14 days, and counting!!

It's only 14 more days until we go away.. 2 weeks!! This time in two weeks, we'll be just starting to put the tent up and get it all organised so we can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach :D Can you tell I'm excited? Well, if you can't tell, then I definitely am!!!! haha The last 12 months have flown by, and I can't believe we are almost there again! I feel like a kid in a candy store lol I just want to be up there, like, RIGHT NOW! Really, if you ever visit Australia (or Queensland, if you are already an aussie), take the time to visit Hervey Bay. It really is a little piece of magic. It's quiet, the water is calm.. the caravan park we stay at is immaculate, and while the washers and dryers are way overpriced, the bathroom block is kept so clean. You have to have a key to get into the bathrooms (unless someone doesn't shut the door properly and then ANYONE can get in *sigh*). Really.. I'll post ALOT of photos once we get home, and you'll know what I mean. I think it will be our holiday spot for the next 10 years or so. And once the kids are old enough and don't want to vacation with us anymore, we may still go, or may find somewhere else to go holidaying.

The easter break is nearly over.. its gone way fast. The kids got a visit from the easter bunny, and this year, they didn't get alot. I find that while they are excited to get the chocolate bunnies and eggs, they don't ever eat them all. So this year they got either a bunny or big egg, and then 5 smaller eggs, and they were happy as larry with that! So next year will be the same. I was constantly finding smashed up easter eggs all over the rugs, so maybe next year might even be just a big bunny and a toy.. maybe.. we'll see what happens :)

So my gall bladder pain seems to be under control lately. I'm not having to take pain relief anywhere near as often as I was. I'm still watching what I eat, but sometimes the naughty stuff does get through, and I find if I eat a little of it, every few days, I'm ok. But its when I'm having large doses of fatty food regularly, that's when I'm in trouble. So its good to know I can still treat myself every now and then, and as long as I keep it in moderation, its all good! Thank goodness for that!

We went for a drive last weekend up to O'Reillys in the Gold Coast hinterland. Mind you, we finally got there after the Navman (GPS)... GOT US LOST!!!!!!!!!! Yes, the Navman navigated us in the totally wrong way LOL So an hour later, we were on the right track, and by the time we got up the top of the mountain, we only had around an hour to look around before we had to head back down to pick Sophie up from work on time. Next time we are going to look at going to Binna Burra for the day, but we're not exactly sure what is there, and how to get there. We're also looking at going for a visit to the Darling Downs zoo one day (not sure when though).. one of my online friends went yesterday, and looking at her photos, it looks like a great little zoo! It's not huge like the city zoos, but that can be better in a way.. so we are finally trying to venture out a bit more and get the kids used to behaving in public LMAO. Really.. its the one reason we really don't go anywhere.. because they are just total handfuls (the smaller two, that is). Lachlan is getting wonderful at behaving while we are out and about now, but we just need to get hte younger two to start listening and doing what we ask them to do. It will make trips out alot more fun, and alot more worth it. I know they are still only young, but they DO need to listen.. its not safe sometimes.

But that's about it for now. I really can't think of anything else highly exciting going on. Off to facebook for a while, and then go tidy up the house.

So it is decided..

I will be having my gall bladder removed. It will probably be in about 6 months time, but it will come out. I have one small (4.5mm) gallstone that is causing this on again-off again pain. My doctor said that even though there is only one, and its small, it is the small ones that can cause the most pain, because they can travel into the bile duct and block it off, causing enormous amounts of pain. So, for now, I just continue with the low-fat eating, and taking pain relief when needed. IF the pain becomes worse/unbearable, I am to go either straight to my doctor, or to the hospital emergency room. And if at that time the pain is bad enough to warrant it, they may take it out then. Who knows. All I can say is, I'm glad I have an answer, and will be relieved when it comes out and I am pain free. Like I have said, the pain isn't all the time, and while it is painful, its not "pass out" material just yet. I can't imagine it being much worse than it gets. But I have heard it gets quite excruciating. Fun!

So here's a pic of the little culprit.

The little dot that the arrow is pointing to is the little bugger. Just thought I'd share my insides with you all ;)

So the kids are now on easter holidays. They are off now until the 19th, and go back the 20th of April, unless they have a pupil free day on the monday (I never know when they are!). Then they are back at school for just under two weeks, and we go away for our yearly vacation! I CAN'T WAIT! I will share lots of photos of that when we get back, so beware LOL Photo overload. Now that I am learning more and more about our camera, I'm becoming alot more adventurous and excited to take different styles of photos. I can see me taking alot of bird photos ;) Seagulls and pelicans, and whatever else we may come across! Hopefully the dolphins will come out to play again, like they have the last two years, and I can grab some awesome pics of them. And of course, there will be photos of the fish we catch. And the kids playing on the beach. And the FIL and other half skiing. Oh WEEEEEEE.... now the excitement is REALLY building!

We're having lots of issues at the moment with Hayden coming in to our bed through the night. To begin with, it was the odd night, and then he'd go a few weeks before coming back in again. He kind of cycled with it, so it wasn't so bad. But now, it is EVERY NIGHT... I mean, usually 12.30am I am woken up to feel a little boy crawling at the end of our bed, working his way up the middle of Keith and I. We've learnt that if we put him back to bed, he keeps coming in. It's not too bad because he goes back to sleep straight away, but its really getting to become a bad habit with this boy. Three nights ago, Keith put him back to bed (fast asleep) 4 times in total. He ended up back in with me not long after Keith left for work. So it makes it a hard, restless night. He has moments where he reaches out to touch us, just for the comfort side of it, but he ends up touching all over my face, and if there is one thing I can't handle, its that. OMG It just annoys me LOL I know he means well, and that he's just searching for something familiar, but boy oh boy, stop it already! We've tried giving him a cuddle toy/blanket to go to bed with, but it doesn't work. Hopefully the two weeks away will get him out of the habit of crawling in with us, as we will be in the same room, but there will be NO room for him on the double blow up mattress with us LOL Just no way its gonna happen. He will be in a camping bunk right next to our mattress, so we can just take it in turns to lay on the side he'll be on, and reach out and get him back to sleep IN HIS OWN BED. Ugh. Really. He's nearly 3. It's got to stop.

Speaking of that. He's nearly 3. Where has the last 3 years gone? My baby is far from being a baby anymore :( I love them being babies, and to know that my last is way past that, is just so saddening. But at the same time, I AM looking forward to them being that little bit older, where we can look forward to sleeping in (all my kids end up being ones who sleep late of a morning lol).. so that's only a year or so away (IF Hayden decides that his bed is better than ours.. how are we going to make that happen?).

Anyway, I've rambled enough, and have run out of things to talk about (I have no life hehe).. so I will sign off again, until next time. I hope you are all well!

Surgery, my sister is home, and general waffle..

On Tuesday, I picked my sister up!! She is home! WOOHOO! We had a BIG mix-up with flight details and all that, and ended up missing her getting off the plane, but after the mixup was cleared, we found her down at the baggage claim area, and boy, was it good to get a great big hug from her. I haven't seen her in a year, and while we kept in contact on the net, it just wasn't the same! I was hoping to get some pics of her and I at the airport, but after the schamozzle, all we wanted to do was get in the car and go home. Poor honey, I felt so bad. I still think she thought we weren't there :( But I've been having a great time catching up with her and having good chats of an evening when everyone has gone to bed :) I've SOOOOOO needed to just chat about anything and everything with someone, and who better than my sister right? :D

Now, about the surgery part.. I've been feeling quite sick for the last couple of weeks. I put off going to the docs because 1) I thought that it was just a recurrance of the tummy pains I used to get (but haven't experienced for a few years), and 2) because my two youngest are DREADFUL to take with me. They run around the surgery waiting room, and don't listen. But by Tuesday night I was in so much pain, that I asked Sophie to stay home, and asked my sister if she minded helping Sophie to watch the kids for me while I went and got looked at. They were both fine with that (thank goodness!), and off to the docs I went on Wednesday morning. Keith had stood on a big stone the night before and got a HUGE blood blister on the heel of his foot, and wasn't walking properly, so said he might come home early from work on the wednesday, so I thought that was ok, he'd be able to take over watching the kids. So I wait for about an hour, and finally get called in to see my doc. I was in there for about 2 minutes and my mobile rang (my doc was on the phone anyway, so he was ok with me answering my phone LOL), so I answered it, and it was Keith.. he was in the waiting room of the docs LOL I told him I wouldn't be too long. So with both my doc and I off our respective phones, he asks me what was happening, and I gave him a rundown of all my symptoms and tried to describe the pain the best I could. It isn't a pain that I have felt before, so I didn't quite know how to describe it. Kind of like a burning, slightly crampy feeling just under my ribcage. So he gets me to lay on the bed and has a poke and prod around my belly area. Most areas were ok, except for quite a tender spot around my liver area. Hmm.. it didn't feel too nice! So then he got me to breathe out, he placed his fingertips just under my right ribcage, and told me to breathe in deep. Well, I probably got to about 1/4 of that deep breath in, and I hit the wall, yelled out and tried to get away from his hand. IT HURT LIKE HELL! Omg.. it was awful! So he stopped the examination and told me I could hop down, so I did, and went and sat back in the chair next to his desk. He told me he thought it was more than likely my gall bladder that was the culprit, but wanted a blood test and ultrasound done to confirm. I had the blood test done straight away, and booked in my u/s for next Tuesday. I went back yesterday and the results of my blood test were clear, but I am slightly iron deficient (which isn't unusual for me!). He said we could rule out an infection of the gallbladder or liver, because my levels would be elevated if that was the cause. So he said to have the u/s done and come back with the results and go from there. He said he would be VERY surprised if it showed no gall stones. He said if the u/s comes back with even 2-3 gallstones, he will be immediately referring me to a surgeon to get the offending gall bladder removed. That surprised me because I thought they let it go until it was unbearable. But he said it would be much better to get it removed straight away, because it only gets worse, and it only gets much more painful, so remove it before it gets to that stage. So I will wait until Tuesday for the u/s to be done and go from there, but I'm fairly sure that's what is going on. YAY me.. yet one more health issue going on. Does it ever stop?

Keith and I went to the football last night. My sister offered to babysit for us while she is here, which was absolutely wonderful. Not a great game to go to (our team got beaten.. poor playing from our team). But it was nice to just get out of the house and be able to focus on something without the kids running amok. And it is currently 8.30am, Lachie went to work with Keith, and the other three are still off in dreamland! So I'm enjoying the peace and quiet before they wake up!! And it has given me a chance to update here and really concentrate on what I am writing (not that it probably shows haha).

So, are you a facebooker? I am. I love my facebook. I have caught up with soooooo many people from my childhood/school life that I probably would never have found without it. It's awesome! And a great way to keep in touch with family that is spread around all over the place! If you haven't facebooked yet, try it! I know you'll love it! Lots of fun things to do there. It's my #1 stop every day. The first place I visit, and I'm constantly checking what's going on :D

Digiscrapping. I haven't scrapped anything in about two months, and I just have no desire to. It's awful. I used to love scrapping pages, but I just don't have it in my anymore. It's sad really, but I guess its like most things.. when its gone its gone.. trying to push it will only make it more frustrating, and what's the point in that? One day I may get it back, but for now, I can't see that happening. Such is life!

Today is going to be a fairly quiet day I think (I HOPE!!). I'd love to get out in the car and take some piccies of random things, but I don't think that will happen. There was a photography meet this morning at Queensland Raceway to photograph bikes and practice panning, but with Keith working, I am NOT going to drag my kids along on my own. I'd never get any photos taken. I am yet to manage to get to a photo meet. It's not because I don't want to go, its just timing. And fuel money. And our gear isn't that flash (will be getting new lenses at tax time!).. but it really is just bad timing. They had a huge meet last weekend, but I couldn't make it because Sophie worked both saturday and sunday, and it was her birthday on the saturday as well. So I couldn't really venture too far at all :(. There will definitely be one meet that I will eventually get to!!! I swear on it LOL

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me. I've run out of things to talk about, so until I update again, I hope all is well with you and your families :) Cheerio!!