Finishing the front yard!

I started working on the bougainvillea yesterday. I love how they look, but they are so messy! I last this plant down to about 4' tall and 4' wide. Not too big, right? I'm the only one who will go near it because of the thorns. (My nail polish really is that bright.)(For those of you unfamiliar with them each branch is covered in thorns. They cut deep, and are more painful than paper cuts.) The worst thing about them is they drop leaves like crazy. They end up under the plant, and all sorts of other yuck collects there too. Last time I cleaned it out I found the rotted remains of 2 dead birds. Gross! I think I found another one yesterday, but I didn't want to look at the feathery mass again. I decided I've had enough of this plant so instead of trimming it back again I started hacking away. Maybe hacking is too strong a word. I had to be careful of those thorns. (This is after working on it yesterday. That green bush in the bottom right corner is a weed that was almost completely covered by the bougainvillea, and then some of the clippings.) Today I spent another hour cutting it back. I still have more work to do so that it will be small enough that I can poison it and have Kent rip it out. I'm putting a nice, non-messy plant there in its place. (Tina, I might need your help again!) Unless I don't mind getting thorns in my arms, legs and torso I can't get those top branches.

This morning I got out the hose and started watering all the plants we planted yesterday. It was then that I realized that all but 7 of the 24 flowers we planted yesterday were stuck just below the gravel line, and the roots were exposed. I had to have the boys fix this, of course! After working on my bougainvillea, and having been pricked multiple times in each finger, I decided I could stop for the day and help the boys. I looked over at Justin who was "working" on the flowers while I was working on the bougainvillea, (who I had left like this) and realized that he'd not finished replanting even one flower. He was riding bikes with Drew. (Natalie was our photographer for their little ride. And for several shots of my rear and chest. Nice. She was mad when I posed for this picture. Apparently it's not as much fun to take pictures of people when they can see you're snapping away. ) I got down on my hands and knees with the kids and helped them replant the flowers. We got them all planted and watered, and I think they should all survive. This is the only picture I could use for planting flowers. All of Natalie's other pictures prominently featured butt shots of me while I was working. She was giggling giddily the entire time she was snapping away.

My second day of Kent's trip

One of the hibiscus we planted today.

I woke up almost an hour before the alarm went off. It was well before 7:00 a.m. This is not normal. I am not a morning person, and I try not to wake up until my alarm goes off at 7:20. Oh well. I got up, put my gym clothes on, woke the kids and got them ready for school. The older two boys were already awake and ready for the day. I took Natalie and Drew to school, dropped off my early voting ballot and went to the gym. Drew came home a few minutes later after I came home, and we went to Lowe's so I could get some plants for the yard and supplies for scouts. Then we got Natalie from school and came home to start planting. Since I am trying to document what I do while Kent's gone we snapped some pictures.

Drew and I. This is part of the reason why my back hurts so much tonight.

Notice Natalie's cute outfit. I talked Natalie into wearing my favorite outfit of hers today. She, of course, hates it. I got her to agree to wear it by arranging for a park day... which didn't end up happening... because 5 minutes after we got out of the car to play Drew had to poop. Of course. Never mind that he went potty just 20 minutes earlier... At home... Where we had access to a toilet. Oh, well. I guess when nature calls you need to answer it.

Natalie couldn't get enough planting.

We (Natalie, Drew and I) dug holes for the 3 hibiscus and 1 Japanese something or other plant. I put Natalie in charge of turning on the water, and later the photography duties. Drew helped me keep the rocks out of the holes we dug. And I found out that Natalie LOVES earthworms. We had so many in each hole. I guess we've got good soil. Yay!

I don't know what Drew is doing with his hands.

This afternoon when the boys came home from school they got to plant the flat of flowers I bought. They usually fight over who gets to plant the most flowers. Natalie brought out the spray bottle to very carefully spray each petal and leaf to "make sure they were clean" (of course), and Drew told the boys where to plant the flowers. Trevor planted most of the flowers, which everyone knew about. Justin planted a few flowers, and then decided to goof off with Drew. They didn't finish until my Cub Scouts were about to leave. Alas, I did not have my camera outside so no pictures of that. But there are a couple of flowers that need to be replanted so I'll get some shots of them working tomorrow.

Friendship Dinner and cleaning

We had our Friendship Dinner on Saturday night. I'm so glad that we did it. I've heard from so many people that they had such a good time getting to know other ward members better. I think it's especially good for people who are in auxiliaries that don't get to attend RS or Priesthood on a regular basis.
Kristen and I set up at her house. Well, Kristen already had most of it done when I arrived so I put out my dishes and we tried to figure out if we had forgotten anything. Desserts had been delivered to her house throughout the day, and I brought 2 of my own when I went. I made chocolate chip cookies for those who wanted something simple, and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake for those who wanted something a little springy. We were just going to order pizza for ourselves and our husbands, but Mindy Judd stopped by with her dessert and invited us to join them. To say our husbands were thrilled would be an understatement. Steak fajitas vs. pizza? Not a tough decision for them.
Sunday I was supposed to meet with the bishopric before church so I could get a blessing. I was up an hour before my family, curled Natalie's hair with the flat iron (which she promptly washed out after church) and got everyone ready. Then I realized I hadn't gotten myself ready. I totally missed my appointment.
After church our home teachers came over. We have Joel Ackley and Brian Washburn. They are great home teachers. I don't think they've ever missed a month, and always remember everyone's birthdays. This makes them favorites in the eyes of our children. Bro. Washburn calls to check in on us, and is willing to help us in any way we need. We're so grateful for them.
Later that evening I got a call from Julie Daniels to come to her house. Her mother, Joann, was there, and taught me how to finish crocheting the baby blanket I've been working on. I was so excited. I've been so busy that I haven't even finished an entire side, but what I do have done looks great. I'm so lucky that I had such a great teacher!
Kent was packing while I was at Julie's, and was ready for bed when I got home. He had to leave this morning at 4 a.m. to make his flight. In his absence the kids take turns sleeping on his side of the bed. I had to kick Trevor out in the middle of the night last time because he's a mover and kept hitting me with his arms and legs. I'm not sure if I dare let him sleep there again. I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is. Justin decided that he was too old to sleep there, but he wants to have the younger kids sleep in his room on the floor. We'll see about that. They do it all the time anyway so I don't know that I can stop it.
And as it always is while Kent's gone I got a ton of stuff done today. I cleaned out the bins by the front door, cleaned out the refrigerator and did all the laundry. Tonight I cleaned out the freezer. One of the kids (apparently named "Not Me" or "I Don't Know") left the freezer partially open, and the raspberries, strawberries and all the ice cream (everything in the door) melted. I could barely open the door, and had a hard time getting the bags separated. I thought I was getting frostbite because my fingers were so cold. After I cleaned that up with Justin's help I mopped. I had to mop under and around the entire laundry room 3 times before I got it all cleaned up.
I have grand plans for the rest of the week. I should have taken before and after pictures of the freezer earlier because it was such a dramatic difference, but I didn't. Maybe some of my other projects will be good for before and after pictures. Even if they aren't blog-worthy, they should help me feel good about the difference I'm making in my own home! Have a great week!

Back, Blanket and Bed

My back has been hurting terribly since Tuesday night. What a drag. Thursday night was especially bad. I hurt so bad I didn't fall asleep until 7 a.m. Friday morning. I woke up at 9:30 so I could be ready when Drew got dropped off from school. So yesterday was a hard day. But we our new Sleep Number bed arrived! It was nice because they said they'd be there between 12 and 4, they were here shortly after 12, and set it up within 20 minutes. Great! Also talked to my next door neighbor. He has a bad back so he showed me how to use their hot tub and told me to use it whenever I want/need to. So last night I did. It was so relaxing. I slept great last night. I think it was a combination of the new bed, the hot tub, the medication and the ice packs.
Thursday evening was fun before I bedtime I went to our enrichment leader's house again to learn to crochet a baby blanket... well, more specifically to crochet around baby felt. It looks like lace. It's not especially difficult, but the effect looks like it should be. I'll post pictures when I'm done. I am really excited to see how it turns out. I'm excited so far!
I was so overtired and sore I couldn't wake up to go to the Pinewood Derby this morning. Whoops! I am a new den leader, and I was supposed to be there. I chose to put my health first, and I felt guilty doing it, but I did it anyway. I do feel a lot better so I think it was the right decision. Trevor had a great time. Kent said that Trevor won all his races. Trevor was happy. Kent took pictures, so I'll post those when he gives me the camera.

Reality check and random musings

Kent is leaving us for a week to go to training for work. I am really grateful he has a job... especially after his office was hit with massive layoffs on Monday. He said that some of the people that lost their jobs came as big surprises, and others weren't such a surprise. But is has definitely made for a stressful week. His boss announced that after these layoffs there will be another round in May, and that everyone who stays will be taking a significant pay cut. I hope that Kent isn't among those who lose their jobs, but I am not looking forward to a pay cut either. He's very well trained, and he got this job because a headhunter called him. I still don't like the trips, though. And although I'm not a fan of all the training I am grateful that he has it because it makes him that much more valuable to his company... or to other companies should the need arise. (It's the same systems that they use on 24- high tech geek speak.) He personally scheduled training for the week of spring break, so now the trip we had planned is either not going to happen or I'll have to do it myself. On the one hand we had promised the kids that we'd go on a trip because we took away the Fall Break trip. It would be a lot of fun, it would probably help me alleviate some stress, and I know the kids would love it. On the other hand, do we want to do a family trip without the entire family? Do I want to be the one to drive us everywhere? Would I/we feel guilty if we left Kent behind while he did his training? We wouldn't see much of him anyway because training days are long days. I guess I'll have to think about it and pray about it, then think some more to see what to do.
While Kent is gone next week I have scouts for Justin and Trevor, plus my den will have a meeting too. I may or may not be able to attend the PTO meeting at school. I'm supposed to go to an enrichment meeting, but it's the same day as my next SI joint injection, so I'm not sure if I'll feel up to going. (Another thing I'll have to consider for the trip too.) We have 3 doctor's appointments scheduled for next week, plus 2 eye exams. And these are just the things that we have to do. There are several other things that we'll need to do so it's going to be busy as usual!
I have a confession to make. I love giving service to my friends, neighbors and family. It makes me feel so peaceful when I am able to help someone, even if it's just something special. HOWEVER, I have the hardest time accepting and asking for help for myself. If you need help I'm your gal. If I can help I will. If I can't I will try to help out the next time.
For instance, my mother-in-law, Julie, is helping me when I get my injection next week because Kent will be out of town. I know that I'll need help that day. But we can't bring Drew to the hospital with us because there is no way he'll last the 2+ hours without driving everyone in the waiting room crazy. And because of the time I have to check in we have to leave the house by 7:40. SO I had to call a friend to watch Natalie for a few minutes then take her to school, and see if she could watch also Drew while we're gone.
I have some friends that I feel like I ask for help all the time. These are my close friends that I've known for years. But I feel guilty for calling friends to ask them to watch my kids for me. I try not to do it unless I have no alternative, but I don't want them to resent me or my kids because I ask for help. Mind you, I wouldn't feel that way if I was helping them out, but I feel like they might feel that way about me.
I sucked up my pride and asked a friend to help out, and she was totally willing to do it. (But I still feel guilty for asking.) I know that Drew will have fun because he'll be playing with a friend. He would not enjoy sitting in the waiting room with CNN on, no kids magazines or toys, and where he would have to keep the noise level down. So this will be a good thing for him. And I will get over my guilt. And my MIL is staying the day so I can sleep off the medicine they'll use to sedate me, and she's making dinner before she leaves. (Including her homemade rolls. To. Die. For. Y-U-M-M-Y!) I bought her a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper, and will make a yummy treat for while she's here.
BTW, did I mention I hate shots? I do. Not fun at all, unless you like the feeling that someone is sticking a long nail into your hip. It's not my favorite feeling, but if it works it will be worth it. If it doesn't work... well, at least I tried. Hopefully it doesn't make it worse. It shouldn't.
Anyway, I have been learning to crochet. Our enrichment leader, Julie Daniels, and her mom are our teachers. We had a blast last time. I actually made a hot pad, and I'm making a wash rag now. I don't know that I will ever use them because they're pretty, and I did light colors... I know, I know, but I didn't know that's what we were making so I just bought pretty yarn. Tomorrow night is our next class. We're going to learn to crochet borders (look like lace) for baby blankets. I got enough fabric to make 5 blankets. Wouldn't it be awesome to learn this craft and to be able to get good enough that you could make gifts for people? I am totally excited to learn.
All righty. I've got to work some more on my, I mean Justin's, social studies homework. He got it yesterday, but didn't do much until tonight. His study habits have taken a nosedive recently, so it has meant many late nights for me helping him to finish his work. We've talked about it extensively, and instituted punishments, but nothing seems to work right now. The tween stage is killing me! Over and out!

Silly pictures at home

Last night after the kids were all home, friends had gone home for the night, and we were watching Nacho Libre I snapped a few pictures of everyone. Except Drew. He would not cooperate with me until I agreed to let him take a picture of me. My picture wasn't allowed to be one where I smiled sweetly at the camera. Oh no. I had to make a face before it was good enough. I really don't normally have pictures like the one on here.

Justin always sits like this to watch movies. It cracks me up. That's Natalie trying to scootch into the picture.

Trevor had been really upset before this. We finally got him happy, all wrapped up in the blanket I made him. Natalie's trying to get in his picture too.

Natalie still had her hair and makeup on. And she wanted to show me her lollipop that Miss Katie gave her at the competition.

Silly Drew. This is the picture he made me take of him. And it was an example of how my picture was supposed to look.

I improvised a little as you can see. Natalie managed to get in my picture too.

Kent was not inside while we were taking pictures. I'm not sure where he disappeared to. He may have been giving Smokey a hair cut still. He really needed it. Somehow he got a huge dingle berry earlier in the week and it's been growing and growing. Now it's gone so he can come inside again!

Video of Natalie's performance

It's short. Since Kent and the boys missed it I wanted to record it so they could watch it. I wanted more still photos than I wanted video so this is what I got. Natalie is in the second row.

Natalie's Dance Competition

Natalie's dance company was in a competition today. She is in the Divas company (5-7 year old girls). We had to drive and drive and drive, and then we finally got there. It took us more than double the time to drive there and back than we spent there. (It was really far, and since the freeway was shut down for a 3 mile stretch it took even longer.)

Here's Natalie with her "Big Sis" Megan.Natalie, Lily and Valerie

All the Divas before their performance. (Milea is in a sling because she broke her arm yesterday.)

The Divas performing "Dreamgirls."

The girls tapping. They did such a good job, and looked so cute!

I forgot to add... before we left to drive out to the HS where it was held I had to get my girl ready. Everyone had to match so I put brown eye shadow, black eyeliner, black mascara, blush and red lipstick on Natalie for the performance. No biggie... we even added glitter. (I had to go buy red lipstick this morning. Red lipstick and I do not look well together.) We also had to do her hair a certain way. (She got her barrette and jewelry when we got there). We did her hair and make-up, and as soon as we came downstairs I overheard Trevor say, "Natalie, no offense, but you're freaking me out like that." I came around the corner and asked him why, and he said, "Her eyes- looking like that... I just don't think she should do that. Ir's freaking me out. She doesn't even look like her."

Then a little while after we came home Natalie had her friend Devon come over. He's such a nice boy, and they were playing the Wii together. Eventually Drew and our next door neighbor Gaven came in to watch them play. Kent popped his head in and asked Drew who his friend was. He was talking about Natalie! Every time I think about it I laugh. She didn't look that different. I thought it was so funny!

Counting my blessings

1. Having a husband who will take care of me when I'm not feeling well... which, with my bad back, is more often than I would care to admit- or experience personally.
2. Having Justin as an oldest child. He is so responsible. Even when he gets in trouble (because let's face it, what tween doesn't get in trouble occasionally), he's usually pretty quick to calm down, apologize and try to make things right.
3. Having Trevor as my second child. This child will be the death of me, but he's so insightful, sensitive and kind-hearted... most of the time! He can approach anyone, introduce himself and talk to them. There was a time when I didn't think this would happen. (Those of you who knew him before he was 4 can testify to this.)
4. Having Natalie for a daughter. She loves to wrestle with the boys, but still LOVES to do the girly-girl thing with Mom. It warms my heart. I don't know what I'd do if she was a total tomboy.
5. Having Drew for my baby. He's the cutest thing. I just love that kid. He is so funny. He is a total momma's boy, which is just fine with me! (So is Trevor... and Natalie... and Justin too... I hope none of them outgrow it!)
6. Having been born in America, and having the freedom to worship how I deem fit.
7. Having the ability to go to church, talk about my beliefs and knowing that I have the true gospel in my life.
8. Having trials. The scriptures say that the Lord won't give you more than you can handle. I sometimes think He trusts me a little (or a lot) too much. But then I remember the scriptures and the promises that are in them, and then I close my eyes and say a prayer. Then I seem to find the strength to deal with my trials... whether it be inner strength, help from a friend or a loved one, help from a stranger... finding the answers is always so much easier when I know that I have the Lord on my side.
9. Having blessings. Sometimes my trials can turn into blessings quicker than I could have ever imagined. I think that the Lord gives us trials to strengthen us for other things that will happen in our lives. Sometimes He just gives us blessings because he loves us, and we don't need to overcome a trial to earn it.
10. Having talents. I have been able to enjoy the talents of so many friends and family members. I am constantly amazed that some people don't realize how talented they are. Some people have the talent of being a good friend, and sometimes that's more than any other talent. I love being able to listen to music that others perform, read stories they have written, see things they have created, and especially just being able to learn from them.
11. Having a supply of chocolate. Okay, seriously. There are times when a good piece of chocolate hits the spot and can brighten my day. There. I said it. I KNOW I'm not the only one who feels this way...
12. Having a good pillow. Kent surprised me and filed our taxes several weeks ago, and we already got our tax refund. Yay! Then he surprised me again by taking me to the bedroom store to order a sleep number bed. While we were there I got a new pillow and a new body pillow. I don't have the bed yet, but those pillows are already helping me sleep better. I am thrilled beyond belief that these things help.

I'm sure there are many things I'm forgetting to add... I'll try to add more later. But while I had the time I wanted to express my gratitude for these blessings.

Why me? Part 2

UPDATE: Shortly after I typed the first "Why Me?" post I got a call from the school nurse. Justin was in the nurse's office with a bad stomachache. She gave him some Tums because he didn't want to come home. (He wanted to see my sister Michelle and her son Varick because they're leaving in the morning. I tried explaining to him that regardless of whether he went to school or not he couldn't see them if he was sick.) Anyway, the nurse gave him the Tums, but then 25 minutes later she called again and said I needed to come pick him up. He came home, and 2 minutes later he was sick too. 3 of the 4 kids puking and pooping their guts out. Ew, yuck.
I have been sanitizing everything (including me and Drew) throughout the day. I cannot have this go through my house again, and if Kent gets it I think I'll have to leave... that will push me over the edge. He's the worst sick person I've ever met. If I get sick no one helps me the way I help them, know what I mean, moms? I just hope the worst part is over. Drew had a fever after he stopped being sick. Trevor and Natalie have moved on to that part, but Justin is still so sick.
Oh, man.
At least I got to leave for a lot of the day. Kent came home to work from home so I could go visit Michelle, Varick and my mom for lunch. Then Kent and I got to go to Les Miserables with his mom and step-dad tonight. It was a terrific production, and I was glad to be away from the germs. BTW, I sanitized again when I came home.

Why me?

Everything was going so smoothly. Michelle and baby Varick came to AZ to visit before she has to go back to work. Yay! We had dinner and dessert here on Sunday night. The kids got to play together and had a ton of fun. Everyone had a good time. When everyone went home we put the kids to bed. A while later Kent went to bed. Just as I was getting ready to go to bed Justin called me from upstairs. Drew had thrown up everywhere. He had a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. So gross. I was totally gagging as I cleaned it up. I woke Kent up to take care of Drew because he was covered head to toe in that mess... so, so gross.
When everything was cleaned up I went downstairs and threw all the dirty clothes, pillows and blankets into the washing machine. I double washed everything just to make sure it was really clean. Drew came downstairs because his tummy still hurt, and we were up until 2 so his stomach could calm down. The next day he spent most of his time in the bathroom or on the couch/floor like a slug. No more vomiting, though.
Yesterday he slept until 12:44. I had to wake him up three times before he finally got out of bed. He so did not want to get out of bed. He finally ate some food, and then he was totally fine. The kids came home from school, then we went to my mom's house to visit Michelle, Varick, my mom and Melia (my niece). Things went well when we got home... with the exception of Trevor being grumpy. (Which happens more often than I'd care to admit.)
Fast forward to this morning. I go to Natalie's room to get her up, but she's not there. Sometimes she moves to Justin's room and sleeps on the floor, but she wasn't there. Weird...
I go downstairs because the lights are all on, and I hear the kids talking. Both Trevor and Natalie said they'd been up for several hours because they were throwing up. They're both laying on the floor trying not to cry every time they get sick.
So our plans have changed for today. It's an early release day, so we were going to go do something fun, spend some time with Michelle. This afternoon I'm supposed to have scouts. Tonight Kent and I are supposed to go to Les Miserables. Now I suppose all of that's in jeopardy. I canceled scouts because it seemed like the right thing to do. The other things- we'll have to see what the rest of the day holds. Natalie is whimpering on the floor, and Trevor is zonked out on the couch. I think I might go back to bed and start my day over again.

More pictures from Sunday night

Evelyn dancing for us.

Allan playing Guitar Hero
Cody singing on Rock Band 2

Katie playing drums

Justin playing guitar

Drew eating chocolate cake

Trevor was happy after eating his dessert.

Kent holding baby Varick

Natalie took several pictures with my camera before she finally let me snap some of her.Melia found Drew's dinosaur and commandeered it.

Varick, Maryann (me) and Michelle Christine... you can't even tell she's pregnant from this picture.

Michelle, Varick, Grandpa Don and Ann

I love it!

I love it when my sisters and I hang out. We're all so busy, and with 2 of them living clear across the country, it's a rare thing nowadays. I'm the eldest (not oldest, Mom!) daughter in the family. Michelle (daughter #2) had her first baby in December, and she and her baby got to come visit us this week. She's going back to work next week so we're excited to spend this time with her. Amy (daughter #3) and I are the only ones who don't work full-time. When she lived here we could trade babysitting whenever we needed to. She and Michelle decided that they needed to live on the East coast. We're hoping to get them back someday. Christine (daughter #4) just sold her salon in Maricopa, but she's still working there. I went there for the first time yesterday (Saturday) to get my hair done. I took Natalie with me and while my hair was processing Christine curled Natalie's hair with a flat iron. She LOVED it, and wants me to do it every day. (Add one small flat iron to the shopping list...) Katie (daughter #5/child #6) works full time and is attending ASU. We get to hang out with Katie and her daughter Melia a few times a month. (Melia might actually be taller than Natalie when she's older.)

So yesterday after Michelle and baby Varick arrived, we all got together at my mom's house to hang out together. (All the siblings were there except Amy because she couldn't come out this time.) Allan, our only brother (child #5), was there for a while until he left for a hot date. (We love to talk girl talk in front of him and see him squirm. It's so fun! I don't really think we usually get to him because if you're the only boy with 5 sisters you'd get used to it eventually, right? We think we're just preparing him for his future wife.)

For dinner we ate a really yummy gourmet mac and cheese meal that Katie made. Then our little girls played with each other and we got to talk. Christine is about to have her 2nd baby/1st boy so we got to watch him perform acrobatics in her tummy. Natalie was pretty intrigued by that because she doesn't remember seeing that when I was pregnant with Drew.

Tonight we had everyone over for dinner and dessert. I made a roast, barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes and the desserts. Michelle made a really good salad, and Kent bought some French bread. I made my Perfect Chocolate Cake and a New York style cheesecake with sliced strawberries. Then Katie and Allan took turns playing Guitar Hero, and then Trevor and Justin decided to get Cody (Christine's husband) to sing while they played Rock Band. When I saw them Katie was on drums, Cody was on vocals and Allan and Justin were on guitar. It was pretty funny. Evelyn, Christine's daughter, is so cute, and she cracks me up. She follows her dad everywhere.

My crazy week

Here's what's gone on in our house this week.
Monday was our family fun day (see previous post).
Tuesday I cooked 15 pounds of ground beef, added several ingredients and put it into my 2 large crock pots, then went to the church to set up for our "Route 66 Diner" with a 50's theme for our Blue and Gold Banquet, and then home to get the "mom stuff" done, including a science project that has been the bane of my existence for the last 3 weeks. Seriously. Then the B&G banquet that lasted 2 1/2 hours... very, very L-O-N-G program this year. Trevor got his Wolf and several belt loops. Then home from that to work on the science project with Justin. Decorations from our diner...Me (Maryann) and TrevorTrevor with his red face paint. Not so easy to remove...

Then Wednesday I drove Natalie, Justin and Justin's science project to school, and then called Shanna Johnson. We talked for over 2 hours. I went through so much Kleenex during that call. Drew was watching t.v. while I was talking to her, and every so often he'd look at me like, What in the world is wrong with you? because I was talking on the phone, crying, then laughing, then crying some more, and making a huge pile of used tissues. After she and I talked Drew, Natalie and I went to lunch with Kristen Seare so we could put the finishing touches on our Friendship Dinner planning. Stopped at Wal-Mart, then rushed home to make dinner and dessert for our family and Shanna's family. I delivered dinner with Justin's help, visited for a while, then home again to tackle the laundry pile that has grown exponentially during the week.
Then Thursday morning Drew and I ran errands. We came home to get Natalie from Caroline's house (thanks again, Caroline!), and stopped to get lunch to bring to the park for a play date with Jenn and Mason DeTemple. Mason got to come home to play with Drew, and that made me quite the hero with Drew Dog. They laughed and played, and had a ton of fun. Then Grandma Julie (Kent's mom) came over to play. Kent came home and took Justin to the science fair, and while they were gone Kent's brother Curtis stopped by. Next I went to a midweek activity where I learned to crochet. We had so much fun trying to figure it out. And I can admit that I'm in the remedial group. This is easier than the knitting, though. I'm having a lot of fun with it... even got some more yarn so I could make a ton of pot holders.

Mason DeTemple- just hanging out!Drew hiding out in the tube drinking his slush. I was panicked because I couldn't find him.Miss Natalie looking pretty.Justin showing off his science project.

Today, Friday, I went to the gym, then got a call from Cydnie saying that she was having the preschool boys over for a play date (brave!), and then to get Natalie and Caleb from school, to lunch to do my VT, a couple of errands with Natalie, home to get Drew from Cyd's (where we visited for a while), then to the school to pick up Justin and his friend Josh... home again... then date night with Kent. Whew!
This weekend my sister Michelle and her new baby boy, Varick, are coming to AZ for a visit. We don't have any set plans yet, but I am so excited to see them. They live clear across the country so we don't get to see each other often, and this will be the first time we get to meet her new baby. I can hardly wait!
Kent's been super busy this week so we haven't seen much of him at all. I'm so grateful he has a job because I know so many people aren't so lucky. But sometimes I have to remind myself of that so I don't resent all the extra work that has fallen into his lap recently... and all the Cisco training classes he has to take in the coming weeks and months. (But at least we get to go to Les Miserables together this coming week. I can hardly wait! It will be so much fun!)
I'm going to bed now... haven't slept much lately because the injection 2 weeks ago didn't work so the pain is still almost unbearable at night... which keeps me awake... It's hard doing everything on 4 - 5 hours of sleep a night. It's giving me a headache. But at least I have my family, friends and faith to help keep me sane and happy!

President's Day

Today we took the kids out for a Family Fun Day. I came up with this title several months ago, and it's stuck. I never have to be specific when I say that we're having one, only that we're having one. And it's a great motivator for the kids to get their jobs and homework done. This time we told the kids we'd take them to see a movie, and maybe get lunch afterwards.
The requirements were: Justin had to finish his science project before the movie. Trevor had to finish his jobs. Natalie and Drew had to help me clean their rooms and the game room. Everyone but Justin finished, so Justin had to stay home. Don't feel too bad for him because he's had an entire month to work on this project. And he keeps listening to his iPod, playing games, getting up and doing stuff with the kids, etc. so he's not focusing on getting his job done. He also got offered a babysitting job, but since he wasn't done he also had to skip that. Oh well. (I did take him to the gym with me this morning, and that's one of his all-time favorite activities so don't feel too bad for him.)
The rest of the kids, Kent and I went to see Hotel for Dogs. It was pretty cute. Natalie was the one who selected the movie. Drew wanted to see Coraline in 3-D (sold out). Trevor wanted to see the Pink Panther 2 (sold out). Natalie wanted to see this movie, and since it wasn't sold out that's the one we saw.
After the movie we went to Grimaldi's for pizza. They're a brand new restaurant. Kent and I thought it was really good, but the kids weren't so impressed. (No ranch dressing...) Then we stopped at Dairy Queen for dessert. We never do that so it was quite the treat. We took pizza home for Justin, and got him a treat from DQ.
We went home after that, and then the popcorn from the movie hit. I really shouldn't ever eat it because it kills my gut... only from Harkins, though. They use the healthy oil, and I'm one of the people that has a hard time digesting it. I know this, but I still eat it. And then I get sick from it. You'd think I'd learn...
I think I'm happy that everyone has school tomorrow. As much as I enjoy spending time with them, they really need to have the intellectual and social stimulation. IDK what we'll do during the summer. The library for sure, maybe the reading days at Barnes and Noble, movie days, something else for the other 2 week days. We already go to the library at least once a week, so that won't change.
Oh, and I forgot to post earlier that one of my sisters is coming from CT to visit this week. She's bringing her new baby born in December. I can hardly wait. I'm glad that I didn't host the birthday dessert night at my house yet. Because now Michelle and Varick can come! Yay! I'm thinking I'll make cheesecake, chocolate cake and maybe a pie. We'll see. My kids have a yen for my yummy cheesecake, and my siblings have a yearning for my chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I kind of crave pie right now, but it could just be the timing of it. I'll take pictures and post them on Sunday when everyone comes. If the recipes turn out well I'll even post pictures with the recipes on my craft blog.

This weekend

This weekend, Kent and I decided to go out on Friday for Valentine's Day so we can avoid some of the busyness of the holiday. We were going to try a new pizza place, but after waiting our estimated wait time of 40 minutes, and then another 20+ minutes, we gave up and went to Paradise Bakery. We still want to try the pizza place so hopefully we'll get back there soon. After we ate dinner we went to the movie theater and saw Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was funny.
Saturday Kent took Justin and Trevor riding. They went to Box Canyon and had a blast. Justin has a dirt bike, and Trevor and Kent have ATVs. Justin gets really frustrated with Trevor because he doesn't have the "need for speed" like Justin does. I think it drives Justin crazy.
While they were gone Natalie, Drew and I cleaned the game room and their bedrooms. After that we went to the library, then to lunch at Subway (eat fresh!) and shopping. When we came home I started making dinner. I made a ham, fresh green beans, rolls and apple pie. While it was cooking Natalie and I got pedicures. It was the first time I've gone and had other moms there with their little girls. There was a woman with her daughter, who was also named Natalie, and another girl named Mariah there with her mom. She had Down's Syndrome, but she was one of the funniest and most friendly people I've met. Her mom was really friendly too. My Natalie was acting pretty shy for a majority of the time, but finally opened up when Mariah kept talking to her.
Then today we had church. I played the piano for "Our Savior's Love" while Mindy Sanders and Hayley Breon played on the violin. I think it sounded pretty. We only practiced once during the week so I was glad that it sounded good. After that, Drew said the opening prayer in primary. He told me that he didn't want me to help, but when he got up there, he looked at me and beckoned me forward. I whispered what to say in his ear, and he started whispering the prayer into the microphone. It struck me as funny, and I had to work really hard to not start laughing. I had to remind him to speak. Then I subbed for my friend as the nursery music person. Her daughter forgot to bring the bag with props so I asked the 3 nursery leaders if they wanted me to come in still. (I know that my kids would have been really upset if the nursery music lady came in without the props.) Two of the three teachers elected to just do it on their own, and the other teacher wanted me to come in anyway. The kids had a lot of fun so I'm glad it turned out okay.
On a sad note, my good friend Shanna Johnson lost her baby on Friday. She was due to give birth next month, but now she's waiting to deliver the baby. I feel so terrible for her. She was so eager for the birth of her new daughter. This was to be her 5th daughter, and they had already chosen to name her Cosette Emmaline. I am so grateful for the peace that the Gospel brings... we know that we will be reunited with our families in the eternities... families aer forever. I get to take dinner to Shanna's family on Tuesday, and there are several other women who signed up to bring them dinner during the next several days. I am so grateful for the Relief Society because it allows us the opportunity to serve those around us, in good times and bad.

Drew's Silly Sayings

Drew has been saying all sorts of cute things lately. I can't remember them all, but I'll update it as often as I can because it's pretty dang funny to hear him.
"Mom, you're beautiful." (Pronounced boo-full.)
When he needs something, "Mama Bear, I need..."
In his prayers, "Please help Heavenly Father and Jesus to have a good day."
"Mom, my brain is giving my heart a kiss." (I have NO idea what that means, but he loves to say it, and he's always got a smile on his face when he says it.)
"Mom/Dad, you're my favorite Mom/Dad in the whole world." (Usually said in response to, "Drew, you're my favorite baby boy in the whole wide world.")

Random musings for today

Nothing much is going on here out of the usual. The kids had a half day at school today, and will have another one tomorrow. I'm glad that I got the parent/teacher conferences done today. It always seems harder to go on the second day for some reason.
And the wind is hanging on for dear life here, which is allowing my asthma to stick around too. It's been a week since it started flaring up, and shows no sign of leaving. Ugh! I hope it goes away soon. Seriously!
I made a couple of Valentine's crafts. They're on my craft blog if you want to take a peek. I have a friend coming over tomorrow to make one of the wreaths. If anyone else wants to join us let me know. The more the merrier! I'm going to make sugar cookies tonight so the kids can decorate them after they make their little crafts.
That's it... nothing else. Since my injection last week I've been in bed recovering from that for a day, then in bed with bronchitis for 3 days, and the rest of the time just being Mom and doing the things a mom does! I guess it's good to have a break! Hopefully I'll have something fun to post about later this week. Maybe I'll even post pictures of our cruise... maybe.

I really hate getting injections...

If you've read my Facebook page you already know that I had an injection into my SI joint yesterday. Usually the worst part of surgery for me is getting the IV. The same cannot be said for me when I get injections. You're awake for the procedure, and it's hard to be brave when you're getting multiple shots in a sensitive area. The worst set of injections was when I had to get a discogram. Even if the disc is good those injections hurt like hell. And the bad discs are almost unbearable. You have to lie perfectly still on the table for 45-60 minutes while you're getting multiple injections of lidocaine before they inject the HUGE needles that inject the dye. I think it would be an effective form of torture.
I've also had 3 set of epidural injections and 1 set of facet joint injections. The first epidural injection was the worst because the doctor hit the nerve. The pain was excruciating for an entire month. The others were very painful for 2 weeks, but nothing was quite as bad as that first one. They did not help relieve the pain I was having so that's why I had to have surgery.
Anyway I had back surgery 15 months ago, but started having nerve pain in my hip and down the sciatic nerve in September. I went to my neurosurgeon with new MRI films, and as far as he could tell it was a flare-up of the SI joint. He said that people with back surgery sometimes have this problem, but usually it starts within a few weeks of surgery. I went to the pain specialist he recommended, and he concurred with my dr's diagnosis. I felt good about proceeding... well, as good as I could feel about needing more injections.
I would be lying if I said I was looking forward to yesterday. I hoped that the procedure would go smoothly and that there would be pain relief. I was really nervous once I got to the room. Too many memories from previous injections, I guess. My heart rate was over 100 BPM so they gave me fentanyl and versed... good combination. I tried to talk them into doubling that dose so I would be asleep, but they didn't. Oh well. It was worth a try! They were only going to give me one of them so I'm grateful that they gave me both. I got several small injections of lidocaine, but before lido works it stings like the devil. And it only numbs the skin, really, because it felt like the doctor was drilling a nail into me a mm or 2 at a time. The tech kept maneuvering the x-ray machine so that my dr could get a good view of the joint so he could place the needle correctly. The procedure was over within 15-20 minutes, but it seemed a lot longer than that.
It's been 29 hours since I finished, but I still haven't noticed a change in the pain. It says that it can take up to 48 hours to start working so I haven't lost hope yet. I hope that this shot took care of the problem, and that by this time tomorrow I'll feel awesome. I can't wait!

Why am I always so busy?!

I have found myself asking this question so often lately. It started in late 2007 just before I had back surgery. Before the surgery I had to get all sorts of things done so that the family would be taken care of in a way that I would approve of. (Or at least in a way that I wouldn't feel quite so guilty for not being able to take care of things the way I normally do.) Then because I was recovering from surgery for several weeks I couldn't do much. When I tried to get back into the swing of things my swing was a little slower, so I fell further behind.
Now I feel like I'm on the go every day. Mondays and Fridays are for Natalie's dance. Tuesdays are Justin's scouts/Young Men activities. Wednesdays are Trevor's scout days- and now mine. Thursdays we don't have anything scheduled, but there is always a test or 2 (or more) to study for. Although I graduated from grade school many years ago I still have to study (so that I can help my children study) every time. (BTW, when did the terms for math change so dramatically? They were totally different when I was in school.) I've been told that I'm a better helper than Dad so they always want me to help them. I also get to help them with their projects. Even if Dad starts I seem to wind up doing a bunch of work too. I don't remember my mom or dad having the time to help me as much as I help my kids. Should I put my foot down or keep doing it? I'll probably just keep doing it.
On top of those things I am on the activities committee for church. We try to plan 1 activity each quarter. Doesn't seem like a lot until you realize how much work goes into planning and executing each one. And now I'm a den leader for the Wolf Den in our ward. That started just last week, but it's a bunch of work too. And I just got a new calling on Sunday and when that becomes official I can say what it is. This one shouldn't be time consuming at least.
I'll probably be slowed down a bit again for a day or two. I'm getting an injection into my SI joint on Thursday. If this is what's causing my pain now it will be a diagnosis and a treatment. And I should feel good by the weekend. Hopefully I don't have any bruising or extra pain. I'm very optimistic, so I'm sure it will all go well.
I am glad that I have the opportunity to do so many things with my kids and husband. It's good for them to see me help them, work with them, serve in my church callings and do all the other things that I do. I hope that I'm showing them a good example, and that they'll take the good and learn from it. I hope that they'll overlook the bad (because I'm just not perfect!) and see that even when I do mess up they will see how I try to fix things.