Does a Relaxing Holiday Season Exist?

I think not.

We just got finished with our church's annual Nativity Village.  And when I say finished, I mean that everything is out of the school and mostly put away with the exception of the car full of stuff in my driveway that I need to sort through and organize.  

To boot, I have sick kids.  Rusten has had a nasty sounding cough since yesterday, and I just discovered at lunch that Reed has a fever.  Now begins operation "Trytokeepsisterhealthy".  I, too, have a nasty sore throat and stuffy nose.  Oh well.  Tis' the season.

We have busy days and evenings this week, however, with the above-discovered information, I suppose much of that will change.  We don't need to go around infecting everyone!

To end this gripe-ish post, I'll share what Rusten just said.  I put a Veggie Tales Christmas movie on for the boys to watch before nap time.  Cheery Christmas music and dancing have Reed and I captured.  Then I hear Rusten "How can they pick up things when they don't even have hands?!"  I suppose he is outgrowing Veggie Tales....

PS: The endoscopy came out fine, no signs of an ulcer.  I have the MRI scheduled for Thursday morning.  This will check to see about a rogue gallstone.  We shall see....

Wanna Get a Word in Edgewise?

Yeah, me too.  Life is railroading me lately!  Just needed to touch base again here...

I met with the GI specialist and he has narrowed it down to two diagnoses.  He believes I either have an ulcer or a rogue gall stone remaining from my surgery last year come to haunt me as a result of The Pregnancy from you-know-where.  So tomorrow begins the tests to see which it is.  I have endoscopy scheduled in the morning, and I'm still waiting to schedule an MRI for the gall stone.  Unfortunately, with these tests, I can't nurse for 24 hours.  This week I've been pumping like a crazy trying to get enough milk in the freezer for Miss K to have while I can't nurse her.  I'm hoping she takes a bottle no problem, but I'm praying that she doesn't choose the bottle over breast once the 24 hours are up.  It's only 5 feedings, so I'm praying for grace! 

The Christmas season is running away--way too fast!  I wish it were a longer season.  I'm enjoying every moment of holiday music and Christmas giving and surprises.  

Rich almost has a vehicle now.  This is great news for the days when we need a car here on the home front.  I will say, though, it is nice to not have a vehicle and be forced to get things done around here.  He is having the engine rebuilt on his dad's 4Runner, and then we will have a car!

Well, it's time to feed the little one again!  Back to my routine of eat, drink, feed, pump, etc.  I'll be glad to see Friday........

It's Official...

 

I'm starting a savings account........in the washer.  What better place?!  That quarter has been in there for about a month, and I haven't been tempted to spend it at all!

The Whirlwind....Be Careful, Don't Get Sucked In

Ha!  I bet you thought I was done blogging again for awhile!  Nope, just been INSANELY busy over the last few days!  I'll give you the rundown in pictures:

Saturday we hung Christmas lights...

I LOVE his perfectionism in hanging lights....every light is perfect!

She wasn't that excited about it all...

They were really more playing in the dirt than hanging lights, but whatever.

I love her...

Then later that day we picked out our Christmas tree...

She's just always happy!

Everyone present and accounted for....onward.

Sunday, we brought the tree in.  Rich is SO proud.  He has an official Griswold tree.  As soon as we could see it was too tall for the space, he begged me to let him shove it in and have a Griswold tree.  So....

Yeah, Rich was taking pictures...

 

Rusten LOVES to have his picture taken and will pose like no other.

Sunday night, we decorated the tree...

Kensley really wasn't much help, but she was pretty!

 

Reed took a break to make his sister smile....so precious!

 

Sorry, Rich.  I couldn't resist.

So Monday rolled around and there's was still more to do.  I had to count all the postcards for the Nativity Village and get them ready to mail.  I also had to bake 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange that night...

6,439 for the record....

Then Tuesday we ran many, many errands.  So tired and ready to be home for the day!  Tonight we have dinner with some friends!  That will be so nice!!  I will leave you with this picture---I'm blessed!

PS--It turns out my liver looks fine and I have a Simple Kidney Cyst.  I did TONS more blood work last night and have an appointment with a specialist tomorrow.  Praise God my blood work is coming back a lot more normal than it was.  It seems the liver enzymes were probably a result of medication, and the cyst is a different problem entirely.  I will know more tomorrow.  Keep praying!

Messy, Messy, Messy *spoken like the magician on Frosty*

Making gingerbread cookie dough is MESSY! By the way, that's why I need a KitchenAid Mixer!! Using my Walmart half-price hand mixer in a shallow plastic bowl to mix molasses, water, butter and brown sugar is a recipe for disaster! I had it up on the walls!!

The women at our church are having a cookie and ornament exchange on Monday night, and I am getting ahead of the game by making two batches of dough this morning. If I have time later today, I'll start baking. If not, tomorrow it is. Rolling, cutting and baking is a big mess too. Then if you have Rich help you frost and decorate--Lord have mercy. Last time, I had poor gingerbread men with beautiful frosting and TORTILLA CHIP stuck on top. Yep, you read it right. He was shopping all over the kitchen for things top the beauties with because, apparently, the can of different Christmas sprinkles wasn't quite enough. Yeah....the stuff memories are made of.

I'm trying to talk Rich into getting the Christmas decorations down today and possibly getting the tree. It's overcast and cozy today--perfect holiday conditions for such activities!

Well, I have a pile of laundry and a pile of work giving me nasty glares, and it's time for Kensley's next feeding...

DON'T Think About a Red Elephant

Ever played that game? Yeah, that's how I feel right now. Still playing the waiting game. Everyone assures me everything is fine and I shouldn't even think about it, and they may well be right. But it's like telling someone not to think about a red elephant---it's all you'll be able to think about.

**Pause to go break up a fight**

Okay, so I guess there are a few things around me to take my mind off of this mess.

I have several holiday-ish things I want to do with the kids, I'm just not sure when. We have a gingerbread train to put together, a Christmas tree to buy, a countdown chain to make, decorations to put up, Christmas movies to watch, a stocking to make for Kensley.......I enjoy them all, so which comes first?!

Today is catch-up on work day. I haven't worked hardly all week and it's a miracle in itself that I can still see the screen to type this post! Little wonders. Kensley has already pooped through two outfits today (it's only 9:30AM), but she's doing much better than yesterday after her shots.

Today I praise God for my home and the ability to stay home and take care of it!

The Waiting Game

So now we wait. I had the ultrasound and blood tests this morning. I thank God for such a wonderful, friendly ultrasound technician today. She really made me feel at ease, no matter what she was seeing on that screen.

I feel achy all over my abdomen. I keep telling myself it's all in my head....but I'm pretty sure the discomfort is really there. God is faithful, though, and I have to keep my eyes on Him, not the flesh. Romans 8:6!

Anyway, Kensley had her 2 month appointment today. That meant shots. Oh, it makes me cry right with my kids. It was SO precious though. Before the doctor came in, she Kensley was talking away to me. I've never heard her coo so much. Then I stuck it to her, what a great mom! She did very well and everyone who saw her today commented on what a peaceful and happy baby she is. She's been a bit fussy since the appointment, poor baby!

I must give a big shout out to Grammie. She really saved the day today. She came over early this morning and stayed with the kids all morning long. It was such a blessing to be able to take care of everything and not have to worry about the boys.

Tonight is another busy night...not as bad as last night's Walmart at 10PM thing, but pretty busy nonetheless. The boys are going with Mimi to see the Christmas Parade. They are real excited about that. Kensley and I are going to Miss Dawn's house to get some things ready for Nativity Village. I have pumpkin bread in the oven to take to the potluck dessert tonight....mmmm! Rich will be home alone (lucky) studying for Sunday since he's speaking.

Praise God for my busy, happy, healthy family!

The Garment of Praise

On Sunday this week, I was taken to the ER with horrible abdominal pain. I could hardly breathe it hurt so badly. After a couple of hours there, they diagnosed me with Gastritis. They sent me home with some medicine and said to watch what I eat. I followed up with my doctor the next day.

She took me off the medicine they gave me because it wasn't as safe for nursing as she would like. While I was there, I asked her to thoroughly check me over--blood work and everything. I'm tired of medical surprises, such as this pain and my thyroid. She requested the records from the hospital and reviewed them. Everything looked great except for my liver enzymes were slightly elevated. She ordered some lab work just to verify.

Last night those results came in. Two of those enzymes were supposed to less than 31 or 33, and mine were well over 1200. Needless to say, I'm a bit concerned. Rich got home from his softball game and I lost it. I don't know how much more medical drama I can handle. I got a phone cal this morning just after 8AM from my doctor. They are ordering an ultrasound to look at my liver, they ordered some blood work to screen for Hepatitis, and I'm being refereed to a specialist. I am a nervous wreck. I have no idea what to expect.....a simple infection, a terminal disease, cancer??? I don't know.

As I was thinking about everything last night, I just felt a heaviness. It was a mixture of fear, depression and death. God reminded me of a song from years ago. Its lyrics are straight out of Isaiah 61. Specifically, I remembered the portion about how God will give us a "garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that we might be trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified". Rich and I spent some time last night praising God. It's time to start wearing that garment of praise.