Well it's official. I am now in the 8 week challenge. My points for today are 8. I rode my bike with Luke in the trailer for over an hour today. We went about 10 miles. It was a harder ride than last week with hills. Pulling an extra 40 pounds was much harder on my legs. I enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day. Lukey was not thrilled to go, but he was happy to be"wis" me. Next time we will take more stuff to entertain him.
After our ride ,we had about an hour before I had to go to work. After a quick shower and a few phone calls, we were off. Luke did not want to go to the sitter. He cried and would not let go of me. So I had to take my time getting to work and giving extra snuggles. It hurts my heart to go to work when he is not happy. He went to the Fire station with the other preschool kids. He was a bit hesitant when I dropped him off but he must have enjoyed it. When I got home, he had a Dalmatian tattoo on his forearm. "Daddy did it," he said.
Work today went well. It was someones last day so they ordered lunch. I love it when they have salads with all the "right" ingredients. Grilled chicken, fruit, nuts and vinaigrette dressing. All legal for me. I spent my lunch time outside in the sunshine. It was a great break. During my break I read the Ensign. It had a great story of a gal that taught her family how to memorize "The Living Christ" . I think I will try that. I have heard the best way to teach children the gospel is to provide the opportunity for them to feel the spirit. What better way for our children to learn of Christ, then by the spirit?
It is now time for bedtime for all. I have been home for about an hour, and Adam has been talking non-stop about his ancient Greek mythology book from the library. He is a very smart boy who remembers details. He needed a little extra TLC tonight. He is much calmer already. Drew played Lacrosse today in his fall league. It is practice and scrimage time really. He loves it and he gets a lot of playing time,which is important. Madi is singing me songs as we speak. "We're from New York..." and "the Cat goes fiddle I fee". Adam is in agony because apparently she is doing it wrong and he wants to put his two cents in. I told him to not speak if he can't saying something nice.
Jared's back is really hurting today. He hurt it last week cleaning the refrigerator door. I have finally talked him into seeing a surgeon. His latest MRI from last week showed worsening disc bulges and impingement. That means that his symptoms are worse for a reason. He can't stand up straight either. Hopefully, the Dr will have more options than surgery. If it makes it better and he can get back to his less grumpy self, we will all be happy. ;)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
8 Weeks to a better you
Well I am going to do this challenge. It is 8 weeks to a better you. My friend Jeannie sent me the info and I am going to try it. The 8 things include:
1. Exercise 45 minutes a day x 6 days a week
2. At least 7 hours of sleep each night, or a combination of sleep and a nap :)
3. No sugar and Whole grains
4. No junk food or fast food (soda, treats etc.)
5. 8 Glasses of Water a day
6. 15 Minutes of uplifting reading or scripture study
7. Do a some sort of service everyday that is out of my daily routine
8. Journal or Blog daily
I think that just about covers it. Everyone put in $15 dollars and are competing for 75% of the pot. The other contestants have the opportunity to win prizes and other give aways for the other 25%. You get one free day a week, and you keep track of your points daily. Not a number on the scale, which I like, but a total number of participation points. The challenge started Monday, but I didn't decide until today that I would do it. It seems do-able.
It hasn't been too bad so far, but I have only really been doing it for 12 hours or so. I will let you know how things are going tomorrow. I am not officially "IN" yet either. The challenge is closed to new entries. But I emailed them and begged to get in . I will keep you posted.
I think my score today was a 7. I didn't exercise today, I did not have time to squeeze it in. But My scores on the other two days, were a 5 for Tuesday, and a 5 for Monday. But I am okay with that.
The rest of my day was pretty good. I worked for a few hours at the hospital scanning MRI patients. I had lunch with my sweet husband at a new place, Cafe Piasan. The folks that started Cafe Rio, started this place. It will be huge, but the first one is in Orem, off center street. It i Cafe Rio Italian style. I had a whole wheat flat bread and Salad. Yummy. Rushed home to get Luke at the sitter, and be home for Drew after school. Ran errands to Target and Costco then home to the next task. Jared was home for Adam and Madi to come home from school, then went to get a new Lacrosse helmet for Drew. His
head is the same size as Adam's. Who would know?
Our ward had a talent show for the primary kids today. Adam drew a picture of an eye with fish swimming through the iris. Madi did a back bend . She was late because she insisted on coming with her friend rather than coming with us. They thought it started at 6:30 instead of 5:30. She did very well though. She is almost ready to do a back walkover. One thing at a time though. Luke brought "Yegos" to display, but refused to put the together an share them. It was a good experience over all.
Next, I attended a baby shower for a friend. I got lost on the way and got there 5 minutes before it was over. I took Lukey with me and we had a good time. My friend had her baby 5 weeks early and her little one is still in the NICU. She was 4lb 10 oz when she was born. She is little, but healthy. It brings back a lot of memories. They are good memories, but very difficult at the time. I will share those another time.
It's getting late and I need to go to bed if I am to get my 7 hours in. Until tomorrow.
1. Exercise 45 minutes a day x 6 days a week
2. At least 7 hours of sleep each night, or a combination of sleep and a nap :)
3. No sugar and Whole grains
4. No junk food or fast food (soda, treats etc.)
5. 8 Glasses of Water a day
6. 15 Minutes of uplifting reading or scripture study
7. Do a some sort of service everyday that is out of my daily routine
8. Journal or Blog daily
I think that just about covers it. Everyone put in $15 dollars and are competing for 75% of the pot. The other contestants have the opportunity to win prizes and other give aways for the other 25%. You get one free day a week, and you keep track of your points daily. Not a number on the scale, which I like, but a total number of participation points. The challenge started Monday, but I didn't decide until today that I would do it. It seems do-able.
It hasn't been too bad so far, but I have only really been doing it for 12 hours or so. I will let you know how things are going tomorrow. I am not officially "IN" yet either. The challenge is closed to new entries. But I emailed them and begged to get in . I will keep you posted.
I think my score today was a 7. I didn't exercise today, I did not have time to squeeze it in. But My scores on the other two days, were a 5 for Tuesday, and a 5 for Monday. But I am okay with that.
The rest of my day was pretty good. I worked for a few hours at the hospital scanning MRI patients. I had lunch with my sweet husband at a new place, Cafe Piasan. The folks that started Cafe Rio, started this place. It will be huge, but the first one is in Orem, off center street. It i Cafe Rio Italian style. I had a whole wheat flat bread and Salad. Yummy. Rushed home to get Luke at the sitter, and be home for Drew after school. Ran errands to Target and Costco then home to the next task. Jared was home for Adam and Madi to come home from school, then went to get a new Lacrosse helmet for Drew. His
head is the same size as Adam's. Who would know?Our ward had a talent show for the primary kids today. Adam drew a picture of an eye with fish swimming through the iris. Madi did a back bend . She was late because she insisted on coming with her friend rather than coming with us. They thought it started at 6:30 instead of 5:30. She did very well though. She is almost ready to do a back walkover. One thing at a time though. Luke brought "Yegos" to display, but refused to put the together an share them. It was a good experience over all.
Next, I attended a baby shower for a friend. I got lost on the way and got there 5 minutes before it was over. I took Lukey with me and we had a good time. My friend had her baby 5 weeks early and her little one is still in the NICU. She was 4lb 10 oz when she was born. She is little, but healthy. It brings back a lot of memories. They are good memories, but very difficult at the time. I will share those another time.
It's getting late and I need to go to bed if I am to get my 7 hours in. Until tomorrow.
Monday, August 30, 2010
First day of School 2010
Today the kids started school. Drew 8th grade, Adam 4th grade and Madi 2nd grade. They were all so excited and a little nervous.
Drew was so excited to see his friends more than anything. He bought his first shirt this year while shopping with his friend. Tell me what you think....bright huh? I think I had a shirt this color the year I graduated from high school, 20 + years ago. I thought it was just as cool as he does. Day-glow yellow is all the rage apparently. He picked it out and it doesn't have nasty words or images on it so I can not complain. He wears it whenever he can. He just started taking some medicine to help him concentrate and it seems to be helping. He got his homework done in 10 minutes. I was flabbergasted. It would have taken at least 1 hour previously. Let's hope it stays that way.
Adam has his first male teacher this year. He was the most apprehensive about the new year mostly due to his teacher. His teacher seems like a nice guy and very tech savvy. Mr. H is young and just graduated from college a few years ago. He is a good teacher and fun. Because he is into media, I should have not problem getting Adam's homework. It will be posted on the class website as well as on twitter. I got an awesome You tube tutorial around the class website from Mr. H. It was six minutes, and very informative. Although nervous, Adam seems to be adjusting and enjoying things so far. He is growing up fast a very sweet kid. He picked out his own messenger bag and hoodie. His favorite school supply item for school is his "black white board" and neon dry erase markers. I have to say, it is cool.
Madi is in the 2nd grade this year. Her teacher Mrs. A has been a teacher for nine years. This is the first year at our school. She is a Mom, with 4 children that loves to teach. She loves school and has several kids she knows in her class. She picked out her outfit and did her own hair. She made her headband with Grandma Fillerup a few months ago. Her backpack is one she picked out from target. Of course it was twice the price of the rest of those we looked out. It is white with darling turquoise, yellow and magenta birds on it. It is of high quality and should last her for several years. It was a bit of out of the budget, but she was determined to get it. She even offered to pay the difference from the budget. We are hoping it goes on sale in the next few weeks so that we will both be happy. :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Mom & Drew Hike Timpanogos
Sunrise on Mount Timpanogos summit.We had the opportunity to hike Mount Timpanogos with the Young Men and Young Women. We started at midnight and finished at 11 am the next morning. We made it all the way to the top, where the shack is. We arrived just in time to see the sun rise. It was beautiful.
We were one of 10 that made it to top in our group. There were about 30 of us total. It was freezing cold and windy. Drew invited his friend Crosby to come with us.
They did very well. It is 14 miles roundtrip. It was fun but not something I would plan to do again in the near future.
This is us coming dow
n from the top at the "Saddle".
n from the top at the "Saddle".Saturday, August 14, 2010
Fillerup Family Summer 2010
Wow! I cannot believe that the summer is almost over. We have 10 days left before school starts Aug 25th. This summer has been a hectic one. Unfortunately, we have been working and haven't had the opportunity to do many family outings. I will attempt to do a recap of the summer for you.
June--Started out pretty calm. Drew played lacrosse for the first few weeks and attended lacrosse camp. Drew started playing Lacrosse for the first time in May. His team was located in Orem due to the fact that all the Highland teams decided to play in the Salt Lake league. Because we were newbies we were uninformed. It worked to our benefit however. Drew had an awesome coach named Dana. He is actually a neighbor of the Senior Fillerup clan of Orem and Northridge. It was a crazy schedule to get him to practices and games 3 to 4 times a week, but he was in
heaven. Drew plays Middie and Attack positions. Because we are new to the sport of lacrosse, Jared took it upon himself to become educated. He Googled the sport, rules etc. The most helpful was YouTube. We could see what the game was and learned a lot. Lacrosse is a combination of soccer, football, and hockey. You have a team set up like soccer, you can hit like football with pads, and you have a stick like hockey. Drew is a pretty skinny fellow, but he is almost as tall as me now and can hold his own in a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, and gloves. He attended his first camp put on by several BYU/UVU college players. It was a two a day session camp for one week. He learned a ton and improved more. He loved it and looks forward to playing again next spring.
Adam went to scout camp at Camp Jeremiah Johnson. He spent the day shooting BB guns, shooting a bow, canoeing and making model planes. Because it is the 100th anniversary of scouting he earned an extra award and a dog tag with the scout logo on it. It was the highlight of the camp.
Madi and Jared spent the month playing softball twice a week. Jared coached the Angels Filly league coach pitch softball. The team consisted of 8 7-8 year old girls. As grouchy as my husband can be, he was a great coach for these girls. They loved him and he enjoyed it as well. They learned to throw like boys ;) , hit a pitched ball, run bases and play each position. My favorite drill was where the girls played catch with each other. They would each make a T with their arms, point with the hand with the glove on it and then throw across their body to the other girl. Such a simple way to teach the point and follow through. I should never hear, that our daughter throws like a girl. Hence the reason he coached and I didn't.
Jared and Drew attended scout camp in the Boulder Mountains again this year. A week of hiking, fishing and scouting. Jared is the YM 2nd Counselor and over the Deacons. They took close to 30 people. 17 of which were scouts. It was not as relaxing as you would think for the leaders of such a large group. Drew had a good time though and passed off several new merit badges.
Adam, Madi, and Luke spent most of the week at Grandma and Grampa Fillerup's. They had some some other cousins staying there as well. They spent the week swimming at the neighborhood pool and playing with Grampa's new chickens. They named each of them. Adam named his chicken, Mohawk, Madi's was Livvy and Lukey's was Elephant.
As for me, I spent most of the week in Orlando, Florida for work. I have a new job as a salesman for a few new MRI products. I went to a conference there. I took a red-eye flight Tuesday night and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was a long trip and I missed my family very much. It was a very educational experience. There was not as much sales traffic as I expected but I learned a lot from the classes taught. I even got to earn some CE credits. I ended up being on my own which made it a bit lonely. I didn't get to see much of Florida either. I rode the water taxi from the conference center to the Universal Studios shops and then took a taxi back to my hotel. It was very hot and humid. The closest I got to a beach was a some sand at the faux beach near the water taxi stop. I just wish my family could have come and that I actually got to see Florida.
I worked 40-50 hours a week during the month. Starting the 15 of June I got a guaranteed shift every Thursday from 12-8 at a local clinic. I pick up shifts at the hospital for another 10-15 hours and then do sales 20 hours a week. My babysitters are a few girls that live nearby and Drew. They split up the days into 4 hours shifts and take turns. My kind friend Crystelle, mom of my sitters, fills in when they can't. The kids love being home and playing with their friends. I am glad that they are safe. But I worked way to much.
July was crazy too. We spent the 4th of July at home. Because it was on a Sunday, most of Utah County celebrated Saturday, July 3rd. We spent the day in our yard, then went to see Toy Story 3. We loved it. Luke has been waiting for Woody and Buzz for months. We all cried at the end. The "Clawwwwww" is our hero. We went to Thanksgiving Point for the fireworks. We parked in the industrial park behind the golf course and we were home at 10:40. Not bad for a firework show that lasted about 20 min.
Monday, July 5 th was busy. I was Camp director this year for girl's Camp. They went Tuesday-Friday at camp Mutal Dell. I spent the day shopping for food and packing for 20+ campers. Jared took the boys fishing up the Provo River. On their way back to the car, with Luke on his shoulders, Jared slipped on some rocks and twisted his knee. After walking another mile to the car, he decided that something was very wrong. Besides the fact that he couldn't straighten his leg, he was in excruciating pain. I got an unpleasant phone call and an "I screwed up my knee". Because it was a holiday, no doctors were in. We had no "good" drugs either. Jared spent the night very uncomfortable on ibuprofen, and soaking wet from a leaking ice pack.
Tuesday was very eventful. I had 20 campers show up with their gear at 8 am. I made arrangements for Jared to see a orthopedic surgeon Wednesday. However, because we had no pain meds, and he needed an MRI before he saw the Dr. he had to go see his GP. The local doc was not the most helpful. He tried to talk him out of an MRI, saying "Don't you want to wait and see what happens?" Jared said, "No thank you, please order the MRI and give me drugs so I can function." His MRI was at 7 pm that night. Thanks to my kind friends. I am so glad to have good friends as co-workers. It was hard to be at camp and not able to communicate with home. We had a good time and ate a lot of junk. Our theme was "Incredi-girls". I slept where I could see the stars and slept great after a Tylenol PM.
Wednesday, I finally got a hold of Jared. I had got "permission" from the camp host to use the phone. He said my friend thought he had a pretty good meniscus tear and that he would see the Dr. that afternoon. Because he went prepared with his MRI, they were able to schedule his surgery for the next afternoon. I came home that night. I was not going to let him go to surgery without me. I was sad to leave, but my family comes first. After the evening activities of skits, game of "Chickie chickie", and campfire songs I headed out. The kids were very happy to see me and I was grateful for a warm shower and my bed.
The surgery went well. Jared had a large bucket handle meniscus tear that was in the joint space of his left knee. He was unable to straighten his leg. The meniscus that was removed was the size of a pinkie finger. He felt so good after surgery that he over did it. Morphine is awesome, but we waited too long to get more meds on board. We got a little behind his pain and it was a pretty rough night. He did get to sleep about 4 am and felt much better with good meds. I returned to camp Friday morning to help the girls pack up. I was disappointed to miss testimony meeting and heard it was fantastic. Everyone seemed to have a good time and got along really well. I was very impressed with the leadership the 15-16 year old youth leaders showed the younger girls.
Jared's recovery has gone well. He has returned to fishing and has been riding his bike. He has recruited Drew to go with him. Drew has found a new hobby in mountain biking. Since Drew and I share a bicycle we have to take turns going. He likes going down the hills, but up hill is a challenge. Drew is almost as tall as I am and a very handsome boy. He still has his braces, but had his HERBST removed a in July. He will get his braces off before Christmas, we hope.
I only traveled out of state once this month, and it was just for a day. I spent a day in Boise, ID. My day started at 4 am, and ended at 11:30 pm. I traveled with a colleague and didn't drive so I got a short nap on the way back. I realized a couple of things on this trip. First, I have been working way to much. Second, promises are worthless unless they are on paper. Third, my family is the most important thing in my life. It was an enlightening day to say the least.
Since then I have been spending more time at home and haven't traveled at all. It is amazing how easy a week can be working only 30 hours. The kids and I have been making up for lost time. We have been swimming, seen several movies, gone to the library, and hanging out at home. It is awesome. I have been taking a break from traveling and sales except from home. I am still trying to decide if it is worth the toll it takes on the family and my emotional well being. I think it is something I am good at but I don't know if now is the time to pursue a career that takes me away from home some much. I'll let you know when I figure it out myself. lol
We spent the 24th of July at Strawberry Reservoir. We had a great time craw-dad fishing. We planned on catching our fill, then boiling them up on shore, but then forgot a key ingredient for our Jambalaya....pasta. So after taking a full camp kitchen with us, we didn't even use them. However, the kids had fun throwing out the chicken legs tied to a string and netting them at the shore. Lukey loved using the net to capture the critters. We took Jared's fishing tube, kick boat and the kids enjoyed riding it from shore to shore. Jared had to go to swim after it once when they let go of it and didn't have it tied to shore. We were in a small cove and had the shore mostly to ourselves. People kept asking what we were doing and we had fun showing them our growing catch. We caught about a hundred of them before we left. We headed back home to cook them up. Each child named one and all of them touched them eventually. They were delicious, atleast for Jared and I. The kids didn't want to eat their friends after all.
The last week of July was just as busy as the first. We have been cleaning closets, cupboards, and blinds. We are hoping to have a yard sale soon. This has helped give my children incentive to get rid of things. I love having a clean house. We have also been weeding outside too. Madi is trying to buy another American Girl Doll and weeding for money. She is a hard worker and will do almost anything for money.
June--Started out pretty calm. Drew played lacrosse for the first few weeks and attended lacrosse camp. Drew started playing Lacrosse for the first time in May. His team was located in Orem due to the fact that all the Highland teams decided to play in the Salt Lake league. Because we were newbies we were uninformed. It worked to our benefit however. Drew had an awesome coach named Dana. He is actually a neighbor of the Senior Fillerup clan of Orem and Northridge. It was a crazy schedule to get him to practices and games 3 to 4 times a week, but he was in
heaven. Drew plays Middie and Attack positions. Because we are new to the sport of lacrosse, Jared took it upon himself to become educated. He Googled the sport, rules etc. The most helpful was YouTube. We could see what the game was and learned a lot. Lacrosse is a combination of soccer, football, and hockey. You have a team set up like soccer, you can hit like football with pads, and you have a stick like hockey. Drew is a pretty skinny fellow, but he is almost as tall as me now and can hold his own in a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, and gloves. He attended his first camp put on by several BYU/UVU college players. It was a two a day session camp for one week. He learned a ton and improved more. He loved it and looks forward to playing again next spring.Adam went to scout camp at Camp Jeremiah Johnson. He spent the day shooting BB guns, shooting a bow, canoeing and making model planes. Because it is the 100th anniversary of scouting he earned an extra award and a dog tag with the scout logo on it. It was the highlight of the camp.
Madi and Jared spent the month playing softball twice a week. Jared coached the Angels Filly league coach pitch softball. The team consisted of 8 7-8 year old girls. As grouchy as my husband can be, he was a great coach for these girls. They loved him and he enjoyed it as well. They learned to throw like boys ;) , hit a pitched ball, run bases and play each position. My favorite drill was where the girls played catch with each other. They would each make a T with their arms, point with the hand with the glove on it and then throw across their body to the other girl. Such a simple way to teach the point and follow through. I should never hear, that our daughter throws like a girl. Hence the reason he coached and I didn't.
Jared and Drew attended scout camp in the Boulder Mountains again this year. A week of hiking, fishing and scouting. Jared is the YM 2nd Counselor and over the Deacons. They took close to 30 people. 17 of which were scouts. It was not as relaxing as you would think for the leaders of such a large group. Drew had a good time though and passed off several new merit badges.
Adam, Madi, and Luke spent most of the week at Grandma and Grampa Fillerup's. They had some some other cousins staying there as well. They spent the week swimming at the neighborhood pool and playing with Grampa's new chickens. They named each of them. Adam named his chicken, Mohawk, Madi's was Livvy and Lukey's was Elephant.
As for me, I spent most of the week in Orlando, Florida for work. I have a new job as a salesman for a few new MRI products. I went to a conference there. I took a red-eye flight Tuesday night and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was a long trip and I missed my family very much. It was a very educational experience. There was not as much sales traffic as I expected but I learned a lot from the classes taught. I even got to earn some CE credits. I ended up being on my own which made it a bit lonely. I didn't get to see much of Florida either. I rode the water taxi from the conference center to the Universal Studios shops and then took a taxi back to my hotel. It was very hot and humid. The closest I got to a beach was a some sand at the faux beach near the water taxi stop. I just wish my family could have come and that I actually got to see Florida.
I worked 40-50 hours a week during the month. Starting the 15 of June I got a guaranteed shift every Thursday from 12-8 at a local clinic. I pick up shifts at the hospital for another 10-15 hours and then do sales 20 hours a week. My babysitters are a few girls that live nearby and Drew. They split up the days into 4 hours shifts and take turns. My kind friend Crystelle, mom of my sitters, fills in when they can't. The kids love being home and playing with their friends. I am glad that they are safe. But I worked way to much.
July was crazy too. We spent the 4th of July at home. Because it was on a Sunday, most of Utah County celebrated Saturday, July 3rd. We spent the day in our yard, then went to see Toy Story 3. We loved it. Luke has been waiting for Woody and Buzz for months. We all cried at the end. The "Clawwwwww" is our hero. We went to Thanksgiving Point for the fireworks. We parked in the industrial park behind the golf course and we were home at 10:40. Not bad for a firework show that lasted about 20 min.
Monday, July 5 th was busy. I was Camp director this year for girl's Camp. They went Tuesday-Friday at camp Mutal Dell. I spent the day shopping for food and packing for 20+ campers. Jared took the boys fishing up the Provo River. On their way back to the car, with Luke on his shoulders, Jared slipped on some rocks and twisted his knee. After walking another mile to the car, he decided that something was very wrong. Besides the fact that he couldn't straighten his leg, he was in excruciating pain. I got an unpleasant phone call and an "I screwed up my knee". Because it was a holiday, no doctors were in. We had no "good" drugs either. Jared spent the night very uncomfortable on ibuprofen, and soaking wet from a leaking ice pack.
Tuesday was very eventful. I had 20 campers show up with their gear at 8 am. I made arrangements for Jared to see a orthopedic surgeon Wednesday. However, because we had no pain meds, and he needed an MRI before he saw the Dr. he had to go see his GP. The local doc was not the most helpful. He tried to talk him out of an MRI, saying "Don't you want to wait and see what happens?" Jared said, "No thank you, please order the MRI and give me drugs so I can function." His MRI was at 7 pm that night. Thanks to my kind friends. I am so glad to have good friends as co-workers. It was hard to be at camp and not able to communicate with home. We had a good time and ate a lot of junk. Our theme was "Incredi-girls". I slept where I could see the stars and slept great after a Tylenol PM.
Wednesday, I finally got a hold of Jared. I had got "permission" from the camp host to use the phone. He said my friend thought he had a pretty good meniscus tear and that he would see the Dr. that afternoon. Because he went prepared with his MRI, they were able to schedule his surgery for the next afternoon. I came home that night. I was not going to let him go to surgery without me. I was sad to leave, but my family comes first. After the evening activities of skits, game of "Chickie chickie", and campfire songs I headed out. The kids were very happy to see me and I was grateful for a warm shower and my bed.
The surgery went well. Jared had a large bucket handle meniscus tear that was in the joint space of his left knee. He was unable to straighten his leg. The meniscus that was removed was the size of a pinkie finger. He felt so good after surgery that he over did it. Morphine is awesome, but we waited too long to get more meds on board. We got a little behind his pain and it was a pretty rough night. He did get to sleep about 4 am and felt much better with good meds. I returned to camp Friday morning to help the girls pack up. I was disappointed to miss testimony meeting and heard it was fantastic. Everyone seemed to have a good time and got along really well. I was very impressed with the leadership the 15-16 year old youth leaders showed the younger girls.
Jared's recovery has gone well. He has returned to fishing and has been riding his bike. He has recruited Drew to go with him. Drew has found a new hobby in mountain biking. Since Drew and I share a bicycle we have to take turns going. He likes going down the hills, but up hill is a challenge. Drew is almost as tall as I am and a very handsome boy. He still has his braces, but had his HERBST removed a in July. He will get his braces off before Christmas, we hope.
I only traveled out of state once this month, and it was just for a day. I spent a day in Boise, ID. My day started at 4 am, and ended at 11:30 pm. I traveled with a colleague and didn't drive so I got a short nap on the way back. I realized a couple of things on this trip. First, I have been working way to much. Second, promises are worthless unless they are on paper. Third, my family is the most important thing in my life. It was an enlightening day to say the least.
Since then I have been spending more time at home and haven't traveled at all. It is amazing how easy a week can be working only 30 hours. The kids and I have been making up for lost time. We have been swimming, seen several movies, gone to the library, and hanging out at home. It is awesome. I have been taking a break from traveling and sales except from home. I am still trying to decide if it is worth the toll it takes on the family and my emotional well being. I think it is something I am good at but I don't know if now is the time to pursue a career that takes me away from home some much. I'll let you know when I figure it out myself. lol
We spent the 24th of July at Strawberry Reservoir. We had a great time craw-dad fishing. We planned on catching our fill, then boiling them up on shore, but then forgot a key ingredient for our Jambalaya....pasta. So after taking a full camp kitchen with us, we didn't even use them. However, the kids had fun throwing out the chicken legs tied to a string and netting them at the shore. Lukey loved using the net to capture the critters. We took Jared's fishing tube, kick boat and the kids enjoyed riding it from shore to shore. Jared had to go to swim after it once when they let go of it and didn't have it tied to shore. We were in a small cove and had the shore mostly to ourselves. People kept asking what we were doing and we had fun showing them our growing catch. We caught about a hundred of them before we left. We headed back home to cook them up. Each child named one and all of them touched them eventually. They were delicious, atleast for Jared and I. The kids didn't want to eat their friends after all.
The last week of July was just as busy as the first. We have been cleaning closets, cupboards, and blinds. We are hoping to have a yard sale soon. This has helped give my children incentive to get rid of things. I love having a clean house. We have also been weeding outside too. Madi is trying to buy another American Girl Doll and weeding for money. She is a hard worker and will do almost anything for money.
As much as I like a clean house, Jared likes a full hay shed. He had the opportunity to purchase hay from a friend in Lakeshore at a good price. With his hurt knee and sore back I was worried about him bucking 120 bales of hay. He did great with the help of the kids and me. We didn't do too bad. But I think bucking hay is my least favorite farm chore. We did it two days in a row. I ended up with blisters on 4 fingers even though I wore leather gloves. I also had scratches up and down my forearms. I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt despite the 90 degree heat. I did feel like a she-woman though. Those things are heavy. Jared was a little sore but very happy the horses have food for the winter.
August has been much less eventful so far. Drew and Jared attended Youth Conference at Heber Valley Camp. They had a good time. Drew was up til 3 am on a sugar induced high. He was pretty tired when he got home. They also learned to make survival bracelets with 10 feet of rope. We all had one by the end of the night they arrived home.
Well, that is the recap for now. I will add more photos later. I promise not to wait a year to update again.
Friday, August 7, 2009
We did it!!!
Luke is doing fantastic. Potty training has been much more relaxed the fourth time around. I hope that means that I am getting more patient. (hehe) He still has an occasional accident, but it is usually because he waited to long, and it is a dribble and hold it moment. The true test came this week when we went hiking to the Timp Cave. He had to hold it until we got to the bathroom. Then he didn't want to go "poopies" in the glorified hole in the ground. So he waited until we got to the bottom, more than an hour later. So, no more diapers for us. Yippee!!!!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Potty Training / Rough Week
Luke is now 2 years and 3 months. He has been interested in going "potty" for quite a while. He doesn't like having a wet or dirty diaper. He would come to me and tell me immediately after the fact and want to be changed. He also woke up early in the morning, dry and would want to go when we put him on the toilet. However, I have not had the time or desire to force the issue. I have been working a lot this summer, 20-40 hours a week(way too much), and didn't think I had the time. Anyway, a few weeks ago, I thought I would start watching him to see how ready he was to start potty training. I was a little hesitant, because I had decided that if I was going to do it, I have to be consistent, and not give up after a few days.
So, on July 3rd, we were running a bunch of errands. Jared and Drew were going on the annual scout camp out. Drew is now 12 and is going on his first real Deacons/Scout trip. Dad is no longer required to come along, but is going as a merit badge counselor. Because he is doing the cooking merit badge, he did all the food. Therefore, we had a lot of planning and preparing to do before they left. The fourth of July was on a saturday, and everything was to be closed, so we had to do all the shopping, etc, on friday because they left early monday morning. To make a long story short, I decided to get Luke big boy pants while we were out.
Shopping for underwear is interesting. There are any number cartoon characters, patterns, and colors available. The aisle is about 15 feet long and 7 feet tall. At least half of it is underwear. This is just the aisle for little kids too. The older kids get their own aisles. Luke is really into Thomas the Train and Cars. So I started looking for those. Luke weighs about 25-27 lbs, and he is pretty tall. He is skinny, all of our kids have been very skinny at this age. Most are just a back with a crack, but neither Jared or I has a really large behind, so it's not in the jeans so to speak. So, I was worried that there wouldn't be any small enough. Then I dicovered they sell boxer breifs for 2 year olds. Yeah!!!! Yes, I did buy the Thomas underwear, but I only bought one package to see if they shrink. They were so big they looked like bloomers, hanging to his knees, they shrunk a little. The boxer briefs were a bit big, but they look like shorts. And they shrink. They are so cute. He looks like his older brothers in miniture. He can run around in his underwear without looking like it. He actually prefers these, so we bought a few more. He does like the "Train" unders but he prefers the boxers.
Well, back to the story. After picking out the underwear, Luke carried them around the store. He didn't not want to put them down. When we got home he was so excited, he went to the potty on his own, and brought me the underwear to put on. I was very surprised. I didn't know he was that ready. I started to seriously consider potty training. With the other kids, they got interested at this age, but I wasn't consitent enough, and they were potty trained when they were about six months older. I had heard from a friend at work that she trained her little boy by telling him he could pee on a weed in the garden. That way he learned control to go when he wanted and to aim. I thought that sounded reasonable. We trained Adam in a similar fashion. He did great, except that we didn't have a fence in our back yard and he liked to run around naked. He also dropped his drawers to pee on the neighbors grass, during an ice cream social. That was a bit awkward. Lukey loves to pee outside. Especially if he has just seen his brothers or Dad do it. Now that we have a rather large backyard, I am willing to risk it.
I started last friday, I had a whole 4 days off and didn't have any long car trips planned. He has of course had several accidents, but mostly just #2, which are gross, but are few. He gets stickers (Cars) everytime he goes, and then a car or bubbles for #2. He loves his sticker poster that he puts his stickers on and carries it around. He goes outside with the boys, but mostly on his potty chair on the toilet inside. We are teaching him to sit for now. We will work on aim later. I think Drew still prefers to sit, and Adam doesn't has the best aim still. Boys are boys, and their bathroom is still the least fun to clean. Maybe it will improve when they have to clean it on their own. He is getting better at telling me when he needs to go, and will even try to go by him self. I have worked the last few days, and grandma has had to help him. But he is doing well, and we are excited to be out of diapers, forever. What a thought. I will keep you posted.
Rough Week
Last week, July 5-12,was a very busy week. Jared and Drew were gone from Monday at 6 am to Saturday at 3 pm. I worked 30+ hours, did my meal exchange meal (spagetti), and had my Stampin' Up club night. Several things became apparent to me.
First, I work to many hours. Ten is great, 20 is on the verge of too many, but any more, and I am over the edge. My house goes to hell in a hand basket, and my children run amok. I stress about getting everything done before going to work, and making sure I have a sitter is another matter. It comes down to the fact that mom is not home. I am the best one qualified to take care of my children, and home. Everyone is happier when mom is home. Money is a great motivator, but not worth the sacrifice to my family.
Second, I do too many things. I have learned this lesson a lot this year. I am not Superwoman. I am realizing that it is okay. My family is the most important thing in my life. It is more important to spend time with my husband, and four children than to spend my efforts on other things. Even my house can wait to go on a walk or to the park with the kids. I can not do everything. It is okay to say no and not feel guilty about it. Even my exercise comes second.
Third, my husband is my best friend. I have know this for a long time. It is amazing what we take for granted, and not realize until it isn't there. Jared spent the week in the Boulder Mountains, about 2-3 hours south. When he was gone, I needed someone to talk to. I was having drama at work, and overwhelmed at home. I needed someone to be my voice of reason. I know I picked up the phone to call him about 25 times before remembering he had no phone service. My mom was a good stand in, but not the same. (Sorry Mom) I often don't have to say anything and Jared knows how I feel. He will just let me cry until I am ready to talk about things. I can get mad and say things I would never say out loud. No judgement on his part, and he will support me 100%. He does help me a lot. When I get home late, the kids are fed, and the house picked up. When I have to go in early, he gets everyone where they need to be before he leaves. I can't complain that he doesn't do anything around the house. It sucked being single Mom.
Fourth, it takes a village to raise kids. This week our ward had both scout camp and girls camp at the same time. That took about 85% of the babysitting pool out of the area. My mom was helpful with my kids, but not available the whole time. My sweet neighbor, Crystelle, helped me a ton. She kept the kids one night when my mom had to leave, and I was still at work. I ended up staying at work until 8:15 pm. Crystelle took the kids, fed them and entertained them until I got there at 8:45 pm, and then fed me as well. The next morning another neighbors son came to watch my sleeping children at 6:30 am, so I could work, again. He then took Adam, Madi and Luke back to Crystelle's at 8:30 am. She watched them until about 1:30 pm. That night, my mom stayed overnight, so I could be at work the next morning at 7 am. Then my sister-in-law, Candice, helped with the kids, and she and my mom took my children, and 8 other cousins swimming. I would have been up a creek without my village of friends and family this week.
And last but not least, prayer is sometime the only thing you have left to do. When I was at my wits end, it was midnight and I couldn't sleep. I got on my knees. I cried to my Heavenly Father for help. I felt a peace that all would be well. My husband and son were okay, the kids would be fine and so would I. I was finally able to sleep, and of course everything did end up fine.
Even though this was a rough week, I learned some very valuable life lessons. I can not do everything on my own. I can pretend to be Superwoman, but it doesn't make me have super powers. I would not have survived if it wasn't for prayer and a knowledge that I have help beyond this world. Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers. He knows me personally, and knows what I need to know and learn to make me a better wife and mother.
So, on July 3rd, we were running a bunch of errands. Jared and Drew were going on the annual scout camp out. Drew is now 12 and is going on his first real Deacons/Scout trip. Dad is no longer required to come along, but is going as a merit badge counselor. Because he is doing the cooking merit badge, he did all the food. Therefore, we had a lot of planning and preparing to do before they left. The fourth of July was on a saturday, and everything was to be closed, so we had to do all the shopping, etc, on friday because they left early monday morning. To make a long story short, I decided to get Luke big boy pants while we were out.
Shopping for underwear is interesting. There are any number cartoon characters, patterns, and colors available. The aisle is about 15 feet long and 7 feet tall. At least half of it is underwear. This is just the aisle for little kids too. The older kids get their own aisles. Luke is really into Thomas the Train and Cars. So I started looking for those. Luke weighs about 25-27 lbs, and he is pretty tall. He is skinny, all of our kids have been very skinny at this age. Most are just a back with a crack, but neither Jared or I has a really large behind, so it's not in the jeans so to speak. So, I was worried that there wouldn't be any small enough. Then I dicovered they sell boxer breifs for 2 year olds. Yeah!!!! Yes, I did buy the Thomas underwear, but I only bought one package to see if they shrink. They were so big they looked like bloomers, hanging to his knees, they shrunk a little. The boxer briefs were a bit big, but they look like shorts. And they shrink. They are so cute. He looks like his older brothers in miniture. He can run around in his underwear without looking like it. He actually prefers these, so we bought a few more. He does like the "Train" unders but he prefers the boxers.
Well, back to the story. After picking out the underwear, Luke carried them around the store. He didn't not want to put them down. When we got home he was so excited, he went to the potty on his own, and brought me the underwear to put on. I was very surprised. I didn't know he was that ready. I started to seriously consider potty training. With the other kids, they got interested at this age, but I wasn't consitent enough, and they were potty trained when they were about six months older. I had heard from a friend at work that she trained her little boy by telling him he could pee on a weed in the garden. That way he learned control to go when he wanted and to aim. I thought that sounded reasonable. We trained Adam in a similar fashion. He did great, except that we didn't have a fence in our back yard and he liked to run around naked. He also dropped his drawers to pee on the neighbors grass, during an ice cream social. That was a bit awkward. Lukey loves to pee outside. Especially if he has just seen his brothers or Dad do it. Now that we have a rather large backyard, I am willing to risk it.
I started last friday, I had a whole 4 days off and didn't have any long car trips planned. He has of course had several accidents, but mostly just #2, which are gross, but are few. He gets stickers (Cars) everytime he goes, and then a car or bubbles for #2. He loves his sticker poster that he puts his stickers on and carries it around. He goes outside with the boys, but mostly on his potty chair on the toilet inside. We are teaching him to sit for now. We will work on aim later. I think Drew still prefers to sit, and Adam doesn't has the best aim still. Boys are boys, and their bathroom is still the least fun to clean. Maybe it will improve when they have to clean it on their own. He is getting better at telling me when he needs to go, and will even try to go by him self. I have worked the last few days, and grandma has had to help him. But he is doing well, and we are excited to be out of diapers, forever. What a thought. I will keep you posted.
Rough Week
Last week, July 5-12,was a very busy week. Jared and Drew were gone from Monday at 6 am to Saturday at 3 pm. I worked 30+ hours, did my meal exchange meal (spagetti), and had my Stampin' Up club night. Several things became apparent to me.
First, I work to many hours. Ten is great, 20 is on the verge of too many, but any more, and I am over the edge. My house goes to hell in a hand basket, and my children run amok. I stress about getting everything done before going to work, and making sure I have a sitter is another matter. It comes down to the fact that mom is not home. I am the best one qualified to take care of my children, and home. Everyone is happier when mom is home. Money is a great motivator, but not worth the sacrifice to my family.
Second, I do too many things. I have learned this lesson a lot this year. I am not Superwoman. I am realizing that it is okay. My family is the most important thing in my life. It is more important to spend time with my husband, and four children than to spend my efforts on other things. Even my house can wait to go on a walk or to the park with the kids. I can not do everything. It is okay to say no and not feel guilty about it. Even my exercise comes second.
Third, my husband is my best friend. I have know this for a long time. It is amazing what we take for granted, and not realize until it isn't there. Jared spent the week in the Boulder Mountains, about 2-3 hours south. When he was gone, I needed someone to talk to. I was having drama at work, and overwhelmed at home. I needed someone to be my voice of reason. I know I picked up the phone to call him about 25 times before remembering he had no phone service. My mom was a good stand in, but not the same. (Sorry Mom) I often don't have to say anything and Jared knows how I feel. He will just let me cry until I am ready to talk about things. I can get mad and say things I would never say out loud. No judgement on his part, and he will support me 100%. He does help me a lot. When I get home late, the kids are fed, and the house picked up. When I have to go in early, he gets everyone where they need to be before he leaves. I can't complain that he doesn't do anything around the house. It sucked being single Mom.
Fourth, it takes a village to raise kids. This week our ward had both scout camp and girls camp at the same time. That took about 85% of the babysitting pool out of the area. My mom was helpful with my kids, but not available the whole time. My sweet neighbor, Crystelle, helped me a ton. She kept the kids one night when my mom had to leave, and I was still at work. I ended up staying at work until 8:15 pm. Crystelle took the kids, fed them and entertained them until I got there at 8:45 pm, and then fed me as well. The next morning another neighbors son came to watch my sleeping children at 6:30 am, so I could work, again. He then took Adam, Madi and Luke back to Crystelle's at 8:30 am. She watched them until about 1:30 pm. That night, my mom stayed overnight, so I could be at work the next morning at 7 am. Then my sister-in-law, Candice, helped with the kids, and she and my mom took my children, and 8 other cousins swimming. I would have been up a creek without my village of friends and family this week.
And last but not least, prayer is sometime the only thing you have left to do. When I was at my wits end, it was midnight and I couldn't sleep. I got on my knees. I cried to my Heavenly Father for help. I felt a peace that all would be well. My husband and son were okay, the kids would be fine and so would I. I was finally able to sleep, and of course everything did end up fine.
Even though this was a rough week, I learned some very valuable life lessons. I can not do everything on my own. I can pretend to be Superwoman, but it doesn't make me have super powers. I would not have survived if it wasn't for prayer and a knowledge that I have help beyond this world. Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers. He knows me personally, and knows what I need to know and learn to make me a better wife and mother.
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