Deathbed

I started feeling a little poorly this past week.  I'd managed to play racquetball a few times, had another book club meeting with Karen and Shauna where we went to eat at a Thai restaurant in Lindon and talked about the book at the table, but I didn't feel great.  Saturday, just Micah and I went night skiing up to Sundance and it was icy, hard snow!  He was able to hit the green slopes and didn't fall at all.  I only lasted two or so hours before I had to stop because my skiis weren't great and I wasn't feeling well.  Micah skiied about 15 more times down the hill still by himself.  He did great!

 

When I got home, Lori was having another game party so I joined them for a bit, but I was dragging!  I took grandma to Church on Sunday and then stayed home after bringing her back after sacrament.  That's when I started throwing up in earnest.  So much for my Martin Luther King Jr. holiday from work!  I went to work Tuesday but only lasted three hours before I had to come home.  Wednesday I got up to go in and ended up just turning on my computer and working from home for four hours.  I HAD to work because I was getting calls from the GAs in my department needing help with things, but it was much nicer to do while lying in bed.  I made it to work Thursday but still wasn't feeling great.  I went to the temple again with a coworker after work and LOVED it.  Probably my favorite yet!

Friday is when I finally felt like my regular self (yes I did lose 11 pounds in a week).  I was actually able to play racquetball again that night for the first time that whole week and played again the next morning before taking grandma to Julie's baby shower.  Kevin got married later that afternoon and I played prelude music for them before the service.  They recited their own vows to each other and it was actually very sweet.  I cried.  I may have been the only one crying and it wasn't a little.  Seriously messed up!  Jenny's family came for the reception and I danced with Jer and Nate and gave them a few pointers.  Apparently Jer was pretty happy about that because he texted mom and dad afterward to tell them about it and that he now feels more confident for school dances.  I can't believe that I have to look up at them now when talking with them.  They've gotten so tall!

TJ and Christian made me Valentine cards that I received in the mail this week.  I called to thank them for the cards and during my conversation with TJ I asked if this meant that I'm now his Valentine.  He said, 'wellll, one of them.'  I said, 'you've got girls at school who you like?'  He responded, 'Yes, but you're the only one I made a card for cuz you're my sweetie.'  The way he said it was DARLING.  I may have cried a little again...

Primary Overhaul

It seems like the beginning of this year is overflowing with Church assignments for my stake Primary calling.  We had meetings upon meetings!  First to meet and plan (three hours at a time on my Tuesday night), then a music workshop to train all of the music leaders in the wards which took all of Thursday evening, I had to prepare for my baptism trainings, and then tonight we had the stake baptism preview where all of the kids who will be baptized this year came with their parents and ward leaders.  I had to train four separate groups of 50-60 people.  Hated it!  I do not like speaking in front of people and having to do that many people so many times?  Nightmare!  So glad it is over with now!

It's a good thing I had a little racquetball relief some of the other nights of the week and was able to go to the temple Friday night with Amy and Jen Felix and their mom.  We ate at Los Hermanos afterward and it was a good night.  I felt a noticeable peace after being in the temple.

Lori and Cody threw a 17-and-over party at their house Saturday night.  The game is a lot like Apples to Apples but with more grown-up themes.  Amy, Chance, Jenica, Tyler, and Jake joined us and there was lots of candy and laughing.  Crazy game!

New Year

It is HARD going back to work after a mid-week holiday and knowing not many people will be in the office.  I managed though as I'm still getting all the records and computer programs updated to where they should be.

Saturday we had our family Christmas party and present exchange.  How embarrassing was it to discover that the person I had sent my Christmas request to, wasn't the one who actually had my name for Christmas, but got me the present anyway because I'd asked for it?  Yeah, I'm still cringing about that.  But, I do love the electric blanket!  (Thanks Lori...)

New Year's Eve we all congregated at Dana and Deborah's house for food and games.  It would have been even better if we hadn't discovered that Jon was in jail and going through withdrawls again.  Jeremy, Micah, and Nate spent the night and Lori made breakfast the next morning for the late risers.  Cody and I took the boys to Brighton ski resort and I stayed with Micah on the beginner hill teaching him how to ski.  His first time down the mountain he crashed 8 times, next time down only had 2 crashes, then next three times down only had 1 crash each (one being a colossally huge crash where he skidded and cried because it hurt), but after that we had 16 runs down with no crashes.  He did a great job!  We met Brett at the mouth of Parley's canyon to do the exchange of bodies and I finally made it home late.

Karen's son, Derek, was married on the 2nd and I attended the reception in Lindon.  It is HARD going to things like that by yourself, but I'm getting pretty good at it.  Karen and Kaylee looked so nice in their dresses!

My racquetball partners and I have picked up a bad habit of going to get something to eat after we play.  We'll never lose anything if we keep that up!

The Month of Zabels?

I stayed in Heber through Sunday so I could be there to support Jeremy for his priesthood ordination now that he is 16 years old.  Jenny had mentioned that he'd hoped to have some family there since both set of grandparents were out of town.  He got his wish!  Dana came up with some of his family and Lori and her family came up and we had dinner together after Church.

Thursday the 19th was our department potluck and Christmas sing-a-long, something I always look forward to.  It was super snowy that day though and I wasn't feeling well so I ended up staying home.  Good thing I did too.  The roads were really bad and the Church ended up letting everyone go home early for the day at noon.  I felt bad for all those in the department who spent time bringing stuff in only to have a rushed eat before leaving Church campus for the day.

Why yes I did return to Heber on Sunday.  That wasn't the original plan because I hadn't been to my ward for so long and I was going to spend Christmas with Jenny's family already, but Jenny called to ask if I'd sit with the kids while she and the older boys were on the stand taking part in their ward Christmas party.  She even mentioned that TJ and Micah were supposed to be wisemen in the program and would be in costume.  How could I turn that down?  They all did a great job!  I went up and met them at their Church and then left right after sacrament meeting so it was a quick visit. I was back up there Monday though, straight from work, to stay through Christmas.

Monday night we played lots of games downstairs, Ping-Pong, wii, fooseball, etc.  Turns out Brett has some hidden Ping-Pong skills!  I'd always start out strong but he'd come back and beat me.  Tuesday we went to the Church and played basketball and had a nice leisure day.  I snuck away for a bit with Jer and Nate so we could practice a special song on the guitar to play for Jenny that night during the program.  We got mom, dad, and Jodie all on different phones so they could Skype and listen to the program.  The boys all played their Christmas music they'd been practicing, Nate and I played the guitar and sang our song for Jenny with Jer, we did the manger scene reenactment (I was Mary) and then opened a few presents.  It was a great night and so nice of the Zabels to invite me to join them!

I'd have to say I'm not used to taking part in putting presents out at night after the kids go to bed.  Even as an adult, mom and dad would make us go to bed before they would put anything out under the tree.  The room was stuffed full of presents.  Jenny certainly knows how to stretch a dollar and get things the kids will like!  They even got me several presents to open Christmas morning and I brought a few of my own to put under the tree so we all had the same amount of presents to open.  It looked like a tornado had struck by the time everything was said and done!  The big hit of the day?  The Duck Dynasty DVDs I gave the family.  Ha!  Do I know my audience or what?!!

 

December Rush

Last week was just a blur of regular events - racquetball, lunches with work friends (MaryAnn, Rosita and Lei, farewell to David Luke, etc), and adjusting to my new job.  There is a lot of updating, becoming familiar with the files, computer programs, etc. that I'm doing.  We also had the ward Christmas party that grandma talked me in to attending.  I sat with the DeRoests, met Kevin's fiancée Marilyn, and even saw Jon there with his family.  His voice still sounds horrible!

This week I went to hear the PG choir at lunch in the COB lobby and President Packer was there listening to them.  The next day was the First Presidency Appreciation Luncheon.  Elder Cook and his wife spoke at it and I sat at the table with Elder Teh and his wife.  They are from the Philippines and SO nice!

I went to Heber this weekend to take care of Micah, TJ, and Christian while Jenny and Brett took Nate and Jeremy to Logan for Jeremy's 16th bday.  He got to tour the campus and go to a basketball game up there.  I had so much fun with the boys.  Christian was so cute on Saturday morning.  He came in to climb in to bed with me in the morning and I asked if he was ready for me to get up and make breakfast.  He said, "No, I need some luvins first."  and then he climbed into bed for cuddles.  So sweet!  I took them to see the movie Frozen as a surprise.  We were sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to start when they finally figured out what we were watching.  We had pizza, got another movie by Red Box and played.  It was different watching them without Jer and Nate there.  They're usually the ones to cook and clean up instead of me.  ;-)

What Happened to Your Face?

One of the guys that I knew from London is in town and gave a recital on Sunday.  He plays the euphonium, among other things, so Amy Felix and I went up to support him.  It was actually quite good.  I don't think a euphonium is an instrument played much in the U.S. and is a brass instrument somewhat similar to the baritone horn.  It was good to hear those British accents again!

Thanks to the holidays, I was only able to get in one game of racquetball this week.  I had some sun spots burned off my face by a dermatologist and they did a treatment of the entire face instead of just the spots.  And I thought laser hair removal hurt!  This was bad!  I can usually brazen or tough it out, but I had to ask her to stop so I could take a couple of deeps breaths and then tell her to go again.  Multiple times.  I started convulsively jerking and couldn't stop while she was doing it and not just my head - whole body spasms!  Seriously painful, but I made it through...though it burned for a long time afterward.  I didn't want to see anyone at work afterward because I'd heard that it looks worse before it gets better, so I did it on the long Thanksgiving holiday.

I met the Zabels at the Hogle Zoo for the free day and spent a happy afternoon with them.  They were nice to invite me to go with them and to spend Thanksgiving with them.  Those are some seriously cute kids!  Brett's side of the family came for Thanksgiving dinner and fortunately my face wasn't too bad, though very puffy.  Around my eyes was especially swollen.  Man that hurt!  Friday morning some of us got up early and went to Park City to the outlet stores for some black Friday shopping.  I split off from Jenny, Brett, Nate, and Jeremy so I could take care of the shopping I needed to do.  Not to brag or anything, but I went to 20 stores to their 3.  That's what happens when you hate to shop.  Get in, get out, and get done as fast as possible!

 

We celebrated Nate's bday a little early so I was still there for it and then I had to head home so I could be the Primary representative at the stake baptisms Saturday morning.

Work Change

This was the week for my big work change.  I now officially have an office instead of a cubicle, no longer have to go to the front desk on a weekly rotation for the receptionist, and work in a different division.  I am a Temple Support Specialist for the Administration Division of the Temple Department.  It's a bit overwhelming with the change of office and still trying to train my old job and learn the new one.  Puts a bit of a time crunch on things.  I always say you have to make it through three weeks though before making any judgments on a change.  Guess I'll have to give the update then!

Jon had been moved out of the ICU, ICU's section and was in the regular ICU and then a regular room.  He is home now but still has holes in his lung leaking air.  They have a bag attached to the side of him that a home health nurse has to come and check frequently.  He has lost so much weight and looks all bony and skeletal!  His voice is this harsh whisper that almost hurts to hear, but he's alive!

I took grandma to lunch on Saturday to celebrate her birthday.  She took me for mine back in September.  It's a nice little outing for us.