Great News

I just had some lab work done this week and the results came back as NON-DIABETIC!!!!!
I still have some weight to lose to get off all my medications and improve my long term fight against diabetes but I have made it to a major milestone.
I have also started hiking every week and have been to the waterfall a few times now. I am not too excited about the cold weather because I want to keep hiking. One of the thiings I have been dealing with due to weight loss is being cold all the time. I carry my electric heating pad with me in the house to stay warm. I don't know if I will be able to hike in the winter weather.
I just had to share my exciting news. Maybe by spring I will reach all my goals. I have been super frustrated with my weight loss but my Dr. reassured me that it is right where it should be and I need to not put so much pressure on myself to lose weight so fast. She said to expect 4 lbs a month from here on out for a healthy weight loss, I guess I need to re-think the goals I put up in early September. I am doing 300 or more crunches everday and at least as many push-ups. My diet is actually better this last few weeks and I have had a few medication changes that have thrown me a little out of whack but overall the news is very positive and my Dr. feels great about the progress. I am thrilled.
Thank you everyone for your support and prayers. This last year has been very difficult for me and I have been handling things by re-treating into my private world and coping with all this pretty much within the walls of my home and with my family, I hope I haven't hurt anyones feelings. I have not been out doing anything I usually do for quite sometime and many of you have continued to invite me to join you for social gathterings and I have not been there. Thank you for continuing to include me. It has meant a lot and I hope that I will be able to start handling some more of these events. I do miss all of you and your wonderful spirits. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends. I love you all and hope you know how much you mean to me.

Whew!

Long summer! It has been great and even though school started 3 weeks ago I am just now feeling like summer is over. I am ready for fall. This is usually a hard time of the year for me, I tend to get seasonal depression about this time of year. I plan to have my great summer turn into a great fall. I have a few new goals that I felt like I needed to post somewhere so here they are. Size 10 by 10-01-09. Size 8 by 11-01-09 and Size 6 by 11-20-09. I hope it is not too optimistic but I am going to my sisters sealing in Nauvoo this November and I hope to be at my goal weight by then. I really have to pump it up now. I have been in a bit of a lull this last month and really need to step things up to get back on track. I walked 5.86 miles today and did 240 crunches. I plan to walk at least 40 minutes, minimum 5 days a week, more if possible. I plan to not only lose the weight but me more fit. That is really the ultimate goal. Stonger and healthier. I am down from a size 22 to a snug 12 and 30 lbs. 3o more to go in 3 months. I can do this.
Thanks for everyones encouragment and compliments, it helps me get past some frustrations and doubts.
I hope everyone had a fantastic summer. I am sorry I didn't see much of anybody these last few months. I miss you all and look forward to a less hectic schedule. Maybe I will get in a scrapbooking night with everyone so I can hear about all your summer adventures.
You are all amazing and inspiring, thanks for everything.

Okay, Okay

Well, I can't say that I have been too busy for this post, Don't get me wrong I have been busy but I have logged on here a couple of times to do this entry and have chickened out. I just hate to be the bearer of bad news and I don't want this news to be considered a cry for attention or sympathy but sooner or later everyone will hear about it and I would rather be the one doing the telling.

I have just been diagnosed with diabetes. Now before everyone goes off saying poor Nicole and that is to bad or so sad, know this. I have known for years that it was coming. My family is at high risk for it and I have polycystic ovaries (which many of you know) and that is an indicator of diabetes in women. I have been working with my Dr. who is fabulous and have managed to drop a little weight and with oral medication and diet it is well under control. I have made several concious decisions. 1. This is a new leg of my journey in life. It is an opportunity for me to learn more about myself and to improve in ways that I have needed to but never had the strong motivation to get me going. 2. I have decided that I have diabetes, It does not have me. I am learning my limits and the guidlines. I have much to learn and have made a comittment to myself to live my life to its fullest regardless of the stigma that comes with this condition. I realize it will be a life long process and that I can make this a crippling excuse or a strengthening experience. I choose to do the latter. Now having said that. Everyone reading this knows where I am coming from. I know many of you may have the reaction that I talked about earlier, please let that go and don't feel bad for me or worry about me. I don't want a pity party. I just want you all to know I love you and I am fine.

Now more fun things! Girls Camp was awesome! we got rained on every day. We didn't have to go tubing down the river because most girls were afloat on their air mattress' in the tents. Miraculously it always cleared up just long enough to do the important things that camp is meant for and overall everyone loved it, not one girl complained all week and we all came away knowing more about ourselves and our Savior. So I call it an overwhleming success.

News on the homefront is more or less the same. I head off to youth conference in two weeks then a week in Colorado for a family reunion and then a week in Arizona to visit some friends and family. So July is chalk full of fun and adventure.

Matt and Matthew are champs. They plug along just fine when I am gone but Iam always happy to get back to them and do my thing here at home. Matt continues to work hard and got an interesting call the other day from the guy who fired him in October asking him to come back and help them out. Some of you might know how this guy treated Matt and the problems we had with the job so I am glad to say Matt is so busy he couldn't go back if he wanted to, and believe me he doesn't.

Little Matthew is out playing all day most days. I have learned to relax a little and he has more freedom than he has in the past and is loving every minute of it. He just wants to go, go, go. It has been good for him and for me. He is such a good kid and so full of love. I am so blessed.

So in a nutshell there is the last month. Love you all. Hope your summer is going swimmingly!

Once again

Yes once again I have been swallowed up in the daily activities of life and completely neglected my blog and all of my friends out there. Sorry!

I have so much fun reading all of the events going on in your lives. I am glad I can share a few highlights from ours. I do miss you all. especially you ladies and families down there in the Az. desert. I miss all of you up here in the mountains too but I do get to at least see your cute faces every now and then.

So whats new? I guess I have to think about that for a minute. Baseball has been quite exciting this year. Matthew has improved so much and we are going to work hard this summer to prep him for next year. He will be in the majors next year and his coach feels like he has good potential. Batting, pitching and running faster are the main focus, oh wait thats pretty much everything in the game. He loves it and we love watching him out there.

His first game he had four good hits and made it all the way around the bases each time. No not homerun hits, base hits with a score. His team has done fair this year with 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie game. He has 2 games left this season we will see what happens.

Big Matt, Well work, work, work describes his life. He is still working 2 jobs. one full time and the other is contract work he does here at home. He also does most of the yard work and still finds time to go to Matthews games and practices, camping and spend time with me. He is amazing.

We did go camping last weekend and got soaked but it was so much fun, Matt and Matthew are heading out for a father, son campout tonight. I leave for girls camp in about 10 days.

Oh, I almost forgot our house got majorly flooded 2 weeks ago. PINEVIEW! Need I say more? Well I guess for those of you who don't know I should tell you it is the resevoir where we get our outside water from. IT STINKS! literally it smells like fish YUCK! I am still trying to get the oder out out of the house. It will take a bit more work but we almost have it clean.

I have lots of pictures here are a few.

The flood.

Opening ceremonies for the '09 season

Matthews 10th birthday and the invites we made.

Hope you all had a great mothers day and the summer is good to you. Love, love.

Wonderful Week

I am back, did you miss me? Ha ha J/K. Well I must tell you I had a wonderful week. I went to Womens Conference at BYU. It was like a breath of fresh air. The weather was gorgeous. The spirit was strong and I learned so much. Like on of the presenters said fill your bucket and go home to splash it all over the people you love. I think that was Hillary Weeks. It is very much a blur for me. I need to read my notes several times before it all gets sorted out.

The company is always great. I love all the ladies I get to spend time with down at Womens Conference. Some of them I met there and only see them once a year. It is so good to catch up and hear how they have been and how their families are doing. It is also a good time to reconnect with my friends here in the ward. We are all so busy that finding time to visit can be very hard and it is rare. The group is a large reason I go every year. We have so much fun. I feel like I am 12 again having a sleepover with all my friends. We laugh and stay up all night visiting and sharing stories and experiences. We really cover the gammet on topics but they all are funny.

This next week we get to put the garden in. WaaaaaaHooooo! I am so excited. My plants are so ready t o go in. I am having a hard time keeping them happy right now and have been worried about them but I have hardened them off and they are readyy to be transplanted. It will be a busy saturday. We will transplant, get another yard of dirt for the front flower beds and recover the pool area and level it off to get ready to put the pool up. Regular weekend yard work, and remove a few bushes in the back yard. I think then we will be pretty well set for the summer.

All else is well. I hope to have a few pictures to put on next time. Oh by the way Matthew is now ten. He had a great birthday party. We took him and a few friends bowling. They were so cute. He is a great kid. So full of love and excitement. He pitched a practice game the other night and did fantastic. He ended up striking out 4 boys and helped get 2 outs on first base. He is so jazzed about baseball this year that we can hardly get him to take off his baseball cap. He practices everyday. We have enjoyed watching him play and practice.

Ok I think that is all. Love to everyone.

Spring clean-up

We spent most of the day working in the yard. We are tired and dirty but we accomplished alot. I have plenty of room for my garden and wish I didn't have to wait 4 more weeks to plant.


My Awesome Hubby fixed my camera and it is now back in the hands of a shutterbug so watch out, here come the pictures.


My seedlings to be planted.

Matt tilling the garden area.

Matthew cleaning up around the grape vines.

More tilling.

Removing the fence posts for repair.

"Look, I can do it."

WIld day with the wild creatures

Matthew and I went to the Hogle Zoo on friday. It was a blast. We really needed a mommy, son day and this was perfect. Here are a few pic's.

Change

As you can see I have a few changes on my blog. I am having so much fun with it.
Hee Hee!
So this is the deal. Some of you know that my sweet hubby is a computer programmer and he has been writing a few things for my blog. He is curious to know what you think of them. He wrote the program for the radio buttons to change the music that is playing on the blog, and tonight he finished my cute flowers falling at the top of the page. He would like any feedback you have. He loves doing this stuff and if you can think of something you would like to see he will give it a whirl. He is still learning alot and this is great practice for him. Thank you much

Self Improvement

It just occurs to me that someone out there may be curious about how my goals for the year are coming. Well maybe not, but since this serves as a journal I thought I better put in an update.

Okay. The Book of Mormon Yes, I read the Book of Mormon and completed it in the first quarter and have started again. I have really enjoyed this goal so far and my scripture study seems to have a broader picture of the gospel in moving quickly through the book. I especially enjoyed Alma and 3 Nephi through the end of the book. I learned so much about the Nephites and Lamanites and can see many paralells for our day and for the personal struggles we face.
I leave early to go pick up Matthew from school and read while I wait for him. It gives me a very quiet place to read and ponder without all the distractions I face at home. I feel very good about this goal.

The Temple attendance. This goal has been met. I have been to the temple at least twice each month. I must admit that one of those times was not for ordinance work but for the Draper Temple dedication. Is that a cheat? I hope not. It was an awesome experience to sit with my family and see another temple be dedicated to the Lord and prepared for his work. it was meaningful in that my dad worked on that temple before he retired from construction work. It will always have a special place in my heart for that reason.

Now down to the Nitty Gritty. My reading goal has fallen totally by the wayside. Don't get me wrong I am reading, I have several books from the library on my desk as I type but I just can't get through some of these books. I have tried a few and I just fall asleep. I am back to my mystery and suspense. I thought, and still do think, this would be a way to expand my mind and become more refined. But it does no good if you fall asleep everytime you start to read. So I need to re-think this one and see what is more reasonable for me.

The fitness. Hike 5 miles like it is a walk in the park by June. Well this has definately been the hardest. With all the physical things I have had going on it has been hard just to get out of the house. I have however realized my bathroom is in dire need of a paint job. But I digress. So I can walk 2 miles without any trouble. I need to pick up my pace and really push to make it 5 miles.
I am however feeling better and better so I have some hope I will come close to this goal. It will take some serious work but I believe even with the wasted time I can do it.

Sorry if this was a bore for you but I thought it belonged here since I posted my goals on the blog. As The Young Women General Presidency says "I can accomplish all things in the strength of the Lord." I hope the wording is right on that. But you get the picture. I am doing what I can and praying for help each day. I may not be 100% where I want to be right now but I can accomplish this goal.

Thanks for your time, I love you all.

Sorry, I got Sidetracked

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gen 1:1



" And God said let there be light: and there was light." Gen 1:3


"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Gen 1:6

"And God called the firmament Heaven." Gen 1:8



" And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding the seed, and the the fruit tree yielding fruit after it's kind, whose seed itself is upon the earth; and it was so." Gen 1:11



" And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also." Gen 1:16

" And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and the fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven." Gen 1:20



" And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so." Gen 1:24

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen 1:26


" And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." Gen 1:28




" And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." Moses1:32





" For behold this is my work and my glory-- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Moses 1:39
" Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25

I' am so sorry, It has been a busy few weeks. My little seedlings are looking great. I have about 5 weeks until I plant the garden and I am afreaid the seedlings will have taken over my house by then. Already they are taking up my dining room table and a spare table in the kitchen. I love to watch them grow and this year we will have the biggest garden we have ever done. I might be missing my backyard this summer but all the fresh veggies will be a wonderful substitute. We will still have room for the pool and trampoline as well as room for running around and bbq'ing.

I am post endometrial ablation and now just waiting to see how I will respond. I am hoping better. I am tired of my body ruling my schedule and activities.
Big Matt will be using a c-pap machine and I am hoping I can ditch the ear plugs. He really is looking forward to getting better rest at night and not feeling so tired during the day. I am sure it will make a big difference for him. He has severe sleep apnea and it is a miracle he has functioned as well as he has with it,
Little Matthew is a riot. He is such a sweetheart. He is always pampering me somehow. I am sure he has learned that from his Dad. I was telling Big Matt that little Matthew is well on his way to becoming an awesome husband and father. He is now back to baseball. and getting ready for the 09 season. He has been working hard and really loves his team. They have played together for several years now and we love getting together with them. The coach and his wife are so wonderful. He knows so much about baseball and she is a huge supporter of him and all the boys on the team.

General Conference this weekend was amazing. It is so wonderful to be taught from the prophet and apostles of Jesus Christ. Thay are our direct connection to the things we need to know now. I wish I had a copy of their talks in my hands right now. There were so many things said that have such powerful teachings. Every person who spoke was inspired and really hit on vital things for our times. Each talk was impressive in that the spirit testified of the truth spoken and the urgency in which we need to follow or improve the way we live the counsel of our church leaders. I am so thankful for the internet and the technology we have to access this critical information. I was especially touched by the talks that covered pressing forward and enduring to the end. I am sure that has to do with the struggles I have personally faced these last months. I realize I need to work harder to smile in times of tribulation and remember that the trials I face are for my benefit not for my destruction. I also need to keep in mind that the things I go through are not like the woman who lost here entire family and had to bury her children with a teaspoon or her bare hands in frozen earth. I believe that was Elder Richard G. Scott who spoke of her. I am truly blessed and have much to be thankful for and much to smile about. I also really like what Elder David A. Bednar said about focusing on temple work and how we can make our time at the temple more meanigful. I may have to re-think some of my temple goals. I feel spiritually invigorated and ready to try harder and make some much needed improvements in my life. I truly have testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that he is my Savior and Redeemer. I also have a testimony that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of our Lord. It fills my heart with joy and gratitude to have this testimony.


My camera has been on the fritz, thus no pictures lately but as I review my blog I realize they are an important part of my life and it doesn't seem right to go so long without any so I thought I would throw in a few of my favorite flower pictures that I have taken over the years. As you will see I love flowers. I hope you enjoy them and are having a wonderful spring.

Spring is here

Well it is officially spring and I am so excited. We are seeing much warmer weather less snow on the ground and it is time to start prepping the yard and garden for growing and blossoming.
In a few weeks it will be time to get my seedlings into the ground and start working outside more. I have been looking toward spring and more sunshine for a while now. This has been a tough winter with all I have had going on and I always feel better when I can get outside and soak up some sun and get a little dirty. Ahhh spring. I love it.

Onto other things. We had our winter retreat to start planning camp and we got so much done. The girls have decided that our theme will be "Arise and show your strength in virt'you' " They have some fun ideas to incorporate virtue into camp and with it being the new young women value we thought it would be important to focus on it. It is so much fun to spend time with these young women. They are so full of energy, crazy, silly, goofy fun. We laughed all night long and it got so silly. The girls are a totoal crack up. I feel like I get to know their personalities in a different way when we are in a different environment than a tuesday night activity or church on sunday. They are so smart and creative. I learn so much from them. They also made it to the championship basketball game for our area and in that game we had two girls sprain their ankles within a couple of minutes of each other. All this time I have been in this calling with no injuries to anyone and we have two seperate incidents in 3 minutes. Fortunatley they are up and walking around 24hrs later so nothing serious. One of them has an upcoming gymnastics meet and might not be able to compete. Now we are gearing up for our futsal season. This is one of their favorite sports. For those of you who are not familiar with futsal it is indoor soccer.

Matthew is getting ready to start baseball season. He is pretty happy about that. He will be on the same team he has been on for the last 3 years. His coach is great and really knows how to teach baseball and work with kids. It is always fun. He is also getting ready to turn 10! It is just around the corner. It happened so fast. He is now officially as tall as I am. He wears a shoe size that I swim in and I no longer buy his clothes in the boys department I have to go to the young mens or mens department. Still as sweet as ever and oh so cute.

Big Matt and I are both doing well. not a whole lot to report. He has been having a bunch of tests like his sleep test and blood work and a few other things. He had an EKG and they thought he had a few mild episodes so he was sent to have a stress test and his heart is very healthy and strong. What a relief. It scared me to think there might be a problem. I am such a worry wart, Iam always preparing myself for the worst case scenario. I guess that makes me a pessimist. I better work on that.

I love all your blogs and am so glad I have found a way to keep up with what is going on in your lives. Until next time Be well and HAPPY SPRING!

And Days go by.

I just got an e-mail from my sister reminding me that I have a blog. I have had so much happening I haven't even thought about it. Sorry. You would think with all that has been happening I would have something exciting to share, not really. It is all regular day to day stuff. The highlights of the last few weeks are that 1. I have been to the draper temple open house twice. Once with my family, Matt Matthew and myself. That was so amazing. I loved being in the temple with Matthew and Matt. I have always thought of the day I would be there with both of them and even though the temple is not dedicated it gave me a glimpse of what it will be like to go as a family. Matthew had lots of good questions and We were able to share witht him some of the important things that happen in the temple. I also wnet with some of the youth in the ward. That too was an awesome experience. One of the young women I was walking with had so many questions and had a good knowledge of the temple and what happens there. It was nice to talk with her as we walked through the temple and share some of the things that happen there. The temple is beautiful and as some of you know my dad was one of the men who helped build the Draper Temple. He retired during the construction of the temple and so his first time seeing it completed will be when he goes to the open house. I am not sure, he may already have been there. On a clear day from the Draper Temple you can see the Oquirrh Mtn Temple and the Jordan River Temple. I can't get over what a beautiful sight that is. I remeber when we moved to Utah Matt was so surprised that you could see several church spires from so many different places in Provo and Salt Lake. It took him a long time to get used to that sight. Now we have an even more amazing sight and that is three temple spires in one view. It is a miracle to me. We are so blessed to have the temples here on earth and available for us to come closer to our Heavenly Father. It is such a peacful and beautiful place to be. I love being able to feel the love and blessings that come from attending the temple. I don't know how I would get through some of lifes challenges without temples. They are a manifestation of the love of our Heavenly Father.

Now more mundane. Matthew is sick today. Poor guy. I hate to see him feeling so yucky. I hope he gets feeling better soon. He is vomiting and diarrhea. I am sure it is the flu. Not much to do but let it run its course. He is sipping some chicken stock and watching Ice Age to pass the time. He is not fond of the saltines or sprite but I think it is helping him anyway. He is thrilled with his new school. I hate to beat a dead horse but everyday he tells me how happy he is and how glad he is that we moved him to Wasatch. I know some of you were asking where he is going now. Wasatch is another school within the school district. Some of the kids in our neighborhood and ward attend Wasatch so he knows a few kids there and a few teachers that left T.O. Smith now teach at Wasatch so he knows sevral of the staff and He told me that he doesn't even miss me or his playstation when he is at school. I feel honored to be mentioned in the same sentence as his playstation.

More of the same with big Matt. He is plugging away with the website for printelligent. He loves what he is doing and learning so much. It is good to see him happy. He spent the night at the Dr. office this week for a sleep study. He was told by the nurse that in the 17 years she had worked there he most definetly rated among the top 100 of the worst snorers she has encountered during her time there. He had to hear it from someone besides his wife who has resorted to earplugs in order to get any sleep. According to the nurse he has very abnormal sleep and will be invited back for further study. I don't know what they will do, Maybe try a c-pap machine and see if that will help him.

I am looking out my office window and it is just beginning to snow. I don't think it will stick long. The temps have been warm for this time of year and it has felt like a mild winter here in Ogden.
I am looking forward to spring. I just started some seeds for my garden and have a few sprouts. I have 20 tomato plants, 2 pumpkins 4 cucumbers, some cataloupe, and lots of herbs. I need to start a few other things too. I don't want a huge garden but I do want to be able to make lots of fresh salsa and salads as well as have a year round herb garden to use in cooking. I want to do some sugar snap peas and some green beans. a little lettuce and zuchini. I think that will keep me busy this year.

I guess that about sums up the news from here. Like I said not a whole lot of exciting news but we are in good shape and thankful for that. Until next time I hope you are well. Toodleloo.

New School

Matthew started at his new school yesterday and was happy as can be about it. I was afraid he would be a little nervous or have some anxiety but when I dropped him off he gave me the usual hug and kiss and off he went never looking back. I kept my phone by me all day long just in case he called and needed some comfort or something and I was right he called but it was not for reassruance or encouragement, no, it was because he had wet socks from playing out at recess and wanted me to bring him some dry ones. I was so relieved that he was so happy and when I took the socks to him he changed them quickly and was gone again. He came home so happy and excited. He said he teacher is sooooooooo nice and he says the teachers there really care about the students. He said no one was yelling at the students or being mean. He even made a friend that he played with at each recess. He can't remember the boys name though.
Today they had "Donuts with Dad" day so Matt and Matthew went in early to eat donuts and read a book together. This was big Matt's first visit to the school and when he called me he talked about how calm the atmosphere is there and how friendly everyone at the school is. He was floored at the contrast from the previous school. We are both so relieved to have Matthew in a positive learning environment. He his happy and comfortable we know he will learn better and enjoy his education rather than dread it.
Yippe -ay- O- Kay- ay ! One less thing to cause concern. Health wise hope is in sight, improvement is the current condition. One of my medications causes diahrea (yuck) and the Dr. says it is normal and will last about 6 months to a year but it will be worth it. He assures me that if I hang in there I will not be dissapointed. So Pepto is my constant friend and I am learning to deal with it in way that doesn't interfere with my life so much. The never ending period finally ended and is getting into a normal pattern. So maybe as spring rounds the corner I will be able to join the well and healthy. I am looking forward to things getting back to normal.
Today the sky is blue and the sun is shining after our all day long snow storm yeasterday. It was beautiful then and it is now but today I feel more hopeful and optimistic.
I have to say how thankful Iam for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true. I know Joseph Smith restored the gospel to the earth and was a prophet of God. I know President Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today and that Christ lives and he loves each one of us individually. I have felt his love these last few months. I have had so many prayers answered and so much happen to sustain me through all that has been going on. I can not deny the beauty and the hope that comes with living the gospel. I know I have much to learn and much to improve. Even though I am an imperfect being I know God lives and there is a plan for each one of us to return to be with our Heavenly Father and elder brother Jesus Christ. I am also thankful for the temples. My trips to the temple that last few months have been my refuge. The place where I go for reassurance, hope, peace and answers. I am ever grateful for all that I have been blessed with and thank my Father in Heaven for being mindful ofo me.
May God bless and keep each one of you and know that I love you.

Paper crafting fun

I spent most of the day making cards. It was nice to get a few new ones made and so much fun too. I hope you enjoy.

Excitment!

I have been running around all day today getting things ready for Matthew to change schools. Next Tuesday will be his first day at his new school. He is so excited. I am so excited. I don't know who is more excited. I have met with several of the teachers. Matthew already knows about five of the teachers there since they moved to this school from his previous one. He also knows several of the people who substitute teach. Everyone is so positive there and no one is afraid that as soon as they walk in the door the principal will start yelling at them. One of the teachers who used to work with our troubled principal actually said that to me today. That she doesn't go back to the other school because she doesn't want to be yelled at by the principal for walking in the door. If a teacher feels that way is there any doubt that the students feel it too? I am so thankful that this has worked out. I know we are not the only family moving our student to another school because of this beast of a woman who rules the school like a micr-managing control freak. I am just glad we could find a place that had room and the wonderful atmosphere that is conducive to learning.

I took Matthew over to look around the school and meet his new teacher. When we left I asked him if he had any questions and his comment was only that he didn't want to wait a whole week to start. He wants to start today. We walked around the school and everyone we met knew who Matthew was and said how excited they are to have him there. He met the librarian who showed him where all the different types of book are and made him promise to come check out some books on his first day of school next week. He said he was so happy his face hurt from smiling. Now that is just what every parent wants to hear about the school their child attends.

I feel like I have been able to conquer a major crisis, now if I could only find the solution to world peace. Ha Ha. Just kidding. I will be happy to get dinner on the table at a decent hour and get to my young women activity on time tonight. If I can accomplish that then I will be satisfied that I have done a good days work. All in the life of a mom.

Back in the Swing of Things

Well needless to say the last two weeks have been a little out of the ordinary. I think things are settling down a bit now and I am glad to be getting back to some of my routine. I do much better that way. Usually we have a very quiet little non-complicated life and already this year we have had more excitment and drama than we are used to. I do hope February proves to be less eventful.
Although as I look at my February calendar I see that we are busy everyday all month long there is so much happening and March is filling up quickly.
I am anxiously awaiting a phone call right now about Matthew being transferred to a new school. I have struggled to keep Matthew at his current school over the last few years for a variety of reasons but this year when we got a new pricipal, who has a great deal to be desired, all chances of his remaining went down the toilet. We are trying to get him in a different school but the problem is all the schools are crowded and there is little room for him. I have a Very nice pricipal who is trying her best to get him in her school and if not I will have to file an appeal with the School District. Since I have already made several formal written complaints and had a one on one chat with the superintendant I don't think they will force Matthew to stay at his current school. I just would prefer to get this situation resolved and move on. I think Matthew is a little stressed from it all too but is handling it like a champ.
Matt finally has his webpage ready for release. He is thrilled! He has worked so hard on it and the company he is working for is very happy with the progress. He still has 3 to 4 years before the whole project is complete(maybe the economy will be better by then)so job security is a relief. Last year the company met or exceeded their annual goals with no layoffs in fact they hired through out the year. So we hope Matt will be stable during this economic crisis. He is currently doing a bit of fine tuning on what he has completed and will soon start on the next phase. He loves his work and is very happy with the new company.

Me, Well my house is a disaster. I have so much to do. I have every room to scour and scrub. Spring cleaning seems too far away and I think I will get a start on a few things this week. I would love to get some a painting and a few little improvements done as well.We will see what the finances allow.
I just got the call! Matthew is going to a new school. He starts next week.
Well. I should stop jibbering on and go get something done. Later today when I have more time I will update a few other items on the blog so check in later.

In Loving Memory of Jordan Leigh Chavez December 10th 1980 - January 27th 2009

(Before playing video, click the 'Mute Radio' button above.)
Jordan Leigh Chavez was an Angel from Heavenly Father. She was born December 10th 1980 to a loving family who were told she would not live to make it home from the hospital because of the condition she was born with Spina Bifida. Her family took her home and prepared for the worst yet they did everything they could to extend her life as much as possible to give her the best experience here on earth that they could. After months of saying she would not live, the doctors began to realize that against all odds she was making it. Stronger everyday. They finally stopped predicting her death and with her family watched this amazing little girl thrive. Because of Jordans medical condition she had no feeling below her waist but this little lady didn't know the meaning of "Can't" and so she "DID". She did everything. She learned to snow ski, water ski, horseback ride, swim, and everything else that came to her she DID. She has one sister and four brothers that treated her as normally as anyone else. they teased her and wrestled with her and played with her and loved her. She grew up as any other child in spite of her condition. She danced at high school dances in her wheelchair. She demanded better seating at the high school football games and got it not just for her but for every other person in a wheelchair that has attended her high school since she was there. She served a mission at the Humanitarian center in Salt Lake City. She was an aunt to 19 nieces and nephews. She wore a constant smile for all who met her and loved life with vigor.

For our family the most amazing thing about Jordan was the way she loved our brother William. He is the youngest in our family and he has had his share of physical difficulties. He had a spinal injury as a baby that caused difficulty with eye hand coordination. Later he suffered some visual problems that eventually caused blindness. He served a full time mission in Atlanta Georgia and while there they discoverd the extent of his vision loss. Legally Blind. They found a tumor on his brain that had damaged his optical nerve. He came home to have the tumor removed and had a secondary surgery for the same thing a little later in the mission field. He completed his mission and when he returned he spent a great deal of time looking for work and trying to find his place in this world. He finally went to work at the Humanitarian center and served there the same time Jordan did. They served together and were both released within a day of each other. Then the romance began. Slow at first just friends but after a short time the love between them began to grow and the next thing we knew they were planning a wedding. They were sealed April 10th 2005 in the Salt Lake Temple. What a beautiful day it was. My brother found the place he was looking for, at the side of this wonderful woman who loved him unconditionally. They were more than head over heels for each other. Every breath they breathed was for each other. From that day on they have spent every moment of every day serving and caring for each other like no two people I have ever seen. Everyone who knew them always talked about how much in love they were. It was the most beautiful and pure love I have ever seen and I don't believe I will ever see such a love again in this lifetime.

Last Tuesday moring I recieved the call that the love of my brothers life, His every breath since the day they met, his very soulmate had passed away in her sleep. She was 28 years old. So young but 28 years older than the doctors said she would be. She lived a beautiful life. She brought joy to so many and inspiration to countless. She brought love to my brother and opened to him a life that at one time he felt sure he would never experience. She brought it to him with the vigor that defined her life and sparked his. Thank you Jordan for the joy and tenderness you showed to William. Thank you for the smile that only you could bring to his sweet pure face. Thank you for going before him to prepare the place for you to be together in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father. Thank you for being the bright and shining angel that God sent you to be. We love you so much and will miss you until we meet again.

Have to Plug a Friend

Hey everyone I have to refer you to my friends blog. "It's True" She is on my blog list. Her name is Stephanie Ashcraft and She is the author of a handful of cookbooks. 13, I think anyway she has put a few of her recipes on her blog and a whole list of tips for slow cookers. She has written "101 Things to do with a cake mix" "101 things to do with a slow cooker" "101 things to do with a potato" the list goes on.

She is a member of the church and is one of those people who have the spirit in a contagious way. She is so much fun and always has a smile. I just love her. I thought I would pass this on since I always learn so much from her and these latest tips and recipes are great to have. I hope you all enjoy her blog and find her as wonderful as I do.

Onto my latest. Ok so I started reading Emma by none other than Jane Austen. I know major classic and part of my goal for 2009 to read 12 English classics. I love to read but I just keep falling asleep with this one. I have not made it past the first 10 pages. I can't tell you what my problem is. So my January book will be changing to something else. I think it will be The Count of Monte Cristo. I have to get moving on it to reach my goal. My B of M goal is on target. I think that is because it is so important. Temple goal so far so good. Hike goal this needs major revival already. Exercise has always been a struggle for me and unfortunately with some of the wacky symptoms I have had the last several months I am at the mercy of whatever my body is doing and it is always doing something. I have had about a week of good days in a row and I am feeling so much better yet I know we still have to work things out with the Doctor. I have to have the endomitrial ablation done and I hope that will happen if February. I think if we get that problem under control I can learn to live with some of the other things.


So I have been stuck at home alot with all the above so I have reorganized my scrapbooking things and have been working on some new cards. I will post some pictures of them. It helps me get through he day and give me something to look forward to.

Our trip to Mancos

We spent the weekend in Colorado for the wedding of my niece Laura. It was so much fun! She and her new husband make custom bikes as a hobby/business and these are some of the bikes they made together as well as the theme for the wedding. It was so clever and fun. It was very much Lauras personality and Ephraims too I guess since I only just met him. They had karoake and dancing. Very laid back and simple. It was great. We also enjoyed catching up with family and goofing off around town. Mancos is so beautiful. Matt and I have always wanted to live there and hope someday to make that a reality. This trip just reconfirmed our desire to be here. I hope you enjoy the slide show. Love to all.

Just checking in

We just got back in from an evening of sledding. It has snowed alot the last two days so we took advantage of the fresh new snow. I wish I had pictures but I don't. It was actually fairly warm out there and so pretty. The roads have been more slushy than anything Of course those of you who live in Utah know all this. I write it for all the friends and family in places like Arizona who don't get to go sledding or driving around on slushy roads.
I know there are many people who could skip this kind of weather all together but I love it. I love the different seasons and of course by the end of winter I am ready for the next change but the diversity keeps it interesting for me and we love the sledding and playing in the snow as well as the swimming, camping and other outdoor activities that come with the different seasons.
We are getting ready to go to Colorado this weekend. My Niece is getting married. I am so excited to go. We have not seen this part of our family since our family reunion in 2007. It will be great to get caught up and see Laura become a married woman. I look bakc on when Matt and I were married and all these nieces and nephews were just little hooligans running around playing in the dirt and chasing each other like maniacs. Now I am a great aunt X5 with four of these little hooligans married and now this one. Time just goes so fast. I think I will blink and it will by my Son getting married, having kids and then the grandmother years(ohhhh) it all happens so quickly. There is a song that says Don't blink 100 years goes faster than you think. I will try to find it and get it on my playlist. There is definatley truth to it. WeLl i suppose that it all for now hopefully my next entry will have more fun stuff to read about and maybe even a few pictures.