Kidney Stones Make Everyone Crazy!

July 12, 2011

For the past two weeks we have been dealing with Guy having a big kidney stone.  The doctors could see it on the xrays and scans, and Guy certainly felt the pain!  He suffered through the holiday weekend, but we did have an ER visit, and they decided to keep him.....doesn't make for a very fun Friday night date....I'm just saying!  Side note:  Cymbre and I took Cooper to San Antonio for EFY early on Monday morning, and then on Tuesday Guy and I were back at the hospital for Lithotripsy to try to break this stone up.  OK....but the Dr. came and told me everything went ok, but that they only reshaped the stone as it would not totally break up.  STUBBORN STONE!!!  He told me it would be another 15-20 minutes and the nurses would call to let me know he was awake and ready to go.  So, I sat outside in the waiting room for another 2 HOURS, and I was getting worried that maybe he didn't wake up afterall.....I mean no one came to tell me anything.  Thank goodness Cymbre was staying with dear friends who just scooped her up and loved her for the day!  Just as I was finally deciding that I better go find something to eat as the old insulin was kicking in, and I would pass out if I didn't eat, they paged me to bring the car around.  So I go get the car, and the nurse meets me at the door asking for his underwear.....ok....well, you guys took his personal belongings bag before you told him to take it off, so he had no choice but to put it in my purse....which I could have told you if someone had come out to talk to me......I'm just saying.....  So I give her the underware, and come to find out they were holding him in recovery until he could drain his bladder....ok, so why couldn't I know that?  If I had known he was awake and just drinking, I would have left to go eat before I was about ready to pass out and my heart was pounding from low blood sugar.  So they loaded him in the car, and we came home, and the first thing after getting him in the house and laid down was to EAT!  Then I went to the pharmacy to get his medicine, which was supposed to take 15 mintues, and an hour and a half later.....give me a break!....I left the store.  And Guy isn't supposed to be home alone....OK, yeah!  So I go home and we get Guy propped up the way he is supposed to be so the little bits of stones don't lodge in the crevices of his kidney, and I try to rest....NOT A CHANCE!  So I call them and go get Cymbre, and stay to visit for just a bit.....yes, I figured Guy was propped up and drugged...he wasn't going anywhere!  Guess I'm not a very good nurse....but I did check for bruising, and made sure he did everything he was supposed to do.  And now that he seems to be over this episode....I have decided that kidney stones are not just a real pain for the patient, but because they are so unpredictible, they are a real pain for everyone in the family who constantly have revise plans or activities to deal with the stone!  So, yes, kidney stones....you are not welcome in our house
ANYMORE!!!!  Or maybe I should say...you are not welcome in Guy's kidney anymore!  We aren't kidding...

Cooper absolutely LOVED EFY....she comes home with fun stories of all their activities, and I guess her jazz solo was well received yet again.....she was one of 20 acts that made it in the variety show.  We knew she would....and some kid told her that you have to have "God given" talent to make it on the stage at EFY.....guess he figured out what the rest of us already knew.  It is such a good spiritual experience for the youth, and we are hoping that both these girls can get a spot next year.

Cymbre is just a few chapters away from finishing the Book of Mormon, and then she will have earned her YW award during her first year as a Beehive.  A major accomplishment....she has worked and worked to get it.  She told the Bishop to hang onto one of the old style medallions for her since she likes it better than the new one.  Something about they don't like the way the stone in the new one blocks the temple....ok....

Cooper and I are going to Tap Kids the end of this week, and Cymbre will be going to love those grandbabies....what's wrong with this picture?  Shouldn't Grandma be going where the grandbabies are?  I mean, I don't tap dance as I have dumb left foot!

Cooper managed to catch the Stake President without his coin that he told her to carry with her all the time, so now he owes her a chocolate milk shake.  He gave her another coin, and so now she has two different ones.  These are coins he hands out to missionaries and others who need help.  It has Cooper's favorite scripture on it, and the deal is....when she sees him anywhere, he is supposed to be able to show her his coin and she has to be able to show him her coin, but if neither one has theirs, then they owe a chocolate malt to the other one.  And she was thrilled to catch him without his at the priest laurel fireside last Sunday.  You would think he would always have one on his person since he has given them to lots of people and particularly the youth.....they are supposed to remind the owners that they can do hard things.  And probably most of the people he deals with, or talks to, are really dealing with hard things.  We've had to have his help recently with some things we have had to be dealing with that are extremely hard, and he has been wonderful.

I have finished adding ruffles to the skirts we bought that were too short....how come every clothes shopping trip turns into a sewing project for Mom....why can't they just make the skirts long enough to cover the stuff they need to cover in the first place?  The girls are liking the ruffles, and have worn the skirts several times.  Cooper took hers to EFY and really looked cute in it.

Cymbre is in charge of the YM/YW activity this Wednesday...they are doing a game night.  She wanted to do a crazy road rally, but because of everyone being in and out of town, they decided to hold that activity until after school starts again.  Probably a wise decision.  So they are doing a game night and the kids will start at one game, and then after a bit will change to another game with another group of kids.  Kind of a get to know everyone activity, because when she makes them change, they will be in other groups,  and still have some fun.

It is time to start working on the solo costumes for next year....we already know basically what we need.  I just need to get on it.  Their first competition is in December.

Cooper is so excited to go to Tap Kids in Vermont the end of this week.  We are rooming with some dear dance friends, so we are planning on having a great time.  It will be a good experience for Cooper....Cymbre decided her knee probably wouldn't manage to dance for 10 hours a day for 10 days straight, or she would probably be going with us too.  Ten days of master tap classes, the chance to show off her solo, and participate in a show that the general public comes to see, and to dance on a cruise on the lake as entertainment for the passengers.  Cooper will be in heaven!  Let's just say!!  This will get her some more tap connections in the dance world.  One of the master teachers she already knows, and he loves both the girls.

Guy is having Cooper start to look for colleges to apply to that have the tap programs she may be interested in.  Then they are going to start writing letters for further information on their tap programs.  Then we will start getting all kinds of mail, and the neighbor already thinks we get tons of mail.  Because she is a junior this year....they have to start doing this stuff again.  Seems like we just did this with Shyla.

Well, I must go get busy.....have to clean up the kitchen sink, vacumn and dust the family room, keep the laundry going and folded, renew some magazine subscriptions for Britni's nursing magazines, and start packing to get Cymbre and us out the door.

Guess we will skip family week around here next week as we will all be in different locations.  So if you have someone with you in your family who isn't usually there, make sure to give them lots of hugs from mom and dad and you.

Get out there and make someone's day.

Love you.

Mom

Cleaning Out!

June 24, 20011

The girls and I spent the morning today cleaning out the pantry.  We even did the home storage buckets that live at the bottom of the pantry.  Most of them were empty, and the stuff to fill them up was just sitting in the pantry taking up space.  So, today was the day.  Besides it was a good day to get even with the trash man who neglected to walk up the driveway and collect our trash on Tuesday!  Today when he came, I met him with a bag of trash, and told him that I cleaned out the pantry on purpose just to make his life miserable for not coming to collect our trash earlier in the week.  I told him that we pay for backgate service, and that means they need to walk to the back gate to make sure they get the trash even if the neighbors don't have any trash out.  It just so happens that the neighbors are out of town.....I told him the trash is always out and ready for them, and that we put it where their company has told us to put it.  So as I see it, there wasn't a good excuse for them not collecting it on Tuesday.  The man agreed with me, and said that they wouldn't forget it again.....yeah right!  So today he needed help getting all the trash down the driveway to the truck, and I just let him flounder until the other guy came to help him asking why it was taking so long....and then he had to explain that they hadn't gotten the trash on Tuesday, and I had made a big pile....and I felt good!  I know....not very christian of me.....but very human of me!  I think they should have sent a truck on Tuesday evening when we called to say they hadn't picked it up.

And we have finished organizing the DVD's.  What a job!  Now they are all in these neat little files, alphabetically on the bookshelves in the family room.  And the best part is, I can find what I am looking for, and there aren't piles of movies falling on me!

I have cleaned out all the cabinets and just have one more drawer in the family room.....all the little games we haven't been playing are now in the possession of Goodwill, and the cassette tapes we haven't listened to are in the tape graveyard somewhere over the rainbow.....and all those hugh dust bunnies are history!

Tonight I have to work on my Sunday School lesson.....I need to do something fun regarding the sacrament and the last supper.  Last week was the parable of the talents, and I took them chocolate coins as rewards for multiplying their pirate coins!  It was a hit.....I'm just saying!  Maybe something with unleavened bread........a thought at least.

The girls have been great helpers this week in getting the laundry room all cleaned out, and today the pantry.  So tonight, they are having some friends over to play some games and just hang out.  I think I will work on my lesson and then some ironing in the bedroom.  Or I could sew.....or crochet.

Summer dance has started, so that takes the girls to the studio each evening Monday through Thursday.  Cooper is going downtown one night a week for some harder classes.....so that means that I take Cymbre on Thursday.  Last night while she was dancing, I went to the material store.  I have to start looking at things for costumes next year, and I was hunting for a way to make a halter style tuxedo shirt for one costume for Cooper.  She is dancing to a Michael Buble song, so they want a tux look with long gloves.  OK...........well, we'll see what happens.  Cymbre's solo is pink and purple, with just some feathers in her hair, and gloves too, but short ones, and purple.....where to find purple gloves???  We are just remodeling a prom dress for Cymbre's....but still some sewing to be done.

Cymbre and I saw the life flight helicopter take off from the middle of the highway last night.  We were in the parking lot on the service road trying to attempt to get to the dance studio.  We watched them run down the highway with the patient, load him in the helicopter, and then take off.  It's really quite impressive.....however, we were grateful that we weren't the ones having to take that ride.  That's a really expensive ambulance!  Traffic was a horrendous mess, and yes, we were late to the studio.  Had a good story to tell though!  But we didn't take a picture!

I got out some yarn, and am thinking it's time to start to try to crochet again.....however, I am still having some very bad pains in the left hand, so we'll see how it goes.  I mean, my grandma box is pretty empty at the moment.

I think we finally have all the stuff Cooper needed for EFY, and Tap Kids....what a job!  Special outfits, drum sticks, hats, extra shoes....we ordered some stuff online, so that should be coming soon.

Bought Cymbre some new dance shoes...is it really that time again already?

Yesterday I was doing some cleaning in our bedroom, and there was a cockroach just sitting on the shelves by the books.  How rude!  Who ever heard of an educated cockroach.....and it was one of those really big ones.  They are just coming in because it is so dry outside, and so hot.  Everyone sprays, but they are coming in anyway this year......and we had a snake in the garage.....that thing slithered right by my foot, and just went in the garage....I called Dad and told him he was in charge of snake removal!  You know, deep down, I really hate big bugs and snakes!  And I don't think to kindly of the lizrards that like to help themselves to my house either!  I would rather have a whole housefull of messy kids than one lizard!  And thank goodness, the garage is NOT attached to the house....can you just imagine a snake in the house?  Can you say MOM would FLIP OUT???

Cooper and most of the rest of the youth in the ward are all going to the San Antonio session of EFY again this year....Guy will drive her over and then go back later in the week to get her.  She absolutely LOVES EFY!  It's a good experience for them.  They leave on July 4th.....Happy 4th of July Day!!!

The new washer seems to be working out pretty well...the only problem is that you have to practically climb in the thing to get the clothes out, and for this semi-middle aged person that is a challenge sometimes!  I should be used to it because we have a really deep dryer too.

The downstairs of the house is looking really good lately....everthing has been gone through, gotten rid of, and cleaned up.  Just a few more cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, and the piano music,  and then we can move upstairs.  That won't take as long, as there isn't as much stuff to go through up there.  The scrapbook room is basically just in need of straightening, and cleaning out the closet, and the girls and Dad just did the dance studio, and the girls have been working on their rooms consistently.  So that just leaves Shyla's old room, and we've already done some of that.  It will be good to finally have everything we aren't using gone!  And, we are loving the new carpet...now if we could just get a robot who loved to dust, things would be peachy around here!

Well, must close this for tonight....the troops are just about to descend on us.  And I must finish my lesson....although I still need a good activity idea......

Get out there and help someone....smile at a stranger....tell someone they look really good today.  Tell some mom how cute her baby is....just make someone's day!

Love you all bunches.

Mom

I'm Still Alive!

June 14, 2011

The girls are both up at girl's camp for the week, Dad is working everyday, so that leaves me to my own devices all day everyday.....not sure I like not having anyone to talk to me all day, day in and day out!  It gets a bit quiet around here, except for the dryer hum, and the washer spinning, and the vacumn running!  Then there's the ceiling fans, and the air conditioner, but have you ever tried to talk to a ceiling fan?  They don't even cooperate when you try to dust them, so why would they want to carry on an intelligent conversation with a person?

Dad is driving Cooper's mini to work....it gets better gas mileage than the van....I must admit, he does look a bit funny scrunched up in that little tiny car!  Better him than me....I'm just saying!

I am finally beginning to feel better....ever since I came home from Tulsa two weekends ago, I have had a stomach ache....spent several days in bed not eating ANYTHING, but have progressed to eating like a bird again.  This isn't a good situation for someone who takes insulin and has to eat on a schedule.....what an ordeal!

And because of the busyness of the weekend in Tulsa, I didn't even get to call my friend....she probably hates me now.....I hope not!

Cooper spent a great deal of last week in bed with a fever of 102...the doctor couldn't find flu or strep, no sore throat, no ear issues....just fever, chills, headache, and not wanting to move.  So, we let her sleep, while the rest of us tried to carry on and get all her YCL things ready for camp.  We made 19 super hero capes, a devotional with handouts, bed nametags, and lesson on Queen Esther, 2 sets of pillow treats in addition to trying to survive getting two girls ready for camp.....and a Mom not feeling well.  We managed, but there were times I thought it would be just easier to lay down and die!

Summer is already starting the usual "busyness", and some days I just wish we could stay in our jammies all day long....never leave the house, and waste time all day.  Not likely to happen around here with everything that is going on.  Cooper is getting ready to go to Tap Kids back east for two weeks....mom has to tag along.  Cymbre is going to Utah to visit Caleb and Shyla and the babies for the same two weeks....Cooper has EFY in San Antonio beginning the 4th of July, and then Cooper will take her turn to go see the babies in August.  Cymbre would be going to EFY too except that she isn't old enough....so she will stay home with mom and dad....heaven help her!  Both girls have a tap intensive the end of July here at our studio....a master teacher from California we know is coming to teach....should be fun for the girls.

I have managed to finish putting the coat closet back together today....cleaned it out before all this camp stuff started, but TODAY finally got everything back inside instead of camping out in the baby cradle.  Got rid of a hugh basket of mittens, umbrellas, raincoats that were too little, etc.....yet another trip to Goodwill.

We have discovered that Cooper has an extra bone in her foot right by her arch....not usually a big problem, but for a dancer it creates big problems when it decides to hurt.....we were told she would need surgery, but thank goodness we got a second opinion....and now she is doing some exercises to stretch the tendon right there, and she shouldn't have further problems as long as she keeps doing these exercises...I think she feel the movitation.....I'm just saying!@

Cymbre is almost all back in her braces again....hopefully, when we finish this round, she will have a beautiful smile....and expensive, beautiful smile!

Both the girls are busy serving in their class presidencies....I have decided that having Cymbre being the beehive president means mom does a LOT of work.....Cooper is a counselor, so her's isn't quite so much.  However, we have pulled of some tremendous activities, and the girls are both learning some great leadership skills.  Cymbre even managed to get two inactive girls and their moms out to the mother's day activity she planned.  Not bad for her first activity, I'd say.

Well, I am going to go fire up the jacuzzi....and read my book....I have one of those that you can't put down again...so I just keep it by the tub.  I really should read my scriptures for my lesson, but I think I will read the book instead.

Everyone give those grandbabies big hugs and kisses from Grandpa and Grandma, and the Aunties.....skype soon.

Love you.

Mom

Can We Possibly Get A BREAK??

May 29, 2011

This week has been a very busy week with school winding down, Cooper getting a dance injury AGAIN, trips to the doctors, and a very quick trip to the Wimberley, TX area for a family high school graduation party, and Cymbre lost part of her wire on her bottom braces......will we every have a "normal" day....ever????

I am beginning to believe the quote I saw recently that said:  Around here, normal is just a setting on the washing machine!  And on my machine, it doesn't always spin right!  Just par for the course around here I guess!

Now begins the "How to keep the girls entertained for summer dilemma....I mean there's only so much shopping we can do before it gets REALLY boring....and we have to clean out the girls bedrooms like we do every summer......and there are trips planned.....and we have to clean out the dance room like we do every summer, and there are parties to have......and we have to clean out the pantry like we do every summer......and lunches to go to with friends.....and mom wants to clean out the laundry room.....and we need to hang out with friends......and there is still some stuff in the garage to clean out.....and we always have to find time to skype the grandbabies!

My sewing machine is in need of a trip to the sewing machine hospital.....it's slowly dying, and I am not sure that they will be able to fix the thing.....but I think one last ditch effort may be worth it before I sell the thing to them for scrap parts......not that any of the parts are worth using on somebody else's machine!  So, I will probably have to get a brand new machine!   UGH!!!!  Some people have said to try ebay and other such sites, but why would I want to buy someone else's used machine that I can't get parts for?   We'll just have to pay for the new one, and then I will have to go to the classes to make sure I can make it do everything, and then I will still try to make it do some things it's probably not supposed to do, but will do it anyway1  That's how it was with the one I have now.  At any rate, something will probably have to be done before much sewing gets done on costumes this year.

We have to get things ready for the girls to go to girl's camp with the church this week, they go on the 13th....till the 17th.  Guy is driving up and staying the day, but will come home when the evening shift of men get there.  Then we will hae 4 days of no kids......don't know what we will do to occupy ourselves.

My hands are no longer numb, but still are regaining the strength back from having carpal tunnel surgery.  I am so thankful for that doctor.....no more numbness just because I use my hands to do normal mom things!  The strength will return, it just takes time, and I have NO patience with waiting!  Seems to me if they don't hurt they should be able to do everything again.  That's my theory!

Next weekend I will be in Oklahoma with Britni....she is getting inducted into an honor society, so I am going up to the ceremony and to spend a day with her.  It will be fun to be just her and me for a bit.  I plan on eating Taco Bueno!  Yes, I do!

Well, I thinks it's bathtime, so guess I will close for tonight.

Spend some time tomorrow remembering those who fight for our freedoms, and those that have paid a high price for it also.

And, get out there and do something for someone....it will make you feel good.

Love you.

Mom



Honesty Pays Off!

May 20, 2011

Yesterday I was on a website called Hatch Patch that does family home evening lessons, and found a lesson about Thomas S. Monson which I paid for and downloaded. 

Cymbre is putting together another Beehive activity, and decided that she would like to use the lesson that I downloaded and have each girls (there are 12) make the lesson and game and be able to share it with their families....goes under the knowledge value.

So we went online to check out the rules, and discovered that with the purchase I could only download the lesson 3 times....not near enough for the Beehive class.

So after some discussion as to whether we should just print it the rest of the 12 times, and not feeling that would be the honest thing to do, I contacted the lady who puts the lesson packets together.  I explained what Cymbre wanted to do with her class, and ask if there was some arrangement we could make to be able to do this cheaply..each lesson download is $3.50 so paying full price was not an option in the YW budget.

So we got the answer that she would allow us to print the number of copies we needed for just $1.25 per lesson if I would call her and give her the credit card number.  She would clear the download to do the amount of copies that Cymbre needed.

So today, I called her, and paid for the lessons, and when she sent us the email receipt, she also sent a promo code for me to use at her website for 25% anything I download, as many times as I want to use it.

So now, I don't even have to turn in the receipt to the Y"W budget because I can download more lessons and make them for us or for the grandbabies, get the discount, and get the money back that way.

And in addition, I have a real lesson in honesty that we can talk about tonight at dinner.....

I guess that $14 was really well spent today!

We Survived Wednesday!

May 12, 2011

We have survived a very busy Wednesday, and both of the girls YW activities were a hugh success!

Cymbre had her mother-daughter celebration here at the house last night....blue and white color scheme, served warm browines with ice cream and toppings.  Then she had a guest speaker talk about motherhood and daughters....the speaker used a conference talk, and then added some other activities.  Then each beehive presented her mom with a rose telling her several reasons why she loves her mom.  That made for not to many dry eyes left in the room.  Then she gave out a little mother-daughter poem she found online, and presented the speaker with an apron she decorated with bees and paint to finish out the evening.  A hugh success in that they managed to get two inactive girls and their mothers out!  Cymbre and Sister Arzac were thrilled with that more than anything.  And those girls and their moms seemed to have a really great time. The Spirit was strong, and mother-daughter bonds were strengthened.  AND, Cymbre gets to count this activity as one of her value projects.

One down.....

Cooper got called late Tuesday afternoon from her laurel class president.  It seems that she couldn't come up with a good activity for their class on Wednesday.....she was crying....she had a major test to study for at school....did Cooper have any ideas as to what they could do.  Cooper to the rescue!  We put together 13 hotpad car emergency kits, got most of the stuff to stuff them from the dollar store, and then I spent several hours finishing tablecloths for Cymbre, and making the car kits for Cooper on Tuesday night until 1am.  It would not have taken so long, but my sewing machine has decided that it only likes to go half speed.....not a very satisfying experience for one busy mom making things that were needed in the morning at 1am at night!

Cooper took her stuff and the laurels had a delightful time sewing on the buttons and stuffing the kits.  They made all of the kits, and will take them to the girls who weren't there on Sunday.

Two down.....

Having both the girls in their class presidencies seems to be keeping this mom pretty busy!

It looks like Dad will have to take the sewing machine back into the repair shop next week when he gets home from Alaska....there is no way I can get it out of the cabinet, load it in the car, and get it into the store....the thing weighs about 80 pounds, and my hands just don't have that kind of power at the moment.  Poor machine....I think I have just worn the thing out.....wish I could figure out how many miles of thread it has sewn over the past 20 years.   Well, maybe I really don't want to know......  They no longer make my sewing machine, and so they can't get new parts....so if the motor is dying.....a slow and painful death....it will be time to buy a new machine!  That's traumatic for me because I LOVE this machine.....a Bernina 930.  Now all the machines are computer based, and I just don't like them but may have to bite the bullet and get one anyway.  This developement is like loosing a valued friend who was constantly there to help.....like being one handed forever....like having no electricity during a hurricane....a truly miserable experience in Houston during the hot humid summer!

So today, is put the house back together after the party, and pack the costumes for recital pictures this afternoon.....and rest my hands.

We have just one more day and Guy will return from Alaska....thank goodness.  A neighbor says that one of our sprinklers is shooting up a geyser when we water, and I am not even going to attempt to try to fix it....so I just turned off the sprinkler system.

Cymbre and I have organized all the DVDs into file drawers, and that really cleaned up a bunch of clutter in the family room....now just to finish the last few when I can get another file box, and then on to the CDs we have.  As you can tell, I am still on a clean out everything binge.

My hands are doing ok some days, and really sore others, but I just keep trying to get things done and rely on tylenol or aleve the rest of the time....still have some vicodin left for really bad days.

I have been released from the hand surgeon...he says I have no more wrists to slit and that I have full mobility and range of motion, so he is done unless I develope a problem.....let's go for no problems1

Cymbre found out that she is loosing her beloved school counselor at the end of this year.  She is retiring, and Cymbre is not a happy camper.  Hopefully, they will get someone else good in there.  Cymbre just has one more year at the school.

The girls and I have finally got the 72 hour kit rotated and put away again....a good thing to do just before hurricane season hits again.  We even went to the RS activity to make food kits....had to take the girls because my hands wouldn't carry the kits....but it made the stuffing process go really quickly.  So, yes we have out 72 hour kit, and now I just have to build up the water storage a bit....and then we wait to see if there will be a need to use it this year.  Let's hope not!

We have replaced the air conditioning system in the house....what a mess for the day after surgery.  It made for a very hot resting place while they worked.....by 7:30 at night I was just like....OK, already......turn the thing back on!!!  Mostly, I slept thru everything until the bedroom starting getting so hot when the sun was on that side of the house.  However, now the house is staying nice and cool, but they still have to come and adjust a few little things to balance the temperature a bit better back in the kitchen....and I have to tell them they can't totally shut vents because I am NOT going to listen to them hiss all day!

Well, must get these costumes ready for pictures.....

Have a great day....and get out there and meet someone new and do something for that person.

Love you bunches....

Mom

Sheer Boredom!

May 1, 2011

So, I decided that since there isn't much I can do with my hand yet because they just fixed it last Tuesday that I would try to do some typing for a little while.  We'll see how long it lasts.......

My sewing room finally got put back together just before I had this last surgery....so now we just need the hand to heal, and then Grandma is GOING TO SEW!!!!  Not sure what I will make first, but it will be something other than the pile of mending in there in that bottomless basket.

The carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist was a lot more painful than the right wrist....maybe it's because I was just already tired. Dad had to call for a pain medication adjustment, and when the surgeon added an Aleve with my vicodin things began to feel better.  He said I could take 2 vicodin, but 1 knocks me out for hours, so I didn't want to try 2.  These past 8-9 weeks of dealing with the right hand and elbow have been a REAL TRIAL of my patience.  I get so tired of starting to do something, and then in a little while I have to leave it and do something else because something starts hurting.  So I have all these little piles of unfinished projects and stuff and papers that are just sitting around waiting to be finished.  And now, I have added the other arm....although without the elbow issues, to the mix.  So who knows how long it will be before I actually have a full productive day again.  The hand surgeon says it will take a good 2-3 more months on the right arm, so the left will probably be sometime after that by a couple of months.  Maybe by the time school starts again, I will be busy all day.  At least the numbness is FINALLY mostly gone, and my hands feel so much better.

Had to go get a crown glued back on my back tooth after the surgery on Tuesday afternoon....it came off while I was eating lunch, and the dentist says it must have been knocked loose during the surgery.  It was definitely not what I needed to be doing when I was still groggy from the surgery.  However, everything seems to be fine now.

I must say doing things mostly one handed, and that hand only having a little power is TOTALLY FRUSTRATING!  Just changing the laundry is a 5 minute job....no washing dishes in the sink until the incision is healed, no bathes....which is killing me....just killing me!  Getting dressed is possible by myself, but it is painful, and not something I want to do repeatedly, so I stay in my nighty until I absolutely have to get in some clothes.  So this week when I take Cymbre to school, there is a real possibility that I will still have my nighty on....a good thing in case there is a need to go to the hospital I guess.....however, more for my own comfort....and since I don't get out of the car, and my nighty looks like a housedress.....people will just have to live.  Unscrewing the medicine bottles so I can keep myself alive is proving to be not an easy task....Dad has taken to making little cups of medicine for me each night....one with what I take in the morning, and one with the vitamins for the day....and he even remembered the vit D on Saturday.  Then he does it all again at night after he helps with my shower.  I can wash the left side of me, but the right side is a challenge with the left hand....I'll get it by the end of the week hopefully.

The van is in the shop so Dad will have to drive Cooper's mini until it gets home again....it lost all the water, so it had to go get fixed.  Dad thinks they will have it back in the next day or two.  There is no way I could drive the mini...well, I could, but it would have to stay in first gear....and that probably wouldn't be so good for it.

Cymbre hurt her back in dance this past week, so I am waiting to see if we need a doctor to look at her....

Dad got all Shyla's stuff out of the attic and we went through it all, so now he is going to send her some boxes and he will have more room in the attic.....there is still some stuff up in her room that belongs to her....

Cymbre is getting her braces back on the bottom teeth tomorrow....then she will FINALLY be on the road to finishing this long and drawn out expensive project.  The last thing will be bonding her two little front teeth to make them the size they are supposed to be, and they will do it when the braces are coming off.

The girls both finished all the TAKS testing stuff they have to do last week, so now the rest of the year they basically don't learn anything.....and my tax dollars are still paying these teachers?  What the heck??

I watched some of the royal wedding this past week, and it was a nice ceremony, however, it was totally lacking the proper authority.  It felt so different from a temple wedding to me.  The dress was lovely, the groom was handsome in his uniform, but the feeling just wasn't there....I guess the proper authority makes a major difference.  Cooper decided some things for her wedding....and then I reminded her that they don't need those things in the temple....she was relieved.  Although I think Caleb is still going to be stuck with reciting some scriptures....so I think he may need to start memorizing now.  I'll still take a temple wedding over the pomp and ceremony and the chance to be queen here on earth....seems to me the eternal blessings are so much more valuable than the earthly finery.  I got my prince, and he isn't leaving me behind at the grave!

My plans this week are to clean off the dining room table, which means I have to mail things to Shyla and Britni, get Easter stuff put away, dust everywhere again, and maybe work on the girl's dance resumes so we can get rid of some more stuff.

Dad sent the girls with another carload of stuff to Goodwill yesterday from the garage....we are determined to get rid of everything we aren't using....or if it belongs to the kids to organize it better so one day it can go live at their house.  At this point, Shyla's elephants, scrapbooks, games, and a few other things she wanted are all boxed and ready to ship.  Dad just needs the van back so he can take everything up there at once....good luck when it gets to your end Shyla!  I still need to get all her violin music books out to add the the boxes.

I have just about got all the food rotated in our 72 hours emergency kit....I hate that job.....seems like I just do it and it needs it again.  Have to rotate the clothes again too...those girls just seem to keep growing!  I was telling Dad, there is probably more than 3 days worth of food in ours, but at least we would have something to share if the need arises.  I still have to buy some more water as hurricane season is fast approaching again, but someone has to go with me to carry it right now.

Well, I probably should stop typing and let this dumb arm rest for a bit....guess I'll go see what Dad's doing.....Cooper is sleeping, and Cymbre is out with the Beehive leader visiting some less active girls.

Ya'll get out there and help someone....you never know who's had surgery and needs someone to carry something for them.....

Love you all.....Grandma needs to skype Jack and Lucy!

Mom