Goodbye kidney stones!

Hello! Well, thanks to everyone who prayed for me last week! I finally passed the kidney stone! yay!!!!!!!!!! I have never been so happy! But it has really made me thankful for good health and thankful that I feel good everyday. It is a blessing that I never want to take for granted. Well, last Friday we had the middle school lock-in. All I have to say is....CRAZY! We had about 115 middle schoolers at this event! That must be a record. We didn't know a lot of them. Had a few rough kids, but all in all, it was a good lock-in and hopefully they left knowing that God loves them. I am still trying to recover though. Those things suck every single ounce of life out of a person! haha! Well, I think this weekend we have nothing to do! hooray! I love chill weekends! I can't believe it is almost March! I love Springtime! I wonder if Tim knows where my spring decorations are in the attic.........? I think tonight we are going to have to eat a quick frozen lasanga. No time to cook today! I don't think I have anything else to say....oh, american idol is not on tonight cause of obama's speech!!! I am quite upset! I live for Tuesday Idol night!!!! I guess I'll have to make it till Wednesday. Hugs!

KIDNEY STONES!!!!!!!!!!

Well, if you haven't heard by now...Amanda has a kidney stone! WOW! I think they are definitely of the devil! I have never felt such horrible pain in my life. I would not wish a kidney stone upon anyone! Saturday night I went to bed and told Tim that my lower back was sore. Well, I woke up early Sunday morning, around 5am with terrible pain in my lower back. It was so awful that Tim had decided to take me to urgent care. Well, we get all the way across town to urgent care and they didn't open till 8. So, he drove me to the ER. We get out of the car and walk to the doors of the ER and I suddenly felt better! I thought Tim was going to kill me, but he didn't. He got me some juice and we went home. Well I was pretty much fine all day Sunday. Then I went to bed that night and woke up at 2am with the most terrible pain I have ever felt! So, tim and I were up ALL night long! I refused to let him take me to the ER cause I didn't want to pay $150! I am so cheap! I said I would tough it out!! haha! Well, it was the longest night of my life. So, morning comes and we go to Urgent Care and they did a CT scan and found out I had a kidney stone! yuck! I did get to ride in a wheel chair which I had never done before....so that was fun! Anyway, they think I can pass the stone.....the past few days I have been waiting and drinking TONS of water!!!! I mean over 100 oz. a day! Right now I feel okay (hence why I am able to type this blog! ) But the pain comes and goes. I hope I pass the stone soon. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this!!! ahhhh! Thanks to everyone who has been praying for me! I really do appreciate it! I love you guys! So, hopefully soon I will stone free!!!!

Hello! Well, I am soooo ready for the weekend! Our new bed came in FINALLY!!! It took them 3 months to get the bed in! We have been really irritated with Slumberland! Now our bedroom furniture doesn't match at all...it is a hodge podge. The bed we had been using was getting really old and was about to bite the dust. It was almost 20 years old! I like it though. I think Tim is going to stain all of our old furniture so it will match the new bed!! He is so talented! Tomorrow we have a high school activity. We are taking the kids to the 1984 Video Arcade downtown. Then Saturday is Valentine's Day! We don't get to go anywhere cause everything is too expensive. I think we are just going to cook something at home. That will be fun though! I am excited about being an aunt again to 2 more baby boys! Brandi is having another boy. And my other sis-in-law, Jen is also having a boy any day now! So, boys are ruling right now. I hope everyone has a happy valentine's day!! Hugs to all!

Grandma Yates

Last night around midnight, Grandma Yates passed away. Paul and Kristine were able to say goodbye to her last night around 11:30 pm then they left the hospital to get some rest. Then shortly after they left, grandma passed away. I am glad that they were able to say goodbye but not have to be there when she passed. Pray for the family this week. Grandma is going to be cremated and there will be a memorial service in Indpendence, Kansas on Saturday.

Random Thoughts on Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone is having a great day so far. We had a fun weekend. I am sad that the Cardinals lost the game! It was a good game though. We had fun with our Sunday School class hanging out and watching the game. Well, I talked most of the time and watched the last 5 minutes of the game! Heehee! But that's when all the action happened anyway. I am so tired today! I stayed up way too late last night talking! Tim and I love to talk....we can talk to each other for hours. I don't know how we do this...but we always find more stuff to say. Oh, I love my husband though. He really is the BEST and I don't know what I would do without him. Tonight is the Highschool boys Bible study. Us girls have to wait until next week, so everyone can read the assigned chapters in our devo book. We are doing the Divine Dance. Tonight I am going to make Sun Dried Chicken Tomato Pasta for dinner! It is one of our favorite meals. Another thought...I LOVE my space heater! I love to be warm all the time! I keep this thing on high next to my legs all day!!! :) Also, pray for Grandma Yates and the family. She has gotten worse again and they have moved her to the hospital. They don't know how much longer she will hang on...so they just want to make her comfortable. Everyone have beautiful day!

Hey all! Last night I did my Taebo cardio workout....I didn't make it through the whole thing this time! haha! I was just really pooped. I normally do the whole video, but for some reason I just couldn't make it to the end. Oh well! I also made this marshmallow salad stuff, and I should have got the recipe first....I thought I knew what it was, but I was mistaken! It has pudding in it, so I thought I was suppose to make the pudding first and then add the rest of the ingredients. However, I learned that you are suppose to leave the pudding in powder form! So, it didn't turn out quite right, but Tim really likes it! The "creation" is almost gone now! I liked it too. But now I know for next time. heehee! You live and learn. And that is how new recipes are invented! Right now I am pretty sleepy....just trying to make it through the day!!! I must press on. Tonight we have church. I hope we have a gym full of youth tonight. We have been pushing 80 kids almost! I just know we will hit 100 very soon! Not much else going on in the Shepard household...we are having leftovers tonight. I made Cheesy Chili Bake last night! Delish! And maybe for dessert, "Amanda's marshmallowy goodness"!!! :)

My Before and After

I am so happy that American Idol is back on! I look forward to January every year because I know a new season of Idol is around the corner! I am addicted, I love it, it is definitely my favorite show. Last night I liked the guy who got sick and they gave him a banana!!!! I could not stop laughing. Well, today is suppose to be bitterly cold....good thing I wore short sleeves! I did wear my coat into work though. I just didn't realize how cold it was going to be until I looked on my computer this morning. I will put on something warmer before heading out to church tonight. Last night we also had youth visitation. No one was home for us girls, but I know that the Lord will still honor our efforts. We have lots of kids in our youth group that are now coming because we went and visited them in their home! So, I know it is worth it. This Thursday, Friday and Saturday Tim and I have our annual Tournament of Champions or as I lovingly call it TOC!!! We have been going to this together since we were 16 I believe. Wow! That's a long time! It is fun....a lot of basketball...but fun! I'm pretty much basketballed out by the time I leave their on Saturday! haha! I enjoy it, but Tim will definitely owe me a musical or some pottery painting classes or something! Just kidding.....I secretly like going. I shall leave you with the words of a song that are stuck in my head...."my before and after, i can't but sing. my before and after, i'll sing praises to my king. my before and after, here's the anthem let it ring. one love, 2 arms, 3 scars from us to where you are. no one's to far for you to change a heart."