Wisdom tooth-less "Wisdom"

So, as some of you may know, this past week I had my wisdom teeth removed.  I’m not going to say that it was a “delightful” experience, but it was a ton less-bad than it could’ve been!  J  Here are a few pieces of “wisdom” I have learned from this experience… 

-The feeling of all of a sudden realizing that you will NOT be put to sleep to have all 4 teeth out is like being hit with a rock.

-When lying in the dentist chair, it is possible for your heart to beat so hard that the light above you is moving (trust me, I speak from experience.).

-If the dentist says that “you’ll feel a little pressure,” he ain’t lying!!  Although, I’m not sure nearly dislocating the jaw would be considered “pressure.”  (Ok, it wasn’t quite that bad, but it sure felt like it!!!)

-The worst part of the actual extraction was not the extraction itself, but the Novocain and the sounds of the cutting…  blah.

-The first few hours after extraction are a little interesting.  I nearly passed out once, took a nap (which I NEVER do!), and actually took it easy!

-A lot of blood can come out of one mouth.

-Not everyone always looks like a chipmunk afterwards.

-Frozen peas make an awesome ice pack!!

-You can make pretty much anything that you REALLY want into a semi-liquid form!  Carrots, potatoes, fruit, you name it!! 

-Peas are actually really hard to chew with your front teeth.

-It never feels like you can completely get your teeth brushed post-removal.  I mean, how are you supposed to get all the way to the back teeth when there are stitches and holes back there??

-Stitches are REALLY annoying things!!  Stupid tongue won’t let them go. 

-The outside of your mouth actually bruises, even though all the work was done INSIDE!  Actually, it’s kinda cool…  J 

I realize these things aren’t of any use to most people, but I found them kind of amusing…  hope you’ve enjoyed them as well!!  J

Back in Guate...

We have now been back from the states for 5 days, but I could swear it’s been a TON longer!!  Sometimes I even have to wonder if we were ever in the states and if it was all just a dream, but I guess not!  J  I know a lot of people have asked about our re-adjustment to Guate and all, so I figured I would give a bit of an update.

Like I said before, it almost feels like we never even went to the states.  We got back to Guate and the next day we went out to a nearby orphanage to see the kids, my dad went to the warehouse to look at what all came on the container, and we started driving like Guatemalans again.  It felt so “normal” to be back in Guate, but a little abnormal at the same time.  I know for me it felt like my mind and my heart were in one place (Guate) but my body was still in another (USA).  It’s kind of an odd feeling, but I guess it’s also part of being a missionary!! 

There are a few things that we have to readjust to especially here in Guate.  First is the altitude.  To go from pretty much 0 feet above sea level to 6,000 feet is quite an adjustment!  I guess it’s not too bad, but it is still weird to be short of breath after just a small period of time!  The other thing is the hot water… we were quite spoiled in the states!!  I’m not sure any of us have gotten a completely hot shower since returning!  Yeah well, at least we have hot water.

Even with the “difficult” readjustments, there are multiple things that we have had no trouble getting back into, driving being one of them.  It is so nice to be able to follow driving “suggestions” without getting all uptight about the rules!!  We have also enjoyed our full stock of fruit; apples, pears, bananas, pineapple, strawberries, papaya, etc.  It hasn’t been any trouble readjusting to loving on all the little ones around here!  Actually, on New Year’s day we went out and held babies and played with toddlers at one home, it was quite fun!!  J  And finally, it hasn’t been hard getting readjusted to having a dog in the house.  We didn’t realize how much we missed Oso until we had him back!!  Oh, and having 5 bathrooms hasn’t been much of a hardship either.  ;) 

Just look at those eyes...

Abby is back with her "clan"

So yes, it has been a bit interesting coming back from the USA, but overall I would say the transition has really gone well.  My dad is getting back into deliveries, Abby and Risa (and my mom) are back into school, and I am helping out wherever I can.  In general, it’s nice to be in some sort of routine and have life be back to “normal.” 

Oh, and in other news, we got a puppy.  Today we went to see Max and we ended up coming home with him!  J  He is a 3 month old, miniature schnauzer.  Oso isn’t quite sure what to think of this little thing, and Max doesn’t know what to think of his giant of a brother, but I think he will fit in quite well!  J

Max

Getting to know each other!