"Nervous Wreck"

Justin had a gastroscopy yesterday. He started having severe chest pain a couple weeks ago and since then he's done a few other tests to rule out cardiac causes. Turns out he has a hiatal hernia. I couldn't find a good video of a gastroscopy. They wouldn't let me go into the lab room while they were doing it. Justin wanted to know what it looked like & was disappointed that there was no video. The doctor said he was a "nervous wreck". He hates medical stuff, especially needles. He was pretty funny under the anesthesia - actually, honery is a better description. He kept telling the med assistant that he could do everything on his own & she had to explain to him over & over that she was required to wheel him to the car, required to do this, that... After he got out of the wheelchair he faked a stumble & asked her how soon he could return to work. The funny thing is that he didn't realize that he really was pretty uncoordinated the whole time. Of course we had the same conversations several times. He kept telling me that he was fine so I thought he was coming out of it and I would explain something that happened to him, but then an hour or so later he would ask me the same exact thing. The med assistant said it was similar to being drunk. I'm glad we don't drink.

It's been a while

I know I don't post very often but anyone who really knows me has got to expect that. Here's a little of what we've been up to:

We go to Hockey games almost every weekend. It's super fun, one of the few sports that both Justin and I enjoy watching. Go Condors!

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We took Alex to the snow a couple weeks ago. In tehachapi the sherrif had lots of roads blocked off & once we found a good spot the po-po came & ran us off - they were being a little uptight. It was fun though. Alex made it very clear when he was ready to go when the cold became too much for him. Here's some pics from the last place we went where the snow wasn't very thick.

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School started last month. Justin is taking a Drafting class and I'm taking Web Design with Flash (online), Personality Theory (online), and Health. All's great so far.

I'm first counselor in the Primary Presidency. Honestly, I was terrified when I was called last month; kids are cute individually but overwhelming in large groups. Luckily, our primary is kind of small. After just 2 weeks I found that I really enjoy it. I come home laughing every week over something I've seen/heard. (See the galyan's blog for examples). Kids are a crack up.

Snowboarding

Chinese Peak, Sierra Summit

On Dec 22nd we went snowboarding and took Justin's siblings Katie & Andrew along as an early Christmas gift. It was tons of fun! It was my 3rd time snowboarding and we had bought me a board & the works a couple weeks earlier. It was quite a production seeing as how I'm not that great at it & it was Andrew's & Katie's first time at any snowsport. They both did amazing! 4 o'clock came around and while I was completely exhausted Andrew didn't want to stop.

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Pumpkin Patch

Justin & I took his brothers Andrew & Alex to the pumkin patch on oak street again this year. We didn't have much time to spend there but we had fun. Alex has been growing fast lately, I felt like I went away to Alaska and when I came back he was a big kid, at least he talked like one. I guess he hasn't matured that much seeing as how he's still afraid of the scarecrows. Justin also grew some facial hair while I was gone & I didn't think I would like it but I do. He's afraid to shave it because he thinks it will give me an excuse to cut my hair short.

More Alaska pics by request...

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Movin' Out - Not the best decision we've ever made...

I've wanted to see this show for some time now so I was really excited when I heard it was showing. Justin & I are both big Billy Joel fans. We bought tickets & drove to Thousand Oaks to see it. We were impressed more by the architecture of the theater (which was very cool) than the show itself. We expected a musical. It's a ballet! No speaking, & the music is performed by a band above the dancers (who weren't really that impressive, or maybe it was the mediocre choreography, I don't know). I felt really bad for Justin, who would have been ok with it if he knew I was really enjoying it, but as much as I tried to pretend it really was disappointing. Well, you live & you learn; I guess it's not the worst decision either of us have made either.

Sharktooth Hill

While I was in Alaska Justin & his friends Kenny & Brian went on a fossil hunt at Sharktooth Hill. They found enough shark teeth, petrified wood, bone parts & other ancient oddities that each of them filled a couple sandwich ziplocks. They had so much fun that they went back the very next night. I was a little worried about him contracting valley fever since they say that spot out there is abounding in coccidioidomycosis spores. Yes, SPORES. I know my friends who read this are laughing right now as they used to tease me when I talked about the harmful spores in the air. But valley fever is no joke around here. I got sick right after we went to the fair in 2005 & recovered after only 3 months, which is quick compared to others I know. Luckily Justin seems to be unaffected. Above is a pic of some findings.