Robb's Back Problems and MRI

Robb had been having some back pain way back in May when we went on our Disney Vacation and it never seemed to completely resolve itself. Then fast forward to June and one of our lake house guests left the paddle boat right side up on the deck and it filled with water and Robb tried to play Hulk and hurt himself lifting it. Now, he may have a different account of this but of course he wouldn't write an entry in the blog so this is my version. He struggled with pain all of June and come July a week before Yankton he finally went to see a doctor. Robb hates going to the doctor, so things had gotten pretty bad by the time he went. He couldn't hardly sit and driving was excruciatingly painful. He couldn't get into his doctor before Yankton so he just went to a walk in clinic. He got a steroid injection and anti inflammatory meds but it didn't help him much. When we got back from Yankton he went to see his primary doctor and he gave him meds that helped more but he was still in constant pain. He got a referral to physical therapy and started doing that 1-2 times a week. He felt like he was making progress but he still had trouble sitting, driving and was unable to do most of the outside chores around the house. The boys and I quickly figured out how to work the new mower and team mowed each week. If you know Robb he is a go getter and thrives on having projects and stuff to do so this was a struggle for him. It was also a struggle for me to keep up while taking on yard work plus all my other responsibilities. He continued to do physical therapy until November and he just wasn't making much head way. I finally convinced him it was time for another doctor visit and an MRI. Once I suggested these things he followed through I guess I just need to remember that Robb will never take a hint and I just need to put it out there what I need him to do. He tried getting another injection after seeing another doctor and we were disappointed when that didn't give him relief. Since the injection didn't work, his only option was surgery. Not an option he was at all excited for. We scheduled his surgery for February so I will let you know how it goes.
I must say this has been a long journey for our family. With Robb being in almost constant pain he is not the easy going guy that he normally is. He would whole heartedly disagree that this has changed him but I think the kids and I have really noticed a difference in his patience and mood. We are really hoping that this surgery offers some relief! Pain is a crazy thing and it is something that when you deal with it day in and day out it is wearing. We are praying that surgery is the answer!

Oh Christmas Tree

 In Lutz tradition we got our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. The last couple of years we have went to Spilker's tree farm and got one of their precut Frasier Firs that they ship in. These are usually their tallest trees. Last year we got one that was almost 12ft tall but this year the biggest we could find was 10.5. It is a beautiful tree I just wish it was bigger. The kids were after the popcorn and hot cocoa right away when we got there.

Also in Lutz tradition, it stood in the living room for about 3 days before we were all home and had a free night to decorate it.

It is always fun to see the kids unpack all their ornaments that they have gotten over the years.

It turned out beautiful!

Thanksgiving Dinner

This year it was hard to figure out a day to get everyone together so we had to settle on getting some of us together. I had to work the Friday after and the weekend so we wanted to stay close to home and Steph had to work also. Mom was going to Orchard on Thanksgiving Day but that was farther than we wanted to travel for a one day trip so the compromise was us hosting on Wednesday night. I ended up being a pretty small group when Mitch and Courtney were sick and couldn't come but it was still fun.

Steph and Draven came up that afternoon to help me cook. The crazy thing is I am 35 and have never had to make the turkey. So needless to say, I was a little stressed about the whole thing. I had bought a 16 lb turkey and it had been thawing in the fridge for 3 days but when I took it out the bottom was still frozen. After a panicked call to Steph, we decided that I could just run it under room temp water and it would be fine. I had looked up the recipe in advance but that morning I just needed to grab a couple of spices. Turns out everyone in Lincoln also needed the same herbs and I had to run 3 different places to find them. Lesson learned! I got my herbs, now it was time to prep this turkey. I am a nurse how hard can it be to reach in and pull out a bag of gizzards? Turns out it is harder than you would think. A couple minutes into it I ask Bryce to pull up a YouTube video of how to do this. The video was helpful and before I knew it I was pulling out all sorts of things out of this turkey. Keep in mind I have the big kids watching me do this. When it came to pulling out the neck it was somewhat stuck and after a lot of pulling I got it out, held it up and announced that I had found the turkey penis. The kids were HORRIFIED! The look on their faces was priceless! After everyone got of over laughing about my joke we got to work covering our bird in the herb infused butter that we had made. Then we crossed our fingers and put it in the oven.

The turkey turned out great! It took the correct amount of time and we didn't even overcook it. All the food was delicious!

Cheers from the kids.

We had a small group but we had a lot of fun and yummy food!

Emerson tried pumpkin pie and decided it wasn't her favorite and I guess she also decided it looked like finger food.

Bryce wasn't letting any pie go to waste so he had a sampler platter with all 3 kinds on it. 

The kids were  a huge help with cooking! Abby more of less made the apple pies by herself except for peeling the apples which I wouldn't let her do. They turned out delicious and Grandpa Hansen would have been happy to know that the next generation will know how to make a good apple pie.

Basketball

Bryce has started basketball and it is in full swing. He is on the Norris A team this year and it is a much more competitive team than he has ever been on before and all the other kids played together last year so he is working on figuring out the team dynamics and the offense and defense that they run. Right now he doesn't have the confidence that we have seen from in years past but I think he will get past that when he feels more comfortable with his team. He really enjoys it and would play basketball 24 hours a day if someone would play with him! They practice 2 nights a week and have YMCA league games and when they don't have those they have tournaments on Saturdays and Sundays. It is a big commitment for everyone but it is really fun to watch him play!

Dog Park

Emmy and I have been taking Lucy to the dog park on the day that she doesn't go to daycare each week. While the weather is still not terribly cold it's good for all of us to get some fresh air and Lucy could really use the exercise.

Emmy's favorite thing to do is to walk on the stepping stones in the creek over and over again. I always try to hold on to her but she insists that she is fine and doesn't want help. 

Having some bonding time while we chase the dog around in the cold.

This is why we take her to the dog park! Because then she sleeps the rest of the day!

Slime

There is an odd new craze going on and it is Slime making. Abby is obsessed with making slime! Fluffy slime, glow in the dark, rainbow, sparkle, you name it she has tried to make it. We started buying glue by the gallon and shaving cream in 2 packs. This girl is hooked on slime. So far we have had a couple mishaps. We have had to throw away a set of sheets when she fell asleep while playing with slime. She has got it on numerous pieces of clothing, my rugs and in her hair. It's a good thing she is so cute so that we will continue to support this crazy hobby of hers!