Devin's Hometown: LA

Meeting Devin's family was a great experience and a wonderful look into who Devin is a person and what he came from but what was also awesome about the trip to California was seeing where Devin was brought up. Those of you who don't know Devin personally, his Grandma raised him. His mother and himself lived with his grandparents in a one bedroom "house" that Devin's mother was born in. For me the house is equivalent to a regular sized bedroom and a one sink bathroom of a modern home. Walking into the house was like walking into culture. You could tell those walls had seen a lot. At one point this house held 5 children, Mom and Dad. That is 7 people in a one bedroom house.

I sat down in the kitchen after being introduced to everyone and just took it all in. There was so much to look at and I wanted to know everything. The kitchen was smaller than any I have been in and on one wall there were 4 sets of bunk beds nailed into the wall. The living room had one lazy boy, a book shelf full of all sorts of old books, a full size bed and a tv. The one bedroom had a full size bed a vanity mirror and drawers. The bedroom was attached to the bathroom which was attached to the kitchen. The house is a big circle on the inside. Everything is connected. I felt happy in this house. I knew it held some precious memories.

After visiting with everyone, Olive started to get ansy so Devin and I took her on a walk. He pointed out old friends houses and we walked to the hospital he was born at (right across the street) We stopped and talked to one of his old friend's Mom. Her son was in the yard with a chocolate lab pup. I sat in the grass and chatted with the 10 year old boy while loving on the puppy.

Devin seemed so at ease in his old neighborhood. You could tell he missed it. Memories flooded back as we walked the streets. Each house would bring up a new story for me to hear. I loved it. I loved getting to know my husband better. It was like he opened his heart and just pored out everything.

We went back into the house and His Grandma was making her husband lunch, it was like walking into an authentic Mexican restaurant. The smells were intoxicating. She offered us food over and over while we were visiting. Just like every Grandma I have ever met, making sure no one goes hungry. The walls in the house are lined with pictures apon pictures upon pictures. Daughters and sisters, Mothers and Fathers, Granddaughters and sons. But one photograph jumped out at me. Their wedding photo. It make me smile.

When we were leaving the sun was setting in the most gorgeous way. The streets seemed so homey and inviting. Everything was so green. I took a moment to breathe it in, I was so full of love.

I was so grateful to be welcomed into such culture.

California

Four months ago I met Devin's Grandma and Grandpa for the first time, along with two of his Uncles and his Aunt. Such nice people. His Grandma made me feel so welcome and gave me a hug that could cure cancer. Despite the language barrier (she speaks little English) we got along great. I could understand most of what was said, Devin and Maria would clue me in every other sentence. But for the most part I picked up on words here and there and put two and two together.

Olive was scared at first. She didn't want her great grandma to hold her and she wouldn't even walk by her great grandpa. But by the end of the first visit she was climbing in her G.Grandma's lap and even dancing with her. Not much changed with G.Grandpa though, she didn't even let him touch her. At one point during the visit Devin's Grandpa said "I never thought I would live to see a great grand daughter" (except in Spanish) and started crying.

It was a great visit.

Father's Day

Father's Day came early at our house. Devin will be working on Father's Day so I wanted to make sure he had a day devoted to him. I woke him up with wheat waffles with powdered sugar, turkey bacon, fresh strawberries and eggs 'grandma style' (his grandma actually taught me how to make his eggs "the way he likes them"... haha... seriously) and orange juice. Yum!

For lunch we had his favorite, teriyaki bowls. Brown rice, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, teriyaki grilled chicken with sesame seeds on top (makes him feel special) with fresh 'bloody' lemonade. It's just lemonade with grenadine, he calls it bloody. ??

For dessert we had homemade lemon pound cake cake with choco frosting that Olive and I made together. She helps a great deal. It was a nice day. I bought Devin a computer chip t-shirt, a "Fight Club" bar of soap and Olive got him a key chain. The key chain is a rugged piece of metal that was engraved with "I LOVE DADA" with a heart below it. Needless to say he loved them all.

He deserves it all. He is one hardworking man and he does it all for Olive and I. I love him.

It's Official

Well I made the surgery date yesterday for Olive's third kidney surgery. July 20th is the day. When Olive had her last two surgeries she was admitted into the hospital prior to them so I guess I didn't realize how much preparation there is before her surgeries. You see when Olive was admitted they just sent up a nurse to take Olive and myself down to get a VCKUG and her blood tests and urine cultures were all taken while she was in her hospital room. To me, it was just part of the deal with being admitted.

It is very different when we are at home, scheduling for the surgery. In the next month we have to do all of the following in order.

-A urine culture to make sure Olive does not have a kidney infection.
-A VCKUG to determine how large Olive's bladder is and how dilated her left ureters are.
-An ultrasound to determine how much functioning tissue is left in her kidneys
-A blood test for.. well I am not sure, most likely just routine tests before any surgery.
-Updated on her shots, I think she needs 2
-Preregistration with the hospital

The day before the surgery we will have to take another VCKUG and urine culture to make sure everything has remained the same.

Lots of gas will be wasted as all of the places that these tests are done are pretty far away.

But my baby is worth it. I am so not looking forward to all of this. The shots and needles and mean nurses. I hate seeing Olive in pain.

I have been extremely distracted by all of this and have gotten hardly anything done for my Etsy Shop Tortoise and Hare but I did get everything prepped for tomorrow. So the day of major sewing will be Saturday. I have been deep cleaning like a maniac. Since Olive was born something clicked for me, as if I switched places with some other clean freak, I have become so aware of filth. Devin calls me O.C.D. (it's that bad) So it's not like I even have much to clean but with all the pressure for me to make sure Olive does not get sick before her surgery, my O.C.D has increased a thousand fold.

I Smashed my Mac

About 5 months ago my Mac crapped out. The magnet that plugs the power cord in the computer was ruining the plugs. I went through 3 power cords until I finally gave up. The Mac wouldn't even hold a charge any more, I needed a new battery, the wireless internet hook up no longer functioned properly. All in all it was time to get a new lap top, the thing was like 5 years old. So Devin bought me an HP. Super new, awesome, I love it. Not sure what it is called exactly, just that Devin did lots of research to find the perfect laptop for me and he did a wonderful job. I freakin love my new computer!

We kept the Mac to see if we could sell the parts and we could have but I became impatient. You see I needed accouple computer chips for my upcoming shoe line. I also thought I could use the keys as buttons for the geekery shoe line I am working on, so we went for it. Devin sat down with our old printer than no longer works, and I sat down with my Mac. We ripped them both to shreds. We took them apart and kept the interesting looking parts that I might be able to use. In the process Devin taught me A LOT about all the guts of the Mac. It was extremely interesting. I had tons of fun. Not to mention some pent up anger I got out while tearing that laptop apart.

This is the inside of a CD ROM

It is so cool how all the chips look like mini towns and citys

I saw some of the shortest screws ever

Devin explaining to me what everything was

Another mini city

Processor

This is the back of the screen

These are the different sheets that make up the screen

Well I touched the transparent tape before I noticed the sign... didn't die.

Got lots of cool chips to cut up for my shoes.

Junk

"Can you hear me now?"

So Olive spilt her whole bottle of milk (with ice) on my phone last week.

Devin took it apart, disassembling the computer chip and bla bla bla.

Not sure why he had to do it, but whatever.

Now it belongs to Olive.

She loves her new phone, she talks on it all the time.

See...

"bugga dooga bo, DADA, bugga ticca dooga mo, NO!"

"Katty Kat. Mamamamama, yeah. bugga."

"paka boooga, taka, po co."

"HAHAHA- yeah, dada milllllk, mamama"

And he conversation ends, she waves to the phone and throws it on the ground.

It takes lots of work so be so beautiful.

Geekery

Olive and her Daddy's glasses

Pizzamonger

Tonight I cooked homemade pizza (dough, sauce and everything!)

It was super yummy. My pizza had

Pineapple, onions, orange bell pepper, black olives, basil leaves and fresh motz.

Devin's had fresh motz and bacon... he is a simple man.

Olive usually likes my pizza better, because of the pineapple.

She is a huge fan of pineapple.

Here she is after eating all the pineapple I left on the cutting board for her.

She really is a great helper!

While we waiting for the pizza to cook we messed around.

And played with my computer

looked cute

And danced to Little Einstein music.

It is hard to be that precious!

Now time to eat!

Examining the food.

Classic first-bite Olive face.

Needless to say she loved it. She had a whole piece of mine and a half a piece of her Dad's.

It was a nice evening.