GLOBAL WHAT?

So, of course with this being the last day of April, we should expect another hard freeze tonight, right? Oh, and maybe tomorrow night, also. What? Are they serious? I waited and waited and waited and last Saturday finally had Rob plant my raspberry bushes. Yep, I did. I finally felt like it was safe. We had gotten through the freezes and back into sixty and seventy degree weather--even yesterday was fairly warm. Today--we were in the mid-fifties--and dropping. O.K.--I give. I don't know when it would have been safe to plant them so I guess I will just have to hope they make it through---this . . . this . . . hmmmm . . . it's kind of hard to get on board with the whole global warming thing right now, Al. Have you considered maybe calling it Global Cooling? Just some food for thought . . .

SHORT UPDATE

There isn't a lot new to tell on my Aunt Kaye. The progress is slow but she is still making it. They took her feeding tube out today and I believe they took her breathing tube out as well (but don't quote me on that one.) Her throat is pretty sore so she whispers still. She is still very weak but we are grateful for every hint of progress she makes.

Grandma and Grandpa got out for a little bit today. Grandpa had a dentist appointment and then they ran some errands and did some shopping.

I spent most of the day either chasing kids or paperwork (paying bills or filing them). I hate paper! Then after naps and dinner I took the kids to the park to play for awhile. They had a lot of fun. Then when we got home the neighbor kids were here waiting for them to play on the backyard swing set with them. They were quite popular had today--and they didn't mind a bit! 

The weather is really nice right now. It is mid-sixties to seventies with just a light wind. Perfect.

More later.

SPEAKING . . . OF SPEAKING

Today was a banner day. Two things happened that made me happy. Jonathon gave his first talk in Primary. That is the children's opening exercises in our church. Rob helped him and he was very cute. Rob basically stood behind him and whispered everything he was supposed to say in his ear and Jono repeated it into the microphone--but he did it! There were two other kiddo's on the program, one to give a prayer and one for a thought. The one giving the prayer was too shy to stand at the podium. The one with the thought did but they forgot to turn his mike on. It's really cute to watch these little ones learn to speak in front of each other--especially when it is a large group. They were all very reverent, too.

The second thing I'm not just happy about -- I'm THRILLED about! My Aunt Kaye had some of her tubes removed today and was able to start trying to talk to her family. Her throat is very sore--so her talking is more of a whisper and hard to understand--but she is communicating! She knows her family and she kissed them and was happy they were there. We are so excited to know she is making progress. Please keep your prayers for her going. We love her so much and want her to get better. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

AS SATURDAYS GO . . .

Today was a typical Saturday. We slept in a wee bit, then spent the day doing chores around the house and yard. We've got so many projects started around here and not finished it looks a little like a war zone. Hopefully, we can put some order to them soon and start finishing some of them.

Jonathon was Daddy's little helper today. He ran errands with Daddy and helped him outside. He was so proud of himself. He pretty much went everywhere Daddy went today.

I completely forgot till just now that the other day he and Carly had a couple of friends over and they were all playing in the back yard. Jonathon came bursting in the door and ran past me. He grabbed something and headed back out the door. It was too fast and I was suspicious. I stopped him and asked what he had. He didn't want to show me but I made him. He had the keys to our riding lawn mower. I was flabbergasted. He'd never done anything like that before. I asked him what he was planning to do with them. He told me he was just going to drive it for a minute for the kids. He was pretty upset when I made it clear to him that wasn't going to happen (not that his feet could have hit the petals anyway.) And he got even madder when I made him hand the keys over and promise not to take them again. I think he told me he was going to tell Daddy on me, or something to that effect. Dang, I'm always in big trouble with Rob. Lol!

I did manage to get the job of mowing the lawn today. Maybe that was my payback for taking those keys away. Lol!

On a more serious note, my Aunt Kaye is still in the hospital, Not a lot of change but she is holding her own at the moment. Please continue to pray with us for her recovery. We would so appreciate your faith and prayers. Thank you so much.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION

Well, my Aunt Kaye has definitely had a least one stroke and is affected on one side. She does open her eyes but she isn't responding to anyone verbally. Bob is holding her hand a lot and whenever he lets go of her hand she opens her eyes. They did an MRI yesterday and she does have brain activity--and her breathing has improved. So, there is hope--but she would have a long recovery and lots of physical therapy ahead if she does get better so we need lots of prayers.

I've felt pretty frustrated because I think the hospital should have recognized she had probably had a stroke and given her a stroke shot. I don't know how many of you are aware of this but there is a shot that if it is administered within three hours of someone having a stroke it can reverse most of the effects of a stroke.
It's called tPA-- tissue plasminogen activator. It's a treatment researchers came up with in the 1990's for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Over 80% of all strokes are of this type, and are commonly caused by blood clots that interrupt blood flow in an area of the brain. It's effectiveness has been proven by many clinical trials but it only works well within a three hour window. If administered after three hours it can cause serious and deadly bleeding in the brain--so doctors refer to those three hours as the golden hours. Those hours are often missed because both patients and doctors miss the signs that a patient is having or has had a stroke.
So, I am going to remind us all of those signs right now.

I'm sure you have all received this on the Internet before but please read it and memorize the signs. You never know when it will be someone you love whose life you save. 


STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.... S. T. R.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured
everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .
She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food.
While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the
rest of the evening
Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken
to the hospital -
(at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.
Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be
with us today.
Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he
can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally.

He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then
getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough...

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately,
the lack of awareness spells disaster.
The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail
to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE..
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency
number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your
Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out
his tongue..
If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is
also an indication of a stroke.

I hope none of us ever need to know this information--but just in case--I hope this helps.

PLAYGROUP!

Kaye had a quiet night Wednesday night and not much changed throughout the day Thursday. They did a spinal tap but we didn't hear back on the results yet. We are still hopeful and prayerful things will turn out alright.

I took the kids to their first playgroup since last fall. It's the first time it's been warm enough for the playgroups to meet outdoors. They had a blast! It was nice spending time with the other moms too.
We met at a local park so the kids could have a playground to play on and as a bonus this one also had ducks to feed. I forgot to bring extra bread to feed the ducks so my two sacrificed their sandwiches and potato chips for the ducks. I'm sure they were so thrilled. (eye roll) Lol!

Just spent some time getting things done around the house tonight. It was kind of nice to have Rob home and just all be together.

Take care and have a great Friday and a lovely weekend!

A NOT SO HAPPY, FRAZZLING DAY

Today has been kind of a frazzling day--and sad--a sad and frazzling day. My Aunt Kaye is not making progress. In fact, she worsened today. They had to intubate her and put in a feeding tube and her breathing isn't good, either. She has had only a waking moments since they got her to the hospital. The doctors are fairly certain she has suffered a stroke and feel this may not be the first one.

Her son David did make it there from Florida today--so that is a good thing. He flew in first thing this morning. 

We spent a good part of the day making plans to head to Illinois tomorrow but after talking with my cousin Ronda tonight and we realized it was probably not the best decision. So, even though the signs aren't looking good at the moment not good now we continue to pray that somehow she will come out of this.

We love you Kaye. We are thinking of you and hoping for the best. We love all of you and are praying with you!

HAPPY 18TH ASHLEY!

Grandpa had an appointment with his neurologist today and he got high marks for improvement. He's been doing pretty well lately. Feel free to call and give him a hard time any time you'd like.

My Aunt Kaye is still in the hospital and showed a tiny bit of improvement today but still needs lots of prayers. Doctors are still not sure what's going on with her--so all the prayer support we can get for her will be greatly appreciated.

Today was Ashley's (Susan's youngest daughter) 18th birthday. It's hard to believe she's that old already. Time sure flies. I still remember the night she was born. I went over and kept Alyssa while Susan and Russ went to the hospital to have Ashley. She was born in the wee hours of the morning. Well, Happy Birthday Ashley! We love you!

LONG DAY, SHORT NOTE

I was just about to write my blog after spending most of the day down with a migraine. Rob just asked me how long I thought I'd be and I told him I was going to write something really quick. That's when he went into rhyme and I figured at that point he'd written my blog for me. So here's Rob's blog:

Had a migraine,
Went to bed ~
I'll finish tomorrow
Unless I'm dead.

Hahaha! It was actually a really bad migraine that started last night and only started to get better an hour or so ago. At least it's doing better now. It sure wears me out when these happen.

On a more serious note, for those of you who know my Aunt Kaye McKamey, she is having some severe health challenges at the moment and we would really appreciate your prayers for her. Thanks so much.

FRESH STRAWBERRIES ~ YUM!

Today was a really beautiful day. The temperature was up in the sixties. After church - and after nap we took a walk with the kids, well, they rode their bikes, we walked. We went to visit a nice lady in our ward who was recently widowed. When we got there she had several visitors, most of whom we knew so we just joined the crowd. She seemed to really be enjoying the company and was especially glad to see the kids. They have really taken to her and so she spoils them. She got a bunch of toys out for them and they played while the adults talked. It was a fun diversion on a Sunday evening.

We came home and I fixed homemade strawberry shortcake with some gorgeous fresh strawberries I picked up yesterday. We watched a couple of short movies and then we crashed (or are about to.) Lol.

Hope you had a nice Sunday--and do have a wonderful week!

JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM

I called and checked on my friend again today. I am an hour away from her so it's not like I can just run over to her house and keep watch for a few hours--though, believe me it would make me feel better. She told me she has a lot of people keeping an eye out for her. I know that is probably true but I am still really worried about her being alone in her home.

I tried to talk her into getting a dog. Although, I wasn't the first. Some of her grandchildren had already been trying to talk her into it. They had promised to completely train the dog for her, as did I. She's had dogs before but she just doesn't want to deal with a new animal right now. I just know statistics are somewhere in the mid-nineties that if you have a barking dog burglars are less likely to pick your home to rob. When I lived on my own I always had a dog--a big one--that barked LOUD. Lol!

When I talked to her last time, the police had offered to park a cruiser in her driveway over the weekend. Today she told me they had changed their mind, that instead they wanted to catch the guys. Wait--let me get this straight, they think it is a good idea to use my 83 year old friend as . . . bait? Really guys? That makes me want to knock some police heads together! They told her they are watching her 24/7 - but I gotta tell you I have a hard time believing they are watching her home--for a small time criminal--around the clock. Even if they are, how long do you think they will be able to afford that in this economy? Yah--see my point. C''mon, just park the darn police cruiser and scare off the the idiot criminals, Sarge!!! You can play "007 or Sergeant Friday" with some college student crime victim but please don't do it with my dear sweet friend who is a Grandmother! It's too risky!

One last thing, if you don't have locks on your windows, get them--or at the very least--go to the hardware store and buy some dowels you can put in the tracks to keep someone from easily opening them while you are sleeping or away. Yes, I realize they could just break the windows but usually they won't do that--they will just move on to a house that's easier to get into. Also, be sure to check all your doors and lock all the locks. If you have a sliding glass door, get a long dowel for that track, too. Do whatever you can to protect yourself and your home--before trouble strikes.

Oh, and the police re-iterated with her today to NEVER, EVER let anyone in your home that you do not know. If someone comes and asks to use your phone, if they tell you they had an accident or are injured--tell them you will make the call for them--hopefully behind a locked screen door, or ask them to go to a neighbors house. If friends visit often, ask them to call ahead and let you know they are coming so you can be certain you know the person at your door before you open it.

Please pass these tips on--especially to any elderly people you know. God bless and keep safe!
 

TAKE CARE OF THOSE YOU LOVE . . .

I called my friend today who lost her husband a few weeks ago, just to check on her and got some alarming news. She told me that earlier in the week she'd been awakened in the night by a man standing over her with a flashlight demanding to know her pin number for her bank card. She told him she didn't have one, that she didn't do that and he ran down her hallway and out the front door. When he went out her front door it set off her alarm and her security company called to see if she needed the police. Within about ten minutes the police arrived to help her. The robber had gotten in through a window and taken all of her valuable jewelry, credit cards, cash and who knows what else--and had only woken her to try to get a pin number. (Thank goodness she slept through the robbery or he might have hurt her. My friend is in her eighties.)

I was just sick as she was telling me this story. However, that wasn't the end of it. Yesterday, a nice looking man in a nice car with a badge pulled up and let her know he was from her the local office of her security company. He told her he understood she'd had a break-in and wanted to review her security system with her and make sure it was working properly and up-to-date. One of her neighbors came over when he saw the man at her house just to make sure she was OK and he stayed to do the walk through with them. Everything seemed alright--until this morning when my friend thought she'd better call the security company and make sure they had sent someone. So she called them and asked if they had sent someone from the local office to do a walk-through. Well, turns out--they don't have a local office and they don't do walk-throughs. So, not only had this person learned all about her security system--she'd even given him the code at some point to check the system.

What she doesn't know is whether this was the same thief or a new one. After all, the one who woke her up had a flashlight shining in her eyes so she couldn't see him. So, her family has come in and secured the windows, better secured her doors and she has changed the code on her security system. They also adjusted her driveway lighting so it stays on all night long. It doesn't go off until 6:00 in the morning now. The police are going to put a heavier patrol on the neighborhood for awhile, but even so I am still nervous for my friend.

My first real emotion when she told me what had happened (after shock and fear) was sheer gratitude that she wasn't hurt. When the gratitude shifted, it turned to anger--how dare someone target my sweet, loving, wonderful friend. I have never been good at handling innocent people being hurt--by innocent, I also mean someone who can't defend them self,, someone who is vulnerable.  I feel truly angry that someone--anyone would purposely take advantage of our elderly population.

My friend and I were talking and we figured that these guys pretty much have to have been watching the obituaries to see who the widows are--who is going to be home alone and vulnerable. She is not in a neighborhood that has had a lot of robberies before. She and her husband had never had anything like this happen before. Then all of the sudden within a week she has two incidents at her home--and they happen within a few weeks of her husband dying? I don't see how it can be a coincidence. I really think she was targeted and I'm afraid she will be again.

Part of me is writing about this because I need to get my frustration out--mostly, I'm telling you about it because I want people to know these types of things are occurring. I don't want them to happen to other people. If you have an elderly parent or friend who is in a situation like this, check on them often. Make sure their windows and doors are secured. Get them whatever type of security assistance you can and if you can arrange for someone to stay with them for some time after the loss of a spouse--do.

In the end, the only thing that really matters to me is that my friend is safe. I'm sorry she lost so much stuff but I know even she doesn't care so much about the stuff. It's just stuff even if it has a dollar value. I'm so grateful she wasn't hurt. I can still live, love and laugh with her--and I am going to make an even greater point to do so now.

DON'T GO -- THERE!

Today, I noticed a post on one of the social media sites from a friend of mine distressed that her 3 year old was having trouble potty training. It was the second time in a matter of days he'd done something frustrating. The first time she'd found her cell phone in a puddle of his urine. This morning, she'd given him a donut and some juice and a few minutes later found his donut urine soaked. It does make you want to laugh but I do feel for her.

I started to write a couple of suggestions for her--but then I thought better of it. I mean, this is her fourth child to potty train--and I am only on my second. I considered that and deleted what I had started writing. Jonathon is daytime potty trained but not night time yet. Instead, I just wrote a note letting her know I sympathized.

I was really glad I'd decided not to give any potty training advice a few minutes later when Carly yelled from the dining room and said, "Mommy, Jono just pottied on the wall and into the doggy dish!"

Holy Crap! Are you kidding me? He's never done anything like that before--- THAT I KNOW OF?! All of the sudden, I feel the need to check the entire house--and yet, I am afraid to.

Trust me though, there is a child in this house who has been threatened within an inch of his life that there is only one place in this house he'd better go from now on!

THE SWEETEST BLESSINGS

Tonight Rob and I were blessed to talk to one of our birth moms for almost an hour. We had a wonderful conversation with her. I am so grateful for the internal strength and love she, and our other birth mom, had that gave them the courage to choose another path for their children. It is hard for me to imagine making such an unselfish choice and sacrifice- and yet, I  am blessed to know personally two amazing women who did. Their ability to do so allowed me to have the have the complete experience of motherhood--raising children from birth. Without them, I would never have been able to experience this type of joy. I am so grateful to them for blessing me in this way.

I get lots of people telling me how much I am blessing my children's lives--but the truth is--they are blessing mine--as did their birth mom's before them. Rob and I pray every night that these women will be blessed for their amazingly selfless hearts. We know we have been given the sweetest blessings and truly want them to have the same in return.

IT'S ALL GOOD

Paybacks aren't always pretty. I seem to remember on more than one occasion hearing one or the other of my parents tell me I would probably have a child just like me. I won't go as far as to say they wished it on me but I won't rule it out either. :)

I had a tough day with one of my kids today. Keep in mind, they are only 3 and 5--but it was still hard. I don't like having to be stern or tough with them but they are at an age where the lessons are starting to count. I am grateful to have my parents here, not just for their wisdom, but to remind me that there once was a little girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead . . . or was that there once was a little girl who was a middle child--who was an absolute pill at times? Either way, it's good to hear (or remember) so I don't feel like I'm failing as a parent on days like these. No matter, this too shall pass and tomorrow is a new day!

The truth is kids come with personalities and sometimes we just have to figure things out together. We can't use one single approach at parenting to successfully raise every child. They are individuals and so are we. I'm learning to bend--and take deep breaths. Lots of them. In the end, it's all good because I love my kids more than life. 

PRAYERS FOR BOSTON

My thoughts and prayers are turned to all those who were affected in any way by this race tragedy today. It is so disheartening when someone takes something meant for good and disrupts it with an act of horror. There have been so many lives affected and still so many people in critical condition in the hospitals needing multiple surgeries if they survive. They need our prayers and faith. Let's give them our very best. Thanks for joining me. Take care. Nancy

MR POSTMAN, I NEED ME SOME SPRINGTIME AND THE WEATHERMAN CAN'T DELIVER!

The weather here (and probably where you are) has been tricky lately. It's especially tricky when you are 3 and 5 years old and wake up in the morning and see the beautiful sun shining and want to run outside and play! You certainly don't understand when Mommy tells you it's too cold outside! You absolutely, for certain don't believe her! That would be crazy since you can see for yourself that it is a beautiful day! Mommy is obviously CRAZY!!

So, as soon as she is looking the other way, you put on your shoes and socks (don't bother with clothes-pj's will do) and head out to the swing set!  Darn! Caught again! Gotta get my MAD ON!!!

Seriously, this has been a constant fight for the past week or so at my house! It has looked gorgeous outside and the temps have been in the thirties! I am sad to say it will continue for the next two or three days as we await another snowstorm in the MIDDLE OF APRIL! C'MON Mr. Weatherman, give us a break!!!

Seriously though, today after naps we had promised the kids they could go out and swing while it was still light . They had been begging us. It was around 35 degrees. It took me ten minutes to bundle them up in their snow clothes so they would be warm enough to be outside. They lasted less than 3 minutes before they were frozen. Gah! Will they remember that in the morning when they are begging again? Not a chance! So, just in case you are wondering--this is one of the many hundreds of thousands of reasons why a mother's work is never done! Lol!

DOES WALMART CARRY BRAINS? I MAY NEED ONE.

Rob and I were walking out of Walmart the other day when the cashier came running after us and asked us if the papers she had in her hand were something we'd dropped. It turned out they were some really important papers that had been in my purse. I was so glad she caught us! It might have been some time before I'd realized they were gone and wouldn't have known where to start backtracking.

Anyway, when she caught us I was in the middle of telling Rob how forgetful I'd been about stuff lately and how much it was bugging me. She handed me the papers and I went to put them in my purse and started checking my purse to see if I'd dropped anything else. Then, I realized my wallet wasn't in there either. I stopped in my tracks and said, "Rob, my wallet isn't here. I've lost my wallet, too. We have to go back!" I guess I started to get a little over excited (as I think anyone might do when their wallet disappears) because Rob started talking to me in his really calming, paternal voice--right before he took ahold of my left arm and pulled it up in front of my face to show me my wallet was in my hand. Oh my goodness! How embarrassing! S-O-M-E-O-N-E M-A-K-E I-T S-T-O-P!!!

Tell me there is an end to Mental Pause or whatever is going on in/with my brain--or not going on with it--as the case may be! I won't even mention all the other dumb stunts I've pulled recently because then I would have to kill you. Let me just say--they are the kind of things that are fun for others to laugh at and not so much fun for me. Gah! OK, I admit it--I did laugh a little at this one after I got over my relief that my wallet was found. Hee, hee! Yay-- My wallet was found! Lol!  OK, Night all.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE MAMA

Jono is not a really big eater and we are constantly having to plead, beg, cajole and bribe him to eat anything that is not made of sugar. One of our most successful ways is to tell him he needs to eat such and such if he wants to be big and strong. It doesn't always work but it has gotten an occasional meal down his throat.

Last night, he had about two inches of a sandwich that was actually leftover from lunch and it was all I was trying to get him to eat at dinner. He had turned down spaghetti and a really great chicken salad. So, I was just trying to get this sandwich down him and he had only taken a teeny-weeny bite and told me he was full. There was no way I was going to let that happen. I kept at him but he just kept playing around and picking at his food.

Soon Carly had finished her spaghetti and wanted to be excused so, of course, he wanted to be excused too. I tried and tried to get him to eat but he wouldn't. Finally, Rob told him he could leave the table but he needed to understand he wasn't going to get any other food tonight until he ate the sandwich. (Usually, after dinner, they decide they want snacks--and Grandma and Grandpa's place is just downstairs and they are easy marks for snacks, i.e. candy, gum, cookies, chips, etc.) Grandma came up the stairs about that time and we told her he couldn't have anything if he came down. It upset him that we told Grandma not to give him any snacks, so I think he thought he'd be able to get around our rule. He stayed at the table for a few minutes and gave it some serious thought, but then decided to be done anyway and left his sandwich at the table.

I was cleaning up and doing dishes about a half hour later when Carly came and asked if I would make some cookies. I told her not tonight. She really wanted something sweet and I remembered we had some M&M's so I told her she could have a few of those. Jono heard and, of course wanted some, too. I reminded him of his sandwich. He was not happy--but after a bit of a tussle went over to the table and sat down to eat it--or so I thought. A couple of minutes later he brought me his plate and his sandwich with a big Cheshire grin on his face and wanted me to throw the sandwich away. Somehow, his little ham sandwich had found it's way in and out of Carly's glass of Raspberry Lemonade and was a pink, soggy mess. He was pretty proud of himself and seemed to think this would be the end of his ham sandwich and the start of him getting some M&M's. Oh how this cute little boy underestimated his Mama.

I will tell you that a soggy subway roll, mayonnaise, sliced ham and raspberry lemonade all mushed together does not look very appetizing. I cannot tell you how it tastes. Jonathon will have to tell you that. I let him eat it slowly and I did give him a choice. I told him he could go to bed or he eat it and still have his M&M's. (I didn't say it was a great choice! lol!) Although, he did choose to eat it. He had to re-think it after every bite--I think he was trying to decide if those M&M's were really worth it or not. Ha! It was only about 5 or 6 small bites and he only gagged once. Somehow, I think this cured him of his desire to be creative with his food. I don't think he will make this concoction again, at least not in the near future. Nor do I think he will try to outwit me--at least for awhile. OK, I can at least hope, right?! :)

OUCH, LITTLE BUDDY!

So, this morning I was about to get on the scales and Jono jumped on before me.

Jono: "How much does it says, Mama?"
Me: "30.8"
Jono: "Does that mean I am getting BIG AND STRONG?!"
Me: "Yes, you are getting so big and strong!"

Now it is my turn and I get on the scales to check my progress. I look down to see my weight as does my little shadow Jono. I can see my weight but even before it even registers in my brain it apparently registers in Jono's because he loudly announces "Mama, you are SO BIG AND STRONG!" Ouch! Lol!

TROUBLE IS MY MIDDLE NAME . . .

Or is it my first name? It's hard to remember some days! Lol! Today has been exhausting. I don't know what wore me out more--my five miles on the treadmill or the playdate I let the kids have. Let's see 2 four year olds and a five year old for over three hours vs. five miles on the treadmill--hmmm, yah, that's hardly a contest, is it? Lol!

Actually, playdates aren't usually that bad when they can play outside but it was still pretty chilly here today so I kept them inside. That was probably my first mistake. I should have thrown coats on them and sent them outside. They would have been much happier. I am just so careful with Jonathon. We have almost made it through the Winter and early Spring incident free and I really don't want him to end up in the hospital here at the very end!

Dad and I were discussing the decibel level yesterday after their playdate with another neighbor girl. It can get loud enough with two of them some days but add a third in the mix and wow! And really, it's not too bad until someone gets unhappy or overly anxious about something. Then it's trouble! And when you have a three and five year old - it seems like someone is ALWAYS unhappy or overly anxious -- so trouble is my . . . Well, you get the gist. :)

Make it a great day!

WHO TURNED WINTER BACK ON??!

One of our neighbors who is on the CERT team (Civil Emergency Response Training = or something like that) called last night to warn us that we were going to have winds up to 75 mph overnight and to be sure to tie down anything loose in the yard or put it away. He also suggested we not put out the trash cans for the trash man until this morning so they wouldn't be flying all over the neighborhood. It was a good thing he called because I hadn't watched the news and hadn't heard anything about the weather change.

I didn't ever hear any wind through the night but when I opened the door this morning to go put the trash out I got the surprise of my life. It was 28 degrees. I was stunned. It's been in the mid to upper 60's here for quite some time. Unbelievable. Later in the day, the sun came out and it looked really nice out, so Jono asked me if he could go play. I opened the door to check and nearly froze. So I glanced at the temperature--it was 38 degrees. Wow. What a drastic change. My tulips were just budding. This dumb freeze better not have killed them or I'm going to be very, very unhappy!

Rob came home tonight. He had driven to Wyoming today and told me the roads were nasty. He had run into snow, ice and 16 degree weather. Is it or is it not nearly the middle of APRIL? Where is Al Gore -- somebody get him and find out what happened to global warming, would you because this is messed up?! :)

NO SISSY HERE

I had one of those "feel sorry for myself" days today--at least for most of the day. My friend Jane calls them "No skin" days--referring to days when you feel completely vulnerable to the world. It took me years to get my weight down and under control--and now that I'm over the proverbial hill, my metabolism has changed and I am having to fight so hard to keep my weight in check. It has thrown me a curve I wasn't expecting and it is frustrating the life out of me--to the point that it's gotten downright depressing.

My solution to being tempted by the remaining leftover Easter candy and dessert in the house this morning was to eat it -- so it would be gone! OK, I did share it with the kids--but you know in hindsight, it really wasn't the best plan for someone trying to keep their weight in check. It's funny how I couldn't see that when those goodies were sitting right in front of me screaming "EAT ME NOW!!!" And yet as soon as they slid down my throat they starts to say "Wow, we can't believe you did that. We're gonna put 5 lbs on you--right smack on your hips!! No Mercy!" Their tone was much more sinister after I ate them than before! People, let me warn you right now--YOU CANNOT TRUST GOODIES THAT CALL TO YOU! JUST SAY NO!!

OK, back to my serious side. Thank goodness for my hubby who loves me no matter how many pounds I fluctuate or how many candies or baked goods I talk or listen to. Lol! He came home from work just in time to catch me in a real funk. I told him what was wrong and we talked it through. Mostly, he told me how much he loved me and that it didn't matter to him how much I weigh. (You gotta love a man like that!) Which only makes me more determined to be my best for him. I surrendered the cookie jar (just kidding) and got on the treadmill and did my five miles and a few other exercises. That was enough to kick in my endorphins and get me back to where I need to be. This may be a struggle but it is one I am going to win. Old age may not be for sissies, but then I ain't never been no sissy!

 

GENERAL CONFERENCE SUNDAY

It's been a pleasant Sunday. We listened to Conference today and it was so good. Then, having found out that the train does not run on Sunday--we took a drive to Provo to return Julie to school. Lol! It never occurred to any of us that the train might not run on Sunday--but it makes sense. Not much is open around here so why would the train run. We packed some sandwiches and chips and took a nice, Sunday drive. The kids are always sad when Julie has to go home but at least they got to help take her there this time.

We stopped at Aunt Susan's to drop something off for Grandma and Grandpa before we came back and we also stopped to see our friend Venice, who was recently widowed. Venice has been a part of my life an heart for nearly thirty years. She is one of the neatest people I know and I have loved her from the moment I met her. She is truly one of my dearest friends.

It was good to see her and find that she is doing fairly well. I have been worrying about her and hoping she wasn't feeling too alone. She and her husband had been married for more than sixty years. That is a long time to be with someone to just suddenly have them gone from your life. She was glad to see us -- and the kids. They gave her hugs and kisses and I hear that cheers up all Grandma's!

Here are a couple of pictures we took while we were there.

Venice, Jonathon, Nancy and Carly

Venice and Nancy

OUR LOVELY SATURDAY

I woke up early this morning so I could get my hour in on the treadmill before the kids got up. No such luck. Carly was already awake in her room. That meant the "Mommy" interruptions would make my hour treadmill more like two and a half--literally. It really is one thing after another. I don't even know if the hour actually counts when it takes you two and a half hours to get it done. Gah! It never fails, though. As soon as I start the treadmill back up it's "Mommy can you . . . ? Fill in the blank--it's all been requested. Lol! I have to force myself to get up earlier! I just have to!

When I finally finished the treadmill I came upstairs and finished watching morning Conference with the rest of the family. Then we did some things around the house and watched the rest of Saturday Conference. After that was over Julie and I went on a Mommy/Daughter date. I took her to do some shopping and then we went out to eat. It was nice with it just being the two of us. Rob watched the kids so we could have some Mommy/Daughter time. We also visited a friend of ours in our neighborhood who was recently widowed and stayed and talked with her for a bit. Julie and I had a good time together and hopefully cheered our friend up a little, too.

Grandma and Grandpa are doing well. Grandpa is busy trying to work out the nation's problems. I'm not exactly sure how but I think he's got some pretty good ideas and he's trying to get someone in DC to listen. That could be quite a feat considering they aren't even listening to each other! Although, if anyone can get their attention, he can!

Julie has to go back to school tomorrow. The little ones are already sad about it. They love having her around and don't quite understand when she has to leave them. Carly is getting somewhat better with it but Jono still gets heartbroken every time she leaves. Poor little guy.

Julie only has 2 weeks of classes left and then a week of finals. She is trying to figure out what she is doing for Spring/Summer semesters. She will most likely stay and work over that time. Hopefully, she will know soon.

Well, it's way past bedtime here. Guess I'd better get myself some shut-eye. ;)

READY FOR THE WEEKEND!

So ready for a great weekend. Unfortunately, I spent most of the day in bed with a migraine. However, late in the day I did get a hold on it. Also, late in the day our daughter Julie came home for the weekend. I don't mind saying that helped a lot. I love having her home and it doesn't happen very often. The kids were so happy to see her, too. We also had a visit from one of our nieces, her boyfriend and some of her college roomies. Needless to say, we had a house-full tonight. It was kind of nice, though.

Well, off to bed. Not much else going on. Night all.

HAPPY FRIDAY - THE WEEKEND IS HERE!

I got up very early this morning with Rob. He had an early breakfast meeting for work so I decided I would get up with him and exercise early and have a good start to my day. I did five miles on the treadmill and then  spent another twenty minutes exercising the random flabby parts of my body. This getting old crud is nuts!

When Rob got home we got things ready for Megan's party. We had some family and friends over for pizza, cake and ice cream. It was a fun evening. Grandpa even came upstairs. That's always a good thing.

I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday. I am ready for a weekend. The great thing about this weekend is that Julie is coming home for a visit! Yay! She will be home tomorrow night until Sunday afternoon. The kids are going to be so excited. So is Mommy! Plus, it's Conference weekend. That's our church Conference, held every six months where General Authorities speak. We don't go to our chapels but can go to SLC to the Conference Center or watch at home on TV. It's a great time to be spiritually fed. So, I am looking forward to a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday - the Weekend is here! Make it a great one!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

I actually got up early this morning to do my workout! As much as I hate getting up early in the morning, I must admit I do feel better when I get my workout over with early in the day. There is something about having it behind me that just makes my day better. Rob has an early morning tomorrow so I am going to try really hard to make it two days in a row. Cross my fingers!

I had company most of the day today. We have some friends here from out of town and they were over today doing some laundry and hanging out. I fixed lunch and we just chatted. Tonight they took us to dinner. We went to an Asian buffet and it was pretty good. Rob and I tend to judge Chinese/Asian places by their Hot and Sour soup. So, if I were going to judge based on theirs I would give it an 85 out of 100. Like I said, pretty good! I have found a few recipes for Hot and Sour over the years but never one that was any good. Therefore I am stuck finding great restaurants that make really great Hot and Sour soup. Please feel free to tell me about any you know--anywhere!

Megan, our second daughter, turns 26 tomorrow (Thursday). It doesn't seem like she can really be that age but sure enough she is! Time flies--boy does it ever! Happy Birthday Megs! Hope you have a wonderful day! I love you!

IT'S KINDA SORTA SPRING LIKE

The day dawned kind of dreary and stayed that way for a good part of the day. In the late part of the afternoon the sun came out and started to warm things up a bit. Grandma and Grandpa got out to run some errands and grab a bite to eat. It ended up being a nice day to get out if you waited for the sun to show up.
I did the same thing my parents did. When Rob came home, we decided to go and grab a salad for dinner. It had gotten really nice by that time.

Mom told me this morning when she went to the mailbox that the daffodils were getting ready to bloom and some of the hyacinths were getting there as well. I noticed them tonight as we were coming back in and sure enough they should be blooming any day now. I have scads of tulips making their way through the earth. They are mostly leaves and stems at this point but the buds are beginning. I can't wait until they blossom. I adore tulips. They really are my favorite.

Spring is definitely upon us and my kids are so ready for it. They love being outdoors and Jonathon especially has been cooped up for way too long. He gets up every morning and just wants to run outside and swing. I'm hoping it will be warm enough in the morning for him to do so. He was so disappointed today when it was too cold.

Well, not much going on here tonight. More later. N.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY GO AWAY

I am very thankful that no one tried to pull an April Fool's joke on me today. I just would not have enjoyed it. I guess I am getting too old for that kind of thing. At least it feels that way. I read about lots of jokes being played on people and I was just glad it wasn't me. Maybe my sense of humor is the first casualty of age. I sure hope not--or maybe the jokes just weren't funny this year. That's probably it.

I really haven't felt very good today. I think I over did it on the weekend, plus, our weather changed. We got a big thunderstorm in and the temps dropped about 15 degrees. That probably didn't help, either.

Well, not much really went on here today. The kids couldn't even play outside because of the storm. Although, they were very vocal about their dislike for thunder and lightning! Lol!

THE REAL MEANING OF EASTER

It's important to me that my kids understand the real meaning of Easter but I don't want to take away the fun of the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts like some parents do in order to accomplish it. I knew I would have to work hard at teaching them about the atonement, crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ--even at their young age (in ways they could absorb) if I was going to make a dent in their understanding. So, several different times in the last couple of weeks we talked about why we have Easter. Each time, I explained that the Easter Bunny, Easter Egg hunts and getting candy are just things we do for fun to celebrate the holiday, but there is a much more meaningful side to Easter. Then we would talk about our Savior and what he did for us and how important it is in our lives. We even talked about it Saturday night before we went to sleep, and then this (Sunday) morning before we went to church we showed Carly and Jono a short movie on Christ's death and resurrection so they could not just hear but see what we had been talking about. Then we went to church and they had a Sunday School lesson about it as well.

So, when we came home from church I asked Carly what Easter was all about. She said, "I don't know."
I said, "Yes you do." Silence.
Me: "Carly, what is Easter about?"
Carly: "I don't know."
Me: "We have been talking about it for a couple of weeks. I know you know. Didn't you just learn about it in class?"
Carly: (Shoulder Shrug)
Me: "Well, you can't have any candy until you can tell me the true meaning of Easter." (I know, I am a mean Mom.)
Carly: "JESUS."
 Me: "Jesus what?"
Carly: "Jesus was in a tube for 3 weeks and then he came alive again"
Me: "Close enough. Get your candy."

Don't worry--I did make sure she understood it wasn't a "Tube" and that He wasn't in there for 3 weeks. But I knew she wasn't going to really pay attention until she had her candy! Lol! One thing is for certain--Art Linkletter was right; kids say the darndest things!

Here are some pics of my cute munchkins in their Easter outfits:

Good Morning! Happy Easter!

Carly and Jono

Carly and Jonathon in their best Easter outfits

After Sunday School with their friend Ellie