I'm Back! Pun intended! Random thoughts and tangents ahead!

So I'll be adding to this blog post throughout the day because I can't sit at the computer very long and I'm also trying to edit photos for a few friends when I can as well. I also have SO much to tell you and get off my back (again, the bad pun). I've missed blogging and I hope my friends and family have updated and entertained you as well! LOL We'll get to that later.

Yesterday was the first REAL day I went out in public for Peyton's Authors Tea. I could never have missed that! She did so awesome and spoke about why friends are important. BOY, do I ever know that (family too) but I'll be back later about my friends. Anyway, we were so proud of her! I wasn't supposed to go out in public for a month because of potentially catching, meningitis, sepsis or a staph infection. Sounds fun, huh? It's actually a month tomorrow, but who's counting?

You might be wondering how I can look semi-tan considering I've basically been on bed-rest most of the time since the surgery. Your first thought is that I probably was in an accident in a rusty old cab that was flying down alley-ways during my exciting and exotic vacation in Bora Bora. Hence, the tan. Actually, in order to stave off extreme boredom, I've been spending oodles of my time laying/sleeping on a bench on my patio. Being outside is SO much better than being stuck inside although my husband was super-sweet enough to put a bed up in the family room for me as you probably saw a few posts back when Tina and Brandy dressed me up during one of my many medication induced hazes. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look-see. They did it quickly while Stephie was on one of my MILLION Robyn errand runs that she has done. Stephie is my mother hen/nurse/best bud/complaint line/reading buddy/Target shopping twin, so they were afraid she'd beat them over the head with my body pillow while in fear for my safety.

I have so many friends and family to thank in the next few posts that it's going to drone on like so many Oscar acceptance speeches so be prepared. You'll just have to deal with it because my immense appreciation NEEDS to be known.
I'm going to share some info about my friends and family before I tell you a bit a bout the surgery.
In time of test, family is best. ~Burmese Proverb
I don't know where to begin here because the kindness, helpfulness and complete generosity of spirit from my family has not ended only because I'm feeling a bit better. They continue to amaze me everyday. Matt has been a complete steady force throughout. He makes me laugh, as always and has truly personified our vows, "In sickness and in health". He has done so much for me. Little things that mean a LOT: planting my flowers for me, making my plate, bringing me a zillion glasses of water and medications, gone to the grocery(I think he probably hates this but doesn't complain and cooked, cleaned and done all kinds of domestic things that were never on his list before! He has also done BIG things for me that mean a LOT too: put up a bed in the family room so that I wouldn't feel isolated, spruced up the patio area so I'd have a happy place to lay down outside and I could go on and on but I won't embarass him. I'll show you photos of that in a bit.
About the other family members, my mother-in-law, Ruth, my sister Brandy and both my Dad and Matt's Dad, Ron have been great. Poor Ruth has done more load of laundry than she has probably seen since her 3 kids were little! She's also been so awesome with taking the kids where they need to go, getting Peyton on the bus and being there when she gets off too. My favorite is having her ENFORE the chore list. I'd love to give her that job permanately but I'm sure she'd jump off a high cliff first! My sister, Brandy (in addition to giving you the first VERY important update on my blog) has listened to me complain, listen to me slur my words and pretend she knows what I'm saying, has made dinner, cleaned my shower, organized Peyton's room and all kinds of other needful things. My father was Matt's (and his Dad as well as the rest of the surgical waiting room) entertainment during my surgery. Believe me, getting up to be at the hospital at 5:30 am was probably NOT his favorite thing to do. He also "babysat" me one day when I still had to be supervised, he did LAUNDRY for me. I was sure the earth was going to stand still! He also brought me sweet goodies like always and also drove 45 minutes to the hospital one day to pick up a script because they can't phone in narcotics. My father-in-law Ron has also been so helpful and always has a kind word to say. I don't want to leave out Grace and Mason. It never fails to cheer me up when I call Brandy and Grace asks me how I'm feeling. Inevitably, she will then SCREAM, "MOMMY Aunt Robbie is feeling BETTER!" I also love listening to Mason's knock knock jokes even though they are always about Bolt! THANK YOU FAMILY! You are the BEST!
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. ~Arnold Glasow
About my friends. Again, I really don't know where to start. I'm going to start with Stephanie. As you know from her post, we met through my life-long friend Jeff. Stephanie has ALWAYS been there for me no matter WHAT it is. She's the best shopping buddy ever and we share a passion for fake Mexican food like Taco Bell and Chipoltle. Oh yeah, I have to tell you about the "fork me" episode. One day during my days of constant surveillance, I had Stephanie, Tina, Lisa and Brandy here all at the same time (I think...it's still fuzzy). Steph and Tina made chicken nachosYUM and again because I was DRUGGED I pointed to the nachos with my fork and asked Steph to "fork me". Umm. Okay. Enough of that...I can't list everything she has done and CONTINUES to do for me. From making my room and bathroom sparkling (her momma helped too, shes so sweet as well) to having my fridge stocked and LOVELY flowers for me when I got home from the hospital. SIDE BAR ALERT One of the gorgeous flowers Steph brought me was a super cool twisted and braided trunked, pink azalea TREE about a foot and a half tall. Matt planted it for me in a pot on the patio. My angel Cosmo believed it was a lovely stick that he should unplant and zoom around the yard with. We replanted it only to have him do the same thing the next day. It wasn't pretty. Steph, please know: I LOVE YOU!
I had written this next entire segment yesterday and when I puched publish, I realized my internet was down. great. Well it's back so here we go!
I don't know what I've done to deserve to be surrounded by the MOST wonderful people in my life. I truly am blessed to have these people. My other girlies that need some recognition: Lisa, Tina and Georgiann.
Lisa and I became friends through the happy accident of becoming neighbors by moving into our homes within a month of each other. She's a petite, toned little fire-ball of a chick with more energy than I have in my pinkie. Lucky for me she has showered some of that energy on me these past several weeks. Not a day goes by that she doesn't do something helpful, needed of just plain is there when I need her. She has made us dinner innumerable times and she definately short changes herself in the kitchen. She thinks she can't cook but she is WRONG! :-) Lisa, thanks for always being just several yards away! LOL
Tina came into my life when I started watching her little man Hayden when he was just a couple months old. He's now a big guy of 4 and has been in school for a year but I still feel so close to this goofy, happy little man. Tina is a pure ray of sunshine with an innocent heart who would do anything for anyone. Her happy face has made many of my post-surg days so much better plus she's a laundry master (have you noticed a laundry theme throughout this entire post?). The fact that she's a med surgical nurse has been cool, like having a private nurse at my disposal! AND I can't wait for her to whip my flabby body back into shape with her personal trainer like skills at the gym~! :-)
Georgiann and I have been friends since 10 grade, not many freindships survive 20 years! We have so many great memories! She doesn't hesitate to tell me to "LAY DOWN" while she uses her magic in my kitchen. I've yet to meet someone who is so wonderfully domestic while still holding down a high profile budgetingsomethingorother position. Can you say wonderwoman!

Last but certainly not least are the neighbors/friends that made us delicious dinners and always called to see if we needed anything! My wonderful and giving chefs were: Julie, Cindy, Jen and Debbie! THANKS LADIES!