Almost March... Already?!?!?!

Ok, Ok.... I realize I have been very lazy since November and have not posted anything.  BUT, since I'm convinced I'm the only person who reads this blog, I won't lose any sleep :)

Where to begin... where to begin???  As my husband says "No better time then the present" so I will begin with current events!  Paul left for the Cardinal Police Academy in Roanoke, VA a week ago today and was gone through Thursday for training.  He is officially a Certified Radar Instructor.  This means he will now be able to teach the radar certification classes for the county PD and become their 2nd current instructor.  Considering how many officers have to be re certified every year, it's been a large task for just 1 officer.  I am so so so proud of Paul and for getting a 97% on his test!  In June he has a week long Advanced Accident Reconstruction class he will be attending at our local academy and in July he will be heading towards Virginia Beach for R.E.I.D school for 3 days.  R.E.I.D is an interrogation/interviewing school.  We are still waiting to find out when he will be sent for his Defensive Tactics Instructor training.  Hopefully by this summer!  As for me, I've been busy with work and just had another biopsy done.  This time it was on my left hand.  I'm thankful to say I am still cancer free.  The biopsy did show an abnormality but my margins are clear so they do not need to do any further treatment at this time.  They are watching a spot on my right foot for the next 6 months.  They took a picture of it when I went in for my apt 2 weeks ago.  Dr Magee said if it has changed in the next 6 months they will biopsy it to make sure cancer is not present.  I have too much going on right now to be bothered by cancer!  Stitches come out tomorrow at 1:50! Thank heavens!



As everyone is aware, Valentines Day was our most recent holiday and for everyone who knows me... it's my FAVORITE!!!  Totally kidding :)  Let's just say I have not have the best luck on Valentines day since 2009!  Anyway, This year on Valentines day I was scheduled to work but ended up having to take a sick day so I could have my biopsy done.  Paul and I decided to celebrate the joyous day the Saturday before.  The day started off great, the middle totally sucked but the end was not too shabby.  I have several fears in life and 1 of them has always been hitting a dear.  Well, Feb 9th I smacked right into a huge doe and caused right at $6000 damage to my poor Toyota Corolla!  The deer rolled up a little on my hood and then rolled down the road 3-4 times and ended up in a ditch. I was totally freaking out and called Paul hysterical telling him I had hit a deer and did not think she was dead.  I knew he had his gun with him so he jumped in his dad's suv and drove the mile to where I was.  I was curled up in he front seat of my car refusing to look at the deer and talked to my mom until Paul arrived.  He told me that when he was pulling up, the deer jumped out of the ditch and ran away.  I'm certain she did not get very far but maybe God allowed her to live.  I don't know! 

STUPID DEER!!!!!

Although I did not have a "sweet me off my feet" Valentines Day due to the trauma of the accident and then the biopsy but I did get to have a wonderful dinner and a movie date with my awesome husband and he bought me some beautiful flowers and gave me a very romantic card!  I am so very thankful that I know between now and the day I leave this earth, Paul Quillon will be the personal I spend every Valentines Day with!  I could not have asked for a more loving or supportive husband.  I pray every single day that the Lord will guide me to ways I can be a better wife.  I'm so thankful I have a husband who is not only kind and loving but who is so very patient with me!  He is going to make my eternity amazing!

Ok, now to backtrack a little in life.  Christmas was AWESOME this year!  Paul bought me something that has been on my Christmas List for YEARS!!!!  He bought me a 17(I think) inch tv for my...... BATHROOM!  Ok, don't judge me!  I have been wanting a tv for my bathroom since like 2005 :)  I use to drag a little tv I had into the bathroom so I could watch Dr Phil while I took a bath. Although we don't have cable, Paul set me up with a small dvd player that I can take into the bathroom with me. How awesome is he!!!  He also bought me a camera.  I have been wanting a little Nikon point and shoot camera that I can take with me in my purse.  It's been so nice being able to take pictures again :)  I bought Paul a pocket watch and my mom made us matching pj pants!  While we were in St. Louis in November, mom and I went to a fabric store, I picked out and paid for the fabric and she was so nice and made them for us.  Even though she had a cast on her hand from thumb surgery.  She's the best!  This was also the first year I was able to use the Christmas dishes I bought last year.  The dishes were on a great sale the day after Christmas so as part of my christmas present from my mom, she helped me buy 10 place settings.  These dishes are like a treasure to me! 

Love matching pj's!  2nd year we've done this tradition :)

 Christmas stockings are the BEST!

 Love my dishes!

 Sorry, it's not right side up!

On the far right is my "ugly Christmas candle". It's a tradition I got from my mom!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful February!!!  I cannot believe it's almost March :)  This year is going to fly by!  I'm be 30 in 6 months and 4 days!  EEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKK!  



Thanksgiving Day Letters

For the past 4 Thanksgivings I have written letters to my friends & family.  I thought in the event that FB is someday shut down, I wanted to have it to read :)  Below are my last 4 letters!

2012
Dear Family & Friends,
I'd like to start off by saying Happy Thanksgiving to you all :) I cannot believe the holiday season is already upon us. It seems like just yesterday I sat down to write my 2009 Turkey Day letter and 3 years have already flown by! For several days now I have anxiously awaited writing this letter. I have truly enjoyed writing my 3 previous letters and I hope this is a tradition I can maintain for years to come.
Last night Paul and I were reading in the Book of Mormon about how miracles still exhist on the earth today. I mentioned to him that I know that to be true because he married me! I have been thinking about what I said a lot today and I believe it to be true. Of all the men that have come in and out of my life (in one way or the other), Heavenly Father gave me Paul. With all of my insecurities and shortcomings, I am sure he could have done better... but I am so thankful every single day that he is my husband! I am thankful for not only the eternal marriage we have, but for our friendship. He is my very best friend and I love spending every moment with him that I possibly can. I could not have asked for a better man to spend my life with. We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary in July and I can't wait to see what wonderful memories we will have together before our 3rd anniversary!!!!
I am so thankful for the home we share together! Virginia is not where we want to raise children and settle down, but we have still been blessed with a beautiful home :) It's such a safe haven from the outside world. We have been blessed with wonderful memories in our home and I look forward to many more memories while we are living there.
I am so very thankful for Paul and I's families! This past year I have had the chance to form an even better relationship with Paul's sisters and I'm so thankful for the relationships I have with each one of them. I am thankful for Skype and the chance it gives me to "see" my sister on a regular basis. I'm so thankful for both of our parents and the close relationships we have with them. I love spending time with everyone. I'm so excited for next summer when I can spend time with my 2 brothers.
I am thankful for our wonderful puppy Harley! He really is a joy in my life and I can't get enough of him. He makes me happy every single day. I know he is just a dog but in our family he's our kid. We love him and spoil him more then we probably should. I can't imagine a day without him!
I'm thankful for my health. This year has been emotional for me as I was diagnosed with and treated for Melanoma. There is nothing in the world that will bring everything to a sudden stop like cancer. I'm so thankful I picked a great doctor and I am hopeful when I go in for my 6 month apt, everything will look great! I have 2 spots I am watching, but until my dr tells me otherwise, I'm not stressing over the unknown. I am constantly reminded of those people who have not been as lucky as I have been. Melanoma is called the black cancer for a reason, it's dangerous and it can spread fast. Heavenly Father blessed me in such a critical time in my life!
Finally, I'm thankful for the wonderful person my mom has found to spend her life with! I look forward to getting to know Jay better as we prepare for their wedding next June and forming a relationship with his children! I love seeing how happy my mom is and I have a peace knowing she will have someone to grow old with!
In closing, I'm amazed and humbled by the life God has seen fit for me. I am looking forward to all the wonderful adventures the future has in store for me :) My hope for this next year is that our house will finally sell and we will be moving out West by this time next year! We shall see!
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and an even better Christmas!
Liz Quillon

2011
Dear Family & Friends,
For the past several weeks I have been wondering what I would say this year in my annual Thanksgiving Day letter. 2011 has given me some wonderful memories. I remember telling my mom about a week ago that I was not in the Thanksgiving Day mood and that I wish I could skip it and move on to Christmas. Last night while lying in bed, my mind turned to all of the amazing things that I have to be thankful for this year.
I want to start by saying how truly and completely thankful I am for my wonderful husband. We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary on July 9th :) Words cannot express how amazing our 1st year was. It is hard for me to believe that not only have we been married for almost 17 months, but that the last 17 months have been spent with my very best friend and the most wonderful man I have ever met!!!!
I am thankful I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Paul and I have had the opportunity to read the Book of Mormon and the D&C together over the past year. When we set it as our goal to read the BOM together, I honestly did not have faith that we would actually finish it! I am so thankful for the blessings it has brought into our marriage and the wonderful spirit it has brought into our home. I feel so blessed that we have the Washington DC Temple so close to us. I am thankful we have the chance to attend the Temple as often as we do.
I am thankful for family. I was born into such a wonderful family. I feel so blessed to have the relationships with my siblings that I do. I am thankful for my wonderful parents who have always loved and supported me as I have grown into the person I am today. I am thankful for the family I married into. I love the relationships I am forming with my sisters-in-law and for the time I have had with them over the past couple weeks. I have the best mother & father-in-law ever!
I am beyond thankful for my little family. I think I have the best little dog in the entire world :). I am thankful the house we have made into our 1st home together. Although we have enjoyed our home in Virginia, we are hopeful that by this time next year we are able to call Wyoming home and begin establishing our roots there and begin raising our family where we feel we need to be!
I am truly thankful for the jobs that Paul and I have. The Lord has blessed us with employment we both enjoy. It is wonderful having a job you don't dread going to every day. Paul was given the opportunity to work for the County PD his past April and I was offered a job at an Assisted Living facility in town. How blessed are we! I cannot express how thankful I am that my sister-in-law's husband was able to find an amazing job in AZ after months and months of searching. It taught me that I needed to be extra thankful for the things I have been given.
Well, I could honestly go on and on and on but I'm sure everyone is tired of reading by now. I hope that everyone is safe this year as you travel. May God bless you with the things that you need and may you all be reminded of the things in your life that make it wonderful.
Happy Holidays!!!
Liz Quillon

2010
Dear Friends & Family.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am astonished that another year has come and gone since my 2009 Thanksgiving Day letter :) What a year it has been. It has been a whirlwind of changes, moves, meeting new people, making new friends, losing old friends, falling in love and beginning a new life.

My life has vastly changed in the past year. 12 months ago I was sitting on my couch in Rexburg, Idaho. I shared a tiny apartment with my sister and I was trying to rediscover who I was after a difficult year. I knew that with time, the puzzle pieces of my life would find their way back to their proper location and life would once again seen sunny and make sense. Little did I know when I wrote last year, the Lord had an amazing gift waiting for me. I just needed to be patient and still.... neither of which are my 2 best qualities!

On New Years Eve, Emily and I were in an Idaho Falls church building ringing in the new year with other single adults in our church. New Years was that finish line I had been running toward and it had finally arrived. At the stroke of 12, I hugged my sister and cried. Cried for all of the heartache I had felt, for the amazing people that had come into my life and for the life that God had given me at that particular moment. I felt as though a weight had been liften when I knew 2009 was over and a new, fresh year could begin.

Since that New Years Eve, the most amazing thing has happened!!! I have met, fallen in love with and married not only the most amazing man I have ever in my life met, but my very best friend. Our relationship was a whirwind experience. We met and were engaged in less then 2 months... and married a little more then 3 months after that. What an exciting time it was and continues to be. I am so proud to be Paul's wife. I could not have asked for a better man to love and accept me for who I am, where I have been and where I come from.

Paul and I had a small but beautiful wedding. There wer 10 people at the sealing and probably 70 people at our reception. We are so thankful for everyone who attended either of those events. It was beyond perfect!

This year I want to take the time to thank a few people.

Mom: You have been my rock and my foundation in so many ways for so long. Thank you for being there with an open door and open arms at so many times in my life. I cannot thank you enough for the difficult times you have endured while I lived with you. Thank you for accepting Paul so quickly into our home. You knew before I did that he was a special person "worth getting to know". Thank you for the beautiful wedding reception you gave us. It was perfect and we both loved it. Thank you for the being so calm while I thought I was going to have to get married in jeans :) You are such a wonderful woman. I admire and respect you in ways I will never be able to describe. Thank you for being you and for loving me!

Emily: Thank you for being a great sister. Being several years older then you has given me one advantage.... I have been able to watch you grow. I remember when mom was pregnant with you, when I use to help change your diapers, your sporting events, high school chior. I have loved watching you grow up. You often amaze me. I look at your life and I know that a wonderful man will come into your life who will make you the happiest you have EVER been. You will know that moment when it happens! I promise. Thank you for being my roomie for those months and for putting up with me. I hope you know that no matter what you become in life, I am so proud of you. Thank you for loving me!

Autum Mayberry: I will be forever thankful for the time you took away from your sweet husband to sit in your living room and talk to me. I don't think you will ever understand the impact that comversation had on me. I feel so unworthy of having friends as amazing as you at times. You saved me in many ways that night. Thank you for the kind words. Thank you for also calling me back shortly after I moved to Virginia. That conversation too was sooooo needed!

Marcie Belton: Thank you for coming to our sealing! I cannot express how thankful I was when I walked into our sealing room to see you sitting there next to my mom. I am so thankful for you. For the role you have played in my life. I will be forever thankful for your friendship. You have known me since my awkward years and are of the few that have watched me become who I am.

Johnnie & Lorraine Quillon: Thank you for accepting me into your home on such short notice! You have been so warm and I am so thankful for that! Thank you for raising such a wonderful son.

There are SOOOO many more people that I could thank. I am sorry if I have left you out.

I hope this letter finds everyone safe and happy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and please be safe in your many travels!

Love,
Liz Quillon (Stone)
2009
Dear Family & Friends.

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is actually here. I feel as though 2009 has just begun and yet I sit and reflect on the past year and am amazed at all that has transpired. I remember when I was in my early teen years, I would get frustrated with my parents and wish to myself that I was and "adult" who could make my own money, decisions and do what I want. Now that I find myself at the back end of my mid 20's, I find myself wishing I could be in my teens again!

2009 has brought many frustrations and sorrows into my life... but has also brought more blessings than I knew I was worthy of. As many of you know, I went through quite the life changing experience in February. Tim and I separated and in April we divorced after nearly 5 years of marriage. At first, I believed that I was witnessing my world come crumbling around me. I soon realized though that the Lord had opened a door for me and with the opening of that door came tremendous blessings and opportunities. In April, I flew into Salt Lake City, Utah so I could drive back to Missouri with Emily after her semester was finished. She was driving her Saturn and and we drove up the side of a steep mountain, I had an overwhelming feeling that the Lord was calling me out West. For those of you know really know me, I have vowed since I was a young girl that I would NEVER live in Utah/ Idaho. I was a midwestern girl who would stay in the midwest. We got home and for several weeks, I kept my feelings to myself. I have had "urges" to move in the past but wanted to make sure that this is really what the Lord wanted me to do. About 2 weeks before Fathers Day, I approached my mom with the idea that I should move and on Fathers Day, I told my sister that I would be coming to Idaho with her in September. I had no idea what a change this would bring into my life! On September 10th, Emily and I packed our cars and set off for Idaho. We moved into our apartment on September 12th. I wish I could say that the day I moved in, life became perfect and I have been full of bliss since. Although moving to Idaho has been exactly what I needed, I have had moment of sadness feeling as though I had left everything that meant anything to me back in Missouri and here I was in Rexburg, Idaho all alone. Over the past 2 months, I have realized that it took me leaving everything that I thought was important to me to find everything that really is important to me. In 2 months I have met the most amazing people. I was told when I left Missouri that angels would come into my life that would help me get through the difficulties that life would throw at me. The people that I have let into my life truly are angels. Do I miss home, Yes. More than I can express. I miss my parents! They have been been my rock and my foundation. They have been my support through the good times and the not so good times. I miss my brothers. I wish I could express to them how much I truly love them. I am so blessed to know that if I ever need them, they are here for me. They are my big brothers and I am grateful for them. I miss my 2 best Friends, Donald and Michelle and I want them to know how much I love them and am thankful for their friendships!!! Although I miss home, I know that Idaho is where I need to be. I feel that the Lord has a plan for me and that plan does not include being in Missouri. I am finding myself here. I am figuring out who I am after years of forgetting. I love rediscovering myself. I have hit a few bumps in the road out here and I am learning that just because I hit those bumps, I cannot let them slow me down.

Today, I reflect on the holiday that we will be celebrating tomorrow. I am very thankful for so many things!!! I am truly thankful for ALL of my family. You are my family and I love you. I am thankful for my wonderful friends. I am thankful for the people that have come in and out of my life. I am thankful for the good times that I have been blessed with and the bad times that have allowed me to grow. I am thankful for every girlfriend that has built me up and every boyfriend that has broken my heart. I am thankful for my cute apartment that I get to share with Emily. I am so thankful for the gospel and the gentle way that it teaches me on a daily basis. I am grateful for my ward. I love getting to know all of the guys and girls that I get to go to church with on Sunday. I am grateful for my amazing life and am looking forward to the events that are still to come!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you all travel safely and have a wonderful time with your families/ friends.

Love you all and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Liz Stone

Family Pictures 2012 :)

Has it REALLY been 2 years since our last family pictures???  It sounds so funny to say "Family pictures" when we don't have kids!  But a family is a family no matter how small :)  My amazing sister-in-law Anna Quillon took our pictues 2 years ago and agreed to do our pictures again this year.  I am so happy with how they turned out!  Although we did not get Harley in as many picures as I wanted, I am thrilled we got the pictures we did! 

So many wonderful happenings in my life!!!!!

YAY FOR WEDDINGS!!!!!!!

I am so so so super duper excited to announce on my blog that my mom is getting MARRIED!!!!  She has met a wonderful man named Jay Petersen.  Jay is from Farmington, Utah.  Jay has 4 children (Jesse, Conrad, Molly and Cody) and a few years ago sold a successful construction company.  They are taking the plunge next summer and mom will be moving to Utah.  I cannot express how excited I am for her.  I hope nothing but amazing things for them!  I can't wait to meet Jay in November when Paul and I are in Missouri :)  I'll update more on the wedding as plans are made!  



Kendall, Kaylyn and Corin

My awesome sister-in-law Kaylyn and her girls, Corin (4) and Kendall (2) flew from Arizona to Virginia last week to spend an ENTIRE MONTH with her parents!  Kaylyn is Paul's older sister.  I  have so much enjoyed my time with them so far.  October 21st is going to come too quickly.  They come home every fall for a month and it's such a blast.  I think I laugh more in the month she is here then I do the rest of the year!  I'm LOVING my time with them!

Paul and I will be in Missouri in 45 DAYS!!!!!!  We are so excited for our trip to see my family!  I have been craving St. Louis Pizza and Wings!  Paul and I are pretty convinced we are going to have to stop and get a pizza when we get into St. Louis.  The next 44 days can't go by fast enough!  

About 3 weeks ago, Paul and I decided it was time to go on a diet.  He's put on about 30 lbs since our wedding (I have to say, I like him a little filled out!!!) and I've put on about 15.  So... we started a diet.  It started by cutting out all caffeine.  That about killed me!  I was so moody for about a week.  I could have killed someone for a diet Pepsi.  We have been survived out withdrawals and are feeling AMAZING!!!!  Paul joined the fitness program at the police department and I finally decided to use the gym membership I've been paying for for the past 6 months.  I'm walking 3 miles a day after work... yes, that's at midnight!  I am so excited to say I'm down about 4 1/2 lbs so far.  My "goal" is go get to 5 lbs above my wedding weight.  We will see how I feel and I may chose to go down to my wedding weight.  I'm trying to not stress myself out too much right now.  Baby steps!  I'm so happy we are feeling better.  I made the mistake of buying halloween candy last night at the store to put in a glass jar we own!  I knew we were going to have a problem when Paul told me the only thing that would help his sore back was a "kit kat".  hahaha.  He's such a dork!  Besides our splurge day once a week we eat a ton of apples, bananas and grapes and for my big meal I have been switching between chicken breasts and stuffed peppers with a side of broccoli and a baked potato.  So far I'm not bored with it. I allow myself 1300 calories a day and my stomach must be shrinking b/c I have a couple days a week where I wonder how I'm going to find 1300 calories to eat.  I hope I can keep up the good work!  

Well... it finally happened!  I am officially 29 years old... boooo!  I am happy to say I believe I only shed 2 tears though :)  That's a huge improvement from last

year, haha!  For my birthday this year, Paul and I went to the beach!  Virginia 

Beach to be exact.  It was so beautiful while we were there.  We had a great time floating around in the ocean for several hours and then headed to the hotel to 

swim in their indoor pool :)  It's amazing how relaxing it is to know we don't have dishes to do or a dog to walk/entertain, etc.  After swimming we showered, changed and headed to Olive Garden for dinner.  Oh my gosh I ate so much food!  The Tour of Italy is my favorite thing to eat there and that's exactly what I got!!!!  Paul insisted on ordering the bow-tie cheesecake to share and I thought I was going to explode right there at the dinner table!  We had such a nice time at dinner!  After dinner we enjoyed the peace and quiet of our hotel room.  Our bed was AMAZING!!!!  It felt like we were sleeping on a huge pillow!  If I could have strapped it to the top our our Corolla without anyone noticing, I would have done it in a second.  That bama was awesome!  Sunday had breakfast at the restaurant in the hotel and headed back in Lake Monticello (Where we live)  It takes about 3 hours to get to the beach from our house.  We spent the rest of the evening watching movies and relaxing at home together :)  I could not have asked for a more wonderful weekend with my amazing husband.  

I forgot to mention... Paul had BEAUTIFUL pink lilies sent to me at work the day before my birthday!  He had such a sweet note attached to them :)  I've love watching them open up as the week has progressed!  Now they are on their last leg... so by the end of the week they will be going in the trash.  I'm going to press some of the peddles before I throw them away though!  Put them in my journal!  

My AMAZING/WONDERFUL/AWESOME Sister-in-law Randi came to our house while we were gone to house sit and entertain our puppy.  We call Randi Harley's girlfriend.  I swear, when we ask him "Where's Randi", he looks around like he's trying to find her.  He sure does love her!  Randi's boyfriend Jonathan spent a lot of time here with Randi and Harley and I know that made Harley as happy as a pig in mud :)  Thank you two so so much for being so great with him and never turning down an opportunity to spend quality time with our hairy child :)

Paul bought me a VERY cute pair of rain boots the Monday after our trip.  I took Labor Day off since he already had the day off so we could spend an extra day together.  With our schedules, we only have 3 days off a month together so when we have the chance to have a 3 day weekend together, we take full advantage of it!  It's sad when I'm excited to have 4 days off together in the same month, lol :)

I finally found a way to upload pix onto my blog from my laptop.  A virus screwed up my laptop BIG-TIME several months ago and it's finicky when it comes to pictures.  Anyway... long story short... I am actually able to upload the pix of my incision from my Melanoma surgery back in July.  I need to take pix of the scar and post those.  Maybe this week when I have time to get my hands on the camera.  For those of you who have been asking:  I am doing really really well!  My scar is driving me CRAZY though.  It itches like you would not believe and the only thing I have found that gives me any relief is Gold Bond Medicated Powder.  If I rub it on my leg after getting out of the shower, I am able to make it several hours without any annoyance.  From time to time I can feel the scar pulling and that actually hurts.  I have bumped it into beds, etc at work several times and it H.U.R.T.S!  From what I understand, it's totally normal and will get better as time goes by.  Paul said he had the same problem with the scar on his leg after his motorcycle accident.  Apparently it's nerve endings..blah blah blah!  I have an appointment to meet with my dermatologist sometime in January... or is it February???  Not exactly sure :)  Sometime around then, haha.  

Things are going really well in Virginia :)  Paul's job is great!  A little over a month ago, he applied to be on the Defensive Tactics Instructor team and was accepted!  YAY for my MAN!  He has to spend 7 business days at the police academy for training.  He was scheduled to go at the end of this upcoming week but due to a lack of officers taking the class, it has been reschedules to a date that is TBD.  It was a bummer finding out he will have to wait to go to training but it's still a huge success :)  I am so proud of him.  The past week or so we have also been discussing whether or not he should apply for  the Riot Squad in his department.  It's a new government funded program in larger police departments all over the US.  He would have to travel to Alabama for training sometime next year.  I believe it was Friday when he actually submitted his application.  He will be interviewed for the team.  Hopefully that will take place in the next couple months so we will know if he will be heading to AL in the spring/summer!  I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for him!  

My job is great... which is a strange way of putting it when I work in a Hospice House!  It has been a very very very busy few weeks and I think my charge nurse and I are BOTH ready for a long vacation :)  I could not ask for a better job right now in my life.  I feel so blessed every single day that God lead me to such an amazing job.  I truly love hospice work and feel like this is my calling in life!  There is no better feeling then working with a person/family during such a difficult time in their live/lives.  Every single day I love going to work!

Today we celebrated 2 years since we adopted our beautiful baby boy Harley!  We are so thankful to have him in our family.  He is my bestest little buddy and I am so thankful Paul convinced me 2 years ago to give that skinny, ugly little dog a chance!  Once we put some weight on him he sure turned into a beautiful dog!  

Upcoming News:  Paul and I are FINALLY heading to Missouri!!!!!  YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!!!!!!!!!  We will be leaving Charlottesville, VA around midnight on November 12th and will HOPEFULLY be at my dad's house in Columbia, Missouri by 5pm on the 13th.  We are stopping somewhere around St. Louis to have lunch with my friend Julie and her daughter Kate.  By the time November comes, It will be 18 months since I have been to MO and 18 months since I have seen my dad.  I am really looking forward to the trip.  I am so excited to see all of my grandparents, spend some much needed time with other family/friends and meet my mom's friend Jay.  Paul and I will be spending an evening in CoMo with my dad and I'm excited for the quality time with him.  I'm thinking Fiddler on the Roof will be in order that night!!!!  I love watching that movie with my dad and Paul's never seen it!  

Well everyone, that's all I can come up with right now :0)  Life is pretty freaking amazing!  I can't believe it's already the 9th of September!  The year will be coming to a close before we know it.  I'm fine with that though, after the hot hot hot summer we have had this year, I'm ready for winter and all the wonderful cold weather and/or snow that comes with it!  Apparently VA is going to get hit hard with snow this year!  I'm ready :0)  BRING IT ON!

G'night everyone.  I hope this upcoming week treats you well and I hope you are safe in your travels!

LQ

Surgery is over, but I will always wear black for ME!

I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to post and update from my surgery.  I won't bore you with the moment by moment details of my recovery so I'll try to hit on just the main things.

Surgery went as expected.  I took the Valium and it knocked me for a freaking loop... to say the least :)  It kicked in about 5 minutes after we left the house.  We had a 20 minute drive to my doctors office.  I ended up crying most of the way to her office.  I had no idea why I was even sad.  I think my emotions were on overload and my nerves were finally shot.  When I got to the doctors, apparently everything became funny, lol.  My mom had to tell me to quit laughing.  Although the Valium was helping me stay relaxed it for SURE did not help with the pain.  I felt like my leg was on fire while they were administering the numbing medication and the idea that they were cutting into my leg was a little too much for me to handle.  Before going in for surgery, mom gave me a sock monkey.  She said I could keep it over my eyes... that's exactly what I did with it.  

Recovery was a bit of a roller coaster.  I found out day 2 that the Tylenol 3 they gave me was making me really emotional and angry.  By Saturday afternoon I had to stop taking it.  It made my face feel funny and I found myself crying in Gap after Paul called me to tell me he found a suit he wanted to buy.  Mom asked me why I was crying and I told her I was mad at Paul for wanting to buy a new suit.  HAHA... totally not like me!  

I was under strict instructions to rest for about a week.  Yeah... that did not happen.  Friday, after surgery, I came home and slept a lot.  Mom and Paul took care of everything for me.  We ordered pizza for dinner and watched the Olympics.  Saturday I was already tired of sitting around the house so mom and I drove into town and went shopping at the mall.  Paul went to buy his suit and then met us at the mall.  It was shopping with mom and having dinner with Mom, Paul and our friend Todd.  I could NOT walk Saturday without being in horrible pain and my leg cramping really bad so I snagged Paul's crutches from his motorcycle accident and off I went.  If you think I'm not graceful on my feet, you should see me on crutches.  It's quite a site.  I think Paul was convinced I was going to kill myself.  My mom was afraid I was going to do something and hurt my leg, or tear open my stitches.   Sunday we went to my in laws for dinner, Monday the 3 of us hung out at home and did not do much of anything and on Tuesday mom and I drove to Short Pump, VA to do some shopping for her trip to Utah.  By Tuesday I was walking around pretty well.  It felt so great to get out of the house for the day :)  Wednesday mom and I got up about 8 am and started cleaning the house.  We were scheduled to have an open house that next weekend while Paul and I were on vacation.  We cleaned from 8am until about 10:30pm with a break for Lunch at Chic Fil A to support marriage between a man and a woman and to do a little last minute decoration shopping for my 2 bathrooms.     Thursday I had to have mom at the airport at 5:30 am :(  I won't lie... I cried from the airport all the way across town to the city bus shop where they do repairs on police cars (I had to pick Paul up from there).  I have missed my mom so much over the past 7 months.  I can't wait til the say I live close to her again.  I can honestly say if it was not for my mom, I don't think my house would have been nearly as ready for our open house/vacation as it was!  Thanks mom for everything you did!!!!!  

After dropping mom off at the airport, I picked up Paul and we had breakfast at Burger King.  We decided since we had to be at the D.C. by 4am the next morning to catch a 6am flight to Denver, Co, we would stay awake until about 4pm and go to sleep until around midnight and leave then for DC.  We were so tired by the time we got home at 8:30 that we both crashed... but were wide awake by 1pm.  We ran some errands, packed out bags and laid around the house until close to midnight.  We left for the airport and EVEN with stopping for breakfast, we were at the airport by 2:30 am.  Southwest did not open until 4am so we tried to sleep on this bench looking thing for a bit.  The bench turned out to be the a/c register and I woke up about 15 minutes after falling asleep totally freezing my rump off.  That was an epic fail!  So, there we were... wide awake.  We checked out bags and went to wait for our flight.  Once we made it on the plane I think we were both asleep before the plane hit 30,000 feet.  Sounds nice, doesn't it????  Apparently I tried sleeping in every position possible.  I slept on Paul's shoulder, with my head against the seat in front of me, with my head in Paul's lap, etc.  I woke up with such a horrible kink in my neck!  It honestly just went away a couple days ago.  I woke up when the plane landed and was down right sick.  I told Paul he had to take me seriously if I told him to pull over after we picked up our rental car.  Thank goodness the guy at Avis gave me some headache meds.  They saved my life!!!!!  We picked up our rental car at the Denver airport and off to Wyoming we went :)  Oh my gosh it was SO beautiful in Colorado and Wyoming!!!!!!  The air was so amazing and thin.  I kept saying "I love the way the air smells".  The drive to Cheyenne was wonderful.  No traffic and we took pictures of everything we saw along the way.    Once we got into Cheyenne, we found the P.O.S.T.  It's where police officers go to take their written test.  While Paul was testing, I chatted up a storm with their secretary.  I'm proud to say Paul got a 90% on his written test.  I knew he would do well!  After the test we found the Culvers and had lunch.  They have the most amazing butter burgers!!!  We also split a banana split.  I'm sorry all you St. Louis readers.... Ted Drews has NOTHING on Culvers!!!  It's so nice to finally be able to say that without having to witness the dirty looks!  It's just how I roll ;)   lol.  We spent Friday driving around Cheyenne.  We bought Paul a pair of running shoes and we were like kids in a candy store every time we'd find a new western store!  I bought a new pair of jeans and an awesome blue plaid button up shirt.  We found our hotel which ended up being right across the street from the mall.  We had to check in at the diner next door and I can honestly say the hotel was so nice and clean and the free breakfast at the diner was AMAZING!!!!!!  We will for sure stay there again when we go back to visit.  Although we tried our best to stay awake Friday night to enjoy the sites a little more, we ordered pizza around 6 and were both fast asleep by 7:30pm and slept until 7:30 the next morning. Saturday we drove to Laramie, Wy.  We wanted to see the University of Wyoming.  We stopped by the team store and bought some fun things like t-shirts, sweat pants, this and that!  Paul did a ride along with the Cheyenne PD and while he did that, I did some shopping and hung out at the hotel room.  We had dinner at Olive Garden and I swear I ate my body weight in salad and pasta. It was SO good!  Sunday we went to church, ate lunch at Culvers and mostly spent the day relaxing.  We ordered pizza for dinner and watched the Olympics.  By Sunday, we were shopped out and there is only so much you can see in Cheyenne.  We did go for a drive that kinda spooked us both.  I guess you had to be there.  It was very Children of the Corn.  Monday we woke up early, snacked on the way to the airport and made it to our gate WAY too early!  We were glad we left when we did though b/c the engine light and the traction light came on in our rental car.  I was determined the car was going to break down and we'd miss our flight.  Needless to say, we made it there just fine and our plane landed in D.C. Monday evening around 7.  Our trip was so much fun and sooooo needed!  

Tuesday I went back to see my Dermatologist to have my 16 stitches removed.  She had my results back and told me everything looks good.  I have an apt to have a full skin assessment in 6 months.  I do have 1 spot on my hand that I am watching.  I'm sure it's just a freckle... but now I am super cautious when it comes to anything that looks different.  I am so thankful everything looks good.  This was such an eye opening experience for me.  I've realized that there are so many parts of my life that I take for granted every single day.  I want my family to know how much I love them.  Especially my amazing husband who has given me such a wonderful life over the past 2 years.  When my Dr first told me I had cancer, the first thought that came to my mind was "How could God give me such a wonderful man, only to take me from this life at an early age".  With everything I have been through in my life, I was determined this damn cancer was not going to ruin my plans.  I hope and pray every single day that as I continue to protect my skin, I will be free from any more cancer.  They say your chances of it coming back are high.  I realize that... but I am still going to have good thoughts and live life every day being thankful for everything God has given me.  

Well, I'm sure you are all bored stiff by now.  
Love,
LQ

This is MY ribbon!.

This is MY ribbon!

On several occasions I have worn ribbons for other people in my life. I often wear a Yellow ribbon in memory of those who are fighting or who have lost their lives fighting for our great country. I have worn Teal ribbons in support of Cervical Cancer and the battle my sister in law Kiley went through while she fought her way through treatments and recovery. I have worn Pink (like most of you have) to support Breast Cancer and the millions who have been affected by it.

 On Thursday June, 28 I had a biopsy done on my left leg. On July 3 I got the call from my doctor telling me she received my pathology reports and the biopsy was positive for Melanoma.... Cancer. I was sitting at work when I got the call from my doctor. I had missed a call on my cell phone and when I listened to the message, Dr. MaGree asked me to call her on her cell phone if I could not call back until after the office had already closed. I could physically feel my heart sink into my stomach as I was listening to the message. I called the Dr back and left her a message with my office number on it. She called back several minutes later and started off the conversation by saying "I'm sorry to have to give you bad news over the phone, but with tomorrow being a holiday, I did not want to wait to talk to you". Yes, I'll be honest and say I had a mini meltdown at work. The worst feeling was knowing I was getting such horrible news and Paul was not there with me to hold my hand. Dr. MaGree and I discussed my options and we decided I would schedule my surgery for as soon as possible. Paul and I had already booked our flights to go to Wyoming for a few days the 1st part of August so I decided to have my surgery on July 27th so I could have a week to recover before heading off to Wyoming on vacation.  I am so thankful my mom is able to come to Virginia to help me out for a week before she heads off to Utah to spend a week with Emily :)

I had called my dad when scheduled my 1st appointment to tell him what I was going in for.  He's had several places on his arm burned off to I knew he could tell me what to expect!  YEAH RIGHT!!!  He told me they would either burn it off or just cut off the top of the mole.  :)  As you can see in the above picture, they did more than cut off the top of the mole!  ha ha!  They made a 1 1/2 inch incision and I ended up with multiple internal stitches and 12 external stitches.  That was a big fat pain in my rump to deal with for 2 weeks while I worked.  I had to keep it covered so it delayed healing and on top of it all, i found out I am 1) Allergic to all band-aids and medical tape except for paper tape.  Everything else TOTALLY breaks me out!  and 2) I am allergic to the internal stitches.  I ended up with a nasty sore on my scar line and finally, about 2 days ago, the internal stitch came out and it's healed up very quickly since.  I asked my doctor about it when I went in on the 9th to have the stitches removed and she told me it was nothing to worry about.  Apparently it happens from time to time.  It just slows down healing a bit.

I'd also like to say I TOTALLY flipped out during my biopsy.  I stressed out so bad I made myself ill.  Dr. MaGee thought it would be a good idea for me to take some Valium before my surgery since it too will be local anesthesia.  I am doing a trial run tonight to see how it makes me feel.  That way I will know how much to take to make me feel good without overdoing it and not being able to walk out of the place on my own :)

Well, that's all the Melanoma updating I am able to do tonight!  I'll post again hopefully Friday evening after surgery!  Wish me luck!

In Other News:

Since it is now the end(ish) of July and my last post was April 2nd, I guess I have a lot of catching up to do!  So... here goes.  I hope I don't miss anything important!

April 9th, I started a WONDERFUL job at Hospice of the Piedmont in Charlottesville.  I am a CNA in their Hospice House!   It's a house that was built back in like 1920 and it's a BEAUTIFUL area of Charlottesville.  We can only hold 8 residents and the only staff there in the evening is me and my nurse Wendy (who I love).  I went in for my 90 day evaluation a week ago and I am proud to say they are very impressed by my work.  It's not hard to do a good job when you actually enjoy going to work every day :)
Paul hit his 1 year mark with the Albemarle County PD April 21 (I  think).  His PD ordered 3 new radars this week and Paul was given one b/c he writes more tickets than anyone else on his shift!  THAT'S MY MAN!  I can't explain how proud I am of Paul and all of his hard work!

April 3rd was Paul's birthday :) (Sorry if I am repeating stories from my last entry).  We decided it would be fun to drive to Harrisonburg for dinner at Long Horn Steakhouse!  Well.... long story short.... although the drive was BEAUTIFUL, we made it there only to find out the building was under construction... or should I say demolition!  We laughed so hard when we realized we drove over an hour for steak and ended up eating at Buffalo Wild Wings, which we have here in Charlottesville :)  Ha ha!  I did decorate for Paul's birthday this year!  He was at work and I thought it would be a lot of fun to have him come home to the house looking all birthday festive!

July 9th was our 2nd wedding anniversary :)  Awwwww Love!   Can't believe it's been 2 years already.  Sometimes I feel like we just met and other days I feel like I can't remember a time when we were not married.  Since there really are no words to express how I feel about being married to Paul... I will just say this.  When I was a little girl and I dreamed about my prince charming... I never in my wildest dreams ever thought he actually existed!  I honestly don't think 2 people could be more perfect for each other than Paul and me.

Last year for our Anniversary he surprised me with my Kitchen Aid mixer and this year was just as wonderful!  I have been REALLLLLY wanting the perfume by Coach called Poppy!  It's way out of my perfume budget so Paul bought it for me as one of my anniversary presents!  I was SOOOO excited when I opened that coach bag and found it tucked away in it's little white box :)  I wear it every day and am in love... YES!!! IN LOVE with it!  I had also told him I wanted a wristlet from Coach but when he went to order it, it was on back order and NONE of the Coach stores in our area had it.  So, instead of waiting for it to come in months from now, he told me I could pick out a different one in the store.  I ended up getting the CUTEST little wristlet and I actually like it more than the one I had originally picked out :)  I don't want anyone to read this and think everything I own is Coach!!!  haha!  Totally NOT!  These are the 1st 2 things I have ever owned by Coach :)  For Paul's anniversary present I bought him a paisley silk western scarf and a scarf slide.  He honestly picked them out AND ordered them but I would not let him have them until our anniversary!  He's not a fan of surprises so I pretty much have given up trying to surprise him and let him buy whatever he's been wanting!

Tell me it's not CUTE!

YAY for pretty presents :)

Upcoming Events!

On August 3rd (1 WEEK FROM FRIDAY... YAYYYYY) Paul and I are leaving on our first vacation alone.  The only times we have traveled together has been to see my family in Missouri!  We thought it would be fun to take our first vacation to Cheyenne Wyoming!  Paul's never been there and I've only driven through once or twice. We have our flights booked, rental car reserved and our hotel booked!  While we are there we will be looking at a few apartment complexes to see if there are any that we like, Paul will be doing a ride along with the Cheyenne Police Department so he can pick their brain about the department... pro's, con's, etc.  We will be attending an LDS Ward while we are there and pretty much spending 3 days looking around the town to see if our dream of living in Cheyenne could actually be a reality. 

Well everyone, That is the happenings of the Quillon home :)  I will update more on Friday or Saturday... depending on how I feel after surgery!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!!!!

Liz