Ok, it's been a while

Well I have no excuse...I have been MIA, Where to begin....Christmas was great....however after Christmas I had a bout with a kidney stone. I have a type of kidney disease in which your kidney's produce tons of stones. I have seen a nephrologist for this and am supposed to be on a low sodium diet, take a water pill and watch my intake of oxalates...oh and drink 3 liters of water a day(HA HA) I hate water. If I could drink 3 liters of water in 3 months it would be a miracle. Any way I have never had pain and no kidney stone had ever came out of my kidney...so needless to say for the past 3 yrs I did not take my meds or follow the advice of my Doctor....did I say I love salt??? Well since before Vietnam I would get these pains in my back and abdomen that would last a day or so and go away...I figured it was nothing. Well, in Vietnam it happened again where I was curled up like a baby for a few hours in some pretty bad pain and then it just stopped. I was not going to see a Doctor there so I was so glad it went away on it's own. Then at the end of December it happened again but it was misery. I was in so much pain with nasea and and I could not keep any thing down I made a trip to thee ER and they told me it was a kidney stone.....gave me pain med and sent me home and told me I would probably pass it...they did not give me a strainer and I quit hurting so I thought well I guess I passed it. I had a regular check up with my General Doctor and he read the scan results and asked if I had a follow up scan, I said no. He was shocked...he said the results of the scan said the stone was 6mm and no way did I pass it.. So I had a follow up scan on Friday, woke up Sunday dying in pain and called him at home. He called the radiologist and yes the stone was still there. Ended up needing surgery and they broke it up with a lazer...the urologist said it was huge...apparently bigger than 6mm and I had it there for several months...my kidney was not functioning and I was lucky that I did not lose it. Any how....I lost a lot of weight from it...24 lbs...which I needed to lose but I prefer not that way. So now I am doing much better, taking my meds, lowering the salt and am drinking more...cool aid, grape and lime...but no not any plain water.

The kids are doing great. Tommy , my oldest, is getting so tall....He is 13 and almost as tall as me now...I am 5'10. He is getting lean and taking on that not a little boy anymore look and it is so strange. I am not sure how I feel about him growing up. It makes me feel old....but it is nice to see him maturing. He is doing great in school and did well this year on the academic team. He does so well in math and social studies. He goes to Louisville next month for the state math compition for the academic team.

Alex is doing good in school also...he seems to do well in social studies and math like his brother. He really is creative and is a hands on kid. He loves to draw and cook. He helps his Dad with mechanical stuff in is a wiz on the computer...I often need his help cause I am lost on this thing. That is why I have 2 identical pics on my last post and I cannot figure out how to take one off. Oh well.

Anthony is also doing good in school and math is his strong point. His favorite thing in the world is play station and he wants to be a game maker...I guess thats what you would call it...and he wants to design games for play station. He is only 9 and I am sure that may change a thousand times.

Sydney is also doing great...she is 9 mos old, has a tiny sliver of a tooth coming in...a head full of hair, 15.9 lbs, eats anything you give her and gets mad if you are eating and don't feed her it too...no matter how full she may be ( which is hard to beleive for how tiny she is),is just starting to get close to crawling, not standing or pulling up yet, still sleeps all night...says da da, ma ma, throws a ball, and shakes her head no, and at the point of getting into anything she can get to. The boys are still great with her and she really has been a wonderful blessing and has each one of us wrapped around her little finger. I am enjoying every minute with her and am blessed to be home with her. I only work on Tuesdays and my Mom and sister watch her then. Other than that she is never away from me.

Tom is doing good, his job is going well and he absolutely spoils Sydney...it is pretty neat to see him with her. He heats up her towel by the fire so it is warm after her bath, heats up her baby lotion .... Dresses her by the fireplace....spa treatment. He has been having trouble with his knees so I am praying he can get some relief..I hate to see him in pain...he is such a work horse and I hate to see him struggling with that.

Well a little update since I have been so bad at blogging. My next job is getting all my tax stuff together...so I may be MIA for a bit. And Jennifer Hanks if you are reading this....I know you tagged me but I don't know how to do that link thing you are talking about so I will call you and make you walk me through it.

Oh, last but not least CONGRATULATIONS LYNN SIEGLER....my best friend since kindergarten is having a baby...this will be her second. Yippeeee. She lives in Texas and we will be praying for a happy, healthy, non-throwing up pregnancy for you.

And prayers for my friend Sarah Apple who is still WAITING and WAITING for a travel call to go pick up her baby boy from Vietnam. Hang in there girl.

Until taxes are done,
Ruth