It’s been quite awhile since I last wrote in this Blog. I have plenty of excuses, but none really hold water. Bottom line is - I’ve been “slacking!” I decided that I’d better get writing again!
Rianne has been very busy – busy LIVING! April 1st marked the 2nd Anniversary of her Cancer Diagnosis. She had a good day, although it will always be in the back of her mind. Every day is filled with challenges, but she’s been up for them and meets each one head-on. She always finds a way to make it through each day, regardless of the outcome. Some days she feels great getting out of bed and other days she needs me to pull her from the warm blankets and comfortable pillow. Some days she returns from work with energy remaining, other days she’s ready for a quick dinner before she falls asleep. Her toughest days are during her work week, as the load catches up to her. We rarely schedule events in the evenings during the week because we both know that she will likely be exhausted when she finishes work for the day. There are the few exceptions…like a trip to the theatre to watch “The Hunger Games.” When a new movie comes out, Rianne is ALWAYS ready to extend her day to catch it in the theatre. “It’s not the same on the TV as it is in the theatre!” she always argues. I have to agree, even though I need to guzzle the caffeine to stay awake through some movies. She still doesn’t drive on the highway, so the long hauls to the theatre are my responsibility. Our closest movie house is 30 miles away! She drives herself to and from work, but still has anxiety when it comes to the open road, so she smiles and lets me drive!
Far and above, her favorite things to do are to be with the grandkids and ride her quad! A month or two ago she got to do both! We picked up Kacen and Brant, headed up Euchre Creek and took a trip on the quads. We didn’t go far but did have some fun climbing the road up into the forest. We arrived at the top and ate some snacks. Minutes later, we were told to “get riding” by both boys, so we headed back down the mountain. When we returned to the truck Rianne saw a large mud puddle and couldn’t resist …. she HAD TO take the boys through it! The quad was barely moving as they rolled into it, but the excitement on all three of their faces was priceless! They made four or five trips through the puddle to satisfy their adventurous spirits. Their smiles never left their faces as we packed up the bikes and headed home.
Tonight Rianne headed to bed around 6:30. She could sleep for 12 hours every night if she wanted to. Her body is simply exhausted after a day of work and sometimes after a day of fun. This past weekend was a good test for her strength. On Saturday, around noon, we went to Bob and Pam Hunter’s for an early Easter Egg Hunt and for Easter Dinner. Rianne had a great time hiding eggs, finding the ones everyone else hid and just being able to be herself. We left around 5:30 and headed to Ty and Ashley’s for our Grand-Daughter, Paisley’s 1st Birthday Party. On April 5, 2011 Paisley Brynn Wardle was born in Gold Beach! That was a quick year I must say! Rianne played with the grandkids and the youngsters at the party, visited with people and again enjoyed being herself. Around 8:30 we headed for home. We enjoyed the day and had a great time at both places. On Easter Sunday, however, she got up feeling worn out. We went up the Rogue River to “plunk” for salmon around 11:00 but she never really did feel very good during the day. As I’ve said many times, if she has a full day, the next day she may feel poorly. That’s exactly what happened to her on Sunday – she had a GREAT day on Saturday, but needed to rest on Sunday. She was a good fishing partner and lasted until 4:30, but I could see it was time to head for home. We quickly made some soup and she was out for the night when her spoon lapped up the last drop in the bowl. I practically had to carry her to the bed. Exhausted, she slept for 13 hours last night and it still wasn’t enough. She was tired and weak today, but forced herself to find the strength to make it through the work day. She definitely knows when her body has had enough – and she listens to it!
We hope you are all well and healthy and are enjoying your Spring. Each day will get longer and longer and we hope you try to live every moment. If we’ve learned anything through the past two years, that’s exactly what we should all do – live every moment!!
