One week to go!

One week! 

One week until my most favorite day of the year!

Christmas!

Even Olly reminded us that there was only one week this morning!

I cannot believe that this year is almost gone and that 2016 is upon us!

The days are long but the years are short. 

I'm trying to soak up every little bit of Christmas fun that I can. 

We are continuing to do our daily advent calendar which has had a lot of fun stuff on there and it has truly kept us busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Merry Christmas y'all!

Last night we played the game, Sorry. It was a gift to Cadence from my sister for her birthday. I can tell this is going to be a family favorite. We had so much fun knocking each other off the board and saying SORRY! #notsorry

We also did a canvas painting last night. So messy, but so fun!

Here are some of my favorites from this week!

*you may have to use your computer for this. It worked on my phone but did not work on Tarl's phone so I don't know the reasoning, but it has worked on all computers I've tried :)

Tuesday morning and all throughout the workday my upper left side of my body, on my back and shoulder area felt tingly. almost like it was going numb, but never did. Tuesday night I had a splotchy rash on my chest, and a little on my shoulder and back of my neck. All day Wednesday I still had this rash, which itched like crazy. It never spread violently and didn't even look nasty, just splotchy, a little raised and still itchy so I put some hydro-cortisone on it thinking it would help, but on Thursday morning when it was still there and still itchy I knew I needed to see a doctor.

Not only did I have a rash, but I also had a tiny lump I could fit in the lower part of my neck. Turns out I have shingles and the swollen lymph node (tiny lump that I felt) is most likely a result from the shingles. When my doctor told me I had shingles I said, "isn't that an old people thing". She laughed and said it is more common in older people but that people in their younger years can get it too. I also told her that I thought shingles was a very painful thing and she explained that often times it is painful, but that sometimes it can be itchy, which is what I have.

She said she had shingles a few years back and that her shingles were the itchy kid too. Apparently prior to the rash you will get either a painful sensation, or tingly sensation or both. Thankfully I just got the tingly sensation and have yet to have any pain. It's just really itchy, red, ugly looking and unfortunately causes muscle stiffness. I have had a stiff neck for almost a week now but thought that I had just slept on it wrong, turns out that shingles can cause a stiff neck. 

Thankfully I got to the doctor in time enough for her to prescribe me some antibiotics which will help it go away quicker than without them. From what I understand you can only take the antibiotics that she prescribed me within a 48 hour time frame. Whew!

I'm not going to lie. The swollen lymph node does scare me. It's very easily felt. You can feel it by simply just grazing your fingers along my neck, and of course, google is the scariest thing to look at especially when you type in swollen lymph nodes. The doctor did measure it and said that we'll re-check it in a month and see if it has gotten larger or smaller. I pray that it goes away by then and I won't even have to go have it re-checked, but she did ease my mind and say that it is a common side effect of shingles.

Bless it y'all...I keep getting these old people illnesses. 

Tarl teases me and says I already go to bed like an old person, might as well have the old people symptoms too. Hah!

In all seriousness, please keep me in your prayers that this swollen lymph node and these shingles disappear!

Today is my last full day of work for two weeks! Two weeks!!!

Next week we have short days planned and then we're obviously off for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then I am off the entire week after Christmas. As usual, I will not be blogging during that time so I can spend some quality time with my family. 

I hope each and every one of you have a blessed and happy weekend!

xo