The Weekend Update

• Apples have been the theme this week! We took our apples to the cider mill with Ryan's parents, so we have been enjoying fresh cider along with other apple treats! We've had cider donuts, caramel apples, hot cider, cold cider and one of our favorites....apple cider oatmeal! When making oatmeal replace the water with cider and YUM-O!   A fall Michigan tradition that I look forward to is cider and donuts. Where I come from we have donuts with milk or coffee, but not cider. My first fall here I kept hearing the phrase "cider and donuts" and I didn't get it. Until one night at a bonfire we had hot apple cider and fresh cinnamon donuts. And that's when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the yummiest fall traditions ever!! It's now something I look forward to every year!!
• Thinking of things that I learned after moving to Michigan.... just after we moved here we met with our customer service rep to set up our auto/home insurance. The woman was explaining our auto policy to us and as she pointed out one deductible she said,  "Let's say you hit a deer, then your deductible would be___." I thought that was such a random thing to say, hit a deer! Really? She might as well have said a cow or horse! I asked if that really happens that often, and she gave me a look that said, "Oh my, you have a lot to learn!"
•  Ryan did see his family dr and he was able to come off the blood thinner that he was on. Not only is it great that he doesn't have to take it anymore, but it also means 1 less appt. each month! He was going to the lab for monthly level checks, but not anymore! Other than that, there's not too much new to report. He's still going to rehab therapy twice a week, and I'm going to physical therapy twice a week. This week my therapist asked me to lay on the table face down and raise my arms above my head. Then she asked me to raise my arms up. I couldn't do it with the right arm! It just didn't budge! So she had me stand against the wall, arms above my head and lift my arms away from the wall. With some help from her, I was able to do that, but straining and grunting like I was bench pressing 100lbs!! It's crazy that something I used to never think twice about doing is so much work!

A few of our favorite recent quotes:

"Oh Mommy, I love you so, so much!"--Aiden in the kitchen with me. Yep, this one's my favorite this week!

"Well, you see, we've lost our GPS, so we need a map of the solar system so we can travel around in our spaceship."--Emma, while making a map for their spaceship game they have been playing with their friends.

"Uh, don't call me that."--Moriah, to her friend, after he called her by her nickname that she only allows her mom, dad, and sister to use!