Life Doesn't Always Stink 😄

This year did not go as I had planned.  Don't worry this blog post is not all doom and gloom so please don't quit reading now😅.  I got very sick in January.   Then I learned that I was going to need spinal fusion surgery. I also knew my pain was going to get worse.  I decided right then that I was not going to let pain control my life.  I have went to  Cincinnati QUITE A FEW times this year for medical appointments. When I went to my preop appointments we got to bring my siblings along and decided at least try to have a little fun.   

 

I really like shopping and outlet malls are some of my favorite stores.  It is a lot quicker to shop at an outlet mall to not have to get in and out of the car 20 times, so you have a lot more time to shop. You just never know what you are going to find to buy at an outlet mall so it is always fun to look and find cool things. My favorite store to stop by there is the Disney store.  It always has fun and unique things and there is no store like it anywhere close to where I live. It is always a treat to stop by and explore. We explored all around the outlet mall.  We stopped by Claires and of course they had a sale.  I still have not had a chance to wear all the cute earrings I got.  

 

My family was getting hungry (and we don't want to see my brother get hangry).  We had found a restaurant called The Taste of Belgium. They defiantly had a waffles and crepes theme going for them.  It was really hot outside so it was nice to cool off in the air-conditioning.  They had a special waffle flight that had 4 different waffle flavors.  The flight included a strawberry whipped cream, smores, lemon curd, and banana Nutella waffle.  

We had a different nice new hotel this time.  The hotel we usually stay at was booked up for our dates so we decided to try this new one.  It had a very large room and Tibbs and I enjoy having the extra space when traveling with my siblings and parents. We live in a very rural area, where we do not see many cars let alone people out and about.  It was fun watching the people walk by and Tibbs and I enjoyed watching people walk there pets.  It was always fun to watch two dogs cross paths and their greetings. We enjoyed the pool and relaxing at the hotel this time.  Traveling has been very difficult for me this year and causes quite a bit of pain.  As you know traveling is one of Tibbs and I's favorite things to do.

 

 

The next day we got up and went to the Ark Encounter. It was fun to see the huge ark in the distance they had built. It was incredibly hot that day.  Remember to bring mushers cream or shoes for your service dogs there is a lack of outdoor shade and the blacktop is hot.  You have to buy thickets and board a shuttle bus (they are wheelchair accessible) and it will take you from parking lot to the Ark. It was very pretty to see all the flowers and statues of the animals they had created. Once you got underneath the Ark you got to go inside through the biggest ramp I have ever seen.  The ramp goes all the way up through the three floors.  The first floor was the theories about water storage and waste storage on the ark.  They had some cages and a soundtrack of animals making noise.  Tibbs was right by my side and the animal noises did not bother him.  It was also air conditioned at this point and we were grateful for that. The second floor was up a ramp with claw marks and paw prints etched in to signify the animals coming in. There were many cages with animal replicas. They had some dinosaurs, kangaroos, giraffes, and many more replicas.  We headed up the next ramp to the third floor where they had examples of living quarters and theories about air and water circulation and how it would be possible to live withing a ark. I really enjoyed going through and seeing the ark. We went back down the ramp.  There is a petting zoo and many options to explore more but it was very hot and we were worn out.  We spent a hour or two there, but most people would probably spend a lot more time. 

The next few days were spent at preop appointments.   I know I am now as prepared for surgery as I can be.  I know it is going to be a big challenge. Tibbs and I are looking forward to being ready for new adventures after recovery.