Back to Reality

It's back to reality for me in only TWO WEEKS! 


Last Thursday, I had a post-op appointment at my surgeon's office and he gave me the OK to go back to work in two weeks. I'm feeling pretty melancholy about it, but it will be good for me to get back in to a normal routine. And frankly, if I got the whole summer off, I probably wouldn't want to go back to work EVER. I guess being on disability for seven months does that to a person!


They also took the bandages off and took all the stitches out. Thank goodness, because I was about ready to just take the bandages off myself. It was so itchy under all the gauze and stuff!

The incision to repair my tibia. Cut across the original incision and up a little bit, vertically.

It looks nasty, but Dr. Shutt and his nurse said it looked great. Don't mind my hairy and scaly skin -- so gross!!!  I also have an incision at my hip where Dr. Shutt took a piece of my pelvis out in order to do the bone graft. Since it is in a "fleshier" spot, his nurse put some little strips across it so that it didn't separate after the stitches were out. I guess so that I wouldn't have an even nastier scar?

I have one more little incision under my knee because Dr. Schutt took one of the screws out so that the rod in my lower leg wasn't as fixed and wiggled a little. Slight movements and vibrations in bones promote bone growth and having it fixed to a rod made it pretty static.

I've been trying to walk around as much as possible to strengthen my legs and get my stamina back for work, and I'm feeling pretty sore. On the plus side, Jordan's grandma said that it looks like I'm walking better and than my limp is going away -- WOO! I have two more weeks to get my leg conditioned for work, so fingers crossed I'll be ready!

Scar Talk

I have been a TERRIBLE blogger lately. I really have no excuse -- I've just been lazy. Also, since I've been recovering after my recent bone graft surgery, nothing exciting has happened because I don't do anything. I have a follow up appointment on Wednesday and I'm hoping they will take the stitches out. I was naughty and I took a little peek under the bandage on my leg and the incision looks good! I know it must be healing because it is SO itchy and it takes every ounce of my will power to not stick a pen in the bandage and scratch, scratch, scratch!


After the accident, the incision was made horizontally across my leg because of how the bone came out. This most recent incision is vertical AND horizontal. I'm going to have a pretty nasty scar, but Jordan always reminds me that I have a great story to tell about it. I am almost positive that I'll have the scar for the rest of my life, but I'll take the scar any day. The scar is a reminder of the fact that I did NOT die and that I have my life.


WELP, summer is just around the corner and I won't be able to wear shorts or shorter skirts. It's not because I'm ashamed of my scar; in fact, I willing show a lot of people! I just want to keep my scars out of the sun as much as possible in the hopes that they will fade away. I've been using a combination of Mederma for Scars with SPF 15 and Bio-Oil. The Mederma smells weird, but I like that it has SPF in it. The Bio-Oil smells kind of like an old lady, but I really like it because it keeps the scars moist and I think it works pretty well. It's WAY cheaper than Mederma so I primarily use the Bio-Oil. I just happened to stumble across it at Target over the winter because it's right next to the Mederma and the rest of the scar therapy products.

Since I can't wear shorts and "short" skirts, I decided I was going to buy a couple of maxi dresses and maxi skirts this year. I only have one maxi dress that I actually like and I got last year at Macy's at the end of the season. It's navy blue with an Ikat print on it, so I'm hoping to find a basic black or gray maxi dress. So far, I haven't had any luck with the dresses. On the other hand, I did buy two new maxi skirts from the Gap this afternoon. They are both the same cut, but one is a navy and oatmeal stripe and the other one is coral. Definitely went out on a limb with the coral - I pretty much only wear navy, white, gray, black or tan. I know, I'm boring! BUT, when I do buy color I usually gravitate to corals and plums.

A-Line Maxi Skirt from the Gap in Coral

I don't have a picture of the navy and oatmeal stripe because they are sold out online. It is also almost sold out in the stores. It is a great and flattering fit and they are only $50 each so it doesn't surprise me. I think I'm going to wear my navy and oatmeal striped skirt to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so if the outfit turns out cute, I'll post a pic. If you're on the wall about maxi skirts, go to the Gap and try one on! Definitely worth the time and money!

Blog Debut!

Yay!!! Our wedding picture's made our photographer's blog! Here's the link!


J & A Photography


Enjoy!!!

Miscellaneous Wedding Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the wedding that I pieced together from various pictures taken by my friends and family. Once I get the good shots from the photographer, I'll make an album and post the link online. But for now, I hope you enjoy this little preview!

Official event list at the Nittany Lion Inn!

Both my wedding dates embroidered in my dress. Got the idea from my friend Meredith for my something blue. The new date is in teal, though :)

Ready to get married!

View of the back of my dress.

Goodies for my maid of honor, bridesmaids, flower girls, ring bearer and bible carrier.

I had the most beautiful bridal party that day! Not to be judgmental, but some of the other brides had very questionable taste when it came to bridesmaid attire.  

Mr. & Mrs. Jordan Breon (SOUNDS SO WEIRD!)

Our adorable mini entourage. They all did so well and were so well behaved!

With Daddy and Mommy.

Gap 279 reunion - Meredith, me, Nikki, Dean, and Tisha!

Father/Daughter dance.

My hubby and the girls!

Wedding Rehearsal Fun

Ahhh! Jordan and I are FINALLY married! We've been together for nearly 8 years, so it was about time. If you ask Jordan, he'll tell you I was the one who wasn't ready to take the plunge any sooner - and that's true :) 


Here's a little recap of the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner in pictures!

Me and Mommy getting ready to head to the chapel.

Clearly, I am not paying attention.

Everyone looks bored!

My lovelies :)

Beautiful cake pops courtesy of Aunt Lori and her talented friends.

Jordan and the boys... and Eve, haha.

Randy, me, Nikki, and Dean - such good friends! They came out in November after the accident and this Spring too!

Izzy, Jeremy, and me.

Izzy, Jerred, Jeremy, and Ella enthralled by the cake pops.

Attempting to get a cute shot.

Sister love!

Mommy, Celine, me, and Daddy :)

Jerred and Aidan ready to party!

Charlie's Rhubarb Cake

Well, last night was the official start to my baking marathon. My family is flying in for the wedding tomorrow and they all had different requests for baked goods that they wanted. On top of that, I decided I was going to make a rhubarb cake for our neighbor, Charlie. 


We "country folk" don't like having people living on top of us, but Charlie and his wife, Cindy, live just across the road from us and have quickly become good friends. If we have to have people (besides family) live near us, we are so thankful that it is Charlie and Cindy. They are good neighbors and they always take care of us. Cindy always gives us Christmas and Easter presents and Charlie helps Jordan out with miscellaneous tasks.


Anyway, a few weeks ago, Charlie came across the road and asked me how our garden was doing. I told him it was so-so and I mentioned that I thought the rhubarb would be ready kinda early and I didn't know what I was going to do with all the rhubarb I would have besides making a pie. I have three big rhubarb plants and I literally cut a few stalks for a pie and the give the rest away. Such a waste! Soooo, Charlie told me one of his favorite treats was a rhubarb cake that his mother used to make him. The next day he was sitting on his porch waiting for me to come home and he walked over his mother's recipe for rhubarb cake!


As a little thank you for helping out with so much and for keeping an eye on the house while Jordan was away last week, I decided I was going to make him a rhubarb cake. I snuck a few pieces for us to try and so I could share with Pap and Grandma, too. I thought it was really good! It has a nice balance of sweet and tart. No one else has tried it yet so I don't know what the verdict is for sure, but I think it will be a thumbs up since they are an easy crowd to please :)

Breakfast!

Charlie's Rhubarb Cake


Ingredients


For the cake:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
2 cups rhubarb, finely chopped


For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:
Cream the sugars with the shortening. Add the eggs. Mix in vanilla and baking soda. Blend well. Add 2 cups flour and mix. The dough will be thick like cookie dough. Add the finely chopped rhubarb. Mix and pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top.


Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.


*You can tell it's an old recipe by how simple the instructions are!

Rhubarb Jam

Ok so I've been a lazy blogger lately, but I have a good excuse... I'm getting married this weekend! I've been so busy getting things around for the wedding so I don't really have anything interesting to blog about when I spent my week running errands.


It's wet, cold, and snowy here in Central PA today - yuck! Jordan didn't go into work today due to the inclement weather, so I made us some coffee and tried out the rhubarb jam I made last night.

Snuck a bite (or two) before snapping a pic!

Last year, Jordan's grandma and I made a strawberry rhubarb jam and we were horribly disappointed. It was good, but not what I wanted - it tasted more like strawberry jelly than anything. What I was really looking for was a jam that had a good rhubarb flavor and was a little more tart. A couple of weeks ago I started searching the internet for rhubarb jam recipes in anticipation for our rhubarb that was getting big.

Yesterday, Jordan and I fertilized the garden with Eve, picked some asparagus, and checked on the rhubarb. Our rhubarb was ready so Jordan cut a handful of stalks and I decided I was going to try a recipe I found on Sugarlaws, a random blog I stumbled upon, for a simple rhubarb jam. 

Eve "helping" Jordan spread fertilizer in the garden.

Pretty rhubarb from our garden!

Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients

1 pound rhubarb (approx 2 cups)

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon pectin*

*Note: There are different instructions for pectin depending on what brand you get, so just make sure you read the directions on the box of yours. I used Sure Jell, and you just need to sprinkle it in the recipe.

Directions

Trim the ends off the rhubarb and cut the stalks into 1/2 inch slices.

In a medium saucepan, cook rhubarb, sugar, and water on medium heat until the rhubarb breaks down into mush, about 8-10 minutes. Add the pectin and cook the rhubarb, constantly stirring, until it is thick enough that you can see the bottom of the saucepan when you move the mixture aside, about 5 minutes.

Remove the rhubarb from heat and put into a food processor and puree quickly for about 30 seconds (I skipped this step because it looked cooked down enough and I didn't have huge chunks of rhubarb left). Place the jam into a container and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until the jam is set. 

*Note: If you pour your jam into a glass jar, make sure you put a spoon in the jar before you pour it in so that the glass doesn't crack. The spoon absorbs some of the heat from the jam, therefore avoiding a big mess!

This recipe yields about 12 oz. of jam. You can keep it in the fridge for 3 weeks, but if you can it properly, you can keep it for up to a year.