Happy Birthday Rianne!

November was another roller coaster month. Rianne spent half of it fighting off a tough cold. It didn’t really have her down and out, but it just stuck around. She finally got rid of it and has been doing fine since.
On Veterans Day we decided to get her out of the house and go for a quad ride. We hadn’t been on them since last November, just before my back surgery. We took Kelbi with us and rode up to Sundown Mountain. We put in about 15 miles and Rianne did well the entire trip! She pleaded with me to let her drive with Kelbi on her quad - I was concerned with her having to multi-task, but she proved that she could do it! The video below is one that I shot of her driving by with her new canine hood ornament!
We had a Happy Thanksgiving this year and truly have been blessed! We celebrated Thanksgiving at Bob and Pam Hunter’s home on Thursday and really enjoyed ourselves. Dustin and Sheila Hunter were there, as well as Sheila’s parents, Brad and Carla Van Prooyen. Pam’s sister, Sandy and her husband, Jerry were there, as well. They have all been great supporters for us. On Friday we again celebrated Thanksgiving with our daughter-in-law, Ashley’s side of the family at Ty and Ashley’s home. Most of the group watched the Oregon Ducks Football Game, but Rianne spent the entire time playing with her Grandsons!
Anxiety has been her worse enemy since her treatments have been final. She does fine when I’m here with her, but when I leave in the morning to head for the school anxiety overwhelms her. It digs deep into her emotions and thoughts, breaking her down when nobody is there for her to confide in. She often calls me with a quiver in her voice. She sometimes breaks down in tears when the girls from work pick her up. I’ve left her for short periods to hunt and fish and she is anxious the entire time that I am away from her. One day she told me to go fish with a friend and 20 minutes later she called crying, begging me to come home because of her anxiety. I did, however, manage to catch a 30 pound salmon on one of the trips! On Sunday afternoons she gets anxious about starting a new work week. When we go to Coos Bay for tests or Blood Draws she is anxious during the entire ride up. The list goes on – bottom line is she is having a VERY difficult time allowing herself to relax due to her struggles with anxiety!
Yesterday we took a road trip out of state to buy her a birthday present! She turns 53 tomorrow! We headed to Crescent City, California to visit the Home Depot which is armed with excellent Christmas Decorations. Her favorites are animated figures for the yard. I told her to get what she wanted – she smiled and was like a kid in a candy shop! She grabbed a few good ones then we headed back to Oregon.
Happy Birthday Rianne! Today we spent a few hours arranging the decorations in the yard. She always goes “All Out” when it comes to decorating for Christmas. If you know much about Rianne, you know that Christmas is her favorite time of the year! After we finish decorating the yard, you can bet on it that the inside of our house will be quite festive! She is absolutely amazing at decorating for Christmas!
We are very grateful for our many blessings – especially during this holiday season! We have so much to be thankful for! We hope that you, too, are counting your blessings! Have a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and enjoy the rest of the holidays!