asheville

I miss Asheville tremendously. Clyde had planned for weeks for us to go on a trip back to Asheville. When plans got re-arranged, we ended up still going but taking all the Wardlings with us. We left Friday late afternoon, and spent the evening with Maylee and Jared, who live about 45 minutes south of Asheville. We had a great time chatting and loved the pancake breakfast! thanks guys! We reloaded the van and were off to Asheville mid morning on Saturday. We got into town and drove around showing the Wardlings the little resturant in Black Mountain that Clyde helped run, then drove into Swannanoa to JEC (juvenile evaluation center), another place of employment for Clyde. We then showed them the last apartment that we lived in while in Asheville. I wish we could've seen the pool, because we have a great story to tell about the night Libby was born. We drove all over town re-telling tales and re-living some memories. Man do I miss it. We went to the Farmer's market looking for our pal, Jeff, who makes the best soap ever. We tried our best not to eat at any name brand restaurants and had some wonderful food.

Sunday, after our continental breakfast drove around again, checking out AB Tech, other apartments we lived in, touring downtown. The weather was wet rainy, so we couldn't do as much touring as we wanted to do, especially with all the Wardlings.

We loved our hotel room, right off of Tunnel road. The original plan was to leave a few of the Wardlings with Maylee and Jared, but I really wanted them to see the mountains and Asheville. I wanted them to hear the stories Clyde and I had to tell. Like the time Clyde sold an R.E.M. boxed set to have money to go to the Atlanta Temple.

So we spent the extra money and got the Wardlings their own room. This was sweet! They had the room next door, and thanks to the conjoining door, we were still together.

We went to Frank's Pizzeria and saw Santa! Penny saw this gentleman, pointed and said, "ho! ho! ho!!" He was really nice telling her that this is what Santa did on the other days of the year and to be good, because Santa was watching. We just had to get a picture. Penny was in heaven.

Since Sunday was so rainy, we decided that we would go back downtown on Monday for our walking tour and for some more pictures. My body had another plan. I couldn't get to sleep Sunday night. I thought that I was getting a UTI. I was up and down going to the bathroom, when around 2am, or so, I started getting the extreme kidney pain. I knew instantly it was another kidney stone. I tried my best to be brave and it didn't go so well. I sat in a hot tub, letting the heat stay on my kidney. I felt horrible. The pain was so extreme. Clyde woke the kids up about 4:30am, so get packed up and to leave. I knew that I couldn't make it back to the Emerald City with that much pain. I took 4 ibuprofen and waddled to the car, vomiting again, once I made it, scaring the kids to death again. We did make it down the mountain to Marion, where we saw signs for a hospital. I pointed & Clyde took me there. Maylee had an appointment for some prenatal blood work (that's right she is expecting!!!) so she and Jared met us @ the ER to watch the Wardlings for us. Thanks guys!! The hospital was small and we got there @ the perfect time. I was the only ER patient. I was able to give them a urine sample, to which I had blood and elevated white blood count. They gave me and IV with some dilaudid (thanks Dawn for the correct spelling), which is supposed to be 10x's the strength of morphine. It made me loopy, and took the edge off, but I was still in pain. I refused a CT scan, due to the price and settled for an x-ray. To which the x-ray technician commented on my green hoodie, seeing Billy Graham, and how Billy Graham said that God's color was green. ok. So, since there were too many bones in the way, the stone couldn't be seen, so they drugged me up again, gave me some prescriptions for pain, nausea, and an antibiotic and sent me home. Clyde had the Rx's filled before we left Marion and we headed home. I pretty much slept yesterday away. Clyde had such Superman strength. I admired him for taking car of everything he did. What an amazing man I have!! Today I am still very sore. I remember Jacob saying, while we were waiting for the Rx's that he was "sure glad that Mom didn't die." I really scared them. The kidney stone pain felt like contractions. Having had given birth 5 times, 3 of them without the epidural, I understand pain, and let me confirm that a kidney stone pain is very similar. It just bites. The only difference is that after labor, I get a baby...after a kidney stone, I get a rice sized stone, pain meds, and paper strainers. yippee for me. I am still very sore and haven't passed the stone as of yet. I have however, heard something from Libby's mouth that I never expected to hear..."Mom do you need your strainer?" Because for the next few days, or until I pass the stone, I have to pee through a strainer, to see if I can catch it. glorious isn't it?