Thinking About the New Year

I am looking down the road at 2009 and I know some of what it holds for me. More trips to the doctor for my bowel and more procedures. I decided it is time to go back to my doctor. Unfortunately for me, he is booked all of January. My appointment is for February 3rd, 2009. I will call in January if things get worse. I am having difficulty eliminating and it is not due to constipation. Something is restricted. I did not notice this problem when I saw the doctor on December 9th, 2008. In the weeks since the appointment, things have gotten worse. These symptoms are the same ones I experienced prior to my surgery in August 2007. Back then they found that my colon was folded, thus the problems with eliminating. Now I am back where I started minus the endometriosis. I decided that I am not going to ask God why. No more whys. It is all about trusting and loving Him. Am I willing to follow where He leads? Am I willing to sacrafice? Definitely, I will see the Lord do wonderful works in 2009.

O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! I shall again praise Him for His wondrous help; He will make me smile again, for He is my God! Psalm 43:5

Family Day Trip

It was a gorgeous day today so we decided to get out of the house and take a trip up to Oak Glen where the apple orchards are. Oak Glen is up in the mountains and there was snow on the ground. The boys had a great time throwing snowballs at each other and their Dad. We went to the ranch and took a hike up the nature trail. The above picture is a view from the trail. After our hike we went to the ranch cafe and had lunch. We ate pulled pork sandwiches, beans, potato salad and sipped on hot apple cider. For a snack we had mini hot donuts. Yum! We all had a fantastic time, it sure was nice to get out. Here is a picture with Mark and the boys.

Eric is nearly 6 ft. tall. Brandon is as tall as me now. Time seems to be going faster now that they are older.

On the health front, I am still having issues with my bowel. Keep getting touches of nausea and pressure in the bowel. Will need to go back and see my doctor. Pain-wise I did really well on our day trip. Last time we went to Oak Glen was in 2006 and we all remembered how much pain I was in back then. Thank God all the endometriosis is gone. It was wonderful to travel in the car without pain.

Brandon's Birthday

Here are some pictures from Brandon's birthday.
He is 14 years old now.

Happy Birthday Brandon!

Christmas Memories

This one of my favorite pictures. This is from Christmas 2000, when the boys were 6 and 7. They gave me their Christmas cards and a big hug.

Christmas 2002
Eric is 9 yrs. old and Brandon is 8 yrs. old.

Christmas 2005

Eric is 12 and Brandon is 11.

Christmas is Coming

Here is a daytime picture of our Christmas tree this year. My oldest son Eric put on a combo of white & red lights. He put the skirt down and set his Christmas train up underneath. We decorated the tree together. Grandma and Grandpa from Arizona visited with us this weekend. We all had a wonderful visit. Friday night I made a dinner of meatballs in mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, cranberry/walnut green salad and rolls. For dessert we had a blueberry triamisu. We ate dinner in the sunroom next to the Christmas tree. It was a wonderful evening. Saturday Mark took Eric over to the Discovery Science museum to participate in a Rubic's Cube competition, while Brandon spent special alone time with his grandparents. It was Eric's first competition and he placed 49th out of 56 contestants. I think he did great for his first time. In the evening the boys spent more time with their grandparents and Mark & I went out for a romantic dinner. Then later we all met back at the house and enjoyed watching a Christmas movie. The next morning we had breakfast together and then we said our goodbyes. In the afternoon Eric met with his merit badge counselor and completed all his work to get the rank of Life Scout. I am so proud and happy for him. After Life Scout is Eagle, I hope he can make it to the top.

I Caught It

Hello all, I was finally knocked flat by the nasty virus. Ugh! So were the boys and we had to cancel their party. Eric came down sick on Thursday last week and Brandon on Friday. Saturday the both of them were laying around which for two active boys they have got to be sick doing that. ;-) I myself was not feeling so great, I did not feel like cleaning or fixing food, so Mark called our invited guests and let them know we were all sick. So glad he did because I just kept getting sicker. Sunday evening it hit me hard. Monday morning I woke sick, but I had to take Eric to the orthodontist, then I took him out to get his birthday gift. I did not want to let him down since we already had to cancel the party. I also managed to make his birthday dinner with Mark's help. This morning I awoke feeling so horrible I parked myself on the sofa and did nothing except rest, which has helped.

My stomach is still giving me trouble. The pain is not nearly as bad as it was in early November, but it is still there and causes me not to eat much. Sometimes I wonder if it is viral as Mark and Brandon have complained of stomach trouble. My trouble seems to be worse than what they have though. I am just waiting things out. I have gotten skinny, I usually wear a 8 or 10 in GV jeans, but now wear a 4. I am trying to enjoy the new slender me. I do not know what is ahead, I have been seeking the Lord and found this verse today in my devotional which spoke to me.

"He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7

Too Much

The pain I was feeling in my tummy yesterday finally left and I was able to eat pretty well today. We took the boys out for hamburgers tonight. I ate my first hamburger since the surgery and it went down alright. Unfortunately, my throat hurts. It has felt a bit scratchy for days, but today it feels sore. Mark says that I probably have his virus. So far I am not as sick as he has been and I hope it stays that way because I am hosting a birthday party for my sons on Sunday afternoon. Eric has been complaining that he has a headache and feels lousy. Brandon has been having tummy troubles. Even so they are full of energy and excited about their birthdays & Christmas. I have been trying to finish up my Christmas cards, plus working on my Christmas lists. I am so not done! Plus, I have to get everything set for the party. My "To Do" list is too long.