The holidays!

I will post pictures soon, but I'll catch you up on the holidays first! Christmas was amazing! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. We had a nice quiet Christmas at home, the kids and Loren and I just enjoyed the day together. BEFORE that began...Aubrey woke up at 1 am, Loren had to send her back to bed. then I had to get up at 4 to go to the bathroom and ALL three of the kids were up, lights on dog happy...I sadly made them all go back to bed too..we all fell asleep again because I woke up at 7:30 and the whole house was asleep. I got up and woke the kids up...They were so excited. I put our traditional breakfast casserole in the oven and it started cooking while we opened presents. That is the best idea my mom ever had was to make that the night before, put it in the oven before we start presents and then its usually done when we are. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

We were blessed this year, we had a great wonderful Christmas the kids got a couple of pairs of pants, a couple of shirts...and a couple of things the kids wanted it was not over kill, it was just simple, and beautiful.

We spent a couple of days after Christmas watching movies and just being together. Then Loren started going back to work, I had a procedure, and life was back going again. Until my dad was put into the ICU right after Christmas, for blood clots, stress on his heart, he had been sick a few days, his enzymes with his heart were elevated a lot. His liver function was not good. Then they realized that they (they is the hospital) were under medicating him, (this is after they over medicated him the first few nights he was in the hospital) so they stressed out his heart and he was sick because of the pain. I'm so sad my poor dad had to deal with all this, he is 74 almost 75. On Sunday before New Years dad was put in a regular room and all seemed to be going well.

On New Years Eve, Loren went back into the ER for yet more kidney stones...seriously because my dad and my husband I am about done with hearing about hospitals. Loren was so sick, the pain came on so fast he could hardly catch his breath. The missionaries from our Church gave him a priesthood blessing before he went to the hospital and blessed him he would be OK no pain and pass the stone. He has never passed a stone before, Loren passed the stone in the hospital, the scan showed that the stone had passed. His pain stopped and he was sent home, got home 30 minutes before the ball dropped!!! So we gathered our family around just before midnight, poured sparkling cider, said a prayer and watched the new year ring in! It was sweet!

On January 2nd we went to see a specialist..Loren's kidney issues have caused him to have to reduce his sodium to 2,000 mg a day (a teaspoon has 2,300 mg in it) and a low protein diet..I have no idea how to cook anymore. After all the tests blood and urine done we are now dealing with this whole lifestyle change...I am feeling old now. I'd love ideas...I am looking into a more plant based diet for all of us. Yes we all need to lose weight so this is not necessarily a bad thing, but its a HUGE change!!

So, that about catches everything up. I'll post pictures soon!