...and then I crocheted.: August 2015

It has a been a while since I have posted. This Spring things got a little difficult for my family. My husband had a sever heart attack that almost took his life. He is very lucky to be alive today.

It was Thursday morning April 16, his birthday. He woke me up early that morning, about 4 am. He was complaining about pain in his chest. He thought it was indigestion, so he took a few tums. That didn't help, so he took a pain killer. Finally clutching his chest in pain, he tells me that he needs to go to the emergency room because his heart feels like it will explode!!!! What a way to wake up......:/ "Let me call an ambulance", I say. "NO!!!! That's going to cost too much. Just drive me. I'll wait in the car." I rush to get what I need and get to the garage, what is my lovely hubby, who is having a heart attack at the moment, doing? He's taking out the garbage because he remembered it's Thursday, "Garbage Day". I yell at him to get in the car, drive him to the closest hospital, which is literally 2 minutes away - less, since there was no traffic at 4 am, he jumps out and runs into the emergency room by himself leaving me desperately looking for a parking spot and trying to get to him. Yes.......that was the beginning of a very, very long and emotionally draining summer. (He doesn't remember any of this of course.)

We went from this.....an early birthday celebration........

to a month of this.............medically induced coma.

During this time, he had three episodes where his heart actually stopped. One where he was shocked back to life. All the while I sat there, all day, waiting and watching. I don't know where those days went. Day after day we waited. One whole month, in one hospital where he seems to have contracted everything there, from pneumonia, e-coli and some other bacterial diseases that I can't remember the names of. I became familiar with all the medications, all the equipment and much of the staff. After that month he was transferred to another hospital. The one we should have come to originally, but luckily didn't or else this story would have a very different ending. He spent another 4 weeks there and was transferred yet again to another hospital where they helped him come of the trach and get of ALL those crazy debilitating meds he was on. To be honest, those were for me the worst nightmare. Finally he went back to the second hospital for physical,cognitive and occupational therapy. It is amazing what happens to your body when you don't move it. CRAZY!!!!!!!!

The months of April, May and June were spent at these three hospitals. Finally in July he was able to come home. After having2 stents put in his heart, three weeks of intubation, leading to a tracheotomy and then to having a defibrillator/pacemaker put in, he came home a very skinny and weak man who now needs tons of therapy to make up for all those days of being bed ridden. It's been a long, long ride, but we're still here and given a chance to continue. So that's exactly what we will do.

Coming home from the hospital AT LAST!!!!!

During this time I had to take time off work, because who else was going to take care of my hubby. I do not in any way regret being there with him every single day. Believe me, whenever you have a loved one in the hospital, I recommend being there as much as you can, because no one knows your loved one like you do. They will give them all kinds meds for any little thing. What easier way to deal with someone but by keeping them nice and sedated.

Because of my time off I had to ask for help financially. I created a gofundme account (http://www.gofundme.com/tzeukw) because desperate times do call for desperate measures. And many, I mean many wonderful people came to my aid. And for that I will forever be grateful.

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To add to the misery which came with this Summer, I lost a very special member of the family. Our beloved Cheyenne got very sick and left us. She was 12. We got her in PR. She was just an adorable little pup when we found her. She was so smart that she was potty trained in one day. She just followed our others dog's lead and whallllaaa!!

I love that big girl soooo much!!! I miss her immensely. <3 She was such a good girl and such a sweet heart. Anyone who came to the house ended up with her big ol' scruffy head on their lap.

She was so compassionate. When we found our little kitty Zombie, she took him under her wing and became his mama. He loved her too. That was his mommy as far as he was concerned. She was the one who scolded him if he got rough with Kachi. For Kachi, she was the love of his life. He imprinted on he as soon as he saw her.

We all miss her very much. Unfortunately, Tony was not able to say goodbye. That was pretty hard on him. He still gets choked up sometimes.

Cheyenne you made a big impact in our lives. WE LOVE AND MISS YOU !!!!!

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So........ now to better news. Yes!!! GOOD NEWS!!!!! YAAAAAAY!!! As the days passed and we sat and waited in the hospitals wonderful things were still happening in our lives, because life does go on.

On May 11, our family became a little bigger. We welcomed on this day a beautiful baby girl.

"Aela Jolie"

Happy birthday baby girl!!!!!!

I am very grateful to my wonderful daughters to give me a nice break and take me down to meet and visit with my new grand-daughter. It was a wonderful car ride because I was squished between two of the cutest honeys. :D

Then when times got a little calmer I was able to drive grandpa down to meet his new grand-baby. And look at how big and gorgeous she has gotten.

Happy Mommy and Daddy!!! <3 <3 <3

Proud Grandma!!!!!! IN LOVE!!! <3 <3

Meeting Grandpa for the first time. <3 <3

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Not too long after that, on May 13th, our BIG BOY Elias turned 2 years old!!!!!!! Happy birthday baby. Grandma couldn't make it to his birthday and she still owes him a nice present. I haven't forgotten baby. It will come.

He got a haircut too!!! My handsome Big Boy!!!!

I am also very happy and grateful that my Beautiful Moon (Luna Bella) was able to be with me during those hard days. She sure knew how to make grandma smile. With her shakey butt and coconuts jokes. This little girl is HILARIOUS!!!!!! Thank you to daddy for letting her and mommy come out to be with us during this difficult time.

Meanwhile mommy was almost bursting with another bundle of joy. So let me now introduce to you, Luna's little sister!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

"Scarlet Rose"

Happy birthday sweet baby. <3 <3

Luna absolutely adores her baby sister. <3 <3

Luna also had a birthday in May she turned 3!!!!! Can you believe it?!!! Our little Luna Bella is 3 already. Where has the time gone? Grandma owes her a gift too.

Happy 3rd birthday LUNA!!! I love you so much. <3 <3

What a beautiful smile. Always smiling. :D

And of course I can't forget our beautiful precious Kacey!!!! Her mommy and Daddy had a wonderful BBQ for us so that we can just sit and relax. It was fantastic.

Such a heart melting smile that girl has. CUTE!!!!!

Playing catch with grandpa!!! <3

The food was great and than Grandma and Grandpa got a delicious chocolate cheesecake to make up for missed birthdays and Mother's and Father's Days passed. YUMMILICIOUS!!!!! (Did you know they now sell Cheesecake Factory cheesecake at Walmart?!!!) AAAHHHHHH!!!

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Awesome!!! If you are still with me, let me show you some of the stuff I have been working on the keep myself sane. You know that crochet is my therapy. If I just sit when I get home, I will shut down very quickly. I don't like that feeling so I pick up my hook and start hooking away. ;)

While I was sitting in the hospital with Tony I was working on some flowers for a blanket and one of the nurses loved the way they looked and asked if I could make one for her baby girl that was due in July. That was one of the first projects I started working on.

These were the flowers I was working on.

This is the blanket I made for her. She requested the color.

These are a couple of other blankets I made using that pattern. It's called the Maybelle square. I absolutely love it and the varieties of colors are endless.

You can find that pattern here: http://myrosevalley.blogspot.ie/2013/06/maybelle-square-crochet-pattern.html

Her website is great.

Try it. It's really fun to make. The only thing I hate about granny squares is joining them later, but they look so gorgeous after, that I go through the pain.

Alright then, here was a super fun project that I did. Seriously, who doesn't love dream catchers? I made a few of these. I posted them on the previous blog. This is the latest one I made. They are so fun to make because you can go nuts decorating them!!!! That is the best part. I used yarn, feathers, string, ribbon, beads, sequins, little glass mirrors.....I could go on and on.

Isn't it AWESOME!!!!!!

In keeping with the Bohemian theme (which I am absolutely obsessed with) I made this hippie bag.

I went to Target with my daughter and saw this really cute tassel bag, and I just had to make it......so......I did. Funny thing is, after I made it, I found a pattern for it on-line. Too late. I figured it out myself. haha...

I also made these cute place-mat sets. They were very festive looking.

I made a couple of mermaid baby photo prop sets. This came out adorable if I say so myself. I just loved how thick yet delicate they look.

And....finally for now, I made this cute summer crop top. This was super simple to make. You can find all kinds of patterns for them on YouTube. Lucky for me, I know Spanish so I have a bit of an advantage when the tutorial is in Spanish or Portuguese. Teeheeee ;D