Christmas morning - A little late

I don't know what my deal is lately, but I have not been on the computer much, therefore, no blogging done.  I have read a lot of books in the last few weeks (thanks to Kindle) and that has made me much less productive.  But, I will want to blog the old stuff too.  That being said, I am really liking my Valentine background on my blog and at this point in time have no intentions of changing it even though valentines days is over.  The hearts make me happy.  Now onto Christmas pics.

We stayed at mom and dads again this year.  Well, we actually stay every other year.  This year we let the kids decide what they wanted to do and they wanted to stick with tradition.  Grandpa did however make them sleep until 6 a.m. instead of 5, but I think they knew that if they really woke up at 5 he wouldn't care, he is always a trooper.

Aren't we precious?  This year I didn't take as many pictures, and I am not sure why.

During my sabatical this year our car dvd player exploded (yup very scary!! and stinky).  So, we decided to get the girls their own personal dvd players and that way they could watch what they wanted and not argue.  It has also come in handy at home, I can't believe how much the use them, who would have known.

Grandpa and grandma - remember don't tell my dad you saw him on my blog, he gets a little irritated with me, but look how cute he is, I just couldn't resist.

Two in a row... but he doesn't seem to mind getting his picture taken lately.  I think that might have been after Ray told him of my temper tantrums I have been throwing lately if people don't cooperate with me when I want to take their picture.

I am pretty sure I have very spoiled children.  They did get a lot of things they needed this year.  Jerika has lost more weight and needed new clothes.

Kinlee also needed church shoes and of course they got a few fun things too.  But we had so much fun.  After we had opened all of our presents, we got ready for church.  We were able to go to church in St. Anthony and listen to grandma sing in the choir.  That way dad didn't have to sit alone, which I know really doesn't bother him, but we thought it would be nice.

Grandma modeling her new slippers and jacket.

Grandma Walker actually came to church with us in St. Anthony and then we stayed for lunch there too.  Afterward we came back to our house and opened presents from her.  All in all it was a pretty amazing Christmas.  We love our family and LOVED spending time with everyone!!

Christmas Pajamas - 2011

Christmas Eve - 2011

Christmas Eve Day

Since Christmas Eve was on a Saturday and I didn't have to work at all, we went to visit Granny that morning.  She was getting a perm and wasn't very talkative, silly lady.  But we stayed there with her for a little while and then we went to lunch with Grandma Walker at Leos. 

 

We had fun!!

December - My Birthday, etc.

The weekend before my birthday was a pretty busy one this year. On Friday Ray was home early so he could go to the doctor, so he and I left right at 5 to go to Idaho Falls to finish our shopping. We go it all done and even met Greg & Tiff and John & Brooke for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We had so much fun and we laughed so hard, it really had been too long since we had all gone out!! No pictures though, I am such a slacker. They even had them bring me dessert for my birthday, but no singing. On Saturday Mauna came up to bring my present and to go to lunch with us. We took Brayli and Tragen with us and it was a little more fun than we are used to. And guess what…..I took pictures and here they are.



It was really fun and Ray loves hanging with the little kids.

Saturday night we went to our Ward Christmas party, which we have not done for years. There is usually some kind of conflict and the ward party loses. But, we all went and had a good time. Ray did leave a little early, but we were just glad he was there.

Sunday was fun because Ray got to go with me to teach my class, which he loved. Those Sunbeams are so cute and it was so much fun seeing how much they knew about the Saviors birth. What good parents they all have, I was really impressed!!

My birthday this year was pretty uneventful. Okay, maybe not, Brooke, Tiff, Allisa and my mom all took me to lunch at Applebees, which was really fun!! I didn’t take pictures though. Kinlee got out of school early that day so after mom finished lunch she went and picked her up and took her home with her. That left Jerika and I alone for dinner, so we went out to dinner at Frontier pies. Jerika had a concert that night also and being the amazing mother that I am, I didn’t even take any pictures there either. Go me!! Vicky at work makes all of us birthday cards for our birthdays and this is my card for this year.

If you can't tell what is on it, she took an actual Diet Dr. Pepper can and cut it into flowers on the left.  A Ding Dong box make up the middle and various items from a McDonalds sack taken from my garbage.  She also used some of a ding dong wrapper to make a cupake and other flowers.  It is so cute and in looking at this card, you would think I would be a very heavy girl. I don’t eat these things all the time, just at times when people at work are noticing, I guess.

Family Pictures

I finally decided that we needed new family pictures.  I waited until after Christmas to post them because we were giving them as gifts also.  Well, I ordered the pictures online at Walmart and I have still not received those pictures.  They said they were mailed on the 16th and they even charged my card, and still no pictures.  Well, I have blogging to do, so I can't wait any longer or I am going to be really behind.  So, I guess if my loved ones see this then so be it, SURPRISE.  We went out to my friend Becky's house and she very kindly took the pictures for us and it was freezing!!  But, I think they turned out pretty good under the circumstances.

Needless to say they were not very happy that I was making them sit in the snow.  I don't know what they were complaining about, at least I let them sit on their coats since I wouldn't let them wear them.

I did give in at one point and let them warm up a little.  I am so nice, don't you think?  Rays head for some reason, blended in with the sky on a lot of the pictures.  But, they still look pretty good.

For some reason Ray has a habit of tilting his head during pictures.  Becky had to keep reminding him to keep his head straight.  But, aren't they cute?

Another Day in the Life of the Youngs.....

So, here are some of the details of Rays visits to the hospital recently.  I knew the week of Thanksgiving Ray wasn't feeling very well.  He had called me several times and said that he felt he had another kidney stone.  He came home on Wednesday while I was still at work and took some pain pills and went to sleep.  He was asleep when I got home and slept until about midnight and then he starting tossing and turning.  At 2:30 a.m. he finally decided I needed to take him to the hospital.  He knew what the problem was and so they gave him pain meds as soon as he got there and then they did the tests.  They found out he had a 9 mm kidney stone and told him that he should probably stay in the hospital so he could stay on morphine until they could get him into the urologist in Idaho Falls (nope Rexburg doesn't have one) and kidney stones really aren't an emergency so they weren't going to get us one on Thanksgiving.  Anyway he stayed until Friday morning at Madison Memorial and then I took him to EIRMC.  They admitted him and then the doctor came to see him and they decided to put in a stint and then go from there.  The best option was to wait until a Thursday when the lythotripsy (laser) machine comes to town so they could break it up.  So, that is what we did and normally they can go home the same day of placing a stint, but they couldn't regulate his oxygen levels so he had to spend the night.  I brought him hom on Saturday and he stayed home from work for the week.  On Thursday I took him back down to the hospital and they did the lythotripsy to break it up.  That went much better and I was able to bring him home that day.  The worst part about it is that we heard that the procedure will cost $10,000 and we got the bill for his first stay at EIRMC and it was $9,600.  Thank goodness for insurance.  He was able to go back to work the week after on light duty and now he is feeling better.  They did call him during this last week and he has something wrong with his liver so he is going in the day after Christmas for an ultrasound to figure that out.  So, yes the saga continues.  But, we are thankful for all the blessings we have received and we realize how truly blessed we are each day.  Thanks for everyone's prayers and well wishes, you are all amazing.  

Thanksgiving?? Yes we are thankful!!

So this is where we started Thanksgiving this year.....yet another Holiday in the Hospital.  One of these days I will post all of the hospital visits on here for you all to see.  It has been quite the fun at many times I must say.  Kinlee really struggles when her dad isn't feeling well, so we didn't stay long at the hospital and then went up to moms for Thanksgiving "dinner" (lunch).  Ray was fine with that, because he was doped out on Morphine.  I guess I should tell those of you who don't know that Ray had a 9mm kidney stone and the morning, early morning 2:00 a.m. I took him to the hospital because he was in so much pain.  I will continue with the rest of that story on my next post, because it was over a week long battle, different hospitals....different procedures and lots of fun, yes I am calling it fun!!

 

All of us kids were at moms except Merrill & Linda and their family.  Also, Ashlin had to work on Friday, so she stayed in Utah.  But, we had so much fun, including the baby there was 25 of us in all.  Ray would have made 26 if he would have been there with us.  We cooked or should I say mom cooked 2 turkeys and several pies.  And of course all of the other yummy stuff. 

KaReena, Kelsie, Sydni, Jerika, Gma, Gpa

Brayli, Gaven, Kinlee, me and Kelsie

We all ate in the big family room.

Tragen, Peyton, Lydia, Dax & Brayli looked like they were all ready first.

Kelsie, Some Weirdo, Nakia, me & Another weirdo

Blake & Cindy

Shelby & Anita

Ma & Pa

KaReena & Brian

All of us kids, minus Merrill.  (The picture is just a little off center, but I won't judge, I obviously can't take all the pictures.)

All of us with mom and dad.  I am pretty sure I am trying to look like I am not the shortest.  Nakia was up on the couch, and I was on my tippy toes.  But, it is the sad truth that I am the shortest sibling.  At this point we hadn't starting eating yet and some people were getting a little frustrated.

Rylen & Cody.  Hopefully I was able to get pictures of everyone!!  It was a really fun day.  We each brought a craft for the little kids to do, so that kept them busy and the big kids kind of helped.  Then when we got done with all of that, we went back to the hospital to spend the evening with Ray.  He was still pretty tired and a little out of it, but we stayed for a little while and then went home.