Joy to Dread!!!

Now that Christmas is over, I thought it was time to post again. We had a great holiday. I finished my shopping early this year (a first for me), so it was more relaxed and enjoyable than usual. We had a great time hanging out with the family.
We did the usual. We went sledding, saw the lights, rode tracks (my kid's favorite) and went to family parties.
I was pleased with Christmas day itself. My kids loved their presents, of course! The one thing I loved was that I didn't once hear, "I wish I had gotten such and such" or "I asked for this and Santa didn't bring it". I think if I would have heard any of that it would have infuriated me! I guess I just want them to enjoy what they get and be thankful that they get so many great things.
I do have a dilemma for next year. I think I need some ideas. I was having a hard time finding places to hide their presents before Christmas! We live in a small house with minimal storage. Now that my kids are getting older, its getting harder to be sneaky! Please let me know if you have any good ideas!
I need some more suggestions on a different subject. Now that the holidays are over and the coldest, most depressing time of the year is upon us, what can I do to not dread the awfulness of January and February? Its so great to look forward to the fall and the holidays, but that all ends with the stark reality that Jan and Feb SUCK!!!! Okay, I won't complain anymore. But what is fun to look forward to in these months (besides skiing)?

Hillary Video

My computer savvy husband helped me post the video!

Politics

I will apologize up front. I am going to talk politics. (hopefully you can tolerate my ignorance and enlighten me.) The more I hear, the more I am worried for our elections next year. Do people think that it is most likely that a Democrat will win because people are so bitter about our Republican president? If so, I am worried even more. I have recently heard a couple of things about Hilary Clinton, that are very disturbing. If I am correct, I think she is currently number one in the poles. Yikes! I have to say, the feminist in me is glad that a woman is a contender. But, I fear her chromosomes are the only thing I like about her. I just watched a clip on You Tube that incriminated her in campaign fund raising fraud. She apparently lied about funds that were donated to her campaign. She stated she was unaware and uninvolved in the illegal activity. (her financial advisor took the fall) This clip (if true and undoctored) had evidence otherwise. I also read a statement where she protested to have a murderer acquitted (a black panther who executed a fellow black panther). Is it all a smear campaign, or is she really that crooked? What do you think? Who do you think is the front runner thus far? Who do you like and why?

Christmas!

I don't have much to say right now, except Merry Christmas Season! I am ready now! We had a great Thanksgiving weekend with both of our families. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am ready for the Christmas season! My house is decorated, and I love it! This is a first for me, but I am almost done shopping. I am excited about that. My goal is to have a fun and RELAXED December. I am looking for fun holiday activities to do with my family. Will you share any fun ideas or traditions that you do? I would love to hear them!

Motherly Guilt

So, I am feeling guilty about not posting any pictures of my kids. I really do think they are cute. I don't know why I haven't posted any pictures of them. Here they are in their Halloween costumes. Yes, I do know that Halloween was three weeks ago. I love seeing everyone dressed up. So, whether you wanted to see my kids in their costumes or not, here they are! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

I don't know about you, but I absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving! What is there not to like about this holiday. Great food, family, gratitude and no stress! (at least for me, we're not eating at my house!) I feel this holiday is very important. I think I am preaching to the choir here, but don't you think that the world would be a better place and people would be happier if they realized all they had to be grateful for? I have so much. I will do some extra thanking to my Heavenly Father this week. I have a great family. We are all healthy. We love each other dearly. I have the gospel in my life. I have an eternal marriage. We have a home in a neighborhood we love. I have terrific friends. We have enough money to support ourselves. Sometimes I feel life is too good to be true. Why do I deserve to be so blessed? I guess I shouldn't ask why, I should just be grateful. And I am! Happy eating next week everyone. I am certainly looking forward to it already! I challenge all of you this next week to write daily in a gratitude journal (if you don't already) in celebration of this great holiday of thanks. Enjoy!

How Soon Is Too Soon?

I am posing a question. How soon is too soon to start celebrating Christmas? I'm sure that you all have seen Christmas decor, commercials and other merchandise around. How many of you saw it before Halloween? I am the average person who decorates their house after Thanksgiving. However, I heard on the radio that someone had their tree up in September!!! Wow, is all I have to say. No it isn't. Is it just me, or is that ludicrous? But, I can't really think of a reason why this would be wrong. Part of me feels to each his own, but it kind of bugs me. Why? Maybe its because Christmas is so commercialized. Seeing Santa, lights and toys before Halloween just chaps my hide. It seems ridiculous. I guess if Christmas were celebrated more for its true meaning, this early(4 month)celebration would be a good thing. Do we really need Christmas to have the Christmas spirit? Why do people like to start celebrating Christmas so early? If you have any answers to my question, PLEASE, enlighten me!

Thriller

If you are into dance theatre at all, you need to go see this show! My mom and I have a tradition of going to this every year. Now that Isabelle is old enough, it had become our Halloween girls night out. If you're not familiar, Odyssey dance company puts on a Halloween concert named Thriller. It has about every kind of dance from ballet to funk. It is a little scary but also has a lot of humor in it. These dancers are incredibly talented. It is highly entertaining for anyone: old, young, male, female! It is AWESOME!! Go see it next year!!

Get out of my head!

My, my, my,my music hits me so hard, makes me say, oh my Lord, thank you, for blessing me with a mind to rhyme and something, something, something, and such, this is a beat, ugh, you can't touch. ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh, You can't touch this. Okay, for those of you who weren't alive in the late eighties, early nineties. You may not know these are the words to the unforgettable "You Can't Touch This" by none other than MC Hammer. (or is it just Hammer?) I'm writing this because its 4:30 am and I'm at work with this wonderful (not) song STUCK IN MY HEAD!!! Why? you may ask, do I have Hammer in my head? Did I just recently hear it? Do I have it on my dance music playlist? NO!!! For no apparent reason Hammer is jamming along in my head. Why is it that we get music stuck in our heads? And, why is it usually a song we don't particularly love? (I have to admit, I did love Hammer in the day. You may even see me break it down to one of his songs in the privacy of my own home) But, do I want Hammer in my head all night while I'm sitting in the semi-dark? NO! Why, when we have a song stuck in our heads, is it only one line? Or why is it a song that we know the tune for the whole song, but only the lyrics to one line? I think it is a strange phenomenon. Some of the worst song offenders for me are "I Will Survive" and an R&B song with the lyrics "I put my hand upon your hip, when I dip, you dip, we dip" (circa 1996) ARGHHH! That song is the worst! S and I will say that one line to each other, and whammo, that line is in our head the rest of the day. What are some of the music offenders that get stuck in your head?

What to do?

As most of you know, I have a sweet little pug named Matisse. Okay, I know that all of you don't adore her! (you know who you are). But, as she gets older, the more I love her! (well, sometimes) Actually, I think I'm just being sensitive and sentimental because Matisse is hurt. She had problems with her left knee in March. She had a hair-line fracture in her leg and fluid in her knee. She got better after a round of anti-inflammatory meds. All seemed okay until we went out of town a couple of weeks ago. When we got home, she was limping again. I thought it was her old problem acting up again, so I didn't take her to the vet. Its been a couple weeks, she's still limping and won't go up stairs, so I took her to the vet. (I kinda felt bad for waiting so long) The vet gives me news that is so unwanted! He tells me that she has a torn ACL. Can you believe that!? Who knew a dog could tear their ACL? I'd never heard of it! Oh, and she also has an unstable knee cap. She may also have problems with hip dysplasia in the future. Apparently the only fix is surgery. Here's the kicker. The surgery costs $1400. I think my draw dropped to the floor and my eyes popped out of my head! Excuse me doc? Did you say fourteen hundred dollars? The vet goes on to tell me that's the only real solution, because long term anti-inflammatory drugs cause stomach and kidney problems.
The way I see it, we have three choices. 1) suck it up and get the surgery (trying not to think of all the great things $1400 would buy) 2) let her suffer while giving her anti-inflam. as long as possible. 3) euthanize her. (okay, not an option for me, but a lot of people suggested this).
I am curious, what would you do? We haven't made the surgery date yet. Oh, I did some calling around and it sounds like $1400 might be a good deal for what she needs done. HELP! I guess that animal vet insurance doesn't sound so bad anymore!

I love April and October

I mean the months, but yes, I love you too April. Why? you may ask, do I love these two months? Two words, General Conference. When else do you get to sit around in your pj's, on your bed all day and be uplifted? I love Sunday morning. Good, big, breakfast, then sit in my bed with my family (well, S and Matisse. I and G won't stay and listen.) and listen to beauty, whether it be music or word. It is such a special weekend. How great is it to hear from not only our prophet, but the other general authorities altogether? We are so blessed to have a prophet to testify to us and give us revelation. Their words are truly inspirational and can be life changing.
Conference weekend is always short, and I know that, but I always feel sad when they say we are adjourned for six months. I always think, wow, I can't believe that conference is already over! I sadly didn't get to hear as much as I wanted to today and work tonight, so....I don't think I'll catch tomorrow am's live. (thank goodness for dvr) What a bummer.
With all of my love for conference, rest assured, I will be listening tomorrow while trying to stay awake through all of the talks. I guess that might have something to do with big breakfast and lying in bed. And, is it just me, or do the way most of the speaker talk lull you to sleep sometimes?
One last thing I love about conference weekend, is getting together with all of you! Thank you K for letting us come invade your house for some fantastic food and socialization! I will be sure to request Sat night off of work next April. I love all of you and always have a blast when we're together. Thank you for being such wonderful friends!

What is it with time shares? We went to a Westgate time share sales presentation two years ago. It was okay, the hotel was extremely nice. However, the whole deal is always a very hard sell and just plain shady. Is it just me, or do they remind you of a sleazy car salesman or pyramid scheme? We received a two night stay for $50. I was okay with that since the hotel was nice. However, when we checked into our room it was their smallest room. (it resembles a hallway with a bed) We complained and received a nicer room (we complained because although we didn't buy the $10,000 time share on the spot, like they wanted, we bought a three night stay) In other words, we thought we deserved a nicer room.
This last weekend we used our three night stay. It was great! We swam with the kids, sat in the hot tub and enjoyed our own jacuzzi and steam shower in our room. The fun was tainted. Why? you ask? Because the first afternoon we were there a man came to our door telling us that we had to attend a "survey" during our stay. (what kind of survey lasts 45 min?) It was obviously another sales presentation! But, we were lucky, they said we didn't need to take the tour again. HA! To say the least, I was bugged! Why would I pay over $130 dollars a night and still have to go to the sales presentation? Shouln't my stay be next to free if I have to go to the presentation again? Well, S and I were both upset. He left a message with the manager complaining that it was ridiculous and that we had no intention of buying. In essence it would be a waste of both of our time for us to attend. So, we didn't go. He never called back. They had hinted that they might charge us extra if we didn't attend. We'll see what happens.
If we had the money, I wouldn't mind owning a time share. Why do they have to sell them they way they do? It always seem so scheming and shady. Can anyone enlighten me?

Bill Maher

Okay, I don't know how many of you have watched his show before, I try not to, because I HATE HIM!!! Okay, I know, very strong words. Your mom was probably like mine and told you that you should never hate anyone. You especially should never say that you hate anyone. Well, I am disobeying my mom. Because I really hate him. I have to admit that I have never had any sort of fondness for him over his years on tv. But, tonight I find myself disliking him more than ever. In the past my distaste has been for his extreme liberal, hollywood based views. However, tonight he was talking about the presidential candidates. We only watched because we were interested in what he was saying about Mit Romney. (Now, I am not saying that I think Mit is the one for president. I don't even know his politics yet) But, being a mormon from Utah, I naturally am interested in what others think of Mit. Well, Bill Maher had some very maddening ,derogatory things to say! He was making fun of mormons and all christians alike. He was making fun of Mit's "magic underwear" that Romney believes will protect him. He essentially called our religion mystical. He likened us to "Scientology without the celebrities". Maher stated that when going to the polls he would certainly keep Romney's belief in "magical underwear" and Jesus (who he said was the same person as Santa Claus) in mind while voting. Making mormons sound like a buch of mystical lunatics! And that if the viewer didn't feel the same, there was something wrong with them.
Wow, I could not believe what I was hearing! I could not believe he had the nerve to make fun of a religion and essentially all Christians like that! I thought he was tasteless and crass before, but now I despise him even more. I actually feel that I would like to email him! (that is sooo not like me!)
I know I'm raging on and on. I just think that there are already enough bad misconceptions about Latter-Day Saints, that it infuriates me to see someone on national television saying such things. I do not get offended easily, but was offended to my core with his remarks. My love for our Savior and the gospel are so deep. How could his remarks not hurt and offend? What do you think?
P.S. thanks to S for some last minute photoshop work!

Weekend of Wonders

That title pumps up this post a little more than need be. I had a wonderful weekend! Do you ever feel like life is fantastic and your just wondering when the bubble is going to pop? I'm trying not to think about the popping part, because I am really happy right now.
You know it was my anniversary, so hopefully my weekend was at least ok, right? Well, it was, it was great. Friday was good because I got some new glasses. (I lost mine almost a year ago, so that tells you how in need I was.) The timing was great because I needed them to watch the most fantastic football game I have ever seen!!!! Yes, I'm sure you are all tired of hearing about the Utah game, but, IT WAS AWESOME!! Okay, I am not usually a football freak. It drives me crazy when football season comes around and all Scott wants to do all weekend is watch it! I think he could literally sit in front of the tv, or at a game, and watch football the whole weekend. (Not to mention Monday and Thursday night games.) I'm getting away from my point. Ah hum, despite my dislike for my husband's love affair with football, I love Utah/college football. I like going to the games, I'll even watch one on tv. I love the smells, the kettle corn and yes the proverbial stadium hot dog. It is also the perfect environment for people watching. Wow, I love to people watch, its hours of entertainment. We have a wanna be Elvis impersonator by us. He is continuous entertainment. Especially because he gets drunk and rowdy. He even got in a fight with a BYU fan last year! I digress, the win was so completely unexpected and they played so well, it was fantastic! Not to mention that Scott was in the mood of his life the rest of the night. (weekend for that matter)

My next wonder of the weekend was dessert Sunday night. ( I'm sure that's a shocker.) Tollhouse ( chocolate chip) pie. Wow, I think I'm in a heaven right now. It is a heart stopping, artery clogging, sugar coma causing delight! I first tried this delight at the Dodo. I found a recipe in the Favorites cookbook, but the one I tried tonight I like better. I got it from the beloved Paula Deen. I love her. I could listen to her talk for hours. (In case you don't watch the foodnetwork, she has a southern cooking show, she's from Savannah.) Anyway, I feel that I need to write her a thank you note for this recipe! You may or may not thank me for this, but here is the recipe. (I hope this isn't a copyright infringement.)

2 eggs, 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c packed brown sugar, 1/2 c white sugar, 8 Tablespoons butter (melted), One 6 oz. bag chocolate chips, 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, one 9 inch unbaked pie shell. Whipped topping or ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. In large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add flour and brown sugar; beat until well blended. Blend in white sugar and butter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into pie shell. Bake for one hour. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream. I added 1 tsp of vanilla to the batter.

Its devine, enjoy!
Taush, thanks for the nuts to make this treat even more enjoyable!

My first picture post

This was one of the pictures we had taken for our wedding announcements! Do we look exactly the same or what? (ha ha)
P.S. Scott helped me figure out the picure thing. Yeah!

Twelve years of bliss

Ha Ha, is that cheesy or what? This Saturday is my twelfth wedding anniversary. I echo Tara's words: "where did the time go?" Well, as scary as it was to be engaged, I have to say, I did the right thing! We do have a great marriage. I decided to right twelve things that I love about Scott and our marriage.
1. Isabelle, Grey, Jonah
2. He loves me more than the day we got married.
3. He says I have the best butt in the world. (at least there's one person who thinks that!)
4. While we're on body parts, he likes my small chest. (sorry if that's too much information)
5. He would never tell me I can't do something. (although he may complain)
6. He makes me laugh, he has a great sense of humor.
7. He is my number one fan. He is very supportive of my training and racing. (he doesn't even complain about how much money it costs)
8. He loves to be with me and the kids more than anything else.
9. He is a wonderful father. He drives Isabelle to school every day and walks her to class just to have that special time with her.
10. He is honest. I never have to doubt or question him.
11. He respects me as a wife, mother, and friend.
12. He cleans! (he cleans up dinner every night and helps on the weekends)
I love you Scott!

HELP

Okay, I am obviously computer challenged! I need help posting pictures, a tutorial would help, if anyone is willing. Thanks!

I haven't updated my blog for awhile. I haven't really had anything to say. I still don't feel like I have anything special to say, so you will get to read me ramble on about nothing. School started since I last wrote. I know I said I was sad about summer ending, but I have to say, WHAT WAS I THINKING?! Although I do miss Isabelle being gone ALL day, it has been absolutely fantastic! I feel relaxed again. Instead of having five kids (mine plus two friends) at my house all of the time, I only have Grey and Jonah. Better yet, Grey is going to do a play group on Wednesday mornings. I feel that I have some of my freedom back. Which is interesting, because I was excited for summer, so that we could have some freedom from school. Ha! Ha! Ha!
I actually have been taking a little time during Jona's nap to read. Its a little bit of heaven on earth to have alone time when you're a mom. Am I right? I do love the fun and chaos of summer, but I sure am loving school. Should I feel guilty about the happiness I feel having kids in school? Because I don't!!!!!
This brings me to my next subject...homeschooling (is that one word?) Ok, my sister-in-law home schools (I like it better as two words). I get the why, I just don't get the how. I have a hard enough time doing ten minutes of homework with my kids. Could I really teach them ALL that they need to know for college? YIKES!!! I guess that I also don't get the social aspect of it. Do they really get the social development they need? We have had many a debate with my in-laws regarding this subject. Home school moms seem like superhumans to me. I wouldn't want to take on the responsibility and that makes me feel kind of guilty. As I said before, I like having the time while my kids are at school. Tell me what you think!
So maybe I don't get the why OR the how!

The end of summer

I don't know about anyone else, but besides January, this is the most depressing time the year! Most of my sadness comes from the shorter days and the knowledge that cold darkness will soon consume us!
I love the freedom of summer. I actually don't mind waking up early to a beautiful summer morning. I love the long daylight. I also love going to the pool with wonderfully fun friends! All of this will soon come to an end. OK, enough of the depression. Sorry.
While most of me is sad to see summer go, the other half is jumping for joy. You may ask why. Well, I will tell you. My kids are going to school! (like you didn't know that's what I was going to say!) Although I will truly miss them when they are gone, I am so excited to have some peace and quiet for a couple of hours a day! After a summer of playing hard all the time and with friends over (all of the time), this soulds heavenly. Can you all agree?
I would love some advice on how to get my daughter at least a little excited for school. I'm afraid she's going to start claiming stomach ache every day again in order to stay home. (she did this last year in first grade, she's a home body) I also would like any advice on how to stay more chipper with the shortening daylight.
With all the changes fall brings, I have to say thing to look forward to, is pumpkin. What is there not to love about pumpkin? They look great for decoration, they're great illuminators, and they taste delicious! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pretty much any pumpkin dessert. SUPERB!!!

Tara

Sorry, I spelled your name wrong! I shouldn't do this at one in the morning!!!!

great homecare nursing story

Tera inspired this entry by asking me to share some nursing stories. I know that a couple of you have heard this story before, so bear with me.
A little background. I work for a homecare company. I do pediatric private duty, which means that I go to one child's house for my whole shift. These are kids who need someone with them all of the time. We stay up all night or give respite so the families can have a break or get some rest. They are mostly kids with trachs and ventilators.
I used to go to a girl's house in very scary neighborhood. (I'll try to be discreet so as to not break any HIPPA laws!) She had an interesting home life. Her parents were separated. She was living at her mom's house. This is the mother who one time asked "who the f--- is in my house", when I showed up for a shift. One night I showed up for my shift and the patient wasn't home. She was down town at the olympic plaza. (It was 11:00pm). She got home at 2am!!(She was about 7 years old) I sat there for three hours with the mom and her boyfriend waiting for my patient to arrive. At least it was easy money. Anyway, my patient gets home and I put her to bed. The boyfriend decides to stay the night. The walls are paper thin and I can hear everything! DISGUSTING!!!(especially if you saw them) I go home thinking, wow, that was interesting. I am scheduled to go back to this same house in two days. My next shift there starts out rather uneventful. My patient goes to sleep right after I get there, I'm thinking easy sailing right? I get to read a book most of the night. However, the mom has her friend over, who is a girl. A couple hours after my shift started the friend leaves to go to a convenience store. The mom tells her she loves her and kisses her (on the lips)while I'm sitting there in front of them, trying to read my book! I'm thinking to myself, "that's weird, I thought she had a boyfriend, is she gay? Well, the girlfriend came back and slept over. Once again the walls are paper thin and I can hear everything!!!!!! A girlfriend, a boyfriend and a husband all at once! That had to have been demanding. I felt that I had lost all of my innocence that night!!! Needless to say, I will never forget that night!
Sorry this wasn't really a story about nursing, but it has by far had the most impact on my psyche. I also have a good story about finding marijuana in a sterile dressing, that was covering a diabetic ulcer. Yummy!

sleep walking

Ok,
So I am wondering how long my son is going to walk (and pee) in his sleep. I woke up this morning and lo and behold there is a pair of his underwear IN the toilet! This is one of his many pee in the night stories. He doesn't actually pee in his bed all that much, but he does manage to go in some interesting places. The first encounter, my husband heard him running around and caught him with his pants down peeing down the stairs. Second encounter, we both heard him running around looking for the bathroom and we found him peeing on the coffee table. Third time, I didn't find the evidence until morning. His dresser drawer was open and all of his clothes were wet. Well, of course it was pee that had drenched his clothes!!! He doesn't ever have any recollection of his "incidents", but he thinks its funny. It is incredibly hilarious when this happens, I just hope he gets over it before he starts having sleepovers!

My first blog

Hello!!
Well, its 3am and here I am blogging!! I have to say, I am jealous of those of you who are sleeping at this very moment. I set up this blog as a request by Kristen. I am excited to hear all that you have to say about your lives. I am sure that I will have many a joyous hour reading all of your stories. I am excited not to miss a single Luke or Evie story from Tausha. Please share your recipes and advice freely.
Today was Isabelle's birthday. I am glad that its over. Well, I guess I still have her party Friday night, shoot. I always stress about birthdays. I want them to feel special and have a fun day. I really didn't feel up to it today, so I was happy that she said it was her most favorite birthday. (She probably can't remember any of her other birthdays) Anyway, we made easy bake oven cupcakes. I have to say that I loved the easy bake as a kid, but I hate it now. What a pain in the butt! The real oven works much better, and it tastes better.
MMMM, I don't know what else to say. Uh, I guess I will see you all later. I am going to go search your blogs for some sweet reads! Sorry if my poor writing skills drive you crazy! Feel free to critique!