Craft day!

Abbey and I got together last week and made some Valentine crafts....since Valentine's Day is one day we are short on decorations! I sort of had to coax Abbey into doing it with me, but we had alot of fun and made some really cute things(I think)!

 

A sore subject.

Today while I was cleaning the kitchen counter, I came across this mug (picture below). My sweet husband has had it since he was living in Chicago. So probably it has been in his possession for 25 years +. I put it in the dishwasher, as I always do...but as always, when this happens my other half, makes a big deal of it and tells me that...he just wishes I would leave it on the counter, so that he doesn't have to go in search of it whenever he wants a drink of water. Quite an ugly mug as you can see. I am beginning to think that it will be a permanent fixture on my counter.

KIdney stones and things that just GENERALLY hurt!!

Today I am blogging about my kidneys....boring you say? Don't decide that until you finish my post. Since the end of August I had been having this somewhat nagging pain in my side, sometimes it was bearable and others, well it hurt alot....not knowing what it was I went to the doctor(ER Doctor), he told me he I had a kidney infection and sent me home with an antibiotic.
Well the pain continues, for about another month. So I go to my doctor (doctor #2) and he says he thinks it could be diverticulitis....even I know he is way off base, because I know what that feels like...a differnt pain altogether. So I go back to my gynecologist thinking, well maybe it is female pain....again no luck. So I went back to my family doctor and told him that I knew what it wasn't, he sent me to get an x-ray and when the results came back I found out that I had a 7.8 mm. kidney stone which would require Lithotripsy, a method which uses sound waves to crush the stones This was in November. The lithotripsy machine is a machine that is high in demand, but there are only a handful of them around, so my procedure wasn't able to be scheduled until December 28th. December 28th(Monday) came I had the surgery, and all seemed to be well. But on Wednesday, I woke up with this pain that felt alot like a UTI, the pain progressed through the night and through to morning and became so bad that I found myself puking in the toilet. Katie took me to the ER, where they x-rayed me and told me that I had a 6-7 mm stone in my urteter. This had to be impossibe right?? That is about the size of my previous stone, and that one had been blown to millions of tiny little pieces.
It appeared that the tiny little sand like particles had all gathered in a little spot in my ureter, and decided camp out! After about 6 hours, being poked & poked with needles, and fed really good pain dissapearing medicine trough my IV. they let me go home. Thank you Katie for sitting with me while I whined and cried..oh and threw-up!! I love you!!!

Christmas Eve!

This year we spent Christmas eve at Larry and Erica's house. Erica made some Cioppino, and for the ones who don't dig fish...I made some white bean chicken chili. After eating we went out back and sat around the fire...fun was had by all AND........we finally got to meet Katie's new beau Neil.

 

Phoenix Muddy Buddy Race!

This morning Larry and I went to the Muddy Buddy Race to watch Larry and Jacob do a Race( bike/run/obstacle course). Larry and Jacob are my stepsons. For Larry this race was something he and his brother could do together, as he has done numerous triathalons and ironman races, but this was Jacobs first race, and of all the races we have gone and watched, this by far was the most entertaining! The total distance of this race was six miles, and besides running and riding there were several obstacle courses throughout, ending with a crawl through the mud! The competeters get pretty creative with their race attire. Pictures are below!

Jacob awaiting his first race debut

Jacob and Larry

Jacob and Larry crawling through the mud

Just after the race (Jacob looks wornout)

Just after getting a courtesy hosing

New hair cut!

After alot of thought, I decided to cut my hair, not the length. I just wanted to have bangs, and wanted more layers. I have posted a picture. I do like the cut....I just hate that I am so stinking old!!!!!

My job VS Larry's Job!

As far as Christmas decorations go, my job is to decorate the inside and Larry's job is to do the outside. Below is a little sample of the inside decorations...this usually takes me at least two days, quite a big undertaking. Also I have posted a picture of the outside (Larry's job), Now I know the man has a full time job, managing his business and building Supershears but is this any excuse for the missing Christmas lights etc?? I think not! Next year will be different!

The inside..looks nice!

 

larry's job...hmmmm.