What a couple of weeks.

I suppose it's high time that I published something for my readership. You know how it is, you just get busy. Since my last post, I was preparing mentally and physically to go to Women's Conference. It takes so much preparation to leave your family behind and go do something.

I went to Women's Conference with Elizabeth, Valynn, and Julee. Together we comprise the Primary presidency for the Baywood Ward of the Skyline Stake. We prearranged for the Stake Primary presidency to fill in for us, as we would be traveling home on Sunday.

We left on Wednesday morning and stayed at my uncle in-law's place in Springville. He was an excellent host and we were very comfortable there for what little time we spent there. The conference was on Thursday and Friday. We were exhausted as we hoofed it all over the BYU campus to get to the various classes. We lost an hour going to Utah. What a precious gift when we got that hour back when we got home!

Saturday we did the SLC thing. It pretty much rained all day, but we didn't care. We did a session at the Salt Lake Temple, ate lunch at the Joseph Smith building, and perused the shops around Temple Square.

All in all, we had a great time. Then, I got home.



I have begged, cried, wailed, and pleaded that somehow, someday I could come home from somewhere and that my family (read: husband) would bless me with the glorious gift of having filled my place so seamlessly that it would not require me to spend the next week cleaning up what was bequeathed to me. Am I asking too much? I think not since I also had to make up for the 3 days of work that I missed as well.

Heaven help me.

While I was away, the mouse was at play.

This is Charmen. Yes, the Charmen you all know and love reporting back for her very own blog duty. It would appear that my husband, Lee, (we will from this moment forward refer to him as "The Hacker") has the capability of breaking into my blog. He will not tell me how he did it; some IT secret. What is the point of a password, HE changed it!

The Hacker was informed by myself to not let anyone know that I had been to the hospital (again!) for the same 4mm pain in the kidney. Okay, I didn't know it at the time, I just knew I was in severe pain. I couldn't stand up without, how shall we say this delicately, holding myself in an inappropriate in public manner? You weren't there! You don't know! I had to try and do SOMETHING to counter the pain!

Enter Brittany. I love this girl and trust her with my life. I couldn't get The Hacker on the phone, so I call my trusty daughter and she came and saved the day. The Reader's Digest version of the "Rest of the Story" is simply this. I was admitted to have the stone surgically removed and darn it all if 1 hour prior to the procedure, that little monster was ejected from the premises. It now sits at the kidney stone museum for young moms and dads to take the young ones to see and use as a cautionary tale.

I would like to express my deep thankfulness to those who visited me, called me, texted me, and quite frankly put up with me. I am grateful for the love and concern of family and friends. It sure makes going through the sucky things in life much more manageable. You are all my "angels". Thank you.

P.S. I've already forgiven The Hacker. He's kind of cute, don't you think?

...and this too, shall pass...

Charmen is out of the hospital!

Her kidney stone decided to pass afterall.

Whoo hoo!

The men are in charge!

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lee. Yes, the Lee that Charmen is always bragging about: Lee snores, Lee cusses, Lee will not take the trash out...

My wonderful bride of these many years, is ailing, but she does not want anyone to know. So, in this vane, if you do not know Charmen or do not want to know she is sick, please close your browser now.

Those in the know, know that Charmen has a kidney stone. Darn if that thing just will not pass peacefully. She is currently in the hospital getting yet another CT scan to see where it is. She will likely be spending the night at the hospital at Higley and the 60; Banner Gateway, Banner Another Banner Hospital, Look There's Another Banner Hospital, or something like that.

To her friends, these are the gals that know how to play Bunco and may have scored a bunco or two on her, she could use a friendly call to cheer her up. I will not give out her cell phone number here, you will need to call me at home or just show up to the hospital.

Remember, Lee did not say anything, he just cracked a password or two.

Poor me

I suppose this is the cosmos exacting revenge for my incredibly cruel (to my son, Mark) April Fools' prank. The pains started about a week and a half ago. A little twinge here, an hour of pain there. It would always relent though. Then came 8:00pm last Thursday evening. The pain hit yet again and this time decided to stay, so I left for the ER.

Yes, it's a stone. About 4mm in size. Nothing too cute, of course. The mention of the word "stone" conjurs to the mind a rock with smooth surfaces, glistening in the sunlight as the creek water rushes over it. Google "pictures of kidney stones" and see how scary they can really be!

I had made a promise, written in blood, that I would never go through this experience ever again in life! The first and last kidney stone I had was the same one. I was 7 months pregnant with Mark, nearly 14 years ago and this one was the size of an M&M. A plain chocolate one, not the peanut or almond ones. Anyone ever notice that they tend to compare it with something so inocuous that it sounds like it should be a pleasant experience? I ended up with a nephrostomy tube in my kidney for 3 months!

What is a nephrostomy you ask? Well, this is what they do when there is a little bambino in the oven and they can't do anything else to/for you. They insert a tube through your back, and stop every few millimeters to ultrasound where the tube is, until it is inserted in the kidney. Let me just say, that this is done with no anesthesia and hurts like a very hot place.

The tube is attached to a little pouch that is connected to a very cute, stretchy "belt" that is worn under the shirt and fills up with your, you guessed it, urine! Anytime I went shopping I was afraid that the store security would think I was shoplifting and that I would, at some point, get to lift up my shirt and show them my cache of stolen goods.

Right now I have four prescriptions added to my daily routine. One of the prescriptions, Flomax, is routinely prescribed to men with enlarged prostates. Are we trying to tell me something? Brittany has been having a little fun with me and saying that I may come out with a lower voice when all is said and done.;)

I've got to go now. I need to make a quick run to the store and buy a "tea strainer".

Naughty

I'm naughty. I admit it. I've played a very cruel joke and now my son is mad at me. I got a phone call from my husband today asking if I was pregnant, to which I emphatically assured him to the negative. He didn't quite believe me at first; maybe I am a better liar than previously thought.

Mark read my blog post from yesterday this afternoon and had become very excited about the prospect of having a baby brother or sister. He was mad at me when I explained my April Fool's joke. I had no idea that this was something that he desired in his life.

I'm naughty.

Excuse me, I need to sit down for this one.

Okay where to begin. You all know that I have been sick right? I had been feeling really run down and low energy prior, so I had to have my "levels" checked. I just got my results.

I have always said that I never wanted to have children spaced so far apart that the oldest ones are already moved out or close to moving out. It seems wierd to have siblings that have never lived together, but nonetheless are. Anyone know where I'm going with this? It's too hard for me to say it. I thought I had learned to "never say never", because that's just like asking for it.

How do you start completely over again? I don't have anything! Oh, and the rest of the story is how do I tell Lee? He thinks we're done!