Sunny Daze

The Joke Is On You

2009-09-09T13:43:00.002-06:00

I know it probably hurt when your jaw hit the floor in seeing a post on this poor little neglected blog of mine.

I *do* want to start posting again. In fact, I want to start a new blog (I know, I can't believe I'm saying that either). But WHO KNOWS when that will happen. I certainly don't.

Because here's the thing... you know that post that magically showed up yesterday? Well, it really was magic. I wrote that post, oh, I don't know... a year ago? A little over a year ago? But I didn't want to post it yet (I don't remember why!), so I changed the date so that it wouldn't post anytime soon. Because I was going to get back to it in a couple of days. Or 365 days. Or 372... or however many days it was.

But I didn't.

But Blogger was on the ball and posted it for me anyway. Even though I never finished writing whatever it was I was going to say.

So um, yeah. Ha ha! The joke is on you... but... maybe it did work. Because it forced me to post today.

Never mind... apparently the joke was on me.

Dressing Up

2009-09-08T17:19:00.000-06:00

The Dragon just approached me and asked for help with putting on a pair of clip-on earrings. As she looked in the mirror and smiled, she asked,

"Oh Mommy. Aren't these just so dan-tee?"

Yes, Dragon. They are quite dainty.

I Am Grateful For Insurance (last updated 7/4/09)

2009-07-03T09:35:00.005-06:00

I am slowly making my way out from under the pile of medical bills. To make a long story short, I am very grateful for insurance.

But short stories are boring, so let's have some fun with this! How much did it cost to get Matthew here safe and sound? I'll be updating this post periodically as I slowly pay more bills, so be sure to check back!

Date	Service	Billed	I Owe
9-29-08	Blood Work (HCG)	$110.00	$5.13
10-09-08	Prenatal Survey (Blood Work)	$364.60	$55.82
10-15-08	Blood Work (GD Test)	$95.00	$14.08
10-22-08	Pathology (Chemical PAPP-A)	$102.00	$0.75
10-22-08	Radiology Service	$188.00	$11.34
10-22-08	Radiology Service	$187.00	$9.49
10-22-08	Ultrasound	$134.00	$43.38
10-22-08	Nuchal Measurement	$156.00	$9.24
11/28/08	EKG Monitoring	$2475.00	$116.05
12/10/08	EKG Monitoring	$675.00	$31.65
3-02-09	Pen Needles	$135.00	$13.50
3/20/09	Ultrasound	$90.00	$5.04
3-26-09	Biophysical Profile	$106.00	$6.01
3-26-09	Pharmacy	$34.75	$2.15
3-26-09	Ultrasound	$596.00	$18.81
3-26-09	Labor & Delivery	$243.43	$15.09
3-27-09	Ultrasound	$306.00	$9.91
3-27-09	Labor & Delivery	$317.77	$19.70
3-31-09	Ultrasound	$90.00	$5.04
3-31-09	Lab/Chemistry	$19.00	$0.44
3-31-09	Ultrasound	$341.00	$8.48
3-31-09	Labor & Delivery	$233.99	$14.50
4-02-09	Ultrasound	$214.00	$8.52
4-06-09	Biophysical Profile	$106.00	$6.01
4-07-09	ER Services & Pulse Oximetry	$549.00	$20.84
4-07-09	CT Angiography	$269.00	$15.13
4-07-09	Chest X-ray	$30.00	$1.70
4-07-09	Extremity Study	$96.00	$4.24
4-07-09	Anesthesia Services	$975.00	$64.20
4-08-09	Pain Management Services	$130.00	$4.53

Best Laid Plans

2009-06-03T00:23:00.002-06:00

I tackled my desk today. Long story short, "the papers" are taking over my life. Whatever is left of my life, since little Matthew Jayden takes over most of it.

But I digress...

In this pile of paper was one piece of paper that Michael and I had jotted down "our plans" for the basement. It was the end of March at the time, and we knew that time was running out before the arrival of our baby, so we thought a time line might help us stay on track.

The plan:
Finish Sheet Rock - April 4th
Taping / Mudding - April 11th
Painting - April 18th
Carpet Installed - Week of April 20th

What happened:
April 7th: Matthew's Birth

... and nothing has been accomplished since!

*** DISCLAIMER ***
In reality, many things have been accomplished. My Michael has been a very busy man! For one, he completed Matthew's nursery, and he has also planted our garden. In addition he has cooked many a meal, helped clean up around here, helped take care of Matthew, helped take care of the girls, and helped take care of me. This post IS NOT meant to be taken as nagging... Michael knows (or should know) that I am content with the progress of the basement. I just thought it was funny that we made this wonderful schedule just a few days before Matthew's birth... we had no idea what was in store for us!

One Little Update

2009-05-31T23:59:00.001-06:00

I'll keep it brief:

We are all alive and doing well (all things considered).

Matthew will be blessed next week.

7 more days of school.

The End.

Oh, HI!

2009-04-22T13:17:00.003-06:00

I am still here. Life with a newborn is busy and good. I have started to edit the random posts I have started and saved but not posted, so hopefully over the next few days, his blog will be more-or-less "up to date" - including some long-awaited pictures.

I know, I know... I suck. I haven't even gotten his birth announcements printed, even though I designed the darn thing well over 2-months ago. So um, yeah.

Just know that all is well... I may be sleep-deprived, but I am still alive. And happy.

Craziness!

2009-04-09T23:06:00.002-06:00

Things have been really crazy here... so here are a few quick updates:

Matthew and I are still in the hospital. We might be released tomorrow. We might not. Hopefully we will find out earlier rather than later.

Wednesday was a complete fiasco as far as pain management was concerned. Basically my nurse neglected to give me any pain medications (because I didn't ask for them), nor did she mention that they were available to me. I was under the impression that I had been receiving them all along with the many, many other medications I was required to take, and it made sense, because, well, the pain wasn't that bad. But all of a sudden, everything hit the fan, and well... let's just say that Wednesday night through Thursday morning was NOT a good experience.

Today was much, much, better for pain management. But Matthew is looking a bit jaundiced, so he is spending quite a bit of time "working on his tan" under the pretty blue lights.

He has also been struggling with feeding recently. Mostly because he won't wake up which is probably because of the jaundice. It's a vicious cycle: Jaundice makes him sleepy. Being sleepy makes it hard for him to nurse. Not nursing means he doesn't get enough to eat. No food, makes the kidneys job harder, plus there's nothing to help "clean out the system." Can't clean out the system, more jaundice. Jaundice makes him sleepy... and so it goes.

So I now have a breast pump. When I am attached to it, I feel like a cow. It is very similar (LOL) to one of those automatic milking machines that cows use. I've used a manual breast pump before, and I like it. But this one is pretty darn impressive. It's pretty quiet, pretty fast, can pump single breast or dual, doesn't really hurt... and I bet it's pretty darn expensive. They told me that I have good insurance... um, I hope so! But if it helps me get my milk supply up and working well, then I guess it's worth it!

I'm going to try to feed Matthew one more time, then get another round of IV antibiotics at midnight, and then I am going to bed!

Sweet dreams!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

2009-04-07T23:53:00.001-06:00

Matthew has arrived!

Check out Matthew's Blog for a few small details. I will be adding more later.

What a surprise!

Clothes...

2009-03-23T19:53:00.002-06:00

I went shopping today in hopes of finding a new shirt that I would feel comfortable (and dare I say cute?) in. Not much luck.

I did, however, find Easter dresses for the girls. They coordinate, but they are not exactly the same. Which is a good thing for Rebecca as she seems to be stuck with the same dress for about 5 years (you know, because she gets one, wears it until she outgrows it, and then inherits the one her sister outgrew).

So now I wonder if I should give you a sneak preview, or make you wait a few more weeks. Hmmm...

I Really Don't Want To Be One Of Those People...

2009-03-17T10:15:00.003-06:00

... you know, one of those people that have to be on national television with people coming in to clean and declutter their house because they've been hoarding stuff for years and years and years.

Yeah, it's another post about how much stuff I have. I know, I'm obsessed.

But seriously, if you could see how much stuff we have thrown away or given away, you would be floored at how much stuff is still left.

It's frightening, I tell you! Frightening!

I am in the process of cleaning my house in honor of Dubby's visit. And let's face it, I'm doing a bit of crazy nesting too. There is NO WAY my house will be clean before she gets here, but she'll have a clean room to sleep in AND a clean bathroom. That certainly counts for something.

Oh! And she might even get a few home-cooked meals. It's the least I can do...

I'm Not Sure It's Getting Any Easier...

2009-03-08T20:49:00.002-06:00

I've mentioned this many times before, but we have too much stuff. I have slowly been continuing my purge of things we no longer need, but it is SO hard.

I decided to keep one plastic bin for baby clothes that I just can't part with yet. It's helping. I think I've managed to give away at least 10 boxes of clothes that my girls have outgrown so far. I'm almost done.

I filled a box with toys today. Many of them would be things that our new baby (Matthew) could use eventually, but I decided to get rid of some so that I could also have the fun of buying him a few new toys every once in a while. I kept the best of the best, and got rid of the rest (Ha ha! I rhymed!).

But it still hurts. It's making me realize how fast our kids have grown up, and well, it makes me feel sad. I guess that's a normal part of being a parent, particularly a Mom, but I think it sucks.

I still have boxes of stuff to go through. I hope I can continue on to the end. We really need the space.

... And You Don't Get Upset!

2009-03-04T09:19:00.008-07:00

I'm back...

I'm actually excited to make my To-Do List. And maybe even more excited to cross things off of it! We'll see how it goes...

~~Complete Baby Shower #1 invite list.~~
~~Deliver Baby Shower #1 list to Becky.~~
~~Complete Baby Shower #2 invite list.~~
~~Deliver Baby Shower #2 list to Cindi.~~
Create chart to track insulin and glucose levels.
Submit glucose levels to doctor on Friday, March 6.
Return blue t-shirt to elementary school.
~~Make bank deposit.~~
~~Pick up kids from school.~~
~~Take Rebecca to piano lessons.~~
Wash ballet leotards and tights.
Check status of dishwasher and empty it or fill it or run it depending on its status.
~~Find a baby sitter for Rebecca, or make sure she can attend hospital tour.~~
~~Call Dad and decline invitation to Bobby McFerrin concert.~~
Rotate laundry (this is never ending).
Brush and style the girls hair.
Find receipt and return play money to Toys R Us.
Return books to Barnes & Noble.
Return Lincoln Logs to Wal-Mart.
Buy wooden letters for Matthew's name - still need A T T E
Pick out canister lights for basement bathroom.
Pick out lights (canister or central fixture?) for basement bedroom.
Pick out carpet for basement and family room.
Pick out sink and/or vanity for basement bathroom.
Decide on "kit" or custom tile for shower in basement bathroom.
Decide on linoleum or custom tile or floor in basement bathroom.
Register for a few baby items, just in case someone wants to buy the baby something.
Decide on mirror / medicine cabinet for basement bathroom.
Follow-up with Dad about "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" tickets on/after March 27th.
Finish Rag Quilt.
~~Purchase stroller for baby.~~
Decide on car seat for baby.

You Get What You Get...

2009-03-04T06:37:00.004-07:00

Over the last several weeks I have visited my blog many times and started to write. And each time, something always happens so that I never finish my post. Usually something involving one of my kids, and by the time I'm done dealing with "the problem", I have no desire to finish my post. At all. So I don't even save it as a draft. I just delete it and leave... never to return. Until today.

So first of all, let's get a few things out of the way first:

Michael seems to be doing well. He keeps busy with work, of course, and somehow manages to take care of many of the things I can't seem to accomplish. He is doing a beautiful job on our basement project (we are finishing a bedroom and a bathroom), but manages to injure part of his hand or another almost every time he works on it. He has completed all of the framing (except for the entry way), the bulk of the plumbing, and a large portion of the electrical. Isn't he amazing?

Sara is counting down the days to her 9th birthday. This girl LOVES her birthday. I have no idea what to buy her this year. She does need some new clothes because she is growing like a weed, but I know that's not what she "wants" as a present. Overall, school has been going well - she competed in the school science fair, and completed a biography presentation about Pocahontas (which included Sara dressing up as Pocahontas as well!). Michael and I are a bit frustrated in that Sara seems to be struggling with math. She is really smart, but for whatever reason, it seems like she has forgotten everything she has learned. I know that seems extreme, but it took her over 2-hours to complete NINE subtraction problems. Granted, they were "large" numbers (3097658 - 1278563), but she has been doing these types of problems for over a year, not to mention she mastered her subtraction math facts in Kindergarten. I'm not sure what's going on...

Rebecca loves being in Kindergarten. She is making lots of friends and loves her teacher. She is flying through "math timings" (solve 30-problems in 2 minutes and 30-seconds), and loves to read. She is also very excited that she has recently lost her bottom 2-front teeth. Not only did she receive money from the tooth fairy (.72 and .53 cents, respectively), she also managed to get Daddy to give her .25 for each tooth that she let him pull out. Clever girl, that one. She is also very excited about having a new baby brother... which brings me to... well, ME.

As is par for the course, I am feeling rather overwhelmed. I think I have the worst kind of "nesting" because I have all the crazy, insane urges to clean every single inch of my house before the baby gets here, but I have absolutely no energy to attempt it. Currently I am obsessed with the grease spot located on the ceiling above our stove. I can't seem to just let it go. (The simplest solution would be to simply clean it and be done with it, but Michael says I'm not allowed on a ladder - which really IS good advice, not only because I am pregnant but because ladders really freak me out. Yeah, I'm scared of freakin' ladders. Now stop teasing me!) Anyway, the situation is annoying.

For the record, I am 31-weeks and 1-day today. By the looks of my belly, baby seems to be growing just fine. Part of the reason I am overwhelmed is because of this:

Only 62 days left! ACK!

So, there's only one thing left to do, IMO. Make a list. I know you don't like 'em, because they are probably the most boring blog posts ever, but they make me feel better.

Let's start with a glance at the calendar. I didn't bother to post my co-oping time at the girls school (3.5 hours each week), Piano Lessons (with travel time, 1.5 hours each week), or Ballet Lessons (roughly 3 hours each week, with travel time).

Here we go:
~~March 4: Find baby sitter for Rebecca so we can go on Hospital Tour~~
~~March 4: Go on Hospital Tour~~
March 7: Help with Ward Conference Dinner (Ugh...)
March 12: OB Appointment (Maybe my c-section will get scheduled!)
March 12: Disney on Ice
March 13: Diabetes Appointment
March 13: Take Sara to Emily's Birthday Party
March 16: Possible Visit from a favorite visitor from Virginia
March 20: Michael & Karen's 11th Wedding Anniversary
March 21: Baby Shower
March 26: Sonogram
March 28: Baby Shower
March 30: Sara's Birthday (which I haven't even begun shopping for)
April 3: Sara's Birthday Party (most likely a sleepover)
April 12: Easter
April 13-17: Spring Break
April 20: Dad's Birthday
April 28: Possible C-Section Date (If not today, sometime this week!)
May 4: Michael's Birthday
May 5: Baby's Due Date (should be delivered this day, if he's not here already!)
May 15-16: Sara and Rebecca's Dance Recitals

And now, because I need to drive the kids to school again (because Sara can't seem to finish her homework the day before... *sigh*), I will have to try and come back later, to start with my list of things to do. Joys.

Too Much To Ask

2009-02-12T07:59:00.003-07:00

I believe that when people go into business for themselves, or when a company begins to exist, the entity has the right to charge whatever prices they believe are fair and reasonable.

I believe that I have the right to decide what prices are fair and reasonable.

If I don't agree that the entities prices are fair and reasonable, I have the right to choose not to do business with that particular entity.

I do NOT have the right to dictate what prices a company may charge.

I only have the right to choose whether or not I will pay those prices BEFORE I go begin a contract, partnership, service agreement, etc, with them, and once I have agreed to the prices, I have the responsibility to pay for the services received.

Companies that do not fully disclose their prices during negotiations make me very, very angry. Particularly when my concerns over specific charges have been discussed, and supposedly answered honestly.

It is a waste of their time and my time to mislead me, and they know that.

But, they bank on the fact that I will be yet another "idiot customer" who will not read the contract and realize that they are taking me for a complete fool. And because they believe I will fall for their ploy, it is no longer a waste of time for them.

Mortgage lenders are beyond aggravating to me today. While I would love to be able to refinance our mortgage, ALL I REALLY WANT IS SOMEONE WHO IS HONEST. I will admit it, I am picky, and I may very well be searching for "too good of a deal." That is my problem. All I want from a potential lender is the truth about fees, closing costs, and anything else associated with my refinance. "I don't know" is an acceptable answer, as long as they are working on providing me with the actual answer. That's all I want. Just the plain and simple truth.

Is that really too much to ask?

Well, If You Can't Laugh At Yourself...

2009-02-03T16:29:00.002-07:00

Last night I wasn't feeling so hot.

I thought that perhaps I was maybe experiencing some contractions. I told Michael that "If I didn't know better, I'd say that my period was about to start." At the risk of TMI, I have very bad menstrual cramps and have been told by a doctor that the pain I feel during that time of the month is very similar to the pain a woman feels while in labor. I have had very little experience with labor (what with all those c-sections), but the experiences that I *do* have, convinces me that the doctor is right. So, it made sense that the pain I was feeling could possibly be contractions.

Well, it turns out that I was wrong.

The "contractions" were really just gas. :)

Just thought you'd want to know!

Decluttering

2009-01-30T08:28:00.002-07:00

I have been on a decluttering mission.

This is something that is very difficult for me, because I grew up with a Mom who was a strong believer in "it might be useful one day", and because of that, I guess I learned to hang on to things. I am also sentimental. That means that I keep everything that my daughters touched, even if it is rubbish. OK, I'm not *quite* that bad. But still, things have definitely been out of control here.

Later this morning, I will take several boxes of items to the D.I. I have also been busy sorting through clothes that my children have outgrown and have donated many of them to a friend in need, my SIL, and again, the D.I.

I have put together a small collection of new or gently used toys for another friend to shop from this afternoon. Her husband lost his job a couple of months ago, and their daughters birthday is on Monday. I know she is planning on buying a couple of gifts "no matter what", but I am hoping she might be willing to supplement from our overabundance of toys.

What is amazing to me, is how much is still left. I'm not sure that I see "clutter" as a blessing, but it must be, because we have so much of it!

I Clipped, I Shopped, I Saved!

2009-01-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The other day I started to share one of my grocery shopping adventures with you. I promised I'd be back with pictures, and as usual, that never happened.

So, first... a picture. The picture that I am about to show you contains the items purchased during that ONE DAY of fantastic, glorious, and exhausting day of shopping.

Pretty amazing, huh?

Well, the story continues a little bit. As I mentioned before (or maybe not), one bonus of this sale was that for every $30 in participating products that you bought, you received $15 in coupons off of your next shopping order. These kind of deals result in an incredible amount of savings!

Basically, the list below contains everything that I have purchased from Albertson's (where this sale took place) from January 7th through January 17th. I am now out of coupons to cash in, so this is a pretty good example of what one good sale can do for your pantry. There are a few day-to-day groceries (food you have to replenish every week), but a large portion are items that we will use more slowly over the coming months. I would say that it's a safe bet that I have a "year's supply" for many of these items, and many more items are probably well-stocked for the next 6-months. Except diapers... I think I only have a 8-10 week supply of those! Scary!

Here we go (I tried to divide it into very loose categories to help you visualize it a little better):

12 packages of Lean Cuisine frozen dinners
12-ounce package of ham (lunch meat)
12-ounce package of turkey (lunch meat)
5 pounds of potatoes
4 pounds of cheddar cheese
4 cans of Betty Crocker frosting
3 packages of Hamburger Helper
3 packages of Tuna Helper
3 packages of Jolly Time microwave popcorn
3 pounds of bananas
2 packages of Bisquick
2 packages of Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix
2 packages of Yoplait Kids yogurt (6 per package)
2 gallons of milk
2 dozen eggs
2 pounds of apples
2 grapefruits
1 pound of butter
1 loaf of Sara Lee Del-ite-ful bread
1 package of Dasani bottled water (24-pack)
1 bottle of Pace picante sauce
1 package of Mission tortillas (24-count)

24 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal
6 packages of Cheerios
3 boxes of Kellogg's Rice Krispies
2 packages of Honey Nut Cheerios
2 packages of Multi-Grain Cheerios
2 bags of Malt-O-Meal Cereal
1 box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
1 package of Golden Grahams

6 bottles of Suave shampoo
4 packages of Crest toothpaste
4 Oral B toothbrushes
4 packages of Halls cough drops
3 boxes of Kleenex
2 packages of Degree deodorant

16 boxes of Quaker Granola Bars
10 packages of Fruit Snacks
3 packages of Twizzlers

13 packages of Pampers diapers (that's 662 diapers!)
1 package of Pampers Baby Wipes (180 count wipes)

3 packages of Charmin Bath Tissue (9 Mega Rolls per package, equal to 36-regular rolls per package)
5 packages of Dawn Dish Soap
2 package of Bounty Paper Towels (8 Giant rolls per package, equal to 12-regular rolls per package)
2 packages of Mr. Clean Erasers
1 container of Cascade Dishwasher Detergent

2 packages of LED Christmas Lights

TOTAL: $236.73
SAVINGS: $522.49 (without coupons or sales would've cost $832.37)
180 items for approximately $1.31 an item!
*** I define an item as "1 package" or 1 pound of fruit/veggies. So a package of 40 diapers counts as ONE item, as does a package of 6 containers of yogurt. But 3 pounds of bananas counts as THREE items.

If you're still not impressed, consider the fact that there is very little on this list where any one item could be purchased for $1.31, even at Wal-Mart.

Also, just for fun, this is my favorite receipt for the week! I included these purchases in the list above, but wanted to break it out for you here. Wouldn't you just die if you could walk out of the store with this many groceries AND know that the store had to PAY YOU for shopping there? I did. I totally did!

3 boxes of Kleenex
1 gallon of milk
12 boxes of Quaker Instant Oatmeal
12 boxes of Quaker Granola Bars
3 boxes of Kellogg's Rice Krispies
1 box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
2 dozen eggs
6 bottles of Suave shampoo
3 packages of Twizzlers
2 Degree deodorant
1 12-ounce package of ham (lunch meat)
1 12-ounce package of turkey (lunch meat)
3 pounds of bananas
2 pounds of apples
2 grapefruits

Total Cost: $1.61
BONUS: The store rang up my cereal wrong, so they said that according to policy, I get the cereal for free. So, they gave me $6.88 in cash. I made money on this receipt! Talk about dyin' and goin' to heaven!

SO... would you like to start couponing too? I wrote this guide a little over a year ago, but I think it's still pertinent. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help to clarify anything! It's a little overwhelming at first, but YOU CAN DO IT!

Living In Chaos

2009-01-17T10:23:00.004-07:00

Sara and Rebecca asked if they could play with their doll house this morning. I am not sure why they felt like they needed to ask for permission (I am not that restrictive), but I played along and said "OK."

They have been busy setting it up for the past hour or so, and begged me to come and see it. They said, "It looks like our house sometimes!"

I go to look.

The house is in total chaos. Various household items are strewn across the floors, in the wrong rooms, or in the right rooms but in the wrong places. Furniture is arranged in the most awkward positions within each bedroom. Beds are either lopsided because they are standing partially on the floor and partially on top of something else, or the beds are completely upside down.

OK, I admit it. Our house is pretty bad. But for the record, not ONE of our beds is completely upside down.

My Mind Is Spinning

2009-01-07T22:40:00.005-07:00

I spent a large portion of my day shopping. I will post more details tomorrow. I realize that some of you probably don't care about my shopping trips AT ALL, but because this was a HUGE shopping trip, and because I love a good deal I have to put it on my blog. It's a part of me. Seriously.

I spent about $170 (including taxes).

We piled all of my "deals" on the kitchen table when we got home, and it was an incredible sight. We took pictures, and yes, I will post those too.

If I hadn't had coupons, my total would've been just shy of $500.

I still have another $35 in free money to spend (coupons that are valid on my next shopping order).

My big purchase? DIAPERS. Over 500 of them, in fact (10 smallish packages). (Yes, I am well aware that they won't last long.)

Again... more details tomorrow (after my next shopping trip...).

Blog Updates

2009-01-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't been around much. I want to post more, but... something always gets in the way. Like maintaining my immaculate home, or cooking wonderful delicious dinners, or neatly folding all of our laundry... or Facebook.

(Um, if you know me AT ALL, you will know that FACEBOOK is the correct answer.)

But I *did* update all the kids blogs, so I thought you might appreciate the links... especially since Sara's blog now contains the long-awaited video for her brief appearance on the morning news.

Sara Mackenzie

Rebecca Nicole

Matthew Jayden

Not Checked Off... (EDITED)

2008-12-19T07:13:00.005-07:00

Much like Santa, I too am making a list and checking it twice. My list, unfortunately, is growing faster than I can check things off on it.

Please tell me you can relate.

The most critical items remaining on my list:

~~FINISH treat baskets for neighbors. (Ya'll like stale cookies, right?)~~
~~CREATE and MAIL a photo calendar to Nana Franklin, Nana Jackson & Grandma Joyce.~~
~~WRITE a Christmas newsletter. Or something.~~
~~TAKE a picture of the girls to include with the Christmas newsletter.~~
~~PRINT and MAIL the Christmas Newsletter.~~ (Lost a bunch of addresses due to a computer problem, but mailed as many as I had addresses for. Oh well.)
PAINT Grandpa Thompson's gift. (It's about 50% painted...)
~~For that matter, BUY PAINT for Grandpa Thompson's gift.~~
Assemble Grandpa Thompson's gift.
Assemble Mom's gift.
Wrap a lot of presents.
Go grocery shopping.

I think, however, that I just figured out why these things haven't been getting done. They aren't written down on my ACTUAL list. Not one of them! The ACTUAL list is full of other items - like clean out the refrigerator, vacuum the stairs, and clean the bathroom.

I think I need to update my list.

The 13 Days of Christmas

2008-12-16T20:48:00.002-07:00

I made the unfortunate mistake of attempting to teach my children The Twelve Days of Christmas.

They decided to create their own version.

Sorry that it's so dark and so grainy. It didn't look that way when I was attempting to record it!

A Few Last Minute Gift Ideas

2008-12-14T16:34:00.004-07:00

Are you still trying to find that perfect gift? Maybe something for the person that has everything? Or maybe you are the type of person that likes to give practical gifts.

I could use some new luggage tags (well, I could use new luggage too...) because I am tired of using the paper ones that the airlines give out. So many people use them, there's just no way to easily pick out your luggage from all the other bags! These heavy duty nylon tags will hold up, regardless of how much traveling you do, and will add a splash of color to your otherwise boring luggage.

These LED flashlights would make a fun (and useful) stocking stuffer for just about anyone. Each flashlight has 4 functions: High power, Low power, Strobe & Signal mode. The LED beam reaches 26-33 feet and can be seen for over a mile! This would be a great tool to add to any emergency kit.

Or maybe, somebody on your list has a need for new boots. There is a huge selection here, including several from Timberland (one of my favorite brands).

For a limited time, every order will also be sent with a FREE Schick Quattro Titanium Razor. What are you waiting for? Go get some Surefire Flashlights and finish your holiday shopping!

The Nutcracker

2008-12-13T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see the opening night performance of The Nutcracker at Mountain West Ballet. We were dying to catch a glimpse of two young ballerinas who are very near and dear to our hearts: Sara & Rebecca.

The girls were AWESOME! So cute in their costumes, so LITTLE on that BIG, BIG stage, smiles that light up the room. (I'm not biased...)

It was a great performance and we are so proud of our talented ballerinas!

Good News, Bad News...

2008-12-12T12:43:00.002-07:00

The good news is that I don't have to wear my heart monitor anymore! YAY! Good riddance!

The bad news? They don't know exactly what's wrong with me. Yes, I had an episode of tachycardia, they definitely believe me. But it hasn't happened again. And it's not something that I frequently deal with. And while they could give me medication, "just in case", I'm pregnant, and the less medication the better. Particularly because this medication can make the baby's growth slow down. (Sometimes I wonder if this is a bad thing...) So, if it happens again, I can try to make it stop by either bearing down, or putting my face in ice water. (I'm voting for bearing down!) I could also try sticking my hands in ice water. (This would be my 2nd choice!) Basically, it's an attempt to shock my heart back into rhythm. In the event that it DOESN'T slow down, I can head for the ER. BUT, if it goes back to normal BEFORE I get to the ER, I shouldn't waste my time at the ER... because if they can't do an EKG (and there's nothing for the EKG to capture), well, me being there won't do anybody any good.

On the other hand, if I pass out or seem to be having other problems, I should probably call 911.

Joys.

So, I will be in touch with my cardiologist throughout my pregnancy (meaning, if I have another episode, I need to call him and let him know, regardless of the outcome), but ultimately, nothing further will be done until I have delivered this baby. Then I get to have a stress test. With an echocardiogram. FUN STUFF!