Adventures in Shopping

I love Christmas and I can't wait for it to get here. 

I wanted a pre-lit tree this year.  So I braved 10pm Thanksgiving night shopping to get one on sale. It was INSANE.  People were lined up in front of toys and electronics like it was snowing in Alabama and there was only 1 loaf of bread and 1 gallon of milk left.
(Note:  I've never Black Friday shopped before)

Luckily for me I didn't need any toys or electronics.  I wanted the tree and some sheets.  There might have been a couple of other things on my list but those were the 2 things I really wanted.  So I fought my way to stand by the trees so when they started the sale I'd be ready. 

When those people started opening up things it was..well insane is the only word that comes to mind.  I grabbed my tree and fought my way around to get to the sheets.  As I was approaching the area the sheets were suppose to be a man in front of me told someone that there was a fight over the sheets and a woman was bleeding.  OVER SHEETS!  Needless to say, I got the heck out of there with no sheets and only my tree.

Side bar:  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It's not very Christ-like to fight over sheets or anything else. Especially if you are going to give said item as a gift for the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ.....
Just saying!

The next day I'm so excited to put up my new pre-lit tree that I fought the masses to procure at a discount. 

Ok I know we've all saw the Charlie Brown Christmas movie where he gets the tiny, pitiful tree as his tree.  Well picture that tree with some fake branches and that is what my hard won tree looked like.  It was not 5' tall, it was not full and lush.  It was pre-lit and that was about all that was right with it.  When my hubs saw it he said and I quote "That thing is horrible.  People will laugh at us".  Enough said.

So I took it down and the next day I pulled out my big, 6', un-pre-lit tree and no one will laugh when they see it. 

Long time....no posts

I just realized I haven't posted anything new in over a year.  WOW.  So much has happened.  I don't even know where to start.

Since last post...

I had the surgery on my arm.  Turns out my rotator cuff wasn't torn.  It was just folded in half and covered with bone spurs.  My real problem was that my Labrum (the shoulder socket rim) was almost completely torn off.  My doctor said it was one of the worst he's ever seen.  He didn't understand how I could do anything with that arm.  We determined that I have a very high tolerance for pain when after only 3 days I was off the pain meds, doing my therapy and back to doing stuff around the house.  What can I say, you can't keep a good woman down! 

On April 26th, 2011 a terrible weather system tore through Alabama, literally.  I was woken up around 5:30 am by our weather radio.  Around 6:00 am I was in the hall with my husband and son covered up listening to a tornado go over our house.  It was very eery hearing our roof being pulled and tugged by the storm.  Not to mention the things slamming against our house.  We were very lucky.  The storm did some damage to our roof, one of our shutters, knocked down some tree limbs and pulled up Eli's swing set.  Others were not so lucky.  Over 200 people lost their lives that day because of the storms.  My heart breaks even now when I think about the damage that was done.  Not only in property but in the lives of the people.  My son now gets terrified if it storms and I'm sure he's not the only child who went through that day that does. 

The following Friday Shane had surgery on his knee.  He was in a lot more pain then me for a lot longer time.  But then he IS a man!  I know that if I had to have my surgery over again I would because of how much it helped me.  I don't know if Shane would say the same.  He has what's called Pseudo-gout in his knee.  It makes crystal like formations in his joints.  There's really nothing that can be done about it. He was only suppose to be off for a week, that turned into 5 weeks because he was in so much pain.  I'm happy to say he's much better now.

Eli is doing great in school this year.  I think partly because he's more mature and partly because of his ADHD meds.  We just recently discovered that he has ADHD.  I just thought he was over-active, whinny, didn't listen and a pain in the butt because he was a kid.  Turns out it was from ADHD.  Who knew!  Now he isn't over-active,whinny, doesn't listen and a pain in the butt except before his meds and when they wear off.  So 4 hours out of the day compared to before is much more tolerable.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and are as excited about Christmas as I am.

Time to get the arm fixed and other tidbits from the Nguyens

For several years I've been having pain in my left arm.  Actually it's my shoulder where my arm goes into it.  It's gotten worse over the last year.  I finally broke down and went to see a Doctor.  Turns out I have a torn Rotator Cuff, Burcitus and bone spurs.  So I'm having sugery on November 10th.  Truthfully, it can't get here soon enough.  I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but after a while it starts to wear on me.  Plus the pain seems to be getting worse.  I told My Honey that was so that I don't back out of the surgery.  See I've never had surgery before, I've never been put to sleep and I've never been in the hospital.   Everyone keeps telling me that it's terribly painful to have this sugery done.  I'm not looking forward to that part but I'm looking forward to sleeping all night once I'm healed without waking up several times in pain.  Keep me in your prayers for the next few weeks. 

Eli got his 1st report card from school.  He did really great.  All S's and P's.  We saw his teacher at a ball game and she said he was doing great.  He read his first book to me last week.  I cried!  My baby is reading. 

Church talks, playsets, and school fundraisers

Boy do I have a lot to cover today!



For those who don't already know, I go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Commonly known as the Mormons. We don't have paid clergy so members of the church are asked to talk in our meetings. This past Sunday I got that privilege.

I tried all week to formulate my talk but nothing came together. I knew what I wanted to talk about but apparently that wasn't what I needed to talk about. I'm a firm believer that God works through us to help others. Maybe someone needed to hear what I said.

Next.....

My husband Shane (in white) and David at the start of the project.

Eli turned 5 on August 5th. As part of his present from us we ordered him a wooden play set. Of couse, it didn't come in until after his Birthday.  Then it rained every time Shane even talked about putting it together. Finally Sunday he got his brothe David over to help. It took them 7 hours, lots of ice water and a few "s" words but they finally got it together. And they did a darn good job.

 

Eli playing on the finished product

1st day as a blogger!

My friend Jan sent me a couple of blogs that she reads yesterday.  They were very cute and funny.  That lead me to think hey, I'm cute and funny so why not blog too.  So here I am!! 

Now my life isn't as exciting as others but what I lack in excitement I make up for with drama.  Usually not drama of my making but from those around me.  Jan tells me all the time that I have some strange people in my life and she's right.  Most of them I didn't choose to have in my life, it just happened.  Either by birth or by accident.

I expect you will get to know all the characters in my life if you continue to read my blog.  I promise it will be entertaining and probably a little sad when you realize these people really do exist.

My favorite characters will be my husband Shane and our son Eli.  Shane is the best husband in the world...on most days.  We've only been married for a year and a half.  It's the first marriage for both of us and I think God made us for each other.  Where I'm a high strung, planning, list maker.  He is laid back and goes with the flow.  We have never had what I would consider (judging by what I've observed from others) fight.  We disagree.  We get on each other's nerves but we just say what we think and move on.  The other one never gets offended nor do we say things to offend.  We are not perfect by any means but we are totally in love.

Eli is brilliant and gorgeous.  I know, I know all mothers think their kids are but he really is.  He asked his Dad last night how he got the prettiest girl.(He meant me in case their is any doubt.)  Oh did I mention he's a total Momma's boy. 

Gotta do something I'm not looking forward too.  Until later!