Andy’s Recovery

So the blog posts have been severely lacking the past few months for several reasons, including our desktop computer committing hara-kiri, Andy’s thyroidectomy surgery, Andy’s recovery and low-iodine diet, and Andy’s recent radiation treatment. The past 2 months have been difficult, wonderful, scary, and relaxing all at the same time. We believe we are through the worst of it and can begin to refocus on work, our house, the holidays, and Andy being cancer-free. Well, and Goobers! Poor Gooby has figured out that something was wrong and he has reacted to the additional stress in the house. But now that Andy can be around him again (the radiation isolation was hardest on Goobers!) and we are back to normal work routines, Goobers has returned to his energetic, attention-demanding self, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

So, the past few and upcoming posts are catch ups from this summer and fall. Hope you enjoy!

Andy’s 30th Birthday! No party, as Andy was headed into surgery in 2 days and it just didn’t seem like a good time to be throwing a birthday party. I have promised him a big ol’ party once he has hit the cancer-free mark (in a year or so). Since it was an important birthday and I knew he would be stuck in bed recovering for quite some time, I could think of no better gift than a new PlayStation 3!

Andy’s mom was able to see our new yard and see some Seattle sights before the big surgery day.

Andy came home from the hospital on our 3rd Wedding Anniversary (Kinda depressing, isn’t it, that so many of the cancer treatments were around all these milestones? We were waiting on test results on my birthday this past summer and he had radiation the day after our engagement anniversary, too! I told him when our dating anniversary rolls around this spring, we better have GOOD news!). There was no fancy dinner out this year, but Andy gave me the best gift ever– recovering from surgery and coming home! My sister sent us a gorgeous bouquet for our anniversary (having a florist for a sister is mighty handy, let me tell you) and my whole family (Abbie and Rascal included, of course!) sent Andy a huge basket full of sore throat soothing food and other fun post-surgery items.

Andy’s parents were such a huge help! Andy’s mom stayed with Andy at the hospital over night (2 nights instead of the expected 1) so I could take care of the neglected Goobers, update people on Andy, and take care of the house stuff. Andy’s dad came once Andy was home and entertained him while I tried to get everything back in order. We were finally able to enjoy the final nice days of summer in our gorgeous yard!

My co-workers decided after I was done caring for Andy post-surgery, managing stuff at home, making 30 low-iodine meals, and getting through Andy’s post-radiation isolation and recovery, I could really use a stiff drink. We had quite a night out at Benihana’s!

Goobers bids farewell to summer

Pictures from October:

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Weekend Adventures

I took Andy to see Distant Worlds: Celebrating 20 Years of Final Fantasy at the Seattle Symphony. I knew Andy would have a great time, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, too. Andy played a lot of video games when I was doing homework in grad school, so during the whole symphony I had such an urge to do homework!

Afterwards we enjoyed late night snacks and drinks at the new 4 Seasons Hotel in Seattle. We felt very chic.

We also watched Mo, a dachshund who looks like Goobers got into a sack of flour:

It was so fun to have a matched pair of dachshunds!

Some of Goobers’ toys, however, didn’t survive the weekend of fun.

For being such a good doggie-host, we bought Goobers a shirt from a pet company that has a familiar-sounding name.

Fourth of July

Andy, Goobers, and I had a great weekend relaxing at home on a RARE sunny Fourth of July in Seattle. We ate yummy Cuban sandwiches at the beachside stand Paseo and then visited the Phinney Ridge Farmer’s Market. We bought 2 flats of berries and should be set on pies, muffins, and pancake toppings until next summer!

Andy raised the flag on our front porch. We often forget to do this (like on Flag Day), so we were darn proud of ourselves for remembering.

We were finally able to enjoy our new backyard! And I think my little container garden may actually make it!

I was excited to start using the mint in some of my favorite drinks, and I made a caprese salad with our basil. I felt incredibly capable and cool, even though I know that if I lived on a Depression-era farm with only my gardening skills to feed us, we would starve!

Andy enjoyed the view from the patio:

Goobers enjoyed the sun in the backyard. We were airing out the duvet in anticipation of my birthday gift (which I knew about, having made Andy take pictures of it at Crate and Barrel with a list of what sizes to get!) and Goobers did a good job of not getting on it. Instead he sat right next to it, inching closer to it through out the day!

It was time to open the much-anticipated, not- surprising birthday gift!

Andy shucked fresh oysters and I enjoyed them in the hammock with some champagne!

Then it was time to downshift from fancy to patriotic– brats and beer! Andy mistakenly tried to grill ALL of the hotdogs present!

We enjoyed our food while watching, appropriately, Yankee Doodle Dandy. And then it was time for cake! My favorite– Mint Chocolate Chip cake from Baskin Robbins. 

Jeanne and Nathan visit

Jeanne and Nathan came up for the weekend to visit the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum’s exhibit of the muppets. We had a great time, but alas, we couldn’t take pictures inside.

We had a little too much fun in the Science Fiction Museum’s gift shop. I will admit that we bought a Yoda car freshner, but resisted the Star Wars paper dolls. Just barely.

As it was two days after the death of Michael Jackson, it was neat to see how EMP was honoring him, with sidewalk chalk memorials, banners to sign, music videos playing, and a glass case with one of his famous white gloves in it (I didn’t take a picture, it felt weird. But it was cool to see.).

We had been around a lot of people, so after a Starbucks run, we headed out to the Ballard Locks to enjoy the sun, the park, and watch the boats go by. We were thrilled to see a seal catching fish and an otter playing in the water.

We were about done oohing and aahing at the yachts going through the locks when a huge research vessel (Atlantis) came in, complete with a submarine  named Alvin on the back. Jeanne later found out that it had been out researching underwater volcanoes and that it had also been to the Titanic wreckage.

It had been a busy day, so we stopped by our favorite neighborhood watering hole, Oliver’s Twist, for their killer garlic truffled popcorn, and then headed home for Nathan’s famous grilled cheese sandwiches. I was lucky enough to also get a Monte Cristo, my favorite sandwich in the world. Nathan thoughtfully provided appropriate head gear, which we decorated.

Goobers, as usual, was Nathan’s special helper.

2 year blogiversary

We’ve had our little blog now for 2 years, so I decided to pick another theme in honor of the occasion. While these days our blog is more about our yard and less about amazing trips around the world, we know why you’re really here… pictures of Goobers!

Yard nearing completion

Every day something new is appearing (or disappearing!) in our back yard.

We appreciate how hard our landscapers have been working:

No fence or gate!

Lovely lawn:

Our new stone path showed up in one day!

Goobers is anxious for the fence to go in so he can play in the yard again:

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Goobers has made the world a better place for 3 years now. We celebrated with our usual cottage cheese cake and a new toy. I also updated the Goobers page on the blog, so feel free to click on the Goobers tab at the top and enjoy our pictures.

Goobers in the Sun

Goobers is enjoying our spring weather!