Our (Almost) Favorite Day

It's almost as good as Christmas morning. PJ day at Brusters is something that we look forward to all year. It happens every March, and yesterday was the big day. We like to ride our bikes there when the weather is nice. It was about 80 degrees yesterday - perfect for a bike ride. Here we all are riding down the street in pj's. Courtney and Meghann both had a friend with them so we were quite the sight biking down the street.

Even Brady broke out his pjs! I'm telling you, we'll do anything for a free waffle cone. (I carried my bathrobe in a bag on my handle bars. I've got a little pride you know!)

Girls trying to decide on flavors:

This kid couldn't decide on a flavor. I thought he was going to kneel down and start praying about it! Finally, however, he decided on Peanut Butter Puddles (an excellent choice).

His head almost fits inside the cone!

Here we all are enjoying our cones.

My poison this time was Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye. Mmmm...chocolate ice cream with this thick, and I mean thick ripple of real peanut butter AND chocolate covered peanut butter balls. Could you just die and go to heaven? I think I did for a minute. Until I realized how much walking I was going to have to do to make up for it.

It was worth every bite!

What Remains

SO! After one night in the hospital, three days of pain medication, passing out in the hospital wheelchair (too MUCH pain medication!), three meals from the Relief Society, general anesthesia to undergo surgery, LOTS of resting on the couch, countless phone calls of well wishes, and passing eight little stones that were once one rather LARGE stone, this is what remains:

One nasty old bruise from where the nurse missed when trying to insert an IV before surgery.

Glad that week from Kidney Stone *#$^% is over. I think I've passed it all, I can't imagine there are more than eight pieces! I asked Brady if he thought it would be alright to post a picture of the stones and he said, "No, it would be gross." I said I thought it would be fascintating. He said, "Not everyone shares your fascination for things that come out of the body." So, if you DO share my fascination, email me and I'll sneak you a picture. I'm not fascinated with everything that comes out of the body. Just kidney stones. And pimples. It's my sickness.

I'm so glad to be back among the living and thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your phone calls, prayers, well wishes, thoughts, flowers (I still need to send you a picture mom and dad!). It really is a small miracle that life is back to normal already.

Now, bring on the bills! (UGH!!!)

Passing

I'm off to the Kidney Stone Center this morning to see if this kidney stone has moved or not. If not, they want to shoot me up with a laser (my kids said that was just like in Star Wars!).

Last night my friend brought me over this care package. It all has to do with "stones." Fruity PEBBLES, Hershey NUGGETS, Pop ROCKS, get it? The water (with flavoring!) is because I need to drink LOTS of water and that can get pretty boring and the candles are just because I love to burn candles. Isn't this a clever gift? My friend Shelby is so good at clever, thoughtful gifts. She is a wonderful friend!
Keep me in your prayers today! I hope I come home without a kidney stone, but I hope they don't have to laser me. I believe in miracles.

Retreat

After having company for four days, we quickly switched gears, delivered five kids to friends and Brady and I headed to Georgia for our husband/wife conference. We were in Norcross to be exact, at the Simpsonwood Conference Center.

We had a nice time but I'm telling you, six meals of their cafeteria food was about five too many. My tummy hurt the whole way home (and that's an eight hour drive!). It's always fun to get away with my honey, cafeteria food or not.

I'd blog more, but I'm going to bed. I'm nursing a mean cold and I have to speak at our Stake Women's conference on Saturday. I'm praying my voice comes back (or should I pray for the opposite??? It's hard to decide).

Company, Part II

What a wonderful few days we had with my sister's family here. Here's a recap of what we did:

Sea World:

(all of you Hydes, plus a few Nixons are on this roller coaster. Ten bucks if you can point out your own heads. On second thought, it might be easier for Lyndsey and Ann Murray if they find their feet!)

A little friendly Wii competition:

Bonding Time:

(these two really loved Uncle Jim)

Of course, a little good food:

The Beach:

And I think Michelle spent most of her time here. (I could get used to someone cleaning up after me!)

We had such a great time with them here and we were sad to say goodbye.