i miss comments

Remember the days when people would comment on every post? I miss those days! Why don't people comment as often? Am I just too boring? What is it? It seems to me that there is an unwritten rule of etiquette when it comes to blogging: If you read someone's blog, the respectable thing to do is to leave a nice comment. Acknowledge the blogger with a few kind words. It's nice!

Why do I care? Hmmm . . . I'm not sure. I like to know who is reading my blog for one. And it's just nice to get a little feedback. Positive reinforcement I guess. It says, "Thanks for blogging. I enjoyed reading your post."

So . . . Please comment. :D

One Week Post-Surgery

I think that my first week after surgery has gone fairly well.

There has been some yummy food (and flowers) involved . . .

Mike made me the best sandwich for lunch the other day.
A friend brought flowers and cupcakes last night. :D

A friend made yummy orange chicken on Wednesday,

and another friend made chicken enchiladas with
beans and rice yesterday (we added some green sauce).

Yum!
Those are the good things.

Unfortunately, it is not ALL good.

I am trying to not be critical . . . but sometimes it's hard.

Like when Mike opens the saltines and says, "Why are these
always so hard to open?" How can you be alive on this planet
for so many years and not know how easy it is to open saltines??


It is also hard to understand why no one EVER wipes off the counters or the table.

These are some things that have made me happy in the past few days:

Super Hero nieces and nephews

(kaitlynn's picture is my new profile picture on facebook.
i just love that girl so much. and her sassy/confident look
with that mask on is exactly the attitude i want to portray.)

More nieces and nephews as Mrs. Claus, an elf & Santa


This video

BBL posted this on her blog today, and I love her for it.
First time I've smiled today.

So, I went for my follow-up appointment yesterday. I was disappointed to see the P.A. instead of the surgeon, but it turned out to be alright. This conversation was the funniest:

P.A. - "So, I was there during the surgery."
Me - "Oh, yeah, I remember someone saying 'Mitch is here' when they brought me into the operating room. I also remember moving onto the operating table. And then that's it."
P.A. - "Do you remember anything after the surgery?"
Me - "No."
P.A. - "You don't remember singing?"
Me - "Singing?? Are you serious??" (because he had a smirky smile on his face like he was pulling my leg)
P.A. - "Oh, yeah ... as we were wheeling you out of the operating room, you were singing Christmas songs along with the radio in the hallway."

Lol! Yep, that sounds like me!

He told me what I already knew, but it still came as a shock to me.
I will be wearing this sling, with my arm close to my side for SIX weeks.
SIX WEEKS!!!

That's a long time to keep your arm by your side.

Here are the pictures from the surgery:

I can't move my arm because the tendon needs to heal and attach itself to the bone.
Lovely. I didn't know that the tenodesis screw is bioabsorbable. That's cool.

He also said I shouldn't drive. I shouldn't put myself in a position
where I would instinctively use my arm. Yes, I understand that!
No driving for 6 weeks. Hmmm . . .

I won't even start physical therapy until the 6 weeks is up. Freak out!

this might gross you out, so i made the picture small.

i got my stitches out. my incision looks pretty good.

The good news is that I've found a way to sleep practically flat!
With the BedLounge, my comfy pillow and an extra pillow for support...

... I can sleep! I had Mike take this picture when he got up early this morning.
I was barely awake. No vanity here! Ha ha.
The most I have slept at once is 5 hours. Not much, but it feels good.

And that's my first week.

A New Recipe Box

One of my favorite presents I got for Christmas (that Mike actually forget to give me) is a gift certificate for a new recipe box. It was just a couple of weeks ago when I looked at my current recipe box and said, "Wow. That's gross." I've had it for 20 years!!

I looked at the Hallmark store and searched

around online, but didn't find anything I liked.

Then I thought of Etsy. Of course!
I found this recipe box on Etsy that is custom
made. The little lovebirds are SO cute.

These are the papers that she is going to use for my recipe box:

I can't wait to see the result!

Christmas 2011

We had such a nice Christmas this year. It was so quiet and relaxing.

On Christmas Eve we had fondue for dinner (bread w/cheese & meat w/oil), and then moved into the family room for our annual Christmas Eve program. We read from Luke, and sang songs as we saw fit. It was nice! Matthew was our designated reader, and read in a big booming voice. It was great! Especially when he read this part: "And Joseph also went up from Galilee . . . To be taxed with Mary his EXPOSED wife, being great with child." Oops!

After the program, the kids opened a grandparent present.

Collin was kind enough to take pictures. :)

Matthew pretty much knew what he was getting from the Shepherds
since he gets the Ripley's Believe It or Not & Guinness World Record books
from them every year. So, he went for the other grandparents' gift which was
a weather forecaster. But then he regretted not opening the books since he
enjoys reading those on Christmas Eve! He was a little bummed.

Michael opened the Shepherds' gift . . .


. . . Redekai and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Exciting!


Lauren gave Mike a special gift that she got at the theatre.


Black socks! She thought it was hilarious. He was not amused.


Collin was dying to know what the big present from the Toveys was . . . a toaster oven!

Doesn't Collin make the best faces? He was so excited.
He's been wanting a toaster oven forever!

Lauren also opened her present from the Toveys.

She got an itunes card and a necklace.



The necklace is really cool . . .



When you spin it, it says "It is what it is."

We decided to wake up at 7am on Christmas morning. We had to wake up Michael and Lauren. Silly kids! Mike was not moving very quickly, so we all waited downstairs for him.

I took all of these pictures with my phone.
And I'm not in any of them :(

Michael was super excited to open his Santa gift, expecting a 3DS.
He was all over the room! But Santa playe a joke on him and only
gave him the game. That wasn't very funny. Sorry, Michael!


Santa gave Matthew two Xbox games.

Lauren got some prints for her room.

Collin was not thrilled with the vegetable chopper Santa gave him.

But then he realized that it was another cruel joke, and saw a knife inside.
I can't believe Santa finally gave in and got Collin a knife. Makes me nervous!

Oh, good . . . Michael got his 3DS from Mom and Dad.


And we gave Matthew the Turtle Beach headphones he wanted for the Xbox.


Lauren got an American Express gift card,

and Collin got a Kindle.

I got a bunch of nice things from my husband.

Isn't he funny?

Everyone was happy.

Oh, and Mike got his beloved molcajete.

He was making the funniest faces while opening it!

I slept the rest of the morning and gave in to not going to church. That was sad.
But the day really was perfect. Mike made the best Mexican food for dinner. :)

It was a Very Merry Christmas!