More Christmasing

Christmas Day the kiddies opened gifts from Santa-- no lumps of coal at our house this year!

My new, er used, umm-- my Christmas cat, who is five years old and named JC, decided he likes me.

The day after Christmas we went to the in-laws house.

Gifts were exchanged and supper was consumed. We didn't stay long, as Glenn needed to rest and I wanted to get back to my cat!

Christmas lasts for an entire season, beginning at Thanksgiving and ending sometime after New Years!

I don't know if it's like that for everyone, but it's how we do it at my house.

The week after Christmas usually resembles the inside of a toy store.  That is to say-- toys are all over the place!

 

I made a Cranberry salad to bring to supper.  Shhhh, there really isn't much cranberry in it, mostly it consists of marshmallows and Cool Whip.

  
The next day, Jean, Jamie, Gladys and I went ice skating.



It was Gladys Christmas gift from Jean.

The rink is in downtown Valparaiso.  The mild weather wasn't a problem for this ice rink!

So many kids were ice skating, and they are MANIACS!  It's like playing kid ice hockey as they drop and apparently ya sorta have to kick em out of the way.  What I witnessed was brutal folks! 
 

I didn't get to skate or kick any kids out of the way, as Glenn needed me by his side.

Gladys was doing trick moves and striking poses on the ice.  What a ham!!!  :-)

 The Zamboni was cool to watch; the crowd seemed to be memorized by it.

If only there were fish to be caught under that ice!  ;-)

Christmas Eve 2015

Merry Christmas!  I hope Ya'all had a great Christmas celebration!  Mine has been memorable, to say the least!  Between losing my Christmas gift (it actually ran away), to spending the night of Christmas Eve in the hospital, it's made for a season that will not soon be forgotten!

The weather has been very mild for this time of year in Northwest Indiana!

Of course, that means I'm enjoying the fresh air at home and the house is opened up.  Jean's friend Jamie came home from Muncie and brought me a CAT; my Christmas gift from Glenn!  I opened the gift box, the cat ran out and no one seen or heard it for three days-- except the kids.  The kids kept claiming they had seen sightings of the cat in the kitchen.  Glenn figured it got out and was lost for good.  The poor cat is HUGE and declawed.  Also, I don't think it could have fit through the opening in the front door window to have escaped.  Although, since my house is very small I was starting to become convinced that Glenn was right!

We'll get back to more about the cat later.  For now, I need to post a warning:  This blog contains a graphic photo of Glenn's hip replacement wound.  Fair warning!

Ten days after surgery, the bandage was changed at physical therapy for the first time.  They said it looked good!

 

Glenn was upgraded to a "hod rod" walker!  This one features four wheels instead of two, a seat and brakes for if he finds himself speeding!  :-)

Troy could not wait to open gifts on Christmas Eve!

He was allowed to open only one-- until we went to Grandmas house!  He got a Sketch Wizard and it kept him busy for a bit while I prepared some goodies.

I made a Veggie Pizza Wreath, Veggie Roll-ups, and Pretzel Candy Snacks.

Someone got carried away with the ribbon on my gift!

So I open it to find Stomach Relief-- is this a warning?  Why am I receiving this as a gift-- I think I am perfectly healthy!  Apparently someone left it behind and the kids found it in there Walmart bag and thought it would make a fun gift.  The nuts do not fall far from the tree!  :-)

Troy got Slime from Jean, which Gladys attempted to eat after he made it and put it in the freezer!  She is still alive.

Gladys got a note inside a few hundred wrapped boxes (okay three), and it was for an ice skating outing with Jean.

I got something that resembled fireworks!

It was a bunch of girly stuff that I like:

I brought a baked Spaghetti to cook over at Mom's.  We eat it with sugar!  It's a Christmas tradition around here.

After a few rounds of cards (Phase 10), we headed back to the house so the kids could wind down and Glenn could have some R&R.

Glenn was freezing and kept saying he couldn't get warm.  It wasn't really cold out and the house was nice and toasty.

He had thought his new bandage was irritating his skin and had asked me to adjust it.

When I opened the bandage, it looked red and infected!

The kiddos were busy getting all ready for Santa, hanging stockings and setting out goodies.




I didn't wanna leave.

I wanted to watch Christmas specials and wait up for Santa!
I had lost my Christmas cat, and now I needed to head to the hospital with Glenn. :-(

 Jean watched the kiddies and I took Glenn to the hospital.  The doc gave him a shot, put him on antibiotics and let us go home.

 While the doc was discussing his treatment, exactly at midnight-- Jean sent this pic to my phone:

EEEeeeeeeee!  She found my Christmas Present Cat!!!!  I was a happy!  No longer did I have to worry that this poor cat was out there lost!  Plus, I thought the infection was going to land Glenn a few nights in the hospital and he got to come right back to the house!  It was a good Christmas!

New Hip

Greetings from the HOSPITAL!

No worries, all is going well.  Glenn had a hip arthroplasty, aka, total hip replacement.  He done wore his old hip out, after 30+ years of practicing taekwondo heavily.  It's amazing how the leg can almost be removed and the hip joint can be replaced-- and everything can still function!!!

We left the house at 5AM, ugh. Glenn may have had the option of returning home the same day, but the pain meds he was given after the surgery, made him ill. 

 

I was hoping he wold stay a night or two, so that new hip had a chance to settle in, and his body could get accustom to it a bit.  The hospital has gowns that they inflate with hot air now-a-days!  They help  keep the patient warm.  If only I could get me an inflatable ice fishing suit like that!!!  

Six hours after the operation, Glenn was up walking; trying out that new hip!!!   Immediately, he could tell the joint itself felt better than the old decrepit one.

In addition to bandages, the little round bag collects his blood, as hoses are connected to the wound. 

The next day, Glenn began physical therapy.  Him and I attended a class at the hospital.  To complete the class, he had to get in and out of "the car."

He did awesome!  The hospital made a special luncheon for all the rehabilitation patients and coaches.  I took him home later that afternoon.

The house is all set up for his recovery.  The only thing I really had to do was put away some throw rugs.  Walkers and rugs do not get along!  Besides that, I prepared all his favorite foods in advance, so I could have more time to "baby" him.  

Folk's if you're reading this, and a surgery is in your future, it sucks.  There isn't anyway around the pain and the loss of independence.  The best thing to do is focus on the good and embrace all the help.  Helplessness from having major surgery has it's advantages-- enjoy being cared for.  :-)

Santa

Happy Friday! 

I had company drop by-- a hawk.  Hopefully, this big bird isn't thinking of taking off with Sophie.

The pictures don't really do the size of this bird justice.

Over the weekend I went to the mall and was totally shocked-- what happened to all the kids?!?  No line to see Santa!  What is going on here?

When Grace and Hub were little, and wanted to see Santa, I waited in line with them for days-- or what felt like days anyway.

This year, I kept running into Santa without the kids, and on one occasion, he had an elf with him too!

Mom and I had a booth at a couple of local Christmas events. 

Our goal was to find homes for a bunch of Christmas decorations.  We have been busy spreading Christmas joy!  :-)

Mom gave me this little, adorable pear:

Because I made it for her ages ago.  Back in those days, I felt the second i in my name was redundant.

Troy got to sing in the children's program at church. 

 He is in the third row near the middle.

Troy and I were shopping at the local Walmart, when all of the sudden, we looked down an isle and there's Santa!  No line, and no other kids!  What is going on these days?  I mean, I'm not complaining; I just find it odd.  

Dear Santa, 
If you happen to read this blog, please know, Troy and I still like you.  In fact, you are VERY popular in our household.  We hope you received our letters, and that we made it on the NICE list this year! ;-)
See ya soon,
Kristna

P.S.  The second i seems redundant.

Gladys did her part in the school concert, with a Cool Yule song!

She also preformed a solo, as a rapping elf!!!

I remember playing Here Comes Santa Claus on the xylophone when I was in 6th grade band class.  To this very day, I can still play a mean xylophone-- at least that song anyways! ;-)