Lumps in the road

It's been a crappy week. I have been dieting and exercising regularly for 3 weeks and have actually GAINED 2 pounds. That in and of itself makes me want to just buy the biggest freakin' cake I can find and eat the whole dang thing in two minutes. Then on top of that, we have had to deal with double ear infections with Mae last week, and I've been dealing with crazy headaches this week. It seems like someone has been or had something strange since before Christmas. Stinkin' Spring CANNOT come soon enough for me!

Thursday afternoon, I noticed I had some weird lump in the side of my neck. It grew to eventually look like someone cut a golf ball in half and stuck it right inside my neck. I thought it was probably just a swollen lymph node or something since we've been fighting junk off. Accompanied with the headaches and strange feelings I've been feeling while working out, I decided to have it checked out yesterday. I have a good doctor. She's solid, knows her stuff, not the greatest bedside manner, but like I said, I don't need a best friend, I need a doctor. She follows up and get's stuff done. It was rather disconcerting to hear her say "I don't really know what that lump is. It's not a lymph node, could be a salivary gland, lets wait two weeks and see". Nice. I also informed her of some symptoms I've been having while working out which seemed to worry her more (my heart rate has jumped to over 200 several times, and I get the general feeling that the veins in my neck are closing to the point of passing out), so she had me do an EKG and next week I get to have one of those treadmill stress tests done. I'm sure it's all a moot point and everything is fine, but still, not my idea of fun.

So in the meantime, I will wait. The lump shrunk to the size of a quarter now, so I am praying it just keeps going down. It's annoying in the fact that it's their and I can feel it whenever I swallow or even breath. I will continue to work out as I feel like it and hopefully will see some results soon. Maybe I'm just that out of shape that I have to work on getting my heart rate regular........

Meet Caden. He's my cousin's new, not-so-little guy. He's large, naked, and on a piano. It doesn't get more perfect than that!

I realized I haven't put up a Christmas post....so, here goes. Just a few of the hundreds of pics taken.

Christmas Eve is the annual jammies, junk food, and story reading from papa. My grandparents don't need jammies, so this year my mom got them Snuggies.....cracked me up!

My sister got ahold of my camera (the big one) and did some picture taking. I have some competition out there I think.....

Christmas Morning, my wonderful husband had to go serve and protect the citizens of Champaign. He threw a fit (not a real one, a fake one) because we didn't have mashed potatoes and gravy for Christmas dinner, so my mom made him some special before he had to go to work. I think that was his favorite Christmas present. Personally, mashed potatotes for breakfast is not my thing.

He's pretty cute in that uniform huh? :)


OF course...the kids made out like bandits, as did mom and dad with a lovely canvas portrait of their girls....

My mom's favorite gift was when we sang her Christmas carols...first the girls sang "Where Are You Christmas" from The Grinch, then we followed up with Mariah Carey's version of "All I want for Christmas Is You". You just don't mess with Mariah, but mom liked it anyway.....the video will be locked in a vault never to be seen. Ever.

The next day, I bought a gingerbread kit on clearance and the girls and we all made houses.

Russ was very particular about his....

There was much much more, but that's the jist. I can't believe it has already come and has been gone for close to two weeks now, but such is life with kids right?

Sisterly love

It's no secret that Maebree's favorite parent is Faith. She even tattles to Faith about Russ and I. "Fai-fey! Mommy tell me no!" Hear it all day long......

I think I figured out why:) As if Mae could even read this.....but it was still cute.