Here's a view of what a typical day might look like for us. Of course this varies. Some days I don't do anything that I don't really have to do... wait, actually, that's most days! I guess there are days that I don't do the things that really need getting done, but most days, I do try! Anyway, here it is! A usual day in the Lund household.
7am The nurse wakes me up at the end of her shift. We spend 5-10 minutes talking about how the night went and anything new that will need to be changed. Then she leaves. Usually, Isaac is awake and begins asking when he can wake up dad. Our current arrangement is that I can go to bed at 10pm (an hour before the nurse arrives) and Aaron gets to sleep for an hour after she leaves.
7:30 ish. After talking to Isaac, sometimes reading him a story, sometimes suctioning him or changing his diaper, I make some attempt at exercise. Sometimes this works, other times, I don't have the energy, and sit there watching Kung-Fu Panda or Blues Clues with Isaac instead.
7:45 I get Isaac's med's ready. There are 5 different medications that I have to give him. They are scheduled for 8:00, but I usually try to give them a little early so that I have them done before we wake up Aaron.
8:00 Usually, Isaac wants to be involved in the waking up of Dad, so I unhook him from his monitor, ventilator, suction, and feeds. Hopefully I remember to turn of the humidifier that goes with his vent, otherwise, it runs all day. I can then take him to our bed where he "yells" in his not very loud voice, "Wake up, Dad!" You really have to hear it. He has to use a lot of air to talk, so each syllable comes out on a different breath. It's more like, "Wake... Up... Dad!"
8:15 For the next hour or so, there's not much that needs to be done, but the kids usually start getting up and asking for food and whining when I tell them they have to get dressed. Aaron gets up and starts getting ready. I usually get dressed and have some breakfast.
9:30 This is when Isaac is supposed to get his bowel program. It actually happens on time about half the time. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. I doubt many of you really want to know what this entails, but we will just say it is his own special potty training program.
10:00 Isaac is supposed to get his morning feed now, but if other things haven't been on schedule, it generally gets pushed later.
11:00 If Isaac has therapy, this is when we do it. If not, we all sigh a great sigh, because it means we don't have anything else to worry about for now. Except for housework. So now is when I might try to vaccuum, get the kids to clean their rooms, sweep and mop, or clean a toilet or something. It can't be too intensive, because soon the kids will be asking for lunch and I will be getting hungry myself. On therapy days, we don't get much done.
12:00-2:00 Lunch can happen anytime in this time frame. It's usually whenever the kids say, "I'm starving!!!!"
Things in the afternoon get less scheduled. Isaac gets a feed at 2:00 (unless the morning one was late or he actually ate and drank.) After the feed, he gets his afternoon med's. The kids only have permission to play the Wii or other computer type games between lunch and dinner, so they are usually glued to a screen and I take a break or try to get more housework done.
Throughout the day, Isaac of course needs his trach suctioned, diapers changed and his position changed. We try to get him out of bed and into his wheel chair or some other seating arrangement. Sometimes I can read him a book, but usually I am busy or he is napping.
Aaron usually comes home at about 6:30. If I am really on top of things, I'll try to have something ready for dinner when he gets home. Usually though, I'm trying to figure out something quick and easy when he walks in the door. We are lucky if we sit down to eat by 7:00. Then it's getting the kids ready for bed. Lately, they have finally gotten to bed about 9:30, but 10:00 hasn't been uncommon. There was even one night last week that Leonora came wandering out of her room after the nurse got here at 11:00. Once they are in bed, I usually clean up the kitchen, the table, and the living room. I usually get the dishes going and put away whatever has been left out. Depending on how late the kids go to bed and how much cleaning up there is to do, Aaron and I might have time to watch something before the nurse gets here. Sometimes I stay up and we do that, and sometimes I go to bed while Aaron waits up for the nurse. If we are lucky, there are no interruptions during the night and at 7:00 the next morning, it starts again.
I should note that starting this coming Friday, Isaac's nurse will be coming at 10:00! A whole hour earlier! That should make getting sleep a little easier. :)
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Losses part 1: A Little Loss
When I first joined Facebook, I bookmarked the site without paying much attention to which page I was bookmarking. It happens to be linked to a photo album of my kids. Everytime I click the link on my toolbar, it takes me to a page of pictures from Isaac's first several months of life. One picture in particular is of William, Leonora, and Isaac on the day that Isaac was blessed.
In this picture, Isaac is wearing one of the few things I have sewn on my own without any help. I had spent time picking out the fabric and pattern, carefully cutting the pieces, and rushed to finish it in time for his blessing. I had pressed it that morning and dressed him in it for his special day. It was the only time I actually made something for any of our children's blessings, and I was so happy with the outcome!
When he was blessed, we were in the process of moving from one apartment to another. In the week or so that followed, we spent several evenings at the old apartment getting things packed up and moved over to the new apartment. On one such evening, I had been gathering up towels, blankets and other random things that hadn't been moved over yet. We were short on boxes, and since most of what I was packing was soft, I packed it into garbage bags. I packed a bunch of Isaac's receiving blankets and his blessing outfit into one of these bags. While I had been packing, Aaron was taking a load of previously packed things to the new place. We talked on the phone, and he told me he would be on his way back soon. I finished up what I was doing and went downstairs to a neighbor's apartment where she had been watching the kids while we packed. I got into a conversation with her and was still talking when Aaron got back.
We took the kids straight to the car. Most of our conversation revolved around how tired we were and how we didn't really enjoy moving. When we got home, I thought briefly about asking Aaron if we should unload the car where I assumed he had put the bags that I had packed earlier, but we were tired, and I thought, it can wait until morning.
Can you all see what is coming here? The next morning, I went back to the old apartment. There were no bags in the apartment, no bags in the car. I called Aaron and he confirmed that he had thought the bags were trash and had thrown them away the night before. We hurried down to the dumpster, but found it completely empty. I was horrified. I called Aaron, and he felt terrible. I had lost the best of my towels, blankets for Isaac, William's Superman towel, and other random articles of clothing, but most of all, my new baby's blessing clothes that I had lovingly worked to complete. I sobbed out loud. I couldn't believe that it was gone, and what was worse was it had only spent about 12 hours in the garbage. Had I been there a couple hours earlier, I'm certain I could have rescued it.
I probably spent an hour mourning the loss of a small jacket and pair of pants. I'm sure that the stress of moving, lack of sleep that comes with having a newborn, and the hormones that were not back to normal levels, didn't help my emotional state, but I am still a little sad that I don't have that keepsake from a special time in my little boy's life.
A loss is a difficult thing to measure. It all depends on our own experiences and perspective on life. Is this a monumental loss? No. I think that this could be considered a relatively small loss. My life has and will continue in a relatively unchanged manner. But it was important to me. It's something that I will always remember and miss.
In this picture, Isaac is wearing one of the few things I have sewn on my own without any help. I had spent time picking out the fabric and pattern, carefully cutting the pieces, and rushed to finish it in time for his blessing. I had pressed it that morning and dressed him in it for his special day. It was the only time I actually made something for any of our children's blessings, and I was so happy with the outcome!
When he was blessed, we were in the process of moving from one apartment to another. In the week or so that followed, we spent several evenings at the old apartment getting things packed up and moved over to the new apartment. On one such evening, I had been gathering up towels, blankets and other random things that hadn't been moved over yet. We were short on boxes, and since most of what I was packing was soft, I packed it into garbage bags. I packed a bunch of Isaac's receiving blankets and his blessing outfit into one of these bags. While I had been packing, Aaron was taking a load of previously packed things to the new place. We talked on the phone, and he told me he would be on his way back soon. I finished up what I was doing and went downstairs to a neighbor's apartment where she had been watching the kids while we packed. I got into a conversation with her and was still talking when Aaron got back.
We took the kids straight to the car. Most of our conversation revolved around how tired we were and how we didn't really enjoy moving. When we got home, I thought briefly about asking Aaron if we should unload the car where I assumed he had put the bags that I had packed earlier, but we were tired, and I thought, it can wait until morning.
Can you all see what is coming here? The next morning, I went back to the old apartment. There were no bags in the apartment, no bags in the car. I called Aaron and he confirmed that he had thought the bags were trash and had thrown them away the night before. We hurried down to the dumpster, but found it completely empty. I was horrified. I called Aaron, and he felt terrible. I had lost the best of my towels, blankets for Isaac, William's Superman towel, and other random articles of clothing, but most of all, my new baby's blessing clothes that I had lovingly worked to complete. I sobbed out loud. I couldn't believe that it was gone, and what was worse was it had only spent about 12 hours in the garbage. Had I been there a couple hours earlier, I'm certain I could have rescued it.
I probably spent an hour mourning the loss of a small jacket and pair of pants. I'm sure that the stress of moving, lack of sleep that comes with having a newborn, and the hormones that were not back to normal levels, didn't help my emotional state, but I am still a little sad that I don't have that keepsake from a special time in my little boy's life.
A loss is a difficult thing to measure. It all depends on our own experiences and perspective on life. Is this a monumental loss? No. I think that this could be considered a relatively small loss. My life has and will continue in a relatively unchanged manner. But it was important to me. It's something that I will always remember and miss.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Searching for the New Normal
We first heard the phrase, "new normal," when we lost our daughter Renee. When something that dramatic happens, life will never go back to the normal that it had been before. It's like going from a smooth flat road to a hilly winding road. Nothing about the two roads is the same other than the fact that they are roads. Nothing can be the same about life before and after those type of events other than it's still Life. Hills and switchbacks are normal for a mountain road, but if you found them in an otherwise flat landscape, that would not be normal.
We've found ourselves again searching for that road that will allow us to move forward. Normal has escaped us for the time being. We had been traveling along our normal path and suddenly found ourselves speeding along streets we could never have known were ahead of us. The hospital had become a sort of temporary Normal for us during the 7 weeks that Isaac spent there. But we knew that wouldn't be forever and we didn't want it to be either. When we got him home, we were in the process of moving to a new home, so things didn't get a chance to get used to being home again-let alone get used to having nurses in our home, boxes of medical supplies and equipment to figure out what to do with. Even when we moved, William stayed at my parent's so he could finish the school year, so we still weren't all together for most of the week.
Now we are all together in our new apartment. I am still trying to figure out where everything fits best, and we are still trying to make some kind of schedule that works for our family. Our winding street has merged into a massive junction of freeways and city streets and ours is a complicated path. I imagine there will be a few U-turns along the way. I feel like "Normal" is close, maybe on a parallel street, but, as with many street and highway systems, seeing where you are going is often a long way from being there. We are beginning to see what our New Normal will look like, but we still haven't figured out exactly how we are supposed to get there. One day, the things we struggle with will become second nature. Then I will feel like we have found the now elusive Normal.
We've found ourselves again searching for that road that will allow us to move forward. Normal has escaped us for the time being. We had been traveling along our normal path and suddenly found ourselves speeding along streets we could never have known were ahead of us. The hospital had become a sort of temporary Normal for us during the 7 weeks that Isaac spent there. But we knew that wouldn't be forever and we didn't want it to be either. When we got him home, we were in the process of moving to a new home, so things didn't get a chance to get used to being home again-let alone get used to having nurses in our home, boxes of medical supplies and equipment to figure out what to do with. Even when we moved, William stayed at my parent's so he could finish the school year, so we still weren't all together for most of the week.
Now we are all together in our new apartment. I am still trying to figure out where everything fits best, and we are still trying to make some kind of schedule that works for our family. Our winding street has merged into a massive junction of freeways and city streets and ours is a complicated path. I imagine there will be a few U-turns along the way. I feel like "Normal" is close, maybe on a parallel street, but, as with many street and highway systems, seeing where you are going is often a long way from being there. We are beginning to see what our New Normal will look like, but we still haven't figured out exactly how we are supposed to get there. One day, the things we struggle with will become second nature. Then I will feel like we have found the now elusive Normal.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
This Is Hard
Just in case you were wondering.
I am home right now. I drove 4 1/2 hours today so I could see Leonora perform in her first dance recital. Aaron is still in SLC with Isaac. Tomorrow, I will be looking into housing in St George, doing a little food shopping, picking up some Tupperware flyers, and driving back to Salt Lake. I am tired. I feel like I should be saying good night to Isaac. I miss having my husband with me. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed by all the people and noise at the dance recital. I was wondering before it started if I would make it through the whole thing.
But I know that if I had stayed with Isaac and Aaron, I would feel terrible for missing Leonora's recital. I would be missing her and William. I would still be exhausted.
I am glad I got to see Leonora dance.
I feel so torn between here and there. I am really looking forward to having us all together again. I'm sure that will bring it's own challenges, but we should be together. Things are better when we are together.
I am home right now. I drove 4 1/2 hours today so I could see Leonora perform in her first dance recital. Aaron is still in SLC with Isaac. Tomorrow, I will be looking into housing in St George, doing a little food shopping, picking up some Tupperware flyers, and driving back to Salt Lake. I am tired. I feel like I should be saying good night to Isaac. I miss having my husband with me. I was unexpectedly overwhelmed by all the people and noise at the dance recital. I was wondering before it started if I would make it through the whole thing.
But I know that if I had stayed with Isaac and Aaron, I would feel terrible for missing Leonora's recital. I would be missing her and William. I would still be exhausted.
I am glad I got to see Leonora dance.
I feel so torn between here and there. I am really looking forward to having us all together again. I'm sure that will bring it's own challenges, but we should be together. Things are better when we are together.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Ponyo
So this week is spring break for William and Aaron. We don't have the money to spend on a vacation or even a day trip, so I was trying to think of fun "special" things to do with the kids. Since it has been raining for the entire break thus far, we have to stick to indoor activities. I thought, if we had the money, we would probably go somewhere and stay overnight. So I thought a "sleepover" in the living room would be fun. We pulled out pillows and blankets for the kids and popped popcorn and sat back with them to watch the new animated film "Ponyo."
Ponyo is a variation of the story of the Little Mermaid. She is a magical little fish/girl who is found by a human boy. The two of them form a fast friendship. They are separated when Ponyo's father comes to take her back to the ocean. Ponyo is such a funny little creature! She uses her magic to change into a little girl and find her friend. She is so silly and cute! If Leonora met Ponyo, I think they would be best friends. We were all giggling outloud at her excitement. The director, Hayao Miyazaki has a special gift for portraying children in true form. It was certainly a fun movie for Aaron and I and the kids. I was also pleasantly surprised that there is a reference to breastfeeding when Ponyo wants to feed soup to a baby. The mother says the baby is too young, but she will eat the soup and it will help her make milk for the baby. It's so rare to see breastfeeding portrayed in such an honest and simple way. It seems that most movies and tv shows like to turn it into a joke. Ponyo then insists on giving the mother more food "for milk." In spite of all her silly antics, she does want to be helpful. The themes are about being in balance with nature and loving each other in all our forms. The characters are lovable and realistic. The animation (as with all Ghibli films) is truly art.
After watching Ponyo, the two older kids camped out in the living room. Aaron and I were a little bit of party poopers and decided to sleep in our own beds! I think it's safe to say that Ponyo will be a new favorite for our kids.
Here's a trailer that shows some of Ponyo's personality:
Ponyo is a variation of the story of the Little Mermaid. She is a magical little fish/girl who is found by a human boy. The two of them form a fast friendship. They are separated when Ponyo's father comes to take her back to the ocean. Ponyo is such a funny little creature! She uses her magic to change into a little girl and find her friend. She is so silly and cute! If Leonora met Ponyo, I think they would be best friends. We were all giggling outloud at her excitement. The director, Hayao Miyazaki has a special gift for portraying children in true form. It was certainly a fun movie for Aaron and I and the kids. I was also pleasantly surprised that there is a reference to breastfeeding when Ponyo wants to feed soup to a baby. The mother says the baby is too young, but she will eat the soup and it will help her make milk for the baby. It's so rare to see breastfeeding portrayed in such an honest and simple way. It seems that most movies and tv shows like to turn it into a joke. Ponyo then insists on giving the mother more food "for milk." In spite of all her silly antics, she does want to be helpful. The themes are about being in balance with nature and loving each other in all our forms. The characters are lovable and realistic. The animation (as with all Ghibli films) is truly art.
After watching Ponyo, the two older kids camped out in the living room. Aaron and I were a little bit of party poopers and decided to sleep in our own beds! I think it's safe to say that Ponyo will be a new favorite for our kids.
Here's a trailer that shows some of Ponyo's personality:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
In the month of May...
There has been soooo much going on here this month. It's been crazy. There are a lot of things I'd love to do longer posts about, but I just don't know when I will get a chance. Instead, here's a timeline to show what our month has been like!
On May 3rd, Isaac turned 4 months. He is huge! or at least the muscles in my back and arms tink so!
On May 3rd, Isaac turned 4 months. He is huge! or at least the muscles in my back and arms tink so!
Of course, the other kids needed a picture too.
On May 4th, we packed up for a little "vacation."
On the way, we stopped at a park to let the kids stretch their legs.
That evening, we arrived at my sister's house. She was kind enough to let me invite some of my college roommates for a little reunion.
The next day, we took the kids to the zoo. William was so excited to see the elephants-until we got a little closer. Then he was scared that they would "get" him and refused to stand where I could get a good picture of him and the elephants. We did get to watch them eat though. It was a lot of fun watching them pick up whole watermelons with their trunks.
William decided he likes giraffes better.
The next day was not as much fun. William had to have surgery on his feet. This was his 4th surgery for clubbed feet. Not so much fun, but he was a real trooper. He spent the night in the hospital and was released the next day. We spent that afternoon and evening visiting some of Aaron's family. They were kind enough let us stay the night. I guess I was too tired to take pictures... We arrived back at home the evening of the 8th.
And After!
The less fun part of the day was driving for 4 hours because William had to go back to Primary Children's to have his casts changed. We slept at my aunt's house and got up early the next moring to head to the hospital. William was actually pretty good about most of it. He was a bit grumpy about not getting breakfast, but he was getting anethesia and had to have an empty stomach. He was released by noon and we stopped to have lunch with my sister before heading home again.
On the way, we stopped at a park to let the kids stretch their legs.
That evening, we arrived at my sister's house. She was kind enough to let me invite some of my college roommates for a little reunion.
The next day, we took the kids to the zoo. William was so excited to see the elephants-until we got a little closer. Then he was scared that they would "get" him and refused to stand where I could get a good picture of him and the elephants. We did get to watch them eat though. It was a lot of fun watching them pick up whole watermelons with their trunks.
William decided he likes giraffes better.
The next day was not as much fun. William had to have surgery on his feet. This was his 4th surgery for clubbed feet. Not so much fun, but he was a real trooper. He spent the night in the hospital and was released the next day. We spent that afternoon and evening visiting some of Aaron's family. They were kind enough let us stay the night. I guess I was too tired to take pictures... We arrived back at home the evening of the 8th.
With everything going on, we had pretty much forgotten Mother's day, but I did buy myself some chocolate dipped strawberries and shared them with my mom. Aaron caught something and spent the day in bed.
Tuesday, May 12th was a fun day! Sort of...
For the fun part, I got my haircut! Whoo hoo! The heat here has been breaking records, and I just couldn't handle it any more. So, here's the before...
And After!
The less fun part of the day was driving for 4 hours because William had to go back to Primary Children's to have his casts changed. We slept at my aunt's house and got up early the next moring to head to the hospital. William was actually pretty good about most of it. He was a bit grumpy about not getting breakfast, but he was getting anethesia and had to have an empty stomach. He was released by noon and we stopped to have lunch with my sister before heading home again.
The following day, May 14th, Isaac had his 4 month check-up. He weighed 17lbs 3.5oz (90%) and is 25 inches tall (50%). He has a rash on his face that I thought was just dry skin, but hadn't been able to clear up. The doctor thinks he is allergic to something that his skin is in contact with. So we will be trying some different laundry soap to see if that helps. Other than that, he is a happy, healthy boy!
Today, May 19th, is Leonora's birthday. Hopfully I'll get a chance to post more about that later!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day!!!
I got these re-usable grocery bags today. I'm so sick of plastic bags. In the past, I've used them for small trash liners, reused them as packing material, and saved them up for schools who recycle them for fundraisers. Lately, though, I've had way too many of them showing up in random parts of the house. The kids seem to think they are toys. So I'm really glad to have fewer of them coming into our home!
Another great thing about these bags is that I got them for 59 cents with a coupon from Albertson's!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Easter Fun
This Easter we had a cold going around our family. And it rained. So our kids missed out on the usual egg hunt at my grandmother's home. Instead, we stayed home and decorated some cookies! First we had to get our suplies together: Frosting, food coloring, knives for spreading, and of course, cookies!
Next, it was time to frost those cookies! William chose blue. Unlike pink, purple, and green, blue is a "Superman" color.
Next we pulled out the sprinkles for a little added decor!
And presto! Easter cookies! Aren't they lovely?
Next, it was time to frost those cookies! William chose blue. Unlike pink, purple, and green, blue is a "Superman" color.
Next we pulled out the sprinkles for a little added decor!
And presto! Easter cookies! Aren't they lovely?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
So, I thought that this morning I would spend a little time updating my blog and telling you about the picture of the pumpkins in the title, or whatever that box is called...
Unfortunately only Leonora's has made it to halloween. I think I might have accidentally gotten a baking pumpkin instead of a carving pumkin for her. It was really difficult to carve, but has lasted longer.
We carved pumpkins way too early this year, but there was (I think) a good reason for it. The 16th of October is the day that we found out Renee's heart had stopped beating. It's always good for me to have something to do to remember her on anniversary days like that, so I had decided I wanted to carve a pumpkin for her.
William was very excited about this! He picked what face he wanted from his "Five Little Pumpkins" book.
Leonora seemed excited initially, but got a little bored by the time we got one pumpkin done!
She spent a bit of time collecting leaves instead.
Here we are cleaning out William's pumpkin. The kids did a lot of "ewww"ing at the goo from inside. Aaron has a strong dislike for this part of pumpkin carving, so he was the official photographer. I guess he wanted to be included in the picture though, so there's his foot.
Leonora completely missed the carving of her pumpkin, but came back to see Renee's white pumpkin hallowed out.
She also helped a little with the candles and clean-up!
And here's the final product! Including my nice shadow! The kids sat out on the porch watching the glowing pumpkins until bedtime.
Unfortunately only Leonora's has made it to halloween. I think I might have accidentally gotten a baking pumpkin instead of a carving pumkin for her. It was really difficult to carve, but has lasted longer.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Busy Weekend
We had a lot going on this weekend. Thursday night we had a small family birthday party for William, who turned 5 on Friday! Friday morning, Aaron and I dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpa's house and headed north for Salt Lake City. Aaron had two brothers who got married in August. One was married in Ohio and one in New York. Unfortunately, we were not able to go to either wedding, but they decided to have a joint reception in Salt Lake since most of thier family lives out West. They also had a cousin who decided to join in the fun and got married in Provo on Friday! So we made it to Provo in time to relax a little before their cousin's reception that evening.
Saturday morning, we were able to spend some time with my sister. It was really nice to see her. Neither of us travels much. I think the last I saw her was Christmas. I wish I had remembered my camera. I could show you a picture of my cute sister! Oh well.
Saturday evening was the joint reception. It was lovely! It was held at the home of one bride's Grandfather. We used his lovely back yard. Someday I'll have a lovely back yard... There were some fun moments-after feeding their brides, the grooms fed each other cake, and the brides seemed to think they couldn't throw their bouquets far enough. I was able to finally meet more of Aaron's family (he's got quite a lot) and a few of thier friends. We occasionally wished we had the kids to show off, but it was much more relaxing to visit and show a couple pictures on our phones! It was also really nice to get to know the brides. They are both wonderful in different ways and seem perfect for their respective husbands. I look forward to seeing them again.
After a really late night, Aaron and I decided to turn off the alarm on his phone and just see when we woke up. Well, my empty stomach woke us up at 9, so we got up and hurried off to have a quick breakfast with his family. We went to sacrament meeting at his aunt's ward in Provo and spent some more time visiting with family before heading back home. Aaron had to work Monday, so we headed home Sunday afternoon. It was pretty late by the time we got home. The events of the weekend kept us pretty busy, so there really wasn't much down time, but we were glad that we were able to go. Maybe sometime we'll get a vaccation! :)
Saturday morning, we were able to spend some time with my sister. It was really nice to see her. Neither of us travels much. I think the last I saw her was Christmas. I wish I had remembered my camera. I could show you a picture of my cute sister! Oh well.
Saturday evening was the joint reception. It was lovely! It was held at the home of one bride's Grandfather. We used his lovely back yard. Someday I'll have a lovely back yard... There were some fun moments-after feeding their brides, the grooms fed each other cake, and the brides seemed to think they couldn't throw their bouquets far enough. I was able to finally meet more of Aaron's family (he's got quite a lot) and a few of thier friends. We occasionally wished we had the kids to show off, but it was much more relaxing to visit and show a couple pictures on our phones! It was also really nice to get to know the brides. They are both wonderful in different ways and seem perfect for their respective husbands. I look forward to seeing them again.
After a really late night, Aaron and I decided to turn off the alarm on his phone and just see when we woke up. Well, my empty stomach woke us up at 9, so we got up and hurried off to have a quick breakfast with his family. We went to sacrament meeting at his aunt's ward in Provo and spent some more time visiting with family before heading back home. Aaron had to work Monday, so we headed home Sunday afternoon. It was pretty late by the time we got home. The events of the weekend kept us pretty busy, so there really wasn't much down time, but we were glad that we were able to go. Maybe sometime we'll get a vaccation! :)
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Hello, can we all be healthy for 5 minutes!?!?
Leonora is sick... again. Aaron just got over a nasty cough. I've had a slight sniffle (hopefully it's related to all that beautiful spring pollen floating around). Before Aaron's cough set in, Leonora also had a little cold. Nothing serious, but anytime I call the doctor's office with a list of symptoms, they say, "You'd better come in." So, I took her in when she had her little snifflie cold. (It was just a cold.) And again yesterday when she threw up. (Just a flu bug.) And again today, because her fever hasn't gone away. (Hmmm... we don't know what this is. Could you bring in some poop?) My alergies/cold/whatever hasn't been too bad, but William seems to be the only one who continues to avoid whatever case of the sickies seems to be going around. Ironicly, he tells me almost daily that HE is SICK, and needs some kind of special treatment. Hmmmm...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Great Chili
Aaron and I have decided we need to be healthier. This includes losing a bunch of weight, so we've started a "diet" for lack of a better word. Mostly, we're just trying to eat less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. Anyway, here's a recipe that I'm making for dinner today. I got it from a diet program we've used before. It's good and good for you! Just watch your portion size! :)
Ingredients
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef of soy crumbles
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T. finely chopped jalapeno peppers, or to taste
2 16-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 16-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Spray nonstick frypan with the olive oil-flavored cooking spray. Brown ground beef or frozen soy crumbles. If using boxed soy crumbles, skip spray and add water, heating mixture according to package directions. Add the onion and green pepper; cook until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook over low heat 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serves 6
255 calories, 17 g protien, 7 g fat, and 31 g carbs.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef of soy crumbles
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 T. finely chopped jalapeno peppers, or to taste
2 16-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 16-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Spray nonstick frypan with the olive oil-flavored cooking spray. Brown ground beef or frozen soy crumbles. If using boxed soy crumbles, skip spray and add water, heating mixture according to package directions. Add the onion and green pepper; cook until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook over low heat 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serves 6
255 calories, 17 g protien, 7 g fat, and 31 g carbs.
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas
Well, we had a much bigger Christmas than we planned on. We have been given so much by those around us, I don't even know where to start. We have probably recived gifts and money from over a dozen families. Most was given anonomously. I don't think it was from anyone who checks my blog regularly, but just in case, Thank-you! :) Also, a special thanks to the woman in Walmart who pointed out the hole in the back of my pants. Yes, I knew it was there. I've been "planning" on loosing a few pounds before I bought new ones, but she inspired me to use some of the generously given money on myself. Yay for new pants! Anyway, here are some pictures-maybe even a video of our Christmas. 
Saturday, November 03, 2007
From Stressed to Blessed
With everything we've been going through, Aaron has had a hard time being productive at work, and unfortunatly, his is not a job that you get paid for just showing up. He has to be able to sell cars-which is something he hasn't been able to do since the first week of October. We knew we would not be getting the usual paycheck on the 5th, which meant we didn't have money for rent. However, yesterday, the general manager at the dealership called Aaron into his office to ask how we were getting by without that paycheck. Aaron told them we wouldn't have rent money, and the gm said that he would take care of that.
We have been so incredibly blessed! A little over a year ago, I remember saying in church that when we do the things that God wants us to, we will be blessed and that things will always turn out better than they would have. At the time, I remember just trying to convince myself that we were doing the right thing. We had broken our lease to move to from Seattle to Sacramento with Aaron's parents. Leonora was only 6 weeks old at the time, and I was still recovering from her birth. I was emotional and very stressed about moving in with his family. Living there-even for that short time-was very difficult for me. His parents are good people, but I come from an extremely different background than Aaron. Even though we were in more or less the same situation when we moved to Utah, I was very grateful to be back at my parent's house. Since then, we've moved out, Aaron has changed jobs, and we've said hello and goodbye to another child. We've been through a lot. Now looking back, I wouldn't change any of the choices that we've made that led us to this point.
I'm so grateful to be near my family. I don't know what we would have done if we were anywhere else. Because we are here, we were able to use a burial plot that my parents had already purchased. It saved us money, and Renee is in a place where there will always be family. Aaron's work has been incredible. They sent flowers to the hospital and collected money to help out with things. And now they are paying our rent. I'm so glad Aaron is working there. The dealership he originally started at in St George would never have done all of that. Not to mention that they don't pay anything toward family health insurance. We have already payed the maximum out of pocket after everything that the insurance has paid. I can't imagine where we would be if we'd gone through all this without health insurance. I'm just so glad that we are where we are. It's not where we planned we would be.
Another thing we weren't planning was getting pregnant. In fact, I had tried to get an IUD before we moved from Seattle because I didn't want to worry about pregnancy. When that didn't happen, I was quite upset. Now I am grateful. Although I am devistated by the loss of our baby, I cannot imagine her being left out of our family! Renee's presence in our family has caused me to think differently about how we will plan our future pregnancies. I'm not saying I won't use any birth control, but I think we will be using forms that will alow us to make a decision when we feel it is right-rather than forms that require a doctor's visit or a certain amount of time to lapse.
Now, more than ever, I believe those things I was trying to talk myself into last summer. That God does have a plan for us. He knows the things that will help us grow into who we need to be. If we follow His plan, we will be blessed.
We have been so incredibly blessed! A little over a year ago, I remember saying in church that when we do the things that God wants us to, we will be blessed and that things will always turn out better than they would have. At the time, I remember just trying to convince myself that we were doing the right thing. We had broken our lease to move to from Seattle to Sacramento with Aaron's parents. Leonora was only 6 weeks old at the time, and I was still recovering from her birth. I was emotional and very stressed about moving in with his family. Living there-even for that short time-was very difficult for me. His parents are good people, but I come from an extremely different background than Aaron. Even though we were in more or less the same situation when we moved to Utah, I was very grateful to be back at my parent's house. Since then, we've moved out, Aaron has changed jobs, and we've said hello and goodbye to another child. We've been through a lot. Now looking back, I wouldn't change any of the choices that we've made that led us to this point.
I'm so grateful to be near my family. I don't know what we would have done if we were anywhere else. Because we are here, we were able to use a burial plot that my parents had already purchased. It saved us money, and Renee is in a place where there will always be family. Aaron's work has been incredible. They sent flowers to the hospital and collected money to help out with things. And now they are paying our rent. I'm so glad Aaron is working there. The dealership he originally started at in St George would never have done all of that. Not to mention that they don't pay anything toward family health insurance. We have already payed the maximum out of pocket after everything that the insurance has paid. I can't imagine where we would be if we'd gone through all this without health insurance. I'm just so glad that we are where we are. It's not where we planned we would be.
Another thing we weren't planning was getting pregnant. In fact, I had tried to get an IUD before we moved from Seattle because I didn't want to worry about pregnancy. When that didn't happen, I was quite upset. Now I am grateful. Although I am devistated by the loss of our baby, I cannot imagine her being left out of our family! Renee's presence in our family has caused me to think differently about how we will plan our future pregnancies. I'm not saying I won't use any birth control, but I think we will be using forms that will alow us to make a decision when we feel it is right-rather than forms that require a doctor's visit or a certain amount of time to lapse.
Now, more than ever, I believe those things I was trying to talk myself into last summer. That God does have a plan for us. He knows the things that will help us grow into who we need to be. If we follow His plan, we will be blessed.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Friday, August 03, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Another long post-Our trip to California
Well, I thought I should tell you a little about our trip to California. I know it's taken a while, and I'm getting behind on the new news, so this will just be a quick outline of the trip.
We left St George on Tuesday, July 3rd and drove all day. We stopped in Barstow at Barstow Station for lunch. William got pretty excited about eating in a "train." The dinning rooms for the resurants are old train cars. I'm not sure if it was exactly what he thought it would be, but he seemed satified. We arived at Aaron's parent's house about 10pm (pacific time). Aaron's brother had just gotten off a plane from Mexico where he served a 2 year LDS mission, which was the main reason for our visit.
Wednesday was the 4th of course. The mornings were kind of lazy. We went to the community pool in the afternoon, had burgers for dinner, and left for a park to see fireworks. None of us really knew what we were getting into. We ended up walking close to 2 miles that night to get back and forth from the fireworks. The show was really good once in got going. William fell asleep before they started, but woke up for the majority of the show. Leonora was awake and cranky until it started and then she calmed down when it started and fell asleep about halfway through.
Thursday we all went to the movies. I saw Ratatoille (however that's spelled) with the kids. It was pretty enjoyable. Leonora got a little antsy halfway through, but I managed to stay in the back of the theatre.
Friday we went to the Sacramento Zoo. It was hot. Other than that, the only disappointments where that there weren't any bears and William couldn't ride the giraffes. In the evening we had family pictures taken. The kids were pretty good, but got a little tired of sitting still-especially Leonora.
Saturday, all those who could went to the temple. Later, we had an early birthday party for Aaron's sister. She is tuning 10 this week.
Sunday we went to church. Jesse spoke in sacrament meeting. Then we all went back to the house for lunch. Aaron's Grandma and Aunt Nancy were able to come from Reno. It was nice to see them. After they left, I sent Aaron up to sleep for a couple hours while I got the car loaded up. After his nap, we all said goodbye and got on the road. The kids seemed happy to be going home. Leonora was quite cheerful up until she fell asleep. We drove all night while the kids slept. It was nice not to have them complaining at us. It was a long night though. We got home around 11am. The kids were awake of course. I had slept a little in the car, so Aaron got to take a turn. Luckily, both of the kids fell asleep between 6:30 and 7, so we were able to get to sleep early.
Although the days and nights of driving were tiring, the rest of the trip was pretty enjoyable. It was nice to see Jesse and the rest of Aaron's family again.
We left St George on Tuesday, July 3rd and drove all day. We stopped in Barstow at Barstow Station for lunch. William got pretty excited about eating in a "train." The dinning rooms for the resurants are old train cars. I'm not sure if it was exactly what he thought it would be, but he seemed satified. We arived at Aaron's parent's house about 10pm (pacific time). Aaron's brother had just gotten off a plane from Mexico where he served a 2 year LDS mission, which was the main reason for our visit.
Wednesday was the 4th of course. The mornings were kind of lazy. We went to the community pool in the afternoon, had burgers for dinner, and left for a park to see fireworks. None of us really knew what we were getting into. We ended up walking close to 2 miles that night to get back and forth from the fireworks. The show was really good once in got going. William fell asleep before they started, but woke up for the majority of the show. Leonora was awake and cranky until it started and then she calmed down when it started and fell asleep about halfway through.
Thursday we all went to the movies. I saw Ratatoille (however that's spelled) with the kids. It was pretty enjoyable. Leonora got a little antsy halfway through, but I managed to stay in the back of the theatre.
Friday we went to the Sacramento Zoo. It was hot. Other than that, the only disappointments where that there weren't any bears and William couldn't ride the giraffes. In the evening we had family pictures taken. The kids were pretty good, but got a little tired of sitting still-especially Leonora.
Saturday, all those who could went to the temple. Later, we had an early birthday party for Aaron's sister. She is tuning 10 this week.
Sunday we went to church. Jesse spoke in sacrament meeting. Then we all went back to the house for lunch. Aaron's Grandma and Aunt Nancy were able to come from Reno. It was nice to see them. After they left, I sent Aaron up to sleep for a couple hours while I got the car loaded up. After his nap, we all said goodbye and got on the road. The kids seemed happy to be going home. Leonora was quite cheerful up until she fell asleep. We drove all night while the kids slept. It was nice not to have them complaining at us. It was a long night though. We got home around 11am. The kids were awake of course. I had slept a little in the car, so Aaron got to take a turn. Luckily, both of the kids fell asleep between 6:30 and 7, so we were able to get to sleep early.
Although the days and nights of driving were tiring, the rest of the trip was pretty enjoyable. It was nice to see Jesse and the rest of Aaron's family again.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Amber and CJ
So I've been really busy helping out with my sister's wedding and catching up on everything I should have been doing while I was helping out with my sister's wedding. Anyway, she's married now! She and her new hubby have been honeymooning in Southern California, and soon will be settling into their new apartment in Layton, Utah. The wedding was great, and I must say that my mom and I and everyone else who pitched in did a fabuluous job of decorating for her reception. Notice the lovely decorations behind Amber and CJ in the picture? I think we did rather well!
Monday, February 26, 2007
I've got a pickle
Well, it's been a while since I posted anything. some new news is that we are finally in our own apartment! Also, Aaron just quit at the dealership he was working at and is starting March 1st at a new one in St. George. We both feel that things will be better with this new dealership. Anyway, since Aaron had a few days off between jobs, and we have tax return money handy, we decided to jump in the car and head to California where a bunch of our stuff has been patiently waiting for us to pick it up. We're staying with Aaron's family, and I think they've enjoyed having their grandkids around for a couple days. Lately, William has been telling me that he's a pickle. I think he got this from me. Whenever he'd get into a little mischief, I'd call him a turkey or a pickle, so he's decided that he is a pickle. He also dislikes being called a little boy and always insists that he is actually a big boy if I call him little. So, last night we were all sitting around and Aaron's sister asked William if he was a little pickle. William said, "No! I'm not a little pickle! I'm a big pickle!" Well, I can hardly disagree with that statement!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Hi!howarya'll?
So, I realized the other day that it's been... hmm... a long time since I posted. Well, I've been busy! I've been getting my Tupperware business going. I've been working on getting more than one party a month, and so far I've had two and one more on the way! Whoohoo! :) Okay, I might be pathetic, but it is brining in a little money. I'm hoping to get to $1000 in personal sales this month so I can get a 10% bonus. Anyway, things are going well, Leonora is as beautiful as ever and William ia as troublesome. Aaron's been able to sell a few cars, and evetually things will be settled enough for me to post more often (haha... yeah, right!)
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