Laid Off

I got the news yesterday that I have been laid off indefinately from KJZZ TV. I have mixed feelings about this. I have actually been looking for a new job but haven't found anything that would work into my criteria. It wasn't my dream job- but the hours worked great with my family life. I learned a lot and am happy for the experience. So off to the classifieds, interviews, and unemployment line I go. Luckily I still have my babysitting gig. So hopefully I can find a job that will work with that. Let me know if you hear of anything.

Sundays at Grama and Grampa's

We have had a tradition for as long as I have had kids; we go to Grama and Grampa's for dinner on Sunday. My mom is the best cook- so we really look forward to it. I am getting a little better and more adventurous with my meals- but mom- she can make anything and it rocks!
We usually spend several hours just hanging out, watching tv, playing the piano, playing board games, playing outside, going for walks or whatever seems fun that day. We always have a good time.
Yesterday we spent our visit putting together the new beds that they bought for the kids. This will be so nice for when they come to stay with them. They have rearranged their whole house to accomodate the kids. The girls have their own room, and Justice will have his own room. Spoiled little dickens! We worked for several hours trying to figure out how to put things together- and it turned out great. They look fantastic!
(This model except they got the espresso color- really dark brown- almost black- and we decided not to put the safety rail on the top. We decided they are old enough that they don't need it.) Thanks mom and dad. Now we feel totally at home in your home! We may never leave!! Just teasing!

Competition Season Starts

Sierra had her first dance competition of the season yesterday. She was so excited for it. She couldn't wait to get there and get going. She was beautiful. She has grown up so much this year. It's funny to think about how tiny she use to be when she first started dancing- now she is practically a woman. It really shows in her dancing too. She is doing things I never even learned. She is so flexible- can spin like a top- and balance in any position you ask her too. She's amazing.

Her team took first in show, first in lyrical, and second in jazz. They also won an overall advanced cash prize for high point in lyrical. So obviously they rocked! Way to go babe!

Chicken Pox?

I am pretty sure J has chicken pox. He has a pretty nasty rash w/ little blisters on it. We had an appointment at the doctor on Thursday- but when we got there the doc was MIA and nobody knew where he was. We waited for an hour but he didn't show. So I said I would reschedule if it got worse. And it did. So now I can't get him back in until Monday morning. I looked up some stuff on Web MD and it says "if you have already had the pox or have been immunized for it (he has) then you can get what they call a break through episode. It will be a very mild case, but you will go through all the same symptoms and stages." So we covered him in Calamine Lotion and he screamed bloody murder. Poor kid. But once the stinging went away he seemed ok. He hasn't been itching them at all which is good. I have had all of them covered in bandaids and neosporin for several days. He was a site with at least 20 bandaids. So I thought it would be good to let them air out so they can scab over and start healing.
So he is pretty lucky that it is just in one little area- but that little area is in his underwear which makes wearing the underwear and clothes a little painful. The twig and berries are safe. It's just to the right on his lower tummy, and a couple on his upper leg and side of his bum. But he is a trooper. Hang in there buddy.

On a side note Justice has been asking to "go bald" for a couple of months. So we shaved his head darn near bald. He loves it and can't stop touching his head. It's not my favorite look on him- but it sure makes doing the hair a snap- we don't even have to touch it!

G.N.O.

So Grama Dodie and My cousin Nickie and I had a Girls Night Out! We went out for dinner and a movie. We have been trying to get together since Montana broke her arm at our last outing in August. So we finally did it. We met at Iggy's for dinner and some good conversation. Nickie is graduating from BYU next month. I'm so happy for her! She is such a smarty pants- she took 6 classes last semester and got all A's! What the heck?? She has been pushing herself to get done. That's what I need to do. We also decided that her son 'Rett and Montana could be brother and sister because they look and act so much alike.

Grama is still her spritely silly self. She is forever harassing the waiters about how fresh the coffee is. And then not ordering anything. She just has little slivers of everyone elses food. She is a crack up.

We went to see Knowing with Nicolas Cage. It was super intense and I thought it was so good. Especially the very end. It makes you think about life and the universe. It is a must see in my opinion. Grama said she didn't like it- too much- but I know she did! Love you girls! Thanks for the pep talk and time out!

Fun date girls!!

Still sick

Sierra is still cruising on about 50% energy. Tana is doing a roller coaster routine. Depending on the stage of effectiveness of her medicine she is either totally lethargic,red cheeked, and on fire with fever- or skipping around happy as could be. Justice is getting a peculiar rash in his underwear area that looks like chicken pox. He has not had it but has been immunized for it and shouldn't get it. I have heard that if you have been immunized or had it before, and you get it again- it usually presents itself in shingles. They are very painful to him, but we will find out for sure what they are when we see the doc tomorrow morning. (We couldn't get in today :-() Another fun day!

Patients Updates

Poor little babes of mine. They have had a rough couple of days. Sierra has been running a fever since Thursday night, and a myriad of other symptoms. We took her to the doctor yesterday and he said she has bronchitis and a very sore throat- but not strep. She started her medication (Zithromax) last night and is feel about 50% better. Her fever is down and she wants to go to school. She has already missed two days. So that is good news.

Montana slept all day yesterday and was feverish. This morning she is on fire. We are doing everything we can to bring her fever down. Cold bath, cold rags on her head, cracking the window by her. I don't want to give her pnemonia but 103 is way too high. We will keep a close eye on her and take her to the doc as well if things don't improve by this afternoon.

Justice is just at the beginning stages of it. I think he is actually ok. He is just having sympathy sickness. So we will see how he is in a few minutes when he wakes up.

I started my ban on Diet Pepsi yesterday. I did fantastic- drank about 8 glasses of water. But then I caved and bought one while I was driving all over town yesterday. So I will begin again today. But I didn't have any headaches so that was a good start.

My Kiddos are sick

Sierra has been running a fever for going on three days now. She's been coughing, puking, achy, and miserable. I keep putting her in a cold tub to bring her fever down. She absolutely hates it. If she doesn't start feeling better by this afternoon, I will take her to the doc.

Justice started getting feverish last night and super cranky. He is definately catching it. Montana is starting the cough- but seems to still feel ok. I feel fine.

I received Eric's (lawyers) response to my petition for divorce. Needless to say- I was shocked and angry about what he is asking/demanding in return. We will be in mediation to sort things out. Apparently, we have completely opposite views about how things should be handled. I hope we can come to an agreement and stay out of court, but I will fight this to the bitter end. I'm not doing it to be mean or get my way- I think the kids and I deserve better.

Twilight Madness

We got to Wal-Mart at 11:00 to stand in line to buy our very own copy of Twilight!! I had Justice, Sierra, Montana, and two of her friends with us. We met mom there because she wanted to be a part of the action that she knew was happening. They had a table of Twilight paraphenalia to buy- so the kids all picked one. They had people there dressed up like characters from the movie. You could get your picture taken with them. I kept trying to get the kids to get one- but I think they were actually scared of them. Everyone there was wearing their Twilight shirts, necklaces, had their faces painted with Team Edward, or Team Jacob. It was kinda crazy. They were passing out a trivia quiz about the movie. We decided we don't know as much about the movie as we thought we did. They opened 7 registers just to sell the movies. We were finally out of there at 12:30- came home and tried to watch the movie. But, as I predicted, everyone fell asleep. Fun times!

Lazy Friday- Midnight Fun!

I absolutely love Fridays! My kids get out of school early. And we don't have any plans except to relax and hang out together. It's heaven. The kids have been running in and out with friends. It's nice to see them outside riding their bikes and just enjoying being kids.

Tonight is the release of the Twilight movie. We are going to be some of crazies there to buy it at midnight. Sierra wants to watch it on pay-per-view and then go buy it. Although she has already seen it 5 times. I told her no- you can watch it a hundred times once we have our own copy. I think she's in love with a vampire!

I'm going off pop!

I have been told for years that I should get off pop. It's been my joy in life for so long. I love the sound of cracking open a new one, and the fizzy going down. But I have been reading a lot of research that is scaring the pants off of me. I knew it probably wasn't good for me- but it's got O calories, carbs and sugar! How bad could it be. Well- it's the aspartame, caffeine, and phenylalanine that is the evil part of these little beauties. I have learned that my Diet Pepsi addiction is most likely the root of my depression, memory loss, weight gain, and increase in appetite. And all pop has sugar or some form of fake sugar in it- so I am going to water- and all sorts of jazzy versions of water that do not contain sugar either.
I have asked for advice from people who have gone off pop and here are some ideas:
Cold Turkey
Workout when you want one (that would be 24/7- not a bad idea)
Drink lots of water
Emergency Packets (sugar type packets to add to water to help with the headaches)
One friend even suggested a modified 12 step program (that's how bad my addiction is) Step 1: Realize you have a problem.....

So wish me luck, prepare for my moody withdrawl symptoms, and pass along any wisdom you have. I think I'm giving up sugar next!!

New Blog

I have started a new blog to track my shopping adventures. I went grocery shopping last night and got a lot of stuff for only .20 cents!! Love it! I put it in my Blog List so that you can just click on it. It's called Adventures in Shopping.

Yeah! The kids are home!

I was suppose to be alone this weekend as it is their dad's turns for visitation. But- Chris went on vacation, so Sierra came home Friday. Eric had a work emergency and plans on Saturday night- so Justice and Montana came home early on Saturday morning! Happy Me!

Of course they have all been busy with friends, and activities- but we did get to sit down and have dinner and rent some movies Saturday night. We had a family slumber party in the family room. Of course I am always the first one asleep- then wake up in the middle of the night, to find my kiddos all cuddled together. Awww. I was suppose to go to a Westshire Reunion, but I decided I needed to reunite with my kids instead! Unexpected Fun! I love it!

I have the best mom!!

Seriously- I have the best mom in the whole wide world. She just showed up one morning with her cleaning caddy, on her day off, and helped me spring clean my house. And the whole thing was her idea! She was on her hands and knees scrubbing my floors, cleaning the vents, washing down walls. She would not stop!! I am telling you- my house has never been so clean! I don't know what possessed her- but I don't care. It was fantastic, and we actually had a fun day! Thanks mom! I love ya!

Holy Moly!

I had my coupon gal class yesterday morning. I learned that I have been spending WAY to much on groceries. I have heard of people that can buy a whole cart full of groceries for only a few dollars and thought it would be too hard and too time consuming to figure it all out. I learned that it isn't that hard- you just have to have the right tools. I will now be one of those people with stacks of coupons at the checkout. It will take some time to amass my coupon collection and get the hang of it but I am determined to put the money I save in a better place!! If you get the Sunday paper and don't use coupons- will you save them for me please! Let me know and I will gladly come and get them once a month or something!

Here is the FREE website that will teach you how to do it too!
www.grocerysmarts.com
The passport code g84csg
also check out www.weeklyshoppingguide.blogspot.com
She takes pics of her weekly shopping trips, tells you where she went and how much she paid for each item. It is amazing! I was truly inspired.

Let me know if you have any success in your grocery saving adventures!

Finally Done!

The cabinets are finally done! I just need to touch up a few spots with paint on the walls. I am really happy with how it turned out. Thanks so much dad for helping me put it all back together. I couldn't have finished it without you.

Support Group

I started a Weight Loss group with a bunch of friends on Facebook. We all have so much in common it's just funny. All the girls have been divorced. I think it is turning into a support group for women more than a weight loss group- although the two seem to go hand in hand. We all have our issues don't we. The guys are getting fed up. It's kind of funny. I have lost 15-18 pounds so far- it depends on the day. Why does our weight fluctuate so radically from day to day- frustrating!! Anyway- it's been nice to vent and have people who understand what I am going through. I'm getting my exercise in everyday whether or not I am exhausted. I usually am. I am excited about my progress- but I have such a long way to go- it seems almost impossible. I will get there. My friend Bonnie told me to love my body no matter what shape it is in. This body has carried & fed three babies, my legs take me wherever I want to go, my lungs breath, my heart pumps, my eyes see, and my brain functions (most of the time). We have so much to be thankful for- even if our bods are a little fluffy! Thanks Bonnie.

Oh bother!!

As usual...I have started a project that I thought I could finish in a couple days tops. Well, three days later- I am still painting cupboards, I am almost out of paint,I have the hinges back on, but now the handles I bought are problematic and I can't get the doors back on the hinges. AAAAA!! Dad is coming over tomorrow to help me hopefully solve this dilemma. It is looking so good- I can't wait to be finished. Only 5 more doors to go! I was so hoping I could finish this whole project by myself...but I have learned to ask for help when I need it. Curse my pride!!

Blessings a plenty

I think I am starting to understand why we go through trials in life. It gives everyone a moment to stop...and examine their lives. Friendships become more important, family becomes foremost, and service is given without a second thought. My neighbors, friends and family have been showering me with lunch invitations, phone calls, emails, dinners, and offers of helping in any way they can. My ward has been amazing. I have recieved a blessing, my home teachers are getting my swamp cooler ready for warm weather, and my bishop has given me some great tools to help fortify my family with counseling, advice, and a pep talk. I am being carried through this trial with the love of my fellow man. Thank you everyone for coming to my aid. My cup runneth over.

It's coming together...I hope!

I've been working all weekend on repainting the cupboards. It is looking so good. They were so sad and ugly before. Every brush stroke makes me so happy. I spray painted the hinges silver to match the new handles that I bought. So far I have the front of the boxes painted and a couple of doors done. Mom & Dad are coming over today to help me finish. I am having a party on Saturday so I need to get it done quick. I love it so much I think I am going to do both bathroom cabinets the same chocolate color. But the kids are anxious to get their bedrooms painted too. All the kids were gone with their dads this weekend so I had a quiet house all to myself to get it done. It was a nice time filler. It's painting or homework. Guess what I chose! I will post more pics when it's finished.

Never a dull moment

Yesterday the kids were out of school (so teachers can prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences next week) so I took Justice, Montana, & Maddy (Tana's shadow aka bff) to the Children's Museum downtown. Maddy had never been so it was fun to see the kids showing her where all the cool stuff was. Justice was recruited to make a giant paper airplane with one of the staff. He thought that was cool. We went up & downstairs several times. The thing I love about the museum is that everything makes them use their imagination. There are no video games, movies, or cell phones!! They had a blast. Here is a list of the things we saw or did:
*Construction Site- building blocks with a big crane,*Play house- w/ full kitchen,*Grocery Store w/ cash register, produce dept., deli dept, and shopping aisles,*Farm-w/ a horse to climb on, chicken coop (Find the eggs), and a garden where you can pull veggies out of the ground, *Climbing Wall, *Water Play area, *Communication Area- Flags, Pulley Message system, Tube w/ speakers
*Magnet Experiments, *TV Station complete with green screen for weather reporting & tv cameras, *Real Helicopter to climb in and out of, *Xylophone type music area, And many other fun little things.
They love it there, but I fear they will grow out of it in the next couple of years. Enjoy it while we can I guess!

Her Little Shadows

(Artwork by Robert Coombs- a very talented friend)
I found this sweet poem and thought I would share...



I saw a young mother with eyes full of laughter
And two little shadows came following after.
Wherever she moved, they were always right there -
Holding onto her skirts hanging onto her chair,
Before her, behind her - an adhesive pair.

"Don't you ever get weary as, day after day,
Your two little tag-alongs get in your way?"
She smiled as she shook her pretty young head,
And I'll always remember the words that she said.
It's good to have shadows that run when you run,
That laugh when you're happy and hum when you hum -
For you only have shadows when your life's filled with sun.

I love to see the temple

Yesterday I took the kids to the Draper Temple Open House. It turned into an all day event. I checked them out of school at lunchtime. We had a quick lunch at home, changed into our Sunday clothes and off we went. First we found the church we were designated to park at. We went inside and watched a movie about temples, what goes on and why we have them. Then we boarded a bus that would take us to the temple. Once we were there, they had covered walkways that lead us inside the temple. The tour was a "silent" tour meaning that they didn't have anyone explaining what each room was a what it was for. Since I went through before with Mom and Grama that was a bit disappointing- but oh well. So I was answering questions and explaining things to the kids the whole time. Sierra loved the celestial room. It has the most beautiful chandelier. Montana loved the creation room. The murals on the wall are so lifelike and beautiful. I told her that all the rooms are painted by someone with a paintbrush and palette of paint- just like she does sometimes. She was fascinated with that. Justice loved the baptismal font and the mirrors of eternity. After the temple tour we were led to a nearby chapel for refreshments, live entertainment and beautifully displayed artwork and pictures of temples. It was a great experience for us as a family. I think they were able to feel the love and peace that is in the temple. When we talked about being together forever as a family, I could tell that it stirred up a lot of emotions for all of us. I still know that God has a plan for us, even if our family isn't perfect.

Sierra's Baby

Sierra is a Mom! And she has been a great one I must admit. She got her baby for her Teen Living Class. She named it Emmet Kingston. It is electronic and is quite a learning lesson for her. It cries, coos, needs diaper changes (not an actual mess- just a new diaper), is fed bottles, needs burping, and comforting. It has kept her up for two nights now with its neediness. She has an electronic id bracelet that she has to scan so that it knows it is it's mommy taking care of it. She also has to make sure that his head doesn't drop back- or it screams bloody murder. It has been a good experience for her- and me. We have talked about some important things. My little girl is going to be a great momma someday!

Jesus and Justice

Justice has an intense fascination with cologne. He loves to smell good. Perfume too sometimes. And not just a little. We have had to hide most of it. Today he was looking at our Christus statue very lovingly. He said "Mom, do you think Jesus wants some cologne on? He doesn't smell very good?" Then I said something I never thought I would ever say. "Justice- do not put cologne on Jesus!"

Then later he was pretending to talk on the phone. He was stretching the cord way out (yes- we have an old fashioned job- that is connected to the wall) I told him to put the phone back or it would get ruined. He said "I am talking to Jesus here mom! Can't it wait til I'm done?" I told him you don't need a phone or anything to talk to Jesus- just talk to him- he will listen. He smiled and whispered into the phone "I'll call you later". Too cute!