Lundrigan Bunch

Almost Lost Another Finger....

2010-04-21T15:26:00.004-04:00

So it was one beautiful Saturday afternoon on April 17, 2010, and one could not help but go outside and do yard work! I was trimming some hedges with the electric hedge cutter and the kids and Gordon were playing basketball....it was a perfect day! The hedges were looking great - I really am good at trimming and shaping I must say....LOL! Well, it was all good until I reached down to get the cord out of the way and my right hand decided to do the same thing (guess I had a brain fart). The pain was not immediately there at first; in fact, it was the squirting blood that told me what had happened. The first thought I had was, "Oh no....I lost another finger on my left hand....what is with this left hand of mine?" I immediately grabbed it (ok....after I dropped the trimmer) and started walking to the garage catching Gordon's attention and telling him to go get me a towel. He say my hand dripping in blood and ran inside. I made it to the garage and could only kneel to my knees as the pain was becoming very evident and I was feeling very unsteady. I could only think of squeezing harder and harder. I told Gordon that I could not look at it right now, but to see if my finger was still intact. He looked at it and immediately said, "Get in the car!" I was trying to hide it as well as I could because the kids were around and luckily Thomas, Nathaniel's friend, grabbed Levi and removed him from the scene so he did not have to see mommy in pain. Once we got to the urgent care, the lady say my hand shaking and my forehead sweating and told a nurse to take me back immediately. They laid me down and I was starting to feel somewhat better. The doctor used four shots of lidocaine directly into the cut to numb it. I have NEVER felt so much pain in my life.....even giving birth (yes...I am pretty darn sure). The fingers are one of the most sensitive spots on your body and putting the needle right in the cut does not help the matter any more. I tried to stay so still.....grinding my teeth, expressing "ouwwww" and going into shock. I thought, "Great!" Once I was numbed up, my body began to relax and I was feeling better. BUT WAIT......after the first stitch, the electricity went off and I was sure the generators were going to kick on. I mean, don't all medical facilities have generators????? HAH! Not this one.....the doctor was expressing her concern and after a couple minutes, here came the nurse with a flashlight. Yup...that's right, a flashlight! I could do nothing but laugh as they stitched me up via flashlight. On top of that, I had a tetanus shot and a Rocephin antibiotic shot which, of course, stings like heck. Anyway.....healing well; Dr thought the pad might die off because I cut through the vessels and there was no circulation to the pad anymore. It was pretty white yesterday but it seems to be pinking up today....WOOT WOOT!!! Very tender and I want to express some words that normally do not dwell in my head when I hit it; you really find out how much you use your fingers when you cannot. Quite the experience......

San Diego AFC 1/2

2009-09-29T12:59:00.015-04:00

AUGUST 16, 2009...SAN DIEGO, CA

I cannot believe I have waited this long to post on my 1/2 in San Diego...geez, I must be busy!!! It was a blast to say the least! I got there late Friday night and went directly to the hotel which was amazingly cool!!! It overlooked the Harbor Island Marina.

I slept well....I love hotel pillows! The next morning I had breakfast all by myself (WOW!) and then headed to the expo for the race. I did buy a few things and then waited for my friends to come.

I caught up with Kim Cornwell and my best friend from high school, Stephennie Tieri. After the expo we headed to Pizza Nova on Harbor Island Drive and met up with some more high school friends. It felt like I had not aged one bit....I loved hang'n with Kim, Stephennie (and her husband), Wes (and his daughter), Dana, Kisha, Scot, and Kristeen (and her sister). It was so much fun!

That night my best friend from PA, Keri, came down to San Diego (they now live in Simi) and we went to dinner. Keri stayed the night with me in the hotel and waited for me to finish my race the next morning....of, course, she did not have to wake up at 4 like I did...LOL. After the race we hung out at Horton Plaza and just loved being around each other until I had to take the red eye back home.

I could not sleep one wink the night before the race...I was so excited. I was so nervous though because I was worried I would have no energy for the race. At 4 a.m. I ended up getting out of bed and getting ready for the race. We all had to be on the bus at 5 a.m. in order to be shuttled to Point Loma Pt where the race was starting, as they had all the roads blocked for the race. Oh man....breathtaking!!! It was dark but you could see all the lights of downtown San Diego. I met up with Wes and Kim at the race point and ate breakfast and just waited until 7. Believe it or not, there were 8400 runners in the 1/2. It was AMAZING to see so many runners....all ages and shapes - very inspiring! It took us 10 minutes to cross the starting line and trigger our pace tag on our shoes once the gun went off. The feeling of running with so many people around you was weird....some places it was elbow to elbow.

It finally thinned out at about the 10k mark. I had run beside Kim up until then, but I felt a great boost of energy so I told her I was going to speed up. My 10k time was 1:04 which is an easy run for me and I was pleased. I knew I could speed up and try to finish by 2:00, which was my goal. It was so beautiful to run along Sea Port Village and see the ocean and the ships. I was in love and I become quite homesick for San Diego. To my surprise, I had known there was a bit of a hill at the end, the race started to incline about mile 10.5. I was not too worried as I am fine on hills...but it kept going and going; every corner we turned, the hill still existed. I was saying....there is always the downhill on the other side, but it never came. I was so frustrated and it kicked my butt. I ended up walking about 1.75 miles of the 2.5 mile incline. I was tired. Others were cursing around me and some sitting on the curb. Why would they

end a race with such an incline...are they SERIOUS???? Oh well...I did not make my 2:00 goal, but instead 2:23 which I am so fine with! I ran the race and loved it and it really did not matter what my time was. I loved it and it was a great adventure!!! I am grateful my sweet husband, Gordon, encouraged me to run and meet up with my old classmates, and hold down the fort here at home while I was away....he is amazing!!!

Funniest comment of the day!!!

2009-07-18T13:55:00.001-04:00

"Mom...Do you remember when you used to wipe me after I went poo? (I, of course, said...yup.) "Those were the good 'ol days!"

OOOOKKKKK!!! What am I suppose to take from that statement....so funny and off the wall. It never fails...Meredith has been known to have the greatest comments....I look forward to more! She brings such laughter and joy to our family.

Lundrigan Family Poem 2009

2009-05-12T14:02:00.003-04:00

Last night for FHE, we played a story game and looked up scriptures that referred to 'love'. Following that, I asked each person in the family to write down one sentence regarding our family/love and that we would compile all of them together to make a family poem. It was really fun!!! We all then decided in which order they would be written down. So, here it goes:

Our Family

Our family is good, our family is bright,
we love each other and that is right! (noelle)

I feel happy about my family. (meredith)

We all have laughter and joking in this family (jared)

With Levi screaming and Meredith pouting,
With Noelle dancing and Jared scouting,
With Hannah blabbing and Nathaniel conducting,
With Jeffrey sleeping and Mom and Dad working,
We have love at home (jeffrey)

Families are about the Love and the power within. (nathaniel)

My family is the most important thing in my life (dad)

Love shall dwell in our home with every simple act. (mom)

We love our family. (hannah)

~Lundrigan Family 2009

17th Wedding Anniversary - Antigua Trip

2009-03-09T15:00:00.027-04:00

Antigua - 2009

Gordon surprised me with a trip to Antigua for our 17th wedding anniversary. We had planned to go there about 6 years ago, but I think we ended up getting pregnant with Meredith and

our plans were changed....last was our first year going away; we went to Hilton Head Island and Savannah, GA, but this was driving distance if anything went wrong at home. This year, we were being brave and headed out to sea....

We left Sunday morning at around 8 in the morning....our exchange would be in Miami, FL and then on to Antigua....the de-icing of our plan in GSO caused us to miss our connecting flight. The airline accommodated us by flying us to Puerto Rico for the night and paid for some dinner and breakfast. It was quite interesting the hotel they put us up in...it was in the airport itself and it was if we were sleeping in a shoe box; very small and

claustrophobic, but hey, we were alone and together and that in itself made it OK.

The next day we finally arrived at the most beautiful resort I have been too (ok...the only resort I have been to...LOL). We were immediately

greeted and asked if we wanted some champaigne.....asked for water instead! They upgraded our room because we had missed a day; absolutely beautiful!! We enjoyed the pool and a nice beach party that night.

Our week was full of lots of adventures: Sailing on the ocean on a catamaran, kayaking in the ocean, jet skiing in the ocean, snorkeling (I got over my fear of the ocean with the encouragement and love of my husband as he promised me he would stay right by my side to make sure I did not drown!), a day in a cabana being served whatever we wanted, fine restaurants and great food, nighttime walks on the beach, a pedicure, romantic evenings in our room, relaxing days laying at the pool, and some swims in the ocean. The water was perfect...turquoise in color and just slightly cold to be refreshing. There was always a constant small breeze to make it beautiful! You could not smell the salt of the ocean because of the NW breeze that was constant (made sailing perfect!!). The temperature was constantly high

70's, low 80's....HEAVEN!!!

It was quite weird at first...being childless, that is. But it quickly kicked in that it was OUR time now and time to reconnect and talk and snuggle and kiss and well, you know!!! The awe of 17 years of marriage touched both of our hearts...the thought of how fast it has flown, yet the memories of how many things were packed into those years: many moves to great cities and 7 beautiful children which reflect the love that we have for each other....Both Gordon and I look at our kids and realize the reason why we had so many kids, besides the fact we love babies, I wanted lots of babies, and we are building up the

kingdom of God, is because we love each other so much....each kid is a reflection of the love we hold so dear for each other. Our marriage has been so easy....so wonderful....so natural! Isn't that what everyone wishes for their marriage; breaks my heart when I hear of the ones that struggle...Not only does it help to be so madly in love with each other, but living the Gospel and holding it so dear to your heart blesses our marriage and family life! Doesn't mean there are no struggles, we work together through the trials and respect each other - being selfless - and giving 110% all the time.

So....my heart did miss the kids all week, but honestly, my mind did not think a lot of them during the first few days. My brain was being rejuvenated after 15 years of sleepless nights, getting this and that, and you know what all goes in to being a mother and wearing a gazillon hats. I knew they were taken care of: the three oldest were were grandma and grandpa and the four youngest were with a babysitter at home, Rachel. Levi loved Rachel so much and I knew he would be fine with her. Unfortunately, Levi spiked a fever the next morning after we left....soon after Noelle had a fever. She took great care of them and she had helpers waiting to be called if things got any worse. I felt comforted knowing this. It wasn't until Friday morning when we were eating breakfast that I got chocolate chip

pancake....I never eat pancake; what was with me? It reminded me of the kids, and when I sat down at our table, Gordon asked why the chocolate chip pancakes....I immediately turned teary eyed and had to swallow really hard so people would not notice....I was ready to go home!!! Gordon was ready the day before, I could tell. He was constantly talking about the kids. His heart is so full of love for the kids; he is the best father I have ever seen.

Our return trip was uneventful and our kids stayed up waiting for us....we returned to the house about 11:30 at night. It was such a wonderful welcoming from the kids with lots of love and hugs and kisses....Levi was not mad at us, he just would not let us out of his sight thereafter.

Yes....I am 37.

2009-02-03T14:39:00.005-05:00

Well, turning 37 was not all that bad. I was dreading it, moping around, and just being a cranky brat the day before. But, the day started off beautifully!!! First off....no one woke me up and that was Gordon's careful planning as he knows how much I worship sleep! Secondly, my awesome children made me scrambled eggs and a fruit smoothie breakfast in bed! SWEET!!!! I didn't even have to clean the dishes up.... There was no school on my birthday, so that made everything work out great.

So far, so good. It seemed like it might as well be a good day, so I dropped the attitude and began to LIVE! My kids sent me on a run and told me they will hold down the fort. I ran 10 miles that day and it felt amazing....almost 2 hours of noninterrupted thinking and pondering and just being alone. It was so rejuvinating....of course, I was quite sweaty and icky and had dust from the trails all over my face....but hey, I wore it well. I then came home and took a bubble bath with Levi, freshened up and got dressed.

Next, Gordon came home and started preparing my birthday dinner. I had bought a really nice sirloin tip roast. He prepared it wonderfully and it melted in our mouths. We had mashed potatoes and corn and it was great! I did not even lift a finger....boy was I being spoiled!! Gordon's mom made the birthday cake which was a white cake with chocolate ganache in the middle and an almond vanilla icing. YUMMMMMMMM! Good thing I went running earlier. I got a new waffle maker and a new bathing suit and dress to cover the bathing suit for our anniversary trip to Antigua in a couple weeks. Oh....some pretty darn cute homemade cards from my monkeys as well :).

The night ended with putting the kids to bed and enjoying some quiet time with Gordon. It was a wonderful day and I am glad I realized turning 37 was no big deal. I had 51 birthday wishes on facebook....more than I have ever had in my whole life on each given birthday....I guess another perk for having facebook!!! As well, I had some great phone calls from family and friends which made my birthday even sweeter. Wow....did I get some attention...heee!!!

OK....birthday is over and now it is time to get back to reality. The reality is I am truly blessed with amazing friends and a wonderful husband and adorable children....I am spoiled regardless if it is my birthday or not.

Why does time fly by so fast.....

2009-01-22T13:43:00.004-05:00

I am feeling a bit emotional as in a couple days I age one more year....SO WHAT? BIG DEAL? That is what I have always said in the past....but I am starting to feel differently; in fact, I am feeling a bit anxious and scared. I do not want to grow older. I have so enjoyed being in my 20's and early 30's.....I have so enjoyed people mistaking me for a 25 year old....even with 7 children. But, the early signs of aging have appeared and being a redhead, perhaps they are appearing too soon. My husband made the comment the other day that perhaps I should look into something to help the wrinkles under my eyes....Are they really that bad? Aren't they laugh marks? I look at myself every morning and see the bags and wrinkles and it makes me sad. I guess this makes me a bit vain; but I guess it is ok because the only one who cares is ME. I will take this moment and be as vain as I want as I wallow in the thought of aging. I love the way I look....I do not want to wrinkle up and look OLD....it scares me to death. I have taken up running, something I have hated to do all my life, and it makes me feel young; but why doesn't my face express how I feel inside??? So....37 it is on Monday; my husband is turning 40 this year and looks younger than I do.... Where has time gone? There isn't enough time to enjoy each living year, to enjoy everything around us, to enjoy every thought processed in our heads, to enjoy every adventure that is put forth in front of us. So....for now, I am sad and I think that is ok....

High School Get-Together 1/2 marathon

2009-01-15T14:00:00.005-05:00

I am SOOOO excited! Ever since this facebook thing, I have gotten back in touch with so many old friends, it is great and it has made me feel so YOUNG. I have found an old friend who loves running as much as I do and we share our trials and successes with each other. I am also sharing the experience of a 1/2 with another childhood friend in February; I haven't even seen her in 20 years...I wonder if she will recognize me or be disappointed in what I look like :). Anyway....I have also talked to some old track buddies from high school (I was really big into track!). A couple of us have expressed the desire to get together this year some time and run a 1/2 together....kind of makes me feel like we are all in it together letting LIFE know we can still enjoy being active!!! I hope we get a great turnout....how fun will that be!!!!

New Year 2009

2009-01-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe how fast each year is flying by now a days....I now know what my Grandma Minnie meant when she said time flies by faster each year....I am excited for a new year though....I hope there will be lots of adventures and what not. One exciting event is Gordon's and my 17th wedding anniversary! I believe we are taking off this year and getting away!!! Yeah!!! Last year we went to Hilton Head Island and Savannah, GA....that was the first time we actually went away. I am still wondering where we will go this time, it will be exciting to find out (I think Gordon will surprise me!!!). I am so blessed and grateful to have a wonderful husband who adores me. Even after 17 years, we are still madly in love with each other :) Another thing Gordon and I have never done is have professional pictures taken of us....Gordon had me get pictures taken of me when I was almost due with Levi just to capture the moment of being pregnant since he was our last one. I will love seeing those!

Jeffrey turns 16 this year and will get his license; I know that will help me out a lot with all the driving. I still cannot believe in two years he will be done with high school; where does time go; then he will be off to college and then on a mission. I just want to cry, but I know this is what he needs to do and I will smile wide just knowing he is doing the right thing. The other kids are close behind....I am excited to see how each of them grow this year.

Perhaps I will get started on taking some college courses. I am itching to go to work and experience my second dream (first was being a wife and mom). Some interests for me are physician assistance school, nursing, or sonography. Each one interests me and we will just see where life takes me. Once Levi is in K, I can go full force and then be able to help out with college tuitions and all.

I am excited to continue my running and weight lifting workouts. I am determined to be as fit or more fit than I was in high school this year. I have a 1/2 marathon on Valentine's Day with my dear friend, Devon. I am sooooo excited for that. I also want to master the 1/2 and compete at the end of the year for the 1/2 here on the trails....the same race I did last year when two other friends and me split the marathon. That will give me a goal to work towards.

Gordon's job with Merck is secure as he survived all the lay offs going on; we will see where his careers takes him as well this year.

Other than that, I have a few decorating ideas up my sleeves now knowing we took our house off the market and plan to stay put!!! I will post pictures once the projects are complete.

Happy Times.....

Gordon's Gallbladder Surgery

2009-01-09T07:55:00.003-05:00

Who would have thought one of us would experience losing an organ in our lifetime....how scary is that...don't we need all those organs in our bodies? Hmmmmm??? It all started on Thanksgiving Eve when Gordon started experiencing severe pain under the right ribcage....an emergency room visit determined the extent of his pain and the knowledge that he will need to have his gallbladder out. A lot of reading on both sides of removal and non-removal of the organ was done by both of us; we were going to be very informed on the pros and cons Obviously, the pros outweighed the cons to having the organ removed.

It was December 22 when we headed to the short stay unit around 5:45 a.m. Everything moved quickly and smoothly while we were there....got him dressed in the surgery gown (they even had a vacuum which hooked up to the gown blowing warm air into the gown to keep him warm!!!). Soon enough they wheeled him away and I was sent to the family waiting room along with a beeper. Luckily, I took one of Hannah's books, Twilight, which I tried reading once before, but this time I needed my mind on something other than Gordon laying there being cut open....I dove into the book and got hooked....it was great! Before I new it, the beeper was buzzing telling me the surgery was over and the surgeon was coming out to talk to me. Dr. Thompson said the surgery went well and then handed me a container which contained one of his stones. He had five stones and the one in the bottle was the size of a marble....so interesting to look at and see what the body can actually produce. I asked him more questions and he informed me about his recovery and whatnot....very nice guy. I then sat back down and dove into the book some more while he was in the recovery room coming out of anesthesia. About two hours later, the beeper buzzed again notifying me to return to the short stay unit. I actually ended up walking right behind him while he was being taken back from surgery. I recognized his body once I saw the gurney. He was still groggy and in lots of pain. I helped the nurses pull him over to the other bed in the short stay room. He was so pale and in LOTS of pain. The nurses tried to manage his pain and tried him on some morphine which did not phase him one bit. The pain got so bad that he said it was worse than the attack itself....it was the gas that was blown into his abdomen to assist in the surgery that was pressing on his diaphram and pressing on all the nerves which was causing all the pain. He ended up back on Dilaudid to put him at ease. The next attempt was to get up and go to the bathroom. Once up, he threw up and burst one of the incisions open leaking blood all over the floor while he was trying not to pass out. We made it to the bathroom with no success at going. His body was not cooperating which is one of the side effects of surgery and anesthesia and drugs. The idea of catheterizing freaked him out and he said, NO, I will keep trying. That evening, he was finally able to go to the bathroom with lots of effort but they would not let him go home because he was still on mega pain killers and was still nauseated. At the same time, I had the flu....I think I visited the bathroom more than he did....that was not fun :(. I continued to read as he was in and out of sleeping/needing more pain meds. He ended up being sent to the 5th floor to spend the night. After we got him setup in there, I ended up heading home around 9 p.m. to relieve Mom and Dad from taking care of the kids all day. BOY did I sleep well!!! Gordon called me at 8 in the morning and told me to come and pick him up....he was ready to come home. It was so nice to see color in his face and him up and walking around...even if it was gingerly. The kids were told immediately not to "hug daddy" as his incisions and stomach were still distended and painful. To bed he went and he slept most of the day drugged on Percocet and nausea medicine. Each day he got better and better and we took care of him the best that we could.....dealing with the flu bug in the house as well as Christmas and vacation. He lost around 10-11 pounds during this whole experience and I lost 7 worrying about him, having the flu, and trying to maintain some order in the house. Not exactly the ideal way of losing weight...but hey, I cannot complain. It is not ideal either watching your spouse being wheeled away into surgery....all that can happen was wearing right on my sleeves....but there were so many prayers by family and friends and I could feel them all and was so comforted during this time. It really could not have played out any better than it did except for the fact that Gordon did not recover as fast as expected...but that is ok too! No major side effects from losing the gallbladder which is great too!! As one would say, "It is what it is....." and we all move on and enjoy the next day.

Family picture attempts

2008-12-07T19:18:00.010-05:00

This time of the year makes me cringe...that is, at taking pictures of my GIGANTIC family! Not only do I need to think what will everyone wear, but does everyone have the same color. The answer is always NO...so we usually choose two colors....this year it is black and white. There was a bit of pressure this year on the photo as last year seemed to bring in lots of comments:

Our kids' dentist has the photo up and he tells us not one day goes by without someone commenting on the photo and how awesome it looks. The photo was taken of us laying on the ground in our front yard on an incline...the camera was looking down at us; it was still fall time and great colors. Anyhow...it was a hit and everyone loved it. This year may not be as exciting, but at least they are closer shots of our faces to see how the kids have grown and, of course, how Gordon and I have aged raising 7 kids....ugh! We took many attempts and my idea was to get a photo of all of use holding each other....showing the love we have in our home.

Well, it was Gordon's idea to send the one where I am making an impatient look at him, Meredith is sticking out her tongue, and the other kids looks depressed...he said, "Let's show them how much love we REALLY have in our family." So funny!

Now it is hard to pick the right one as we now have the kids' commenting on the photos and you all who have teenagers know how critical they are of themselves.....Well, I will just get some of each and everyone will be happy!!! So, here is to our 2008 Family Pic....Merry Christmas!

How Gordon and I began our eternal journey.....

2008-12-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we forget the details of how we and our spouse began or the words that were said and what not....I was thinking about this the other day because I could not remember what Gordon said to me when he asked me to marry him...well, at least word for word. Luckily, I had a journal back then and I found it! It was so neat to open it up and see the handwriting and the memories. I read my testimony of the Gospel during that time and saw how sweet it was too.

Gordon and I met at Broadway Department Store. I worked in the cash office running all the previous day's money and Gordon worked on the dock (he was home for the summertime from BYU). I remember seeing him one time walk by the gift office where I was helping wrap presents as they were short on employees. As he walked by, I thought to myself....WOW! He has a nice butt!! (Excuse me, but I was single and looking for a man!!!) I asked the girl I was working with who that was...she told me his name was Gordon and he was here for the summer and he was engaged. I was so sad to hear that...not that it mattered, I was still out of his league as. Men who were that good looking never looked my way......boo hoo! Well, the next time I saw him he came in carrying a television and I was there and he lifted it so I could wrap it. Oh man, my heart was pounding so fast...I did not even say one word....BUT, neither did he; again confirming I was out of his league. I found out he played college volleyball and that made it even worse because I LOVE volleyball and played in high school. A few days later, I handed him his paycheck at the cash office and he actually said hi to me....woohoo! It wasn't until the next week that a mutual friend of ours (she worked in lingerie :) ) introduced us and asked if we both would go see another mutual friend who was in the hospital. Gordon looked at me and said, do you want to go...and I, of course, said sure...That was the beginning of a great adventure!!! After that, we talked every day and went to the beach and drove around looking at houses around Sola Beach and just had fun. He got me playing volleyball with some of his friends and I loved it. What was so neat about all of this is he really wasn't engaged, but he was waiting for a girl who was soon to return off her mission..so he felt committed to that and I respected that....that gave room for a wonderful friendship with no expectations. It was great! He soon went back to the Y and he called me a couple times just to say hello and see if I was still playing volleyball with his friends...I told him I was and actually went on a couple dates with his friends as well!!! (I wonder if he was jealous....) From what I understand, this girl came home from her mission and they dated seriously for a while but it just did not work out...Gordon felt she was not the right one for him (perhaps he had that sweet little red head on his mind all the time...hee!). He called me up the beginning of December and told me he was going to be home on December 19th and was wondering if he could take me out on a date. I told him I would love to do that! The night he came home he actually came to my apartment to see me....we kissed of course!!! It was magical and we saw each other every day! We were at the beach with Gordon's sister and some of her friends on New Year's Eve. We had a bon fire and all and it was great! I love the beach at night...that is my favorite place to be...on the beach at night and he knew it! He asked to go for a walk and I agreed. Soon after walking he stopped me and said to me, "Leesa, my life would be boring without you; in fact, my whole life would be boring without you. Will you marry me?" Oh man...I was melting...I jumped into his arms, hung on tight, and whispered in his ear, "YES!" That was so romantic and such an original statement! He did not have a ring at the time and he apologized....but that did not matter; I did not care one bit and it actually did not even come to my mind! We went out shopping for one the next week...it is humble, yet sweet! We made plans for our wedding to be held on March 7, 1992. Wow....things were moving so fast, but it did not matter; it felt right and it was right! Here we are today reaching our 17th year of marriage this coming March. Much has happened and many adventures have been shared! We have been very blessed with a marriage full of love and excitement....not even one fight!! Sure we disagree on things, but never have we fought with each other, yelled at each other, or even called one another a nasty name...that is what I call a fairy tale marriage, and I will take it any time! I sure do love that cute guy who walked past me that one day! Come to find out, Gordon felt the same way about me when he first say me...he saw me and thought I that cute, tiny (yes I was tiny back then!) red head would never give me the time of day and that I was out of his league....he said he was so nervous when we were wrapping that TV together and he couldn't say a word because he was sooooo shy! Believe me, he was too shy for my liking, but I have worked on him a bit. Sweet memories to come....

FIVE- Pound Challenge!!!

2008-12-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

I had my first session with the trainer at Rush Fitness this morning; I decided I needed some help besides pounding the trails to lose some weight...the trails were building my endurance, but I was losing no fat. So, I was quite nervous, but it was so fun!!! The trainer worked me real hard and I loved the feeling....from crunches throwing a medicine ball to a full on circulating ladder to weights, I was sweating and getting a great core workout! So, my challenge to myself is to lose at least 5 pounds by Christmas....I think that is do-able! So, am not making any high expectations that I cannot meet, but I feel this is realistic considering I meet with the trainer twice a week, run three times a week, and stay away from the COOKIES (oh no....) Does anyone want to join the challenge?? Oh...I forgot....all my friends are ripped and HOT! So, I guess I just need your rooting and cheerleading!!!

Random holiday questions!

2008-12-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

I saw this on Shena's blog, so I thought I would copy it from her and add it to my blog for fun....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial 9 foot prelit
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving
4. Do you like eggnog? Yes...my father loved it and I adopted the same taste for it!!!
5. Favorite gift received as a child? rollerskates
6. Hardest person to buy for? Gordon
7. Easiest person to buy for? My friends
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes...small one with a wooden stable that sits on the credenza
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, of course! Why ruin Christmas....
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A book
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf
12. When do you start shopping? November
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No...cannot say I have recycled any gift
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ham
15. Lights on the tree? White since last year...colored the past 16 years.
16. Favorite Christmas song? What Child is this?
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Do we dare go anywhere with 7 kids???
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Only about half of them...was never good at that
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds and rude, greedy people
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? It's all kid stuff right now...that is the season we are in!
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Honey Baked Ham
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? My own iMac laptop
25. Who do I tag? Devon, Keri, Susan and Dede

We gave our kids' their names because.....

2008-12-03T21:51:00.000-05:00

OK...here is to another great blog idea from my friend Devon! Thanks Devon....before I know it, with your help, I will have an ongoing successful blogging site!!! This is great journaling!

Why did we give each of our kids their names...let me see if I can remember:

Jeffrey: It was between Jeremy and Jeffrey and he looked like a Jeffrey...strong masculine name that we both liked. Gave him the middle name of Robert after Gordon's father. Come to find out, we forgot Gordon has an older cousin whose name is also Jeffrey Robert. Our Jeffrey and cousin Jeffrey met several years ago and that was a neat experience to see both of them admire their names.

Nathaniel: We had a list of names coming into the hospital, but none of them seemed to fit Nathaniel. Gordon went down to the gift shop and purchased a baby name book...we searched through the whole book and after two days we found the name, Nathaniel, and we both loved it and gave him that name...Grandma Virginia said his name was bigger than him! Gave him his middle name of Loren after my father.

Hannah: I have always loved the name Hannah and I believe it is my great-grandmother or great, great-grandmother's name....so a family name for her. Her middle name was kind of tough. I wanted Marie after my Grandma Minnie Marie, but Gordon did not like that name, so we decided on Nicole as it sounded nice.

Jared: Again, it is so hard to name boys! It is so easy to come up with girl names....took us awhile again, but we have a thing for "j" names...we both liked the name Jared. We gave him the middle name of Gordon after his Daddy.

Noelle: Well, I bet you can guess why we named her Noelle. Actually we had considered a lot of names that were very pretty and would have suited her well, but since she was due on Christmas (came on the 22nd) we were going to name her Paige Noelle....Gordon thought about it and really wanted her to be Noelle Paige, so that is what we named her. Paige is just a pretty name I liked for a girl.

Meredith: Another beautiful name I have always loved for a girl! I choose this one before she was even born which is unusual because we never decided until after the baby was born. We did not know she was a girl though but had not decided on a boy's name. Funny thing is our OB's name was Mary and nurse who helped delivered was Marilyn, so they both got a kick out of us naming her Meredith...similar in name. We gave her Amelia for her middle name because that is also a name I found in my geneology.

Levi: It was between Broch, Broden or Levi....Gordon really liked Broch, but I held my ground in the end and said I wanted to name him Levi and since this was our last baby I kind of asked if I could name him. If Levi was a girl the name would have been Annalise after me...Gordon wanted a baby named after me...so Leesa Ann backwards would have been Annalise. We gave him the middle name of Jacob at first (another J name...) but Gordon came back the next morning and said he wanted to make sure this baby was named after me and we gave him the middle name of Bogart which is my maiden name.

So, there you have it....how our kids received their names!!!

Gordon's Surgery Date

2008-12-02T08:12:00.000-05:00

So....after like sitting in the doctor's office for what seemed like an eternity...(I was home waiting for Gordon to get here...his appt was at 2:15 and he did not get home until 5)....his surgery date is scheduled for December 22nd. Go Figure???? Why so long...man, is there a lack of surgeons who take out gallbladders or has our diet today caused all these gallbladder attacks - something to think about!!! AND....this will take place on Noelle's birthday which I am sure will not be a pretty day...I mean, anyone who knows Noelle and her beautiful, sassy, stubborn, independent personality.....she may have a few words to say. SO, we are celebrating her birthday early. OK...back to Gordon - he is not in much pain anymore...I think the stone dislodged itself and is now floating around with the other stones. I guess the only thing that would get him to have the surgery earlier would be for him to have another attack which I am sure he does not want EVER AGAIN. We will keep you posted...to those who actually read my blog!!!

Update: Surgery is scheduled for December 22nd.

Party Time with the Plummers!

2008-11-30T22:03:00.000-05:00

Party!!! Saturday night we had some friends over, Dede and Ed, who were visiting from Jersey along with other mutual friends. They had come down to NC for Thanksgiving and wanted to get together with old friends and just PARTY! It was great...lots of visiting and laughing and what not. The kids were so excited to see one another again as well. It is so nice to know friendships last and last...it is so nice to know there are true friends out there as well who do not forget you just because they move. I took some pictures of us ladies! I love pictures and posting fun ones that bring out people's true personality. We definitely had fun!

2008-11-30T21:44:00.000-05:00

Well...here's to another post! Our Thanksgiving was very eventful....OK, it is always eventful in the Lundrigan family. Wednesday, Gordon took a few kids to the movies while I stayed home making stuffing and pies for the next day. I did not want to do so much cooking the next morning, so I was being smart and doing half Wednesday. When they got home, Gordon fixed himself a couple hot dogs and then continued to the couch to watch X-Men....he started not feeling very well and I asked him what he had for lunch...well, Big Mack at McDonalds...I said, "Duh!!1 Who in their right mind would eat there..." I told him perhaps e.coli poisoning, but there were no symptoms other than severe pain in the right side. There was no vomiting or diarrhea which would accomany food poisoning. It was not his appendex as there was no pain in the lower abdomen on the right side...his pain was right below his right rib cage and it did not wax and wane...it was constant and sharp. After awhile he came to me and ask me not to leave his sight...I thought, "Oh boy...is he being a baby!" Once I realized he was putting his head in my lap and complaining, I decided to get on the computer and figure out what he had...I thought to myself, perhaps you are passing a stone, honey! He did have pain wrapping around his back, so I immediately thought kidney stones. But, the pain was relentless in the right side....that is exactly where the gallbladder is!! BINGO!! We both agreed with the symptoms! See, I should have gone to medical school like I wanted too...oh, well, I can pretend I am a doctor here at home until it is my turn to go back to school (I will be like the oldest doctor there and everyone will be calling me, "Mommy!") So, after a couple hours and after all the kids except Jeffrey were asleep, Gordon told me he could not handle the pain anymore. I said, "Ok, let's go...get in the car." He thought the car ride was an eternity...it is when you are in pain...remember labor pains....???!!! When we got there, I dropped him off at the door and I went to go park. As I entered the emergency room area, they waved me back and I find him sitting in a chair waiting to be admitted...I thought, "Oh come on people...this man is in pain and you are telling me he has to wait to get admitted." STUPID!!! Well, it did not take too long and then they stick us in a room until an admitting nurse asks what is wrong and takers vitals. (I wonder if he hated his job...would be kind of mundane....I would rather be where all the action is!) They took us straight back into room #6. The doctor came in and asked what brought us here and started pushing on his stomach and you should have seen his face when he pushed on the gallbladder...poor guy. Gordon's face was very pale and yellow...he looked weird! Gordon asked if it was the gallbladder and the doctor said, "I am thinking so!" Now, Gordon has never been sick nor has he ever been admitted to the hospital. The only time he has ever stepped foot in the hospital is to watch me deliver our babies or when one of the kids needed stitches....(that is another long novel!). The nurse came in and told Gordon she was going to start an IV so she can give him some medication to ease the pain. Gordon said, "What? You are going to put in an IV?" Poor little boy!!! He said, "I have seen my wife go through this and I do not want one." (I have very little...ok NO fat on top of my hands whenever I had to get an IV for delivering, I screamed...it feels like they are ripping my hand off...I would rather birth 100 babies than have an IV stuck in the top of my hand). It was not so bad after all...the Dilaudid made him feel great....sleepy yes, doppy yes!! So, while he slept and felt constant pain, I sat in the chair next to him starring at everyone walking by....we ended up being taken to get an ultrasound done and that was COOL!!! I could see the stones in his gallbladder and while he was kind of out of it, I was enjoying the sonography. (If I do not go back to med school or become a PA, I will head for sonography!) Sure enough, the doctor came to us and said he had several stones and he will need to have the gallbladder removed. He told us few try other alternatives, but within a year end up having surgery in the end. He said it was not an emergency so we were to call after Thanksgiving to schedule surgery. Well, Friday morning, I called the surgery center and asked to talk to a nurse because Gordon was still in a lot of pain and drugged up in bed. She said, they should have done the surgery then and that there was a surgeon on call...how stupid of that ER doctor to NOT bother him just because it was Thanksgiving. So, we are getting in tomorrow morning to see the doctor on call and be evaluated as to when he should have surgery. He is doing well...Thanksgiving night, he had been in so much pain, his father and another great friend gave him a priesthood blessing and abouty 50% of his pain left him immediately. He was able to sleep all night without waking up every 4 hours in relentless pain needing more pain meds. He is very tender at the site, but does not throw up every time he stands up anymore...he is tolerating a NON FAT diet and has been quick the trooper not being able to enjoy of the Thanksgiving's trimmings! So...until tomorrow it is:

2008-11-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

This morning was very cold...27 degrees that is...Gordon and I decided to go on a run down at the Piedmont Trail. I have been running a little bit on the treadmill and once in the morning in our neighborhood trying to slowly get back to running after my injuries. Well, I have always out ran Gordon...I loved the feeling, honestly! I ran faster and further than him :). Today, it was the complete opposite. I feel like I lost my "mojo". How fast your endurance is gone once you stop running. It has been four weeks and I feel like I am starting from phase 1 again. I do not want phase 1; I hated phase 1 and I complained about it and it hurt and i never thought I would outgrow that phase. My legs felt heavy, I had a side ache that would not go away, and Gordon ran faster than me and I could not keep up.....DARN HIM! Gordon doesn't know, but secretly I wanted to cry on the trail. OK...I shed a couple tears... BUT, you know me...I am a fighter and stubborn, so I will come back again running the trails and hating it until I outgrow phase 1 again. I am a lot smarter this time around with extra stretching and not pushing it. I also know I need to whack 15 pounds off of me to prevent more injuries to my knees and hips. Anyone offering FREE liposuction? Well...sob story, I know...but I needed to add another blog to our site that I created and have not maintained very well.

Our first blog....

2008-11-08T10:34:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe I am actually starting a family blog...isn't facebook enough??? Actually, this will enable us to be a bit more intimate with what is happening to those who really want to know...

It seems like it will take a bit to get this up and running, but I am up for any challenge. I love to show off our family and will take any and every opportunity to have to do so!!! So, be patient for more pics and details...

To be continued....