Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Ouch !!!

The past couple weeks has been quite different for me. Typically I go go go all day and never have time to just sit around. Honestly, I quite like staying busy.

Last weekend we had a nice weekend watching conference. As usual the talks were uplifting and inspiring. Sunday evening, I decided, that is it! We need to be better at family scripture study. We piled into Hudson's room and I read some scriptures. Right as everyone was coming into the room I felt a sharp intense pain on my right side. I thought maybe it was a cramp, so I kind of stretched it, which did NOT help at all. I thought maybe a bath would help, and it felt good, but when I got out, I almost passed out as the pain was so intense. I got dressed and was in so much pain I started crawling. Shane started panicking saying it was my appendix(I had a hunch it was too) and called a friend to take me to energ.

We went and waited until after one in the morning , over four hours, and I was SO uncomfortable, I decided to go home and see how I felt in the morning.
In the morning, I figured I would just go to the walk in clinic. I thought they would be faster. I was again very very uncomfortable, and after 2 and a half hours I saw the doctor, who....sent me over to emerg again. As I arrived I honestly just wanted to cry. There was standing room only. I only had 40 percent on my battery and I was very uncomfortable. I knew it was going to be a long day. After about 5 hours I got called back and waited, waited waited, got some blood work, waited waited, got an ultrasound, then finally just after midnight I had an appendectomy. I swear my butt hurt worse than anything from sitting in the uncomfortable chairs.

I had a bit of a creepy experience. I totally woke up during the surgery. I could feel them cutting and tried to talk, but I had a tube in my throat. Then I went to wave my hand, and realized I was strapped down-ahhh. I started banging my hand on the table, and I heard the nurse say, "oh, she is banging her hand". I was panicking, cause I wanted them to know why I was banging it. Eventually she saw my eye open and then I only remember her calling the anesthetist over and going back out. It was pretty creepy.

The surgery was laparoscopic, so I was not expecting much pain, but holy! I was hurting bad for the first two days. Shane was pretty much the most AMAZING nurse ever and took really good care of me, and balanced out kids as well. He really is the best. I sure love him! I started feeling much better each day after the third day. The abdominal discomfort was exchanged for a whole different discomfort. I had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs I was given and broke out in the worst, itchiest hives head to toe. I was insane. I thought I was going to skin myself alive. After a few more hours of waiting at doctors offices, I was able to get some prednisone and that helped with the hives.
As soon as people from our ward found out I was sick, they really stepped up. I have been really blessed with amazing visiting teachers here in Beaumont(Lindsey Hill and Jenn Bevans) who brought delicious meals and really really helped us out. Cassie Doyle took Fletcher Thursday and Friday, which was literally a life saver, because, I was not quite moving fast enough to keep up with him. Cassie also brought us a dinner as well. I can't even begin to express what these acts of service meant to me and my family. Cherie came and watched the boys Tuesday so Shane could come and pick me up from the hospital, which again, we are so thankful for. Sadly er do not have the luxury of having parents around (or willing) to come and help in these situations, so I am really really thankful for these ladies!!!!

So that whole week, I ended up watching a lot of HGTV and wishing for my good health and mobility back.

From January until the end of March we were very very blessed to have Cody staying with us. Just writing about it chokes me up as I loved having him around and so did my kids and Shane. We love him very much and loved hearing all of his mission stories as well ans the YSA shenanigans. He is a wonderful person and I am so so proud to be his Aunt. Little Fletcher probably misses him the most. He would call him Pokey, and would halt whatever he was doing if he heard the door open and Pokey was home. They truly became buds.
 Things are starting to settle back down  and I am mostly back up to speed. I still get pains in my abdo when I am overdoing it, so I am trying to be careful.
This weekend is Easter weekend. I am so thankful that we will have a sweet weekend together as family. I love my time with my kids and love how spiritual they are. I am glad that we will be able to celebrate the resurrection of the Savior. I really am just so so thankful for my beautiful family. I could never give enough lip service to the feelings I have in my heart when I think of my family. They are absolutely everything to me. I am so glad that I have a best friend who loves me and takes such good care of me, and forces me to go to emerg, even when I really don't want too-haha.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

It's great to be 8



Our family had a huge event this past week. Our sweet Hudson got baptized! Feb 21, Hudson turned 8. I  just can't even believe it. My first baby.

Hudson typically is not interested in doing birthday parties with friends, so we just do our best to make him feel special and loved at home. We had a crazy busy couple days before his birthday, but thankfully "Auntie Serena" was here to help save the day.

We brought some timbits to Hudson's class, and after school Hudson has piano lessons. Then we went and met Dad and Cody at Montana's for Dinner. We picked there so Hudson would have to wear the Moose at and get sung too. It was pretty great, as he was so so embarrassed and sunk under the table haha.

After, we came home and did presents and cake. Little Fletcher beat us all to the cake and managed to mangle it before we could sing and dig in ourselves.

Now fast forward to this past weekend ( March 11)our boy had his special baptism. Sadly, with Grandma Jan and Gump on their mission, Grandpa Pete feeling ill and other obligations for my siblings, not too many family members were able to come.
Grandma and Grandpa Leishman were here on their way home from Palm Springs as well as Cody and Cassidy. We were SO thankful for Auntie Jessica and Jeff and their family, as well as Uncle Clint and Auntie Cherie for coming and making the day so extra special. Many ward members and friends also attended, Doug and Wren Ord, The Anderson's,The Siakuluk's, Jana Blumel and Leanne Smetanuik, as well as the Sefciks were all there as well.



On Friday Hudson decided he wanted to invite his special Grade 2 teacher, Mlle Grier, giving her very little notice. We were elated that she could in fact come, and it sure brought a special spirit to the day. She will never know what her attendance there meant to me. I loved seeing my boy so so happy and peaceful and calm. He beamed when he saw his teacher.

When we arrived at the church Bro. Siakuluk notified us that the program was misprinted and that it said that Shane was being baptized haha. I thought it was funny.

Hudson asked Cody to speak, and he gave a wonderful talk on baptism. Another little girl Claire Straga was also being baptised. Her Mom gave a talk on the Holy Ghost.
We asked the Prince family to do a musical number, and they played one of my favorite songs. When I am Baptized.Little Hayden started out with a violin solo, then Hannah and Brendan sang both verses. It was really special. They were AMAZING.



I think when I think back about this special day, was just how calm and happy Hudson was. He was so calm, which is a bit rare for Hudson, especially when all of the attention is on him. He looked so so so so cute in his new "lawyer suit". He did not act shy, or embarrassed but just angellic. He got baptized y his Daddy and all went great. After, he was given a wonderful blessing and received the Holy Ghost. We loved that Shane felt impressed to say that Hudson was "entertaining"  and that he has a very special missionary spirit. It said something neat about Hudson serving a mission to people who had never heard of Jesus Christ before. I felt so touched about that, imagining this sweet blessing of mine, going out and blessing the lives of others.

After we had a "feast" at our house. Princes and Heaths and Cody and Cass came over and we had a great time. The older cousins are so patient and loving to our kids. There were tons of candy and treats and the kids basically had a freeforall. Fletcher particularly was in Heaven and was rarely seen without a donut or candy in his sticky little hands.



I am so thankful for my membership in our church. I am so thankful that we have chosen to teach our babies about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the principal of Baptism. My most special life experiences and the greatest gifts in my life are directly related to my activity and membership in the Church and I count myself so lucky that I have a testimony and that I feel confident and comfortable with my beliefs. They have brought me so much joy, and I hope that they will bring my children the same joy they have brought me.