Easter Chicks!

Neeley has to take a treat for preschool tomorrow so we decided to make our Easter chicks in their nests again. We got the recipe for them from our friend Sarah Granata a few years ago and have made them ever since. We think they are adorable and the kids can help. Neeley and Kayla have been staying at Shauna's house since Sunday. She dropped them off today and was headed up to Mom's to help out so she left the girls here to play with Neeley and Kayla. Cassidie and Linzie have been a great help and have entertained the girls very well. They helped make the treats too!

Last Thursday I went in to have surgery to have my gallbladder out. I started out at the surgery center, went through the whole admittance process, cried as they wheeled my bed into surgery. I was really scared and I am sure it didn't help Jeremy much to see me being wheeled away crying! When I woke up they were rushing me to feel less pain so I could get dressed up to go over to the hospital for a second operation. The first one went well but they found that I had several stones stuck in my bile ducts. So I had to get dressed and go over to the hospital. Jer pulled up to the ER doors and got the wheel chair to wheel me in. Then I had to go through the whole admittance process again while I was sitting there in agony. Then they had me get back into the lovely gown and wait. This time when they wheeled my bed away I was in too much pain to cry. When we got into the operating room they told me to roll over on to the operating table onto my stomach. I thought they had to be joking after having been cut into in 4 different places on my stomach, but no! Then they put this weird cup thing in my mouth and I was put out again. They stuck a tube down my throat, into my stomach and up the bile duct past the stones that were lodged in it. Then they blow up a balloon and drag it back out so it drags the stones out with it. Jeremy says that I was really weird when I woke up this time. I kept asking the same questions over and over again. I also kept telling the nurses, "Thank you for taking care of me" over and over again. At that point, I really was thankful! After a bit of recovering they got me dressed again and Jeremy brought me home. Thanks to Grandma Dopp we didn't have to worry about the kids until bed time that night and Lilah was even taking a bottle!
We are so thankful for all of the help we had during all of this. We had dinner from my sister in laws Nikki and Richelle and from a few people in our ward. And thanks to the family for fasting for us. Karen came and helped me on Saturday while Jer and the girls got out of the house, and Shauna took the girls for a few days. We have also had countless calls from friends and family to check on us. You really start to see how loved you are when times get tough. It is so nice to have an army of people around you who care. Jeremy has also been so supportive. He has taken over everything and given me time to recover. Finally today I am starting to feel better. I am still not up to speed. In fact it is 5 pm right now and I am ready for bed. But each day I have been feeling a little better. I am sure it will take a few weeks before I am back to feeling "normal" (if there is such a thing) but we have a start.