One of Those Days

So, today is just one of those days . . . One of those days where I just stare at the computer for hours, not working, just checking for email, reading the news, reading facebook updates, but really Not Doing Anything!! I hate it, yet for some reason I am stuck here in this funk, not quite sure what to do about it. I might be tired, but not tired enough to actually sleep, but lacking the energy/enthusiasm to do much else. The other strange thing is that Nobody is bothering me or keeping me from working, in fact Adalyn is the only other person home, and she has entertained herself All afternoon! The girls left for camp this morning, and Austyn is spending 2 days with cousins. So I have all this uninterrupted time to get caught up on work, but for some reason I Just Can't!! What is Wrong with me?!

The kids are out of school for summer. Our piano recital is this Saturday, then just one more lesson the following week. I am actually really looking forward to the break! The kids are doing Great, but the weekly commute to South Jordan is taking it's toll. Plus, I Am Sick of listening to the same songs over and over and over, in preparation for the recital! We are planning to start lessons with a local teacher in the fall, so that will be nice.

We went to Settlement Canyon the weekend Before Memorial Day, so the canyon was not crowded at all. Ryan and the kids found an Awesome rope swing and spent about an hour playing on that. I overall just enjoy being in the canyon, sitting by the fire, roasting marshmallows, letting the kids explore and just play. It was quite enjoyable.

Andrew continues to do well on his mission. He was recently transferred to an area north of Cordoba, called Catamarca, Argentina. This is his first transfer since he has been in Argentina and he was excited for the change in scenery, including some mountains! The weather is cooling off now, as they head into winter, so hoping Andrew can stay healthy. The Soccer World Cup starts this week in Brazil and here are the elders showing their support for Argentina Soccer. 

Alexia turned 14 last week and had several friends over for a party Friday night. They played games and watched the Edited Version of 50 First Dates. We had lots of treats, most of which Alexia and Ashley made, along with some fruit, tortilla chips and a chili cheese dip I created:)  Good Times!! 

Ashley and Alexia

Most of the month of June is busy with Girls Camp this week, boy scout campout this Friday, piano recital on Saturday, Adalyn to a local farm day camp 3 days next week, our Family campout the following weekend, then youth conference right after that. July is looking pretty open, besides some doctor checkups for the girls and orthodontist appointments. Alexia is practicing with the high school soccer team twice a week throughout the summer, planning to try out for the team in August, and Ashley will probably be starting up with tennis again in July. 

As the days are warming up, I am finding myself more and more recluse to my climate controlled home, and it will only get worse. I am definitely glad to see the sunshine, green grass and flowers, but I wouldn't mind having a high mountain cabin I could escape to during the hottest months! Food, water and internet and I would be Set!!

On the Sunday before Memorial Day we had the rare opportunity to enjoy a barbecue with the Tuckers. They are Big weekend getaway fans and with their Awesome camp trailer, they spend almost every holiday weekend away. Somehow, for the first time in probably 10 years, it didn't work out for them to go camping that weekend, which was a bonus for us! After dinner, Heather and I took our kids to the cemetery where our grandmother Marian Heward is buried, since most of the kids have Never been there, to leave some flowers. Personally, I have never gone to the cemetery on Memorial weekend and it was Quite a Sight to See!  So many many beautiful flowers, decorations, balloons, mementos, etc., left for loved ones who have passed on. It was Amazing!! The kids really enjoyed the experience, and so did I.

Well, it's 8:15 p.m. and Adalyn is ready for some dinner . . . so I guess I can stop doing nothing and find us something delicious and nutritious to satisfy our hunger . . . or at least just something quick to satisfy our hunger;)

My Sisters

I know this isn't the BEST picture, but it's not too often that I get to go out with All my sisters, so Of Course we had to prove it with a picture!!  We finally had a "date night" to the temple all together, except Evy's "date" wasn't able to come, but it was Great!! I Love My Sisters!! They are my Best Friends and I am so lucky that they all live less than 2 hours away from me! 

Have I Mentioned . . .

I have a missionary!! Yes, I know, it has been several months since I've updated Anything, so here are pictures from the first 4 months of Andrew's mission. Doesn't he have a Great Smile?!?!

First Companion at the MTC 

Another missionary Andrew knows, but I don't:)

Lifelong friend and fellow missionary, Elder Anthony DiDonato.

Missionaries at the Provo Temple.

P-day lunch "off campus" 

It's Official - He has a badge!!

Another good friend from Stansbury, Elder Aaron Kelly.

Elder Andrew Williams, serving in the Cordoba, Argentina Mission.

Missionary Teacher/Trainer.

Last Mother/Son pic before MTC drop off. 

(I swear I put eye makeup on that morning, don't know what happened;)

Traveling - On the plane to Argentina!

New Cordoba Argentina Temple, under construction.

P-day Selfie.

Home cooked missionary meal.

Scripture study . . . Still need that English reference guide.

More Studying.

Enjoying some sightseeing on P-day. 

P-Day Paintball . . . Team Missionary!

First Baptism.

Have I mentioned . . . Austyn turned 12 in December and is now a Deacon in our Ward. He really enjoys passing the sacrament and is all smiles every week. 

Have I mentioned . . . Adalyn turned 8 in February and was baptized. We managed to keep it simple, so it was an enjoyable day for all. 

Addy and Shelby on Their special day.

Have I mentioned . . . This next school year I will have 2 girls in high school, 1 boy in junior high and 1 girl in 3rd grade? I can't believe I only have 1 child still in Primary! 

Have I mentioned . . . Ashley got her Driver's Permit? Technically this is legal, though I still don't think she is old enough to drive. The marks on the wall say she is taller than me now, but I refuse to believe that too! Luckily, I was the one to fill out her application for her Driver Permit, so for her height I put 5 feet 7 inches. If she IS in fact 5 feet 8 inches, or more, it will look like she grew an inch, or more, when she applies for her actual Driver License:) Until then . . . 

Have I mentioned . . . We have about a hundred new neighbors over the past year? Technically probably not Quite that many new houses, but it has Really exploded this past year! 

Have I mentioned . . . Our ward split? Technically, boundaries in several wards were changed and a new ward was formed, the Park View Ward, which is now Our ward. So we went from 715 members, down to 500, though we're probably back up to at least 550 by now. Another "bonus" to this change is that our ward meets in a building on the very North end of town and we literally pass 4 other church buildings on the way to ours! 

Have I mentioned . . . I am going to be 40 this year? Probably not, because I still can't believe it, but 'tis true. Apparently I have WAY MORE gray hair than I realized, until I saw the age-revealing family pictures we took in the fall. That's probably why people keep asking me if I have grandkids, or if my sisters (only 4 and 6 years younger than me) are actually my daughters. (This was ignored the first time, but after 4 different people on 4 different occasions made the same mistake, I began to realize there must be a problem.) I have avoided coloring my hair in the past, concerned about the chemicals relaxing my natural curl, and also not having the money to pay someone on a regular basis to maintain it. However, I finally found a drug-store home hair coloring kit that doesn't kill my curl and even covers Most of my gray!! It is inexpensive and I can do it myself! So, one thing at a time. 

I'm sure there are many more things I haven't mentioned, but I forget a lot and I would have to refer to my many calendar notes, reminder emails, etc., to remember, so another post for another day.

Have I mentioned . . . I am really enjoying this spring weather we are having? It is the Best!!

Done for now:)

November 2006

As I was browsing through the hundreds of  files, pictures and documents I have saved on my computer over the years, I came across something I had written back in November of 2006 and thought it would be worth sharing.

My Life Has Been Blessed!!

I just have a few thoughts that I have wanted to share, thus I will write them down so I don't forget. 

The blessings of tithing.  As we continue to pay a full tithe, despite the occasional difficulty, I see how it blesses our lives.  We are not more wealthy, as one might say, but financial burdens have been lightened and other opportunities have come forth. I had been feeling a little down that we didn't have extra money to take the kids to Lagoon this year, and Ashley had been talking all summer about wanting to attend the circus when it was in town, which I thought would be another impossibility.   Ryan had been off work for four weeks because of surgery and we were barely keeping up with bills as it was.  However, when he returned to work in August he found out that his company would be having a Lagoon Day in which our whole family could go to Lagoon for free!!  Included in this day was also a delicious free lunch of barbecue chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, along with salads, chips, drinks and even dessert.   Soon after this fun day the Carpenters Union had a fun day as well, where the kids each got to choose a free toy and got their faces painted.  Then we all enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Famous Dave's barbecue.   The last opportunity I want to mention is about the circus.  I don't know why Ashley had gotten it into her head that she really wanted to attend a circus, but she had been talking about it even before we knew the circus was coming to town.  Just over a month before the time of the circus we heard of a great opportunity, they were offering up to four free circus tickets per family for opening night in exchange for donating canned foods to the Food Bank.  Austyn, Adalyn and I picked up Clayton and took our canned food down and were able to get three free tickets to the circus.  In combination with the free tickets, we needed only purchase two more tickets and were able to get better seats then we have ever had in the past.  The kids had a wonderful time. 

Blessings of Health.  As I work daily on reports from Primary Children's Medical Center I am so thankful for the health and strength and safety that we and our children have been blessed with.  Though Alexia struggles with some occasional asthma symptoms and reactive airways, her struggles are minimal compared to many who make frequent trips to the emergency room in respiratory distress.  As I look at my childrens' faces I feel so blessed that they are all whole, that they have not had to suffer from birth defects or serious scarring injuries.  As they run and dance and play, I feel so blessed that they can do so without limitation of defect or disease.

General Conference.  I love to look through the conference issue of the Ensign at all the pictures taken during conference of the many faithful Latter Day Saints throughout the world.  There are so many happy faces.  Everyone is dressed so nice, young women are beautifully and modestly dressed, smiling families sitting together, it is easy to see the love on their faces.   Then to read the messages from those who spoke during the conference, reminds me of what is important and what is true.  As I listen to and read the conference talks I find many subjects that relate to me personally, which also leads me to believe they must relate to many others as well, thus I am not alone in my life struggles. 

Blessings of sisters.  I am so thankful to have three wonderful sisters.  We have grown so close over the years and they are my best friends.  They are the first I call when I am struggling with my trials or feeling down and overwhelmed.  They are my favorite people to have over for a visit and it is never a burden to have them here.

Blessings of the Gospel.  I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It has brought much joy and peace into my life knowing that my family can be together forever, knowing that there is more than just the here and now, being able to see things with the eternal prospective.   I am thankful to have friends in the church that share our goals and standards, that our children can associate with each other and have positive influences on one another.   I am grateful that no matter where I go, the gospel is the same and will continue to bless our lives. 

Blessings of Family.  I have been so blessed to have grown up in a home with loving parents, knowing loving grandparents and other extended family members.   I feel their love now and I am comforted in knowing that they are always there for me and praying for me and my family.

Patience and Hard Work!

I will be the first to admit that I am not a patient person. If I ask you to do something it is because I want it done now, if I wanted it done in an hour I would do it myself! This lack of patience is also evident in other areas in my life, which also goes right along with avoiding hard work and looking for the easy way out. If I have pain, I want a pill to take it away. If I need to lose weight, I would rather take a pill than take the time to work with diet and exercise. If the washer or the car breaks down, I would rather use credit for the immediate repair or replacement, than to figure out how to do without for a little while and actually save money for it. I have seen the negative effects of this type of thinking/behavior throughout my life, yet for some reason I can't stop it. Unfortunately, I seem to have come to a point where I can no longer take the easy way out.

For the past couple of years I have been struggling with depression which is no longer responding to the "pill" that has worked for the past 10 years. I have been working with my doctor, trying different pills and medical treatments,  and have had some improvement, but it has only been short lived. I have gotten to the point where my doctor has run out of "pills" to try, and now it's just up to me to make a lifestyle change, improve my diet and exercise regularly. This is where I get Completely overwhelmed and just want to crawl into bed and sleep until I come up with a new plan. I Know I need to make these changes, but it's Hard Work and will Take Time! I did get a gym membership to assist in my efforts, thinking that maybe mixing it up a little between the treadmill and aerobics would help keep me motivated. Unfortunately, after One 45-minute, relatively easy workout, I was in bed for TWO Days! Not necessarily sore, but just exhausted. So, I decided I need to take it a little slower, maybe just a 20-minute walk on the treadmill a few times a week. I finally got back on the treadmill yesterday, only 20 minutes, only 3 MPH, only 2% incline, and that was the ONLY thing I accomplished yesterday. Again, not sore, just SO tired. I have a really hard time sticking with things if I don't see results, but now I am out of options, I Have to keep trying, this is my last hope.

Then I think about the part where I am supposed to improve my diet. I also Know this is an area that needs work, but I think I would do much better if someone Else was shopping and preparing all my meals on a daily basis. Sure, there are hundreds of good healthy recipes out there, but when I wake up hungry, I am going to eat the most satisfying thing I can find and prepare in 1 minute or less, which is usually a bowl of ice cream, or a piece of pumpkin pie. I might make some whole wheat toast for lunch, if I actually get up early enough to require 2 meals before dinner. Then come dinner time, Everyone is hungry, I'm tired again, so if there are no leftovers I will actually make a meal. Unfortunately, this will usually involve either a cream soup base, a lot of cheese, or something from the freezer that can be quickly warmed up in the oven, i.e. burritos, chicken nuggets, corn dogs . . .  you get the idea.

So I guess in general there are a lot of things in life that are going to get harder before they get easier, but how do you get past the hard part without just giving up? How do you Make yourself keep going when you don't seem to be getting anywhere? How do you get on the treadmill instead of getting back in bed? How do you Eat better, when none of the kids will eat what you make? How do you shop for "better" food when it seems to cost so much more?

I don't think Anyone has All the answers, and I'm mostly just thinking out loud here. I know someone might read this and wonder why I'm whining about little things when things could be so much worse. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for all the positive things in my life, but sometimes even counting my blessings cannot bring me back up. So I've decided it's come down to patience and hard work. I am going to have to work hard to get healthy, and I'm going to have to be patient in waiting for the positive results I am hoping for.

She Did It!!

Do you sometimes just kinda feel like cutting 12 inches off your hair or somethin'?? ;)

Ashley's Long Hair - July 1st 

Ashley's Short Hair - July 10

After years of debate, and a few "hair cuts" that were not too dramatic, Ashley finally decided she was ready to cut it off. She didn't even cry!! I think it turned out Great! She is planning to donate her 12-inch braid to Locks of Love:)

Time Flies!!

So, what better place to start than where I left off last year . . . Andrew's Junior Prom 2012! 

Andrew & Kylie

With Austyn's love for Japan, and the girls interested in having an exchange student stay with us sometime, we jumped at the chance to have Sari spend a month with us in August of 2012. She is a 13-year-old  exchange student from Japan. We had a couple email exchanges before she arrived and I was under the impression she was fairly fluent in English. However, on the ride home from picking her up, it became apparent that she did not understand a word I was saying. She was very sweet and enjoyed spending the month with us, although I think Ashley was a little stressed out, feeling like she had to find things to keep them busy everyday. All in all it was a good experience and the kids now have a new friend/pen pal in Japan! 

Sari

Back to school was uneventful, with Andrew starting his Senior year, the 2 older girls at the junior high, and the 2 younger kids switching to the other local elementary school. It was So Nice having the older girls and the younger kids bussed to school this year. Andrew had a car for the first month of school until his engine basically exploded and the car died. Luckily, Andrew got a girlfriend around that time and became very good friends with her family, thus having transportation once again. As Andrew was also in his third year of Auto Shop at the high school, his car became his project and he purchased a used engine for it and installed it in the spring. The car finally returned to life just before the end of the school year, but has yet to pass inspection . . . just a couple more things . . . hopefully!

We seemed to have plenty of snow this winter and the kids enjoyed sledding often. This is a picture of the kids sledding with their cousins, Darian and Lucian. 

Darian, Ashley & Lucian, Austyn, Alexia.

As it would be our last spring break before Andrew is planning to leave on a mission, we made every effort to spend it in California. Here are the kids at the beach, likely the highlight of the trip. Southern California is a Great Place to visit, but only between October and April;) I am not about to drive through Las Vegas when it is 115 degrees outside!!

 Adalyn

 Alexia

 Ashley

I am not sure if it's because we're on the end of the block, or if it is just a common occurrence for Tooele County, but we seem to get some pretty wild wind out here! This was the first time the neighbors trampoline ended up on the fence, but apparently they didn't learn their lesson and it returned to this location once again a few months later. So glad our trampoline is in the ground!

Neighbor's trampoline

Here we have come full circle. This is a picture of Andrew and his girlfriend Hailey on their way to the prom in spring of 2013. The Awesome car that was theirs for the evening was So Kindly loaned to Andrew by our good friends/neighbors in Magna. (For Free!! Definitely cutting costs after last year:)

Andrew and Hailey

This was my Mother's Day gift this year. Real flowers for our little planter box out front. So pretty and smelled great every time I approached the front door. Thanks to Ryan and the Kids!!

Mother's Day Flowers

So after Prom and Mother's Day, Andrew's graduation was fast approaching. Realizing we only had weeks before the Big Event, we were in a hurry to put together some senior pics for graduation announcements. Ashley was our photographer and they got several great pics taken around the lake near our house. This one didn't make the cut for the announcement, but Andrew just looks So Cool!! ;)

 Andrew

I can't believe this boy finally graduated!! Congratulations Andrew, Stansbury High School Class of 2013!!

Andrew Graduation

With the changes made to the missionary age requirements, Andrew was anxious to get his missionary paperwork in as soon as he possibly could (4 months before his 18th birthday). So, soon after graduation, Andrew received his mission call to serve in the Córdoba, Argentina mission. He will enter the Provo MTC on October 23, 2013. He is So Excited!! 

Andrew's Mission Call

In preparation for his mission, Andrew needs to get a passport. This is his passport photo, though I keep telling him he's not going to be able to keep this faux hawk look in the mission field.  HaHa!! 

Andrew's Passport Photo

So much more has been keeping us all busy for the past year, but there is no way I can catch you up on all the details. We're still in the same place, working the same jobs, driving the same cars (that are thankfully still running, although barely:). Ashley did finally get a part in a school play this spring, which she enjoyed. She will be starting at the high school this fall and is really excited for the new opportunities she will have available there, with sports and dance. Alexia will be in 8th grade and Austyn will be in 6th grade. Adalyn will be in 2nd grade and just Barely lost her first tooth last week! She was So Excited to be visited by the tooth fairy, though apparently the combination of dollar and cents didn't look official enough and she thought one of her siblings put it under her pillow. Oh well. That's all for now:)

Is There Anybody Out There?

I'm beginning to think that no one blogs anymore, not that I'm any exception. I've been really slacking on the updates this past year for sure! But, when I'm taking a break from work in the evening, and I've already read ALL the status updates on Facebook, and ALL the local and national news, I start looking for my friends' blog updates. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing many these days. Don't get me wrong, I definitely LOVE the quick and easy updates I see on Facebook, but sometimes I like to know what's REALLY going on in your lives. Reading your blogs is kind of like group therapy for me. Sometimes it's just nice to know that EVERYONE has bad days, sad days, hard times, personal struggles and even though they are different, I can relate. Other times it's great just to read your funny stories, kids' quotes and your good news, it makes me happy too:) So, if you haven't blogged in a while, take a minute and type a quick post. It doesn't have to be a catch-up on everything you've been doing over the past year (or two), just a little something to get you going again. I'll try to update more often as well ;)

Alexia had her nasal/sinus surgery last week and everything went well. She was even back to school on Monday! She can finally breathe through her nose again and now she thinks her voice sounds different, probably because she's not all stuffed up all the time! She did GREAT with her postop visit, getting some of the remaining goop "vacuumed" out of her sinuses, and we BOTH deserved an ice cream shake after that:)

Andrew has been super busy with work, school, track and scouts. He's learning a little about managing his money as he has to pay for his own car insurance and gas. We were able to buy a used car from my sister-in-law for $500 since it won't pass emissions inspection. Luckily, emissions isn't required for registration in this county, so we can drive it legally here. It's actually been really nice to have Andrew able to drive, not only himself, but occasionally running his siblings around too. With spring finally here, Andrew will be getting back into the yard maintenance business soon. Hopefully he can balance it all and still help out around here on occasion. Andrew's Junior Prom is coming up in just 3 weeks and they are planning a FULL DAY of fun things. There is one other couple that they are planning to spend the day with and I don't know who is coming up with all the ideas, but they are EXPENSIVE! Andrew was already out doing extra jobs throughout the neighborhood, just to make sure he had money for the prom tickets, a tux and dinner, but now it's looking like he's going to need an "extra" $100 just for the daytime activities. I don't know what YOUR prom was like, but for ours we wore formal dresses and tuxes, drove in a regular car, went out to dinner, went to prom at a hotel, took pictures there, then came home and stayed up late watching movies. We didn't get to take a whole day off from school to go "sky diving" and "go-carting" BEFORE getting ready for the dance. I just don't get it. Is it really necessary? They're not even seniors. How are they going to top that next year?

Austyn started karate in January and LOVES it!! Our friends from the neighborhood are in it too and they drive him there and home twice a week, which is SUPER!! Alexia had started in it with her friend in November, but has been wanting to quit for the last month or two. She finally got her Out with her sinus surgery and I don't think she'll be back. Austyn, on the other hand, really enjoys it. I haven't gone to watch him yet, but I hear he has a smile on his face the WHOLE time! Austyn is also really into drawing. I finally got sick of all the piles of drawings all over his room, so I got him a notebook with sheet protectors so he can keep the drawings he REALLY wants and the others can go in recycling. He is actually pretty good and a few kids at school have asked him to draw pictures for them as well. He really likes the Japanese comic books and draws the Manga-type characters the most.

Ashley has found that junior high is a little more of a challenge than elementary school, but she is still doing very well in her classes. She had really hoped to be in a play this year and tried out at the junior high as well as the high school, but she didn't make it into either one:( She IS in drama this semester, however, so I'm hoping as the drama teacher gets to know her better, she might have more of a chance with her next audition. (fingers crossed) Ashley is finally babysitting for a couple different families on a fairly regular basis and is excited to actually have some money to spend. She's actually been pretty good about saving her money and is looking at buying a new camera soon. Ashley LOVES to take pictures and her other camera has been out of commission for at least a couple of months, so she's ready to move on with something new.

Spring break just started and the kids will be out of school all next week before Easter, which reminds me, I'm not AT ALL ready for Easter. Usually we have plans and we're going somewhere and doing something for spring break, so I'll have "Easter" ready weeks in advance, but not this year. I am, however, SOOOOOO HAPPY FOR SPRING!! The grass is getting more and more green every day, flowers are popping out in the neighbors' yards, leaves are starting to come back on the trees and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL!! One thing I definitely LOVE about Utah is that we have Seasons!! Sure the seasons get confused on occasion, but there is definitely a noticeable "change" four times a year and I love that! So, HAPPY SPRING!!!!

Well, it's getting pretty late, so I guess that's all for now. Hope to hear from YOU soon!!

Money . . . It's Ruining My Budget!

I don't usually blog about "money issues," but finances have been my primary focus for the past couple of months. Of course it's "tax season" and for Us that usually means a refund, or in other words, some extra money to pay off some bills!! So why am I not excited? Well, despite paying off three "high interest" credit cards with our refund, we don't seem to have gained ANY ground in the budget area:( I just don't get it. Usually I'll pay off one of our "emergency" credit cards, so the money goes to good use throughout the year, whether it be emergency car repairs, medical bills, etc. However, this year I decided to heed the counsel of the Finance Experts and pay off our highest interest credit cards. Where does that leave us? I'm not really sure. What I HAVE noticed is that the "extra" money that would have gone to paying those 3 credit cards each month is nowhere to be found! In addition, I feel like we now have no "safety net" . . . no "emergency" money. I KNOW that we should have SAVINGS for that "emergency" money, but we don't. I've NEVER been good at saving money, in fact I've HATED it Forever, at least ever since my mom made me put half of every paycheck into savings (that $4.25 an hour didn't add up very quickly, so it was torture to have to give up Half of it to savings). Anyway, lets just say I haven't had any substantial savings since I moved out on my own 20 years ago. So, here I am, looking over and over my budget, wondering how to make it work, calculating it paycheck to paycheck, and just getting frustrated. Something has gotta give . . . just not sure what . . . yet!

Onto other things. After Years of thinking Alexia has been suffering from allergies and asthma, with chronic runny nose, congestion and cough, we found out that she is actually NOT ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING!! So what's the deal? Apparently she has AERD (aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease). We've known for years she has a sensitivity to aspirin/ibuprofen, as it would trigger her asthma, but apparently another component of this disease nasal polyposis. We knew nothing about this until very recently when Ashley noticed what looked like a Big Booger in Alexia's nose. It was not a booger, nor was it any sort of foreign object, but it turned out to be a nasal polyp. After a trip to the ENT, we were referred to the Allergist, assuming that such a large polyp was the result of major allergy irritation. Fortunately/unfortunately the allergy testing revealed No Allergies, and the diagnosis of AERD was made. So back to the ENT, this time with surgery recommended. A CT scan was done showing Alexia's nose and sinuses throughout her face are totally blocked with polyps. So, nasal/sinus surgery is scheduled for March 23rd. I don't know a lot about the surgery, but basically they are going to go in there and cut out all those polyps. A few weeks after surgery the allergist wants us to return for aspirin desensitization. I guess the sinus surgery isn't a fix-all and the polyps will come back, requiring future surgeries, but with aspirin desensitization they can slow them down a lot, giving her maybe 10 years between surgeries, instead of 2 years. After the desensitization she will be required to take aspirin daily forever, but they will try to reduce it down to the minimal effective dose. It's kind of a lot of responsibility for a preteen, but I think she can do it and I'm hoping it will be maximally effective!

As for me, I finally got my long-awaited surgery for my post-child bearing stress incontinence. I am really looking forward to being able to do some aerobics again . . . just walking on the treadmill can be Really Boring! I have my 2-week postop check tomorrow, and if all is well I should be back at the gym in just 4 weeks (and BOY do I need to get BACK to the GYM!!)

Addie is enjoying kindergarten and has a new best friend. I'm really glad that she has someone that she gets along so well with, and we can trade play days with, and who does not live too far away. The tough thing now is that she wants to play with this friend all day, every day, before school, after school, Saturday afternoon. As soon as she gets up in the morning she is asking to call her friend to play, and she does NOT Give Up!! Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want her to play with this friend everyday, it's just . . . complicated. It would be great if they lived next door or across the street, and the girls could run back and forth and play, but we're not, so sometimes I wonder. It also seems like we're ALWAYS the ones calling to play . . . I'm not sure if that's just because they don't get a chance to call us because Addie always calls first, or if maybe they would just rather not play quite so often. I know I would probably prefer not to play so often, especially since playing over here means trying desperately to keep two 6 year olds quiet while Ryan is sleeping during the day, but at the same time I'd rather work on keeping them quiet than listen to Addie whine for 3 hours before school! It's just been tough in general, since all our neighborhood kids have morning kindergarten and Addie goes in the afternoon. One more reason I'm looking forward to first grade next year!

I am really not liking Ryan's work schedule these days. He either works 6 p.m. to midnight or 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Either way, we don't see him much. I don't really want him to be working 60+ hours a week, but at the same time I HATE that he has NOTHING productive to do when he gets off work at midnight and is awake until 8 a.m.! Sometimes he will try to go to bed when he gets home at midnight, but is only able to sleep for a couple hours and is then up the rest of the night, going to bed when the rest of us get up in the morning. It hasn't been so bad for him to sleep all day while the kids are in school, but I am dreading this schedule come summer break when the kids are home ALL DAY!

Well, I could probably go on for another hour about the rest of the family, but it's getting late so that's all for now. Just know that Ashley, Andrew and Austyn are all healthy, happy, and keeping busy. I'll write more about them next time:)

Addie Spring 2011

I found this picture of Addie from preschool last spring and realized I never posted it. What a Cutie!!