Funnies

My Little Imp

I just have to record some funnies from Roy:

1)When Roy goes to time-out, he screams like a school girl and slams the door over and over again. Nothing I have tried has worked in getting him to stop this, so today as he was screaming and slamming, I was at the end of my rope and said, "Roy if you slam the door one more time your going to get a spanking."

He stopped slamming, put his mouth at the crack at the bottom of the door and sobbing said, "mom, that's not nice. Jesus doesn't like it when you say that."

He's right, Jesus doesn't like that. Please help me Jesus, to find something that works!

2)Roy asked me if we have a hole from our mouth to our bum. I said we kinda did and gave him the long explanation. He listened intently, which he hardly ever does, then exclaimed, "AWESOME!"

Boys and farts and poop and burps. They love to talk about them. We have poop conversations several times a week, and Roy says that boys fart and girls toot.

Pain

For the past few years I have had weird things going on with my body. It all started when Calvin was a baby. I had numb, tingly spots on my back. They kinda felt hyper sensitive, like I could feel everything touching them, and it hurt. I went to a doctor in Provo, and he wanted to get an MRI done. He mentioned it could be Multiple Sclerosis. I was scared, but didn't think I would ever have anything like that. We didn't have any insurance, and really couldn't afford an MRI, so I just pretended that the numbness was normal.

Fast forward to a couple years ago. My feet and hands started going numb and I still had the numb spots on my back. I started really feeling the need to get the MRI done, but again, we were at a job with no health insurance.

Last year we finally had health insurance, and the numbness had progressed to weird electrical feelings in my legs. Plus, I would feel a lot of pain in my legs sometimes too. My bones just really ached. I finally decided to get the MRI. Nothing was there. They said I had arthritis in my neck, and maybe it was Fibromyalgia. I was happy, but frustrated at the same time. I felt like maybe I was making it all up, and it seemed that people thought I was too.

All last summer the pain increased into my abdomen, back, and joints. I just ached, especially by the end of the day. I had constant pain in my kidney area. I went to a doctor who told me I was just dehydrated. I didn't believe him, but I drank tons of water for 3 months and the pain was still there constantly.

I went to another doctor, and she scheduled an abdominal ultrasound. Nothing. I don't want anything to be wrong with me, but my pain is real. I feel like no one thinks it is valid unless there is a diagnosis stuck to my pain, and a mass growing in me somewhere.

So after an MRI, ultrasound, and numerous blood tests, I decided to empower myself and take matters into my own hands. I have been a vegetarian for 8 years. Some of the time I have eaten extremely healthy. Other times I was a potato chip vegetarian. I really didn't pay attention to vitamins, minerals, etc. I know person can abstain from meat and still be healthy, I just wasn't doing a good job of it. I discovered that I was probably deficient in several vitamins. I found out that many of our foods are depleted because our soils are depleted. I also found that we need tons more vitamins than the FDA recommends. Doctors scare us that we can overdose on vitamins, but the truth is that the drugs they prescribe are far more scary than vitamins. I also found that the vitamins I am most likely to be deficient in show the exact symptoms I have been feeling.

For the past week I have been mega dosing on vitamins. I am a girl who hates swallowing pills! But I have been taking 15 pills a day, and guess what? I feel good. Most days I can't feel the pain. It still comes back, and it took a few days to notice a difference, but I feel markedly better!

While I know this isn't a good long-term plan, it is helping more than anything else has. I am making a more conscience effort in planning the food we eat. If I am having these symptoms it makes me worried for my children. It took me 8 years to build up to this, so I am sure it will take a while for my body to get all the nutrients it needs back.

I think vegetarianism is a good thing. I don't think I will be eating meat anytime soon, but I do think we need to be more aware of our food and how nutritious it really is. I think many symptoms people have are related to the food they eat, but they just don't realize it. Doctors don't get much training in nutrition, and when they do blood work, they rarely check vitamin and mineral content.

Food for thought.

xo
~Sarah

OCD

Ok, so I'm talking about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. No, I haven't been diagnosed, but I have this theory that it's human nature to be obsessive about things. Some people are obsessed about their looks, while others may be obsessed about germs. I know it is extreme for some people and it really is a hard thing for them, but I do think that obsessing is part of our "natural man".

I was thinking about my obsession this morning as I was folding laundry. I am OCD about laundry. When I wash, I have to wash everything. I will scour the house, looking under beds, in the car. Every towel that is out, even the kids shoes are not safe. I have to do my laundry all in one day because I have to have it all done at once. And if I don't get it done that day I restart the whole routine the next morning to get everything again.

Now let's talk about folding. Everything must be folded just right. Corners lined up, and the hem of shirts must not be folded up. And the kids have to put their laundry away NICELY so as not to mess up my work of art!

I love everything about laundry: the smell, the whir of the washer, and the feel of warm clothes fresh out of the dryer. I love clean sheets. I love to do laundry!

I realize I probably sound like a nut job right now, but my point is that we all have SOMETHING we obsess over. I wanna know what yours is! Spill it!

My sister's name is Teala, and her husband calls her O-C-Deala. She is obsessive about vacuuming. She loves the lines the vacuum makes in her carpet. You can be in the middle of a conversation with someone and the next thing you know, she has the vacuum running between you. The time of day doesn't matter either. The woman LOVES to vacuum.

I think obsessing is our way of controlling something in our lives. And I don't think people who are obsessive about things hold other people to their expectations. I don't think other people should fold laundry like I do, and my sister could care less if I have vacuum lines in my carpet. Humans are weird creatures. We're a bunch of animals!

My New Journal

Okay, so I'm going to start this blog thing again, but I think I'm going to be journaling more than anything. I don't want to forget any of the fun and cute things the kids do and say.

We decided not to do a Christmas tree this year. I know it sounds sad, but it's actually going to be a good thing. Our cute fake tree is in storage, and I don't want Chris to have to rummage through everything for it. Plus, the trailer is small, and we really can't fit all 6 of us in there, let alone a tree!

Here is the good news. I had this wonderful idea to make a Christmas tree so kids aren't completely without something. We are making a tree out of our hand prints. Every time we think of something good or something someone did for us or something we are thankful for, we trace our hand on green paper, cut it out, then write our good thing on it. Then we curl the fingers, and put the handprint upside down on a big sheet of white paper taped to the wall. We'll slowly shape it like a tree as we work our way up. The goal is to have a full tree by Christmas. I'll take a picture and show later. I was feeling pretty bad about not having a tree for the kids, but Anden said, "this is going to be the best Christmas ever because of this tree!"

Then, of course our stockings are packed away, so me and the kids brainstormed what we could use instead. Socks? No, not big enough. Hmmm...they finally decided on their snow boots. Pretty ingenious, huh?

I actually really like struggling through this year. I am learning so much and so are the kids. We are getting pretty good at improvising, and we'll always remember the Christmas in the trailer.

xo
Sarah

Happy Summer, Sad Fall

We have had such an amazingly happy, busy, eventful, and short summer.  I can't believe it is almost over for us.  Chris starts work again next week.  He is going up by himself, and we are going to miss him like crazy.  We don't have a house yet.  In 3-4 weeks we may have some very good news on that front.

The kiddos and I are staying in Glendale, and I am going to put on my happy face and be a single parent for a while.  I am scared, but Chris is so unhappy about the situation that I have to be the brave one.  Hopefully by Christmas or Spring we will all be together again.

We just got back from Meagan (Chris' sister) and Michael's wedding.  It was so beautiful and fun.  Montana is gorgeous!  After the wedding we spent a few days in Yellowstone.  We hiked until we couldn't hike anymore, and saw soooo much wildlife, including 2 bears.

I had one of the most spiritual experiences ever on one of the hikes we went on.  There is a hike that goes to the brink of the Lower Falls in the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone".  It is quite a steep hike down to the very top of an enormous waterfall.  At the very top of the falls the water is eerily calm, and then suddenly, whoosh, falls over the edge in a massive explosion.  The water sprayed so far up on the cliffs below that it created small streams flowing back into the river.  So many little things went into this one whole beautiful creation.  I thought of our Heavenly Father.  I marveled at the many beautiful things we have to enjoy here.  The wonder and amazement that our Father created all this for us...all us sinners and imperfect humans, constantly making mistakes, yet he wants us to have beauty and joy.  Words cannot express the joy, wonder, excitement, and happiness I felt in this miracle called a waterfall!

I love nature.  I think that is one of the reasons I love riding my bike so much.  On the bike I see things so much more intimately than in a car or even running.

I have had spiritual experiences like this before and I cherish them.  It is exactly what I needed at this time in my life.  I have had prayers  that I have felt have not been answered of my Father.  In a way I felt like I deserved certain things, but I didn't realize this until recently.  I felt like they were "righteous desires" and He should bless me with them. When I didn't get what I wanted I was devastated.  I felt abandoned, and overwhelmed with sadness.  I really want to be content with where I am here, now, and at this moment.  This is a struggle for me, but I think finding the things I am thankful for and realizing that I am blessed and I have so much is the key.

Camping Fun

We are camping! Chris needed to come back up to Rangely to work yesterday, so we all decided to tag along. Rangely has a cute little camp park with a pond and lots of shade. Summer had definitely set in, so it was sure to be a warm weekend.

Well, it ISN'T! First off, we started the 6 hour trek way late, plus we had to stop at the store for some food. By the time we got to the Loma exit off I-70 it was starting to get dark, and we still had a hour and half left to get to Rangely. So, we decided to stop at Hyline State Park and camp there for the night. We barely got the tent set up before dark, and all the kids slept in the clothes they wore that day.

The next morning Chris had to be in Rangely by 9:30am, so we had a early start. We packed right up (kiddos still in their same clothes), and headed out. Chris got there 10 minutes late, but, whew, we made it!

I went to the campground and got the tent set up with the help of Braxton and Calvin with only a little breeze. It was a gorgeous day! All day the kids played, fished, and got dirty. By night time the wind really started to pick up, but we still roasted marshmallows and hot dogs.

At bedtime, the wind was howling and the rain started coming. I prayed for the Lord to temper the storm and not let our tent fall down. Well, our tent didn't fall, but it sure was COLD. The rain never seeped in though.

It is still raining, and we are trying to figure out what we will do today. Right now we are at Chris' office playing (thank goodness he has a Bionicles collection). I just hope and pray our Target tent will keep the rain out tonight!

Lots O' Stuff

It's been way too long since I've posted.  We are alive and kicking.  Chris survived his first year here at CNCC.  We decided to move away for the summer and just travel and have fun.  We are planning on moving back here in the fall, but at the beginning of June we'll hit the road for some fun.  Some of the things we have planned are:

• Hike Timp caves
• Go to 7 peaks
• See Meagan and Michael get married in Montana
• Yellowstone, Jackson, and the Tetons
• Hike Angels Landing
• Camp, camp, camp
• Family reunions
• Triathlons
• Bryce Canyon
• Grand Canyon
• and anything else we want to do

On another note, Braxton got his Arrow of Light award last week.  He also earned all 20 of the activity badges in Webelos.  It is the 1st time his scout leader has ever seen this happen.  I am so proud of him.

Calvin just finished up the wrestling season, and tore it up!  He competed in 3 tournaments and got 3rd, 1st, and 2nd places.  That kid is a gifted athlete...straight from his dad, not me.

There is so much for I'd like to write about, but I don't even know where to start.  I love you all, and miss you so much!