When it rains....it pours!

You know the saying when it rains it pours, well this statement always seems true for my family. Its nothing really bad but it just seems that just when I think I've got everything under control something changes.

After my therapy on Wednesday, I started having this spot on my back that was hurting. At first I thought it was from the heat pack they put on me after I'm done with my therapy. I had James check it and he couldn't see anything wrong. So everyday my skin just hurt but I just thought it was from dry skin or something.

Last night I noticed a small cluster of blisters on my back and the pain is getting worse so I went to a clinic today and I have.....Shingles!!! I can honestly say this is the worst pain I've ever felt.

What's so weird is that my back doesn't look bad at all! From what the doctor said was that the Shingles are attacking my nervous system and my nerves are going crazy in this area. But the nerve that is under attack is on the front right side of my chest and goes under my armpit all the way to my right shoulder blade. So this is a large area and one that is very deceiving. From what I've also learned is that Shingles are brought on by stress...haha!!

One challenge I'm having is the sleeping part. Since my double shoulder surgery I can't sleep on either one of my shoulders and my back and front hurt from the Shingles so this is going to get real interesting!!

I have to go back this week and get a shot so hopefully the Shingles won't return and yes that's a possibility....yikes! One last piece of info is that Shingles are not contagious!! Yes, they are in the family of Chicken Pox but there is no way you can get this from me so Farrah and James are totally safe and so are you..haha!!

(The only reason I'm blogging about this is because I want to remember this.)

Shoulder surgery #2!

A couple of weeks ago I had my left shoulder surgery and I'm officially done with surgeries for a VERY long while! This shoulder surgery was so different then my right shoulder. There was more damage and the tear was worse but I've not had near the pain with this shoulder then I did my right.

From what James tells me (I don't remember anything about that day except for being VERY sick!) Farrah wouldn't leave my side. She was a great mommy sitter...haha! At one point she crawled in my bed and wouldn't leave.....sweet girl!!



Farrah has had a whole lot of fun while I've been down! One night James put his pop up deer blind and Farrah thought that was the greatest thing ever!! There has been lots of playing with Lucas and Annika and Uncle Lance and Aunt Juana too.







I'm very thankful of having a wonderful family that is so willing to help me with Farrah. I'm also very thankful to Kelsey, Abby Cherri and Andrea for bring us meals this past week! It was a huge help and such a blessing!!

Ms. Piggy!!

This year for Halloween Farrah was a pink pig. I found this costume last year and wanted it so bad! She was the cutest pig I've ever seen! She loved dressing up and was extra excited about all the candy.

We started out Sunday night at my mom and dad's church. They had a trunk or treat and Farrah had a blast. Farrah was joined by all her cousins. This is the church I grew up with all my life and to bring my baby back to them was such a joy. Of course they all loved on Farrah and gave her extra candy! There were jumpers and slides and my favorite a cupcake walk. It took me forever to win some cupcakes but I did!!









On Monday we went to our church's Trunk or treat and then headed off to the Vintage for door to door Trick or Treating. Our church had some fun jumpers and a trunk or treat, and again Farrah was spoiled.





We met up with Lucas and Annika and went to the Vintage for Trick or Treating. That place was so packed but we had so much fun! Farrah was really into it too. She would go to the door and say "Trick or Treat." Farrah had so many comments that by the end of the night we were just laughing at all of them. She was a pretty cute pig if I say so myself...haha!!

Pumpkin Trail!

This week we took Farrah, Lucas and Annika to the Pumpkin Trail. We missed it last year and I made sure not to miss it this year!



LaJuana took Lucas and Annika to a nursing home to carve pumpkins with some of the residence. We knew the pumpkins were suppose to be at the trail so our goal was to find these pumpkins and we did!!!





We were surprised to see the trail so packed! I think there were over 2,000 pumpkins this year. There were a few Texas Tech pumpkins and some kitten pumpkins but other then that they were all original!



Farrah had a blast and really loved being able to walk on her own. She was such a big girl and I was really surprised how she stayed with us and didn't run off.



Angry Birds...haha!!





Peter Pan and Tinker Bell....Farrah was super excited to see Tinker Bell!!

It's been awhile!

It's been a crazy and busy month for the Fortner house. Farrah has been going to KDO two days a week, I'm having my shoulder therapy two days a week and my brother and his family have moved in with us until they can find a house of their own.



Farrah has been doing great at her "school." She comes home and talks about her friends and then tells me what she did that day. It's really becoming a reality how big she is getting. Her words are getting more and bigger everyday and she has started to use her imagination. This is so fun to watch! She loves to play in her kitchen and having dad be a dinosaur and chase her around the house.



The hardest part has not been able to play with Farrah since my shoulder surgery. It's getting better and I'm trying my hardest to play with her but getting off the floor is extremely hard. I can't use my right shoulder at all to lift myself off the floor and my left shoulder is just as bad and I can't use it either so it gets interesting...haha!



A couple of weeks ago I was feeling great and then I had an "accident" and re injured my right shoulder so that set be back a couple of weeks. I was sitting on a table and it was not sturdy and it fell from under me and I went tumbling to the ground. Thankfully I did not land on my shoulder/arm but I jerked it so hard that it was instant pain. I saw my physical therapist and he didn't think I did any damage but I have three anchors fused in my shoulder and he was afraid I could have hurt those so off to my doctor I went. I saw my surgeon and he was not happy with me so he put me back in my sling, and then I was not happy with him...haha! So being the good patient I am I have followed the doctor's orders. I go back in a couple of weeks and schedule my left shoulder for surgery if all is well with my right shoulder.

In the mean time my brother and his family have moved in with us and its been a huge blessing!! They have all been a huge help with Farrah. James went on a week long hunting trip to Colorado and I had so much help. Lucas and Annika have been the biggest help! They play with Farrah and keep her busy. They play and dance and sing. They are such good sports with her! I'm sure she is driving them crazy but they are so nice and do whatever she asks. I tell them all the time they can tell her no but they just smile and say "It's ok."





To tell you the truth I'm not in any hurry for them to move out but I'm sure they can't wait to get into their own home and routine. It's been nice having help with dinner and cleaning my house. I don't think Farrah has been the only one that's been spoiled but me as well!

Roomies!!

My brother and his family moved back to Lubbock and are living with us. We have had so much fun with them here! Farrah has really enjoyed them being here! She wakes up everyday asking for Aunt Juana (LaJuana) and Lucas and Annika.





I think mommy and daddy have become chopped liver...haha!! We've had so much fun playing and just enjoying watching Lucas and Annika. We've gotten to see how much fun they are and have had some really good wrestling matches. Lucas and I have also had some really good laughing phases at the dinner table that get us both in trouble with spewing a drink cause we are laughing so hard at each other!





It's always fun to see my older brother and younger sister with their kids and know that their life is a lot like when we were kids. My brother, sister and I were always really close and I love that their kids are close to their siblings as well.

Ruidoso with the cousins!!

For Labor Day my mom and dad took all the grandkids to Ruidoso for a little vacation and Shawna and I tag along..haha!! It was so nice and cool and we had a blast!! We did everything we could think of. We played outside, went and played at the putt putt course, did race cars, jumpers, fishing and we even went swimming.



We were so glad to get a break from the heat and it was about 70 degrees and rainy...it was perfect! I am so thankful that all the grandkids get a long so well and love playing with each other.



We even did an old western picture with the grandkids and it was so funny! Farrah was given a toy gun to play with and she was so funny to watch. She would stick the toy gun in her ear, her mouth and at Reagan and Annika. We had to tell her a few times to stop pointing the gun at everyone..haha!



I've also figured out that mom and dad have a lot of the pictures from the weekend..haha!

Thanks Nana and Dandy for the fun weekend and for letting me and Aunt Shawna tag along!!