The Day After Christmas

Dallas and Rebecca decided to take advantage of Dallas having the day after Christmas off work to have me watch their kids so they could celebrate their anniversary. It was definitely a good day for it because the weather was cooperative--unlike the day after Christmas 8 years ago when they got married and it was the snowstorm to beat all snowstorms.

It made me happy when the girls arrived with some of their new Christmas toys. Between church and visiting three sets of grandparents on Christmas, there wasn't very much time for them to play with their new toys. Brooke had been begging her parents to take her home the night before so she could play with her kitchen set.

The girls love picking out the perfect cookie cutter to use to cut a shape of ham for them to eat for their lunch. As much as ham makes me want to gag--especially a slice of ham that was nearly an inch thick--I played the good grandma and cut several shapes of that nasty stuff for both of the girls.

Spencer didn't get a slab of ham, but I did feed him yummy baby food.

Brooke got the idea that she could use her new kitchen set dishes with real food. Hence, more cookie cutter ham slabs needed to be made.

The girls love to play with beanie babies. Brooke demonstrates how a bird sits on a person's arm.

Then they played hide Caroline in the beanie babies.

I realize now that I didn't even get a picture of the anniversary couple. This couple will have to do instead.

It was so cute watching Dallas and Caroline sitting together using their electronic devices.

Glen is not in any of the pictures because he spent the entire day down in his recliner feeling horribly rotten all day long. It was that day he decided he'd go ahead and call the doctor first thing the next morning to get scheduled for an ultrasound of his gall bladder.

He had talked with the doctor the week before at his physical about how he's been feeling a lot of discomfort after he eats and the doctor told him to pay attention to what he eats and how he feels after eating certain things and suggested he may have a gall bladder problem.

Things had definitely gone downhill since that doctor visit.

Christmas--Just the Three of Us

Ben was overjoyed when he learned his first Christmas back home from his mission would be spent with just the folks.

I think seeing Santa Claus had filled up his stocking made him happy. And wasn't it great that Santa did not forget to bring the traditional small cereals?

Looks like Glen was happy with his picks of the little cereals that he was going to eat for breakfast.

Ben was the designated Christmas scripture story reader this year. I don't know if I'll ever get used to reading scriptures out of an electronic device instead of from a real book.

Here we are opening our gifts.

There you go family members who weren't here with us. Don't you now feel like you were part of the Christmas morning festivities?

The Golden family came for a visit that evening. We received an updated family picture--the one and only thing I want from each of our children for Christmas.

Look at us with a batch of cute grandchildren.

I love Spencer's side hair part and bright red sweater.

Since it was Sunday, there was the usual popping of the popcorn.

Dallas was definitely more interested in playing with the new iPad than he was in eating popcorn. He tried to talk me into trading his iPod for my iPad.

Rebecca commented that he would surely use it for many more things than I ever would. I do not doubt that statement. I did appreciate the apps he was putting on there for me.

And if any of you wonder why the Golden family photo shows up first thing on the screen--it's because my app specialist chose it.

Brooke decided she would rather eat the candy cane Ben got for Christmas. He quickly hid the bubble tape and the skittles so she wouldn't eat those.

This was the beginning of a gigantic sick spell for Glen. Too much popcorn on Sundays always makes for an active tummy for him the next day, but this was ridiculous.

Glen was up all night long, sicker than a dog. Poor man!!!

I kind of jumped ahead in the story by posting the surgery post before the Christmas posts. This was the beginning of what got the ball rolling leading to surgery.

Quotes of the Week

"If you can't change your fate, change your attitude."
-- Amy Tan

"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight. When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
-- Helen Keller

"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: NOW."
-- Denis Waitley

See If Your New Year's Celebration Is More Exciting Than Ours

This was Glen yesterday.

He had taken the day off work so he could relax and savor every moment of enjoying BYU's bowl game from the comfort of his easy chair.

Instead, he spent hours at the hospital getting his gall bladder tested.

Test came back showing his gall bladder was functioning at zero percent. The technician told him they don't usually send people home when that happens. They get admitted for surgery.

Glen came home and decided to eat hot wings--knowing full well he got very sick the last time he ate that meal. He did it anyway (eating significantly less than he normally would), watched the BYU bowl game, cheered for their victory, stayed up super duper late watching other ball games, slept very little, and then got up super duper early to report to the hospital for surgery.

Here he is back home--with his gall bladder removed--all settled back in his easy chair eating crackers so he can take his drugs.

At least one of us will be flying high as he brings in the New Year. In the meantime, anybody lonely out there and want to party?