Happy Holidays Everyone!

Much love, Nick, Heather & Lilah Tyrrell

Santa Scare

Nick and I happen to have a Santa costume from a few years back when my sisters convinced Nick to dress up as Santa for our nieces. We thought-- okay, I thought -- it would be fun to have Nick dress up as Santa and surprise Lilah in our living room.

Here, in her own words, Lilah will tell you what went down:

Good-Bye Precious

Our first year of marriage was probably one of the hardest ones we've had. After moving away from our friends and family at a young age, Nick got laid off and we ended up living in a shack in the woods of northern Washington, very short on cash. On top of that, we kept having car problems. I think we were broken down and stranded along the side of the road at least three times that year. Out of the blue we had a generous financial gift from some secret angels in the family, and we traded in Nick's sporty (but lemony) convertible and purchased the Avalon.

We bought the Avalon to have a reliable car. And for six (almost seven) years, that's exactly what is was.

We drove and drove and drove that thing, putting over 150,000 miles on it in the years that we had it. And those of you who have seen it, will laugh when you see what it looked like when we originally got it. 'Cause you will know Nick and I never kept it very clean, and over the years we had dogs, babies, horse tack, and other unimaginable digusting things in it! But the car always got us from Point A to Point B.

On December 5th, on a routine drive out to the barn to teach a lesson, I crashed and totalled the Avalon. Even though I had reminded myself before driving that the roads might be icy, I never saw the long patch of hard ice on the road until it was too late. I hit the ice and began wildly fishing-tail all over the road. I kept trying to regain control, but I also kept picking up speed, and I finally did a 180, hit and jumped a curb, and ended up crashing to a halt on someone's front lawn. (It was a random house along the side of a busy road)

Nick, as always, came to rescue me. As we waited for our tow truck to show up, we watched one car after another hit the same spot and wipe out. We even watched a five-car pile-up, one that 911 responded to. When our tow truck showed up, he went first to the scene of the accident to move those five cars, before towing the Av to the dealership for us.

Like we had expected, the insurance company declared the Avalon totalled. When I hit and jumped the curb, I managed to bend either the axel or the under arm of the car so that the back tire behind the driver's door was bent at an unusual angle. We got more cash back than the car was worth, and once we find some good-health days we hope to car-shop.

I cannot believe how lucky I was. First off, I was in the Avalon, a car we were going to replace this spring. I could have hit other motorists, a long concrete wall, and/or trees. Instead, the Avalon landed between two mailboxs, on a slight hill which I think prevented me from flipping the car. It was the best place to land. No one hit me, and I was able to drive it across the street where I could wait in a safe location. I had a big frame of car around me, and other than back pain for a few days, I wasn't hurt. Best of all, no one was with me. Thank you to the divine forces keeping me safe!

So good-bye Avalon. You were an awesome car for us....

A brand-new-to-us Avalon:

Pictures of the tire afterwards -- not too exciting, but the car was parked straight, so you can see the torque in the wheel)

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Everybody knows one of the side-effects of chemo can be losing hair. Once Nick's hair started to fall out on its own, we decided to shave it short so we wouldn't find long chunks all over the house. (The dog and the cat seem to have that covered) (excuse the pun)

Anyway.

We had Lilah help out so she wouldn't be freaked out with Daddy's new 'do:


The end product:



Nick has lost the remainder of his hair follicles, and is now shiny-bald. Here we are at chemo this morning:

Zoolights '09

Last weekend Lilah and I checked out the Zoolights with a girlfriend and kids. Lilah was sooo excited and thrilled at all the Christmas lights! She loved the train as well. She was so enthralled with it all, I want to take her back this year!

Anyone want to join us next time?? :)

Babies grow sooo fast....

Lilah at the Portland Children's Museum, one year ago....


Lilah at the Children's Museum a couple weeks back... These pictures are pretty much exactly one year apart!


Lilah's favorite part was taking care of her baby!


In fact, the baby came with us to other parts of the museum. This picture cracks me up, especially with the other little girl in the background! (As if it was totally normal to check out a baby in the grocery line!)

Thanksgiving 2009

At Thanksgiving 2010, I hope to be thankful that we are done with cancer.

Nonetheless, this year's Thanksgiving was nice. It is still lovely to be home from camp in a snug house with so many friends and family close by. We have lots to be thankful for, including good health care!

I spent the first part of Thanksgiving with Nick in the hospital. Then Tania came to stay with him, and I went to my mom's with Lilah. My sister Naomi visited from Texas, and Lilah enjoyed playing with her Texan cousins. Lilah especially was enthralled with "Lala", although it was difficult at times to share her Nana.

Nana with 4/5ths of her grand-children


Lilah and Lala

All the cousins play with Mr. Potato Head



Lilah was quite interested in Lala's Little Mermaid backpack

Thanksgiving Dinner:

Nick was able to join us later in the afternoon. We stopped by his sister's place later in the day, then went to bed super-early stuffed with turkey!

Thanks Mom for a wonderful holiday dinner. Naomi -- thanks for coming for a visit! It was great to see you and the fam!

Lilah's dog Simon

Even though Nick and I got Simon as part of a "puppy plan" (that is, an experiment to see if you can raise a puppy together before graduating to a kid), Lilah has assumed ownership over Simon. And as her dog, Simon is subjected to her whims. She loves to hold his leash on walks, yell "NO! at him frequently, and dresses him up on a daily basis. Her favorite thing to do, however, is to pretend he's a horse. She picks his feet, tells him "whoa" and "walk-on", and has her dolls ride him (since she's finally learned she isn't allowed to).

And God bless him, he patiently puts up with everything.

And .... they're off!

One of the last remnants of camp ... Lilah's friendship bracelets. (Friendship bracelets are HUGE at camp -- even the counselors try to keep them on for as long as possible) Lilah's bracelets were put on early in the summer, and she wore them 24/7 up until half-way through November. I managed to roll them off her hand without cutting them, and have saved them for her in a keepsake box. :)

Secret Mommy Confession #5

I drive around with Lilah's potty chair in the back of the truck.

Hey, don't knock it until you've rocked it .... This chair has come in handy several times!

I would have to recommend it to other mommies out there in the midst of potty training .... And it's a true friend that will let your child potty in their car as well. (ANDREA -- You're next!!)

(My other reality is the horse tack and dog crate on the other side)

Lilah's friend Addie

One of the nicest things about being home again is seeing Lilah's special friend Addie and her mommy Tiffanie several times a week. Addie's mommy always knows the good "mommy-and-me" places to go and has become a good friend to me. We both enjoy spending time with them, and can't wait until Addie's little sibling is born -- Tiffanie is due within the next few weeks!




(Addie was soooo tired in this video. Lilah was trying to drag her to the carpet so she could put Addie nite-nite! Addie liked this game too!)

Nick's Cancer

So, in the efforts of keeping this blog an on-line diary for Lilah, I will blog about Nick's cancer. Nick originally started having uhhh -- problems towards the end of September. When we moved home, he went to see a doctor who diagnosed him as having an infection. When antibotics didn't work, Nick had blood work drawn and the truth came out. (Um, excuse the pun there.... )

Nick had surgery the last week in October, and two weeks after his surgery his blood levels were still elevated. Coupled with a "positive" CT scan, he is slated to start chemotherapy. We meet with the chemotherapist tomorrow, and we're assuming he will start the week of Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, thank you to our friends and family who have stepped in and helped us through the surgery and countless hours of Lilah-sitting. Thank you all for the well-wishes and prayers! Here are a couple of our favorite messages forwarded to us:

From our Jewish friends: "We are sending prayers (the Jewish kind) your way."

From a song lyric: "Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is about effective as trying to solve an alegbra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real trouble is in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind the blind-side you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday afternoon."

From our brother-in-law: "You and Heather have a good track record for taking on adventures and challenges and not only surviving, but somehow thriving and then blogging about it."


Much love to you all!

Foundation Riding Academy

Since moving back from camp, I have started my own little riding academy. After a couple of simple marketing strategies, I now have four students. (And almost the same amount of horses it seems....)I hope to continue to grow it, but am waiting to see how things shake out it other parts of my life. In the meantime, if you would like to check out my website, let me know and I'll send you the link. Spread the word!!

Halloween '09

We had fun celebrating the holiday with Lilah and friends! Since Lilah is a little young to be cutting pumpkins, I let her paint them instead: (you can see the final products later in this post)



Yes that IS black paint on my floor. Thank God for tempra!

Lilah dressed this year as .......

MINNIE MOUSE! (Thanks Naomi for the hand-me-down!) :)

Lilah and Simon pose:

And they hold hands!

On the actual Halloween day, Nick and I went to Corvallis and meet up with friends. Lilah stayed behind and went trick-or-treating with Aunt Michelle and Nana! Thanks Michelle and Mom for letting us enjoy somewhat of our former lives!

Nick played computer and video games with friends while I hooked up with a couple girls from camp and went TRAIL RIDING!! Just what the doctor ordered.....

Then, that evening we partied.

Our friend Erin made these lovely appetizers: (yuk!)

(this was actually like a butterfinger/graham dish)

Nick and I reinact his surgery four days before Halloween:

Did I forget to mention we went as pirates?

Erin and I

We are champ-pion-on at beer po-pon-pong

Hope you all had a good Halloween!

Idle Minds

Nick writes:

I had a thought the day before my surgery. It occur ed to me that I had taken a test that normally is given to pregnant women looking for the hCG hormone given off by a developing embryo. Apparently it can also be present in men for a few reasons including a germ cell tumor.

So, with Heather egging me on, my curiosity got the best of me and... I'm pregnant!

Lilah's Nite-nite game....

the 250th Post!!

It's the 250th post! Who would have thought it would make it this far?!?!? Blogging has become something fun for Lilah to look back on when she's older. Thanks to my sisters who encouraged me to start this!

To celebrate, I am posting random recent pictures that haven't made it onto the blog yet!

Going to church with Nanny Tanny!

Lilah and Daddy at Multnomah Falls

Still loves smoothies! (Or "movies" as she says!)

At the Pumpkin Patch!

Nana and I took Lilah to a Pumpkin Patch this year. Lilah loved it and we all had lots of fun. Now when Lilah sees the pumpkins sitting outside out house, she excitedly says, "Pumpkin patch Mommy! Pumpkin patch!" :) Stay tuned for more Halloween pictures to come!

In a hay bale maze:


Nana and Liah pose!


Nana shows Lilah how baby cows suck on your fingers. Don't try this at home!


Mommy and Lilah use a drainage tile as a slide!


Duck races!

Lilah got to bottle-feed this calf:

Picking out our not-so-perfect pumpkins:

Nana helps too!