I woke up this morning to unbelievable pain in my right back as well as all over my body. I was nautious and feeling really sick. I had been sick the last few days but thought perhaps I just had the flu, although it felt different and more painful than the flu. I also felt the last few weeks as though I had the beginnings of a bladder infection. It burned to pee, but wasn't SO bad. Paul suggestion last night that we go to the ER, but I didn't want to go in and have them tell me I had the flu. This morning things changed. I woke Paul up at about 3:20am and told him I wanted a blessing. He asked if I wanted to go to the ER and I said yes. We tried to call friends from the ward, but no one was answering. (Odd, doesn't everyone jump for joy when they receive a call at 3:30am?!) We finally called our Bishop who came and helped give me a blessing, then stayed with the girls. At the ER the doctor said I probably had a bladder infection, kidney stones, a kidney infection, or appendicitis. After blood and urine tests it was pretty clear that I have a kidney infection. The dr said they admit 50% of kidney infection patients to the hospital because they are so nautious they can't keep anti-biotics down. He sent me home and said to return if I was vomiting a lot. Well, I don't throw up a lot so I surely must be an acception to the rule! I got home and fever struck again. I took a warm bath and had some toast and a pain pill. I laid down and, to my horror, I threw everything up. At this time Paul was at the dermatologist with the girls for an appointment with Hailey. He came home, fed the girls and put them both down for a nap, cleaned up all my nasty throw up, and called a ward member to come watch the kids so we could go back to the hospital. (By this time the pain was coming back because I couldn't keep down any medicine.) The ward member came with some sprite and told us it always made him feel better when he was nautious. I thought to myself, perhaps I can make it through the nausea. We sent the ward member to the store to get some saltines, and I had sprite and saltines for lunch along with some tylenol. Miraculously I was able to keep it down. Since then I have been eating small things constantly and taking pain medicine around the clock to keep up with the pain. All in all, it has been a great adventure and we are so grateful to ward members and friends who have helped take care of us and our girls (Our landlady even brought us over dinner! Panera Bread, one of my favorites!).
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pella Tulip Festival
The "big" windmill! The biggest one in North America, as a matter of fact.
We toured the big windmill and this is a picture of Paul and Aubrey at the top!
Aubrey tip toeing through the tulips!
Big wooden shoes!
Our family.
Pella Tulip Festival
Aubrey and the windmill.
Aubrey loved to touch and play with the tulips.
Aubrey and the dutch dancers.
There were dutch dancers/singers performing around the town. They were called The Dutchesses.
Welcome to Pella!
Yesterday we visited Pella, Iowa, to see the Pella Tulip Festival. Going to Pella was like traveling to a Dutch village; the architecture and surroundings were decidedly Dutch. The whole town of Pella must have been involved in the preparation and execution of the festival. Everywhere you looked, people had on their Dutch garb and wooden shoes. The town was beautiful and there were shops where we watched wooden shoe-making, grain grinding, and Dutch letter-making (these were yummy pastries shaped in an "S"). They have a grand parade with floats, Dutch dancers, and other fun things. We did not get to stay for the parade because the girls were tired after a long day and we had to go home. We did, however, get to visit a replicated Dutch village, tour a real grain windmill, visit a museum with a mineature replica of a Dutch village complete with a train going throughout, and eat a Dutch letter. In all, it was a fun time and we hope to return next year to see the grand parade.
