Our Toledo Christmas

Jon and I really enjoyed our first Christmas just the two of us. We did miss family, but it was nice not to worry about traveling and being able to start our own traditions. On Christmas Eve, we cooked a small ham. We ate it with mashed potatoes, carrots, pickles, and some sparkling white grape juice. It was the perfect size meal for the two of us.


We watched a Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert on television. It was the first time I had seen them do a concert. It was really interesting. Then we read the Christmas story from the Bible and Book of Mormon. It was the first time I can remember reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve. It is something I would like to do every year. Then we watched the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert from last year. We were a little sad that they cut out some of our favorite songs in order to make it shorter for the TV spot.


We woke up on Christmas morning at about nine or ten. We loved the pajama's from my parents and the gift cards from Jon's parents. Santa brought me five new books, the third season of Gilmore Girls, and a puzzle of Cinderella's Castle. Jon got Legos and two movies (Anne of Green Gables and the Sequel). I made Jon a blanket out of old shirts and pants. He seems to really like it. We were also very happy to see that my brother and his family got us the DVD for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert from last year. Now we can watch the whole thing! Thanks Doug, Deana, Raven, and Scarlet!


We went over to our friends, the Zeimer's, for lunch and a few games. It was a good holiday!

3 Days After Christmas!

For those just now coming to my blog. I got a bunch of Calvin and Hobbs from a friend. I wanted to share them with everyone to maybe brighten their days. However this was the last one. Sad! I hope it has giving y'all a reason to smile each day. I know it has for me.

2 Days After Christmas!

1 Day After Christmas!

It's Christmas!

And Finally...

For my last post of today, last night Jon and I enjoyed starting a new Christmas tradition. We did our Raclette dinner. Since it is more fun to share it then to just eat it just the two of us, we invited the Slaters and the Osborns to share with us. They are two families in our ward and apartment complex, which are also staying in Toledo for Christmas. Little Jack didn't seem like he wanted cheese, but I hope everyone else enjoyed the cultural experience. I love sharing it with new people. It seemed to be a hit. (Pictures to come.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A New Marathon

Jon decided to start a new marathon on Saturday morning. He started the Star Trek Movies. We have all of them. There are ten. It had been a really long time since I had seen the first movie. Oh my, the acting! And all the dramatic music! No wonder I haven't watched it in a long, long time. Jon is currently watching the second Star Trek.

We also enjoyed watching college football again on Saturday. There were some good bowl games on TV. How many caught the BYU game? Talk about close! I still can't believe they won! All I can say is, "Alma 18:27." How many ran to there scriptures when they saw this on national TV? By the way did any one catch the Boise St. vs. East Carolina on Sunday night? The end of the game looked a lot like the end of BYU game, except East Carolina made the field goal. I guess there wasn't as many people praying for that field goal to be blocked as there was about 24 hours earlier.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!

Jon and I started a "Lord of the Rings" marathon Last Tuesday. We watched "Fellowship of the Ring" on Tuesday, "Two Towers" on Thursday, and "Return of the King" on Friday. It has become one of our tradition to watch these three movies over Christmas break. Two of the movies were dates from our pre-marriage years. Jon loves to tell the stories about those dates, so you should ask him about them.

It's Christmas Eve!

So I realized that I have been slacking a little with my posting. Things have been weird crazy this last week. I do have to say that I am a big fan of Christmas Break for Jon. It has been wonderful to not set the alarm. I have enjoyed sleeping in.

Last Wednesday, Jon and I enjoyed a 24 season 6 marathon with our friends, the Ziemers. We started at 9:00 a.m. It was a day of good food, good friends, and good activities. When Jon and I left at around 11:00 p.m., there were still five episodes, but the big conflict of the 19 earlier episodes had been resolved. Jon and I cross-stitched through most of the day. We are not too interested in 24, but it was fun.

After some prayer and discussion, Jon and I also decided to cancel the procedure I was going to have. There were too many possible problems for an elective procedure. In another week or so if my kidney stone still hasn't come out we may go ahead with it. I'm doing okay. Yesterday was a little rough, but with my pain killers it is manageable.

1 Day Until Christmas!

2 Days Until Christmas!

3 Days Until Christmas!

4 Days Until Christmas!

5 Days Until Christmas!

Looking For the Funny Things In Life

When Jon and I were at the doctor's on Monday, we saw this little girl with a pink purse. The receptionist asked her what was in her purse. She said kind of shyly, "Legos." Everyone in the waiting room chuckled a little and Jon and I decided she was a girl after our own heart. The receptionist continued to ask her what color they are and what she built with them. Then she said something that I have to agree with. The receptionist said that she wishes her purse was full of Legos. I do wish my purse was full of Legos too.

Another funny thing happened on Tuesday. Jon was trying to pull on to Highway 23, but there was a car that did not want to let him in. If he sped up, the other car would, too, and vise versa. Finally Jon got right in front of the other car. Then, the little bit of snow that was still on our car went flying off towards this car that didn't want to let us merge onto the highway. It was as if Snowball (our car) was saying, "I'll show you for not letting me on." We had just watched "Transformers" also, so it was fun to think of our car being alive.

6 Days Until Christmas!

7 Days Until Christmas!

Fun At The Doctor's?

How many are sick of seeing kidneys on my blog? Well, I sure am, but that's what is going on in my life right now. This picture actually shows where my stone is and how far it has traveled.


Today, I had an appointment with a urologist about my kidney stones. Dr. Selman was surprised that I had never had a metabolic workup on my kidney stones before. So that is what they are going to do. First, this stone has to come out so what it is made of can be figured out. If it doesn't pass by Thursday at 1:00 p.m., I will be going in for surgery (that is what the information I received calls it, but Jon is referring to it as a procedure). The doctor will go up and blast it or just grab it and extract it. Then a shunt will be put in and will remain there for a day. Normally you are put under with general anesthetic, but because of my allergy, I will get a spinal tap. The doctor was very hesitant about doing this because of my allergies, but this stone has got to come out or I will go crazy. I am still hoping the stone will come out before Thursday, and if you are a praying person, please pray that it will come out before Thursday.


After the stone comes out, I will get to go in again and discus where we go from there.

8 Days Until Christmas!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

This morning, we woke up to a blizzard. Boy, I wish I had a digital camera to show what it looks like out side. It was so amazing! I checked my email and found out church was cancelled, so Jon and I went back to bed. When we got up again it was worse than before. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And I love it!!!!!!


The picture at the left was a live shot of one of the interstates here at 10:50 a.m. Sunday morning.


Today is day eight in the epic stone passing. It still has not passed, but only causes occasional stabbing pain instead on constant stabbing pain. I think it is just letting me know it is still there. I guess if it doesn't pass by my appointment tomorrow, they will probably blast it, but who knows. I will be so glad when I don't have to go to the bathroom through a filter any more. It is worse than having the stone.


Last night, Jon ans I went to the Lights at the Toledo Zoo. It was really fun. I was kind of hoping all the walking around would giggle that stone out, but no luck. Everyone kept telling us that the lights at the zoo are not as good as the lights at Temple Square, but I disagree. There are a few difference and I can see some reasons Temple Square would be better, but I like the zoo better. First of all, there is more area at the zoo, so we didn't feel like we were cattle being herded through Temple Square. There were a lot of people there, but they were more spread out then is possible at Temple Square. Temple Square has a more religious theme, which is great, but I really like the idea of being at the zoo, seeing the animals and seeing Christmas lights. Jon and I have now decided that we will get a year pass to the zoo, and we are looking forward to seeing it at other times of the year when more of the animals are out. It was awesome!

9 Days Until Christmas!

Today, I thought I would post two comics. One Calvin and Hobbs and one that I got from my mom. Enjoy!

10 Days until Christmas.

11 Days until Christmas!

I just received a bunch of these comics from a friend and thought I would share a few, but thought I would just share one a day for a while. Make it fun, and give everyone something to laugh about every day.

I Stand Corrected

After four hours in the ER last night, I found out I wasn't passing multiple kidney stones, but one large stone that was having troubles passing. I started having pain again for the fourth day in a row. I was so sick of the pain and so with some reluctance (I hate going to the doctor), Jon took me to the emergency room.

The CT scan showed that this stone was half a centimeter (5 millimeters), which is 5 times bigger than when I went to the ER before. The scan also showed that my right kidney was twice the size of my left, and that the stone was about to past. Jon got to see his first CT scan, and was a little excited about that, but would have rather been studying for his big test that is on Friday.

I had a liter of fluids pushed in me so fast is made me puff up. My face looked like I had just gotten done at the dentist, but it was all over. They also gave me some pain medicine once they figured out something I wasn't allergic to.

Dr. Brickman, the head of the ER, was very helpful. I am going to a urologist sometime next week. I also get to go to the bathroom through a strainer to try and catch the stone when it finally comes out. Dr. Brickman was going to give me a drug called Flomax. You might have heard of it. There are quite a few commercials on TV for it. Flomax is a drug use for men who have prostate growing problems. Urologist proscribe it for women because it opens up the ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder) so the stone can pass more easily. However, upon further examination of the structure of the drug, it was found that I'm allergic to it. It has one sulfa group on it and I am allergic to sulfa drugs.

Now I wait for my kidney stone to pass. "I hate waiting."-Inigo Montoya

FYI: I have also updated my allergy list. Just the "Other" section has changed.

Ding! Round three.

I past a third kidney stone at 10:30 this morning. I can't describe the relief that comes when the stone finally passes. It is possible the best feeling in the world.


Last night, Jon and I went to dinner to celebrate and so I didn't have to cook. I just want to let everyone know that Applebee's is offering a free dessert shooter for filling out a survey. I don't know if it was just the one on Glendale near Walmart or if they are all doing it. They are pretty good! It was great to get free dessert!


When we were coming out of Applebee's, they was a police car right at the door. They were putting handcuffs on a guy and "patting him down." Then as we drove away, the officers were going through his wallet, while they guy with handcuffs shivered in the cold. It was interesting.