Happy 18 months to me and holiday wrap up.

Yesterday I received a message from a friend of a friend.
It was completely unexpected that he even remembered but totally awesome that someone gets it.
It read, "Happy surviving 18 months of shit getting real."

December 22nd was not only my totally fantastic husbands John's 40th Birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!) but also the monster and my 18 month post Gamma anniversary.

John and I  finished our Christmas shopping in the morning. The kids made cupcakes for their Dad while we were out. The monster and I celebrated during the afternoon with ear plugs, ice, Tylenol and a nap (read small coma).  John made his own Birthday dinner because I'm a lousy wife, mother and human when the monster is winning.  Johns Dad visited for celebratory cupcakes and coffee in the evening.  Coffee finally killed the headache and silenced the monster before bed so life is good again this morning.

So whats the big deal with 18 months you ask?
When I signed up for this adventure I was told 100 different things but two are highlighted:

• At 18 months radiation becomes the most active and is working the hardest. I'm assuming that also means that side effects will be working just as hard.  So far that assumption is accurate.
• I have an 80% chance the AVM will occlude by three years therefore18 months also marks the half way mark to goal of being AVM free.

Happy 18 months of shit getting real to me!!

Our entire family is officially on Holidays until January 7th.  A well deserved break for John who has not stopped moving in months (maybe years).  Though there is no such thing as a real vacation when you live on a farm, we will definitely be moving in a much slower pace.

Our family has many goals for 2013 and I am hoping to get some of the vision on paper very soon.
Everything seems more real when it's on paper.
A working work plan, a dream board, a wish list, a Pinterest Board ...
It may read a little like this;

• Design and build a green house - the trusses are already here. Fishy, fishy, fishy to be incorporated.
• Design and build a big barn - the trusses are already here.  Moo, baa, lalala
• Re-fence and electrify the pasture - the fence and wire are already here. 
• Decide where the new chicken coop is going to be - permanently.  And really decide what type of hens I want to live there.  I change my mind on both daily. cluck, cluck, cluck and cock-a-doodle-doo
• Turkeys.... gobble, gobble. gobble.
• Secure some more weaners for early spring. oink, oink, oink.
• Design an orchard that includes more bee hives. buzzzzzzzz 

Dream big, dream bold...

In closing I wish each of you a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

xo