and the nurses could tell.  They explained that the normal CT scan was being repaired and that they were using the PET scan instead.  I told them about my MRI experience, but we all knew that it was important that I had the scan.  They assured me that it would take less than ten minutes.  Once they suggested a washcloth over my eyes I was positive I could do it.  They got me situated and although it was uncomfortable, I survived.  Once I put the washcloth over my eyes, I just pretended that I was on the rides at Disney World that always scared me when I first got on - Twilight Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster.

The results came back quicker than they originally estimated which I was glad for.  It had been a long hour and a half of thinking.  The good news was there was no clot or mention of cancer.  There was fluid around my lungs in addition to pleurisy.  The doctor strongly suggested I revisit Dr. Mulry and set up a stress test and discuss the fluid retention.  He gave me a steroid to try for four days with my antibiotic and inhaler.  I didn't physically feel a lot better when I left, but I did feel relieved.  Pleurisy is painful and exhausting, but it isn't lung cancer and now we know what we are dealing with.

Aunt Linda

Today was the funeral mass for Doug's Aunt Linda.  She joined the Heinisch family when she married Uncle Ray over 15 years ago.  We were so sad to hear of her death as Linda had been a favorite of ours.  She always had a kind word for our family and was a great support to Jeanette when she was dying.

While in DeKalb Doug was able to visit with a lot of family members that he hadn't seen since his Jeanette's funeral.  Meg doesn't get to see the Heinisch cousins very often and she had a day to learn more about being a Heinisch, which she enjoyed.  It was sad to think that only funerals have given Doug a chance to visit with his family, but we made plans with Dan to get back out to DeKalb this summer.  Doug also promised Uncle Ray that we would visit him as well.  I am hoping that I feel better soon, so we can start taking trips again.

A Fantastic Freshmen Year

Cal drove in this evening about 6:30 with his car packed with the remnants of his Freshmen year.  He was happy to be home and we were thrilled to have him.  Cal's Freshmen year was filled with studying, new friends, dorm life and endless games of basketball.  He enjoyed it much more than he thought he would when we dropped him off.  He also did very well academically both semesters in a very demanding business program.

He plans on taking the weekend to regroup, play some basketball and maybe golf if the weather improves before he starts work at Tippy on Tuesday.  We've already talked about where we are going to store his belongings and for the first time ever he claimed the bedroom in the basement.  It will be cooler in the summer and he will have more room to spread out.  I am sure that it will take him some time to get adjusted to home life and by the time August rolls around he will be more than ready to go back.  For now, however, we will enjoy having him here in the Heinisch family.

Good Friends, Good Tennis Partners

Tonight was Cam's first tennis match of the season and he was once again paired with Caleb as a doubles partner.  They both had improved greatly since last year and they easily won the two matches they played tonight.  I was very happy that Cam and Caleb got to play together again this year as Caleb will be moving to Malaysia in June.  He has been a great friend to Cam.  They enjoyed their time together in 5th grade and have become even closer this year.  Caleb made Cam's transition to Bethany a lot easier and he challenged Cam academically in science.  I know Cam will miss him when he leaves, but I am hoping with today's technology they will still be able to keep in touch.

It's Tough Being a Heinisch

Last night Meg had a match at Elkhart Memorial.  As I had a field trip with my 6th grade class that didn't get back to Milford until 4:30 I decided to sit this one out.  Meg was alright with that as she knew that it would be tough for me to drive an hour and sit in the cold after being with my students for ten hours.

Meg had a tough opponent to play - a D-1 committed athlete with a tennis court in her back yard.  Meg went into it with a good attitude and handled the hour weather delay well.  She said that she lost the first game without winning a point and decided form there that every point she won would be a victory.  She did well after that and although she didn't win a game, she did win a lot of points and pushed several games to deuce.  Doug said that the Memorial coach talked to him during the match to tell him that he thought Meg was playing well.  Meg was happy with her return of serve and overall she felt pretty good in the end.

I was in bed when she got home, but she came in to tell me all about her evening.  After she talked about her match she had to tell me the moment she enjoyed the most.  One of the other players had also been beaten by a tough opponent.  Because of this she asked her parents to get her something to eat before they left to help the ease the sting of the loss.  They ran to a local fast food and made sure she was alright before they took off for Syracuse.  Meg decided at that point that she would ask her Dad to get her something to eat as well trying to use the devastation that she felt at losing her match 6-0, 6-0 to play on his sympathy.  After she made the suggestion, Doug looked at her, walked over to his car, and gave her a bag of chips that she left in the back seat several days earlier.  He then told her good job and drove home.  Graham and Meg laughed about that all night.

Too Cold For Me

Tonight Meg had a tennis match at the high school against West Noble.  I got there early to take some pictures and found out that they had delayed for an hour.  I decided to run home and work on sub plans for Wednesday.  Meg has several appointments that I need to take her to that day.   I got back in an hour, but they were still trying to dry the courts.  Doug was able to pickup Cam, drop him off at Mom's and get to her match before they had senior introductions.

I did get out of the van to take pictures of Meg being announced, but after that I decided to watch the match from my vehicle.  I still feel horrible and the wind, rain and cold were too much for me to sit through.  Doug braved the elements and had a prime spot for watching, but I could still see most of the action from the side fence through my passenger window.  Meg played well, had some great rallies and won some awesome points.  She came up short in both sets, however, losing by a break 6-4, 6-4.  She was upset when she got home that she was the only one who lost.  We reminded her, that without her taking on their heaviest hitter, everyone else would have to play up a position and then the team wouldn't have won the match.  Don't know if that helped, but we have been very proud of her this season for taking on the area's best players.  She has gained a great deal of experience.