As You Wish

Everyone welcome my new niece Kendal onto the scene. My sister, Amber, and her wife, Erin, adopted Kendal around Christmas time and I am so happy for them. She is just a doll. Amber emailed me these pictures of this precious little bundle of joy. I hope we can make a trip to see them sometime soon, I really want to snuggle her.

This clip is from the movie Young Frankenstein, which apparently is my dad's favorite movie.



One day my mom and I were sitting in the truck waiting for my dad and the song "Puttin' on the Ritz" came on. She started singing it like Frankenstein in the clip. This really doesn't phase me because this is what she does. She then proceeded to tell that the way she was singing was because of the movie and if she sang that part to my dad he would know exactly what she was singing. There was no doubt in her mind that he would get it right away.

Well when my dad returned to the truck I reminded her to sing for my dad. She belted it out in her best impersonation of Frankenstein and my dad looked at her wide eyed and said "did you just say oompa loompa?" I died right then. That was one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. Keep in mind that I am easily amused. She just knew he would get it and when she crooned "puttin on the riiiiitz" in that special voice of hers he DID NOT get it. I love my parents. They continually fuel my need for laughter.

On Sunday the 7th I was lucky enough to be asked to take the Hammond family pictures. Andrew and I are actually quite good friends with Bryon and Angela. They have pretty awesome personalities and I think we all had a good time with the photo shoot (other than it being super cold outside).

They asked that their pictures be taken on these steps because they just finished building this block wall this past summer and they are very proud of it (which they should be because they did a fantastic job).



All in all this was a pretty fun shoot. Bryon reminds me of Chandler (from Friends) when he and Monica are trying to take engagement photos. If you aren't sure of what I'm talking about watch the clip below and laugh with me because it's pretty funny. Don't worry Bryon has a good sense of humor.



P.S. Chelsie insisted on wearing those legwarmers. She loves them.

Lately I’ve been feeling a bit blah. Does that make sense? I hope so. Nothing very exciting is going on (which isn’t that big of a deal), but I wish I had something super fantastic to blog about. We are building a deck which is pretty awesome. I should have been blogging about it a few months ago, but for some reason I haven’t downloaded any of the pictures yet, so until I do some downloading I have nothing cool to talk about.

I guess I can rant about some things. Do you mind? I apologize if you do because I’m going to do it anyway.

It turns out my aunt (my mom’s sister) does have cancer. She goes in for her second round of chemo today. It really is too bad that she has to go through this. I can’t imagine how she must be feeling. Our family is planning a reunion next weekend in Idaho and I’m really happy we will get to see her. I wish there was some sort of magic remedy we could give her to make it go away. I know all families feel the same way, but it’s especially difficult when it’s someone as close as she is.

This past weekend my aunt’s “partner” passed away (my dad’s sister). The reason I call him her partner is because they were together for 30+ years without getting married and in my opinion calling them boyfriend/ girlfriend is a little insignificant for the amount of time they spent together. Other than his passing the worst part about the whole deal is that because they weren’t married the hospital won’t give my aunt any information about his death. I kind of hate them for that and I’m sure she does too. I know it’s just procedure that they have to follow, but WTF? I know in some states common law marriage is recognized and in that instance they would be able to give her some information, but do you think that’s the way it is? No. Where she lives it’s not recognized, so they’re basically telling her she’s S.O.L. I don’t know the whole story, but I do know that the only way to make funeral arrangements is if one of his family members makes them. Apparently the family he has left is too busy to make it right now, so my aunt is stuck waiting around with no answers, no closure, no loved one to go home to, and a heavy heart.

It’s pretty messed up when your own flesh and blood can’t take time out of their busy schedule to make funeral arrangements and find out the cause of death. It’s also messed up that someone so close to you they should be considered a relative, someone that spent the last 30 years with you, someone that knows you better than anyone else can’t be told anything. It’s not like she’s some stranger or someone he just met. She is as close to being his wife as you can possibly get without some fancy legal paper saying so.

Like I said before I don’t know the whole story and maybe I will find out, but until then I’m going to continue being mad. I know there isn’t anything I can do to change things, but I’m in a poopy mood and I just want to be mad at the situation. So there.

Ok I’m done being a four year old. For now.

On a lighter much happier note I love that without having to say a word Andrew knows that I’m bothered by something and he hugs me, cuddles with me, and tries so hard to make me feel better. Sometimes all you need is love.

When I was a little girl I watched the movie Peter Pan for the first time and fell in love with the Indian Princess Tigerlily. From that point forward I wanted to be referred to as Tigerlily. My name, Allison, was too plain and I hated it. I informed my family that they must call me Tigerlily and I wouldn't answer to anything else. I was am a demanding person.

One of the funny things about me wanting to be called Tigerlily is not only is that the name of an Indian Princess, but it's also the name of a flower. I'm not comfortable with giving away my full name, but I will tell you that after being adopted my middle and last name both have something to do with flowers.
Another funny fact about this is before the adoption my mom and dad had to speak with a lawyer on several occasions to fill out paperwork and discuss what would happen. When I decided my name was now Tigerlily my mom began to get nervous. She just knew the judge would ask me what I wanted my name to be and I would tell him Tigerlily. In one of the meetings my parents had with their lawyer my mom asked if the judge would give me the opportunity to tell him what I wanted my name to be. She was relieved to find out that he wouldn't. I don't think the lawyer realized how nervous my mom was. *cue for my mom to wipe the sweat from her brow* It might not have been that big of a deal to most, but it was to her. At the very least she wanted to keep my name Allison on paper.


Recently my mom gave me a package and said she had a surprise for me. I opened the envelope to find the following.She was searching for new makeup and found this eyeshadow and couldn't pass it up. It's perfect!

*Pictures courtesy of Google Images

One of my earliest memories would have to be from about 22 years ago. I have a terrible memory, so the fact that I remember this is quite strange. I was 2 years old and I can remember seeing the back of my biological father as he walked out the door. I sat with my mom on the coffee table as she cried and I know that was a turning point in both of our lives (a turn for the better). I love my mother dearly and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. Ok well maybe I would trade her for a purse or a new pair of shoes…just kidding. I know that wasn’t even funny I apologize.

Moving forward…

That being said I hated seeing my mom upset, but I hated seeing her date even more. She was mine and no one else’s. I was a very selfish little girl and I wanted her to myself. Then one day when I was about 3 she brought him home. Who was this stranger? Why was he kanoodling my mom? I wasn’t having it. Whenever they sat together on the couch I would sit between them. Remember? She was mine.

I don’t remember this, but I’m told that enough was enough. I had to be stopped. They had heard a rumor that if you give a child a little bit of wine it will make them sleepy. That could be harmless right? I mean just a little won’t hurt. Right? They gave me a couple sips of wine and waited to see if I would drift off to sleep like they were hoping would happen. They were wrong! I was wired beyond belief, worse than before. Not to be cliché, but I was bouncing off the walls. As I write this I have an evil little grin on my face just in case you were wondering. That’s what they get for trying to get some alone time.

The more time they spent together I started getting used to him being around. Don’t get me wrong I still wanted my mom to myself, but that wasn’t happening. When I was 5 they decided to get married. That story has already been told here.

Around 1990 the company they were both working for decided to close its doors, so we moved to Winnemucca. That winter was horribly cold. We were renting a two story house at the time and my bedroom was downstairs. It was right next to the basement and I hated sleeping there by myself. For a few months my step-sister, Amy, came to live with us and while she was there I slept in my room with her. I’m sure she thought I was a loser little kid because she was in high school and I was in first grade, but I thought her and her twin, Amber, were the coolest.

After spending some time around my step-sisters and step-dad I started thinking. I know scary right? I began to realize that my last name wasn’t the same as my mom’s and I didn’t have anyone to call “dad.” This was quite perplexing for me. This had to change. I told my mom I wanted my last name to be the same as hers. She explained to me that the only way for that to happen would be for me to ask my step-dad to adopt me. So…I asked. He gratefully accepted and when I was 8 years old we went to court and my last name became the same as theirs and I had someone to call “dad.”

I’m going to digress for a moment to talk about my grandpa (my mom’s dad). He was AWESOME. I won’t go into too much detail here about my undying affection for him, but I do want to say that when I found out he was dying from cancer my heart was broken. I was too young at the time to fully understand all the details, but I did know that this monster was taking my Poppa from me and I didn’t appreciate it. The day before the adoption he was taken from us. My mom says that he wanted to make sure I was going to be ok before he let go. He knew he was leaving me in good hands with my dad. *clearing throat and wiping tears*

It was difficult to explain to my friends at school how I was able to change my name. They thought that if you were adopted that must mean you came from some orphanage and that your parents weren’t your “real” parents. I spent countless hours minutes explaining myself to them. I think they understood, but I’ll never know.

It has been 16 years since the adoption and I couldn’t be happier with the decision we made. Bob has been the best dad a girl could ask for.

Thank you so much for the life you have helped to give me, for adopting me, for loving me (even though I was am the biggest brat ever), for teasing me, for being there for me, for carrying me from your bed to mine, and for loving my mom. I know I wasn’t always into the thought of you being around, but I can’t imagine for even just one second not having you in my life now. I love you very much and I hope you have a Happy Birthday!

*Side note: Don’t judge my parents for giving me alcohol at such a young age. It really was only a little and I think I turned out fine. I think…

I apologize for the rollercoaster of emotion this post may have caused, but I don’t apologize for the information. I know while writing this I laughed, I cried, I rubbed my hands together in an evil manner, and I loved whole-heartedly.

'cause you know I'm too lazy to run.

On Saturday May 31st my mom and I walked 3 miles in the local LaRena Smith Bengoa Run, Walk, or Ride for the Cure. I've wanted to do something like this for a few months now and when I saw the ad at the grocery store I knew I wanted to participate. Not even a week after seeing the ad my mom mentioned that she would be participating in this event for the second year in a row and I told her I was in. She originally wanted to walk 5 miles, but I knew for sure that would be the death of me, so I told her 3 miles would be my limit.

You see I'm quite lazy, I'm not proud of it and I know I need to quit, but I hate being a quitter. Jokes! Once our backyard project is complete I'm going to take exercising more seriously. No really I am. Oh you don't think so? Well...we'll see. Ok fine you're probably right, but I really do want to do something about my laziness.

So...back to the walk.

As some of you may know we had a little bit of a scare with my dad thinking he might have cancer, but thankfully after his surgery we found out his nodules were benign. A few weeks later we were informed that my aunt had lung cancer. I was so happy when we found out my dad didn't have cancer. I thought for sure our family was healthy again. It was time to be happy and celebrate. Not now. The doctor told her the tumor is inoperable and we are still waiting to see what the treatment will be (if there is one).

My aunt is one of the most awesome people you will ever meet. She is sweet, kind-hearted, strong-willed, loving, opinionated, creative, humorous and beautiful (just to name a few). When I was in high school she lived with my family and we were so close. She was more like a sister or second mother rather than an aunt. I truly valued her opinion and I asked her for it quite often. Practically everyday before school I would check with her to make sure my outfit for the day matched and I would always put on two different shoes to see which she thought went better (I still do this to this day - thanks for your help Andrew).

She constantly makes me laugh when she says things like, "I need to warsh the windels." Translation - I need to wash the windows. I know you think I'm making fun of you Auntie, but I only do it because I love you and I like to laugh with you. I don't know if you know this, but you are one of my most favorite people ever. I'm always so excited to see you when you come to town or we make the trip to see you.

My aunt has had several battles with illnesses in her life and so far she has beaten them. All I can say is I know this is a rough time, but stay strong. You are so tough I know you can beat this. We all love you very much and we are here for you.

If I could take the pain for you I would. I love you and I’m so proud to have been given the middle name Rose because of you, Ms. Fontella Rose.

During the walk my mom and I both wore a lanyard around our necks that had a picture of my aunt (her sister), my grandparents (her parents), and someone who would like to remain anonymous.

My grandfather passed away in 1992 because of cancer in his lungs, brain, and liver and my grandmother passed in 2002 because of lung cancer. I still to this day miss them both. I really wish they could have been around to meet Andrew and see me grow into the person I am today.

My grandparents on one of their anniversaries

The woman who would like to remain anonymous is very close to my family. She is a wonderful person and I’m so happy to say she is a survivor. I love this woman and her husband as if they were a part of my family. Every time I see these two in person they always get the biggest smiles on their faces and I hope if you are reading this you know how much that means to me. You are such a sweet person and I’m so glad my mom has a friend like you.

*Update – I have been working on writing this for a while now waiting for the perfect moment to post and since beginning to write this we have received an update on my aunt. She was supposed to be going to see the doctor on the 5^th to see if there is any sort of treatment for her situation. The doctor my aunt went to told her she needs to go through a whole new set of tests because in the 20 years she has been a doctor she has dealt with 3 misdiagnosed patients and she wants to make sure that isn’t the case with my aunt. We should be hearing something back in the next couple of weeks, so in the mean time we will be praying that this isn’t cancer.

The name will make sense I promise. Keep reading.

It came to my attention a few weeks ago that my dad has been reading my blog and he commented to Andrew that I never write about him. Dad - I apologize for not writing more about you, this post is just for you. I will keep my eyes open from now on for blogworthy material pertaining to you. I don’t know if you will find that a blessing or a curse, but just remember that you brought it on yourself.

This is long overdue and I apologize for the amount of time it has taken me to do this.

A couple of months ago my Dad had a doctor’s appointment and he found out he would need surgery to remove his thyroid. I was told by my sister, Amy, who has had a similar surgery that my other sister, Amber, who is a nurse told her doctors don’t usually like to remove the entire thyroid. (Got that?) In our Dad’s case the doctor was worried about some nodules that were found and there was a possibility that it could be cancerous. When he was younger he worked for several years in a uranium mine and this worried the doctor. Apparently the only logical answer was to remove the entire thing and start my Dad on medication to treat the cancer if it came to that.

After my Dad’s doctor’s appointment in Reno Andrew and I joined my parents for lunch and as if it were any other conversation they explained to me what was going to happen. It didn’t faze me one bit that he could possibly have cancer. They were so calm in telling me it was almost like this is an everyday occurrence…no big deal. Right? About a week later I received an email from my sister, Amy, which went something like the following:

This is my home, cell, and work number. Call me ASAP.

What the heck is going on? You might think I’m a bad sister, but we don’t usually talk very often, so it was a little strange that she gave me every possible way to reach her. (I’ll blog about that later, no big deal.) After reading her email I immediately picked up the phone and called her at work. She asked how I was doing and I told her I was fine.

Amy - Fine good, fine bad, fine what?
Me – Fine good I guess. Why?
Amy – Well we heard about Dad and I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Amber and I are going to come out for his surgery.

At this point is when I started to worry. My sisters were going to fly to Reno for his surgery, he could possibly have cancer, and the doctor is going to slice open his neck to take out his thyroid. What is wrong with me? Why haven’t I been more worried? Have I been in denial? I hadn’t even thought about taking the time off to go be with him. Am I a bad daughter?
I will be the first to admit that I’m not the quickest person ever, but when I do figure out what’s going on I worry. I don’t worry like a normal person would though. When I start to worry I over think everything. I always think of the worst possible outcome and in my mind that’s what’s going to happen (even though it’s pretty likely it won’t). When I’m thinking clearly I’m pretty logical (for the most part), but once I get myself into worry mode any logical thought to be had goes right out the window and is replaced with gloom and doom.

My Mom reassured me that everything would be fine and there was no need to worry. I knew that was just the typical mother response to calm me down because at this point I was sobbing. My Daddy was not ok. This is not ok. This is the perfect time to worry. Right? The answer for me was yes. My Mom was out of town at the time, so she called my Dad and told him he should call me to let me know what was going to happen. I kept myself from crying while we were on the phone, but it was so hard. I wanted so badly to be strong for him and I didn’t want him to know how worried I was. He also reassured me that everything would be fine. I still wasn’t convinced, but I did feel a little better.

The day of his surgery finally came. We were supposed to meet my parents at the hospital around 10:00 because that’s when he was going to check in. My Mom called a couple of hours before we were supposed to meet and she said they were on their way to the hospital because the two surgeries before my Dad had to cancel. They wanted him as soon as he could get there. When we were finally able to get to the hospital he was already in surgery. I admit I was a little upset I didn’t get to see him before he went in, but I just hoped and prayed that everything would turn out ok.

Once the surgery was over the doctor came in and told my Mom it went well; he was in recovery and it would be about an hour before anyone could see him. About the cancer situation it would be at least a day before they would know anything, so at that point it was inconclusive. When we were finally able to see my Dad he told us he felt better than he ever had after surgery. It felt good to hear him say that.

Andrew and I had to leave Reno that night because we both had to work the next day. I really would have liked to stay with my family, but I had to go to Elko for training. It was kind of tough to concentrate on what I was doing the first half of the day because all I could think about was the possibility that he had cancer.

Around lunch time I was walking out the door to go get something to eat and my phone rang. It was my Mom. I took a deep breath, answered the phone, and she said they just got off the phone with the doctor. He said the nodules were benign (non-cancerous), so he could leave the hospital that day to go home. That was a huge relief.

After returning home I figured he would take it easy and milk the situation until he had to go back to work. Oh no, he was driving around the next day like nothing had happened. I kinda think he’s crazy, but I hope he can’t read letters this small.

I was informed that his stitches were removed the day after the surgery and they were replaced with some thin strips of medical tape. I didn’t know it was ok to remove stitches less than 24 hours after being cut open, but the doctor knows more than I do, so there you go. I told my Mom I hope he didn’t have to sneeze. That would be a pain in the neck…I apologize, that was horrible I know. So now being the funny guy he thinks he is, he’s going around calling himself a “zipper neck” because he thinks his neck wound looks like a zipper. All I have to say is eeeeww.

*Thank you for the thoughts and prayers to those of you who knew ahead of time about his surgery. I really appreciate it and I’m sure he does too.

I have the best Mom ever. I know that there are many people that would argue that their Mom is the best, and those women probably are pretty great, but my Mom truly is the best. I couldn't ask for anything more in a mother.

In the short time I have been alive she has taught me so much and I'm so thankful for each and every day with her. She has always been there for me through the good times and bad. She let me make mistakes and held me while I cried, she was there to watch me dance whenever I had a performance, she very rarely told me no, but when she did she knew it was in my best interest, and she always has the best advice.

I know I'm not perfect, but in my opinion she did a pretty good job raising me. I know I was always the perfect angel it wasn't always easy, but she stayed strong throughout and took the best care of me she knew how.

I don't always show her the appreciation she deserves, but I hope she knows how much she truly means to me.

I want the blogosphere to know on Mother's Day and everyday I love my Mom and I'm so proud she is mine.

Side note: This morning my Mom and I went to breakfast together. When she came to pick me up we were both wearing heels. I came out of the bedroom with a pair of flip flops for when we went shopping after breakfast (sometimes heels are just too much for a Wal-Mart trip). Andrew commented about the fact that I had my flip flops and my Mom chimed in that she did the same thing. Great minds truly do think alike.

Today I have a guest blogger. Her name is "Allie Mama" and she just so happens to be my Mom. She saw my post for my proposal challenge and decided she wanted to participate. She doesn't have a blog of her own, so I told her she could be a guest blogger.

Here is her story...


"Ok, so here goes. This is for the proposal challenge.
The year was 1989. We’d been living together for two years in perfect harmony. Every once in a while, Bob would say something like, “Maybe we should think about getting married.” Then he’d drop it and say something like, “Do you think it’s going to snow today?” About that time I’d want to knock him in the head. Well me being me, I decided to make him put up or shut up. Whenever I had something on my mind, I’d pull out the old pen and paper and write it down for all eternity. So that’s what I did!
It was New Year’s Eve eve, and he was working swing shift. When he got home there was a note on the table that said how happy I was with the way things were, but that if he wanted to take it to the next step – ask. Otherwise shut up and let’s just be happy. So in he comes and sits down on the bed. “Um, Um, Um, Um (I’m thinking oh brother!!). So about five minutes later, he popped the question. So I sat up and said, “Um, Um, Um, Um (I figured he deserved that!). So we decided to get married on New Year’s Eve. My Dad and daughter were the witnesses. We went to the Justice of the Peace and got married on a commercial during the big football game. Talk about your Hallmark moments. It was pure romance from start to finish. Anyway, it was meant to be!
New Year’s Eve is our anniversary, and it’s also the day we met at the company holiday party. The first year we met and danced at the stroke of midnight. We had a most romantic “hug” that year. I didn’t see him again until the next year. He got a “kiss” that year and that led to us getting together. That is a story for another challenge."

We spent Thanksgiving in Twin Falls, Idaho with my mom's sister. She is one of the most hilarious people I have ever met. She is one of those people that says warsh instead of wash and windel instead of window. While at her house I noticed she left herself a note on her refrigerator to go see the dermaloglist. When I asked her about it she informed me it says dermatologist. She corrected her speech impediment by saying that sometimes her tongue just adds letters. Apparently she isn't saying anything wrong it's her tongue playing tricks on her.

On a completely different note... On Black Friday my mom purchased a new set of cordless phones for her house because the old one is not working properly. The old phone is currently located on top of the microwave in the kitchen. I was talking on the phone with my mom and she told me she was reading the instructions for the new phone and it says not to put your phone near a microwave. I told her that must be the problem with the old phone. She said, "Probably...I think I am going to put the new phone in the refrigerator." We both erupted with laughter and Andrew asked what was going on. I told him what my mom said and he asked, "What did she mean?" She said she meant the living room. Sure... living room and refrigerator are pretty close to the same thing. Right?

Over the weekend Andrew's parents came to town to surprise him for his birthday. They drove to Winnemucca from Great Falls, Montana. I think they are crazy for driving that far for such a short time, but it was so sweet of them.

My parents and I (Nancy and Bob)

Andrew and I

I don't know why, but everyone likes this picture but me.

Good morning! I just wanted to wish Andrew a super spectacular happy birthday! Hugs and kisses and the best birthday wishes!

Yesterday my mom turned 50 years old. Andrew and I joined my dad, aunt, and grandma over at their house for a dinner and cupcake celebration. It was full of laughs, snorts, and crying. Don't worry the only reason for the crying was because we were laughing so hard. (Yes I snort when I laugh...so what?)

Here are a few pictures from the fun...

At the end of the night she was sporting an awesome comb over.

It was a pretty good time. We enjoyed ourselves. Happy 50th Mom!

Just a quick update of our progress. We were finally able to start painting last night. Unfortunately we weren't able to make it the whole way around the house before dark, but we will be able to finish the primer tonight. After we finish we have to go to my parent's house to help set up for a yard sale they are having tomorrow. Yay yard sale! Making money is never a bad thing, but parting with all of our good junk is.

After the yard sale we will have to pack everything up and return home to start the base coat. I think things are finally coming together and we just might have this house painted before winter. Once again I am not holding my breath, but it is starting to look good.

Quick story: the other night Andrew and I went to my parent's house and my aunt is in town to help with the yard sale. She is hilarious and I really enjoy our visits when she is in town. She asked Andrew what color we are painting the house and he told her in all seriousness, "Purple with orange trim." She sorta cringed and said, "Really?" Andrew replied, "Yeah why not? I think those colors go quite well together." He then looked at me with my aunt sitting right there and said, "I think she really believed me for a second."

Has anyone ever sat on top of you and held down your arms and legs? Has anyone done this while letting the drool drip down toward your face just far enough that they can suck it back up into their mouth? You are very lucky if this hasn't happened to you because it is so disgusting. I'm sure Andrew will be happy I am sharing with you the fact that he has done this to me. Amazingly enough he is still able to hold me down with all of my frantic kicking and screaming and not shower me with spit. Have I mentioned yet that this is so disgusting?

Anyway...my mom invited us over for dinner Saturday to have spaghetti. I love my mom's spaghetti, it is so delicious. After dinner Andrew and I sat in my dad's computer room and talked with my mom. I'm not quite sure how this conversation started, but somewhere in the middle this is what went down:

Me - "Andrew you should sit on my mom's lap and dangle your drool in her face."
Mom - Laugh laugh laugh. "Wait til I tell you what I thought you said." Laugh laugh laugh. "I thought you told him to dangle his jewel in my face." Pause. "I don't know how that would be possible if he was sitting on my lap."

After we laughed hysterically for a few minutes I explained that I said dangle his drool (not jewel). When I say "we" laughed hysterically I can't be quite sure because I was crying, but I don't think Andrew thought it was that funny.

Just for the record I don't really want Andrew to sit on my mom and dangle anything...but it sure is funny to think about!