2.5--Chinese Spring Festival

Happy New Year, CHINA!

It's been great to have some culture to our same ol', same ol' American lives. After having Chinese children we have learned some very interesting things...like there is no Christmas in China...there is also no New Years! Actually, I take that back, the new year is based on the moon, not January 1st!! So February 5th was when we were able to celebrate the Chinese New Year with our daughters!! My camera died, so I didn't get many pictures.

Program...li'l blurry.

All o' us bringing in the Chinese New Year!

Wishing A Happy New Year in Chinese!

A group o' boys did a dance, it was probably my favorite.

Backstreet Boys?

Because there is no Christmas, no presents; however, there are a lot o' Chinese traditions. One o' the Chinese traditions is that parents and grandparents will fill a red envelope with lots o' money! So at each o' our tables there was a red envelope with a paper with a number written on it. Whoever got #1 got to go first to eat...
Ah...yes...we were #17 out o' 20!!

Our tickets...YEAH!!

I just thought this looked cool...

Some fancy music while we ate...

My plate...lots o' food to try!!

Ace's plate...

A beautiful piano piece...

She did a great job.

This boy sang a popular Chinese song.

I thought he did a great job!
...but I didn't know the words, or the tune!

At the end o' his song, a few girls ran up to him and put garland around his neck to congratulate him for doing such a great job singing.

What a wonderful job!

And then my camera died, and I wasn't able to get anymore pictures. Boo...I didn't even get a picture o' us with my daughters...it's so sad! Maybe next Chinese New Year, yeah? We had a great time, it was fun trying all the different foods, and the performances were fantastical!

THE END!!!

2.3...Altoona Hospital (Thurs)

After finding out that no one was planning on coming up to visit me, I felt a li'l neglected. Adam was going to come up, but he told me, he'd rather work on cleaning the house tonight so when I come home tomorrow, the house will be clean and I can RELAX! You can't argue with that! Then my phone rang around 4:00 p.m., it was the Donnelly family. They had practice up in Altoona and wanted to stop by for a visit! YAY!! VISITORS!! When they came I told them that I barely took any pictures because either nobody has come to visit me or I was in too much pain to take a picture, Jen made sure I had plenty o' pictures.

Kara, Katrina, Kelsey, Me, David

Haha...don't think we were ready for this one.

On Tuesday night, I got a roomie--Jean. She came to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing. I took one look at her and immediately thought o' Mrs. Weldon. I'd watched Mrs. Weldon all through middle school and high school. She was 90 when I first started watching her and she lived to be 97 (I think). I'd get to her house around 9:00 p.m., lock her door, check to make sure her phone wasn't off the hook, check the basement for bugs/water, help her take her medicine, take the garbage out, help her get ready for bed, put her hair net on, paint her finger nails if she needed it done or clip off any hangnails or anything, then I'd check the toilet, brush my teeth and go to bed! Every night that's what my evening consisted o' for those 7 years! Sorry to get side tracked there for a minute, but back to the original story...GENE! Gene reminded me o' Mrs. Weldon. The way her false teeth clicked together when she talked, the way she can't hear her loudly, ringing phone when it's laying not even an arm's length away, and the way we get along and I'm always having to do everything for her and helping her out. She's so sweet! Couldn't have asked for a better roomie! (:

My Roomie--Jean!

Me & Jen...Thanks Jen...this was SO sweet!

Jen's silly face...

My silly face...

Me and Kara's silly face...

Me and Kelsey...our silly faces.

David proposing to me!

He was really nervous to ask me...

He got on one knee...I was SHOCKED!

Eh...kinda blurry!!

Haha...Kelsey had just fallen...

There...now THIS is a silly picture!!


*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
I got a brand new BOYFRIEND!!

I needed to blow some stink off myself. So, after they gave me my pain shot, I unplugged my IV pole, and away I walked. They wanted me to try to get up and get moving. As I began walking around the hall, I passed an elderly gentle man in navy blue sweat suit. I came around the next turn and behold there he was walking towards me again. As we passed each other, he slowed down as if he waned to engage in a conversation with me.

He asked, "Hey, they making you walk too?"

I chucked, "Yes."

He then proceeded to ask me if I was interested in walking a few laps together. I excitedly agreed, for if there is something I hate, it's being by myself! We began walking and talking, I learned his name was Gene, which just happens to be my gram's name, and also the name o' my roomie here in the hospital.

As we started walking closer to passing his room, a nurse came walking out and yelled, "Look out! The Hellion is getting up out o' his bed!! I turned to Gene with a quizzical look. Gene told me that "the Hellion" was his roommate. Through the open door I sawl a very tall, skinny old man. His white, bushy beard looked like he had lost his razor for a couple month. He moved rather quickly towards us as he pushed his squeaky wheeled oxygen tank. When he caught up with us he gave a toothless smile and said, "Hey pretty lady, can I have the honor o' walking through the halls with you?" I was flattered so I said, "O' course you can!" Our walk continued as we were quite the sight to behold--Two old, hairy men walking with some cute li'l girl. The nurses were laughing at us. Well, after a couple more laps, I told the boys I better get back to my room, my legs were getting tired. So the two old med, who felt like they were young again, walked me to my door and asked if they could walk with me tomorrow. How could I resist these sweet old men!

After I got settled back in my bed, one o' the nurses came into my room and told me, "We have been trying to get "the Hellion" to get out o' bed and walk for the past couple days with no success. You walk by his room twice and he is running out o' his room. Girl, if we would've known that was all it took to get him out o' bed, we'd have made you been walking days ago!" Haha...it was so cute and really just made me giggle. I had really needed that laugh!

My BF--Gene.

He wanted to be about 60 years younger!
Oh what a funny funny story! Thanks Jen, Kara, Kelsey, David, Katrina for stopping by to visit me. It was so much fun! Thanks for doing a mini photo shoot with me so I had a few pictures.

THE END!!!

2.2--Altoona Hospital (Wed).

The roads this week have been really crappy and not so good to drive on. Lots o' school delays, early dismissals, and even a cancellation. So when the weather is bad, everyone gets scared to travel. This hospitalization has been very lonely due to the fact that nobody wanted to drive in the bad weather.

I am very thankful for my family all driving up to visit me today! It was very nice to see Ray, Linda, and Gram. Gram had a follow-up doctor's appointment today (Wednesday) from her hip surgery. The doctor said that she was doing really well, and at this appointment her doctor would be making the decision on whether or not Gram would be allowed to drive!! At church on Sunday, Gram asked for prayer that the doctor would say, "yes"; however, when the asked for prayer request from my mother, her prayer was that the doctor would say, "no!" Haha...so what did the lady praying ask God for...."yes" or "no"...? Well, she prayed that God's will be done. So you can imagine the BIG grin on Gram's face when she heard the wonderful news that he said YES!

Linda and Gram stopped by for a visit.
Please notice how proud Gram is o' her hip x-ray!



When she walked in to see her doctor, she was twirling her cane and doing a li'l jig. She also made sure that doctor sawl how she invented how to bend/swing down to pick up something on the floor. Gram had the doctor rolling in laughter...she's such a hoot! One day I want to be just like her. She makes me giggle!! My gram is so awesome...LOVE her!
Gram and her twirling cane.


After work, Mama heard that Adam wasn't going to be up and that Ray, Linda, and Gram were the only ones that stopped by. So she decided to make a trip up and she spent the evening with me. We watched some movies, and Mama played with my hair and scratched my back. Let me just tell you...I miss Mama scratching my back and playing with my hair!

Haha...Mama and her eyes that never close.


Haha...and I thought was the one on drugs!


Ah...FINALLY this one is better!!
SO thankful for such a wonderful family willing to brave the bad weather to come visit me, bring some cheer, and brighten my day! I just love my family!

THE END!!!

2.1--Altoona Hospital (TUES)

Today was a nice day...I actually had three people stop to visit me. So...thanks to everyone who made the effort to visit me. You really have no idea how much it means to me. Also, to those who have called me or texted me, again, thanks! If it weren't for your calls or texts or visits, I'd be really struggling. Thanks so much! Enjoy the pictures from my Tuesday!

A St. Francis PA Student interviewed me.

The view outside my window...

See the flag pole?

Such a pretty view...

Steph spent the day pampering me!

She painted my nails...Auburn Univesity! (:

I drew special heart ones for Valentines Day.

My Valentines Day Tootsies...

Haha...the nurse thought we were sisters.

My cute li'l buddy, Jasmine...

Me and Jesse (Jasmine's brother)...

For Stephen..."Foods that boost your MOOD!"

Third time's a charge?

Great Success!!

Anchoring the catheter...

Old infiltrated IV.

I think this picture just looks cool!

Every day, the Altoona Regional Hospital's chaplin, Reverend Mark Rhodes will walk around the hospital to encourage all o' us sickies and find out if we need anything. Today, when he stopped by, I was sleeping. So he left me a note. How sweet, right?

Note from Rev. Mark Rhodes

I'm still not allowed to eat or drink anything at this point. Tomorrow (Wednesday) they will start me on some clear liquids to see how that goes. They started me on oral Prednisone this a.m. (Tuesday a.m.) and it really made my belly sick. Zofran was given to me to help with the nausea, and it did help; however, it still made me not want to eat. We'll see if it is better tomorrow. Keep on keeping on, right?

THE END!!!