T and T Nunley

Happy Birthday Fiona

2010-11-07T15:37:00.000-06:00

She is sleeping now, so I will take this time to update my blog! We both slept well last night so I am not in the need for a nap... that may change in the next couple of hours though!

So at 5am on the 21st I went to the hospital to get induced... Fiona is stubborn enough that we had to convince her the hard way that it's time to come out! It took 3 tries to start my i.v., but they finally got one in. Next came my epidural catheter, placed by the anesthesiologist. He was great! So smooth that I didn't feel a thing (except the initial burn of the lidocaine). Then they started the pitocin... then they upped my pitocin about every 1/2-1 hour... Slow going! Then about 8pm, Dr. Hix and I were discussing a c-section if no improvement. The nurse then decided to do the "rock n roll" technique. I lie flat on my back and roll on one side for a 1/2 hour then roll on the other side of 1/2 hour. After an hour or so of this they start bringing all of the birthing equipment and get my stirrups ready on my bed. My epidural was working so well that I didn't notice a change in the contractions... and suddenly they are telling me push! So for 2omin I pushed and by 9:48pm little Fiona was born!

Just how I wanted it! No pain! That came later when they disconnected my epidural and it wore off... but that's where percocet comes in!

I couldn't have had a more perfect delivery! No complications and everything went as planned! She weighed 7# 14oz. and is 21" long. Dr. tells me that she is in the 90th percentile of her height... who knows if she stays that way. She did gain all of her wt. and then some at her 2 week appt. She weighed 8" 4oz. She does eat well!

So far she has been a good baby, doesn't cry much and she loves to be held by Daddy! I am going to miss Theron when he goes back to work... He is gonna have 12 hour days... But we'll see how it goes! Enjoy her pics!

Ever seen "Looks Who's Talking"? I'm sure that's what she is saying!

Grandma and Grandpa Nunley

The proud Dad!

Finally, she sleeps!

See Ya! I'm going home!

Our 1st Halloween

Enough said!

Frodo made a new friend!

1st Day home!

Early Labor!

2010-10-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

No pics this time, just a quick update! I have been having regular but light contractions since Monday. About 12-15min apart. By Wednesday I was 2cm dialtated and about 80% effaced. By this time they were about 5-6min apart. Dr. said we are getting closer! That night I kept waking up to stronger contractions, making me so tired that I went home early from work. Last night they were still strong and by early morning they were about 3-5min. apart. Since we were both awake at 3am, we decided to go for a walk to "help things along". It was chilly, but a very pleasant walk! We called the hospital at about 6:30am and they told us to come on in.

So we go in and the on call Dr. checks me out, do my vitals etc. They hook me up to the fetal monitor and contraction monitor. It was cool listening to Fiona's heartbeat for an hour, even if she kept wiggling away from the monitor! My contractions decided that they are shy so they slowed way down... kind of like taking a car in to the mechanic...

So I get sent back home until they are 2-3min apart and I can't talk through my contractions. But both the nurse and the Dr. agree that things are in place and it's very likely we may meet Fiona sometime this weekend! Wish us luck!!

Ward Baby Shower!

2010-09-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

I know my days are numbered for bringing our little girl into this world! One baby shower down and one more next week for family and non-member friends! A quick update before we start... the nursery is finally finished! Had a little snafu with UPS, but my crib bedding and wallpaper border finally came in! I barely gave Theron a chance to settle and relax when he got home from work that night. I told him relax while he can while he eats dinner, cause we're gonna be busy afterwords. He's such a trooper! Now my room feels complete! He also caught my nesting bug... either that or he's tired of my worrying, loudly about things that need to get done still. All the doorways now have their door facings on (it's only been about 2-3 years when we painted the hallway! The bathroom ceiling is done, so we put up the border in there and this week he said he will finish with tiling the floor and install the new commode! Of course, these are all old renovation projects that had been left undone... The backyard seriously needs cleaning (especially since the roofing project), pool needs to be put away for the season....and I look around and wonder when I became an Adams family member... Cobwebs everywhere and all my window treatments have either more cob webs or cat hair on them... work, work, work!

Well, enough of that ranting, nesting talk! I had my first baby shower! It was great! I had a lot of friends who were there, and a lot of soccer moms who wished they were there! I received several more cute clothes (can't have enough of them!), some toys, picture frames, burp cloths etc. We played a couple of fun games. One in particular I thought was really cute, and helpful! One of the hosts bought a fancy porcelain pink piggy bank. She had everyone gather some change then passed around the piggy bank. People would put some change in the piggy bank while giving me their "two cents" worth of advice. Some advice was about parenting, some about continuing to be a couple, and one sister gave advice about using/ teaching the baby to love the priesthood.

I know I shouldn't have favorites, but I did receive some beautiful and unique gifts that I wanted to share! One sister went to JoAnnes (they just opened up a new store here!), and got some beautiful felt fabric that had sparkly silver accents in it. She made me two blankets. Everyone oohed and awed. We are hoping that they will last a while.! They are very fancy looking... I just loved them.

The babies blessing dress
Above, the two baby blankets

The other gift almost brought me to tears! One sister, who I served with in the RS presidency gave me a baby's blessing dress from White Elegance! Should have seen my jaw drop! I don't think I could have picked out a prettier one myself! It also came with a mother/daughter matching bracelet set! It's simple yet elegant... perfect for one who doesn't care for a lot of foo foo! I forgot my digital camera... but the host had an extra disposable one on hand, so it got passed around and a lot of pics taken. When those get developed I will post those, in the meantime I just took pics of some of the stuff when I got home!

Wait! Don't Faint! Yes, this is an Update!!

2010-08-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Oh... Where to start! I can't believe it's been since April! Sorry there were no updates during my second trimester. Health wise, I was healthy, but I had a lot of things going on during those months! I take an zantac every morning, so that nipped the heartburn and my nausea did go away completely! Not much happened in May, except my birthday. June is a different story.

(above) Carrie and I , Us with Bella's truck

I went to Seattle to visit Carrie and to finally meet Will. It was a very good visit. Just before we flew out there I got a call from back home saying mom took a turn for the worse and we weren't sure how much longer. So, during this whole trip I did the best to enjoy myself while I kept my cell phone handy just in case. I think the highlight of our trip was going on the "Twilight" pilgrimage! We visited Port Angeles, Forks, and went over to La Push. It was great! We also went across the border to visit Victoria, BC. That was awesome too! I had a little trouble getting through customs because my i.d. wasn't current... but they let me through after all (btw, a week after I got back, I renewed my license pic!). Similar problems with airport security too! Who know that wt. loss could cause such problems!?

Mom did pass away on June 30th. Too young in my opinion, but the Lord decided that she was ready and she came to terms and was also ready. She will be missed greatly, especially now, since I am expecting my first and I so wanted her to be here for it! It has been an emotional roller coaster for me since she past away. We decided as a family that this was her last gift because it brought the whole family together. Sam and Amber blessed their new baby Knight that same weekend she passed. They weren't going to have hardly any family there, and then suddenly we were all there for that special occasion. It's considered our bittersweet family reunion. We didn't see any fireworks this 4th of July, but we were all together.

I was able to recoup and relax completely when Theron and I made our yearly trip to Colorado. His parents asked me what I wanted to do, and I replied, to just relax and do nothing! We did visit Bryce Canyon on the way there. It was beautiful! So I had a week of beautiful sights, fishing at the lake, and relaxing in the Colorado mountains!

Bryce Canyon... Beautifull views!

Part of the new roof...

A wallpaper boarder that matches the valance will be added
along the chair rail... my friend Lisa turned the lamp into
a tree!

The bears aren't staying... yay the crib is up... Lisa also
painted 6 little animal portraits to put up on this wall...

By the time we got home and settled, we realized that our Summer fun was at an end and we have a few things to concentrate on now. Theron is putting up a badly needed new roof (we went with metal panels), the baby room is just about complete, and we finally installed a brand new ac unit. I am training a new girl at work for when I go on leave and we are also in the process of finding a pediatrician and some kind of day care for Fiona. We've decided that I will go back to work but only part time, 4 days a week. And no more Saturdays! I will take Wednesdays off so Theron and I can have at least one day off together during the weekday. I didn't want to stop work completely because (1) I would miss working with the animals, and (2) the boss doesn't have an office manager to replace me... everyone else at the clinic is too new! I figure he only needs me a couple days of the week, but not full time.

I am almost 32 weeks now and Fiona is growing like a weed! She still as wiggly as ever! Her new "trick" is finding mom's rib cage. Not fun... poor thing is starting to get cramped! She also likes to toss and turn at night when I toss and turn. I am glad she is so active, it lets me know that she is doing well! But I am tired of waiting, I want to be able to hold her already! Patience, I know... she will come soon enough

12 Weeks and counting...

2010-04-11T18:05:00.002-05:00

Much to my relief... and Theron's, my first trimester is almost over! I will officially be 13 weeks on Wednesday (14th)! I am feeling pretty good these days. My stomach is still a little touchy, but I think it will be this way for the duration. My appetite is mostly back to normal and my heartburn is sporadic. I still get bouts of nausea, but it's few and far between and I keep my pills handy just in case.

I was having cravings earlier, but they seem to have subsided for now. Now, my baby is moving up a little higher, and seems to have settled on my poor bladder. With my stomach being as small as it is, I am unable to eat a lot of food in a single serving. So I compensate by eating small high protein meals with a few carbs thrown in for good measure. And I am eating about every 2-3 hours. If I don't, my stomach will let me know. It either growls or gets upset (a little nausea... weird). It has taken my boss a little while to get use to seeing me eating something every time he turns around! He asked me the other day if I was able to use protein drinks to help with my protein requirements (about 80g/day). Any bariatric patient will tell you, after two solid weeks of only ingesting protein shakes, gets old pretty quick and you never want to see one again. So I answer my boss... I can but just the thought of those protein shakes wants to make me puke!

I had my monthly ob visit on the 29th. It was a special visit. Putting the yearly exam aside that I had to endure, I was able to hear my baby's heartbeat! It was awesome! I am not very emotional (as most of you know), but I almost cried! I was also much relieved at this visit. I love my ob/gyn doc. She is very understanding and knows my condition well (including the bariatric part). Apparently, it's not very common to treat pregnant bariatric patients. The nurse that we had talked to prior to our official dr. visit has no such experience at all. We were reviewing the list of test that will be needed and when they will be administered. She mentioned the glucose test for gestational diabetes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the gastric by-pass surgery, I will give you a quick lesson on dumping syndrome. A part of the intestine is re-routed and re-attached to the new stomach pouch. Because of this, sugar is no longer safe for us to ingest. When the sugar goes into the stomach, it hits the intestine too fast and causes severe cramping/vomiting/diarrhea/nausea. It pretty much makes you bed ridden for the rest of the day. No more sugared drinks, cake, candy, ice-cream, etc. All bad, unless you can get it in sugar free. Anyhow, I tried to explain this process to the nurse. She replies that a lot of women get sick. Theron and I just looked at each other... she don't get it... I try to explain again... then she asks, "well, can you drink a coke?" I say yeah, a diet coke... she says, no it has to have sugar. I say, again, ... I can't have sugar... Then she says, well discuss it with your dr. then. Ok.

So I stress for the following two weeks when I see the doc again. I talked to her about my concerns for the test. Bless her heart. She says, well she's just a nurse... she only knows regular pregnant women. LOL. My doc said there was an alternative (fasting blood glucose test), and there was no reason for me to get sick. Especially since I am at minimal risk because I don't even eat sugar! Normally at this clinic, patients rotate with all the doctors so that patients are familiar with them when it comes to delivery time. Apparently I am special. My doc has requested that I have all my appts. with her. I ask why and she said because I was a"unique" case. Yay me for being different again at something! That's ok though... I don't want another situation like the nurse thing. My next appt. isn't until the first of May.

We were at the in-laws for general conference. It was nice to get away a little. We listened and watched conference on the computer (Conway doesn't have the BYU station yet), and the boys went to the priesthood session. It was a very enjoyable conference. I just love listing to both Pres. Monson and Uchdorf. They tell good stories and occasionally gives us a good laugh. A lot like Pres. Hinkley! I only mention conference today because I wanted to share an experience that I had. It has been a long time since the spirit has moved me to tears. I blame my hormones some, but the topic hit home because it was something I have yearned for so long to experience and it is finally coming true. It was a talk given by Elder Foster of the Seventies. He talked about a mother's love and the impact it has for all of us. What a sweet topic to preach.
A couple of quotes I took to heart, so that I will remember these words when I need them.

"Brothers and sisters, in a world where everyone is granted agency, some of our loved ones may stray for a season. But we can never give up. We must always go back for them—we must never stop trying. Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has issued a plea for us to go rescue those of our loved ones who may be lost... We never know when a heart may be turned. We never know when a soul may be weary and worn out by the world. When that happens, it seems our children almost always turn first toward Mother..."

"As in all things, the Savior set the perfect example in the love He showed for His earthly mother. In the final, most pivotal moment of His mortal life—after the anguish of Gethsemane, the mock trial, the crown of thorns, the heavy cross to which He was brutally nailed—Jesus looked down from the cross and saw His mother, Mary, who had come to be with her Son. His final act of love before He died was to ensure that His mother would be cared for, saying to His disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that point on the disciple took her unto his home."

It was pressed upon me how important our calling of being a mother is. Again the spirit moves through me as I review this talk and the special meaning and encouragement it gives us. Let us all follow Jesus's example and remember our mothers and remember who we are as mothers!

The Newest Nunley!

2010-03-02T18:14:00.002-06:00

Well, Here's the good news! We are expecting our first child! These are our 6 week ultrasound pics. We were also able to see a little heartbeat going a mile a minute! Our due date is October 22. We also have our names picked out. Though Theron forgot the boys name, I gave him such a hard he hasn't forgotten it since. While we were going over names I asked him to offer any names he liked. He gave me the name "Myron". I just stared at him. Then I explained it was too old fashioned. That's when he said it was his mother's father's name. Like I said, old fashioned! Needless to say, he is not allowed to come up with any new names!

Our girl name will be Fiona Asenith, and our boy name is Evan Steele (Theron was thinking Elvan when he forgot the name... he needs to lay off the sci-fi books!) I also have a theme picked out for the nursery. It's going to be a jungle theme with baby animals, like tigers, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, etc. I think the colors are gonna be green and purple (good unisex colors!).

I haven't been sick, yet. Though I went off the prilosec (on it because of weight loss surgery), my stomach reacted by producing tons of acid. Hence I have been experiencing stomach pains and nausea. It's more tolerable when I take a chewable anti acid. I am already feeling better!

My next appointment is on the 29th. I will update then!

Same 'ole, Same 'ole

2010-02-14T20:20:00.007-06:00

Happy Valentines Day! I received two dozen fancy red roses on Friday, and had a lovely dinner at a fancy restaurant tonight. It has been a good weekend. It helps that I didn't have to work at all and Theron took off on Saturday! We hardly ever get a day off together, so it was nice!

Our sunbeams are doing great! We had a breakthrough today... no one cried when their parents left them. A major improvement! I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to work out! I still have one child who steps into primary and instantly bawls, so mom has to instantly carry him off. Someday he will come to class!

Work is the same for the both of us. My kids don't talk so I don't have any silly antics to report and they don't go to school, so there is no drama to report. All they do is eat, sleep, bring in mud from the backyard, an occasional hairball, and the occasional trash can raid... I know, my life is exciting...

Theron has taken on a new project. I more or less volunteered him, but he was happy to do it. My receptionist at work is having a tough time with her youngest, the 12 year old. She is divorced from an alcoholic who is off again, on again... always in between jobs, so he doesn't always pay, etc. Anyhow, Matt is having a ton of trouble in his math class and she has no clue how to help him. She doesn't have any money to pay for a tutor. So, I volunteered Theron , knowing how good he is at math. And I also told Theron not to take any money from her. So it's our little service project. They had their first session last Wednesday, and he'll be going over their every Monday. Matt seems to respond well to Theron and seems to like him. We will see how things go in a couple of weeks.

I think that is all there is to update... I keep this updated in case something else happens!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T12:45:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas to everyone! It has been a quiet one for me. I woke up with
Theron at 3:30 this morning to exchange 1 present to each other, and we will open the rest with his parents next weekend at new years! Since he had to work today, I am in charge of cooking the turkey and the fixins! He will get home by 4 to carve the bird then we will have the feast. It doesn't feel much like Christmas since I am by myself most of this day, but I am glad I have my four legged companions!

It started snowing last night, so it was real nice waking up to a White Christmas! I can't remember when the last time we had one... several years ago! Enjoy the pics!

Continuing with my list of 'Because I lost weight...' I thought of a few more things to add:
1) I can see me collar bone! Wasn't sure if I even had one...
2) Movie theatre seats are more comfy... it's nice not having to squeeze into them...
3) I am not embarrest at the gym... nothing like an overweight person looking out of place at the gym.
4) I can look straight down and see my toes... amazing!
5) A guy at work flirted w/ me... This was pointed out to me by a co-worker... I was just being nice to the guy but my friend assures me that he was flirty... kinda funny I think...

Because I have lost weight...

2009-12-13T18:44:00.003-06:00

I can't tell you how proud I am of this picture. It was a long hard road to get here. We both had worked hard! I am going to make a list here of all the things that have changed or is different in my life since I have had surgery.

I don't know where to start... and there is no particular order...

1) I have lost almost 120#. This was never possible without surgery. My Dr. and I have tried. I've spent my whole life trying!

2) I no longer have to worry about future health problems that accompanies obesity. For example Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, high blood preasure, etc.

3) My body is much more comfortable to be in. I am more flexable and agile. I hope this makes sense... I also have more stamina. This showed the most when we were in Colorado earlier this year. Usually the higher elevation makes us short on breath. This year we felt like athletes. We walked everywhere and hiked and was never out of breath. It was a great feeling.

4) Since we feel healthier, we find ourselves doing healthier things. For example... we hardly ever use the elevator... the stairs are more fun! It doesn't matter anymore how close our parking spot is at the store... we don't mind walking the extra distance.

5) At restaurants, we don't have to worry if we fit in the booth. They use to be really tight, or we can barely squeeze in them. Or the chairs were just plain uncomfortable and small. Now, most booths seem a little too big!

6) Shopping is such a joy now. Each year in the Fall we go to Branson and go shopping with Theron's parents. Gloria and I use to be similar in sizes. This year, however, I tried shopping in the same stores and nothing fit! Ha Ha, what a great fealing. For the first time ever, I am not limmited to the little tiny section of "Womens" or "Plus Sizes". I can walk into a clothing store now, and go anywhere in the store I want!!

7) I can be a lady and cross my legs. That has never happened before!

8) Clients will see me at work and a few of them claim they didn't recognize me until I said something to them. It's hard to beleive that my wt. loss was enouph to change my physical apperence. The thin person, that I always knew who was hiding inside me, finally came out.

If you have never been overweight, you may not understand what I am trying to say.

9)I am eating healthier and eating less. I am unable to eat high sugared foods (ice cream, desserts, etc.) or foods high in fat. They can physically make me ill. Stomack cramps, vomitting, etc. But that's ok. Splenda has become my best-friend. There are only a handfull of foods that bother me now that I didn't have a problem before... For example... scrambled eggs are not nice to my stomach, this includes omletts. Now eggs cooked any other way are ok. I know, weird. And breakfast meats are no longer kosher for me either... must be the fat content...

10) About a year before my surgery, I had a humiliating experience. I am sure just about every obese person has experience this. I was kicked off a carnival ride because I couldn't fit in it. It's a fear I have had everytime we go someplace that has rides. 'Would I be able to fit?' 'What would happen if I don't fit the ride?' It finally came true. From then on, I swore off rides. This killed me because I loved the rides. There wasn't any ride I wouldn't go on. Three months post-op we baught season tickets to Silver Dollar City. No longer did I have to worry if I didn't fit. I was able to enjoy myself!

11) Similar experince in flying. The seat belts never fit, I had to ask the flight attendant for an extension. I would receive it, after she used it to demonstrate how to use the buckle in their opening flight speech. Plus, I always thought that the chairs were realy small. Now the chairs seem quite roomy and my buckle fits fine, and then some.

12) Why is it cold all the time. Oh yeah, cause I lost almost all of my insulation when I lost my weight. One of the few downfalls... I am constantly cold, but it's well worth the discomfort!! I am glad that I have electricity and can use my electric blanket in bed at night!

13) I lost enough weight that I had to pull my car seat up so I can reach my pedals again. That was kinda weird...

14) We need to buy new temple clothing... And by next summer I get to have a whole new Summer wardrobe. By then I would have gone from a size 26/28 to a 10... maybe an 8 by then!

15) I am hopefull that we get pregnant this year, one of the main reasons for having the surgery.

16) With Theron haveing the surgery also, I think this life changing experience has brought us closer together. We understand what the other is going through... that is priceless.

17) I think I look younger.

18) I have lost a total of 55.75"! And I am still losing!!

I will add more as I think of them... but I think this is a good start!

One Year and 255 lbs. Later!

2009-12-13T11:53:00.005-06:00

Our Official 1 Year Post-Op Pics:

Well, time has flown by! Our lives seem so mundane and routine, that I didn't think we had much to report on. We went for a weekend trip in Branson in the fall. We missed the pretty colors by about a week, but it was still pretty there. We had a chance to take pictures at the same place this year as we did 2 years ago. The difference is amazing!

Branson, 2009 (9 months post-op)

Branson, 2007 (1 yr. pre-op)

I found out recently that Mom and Dad are selling our beloved childhood home. It came at a shock at first, but I have been expecting it to happen. The house is just too much for one person, who is hardly there anyways... 30 years of memories soon will be sold to some stranger. I was able to go back there last weekend to salvage some items and get some pics of the old place. Matt... You better take care of mom's china!! Dad is moving into the new apartments as we speak, to a place next door to mom's place. That will be nice for the both of them.

Congrats to Amber and Sam on their upcoming first born! Good luck to the both of youkk! I visit with my Dr. next week. Hoping I will the the go ahead for Theron and I to start trying again.... Wish us luck!

2009-07-15T09:09:00.004-05:00

Us near the mountain creak...

Near the same creak...

A distant view of the San Juans

Wild turkies off in the distance

A sunset on the aspens

We got to see dear everyday on our property!

A scenic view of the San Juan Mountains...

A mountain creak near our place

Apparently, dear really, really like aspen leaves...

Our view as we left the village of Crested Butte

Our Last Vacation of the Year!

2009-07-14T18:37:00.004-05:00

The Columbine is Colorado's state flower

This poor yearling (it's young anyways) got himself stuck up a tree in the middle of
a local small village, Crested Butte

The infamous Rioa Grande Gorge

The ghost town of Dawson. Like other ghost towns in Colorado, it was a mining town. The town officially closed in 1950. It's population reached to 9,000. All that is left is the wagon tribute and the huge cemetary.

Ladybug's swarm the Capluin Volcano site.

I can't believe it has been since May since I posted! I don't have any kids to do any updates on... the pets are the same: eat, sleep, play, get into the trash... oh, Kaisee has found a way out of the backyard... need to fix the small fence somehow... Theron received a second calling, on top of his current calling which just got added upon. He is still the asst. ward clerk, but instead of being limited to membership, he now does membership and financial. He is also my asst. primary teacher. Apparently six five-year olds is a lot to handle... they are a chatty group! Both of our jobs are going well. Theron had put in for a supervisor for the BDO position... still waiting on that.

We recently got back from spending a week in Colorado with the in-laws. It was nice and relaxing. We also stopped on the way home and visited a good friend of ours. I wished we could have had more time to spend with her. It had been two years since she seen us. She said that we looked good and she barely recognized Theron. She apologized for staring at us! lol, she said we looked so different. We are home now, and our next break won't be until the holidays... what a drag! It's like being in school and waiting for the next holiday to end the monotonous days...

Enjoy the pics!

2009-05-17T19:21:00.003-05:00

The last port of the cruise was interesting. Originally it was Cozumel. Swine Flu cancelled that for us about 2 days before we sailed. They had chosen Roatan in it's place. This was fine for us, we have been there before. We left the Caymans and were halfway to Roatan when it got cancelled. They had riots and it wasn't safe for us to go there. Within an hours time we had a new port and some excursions to go with it. I was surprised how quickly they were able to accommodate us on such short notice. We changed course and headed towards Belize City. Last year we went on a cruise to Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize City. Since we've been here before we decided to go on our own and shop. That is why we don't have any fun pics of Belize...

The koala and the swans were two of my favorite towel animals. The group pic is from our evening meal. We were grouped with two other couples. There's Mr. and Ms. Philadelphia (his name is Asad, can't remember hers...) they only came to dinner about 3 times. Then there is Mr. and Ms. Buffalo, NY. Her name is Rachel... I forget his. Extremely nice and fun couple. He is a cat person too... also with 3 cats. I regret not getting their contact info... would have liked to kept in touch with them... They like us, have the cruise bug! He enjoyed this cruise so well that he was already looking at other cruises! I did the same when we got home!!

2009-05-17T18:45:00.003-05:00

Some under water shots of the stingray. At the top is not a mother and a baby, but a female (larger) and a full grown male (smaller). Like I said... very graceful creatures!!

2009-05-17T18:31:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the Garand Caymans and the beautiful Stingray City. It's on a sandbar about 10-15 miles off the coast. The water here is about waist high and it's the prettiest water I have ever seen! The pics do not lie!! These creatures are about the most gentle things. They just glide right by you, looking for treats... Their mouth acts like a vacuum hose, they suck the squid right out of your hand... The guides were able to catch them and hold them. That is what Theron is doing, and yes, we are kissing it too!

2009-05-17T18:10:00.003-05:00

That's our boat! Docked at the Jamaican pier. As we left Jamaica, the day was waning. The ocean has such beautiful sunsets... It's one of the things I miss back home... being at the beach watching the sun set behind the water... As we docked in the Caymans, we were met with this pirate ship. It's actually a tour , but still, it's pretty cool.

2009-05-17T17:53:00.003-05:00

Pepe and his "homies". Here is the famous Dunn River Falls in Jamaica. It was a blast! The Jamaicans called all the females "princess". I thought that was cute! I took us about and hour and a half to climb up the waterfall. You couldn't tell that you were going uphill, I was too concerned about falling... One of the tour guides was holding my hand during a particularly slippery spot...

2009-05-17T11:23:00.003-05:00

It's a good thing that iguana was tame... it was huge and restless!! The highlight of our cruise... Swimming with the dolphins. We had all sorts of interaction with them. They are like dogs... they love ppl, highly trainable, loves interaction, playfull and gentle and they beg for treats!! I learned first hand how powerfull they actually are... Our dolphin's name is Pepe, and as he swam away from me his tail fin hit me in the shin... the bruise lasted for several days... it hurt! Poor guy, I don't think it realized it hit me, that or Pepe didn't care... he was begging for more treats.

2009-05-17T10:29:00.002-05:00

At the top is a view of Jamaica from our balcony. You can see part of the ship's bridge... This place that we went to had several koi ponds. This particular koi was the biggest I have ever seen. The next pic is us on the first formal night. OK, now don't freak out... it's not real... It's an airbrush tat that only lasted about 4 days... You know me and my dragons!!

2009-05-17T10:08:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of pics of Florida as we are leaving. Then us relaxing on our balcony early in the morning.

Vacationing in the Carribean

2009-05-14T19:50:00.004-05:00

Yes... We are back, with a wonderfull tan! We had a great time on our cruise. We visited Jamaica (my favorite place so far!), Grand Cayman, and eventually Belize City. I say eventually because the original port was Cozumel... swine flu cancelled that... So, we were scheduled for Roatan instead. Halfway there, it was cancelled... due to riots... Within an hour they came up with a new port and some excursions to go with it. Since we have been to Belize before, we went shopping. It was great! The highlight of our trip has to be in Jamaica where we got to swim with the dolphins! Well worth it! Climbing the Dunn River falls was great also. Grand Caymans had the prettiest water. I also enjoyed stingray city and swimming and feeding the stingrays. We had a balcony suite on the ship, also well worth it. we were able to sit oustside our room and enjoy our own private sunrise. Enjoy the pics!

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

2009-04-26T17:06:00.005-05:00

The "Before" pic

This was taken right after church today.

Posing for our new camera...

I wasn't ready for this candid shot... neither was Annie... she's a little camera shy.

I am bringing my laptop with me on the cruise, we will be taking plenty of pics.
I am enjoying Primary, but missing Relief society. Theron is happy and content as the membership clerk. Both of our jobs are going well. We have job security as long as the government feels endangered and people who care for their pets (family members!) Not much to report... except that Kaisee is now feeling better!

Life is Good... For Now

2009-03-28T22:13:00.004-05:00

Well, to start were I left off in the last post... The bishopric made a bit of a blunder. For some reason the sister who was suppose to be the new secretary was announced as one of the counselors and I was sustained as a secretary. The sister who was suppose to be the new counselor wasn't even mentioned. We got a call Sunday morning (same day as our talks) to come in early and visit with a member of the bishopric. So, finally I got released as secretary and the next moment I am asked to do another calling. I now teach CTR 6, which consists of mostly 5 year olds going on 6 who aren't even in school yet. For future reference, the CTR 6 lesson manual is not geared for 5-6 year olds! On my first day I realized I was losing interest fast, so I cut my lesson short and we worked on a drawing that was related to the lesson. Now I start by reviewing what we learned last week, give a 10 minute lesson, then do some kind of coloring activity pertaining to the lesson for the last 15 minutes. I still don't get why they keep asking if I brought any treats. I know the previous teacher didn't give any, and I haven't given any for the past 3 weeks... hmmm.

I am enjoying my new calling. I have 4 girls and one lonely boy ( who ignores me and colors... as long as he's not disrupting the class...) and I have another boy who's mom is recovering from cancer surgery (normally this family is pretty active, but family is supporting mom now), and another girl who is semi-active (haven't seen her yet) and at least another 1-2 who are completely inactive... Generally I will have about 5 kids. I am surprise how fast church goes by now that I am in Primary.

Our new fence is slowly but surely going up. It's hard to work on too much because we've had a lot of rainy weather lately. The dogs love the wide open space... one comes back, the other comes back reluctantly... after she tours the neighboring houses and chases all the birds away! I might post some pics of our progress.

Our recovery and wt. loss are going well. Pics are coming shortly. Theron has lost 90lbs. and has gone from a pant size of 46-48 to 40. WooHoo. I noticed this morning that I can give him a hug and I can wrap my arms all the way around him! I have lost 60lbs. I have gone from a size 24 to an 18! We are going on a cruise in May, and my personal goal is to be at or under 200lbs. Which means I need to loose another 17lbs. in 33 days... I may actually make it!

Well, wish me luck as I try to explain the Gift of the Holy Ghost in class tomorrow!

A bit stressfull of a week

2009-03-05T19:27:00.003-06:00

For the first time in like 8 or 9 years I have to give a talk in church. Gross. I dislike being the center of attention and I dislike even more speaking in front of large groups of people. I hate even answering the phones at work (and my cell for that matter!) It has been a real struggle for me to prepare my talk this week. I just want Sunday to come and go. The other thing that is stressing me out is my calling. I know it's not official, but I really don't care!! My calling is sort of in limbo right now. I love my calling and I am going to miss it (RS Secretary). Last week the presidency got an overhaul. New pres. and counselors. I haven't been released yet, but was told by the new pres. that she had picked out a new secretary. For some reason they haven't called her. Actually, they have called her and they made a mistake and called her for the wrong position... They might fix it this week, but I still haven't been released... Sunday is going to be awkward... I am hoping the new secretary will be able to continue with everything I have established. I do a monthly newsletter, every quarter I mail out the monthly newsletter to less-actives (gives us 100% on VT), I made up a binder for both RS and Primary to pass around that includes the newsletter, announcements, various sign up sheets, VT message, and the birthday list. I also have compiled a new sister welcome packet. I just hope the new secretary can keep up with it all. I guess we'll see how it goes!

Other than that we are doing great! Theron is down 80# and I am down 50#. I am hoping to lose another 20# in May for our cruise. Can't wait till then!! Most of the fallen limbs have been picked up. It looks strange now, I got used to seeing very large piles of branches piled up curbside waiting to be picked up. Everything looks so.... empty now. We had a few days of cold weather with a little bit of snow, but from today through the weekend we should be getting spring like weather with temps in the mid 70's. How am suppose to concentrate on my talk with this beautiful weather going on??

Snobby Consignment Shops!!

2009-02-26T21:30:00.002-06:00

Today I am venting! I have been insulted by snobby resale shops! I didn't think it was possible. Their business is selling used clothes, for goodness sake! As I have been losing wt., some clothes are just too big to wear now. So I bag up a few things, all unholy, unstained and looking pretty good. The first place I went to went through the bag and the ladies faces kept on getting sourer with each item they looked at. Finally they bag it all back up and one lady said they couldn't take any of it. She also said that they don't take clothing with an elastic waist band (it was plus size denim shorts in great condition!!). So I leave the store slightly stunned. Then I go to another smaller and hopefully more friendlier shop. NOT! They only take things in by appointment only, and they only took in brand name labels... not wonder they were a small store!! She wasn't even interested in some of my Old Navy shirts (which I don't think are generic!) After that I went home and sulked... If anyone here locally know of a nice and friendly resale shop that isn't so picky, let me know!! Ggrrrrr.... stupid people.... I am wondering why this is bothering me so much???

Ice Storm Pics

2009-02-02T20:49:00.016-06:00

To give everyone an idea what the weather was like here last week, why we had no power for 5 days (and some going on 7) and why I have to take my outside dog to work every day, here are some pics. Enjoy!
Above: No Tree was safe...
Below: Power poles were also falling like flies...

If you look closely, there is a road that goes straight...

This is in my back yard... I need a new fence now...

The other part of my backyard. It only got worse...

This is a view going one way down my street...

The front yard, though quite a bit more limbs did fall off.

My neighbor, Nora's yard. What a mess...

My poor car. This stupid limbnot only froze to my car,
but it decapitated my side-view mirror!

This branch fell on me while I was

taking pictures...

This is a "before" pic of the tree across the street.

This is the "after" pic... notice the cable lines...
The big beautiful tree in my back neighbor's backyard.

This is another "before" pic...

The "after" pic. Not such a beautiful tree

anymore, especially since it took out my

fence...

Yes, We Survived!

2009-01-31T19:54:00.003-06:00

Well, this past week has been interesting. On monday when the weather report said that we are going to have a major ice storm comming and it's going to be devestating, we took it with a grain of salt. Usually when they say, "4" of snow", we get either nothing or a slight dusting. Who knew that they were going to be right for once??!!
It is day 5 and we are at the in-laws far away from the devestation. When we left yesterday, day 4, we still had no power and it was driving me crazy! We were actually planning on coming here this weekend anyway before the storm, so it worked out great. We bought a generator on Thursday because we don't think the power is coming back anytime soon. We loaned it to our elderly neighbor, who is by herself, for the weekend. I hope she is enjoying it!
The freezing rain started Monday evening. My boss calls that night and says things are starting to get bad and that I can sleep in the next day because he's closing the clinic. The rain just kept on coming. All throughout Tuesday and Wednesday you could hear nothing but the tearing and falling limbs. It was kinda scary, especially when they would bounce off the house/roof or make the ground shake! The clinic had lost power for only 2 days, so on Thursday I was ready to get out of the darkened shell of my house and go to work for a couple of hours. I enjoyed the warmth there while I could and just did busy work. Not a whole lot of ppl were out and about because most of them still had no power. So, business was dead and I was warm!
I reckon we got at least 2" of ice and about 1/2" of snow. It was beautiful scenery until you see all the reckage. When I get home and electric/cable come back I will post some pics. I know it's all melted now, which means it's all muddy now, but there is a lot of clean up and dealing with insurance. I've heard that we should have power back on by this evening (Sunday) and to call again if we don't have it by midnight on Monday. Wish us luck!!

Update!!

2009-01-18T09:42:00.004-06:00

3 week post-op and 2 month post-op

Taken about a year ago.

Yea! We are doing good. I went to my post op exam this past week and everything went well. I lost 22.5# between my pre-op and post-op (3 weeks). Dr. Roller was vry pleased. My six laprascopic holes are healing great also.
We had to go shopping for Theron already. His pants were getting too baggy. So we went to Wally World last night and he tried on some khaki pants. He went down 2 pant sizes! WooHoo! We just got one pair, we aren't sure how long he will be able to wear these before he needs more...
I still can't eat very much. My stomach thinks that a few bites is sufficient, but I know it isn't because I need to get my protein in. It's very frustrating. It takes me a good 45min. or more to finish a 1/4c. of food. It's weird, but I am getting use to it.
My cousin Heather made a suggestion and I think it's a pretty good idea! She asked if I can post recipes that we make. Keep in mind that the serving size on some of these recipes are for smaller stomachs. The recipe I am posting today is for sloppy joes. We had an Enrichment meeting that included a dinner where we served sloppy joes. Unfortunately they are too high in sugar and fat for me. They are also 2 other sisters who also had bariatric surgery who are on the same restrictions. So, I ,(Theron cooked it, he's the chef!), found this perfect recipe that turned out great! Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Source The South Dakota Diabetes Control Program Cookbook Healthy Diabetes Recipes and More
Prep Time 1 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes Difficulty Easy
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground beef (5% fat) (Theron used ground turkey as an alternative)
1/4 cup unsalted tomato juice (Theron used regular tomato juice)
2 tbsp onion flakes (Theron used real onions)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp Ketchup
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1 Brown ground beef and onions in a large pot. Drain off fat. Return beef to pot with remaining ingredients. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve on a bun.

Nutrition Facts

Makes 6 servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 100.5

Total Carbs 3.2g

Dietary Fiber 0.2g

Sugars 1.9g

Total Fat 2.7g

Saturated Fat 1g

Unsaturated Fat 1.7g

Potassium 42.4mg

Protein 16.3g

Sodium 354.1mg

Dietary Exchanges
1 1/2 Meat

See the Detailed Nutritional Analysis
Powered by ESHA

printed from dLife.com 01/18/2009

One week post-op

2009-01-04T15:12:00.002-06:00

So, officially it would be a week tomorrow, but I feel like writing today. Why put it off for tomorrow when you can get it done today? That is also one of my New Year's Resolutions. I am a terrible procrastinator.
I have been doing fine until yesterday. It was probably a combination of things, but I felt bad and I was cranky! I did apologize to Theron about being cranky, but being the great guy he is, said he understood. The first issue I am having is starting my "monthlies" and trying not to get dehydrated. So, stomach hurts and I am cramping. Then we decided I needed to get out and walk some. I stop by work, I actually worked a little, then went shopping at Sam's and Wally World. I was worn out by then. We got some whey protein for my shakes and I decide to use milk with it. It took me my second shake to realize my stomach doesn't like the milk. So, on Saturday, I am cramping, nauseated, sore (I decided not to take a pain pill today), and worn out from shopping the day before. Why would I be cranky???
Today is a different story. Yes, my favorite aunt is still with me, but I took a pain pill this morning, use water instead of milk, and took a second pain pill. Ahhh, life is good on pain pills! I have lost some weight, but I won't divulge that info until I have my 2 week post-op check at the Dr.'s. I will try to have photos of us for our 1 month post op and ya'll can see if there's a difference.
We are planning on doing some errands tomorrow, we'll see how well I will do.

WLS Update!

2008-12-30T17:31:00.002-06:00

It has been three weeks since Theron's surgery. He couldn't look better! He has already lost close to 30# and looks thinner in the face and around the middle. I was pretty pleased when he picked me up from the hospital today in a shirt he couldn't wear for the past year or so! He made it through the dreaded liquid diet phase and is now having fun experimenting with soft foods.
I just came home from my surgery today. I was scheduled to go in at 8:30am and they tried calling us at 7am to come in then. We didn't get that message until we got out of the shower! So we finished getting ready and rushed 2 blocks to the hospital. Everything went well for me. I didn't expect to come home so early, they discharged me at 3pm today. I had the option of staying another night, but I told the Doc that I was feeling good but really tired. I said I think I would sleep better at home. He agreed and off to home I went! I now start the dreaded liquid diet for the next 2 weeks. I will keep you posted on how well it goes.
For those family members looking for Christmas gifts, they are coming! We are just a little behind this month because of the two surgeries. Keep your eyes open for them...

2008-12-03T21:50:00.003-06:00

Has anyone ever heard the myth about persimmons? Something about the seeds inside forming a shape that will predict the winter? Since persimmons are popular around here, they have been the topic of many discussions. This year, every persimmon that has been opened up has the seeds shaped like a spoon. As the legend goes, this means a winter with a lot of snow. A spoon is symbolic of a shovel, like what you'll be using with the snow... I was doubtful of this myth/legend until we were driving home from visiting in-laws for Thanksgiving. To my knowledge, I don't think it has ever snowed in Northwest Arkansas in November. I was thrilled! I love snow! We only got about 1/2", enough to cover cars, roofs, and grassy areas. The roads were perfectly clear. Unfortunately, it all melted when the sun came out. I am hoping this isn't it for the winter, I am expecting a lot more snow this year.
I have also strayed from an old Fox family tradition this year. It's unavoidable and I hope my siblings won't shun me for this... Because we are both having surgeries this month with lengthy recuperation times, we decided that we wouldn't be able to care for a live tree this year. For the first time in my life, I have an artificial tree. It's a pre-lit 7' Douglas Fur tree. Looks great, but definitely not the same. I miss the pine smell, the dead needles falling everywhere, and the cats vomiting hairballs with pine needles in it... I figure that we can always use this tree if for some other reason we can't get a real one. Nonetheless, from a distance, it looks real enough and it sparkles beautifully!
On a side note, I just wanted to say how thankful I am for the Priesthood and the many blessings that comes with having priesthood holders in the home. On Sunday, before we left the in-laws, I asked for and received a healing blessing for my surgery given by my husband and his father. I am extremely grateful for this service. Theron will be getting his blessing on Sunday. I believe he asked the bishop. We'll see... His surgery is on Monday. Please pray that things will go well for us! I will update here more frequently as things progress!

2008-11-28T08:15:00.003-06:00

I warned ya that I am not very good at updating my blog thingy! Things have been quiet on the home front. The house is in constant renovation mode. We like to start one project, get it almost done then finish another project before the last one is done. Example: We took up the carpet in the living room and hallway and plan to lay laminate wood flooring. So far, so good, the living room got done. It looks great. We even bought new trim for baseboards and door facings. Much more updated looking.

We have the hallway floor done since the Spring, I think... It's been that long. No baseboard or door facings yet in the hallway. During the summer my friend Lisa and I started on the bathroom. It's the worse room in the house. They painted over ripped wall paper, vinyl flooring that's water stained, and it's all white. We have picked out wallpaper and tile and new stain for the cabinets. We have 3/4 of the walls papered, the ceiling sanded for repainting, and sanded the cabinets under the sink. Then we take on a side project of new window treatments in the living room, the study and bedroom. Finished with the living room, got rods for study and bedroom. And now we are taking a break and getting ready for the holidays.

December is going to be a busy month for us. We both are having surgery. My Ob/Gyn suggested weight loss surgery. We have done everything we could for infertility. But with my weight and hormones it's difficult to conceive or lose weight. She referred us to a surgical wt. loss clinic. After a battery of tests and insurance approval we have our dates set. We are getting a gastric bypass. Theron wanted to do surgery as well, so we are doing it together. The Dr. at the clinic recommends a month between our surgeries. Theron's is Dec. 8th and mine is on the 30th (will find out for sure on Monday). Surgery itself is a little scary, but we are excited about the results. And yes, before we leave this weekend we will both get a priesthood blessing!! Well I think that is enough for now...

The Nunley Family

2008-10-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

Figured I would put up pics of the family, including the hairy and scaly ones!

It's about time...

2008-10-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

With help, I have finally managed to convince my newest SIL to start a blog. After 3 months of harassing she finally put one up. She didn't think that anyone would be interested or even read it. After 2 days of it being up, she had 5 comments. Amber... I told you so!! Then I got to thinking... All my siblings (or spouses of) now have a blog. Why don't I? The church has even encouraged us to keep a blog. I do agree with Amber... how is my life interesting to others? I don't have any children (yet) to brag, complain, amuse, etc. But, my pets are pretty close. Since we are all spread out (North. CA, South. Ca, Arkansas & New Hampshire), I think this is a good way to keep each other updated. As you all know, I am not very good with the phone!! Hope to hear from some of you!!