A bad case of the Monday's

I've had a bad case of the Monday's since, well, Monday. Other than Avery's birthday party yesterday, I haven't accomplished much. I haven't really wanted too. I've "thought" about doing stuff, but nothing has really gone past the thinking stage. Oh, yeah, and I'm really ready for school to start back up.

Why do I eat these?

I have a love/hate relationship with Fritos Chili Cheese corn chips. I ate them for the first time about 12 years ago. I found them at a small deli I would go to for lunch with friends from work. They sounded like they would be good, so I decided to give them a whirl. I didn't really think that they were that great and I even said, "these really aren't that great, but I can't stop eating them." They were so addictive, I ate the whole bag and for some strange reason they also caused me to crave Cherry Coke as a way to wash them down. I ate the two together for days on end, everyday, for months. Every time I would eat them I would say, "I really don't like these, but I just HAVE to keep eating them." I gradually began to realize how terrible my addiction was. So, I slowly weaned myself off of them and eventually I was going for months at a time in between eating them. Occasionally, I will still buy them. In a convoluted sort of way, I kind of consider them to be a treat for myself. I still think to myself, every time I eat them, "these really aren't that great, but I can't stop eating them."

Images courtesy of Food Mayhem. Sorry about the theft. I didn't realize.

Tantrums

I would like to thank whoever the jerk is who designed check-out aisles at the grocery store. It's obviously some sadistic creep who likes to inflict pain and suffering. I was reading this article about tantrums this morning and although nice, I kind of think that some of it would only work in a magical land filled with gumdrops and lollipops. Perhaps, though, my impatience is part of the problem. I contribute to my own grief while at the store. Oh no. Some serious introspection has to take place now.

Bend the Rules Sewing

I found this blog while perusing through others. I've been wanting to start sewing more. She has some cute and easy patterns that I plan on trying.

Happy Birthday Avery!

I've decided to copy my sister in law Heather. So, in honor of Avery's birthday, here is the story of her birth:

The week before she was born, there were a lot of thunderstorms. Multiple storms rolled through everyday. My body seems to be very sensitive to pressure changes, it causes a lot of contractions. So, every time the storms would start brewing, my contractions would start as well. After several days of this, I started to get really sick of it. It's so tiring to be in labor for days on end. I knew that these weren't Braxton contractions. They were pretty uncomfortable and I just felt blah. She wasn't due for another month, but I could tell that I wasn't going to last much longer. All of my kids have been born a month early. So, I decided to encourage/speed labor up. I had Ryan take me to the parking lot of Granger High School. They have a lot of big bumps and dips there. (We did this with Cameron as well, and it worked then. We knew that it would work again.) Ryan drove really slowly through the dips so that the car would rock and then took the bumps really hard. We did this for about 30 minutes. The contractions started getting stronger and coming closer together. We went over to his parents house because they were close. I walked around for about another 30 minutes and hoofed it on the treadmill for a while. Contractions were very regular and I had Ryan start to time them. When they got to be about 7 minutes apart, we decided to head on over to Cottonwood Hospital. We got there at around 9:00 p.m. The nurses were very skeptical that I was really in labor. They put me in a triage room to monitor me. When they checked me, I was at a 4. They checked an hour later and I was at a 5. They checked another hour later and I was at a 6+ and they finally decided to admit me. This was at 11:30 p.m. My doctor's office doctor who was on call (does that make sense) came in after I was settled into the room. He was really annoyed that the nurse hadn't tried to stop labor because I was early. He was kind of a goofy guy and while reading my chart said, "Wow! It says here that you don't want any pain medication. That's really unusual. Are you sure that you want to do that?" I told him I was fine, I had done it before. I knew what to expect and I wasn't worried. He said fine, he wasn't going to do anything to help labor along and he was going to go take a nap. I decided to try and get things really going. I started walking the halls, hoping to speed things up. The contractions were still coming, but not as strong or as close together as they had been. Hour after hour passed. The nurses checked every couple of hours and found that I had stalled at a 6+. I was starting to feel a little frustrated. My first two labors had been really fast. I thought that I hadn't done a good thing encouraging it this time around. Maybe I had pushed my luck. My doctor finally came on at around 8:30 a.m. He got to my room at around 9:00 and said, "This is stupid. Why haven't they been helping you? You're obviously in labor and ready. If I sent you home, you would just be back here in a couple of hours. Let's just break your water, give you some Pitocin and get this over with." The "P" word made me very nervous. I had heard how bad Pitocin induced labors can be. I didn't tell my doctor that though because I can't stand not maintaining my dignity. My doctor doctor broke my water and told me he would be around. I think he thought it would take at least a few more hours. After he left and the nurse was getting the Pitocin ready, I started to panic and cry a little. I didn't want to have such horrible labor because of the medicine that I felt tempted to get an epidural. She told me not to worry. Even Pitocin induced labors could be managed without pain medication. I sucked it up and braced myself for what I thought was going to be a horrible labor. I shouldn't have worried. The Pitocin never really had a chance to kick in. Breaking my water was enough because about 2 minutes after the nurse left the room, I started contracting hard and fast. She saw this on the monitor at the nurse's station and came back right away. She immediately started setting things up for delivery and called my doctor to tell him to get his butt back. He was there fast and then things kind of turned into a blur. I remember them breaking down the bed and telling me to hold on. I think that I did a good job waiting. As far as my memory goes, I maintained control. I was just getting ready to push and then the phone rang. Ryan answered it and said, "I'll have to call you later." He hung up the phone (it was my dad calling to check how things were going) and started counting. I pushed once and her head came out. One more time and her body was delivered. That was it. Less than an hour after my water was broken, she was born. Avery is the only child that we have found out the sex of before they were born. Even though we knew she was a girl, it was still an amazing moment. We both immediately started crying. Doesn't everybody? Now, here we are 4 years later and I can hardly believe it. She has been such a blessing and an amazing addition to our family. I'm so thankful that she's healthy and continues to grow and learn every day. We're so happy to have her in our life. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Cameron's life is just really hard

Cameron has still been having some trouble with accidents. Ryan asked him why he kept doing it. He said, "Sometimes, in my life, it's just really hard to make it to the bathroom." Ryan told him that it was necessary and that whenever he had to go he had to stop what he was doing and get to the bathroom. Cameron thought about this and said, "You've taught me something. I'm going to use the bathroom all the time." Well, it hasn't been all the time. He had an accident last week and had to go to bed a lot earlier than everyone else because of it. The picture is of what we found on the floor outside of his bedroom.

Ridiculously good looking!

I look good! Hey, everybody come over here and see how good I look!

Sheena gave Peyton his first haircut on Tuesday. He did really well. Never cried once. He kept trying to look "up" to see what she was doing. He didn't get that he wouldn't be able to see what was happening unless he looked in the mirror. He looks good.

Happy Pioneer Day!

My heart

So, I've been thinking about my heart. I think that it's been about 7 (I was pregnant with Cameron) years since I last saw a cardiologist. I don't like them telling me what to do, or what's wrong with me. I hate all of the x rays, EKG's and echo cardiograms. I prefer to think that everything is just hunky dory. However, I was told 9 years ago that I do have minor leakage on a couple of valves. Who knows what that could lead to. I'm sure I was told at that time, but I can't remember right now. I was told when I was around 20 that I may possibly need a pace maker when I was older. Who wants to hear that when they're 20? See, so if I don't go back, I won't hear things that I don't want to hear. Like the fact that I should be doing regular exercise. Is once or twice every 1 to 2 weeks regular enough? No. Then I guess that lately, I have been a slacker. I've just felt very frustrated by my feet. I'm trying to do the whole mind over matter thing and tell my brain that my feet don't hurt and that I'll be just fine. I'm still being a little whoosy. I give in and convince myself that it will be easier and better if I stop. I know that Ryan is concerned about me and my heart. He doesn't want me dropping dead because then who would cook the dinners that nobody will eat. :0) (I of course, know there's so much more to it than that.) I'm doing the exercises for my feet that Ryan found. I just need to stop being afraid that they might cramp up when I run. So, I guess it's time to stop being lazy and it's time to get back to a cardiologist. So Dad, I suppose I will finally ask for the number of the doctor you have been seeing.

The following is a description of the birth defect I had:

What is total anomalous pulmonary venous return?


When a heart is functioning normally, a system of vessels carries blood to and from the heart. Total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), a congenital (present at birth) heart defect, occurs when the vessels that bring oxygen-rich (red) blood back to the heart from the lungs are improperly connected.
Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, travels to the right ventricle, then is pumped through the pulmonary artery into the lungs where it receives oxygen. Oxygen-rich (red) blood returns to the left atrium from the lungs through four pulmonary veins. It then passes into the left ventricle, and is pumped through the aorta out to the body.

Total anomalous pulmonary venous return: In TAPVR, the four pulmonary veins are not connected to the left atrium as they should be. Instead, there are several possible places where the pulmonary veins can connect incorrectly. The most common connection is to a blood vessel that brings oxygen-poor (blue) blood back to the right atrium, the superior vena cava.
In TAPVR, oxygen-rich (red) blood that should return to the left atrium, the left ventricle, the aorta and then the body, instead mixes with the oxygen-poor (blue) blood flowing into the right side of the heart. This creates a critical situation, because there is no way for oxygen-rich (red) blood to be delivered to the body.
Other heart defects are often associated with total anomalous pulmonary venous return, and they actually help the heart of an infant with TAPVR to function until treatment, including surgery, is possible. These defects are:

An opening in the atrial or ventricular septum, called an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect, will allow blood from one side to mix with blood from another, creating "purple" blood with an oxygen level somewhere in between that of the oxygen-poor (blue) and the oxygen-rich (red) blood.
Patent ductus arteriosus also will allow mixing of oxygen-poor (blue) and oxygen-rich (red) blood through the connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery. The "purple" blood that results from this mixing is beneficial, providing at least a little oxygen to the body.
Total anomalous pulmonary venous return occurs in one out of every 15,000 live births. It occurs in boys just as often as in girls.

What causes total anomalous pulmonary venous return?

The heart forms during the first eight weeks of fetal development. The problem occurs during this time, allowing the pulmonary veins to be attached incorrectly.

TAPVR can be caused by a number of factors, though most of the time this heart defect occurs sporadically (by chance), with no apparent reason for its development.

Some congenital heart defects may have a genetic link, either occurring due to a defect in a gene, a chromosome abnormality or environmental exposure, causing heart problems to occur more often in certain families.

Why is TAPVR a concern?

Babies with TAPVR cannot supply oxygen-rich (red) blood to the body after birth. Without one of the additional heart defects (mentioned above) that allows mixing of oxygen-poor (blue) and oxygen-rich (red) blood, such as an atrial or ventricular septal defect, infants with TAPVR will have a mixture of oxygen-rich (red) and oxygen-poor (blue) blood circulating through the right heart and back to the lungs -- a situation that is critical.

In all newborns, two fetal "shunts," or connections present in the fetal circulation, remain open for a short while after birth:

The foramen ovale, an opening between the right atrium and the left atrium, will allow some of the blood returning to the right atrium to flow into the left side of the heart, and out to the body.
The ductus arteriosus, connecting the aorta to the pulmonary artery, allows some blood to mix between the two vessels, allowing more partially oxygenated blood to go to the body.
When these two "shunts" close, however, a baby with TAPVR will become very blue (cyanotic) unless other connections are present, such as an atrial or ventricular septal defect. Even with an additional defect present that allows mixing, babies with TAPVR often will not have enough oxygen in the bloodstream to meet the body's demands.

Another problem that occurs with TAPVR is that too much blood flows through the blood vessels in the lungs, since the pulmonary veins add extra blood back into the circulation on the right side of the heart. The lungs become stressed by this extra blood flow, and can eventually become damaged from it.

What are the symptoms of total anomalous pulmonary venous return?

The obvious sign of TAPVR in a newborn is cyanosis (blue coloring of the skin, lips and nailbeds) in the first days of life after the maternal source of oxygen (from the mother's placenta) is removed. The degree of cyanosis is related to the presence of other defects that allow blood to mix.

Babies with large atrial or ventricular septal defects, allowing a mixture of oxygen-rich (red) and oxygen-poor (blue) blood to enter the left heart and go to the body, may have less cyanosis and fewer symptoms at birth. There also may be a delay in symptoms of a few days or weeks after birth in babies who have a large foramen ovale or a ductus arteriosus that remains open for a while.

The following are the other most common symptoms of total anomalous pulmonary venous return. Each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

rapid breathing
labored breathing
rapid heart rate
cool, clammy skin
lethargy
poor feeding
The symptoms of total anomalous pulmonary venous return may resemble other medical conditions or heart problems. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.

How is total anomalous pulmonary venous return diagnosed?

A pediatric cardiologist and/or a neonatologist may be involved in your child's care. A pediatric cardiologist specializes in the diagnosis and medical management of congenital heart defects, as well as heart problems that may develop later in childhood. A neonatologist specializes in illnesses affecting newborns, both premature and full-term.

Cyanosis and rapid breathing are major indications that there is a problem with your newborn. Your child's physician also may have heard a heart murmur during a physical examination. A heart murmur is simply a noise caused by the turbulence of blood flowing through the openings that allow the blood to mix.

Other diagnostic tests are needed to help with the diagnosis, and may include the following:

Chest X-ray — A diagnostic test that uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) — A test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias) and detects heart muscle stress.
Echocardiogram (echo) — A procedure that evaluates the structure and function of the heart by using sound waves, recorded on an electronic sensor, that produce a moving picture of the heart and heart valves.
Cardiac Catheterization — A procedure that gives very detailed information about the structures inside the heart. Under sedation, a small, thin, flexible tube (catheter) is inserted into a blood vessel in the groin and guided to the inside of the heart. Blood pressure and oxygen measurements are taken in the four chambers of the heart, as well as in the pulmonary artery and aorta. Contrast dye is injected to more clearly visualize the structures inside the heart.
What are the treatments for TAPVR?

Specific treatment for TAPVR will be determined by your child's physician based on:

your child's age, overall health and medical history
extent of the disease
your child's tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
how your child's doctor expects the disease may progress
your opinion or preference
Your child may be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) or special care nursery once symptoms are noted. Initially, your child may be placed on oxygen or a ventilator to assist his/her breathing. Intravenous medications may be given to help the heart and lungs function more efficiently.

Other important aspects of initial treatment include the following:

Cardiac Catheterization — A procedure that can be used as a diagnostic procedure, as well as an initial treatment procedure for some heart defects. A cardiac catheterization procedure usually will be performed to evaluate the defect(s) and the amount of blood that is mixing.
As part of the cardiac catheterization, a procedure called balloon atrial septostomy may be performed to improve mixing of oxygen-rich (red) and oxygen-poor (blue) blood.
A special catheter with a balloon in the tip is used to create an opening in the atrial septum (wall between the left and right atria).
The catheter is guided through the foramen ovale -- a small opening present in the atrial septum that closes shortly after birth -- and into the left atrium.
The balloon is inflated.
The catheter is quickly pulled back through the hole, into the right atrium, enlarging the hole allowing blood to mix between the atria.
Medication — Intravenous medication called prostaglandin E1 may be given to keep the ductus arteriosus from closing.
Surgical Repair — The surgical repair of anomalous pulmonary veins is carried out through an incision in the middle of the chest. The breastbone is split in the middle and spread apart to expose the heart. A heart-lung machine is used to do the work of the heart while the heart is cooled, stopped, emptied and opened. The abnormal veins are redirected to the left atrium, usually by connecting them directly to the back wall of the atrium. The heart is restarted as the heart-lung machine is withdrawn.
What is the long-term outlook after TAPVR surgical repair?

Many infants who have had TAPVR surgical repair will grow and develop normally. After TAPVR repair, however, your infant will need to be followed periodically by a pediatric cardiologist, who will make assessments to check for any heart-related problems.

As some children grow, the area where the pulmonary arteries were reconnected to the left atrium may become narrowed, preventing blood from moving from the lungs to the left atrium. Treatment may include:

Placement of a wire mesh device called a stent into the narrowed vein(s) to open it, done during a cardiac catheterization procedure.
Surgical enlargement of the narrowed pulmonary vein connection(s).
Consult your child's physician regarding the specific outlook for your child.

What is the latest research on TAPVR?

Complementing the Cardiovascular Program of Children's Hospital Boston is the nation's most intensive clinical and basic research program focused on pediatric heart disease. Children's is a world leader in opening new avenues of "translational research," bringing laboratory advances to the bedside and doctor's office as quickly as possible. All senior medical staff members of the Cardiovascular Program participate in clinical research activities.

Children's Hospital Boston has pioneered interventional catheterization repair of many types of congenital heart defects, including initial repair of TAPVR.

Not much to do today

This is the first day in a while that I don't have somewhere I need to take the kids. No swimming lessons, summer school, etc. I almost don't know what to do with myself. Almost. I will be cleaning the house today from the bottom to the top. Notice not top to bottom. I've been avoiding the basement for a few days. Bad idea. The basement is where the kids spend most of their time. Watching TV, playing games, sleeping, and whatever else they do when I'm not around. So, you get the idea. It's kind of messy downstairs. There's the never ending piles of laundry to work on, their stinky bathroom to clean, the family room to vacuum and dust, and then on to the scream fest. I'm going to make them clean their rooms. I hope my blood pressure stays low, I don't flip out and therefore, cause a massive headache.

Hip, hip hooray! We're done with the parade!

The parade is finally over. I can't tell you how happy I am. Everything went well. We only had 9 kids from our ward. 1/3 of them were my own. We had Tyler, Cameron, Avery, Zach & Hannah Cox, Joshua Banks, Sammy Deyoung & Ryan and Tanner Fellows. I'm sad more didn't try to come. Everyone really missed out because it really was quite a lot of fun. It was a short and easy walk and it seemed like it was over in just a couple of minutes. It was the perfect length for small kids. The Days of '47 organizers had a carnival for the kids and their families at the City/County building, which is where the parade ended. It was hot, but we were brave and nice parents and let the kids play there for a while. When we decided to go, we walked over to the city library because the kids had never been there. They rode the glass elevator up to the rooftop garden and looked out at the city. They were all very impressed by the place.

I really am glad that I had the opportunity to participate in the construction of the float, but I wouldn't want to have to do it again. I'm also glad that my children had the opportunity to participate in the parade. I think it's something that they will always remember.

Avery's Birthday

Avery's birthday is next Sunday. So, this is for the grandparents, or other family members, to answer questions about ideas for gifts. She still loves Dora and all things princess related, but what she could really use and would love just as much are clothes. She's quite the fashionista. She could especially use things that can be worn in the fall, like jeans. She wears a size 5 in pants/skirts/shorts and a size 6 in shirts. She loves shoes also and wears a size 9 1/2. Walmart has a brand of jeans called Faded Glory that I've been buying for her. They've been really durable and worked out well for her. They have really cute boot cut and flare styles and are only $9.88. I was going to give you a link to them, but these particular ones are not on the site. There are other styles and brands on the site, but most of them are only available online. Not in the store, but I guess you could still check out the Walmart site just for kicks. She'll be getting plenty of "toys" from us, but feel free to get whatever (or nothing) you want. We'll celebrate in the evening on her birthday. I'll let you know about the time. I'm thinking of cooking dinner for everyone, but still not sure what. So, I'll have to let you know about that as well.

The end is almost here

This evening is the final night to work on our stakes float for the Days of '47 Youth Parade. I'm very relieved to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm very grateful to the few who have come to help. Every little bit counts, but I'm especially grateful for those who have been able to be there every time. It's cute and it's simple, but that's all it needs to be for a kids float. I've waited to post pictures of it because I thought that I would just wait until it's done. I'll post pictures of it in the actual parade.

It's kind of sad to think that the whole thing will just be taken apart after it's all over. Kind of seems like a waste. Even though it's simple, there's a lot of hard work that's gone into it. I told Ryan that I was going to keep the silhouette of the Salt Lake Temple that's on the back and use it as a headboard for our bed. He didn't really think that I was very funny. He actually didn't even react at all. He's just too cool to be bothered.

10 Things I love about you

Ryan

1. You honor your priesthood. You are faithful in your church callings. You are an excellent example to our children. You teach them about the gospel.
2. You are a hard worker. My dad always said that a man who wasn't willing to work hard to provide for his family wasn't worth much of anything. Thank you for doing that and therefore, giving me the opportunity to stay home with our children.
3. Your nose, forehead and ears. I don't know why I find them so cute and appealing, but I do.
4. The way you tease me. (Well, most of the time.)
5. Your slyness. You're very good at surprises.
6. The fact that you hate honey mustard, board games and country music just as much as I do.
7. You're a great dad! I love watching you with the kids. They love playing with you.
8. The way you look when you're playing your bass or the piano. Very hot.
9. You are constantly trying to better yourself and learn more. You're never content. You can't sit still.
10. The way you look in your running clothes.

Family Material

Cameron & Tyler have been DYING to go to Zach's house and "show" him how to use his new Wii. Like he hasn't figured it out by now. They bugged me all day on Saturday, but since Zach was cleaning his room and he took forever :0), they couldn't go. Cameron started asking again yesterday afternoon. I had a hideous headache and on top of that, a doctor appointment at 3:00. I told him over and over that there wasn't time to go. So, he gave up for a while. I took the kids to my sister in law Emily's house so that I could go to the doctor. Big surprise! I got bumped again. He had to go on another delivery. What is he? An OB/GYN or something. Anyway, that didn't make my headache or my mood improve. I picked up the kids and on the way home, Cameron immediately started asking to go help Zach. I groaned very loudly and told him to give up. He wasn't going today. It was already 4:00 and we were going to go home, start dinner and then have FHE. He just wouldn't quit. When we got home he said, "Me and Tyler just need "guy" time." I said phooey on that, they still weren't going. He then tried a new tactic. He said, "Aren't families supposed to try to make each other happy? It would make us very happy if you would let us go." Crap. How do you keep yourself from laughing at that? I told him nice try, but if that was the case he should be listening to the mother, the one in charge, because her answer was no and her answers are final. Listening to the mother always makes for a happy family. He finally went outside and left me alone for a few minutes. Then he started again. He sent Tyler in to have me come outside to talk to him. He was sitting on the front step and I could tell that he was thinking very hard. I asked what he wanted and he said, "Well mom, I've been thinking about this. I just don't think that you're family material anymore. You don't let us do things that make us happy. You're just not doing your part. Yeah, you're not family material." Oh, brother. What a little punk!

Simpsonize Me

I am a simpson!

(This is courtesy of Tyler. I think that he's "Simpsonized" the whole family.)

Swimming lessons are going well

So far, so good with swimming lessons. Cameron is still just as funny as ever. You would think that after 7 1/2 sessions, he'd be some awesome swimmer. He just has his own way of moving. Tina pointed out today that he kind of looks like a snake slithering through the water. His whole body just moves and wriggles. He's bound to get it someday.

Avery had a little scare last week because she went just a little too far into the deep end. She was pulled out and there were no problems, but she's wanted to get out early every day since. The scare happened during playtime. So, she thinks that if she just gets out before that time she can avoid another problem. She's a really good swimmer and she does just fine. I think that if I just keep insisting she stay in for the entire time, she'll be over the small fear in no time.

Find it yourself!

My family seems to think that I am a psychic. No, I am not. I am however, constantly forced to be a detective and finder of lost things. They're constantly asking me where this or that or the other thing is. My answer to all of these questions is this: If I wasn't with you when you - took off your shoes, stopped playing with and put down your Gameboy, took a game out of the Wii and put it on the shelf, were coloring, were using your pillow or blanket, took off your backpack, were doing your homework, or otherwise following you around every single second of every single day, I can't tell you where everything is.

After taking Tyler and Daphne to school this morning, I took myself and my remaining 3 children to my favorite donut haunt. My Sugar's Donut Shoppe. I love them and no, I can't remember the exact address off the top of my head. I just usually think "donut", point my car in the general direction I know the shop to be and somehow end up there. I just remember 3200 West, just before the freeway. Anyway, I think I ate 4 of them. They were delicious, but instead of eating them I should have just glued them directly onto my butt. That's where they'll end up.

I forgot my goals

I forgot to list my 3 goals:

1. To get my stupid feet to stop cramping when I run. Ryan was very kind to find and force me to look at some exercises to help strengthen my ankles. (I say "force" because that goes back to my knee jerk reaction when he tells me something. If the exercises were my idea and some I had found, wait let's be honest I probably still wouldn't do them. I suppose I'm glad he forced me.) Apparently, one of the causes of the cramps in my arches could possibly be that I have weak ankles.
2. Be patient. Yell less. Listen more. Bite my tongue more often. Appreciate what I have. Say thank you often. Remember to compliment my children and be grateful for what they can do. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait. Remember to say "I'm sorry". Be better about planning out menus. Be patient. Try to grow my brain (learn lots, remember more) so that people will say, "Look at the big brain on Christa." Be patient.
3. Lose some more weight. I like buying new clothes and having the excuse that everything is too big and I need more is always a nice thing.

One more fear/annoyance/dislike

This is something that I should have added to my list of fears: being trapped in a room with nothing to watch on television except reality shows, award shows of any kind, soap operas or daytime talk shows. That would be my idea of hell. I despise all of them and would rather stick forks in my eyes than watch them.

Aw, Crap!

I've been tagged again. I don't know why, but I have real issues with authority. I don't like people telling me what to do. :0) I don't have any problem doing this kind of thing when I want to do it, but when some one else tells me I don't want to. It's the same thing with the forwarding on of emails thing that I've mentioned before. Ryan hates it because I perceive anytime he's trying to give me advice as him telling me what to do. I do NOT like being told what to do. I always think that he's trying to teach me a lesson or something. It's childish and immature, but a problem I've had my whole life. Just ask my parents. So, I guess these traits can be added to the random facts list about me: I'm impatient, easily annoyed and mean. :0)

Name 3 joys, fears, current obsessions/collections, random surprising facts.
These are listed in no particular order.

Joys
1. My kids
2. The Gospel
3. My Ryan

Fears
1. My teeth rotting/crumbling and falling out of my head. I have nightmares about it all the time. I'll wake up and check/feel in my mouth to make sure that they're still there. I also have nightmares about gum. In them, it sticks to my teeth and I can't get it off or out of my mouth entirely.
2. Having my neck or calves touched. Disgusting. It makes me hyperventilate and have a panic attack. My brother, Joshua, used to grab them and then tickle to be mean. I still hate him for it. Ryan will say to me when we are in bed at night, "Don't these blankets feel like they're really high up. Kind of like they're sitting across your neck. They feel really tight. I can't really breathe that well. What about you?" I freak out and kick and scream until I have them kicked off of me.
3. That Ryan will die in some sort of fiery automobile accident because he wasn't wearing his seat belt. I wonder if he's reading this. WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT YOU CREEP!

Current obsessions/collections
1. Scrap booking. I do it too much. I'm always ahead of schedule for my page exchanges. It's just a quiet activity and I'm all about quiet these days.
2. Honey, Honey, Honey
3. Kissing Peyton

Random/surprising facts
1. I like to spell out words in my head, but in kind of a weird way that's just too hard to explain. I do it with words I hear, read, think, etc. It can be very time consuming and I have to make a conscious effort to keep myself from doing it. It can cause me to lose track in a conversation because I will be spelling out a sentence that was said three sentences ago. I like the words to have an odd number of letters in them as well. Seven is the best and if I can't get just the letters to work out to an odd amount, I will throw in the punctuation as well. On occasion, I will do this just for comfort.
2. Everyone knows that I hate cats. When I see one, my first impulse is to grab it by the head and throw it. I know, not very nice and I would never actually do it, but I just want to get it as far away from me as possible.
3. People think that I'm very patient, but I'm really not. I just can't stand losing it in front of people. If I was hooked up to a heart monitor 24/7, you would see just how impatient I am because my blood pressure goes through the roof when I'm mad. I just don't always show it.

I can't think of a single person to tag. So, if there's anyone out there who has never done this before and doesn't mind having some one tell them what to do, consider yourself tagged by me.

Some very cute necklaces

Ryan's cousin Rosie has just opened an etsy shop. She has some super cute necklaces that she's offering and can even do custom orders. I love them. Check them out.

I gave in

I finally gave in and have let Tyler have his own blog. He has been bugging me non-stop since he found out that I have one. He told me that he was going to DIE of boredom if he didn't have something fun to do. Check it out sometime. It's pretty entertaining because he kind of writes in stream of consciousness. He also kind of thinks in a kind of abstract way. Like when he says "me without words." I wanted to clarify what he meant. He said, "People get to know all about me without me talking to them." He's a funny kid. So, just remember if he leaves a comment on your blog that kind of makes sense, but maybe not really, it will really only make sense to him.

My testimony has been strengthened

On Friday, June 27th, the brother of one of Ryan's old friends (Rachel Mellor) had a baby boy who was still born. I was extremely saddened when I saw this on her blog. I don't even know her brother and sister in law, but felt so terrible for them. I've thought a lot about this since that time. I haven't really questioned why and that has kind of surprised me. I've actually felt a great sense of peace. This little baby and his parents have taught me so much. My testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation has grown and been strengthened so much, and like I said I don't even know them. This is something that I can't even imagine going through, but I know that the gospel is true and that my Heavenly Father loves me. We are all children of God and he has a plan for each of us. His aunt had a very beautiful post on her blog about this that I think is worth any one's time to read.

Clorox Bleach Pen - A laundry must have

I absolutely love these things and I just thought that I would pay tribute to them here. They're amazing. You can save pretty much any white item of clothing from annihilation with them. If you've never tried them, you should.

Forbidden Love

I have found a new love. The Wendy's Chicken Club Sandwich. It's divine! I would eat one everyday, but because I know better than that (all the calories would slowly kill me) I try to limit myself to once every couple of weeks. They just have this siren call that begs me to come and get one. I had one today, so now I'm back on the wagon for a while. We'll see how long I last...

The beginning of the Basics

Tyler started his summer school this morning. I woke up at 7:15 and thought, "Oh, time to get up and get ready." Snore. I didn't wake up again until 7:50. I don't know what happened. I'm usually pretty good about getting up and going when I have something important to do. I kind of put myself behind and felt a little rushed. I was worried that we wouldn't make it on time, but we got there at 9:00 on the dot. Tyler said that it wasn't quite what he expected, but still fun. I think that he thought Math Quest would be more of an Indiana Jones type of adventure. I told him it would get better, this is only the beginning. They looked at the quest map today and "bought" items for their journey to find the math treasure. I know that he's going to like it.

Happy 4th of July

What the...?

Last night we put the kids to bed at around 9:00. Ryan went to the Stake Center to play basketball and I started finishing up my last tasks of the day. Tyler came upstairs at around 10:00 and said he had a headache. So, I gave him something for it and was about to send him back to bed with an ice pack. Just before he was going to go, Cameron appeared in the kitchen as well. They both wanted a snack before they went back to bed. (They've still been sleeping in the same room.) I complied and sent them downstairs with string cheese. Cameron came back after only a couple of minutes, complaining that his cheese smelled funny and he didn't want to eat it. I wasn't surprised. He has moments like that all the time. I told him to throw it away if he didn't want to eat it and to get back to Tyler's bed. He hesitated and then said, "I'm not sure if I want to sleep in there tonight." What the? I was sure that the slumber parties would be continuing indefinitely. In fact, I've been able to use the fact that they want to sleep in the same room as leverage. I've been able to threaten that they won't be able to when I can't get them to do something. I asked what the problem was, I thought that he liked sleeping in Tyler's room. He said, "I do. I'm just not sure if I want to tonight." I told him, "Fine. Then get your pillow and blanket and go to your own room." He said, "But I'm not sure what I want to do. I want you to help me to decide." Yeah right he wanted me to help him decide. Cameron will say stuff like that, but he doesn't really mean it because he usually disagrees with what you suggest. I told him that he had to decide on his own what he wanted to do. I said that I knew he liked sleeping in Tyler's room, but I didn't want to make the decision for him. He said, "You're the mom and you should be telling me the right thing to do. It's your job to help me make the right decision." I suppressed a laugh and said, "Fine. I say that you should sleep in your own room." He didn't argue. So, we went down to Tyler's room to get his things. Tyler was laying in his bed with the ice pack and when I told him what was happening he was totally perplexed. He tried to convince Cameron to stay, but didn't put up too much of a fight because of the headache. I grabbed Cameron's stuff and took him to his room. He told me that we had to say another prayer together since he was in his own room now. We did and he said as he was falling asleep, "I think I'm done sleeping in Tyler's room. I think that I want to sleep in my own bed again." I don't know what brought about the change of heart. Maybe the last month of sleep deprivation finally caught up to him. We'll see what happens tonight.

Google You Clarification

I just thought that I should clarify the rules for the Google descriptions. You can't use any words beyond the "Title" of the picture. For example, "Me:". That's it. No elaboration, or more detailed description. Let the pictures do the talking.

Google You

I found this on another blog and it came from another and so forth. I'm stealing the idea. It's another questionaire kind of thing. You're describing yourself, just through pictures. Don't use any pictures of your own, just google search for the images, and don't use any words to describe them. I've got them out of order from the original, but I guess that's okay.

Me:


Favorite hobbies:








Favorite Place:


Favorite Treat:


Favorite Authors:











Biggest Fear:


Favorite Place to Live:


Favorite Foods:




Bad Habit:


Favorite Animal:


Favorite Color:

Hello my baby, hello my honey...

Today, I went with Jillene, Tina and Jean Hill to the Welfare Square Cannery to bottle honey. Oh, how I love honey. I eat it everyday. I went through a craving phase a couple of years ago where I craved it constantly. I didn't really want to eat it by the spoonful and that's just because I didn't want Ryan to think I was crazy. So,I had to find a "vessel" for it. I would put it on toast. Yummy. In fact, that sounds really good. I may be having some toast when I'm done with this.

I ran out of it about 1 week ago and have had to seriously restrain myself from running to the store and buying more. It would be silly to go pay $4.00 for a little bottle when I was going there today. It was easy work, I just had to screw the lids on the bottles as they rolled past on a conveyor belt, and the shift was only 1 hour. You are then able to purchase 2 cases (24 15.8 oz. bottles per, $57.50 a case, works out to $2.39 per bottle, not too shabby) and also whatever surplus things they have. Sadly, today they only had raspberry jam. Yes I bought a case of it as well, but I wish that they would have had more things. Jean bought my second case from me because I'm sure that Ryan would flip if he thought I actually intended to keep both of them. He thought that I was crazy for getting one and half of it is going to my mom. He obviously doesn't understand just how deep my love for honey is. I've already given away one of my 12 to Emily as payment for babysitting. We'll see just how long 11 bottles of honey will last me.