Crazy & overwhelmed

Mike & I were just talking about how overwhelmed we feel right now. I'm not sure how to explain it...Mike says he just feels like everything is going to explode! There is no real big issue or reason for this feeling. Maybe it just means we need a vacation! Right now we are worried about Brandon. I took him to KidCare on Saturday because he kept digging in his left ear and crying. Ear infection...of course. But, this is our first since his tubes were put in last April. He also had huge tonsils, so on the antibiotics we go. Well, today his ear is just oozing puss out of it. Fun, eh? Then, this afternoon while I was teaching lessons, he starts just screaming and digging in the right ear! So, I forced motrin in him to relieve the pain and to get us through lessons. Then, I notice his left ear (the one we diagnosed on Saturday) was oozing green gunk! Sooo bad. Back to KidCare with the girls in tow. Two hours later we have treated him with the antibiotic shot...that I have repeat for the next 2 days! Oh, I just hate when the kids are hurting! We're hoping this shot works or we'll be back at our E.N.T.

Friday night we went to Mike's Dad's retirement party at the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg. It was supposed to be ICS's Christmas Party (yes, in January), but they turned it into a Retirement Roast for Jim. They asked Mike to roast his Dad and he did a great job! Before Mike was up, four of the former owners got up and did their speeches and were a little (ok, a lot) dry. Mike got up there and woke us back up and was really funny! One huge joke is that Jim has a cell phone, but never turns it on. Mike asked the room if anyone had ever reached his dad on his cell and only one person out of about 100 people had! So, Mike gave him a play cell phone and said it will work about as well as the one he has now! After Mike, the new president, Tony, did his 'roast' which included giving Jim this pimp daddy coat for his new 'night job'. The best part was when Jim was saying his 'good-bye' and talking about Heavenly Father while wearing the pimp coat! It was a fun night and we are grateful that the new owners of ICS were so kind to invite us. They even flew Mike's brothers (and families) who live back east in for the occasion. We walked into the dinner while Jim was speaking and he was so surprised and touched that he couldn't speak! Fun to be a part of and good food, too!


The next day we were really wanting to spend some time with the brothers before they headed back home. Sad, but the only time we could get together was for breakfast! We never knew it, but one of our fave restaurants, Market Street (downtown) is open for breakfast! We lucked out because it was also Crab Fest and we had the most delicious crab omelets and crab cakes! Yummy, fresh squeezed oj, too. But, breakfast wasn't complete until Mike and Steven 'spilled' water on each other on an unfortunate spot on each others pants! We really miss these guys and it was so much fun to be able to spend a little time with them. It may be awhile before we see Steve & Hill or Doug & Cath because both families are having babies in the next few months. Our cute girls hamming it up!

Our girls have been in a singing/performing group and have been working on 'The Wizard of Oz'. Amanda was a munchkin-part of the lollipop guild, and Sydney was a munchkin-part of the lullaby league. They were both castle guards..the ooooeeeeeooo people, and part of the ensemble in the Emerald City. They were so cute! They gave one performance at a stake center on Saturday, and another Monday night at the Egyptian Theatre in Ogden. This is the same place that my Grandma Wanda Gibson worked as a teenager! It made the night a little more special because of that. The professional lighting people were running the show and it really was awesome! Grandma & Grandpa Arv came up and a few friends came to see the show. After we got some 'eats' at TGI Fridays and the kids were wired! Late night, but really fun to celebrate their hard work.

Sydney right in the middle!

Amanda in the hat and black shirt, front row!



Girls in the Egyptian Theatre with Brandon and Sydney's friend, Abi O.

Now, tomorrow night I am having a piano recital! I have 22 students performing and I'm hoping all goes well. It's a little stressful for me! I'm still needing a treat to give the students for participating and their hard work and can't think of anything to give them. I guess Brandon and I will just have to cruise around a store tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Swimming? And my (long) thoughts on the day....

Oh, no pictures to accompany this crazy act, but we went swimming tonight! It's freezing here and so, of course, the first thought is to go swimming! We got invited by some friends here in the neighborhood to head to the Clearfield Aquatic Center tonight. They have water toys, shallow area for toddlers, and a big slide. It is quite fun. Murray had a rec center that was very similiar that we used to frequent quite a bit. They just had one weird rule that sent Amanda crying and wanting to go home. She was going on the big slide and a lifeguard yelled at her when she was climbing the stairs. So, she went to the bottom and had to wait until the person, clear at the top of the stairs, went down the slide before she could ascend the stairs at all. I'm sure there must have been some incident that caused this interesting rule, but for an 8 year old to be yelled at was a little harsh. She came over to me crying and told me she was done swimming. Poor thing. Anyway, after we were all dressed and my girls had dried their hair under the automatic hand dryers, we all (Orisons, Karras', Kennedy's, Lloyd's and Anderson's) went to Crown Burger for some grub! It was a fun night. A little crazy with all the little ones, but a good break to the mundane routine of a cold January!

I also had the opportunity to listen to Sister Sheri Dew at a conference put on by our Stake. She is an amazing person and wonderful speaker. She tells great stories that makes you realize that even with all her success, she has normal experiences like the rest of us. She made about 5 points in her talk. First, that improbable or impossible things can and do happen, speaking about instances in life, but also of the First Vision. Second, that we all carry with us what we need to return to our Heavenly Father: the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and our temple ordinances. Third, we are a pivotal generation. This topic reassured me of many things including that our Father has saved these generations to bring forth the gospel throughout the earth and prepare the way for Jesus to come again and also, that we will withstand the powers of Satan and all the evil in the world. Fourth, that little things can stop progress. A good reminder that maybe we aren't progressing because the "little" sins are stopping us. We are pretty good at the big things; go to church, attend the temple, FHE, etc., but when it comes to back-biting for instance, this can stall us although we are doing other things well. Fifth, nothing can stop the power for good women are in the world. I could elaborate on these forever and give quite the sermon, but that's for another time. I really just wanted to write these points down for my own use and so I don't forget. Oh, I did forget one.....to listen to our leaders more than we listen to Oprah!

Last night we went out with our good friends, Kerry & Makell Westenskow. The boys had been working out after work and decided to grab the families and get some food. We really enjoy these guys and are grateful for their friendship. Now, the bad part comes last night around 12:30am. I had a horrible gall bladder attack! My first horrible attack was when I was pregnant with Brandon. I thought I was dying and didn't take anything to eleviate the pain because I was pregnant. When I told my OB about it, he said just take Mylanta next time. First, I thought he was crazy, but it did work for the rest of my pregnancy. Interesting side note: I also had gestational diabetes with Brandon and the dieticians I saw for that told me that most gals who get this during pregnancy have gall bladder problems also during pregnancy. Ok, back to last night. Well, I have had small attacks that I have been able to control with magic Mylanta, but last night it did not work at all! I took a couple of doses and would go back to bed and be up again in 10 minutes. So, I took some ibuprofen and slept in the recliner until the pain subsided. For those who haven't had this experience, it isn't a heartburn pain, but a stabbing, constant pain in your upper back. At least that's where mine is....I woke up again around 6:30am and had to take more ibuprofen. I'm thinking that I need to get to an internist so they can start documenting the attacks in case I need it out. It's a hereditary thing in my family. Mom, Dad, younger brother all have had theirs out. I'm thinking that the wonderfully yummy fried zuchinni we had last night was the culprit! It's not fun to get old!

NOT a cute moment

It's been one of 'those' days where you just don't get much done, have a house full of kids (some mine, some not) and a to-do list a mile long that stayed that way today. It started out with our new puppy deciding that our comforter was a great place to tinkle this morning! NOT CUTE! I don't have a washer big enough to wash the comforter, so it's at the cleaners until Wednesday night! With the temperature forcasted to be about ZERO tonight....I'm already cold. Then, as I was taking one of Sydney's friends home this afternoon, I took the dog in the car with me. All of a sudden, my lap got warm. UGH! The dog tinkled on my lap! NOT CUTE! I'm just hoping that someday this potty training thing will click with him and we can enjoy him more...because right now, I'm so not thinking he's cute! Oh well...it could always be worse, right?

I LOVE my husband!

Can I just tell you how much I love my hubby!?!? Mike came home sick on Monday after work. He had the yucky stomach flu and it wiped him out! So, all day Tuesday he was in bed. He never takes a sick day and so I knew he was pretty bad off. I felt so bad for him, but didn't get a chance to baby him much, except for getting him a new movie and some chicken noodle soup. When he started to feel better last night, he told me that I was the best wife. I said, "You just say that because you are sick." But he was so sweet and said, "No, I mean you really are the best wife. I have been watching you today and realized that you have a lot going on!" Talk about a morale boost! It just came at the right time... after a busy day to get a little pat on the back. When you are a stay-at-home mom, you aren't getting a ton of those each day. Mostly you get demands from the children. It's a good reminder to make sure I tell him how much I appreciate him going out into the work jungle and slaying dragons for us each day! I love you, Mikey!

Now, on another winter illness note: Sydney decided not to go to preschool or ballet today because she had a tickle in her throat. I'm erring on the side of caution in case she is getting what Mike had and let her stay home. Her preschool teacher called me and told me that she just found out that a little boy in their class has hand-foot-mouth disease and was at school yesterday! Yikes! So, we are on the look-out and praying she doesn't get it. As a precaution, she is not to touch, kiss, share anything or look at her baby brother!


Now, one more thing! My cute little, Amanda, shown here with her new haircut (she donated her long, beautiful hair to Locks of Love) just got all A's on her report card! She gets basically no help from home (bad Mom) and is doing great. We are so proud of her. After talking to her teacher yesterday at SEP (or Parent/Teacher conference for old schoolers like me), I found out that she is a huge help to the teacher because Amanda is sitting next to a boy who can't read (and whose parents are in denial about it...I guess I'm not that bad of a Mom) and has to read a lot of assignments to him. So, she is doing her work and being a 'teaching assistant'. She has only complained to me about having to sit next to this boy once and I didn't realize how much she was doing for him. Her Daddy and I are so proud of her and that she has a kind spirit about her to help others.

The Dodo and Hillary

The Dodo was one of my favorite places to eat when I was a working gal. Since then, I have tried to take any opportunity to go there and have their yummy smoked turkey sandwiches and a little toll house pie! So, when Hillary and I were getting together for lunch, I was so happy that she likes the Dodo, too! Hillary was on her way back to Connecticut after being here for Christmas. Can I just tell you how much I enjoy her friendship?! I think we have a bond because our hubby's are so similiar. She is married to Mike's youngest brother, Steven. The boys enjoy teasing each other. It is the basis of their friendship. For Christmas, Mike bought Steven, 'Brokeback Mountain' and went to great lengths to get it wrapped as though it was from their parents. The highlight of this 'gift' was when Steven's bags had to be searched at airport security and the movie was carefully tucked away inside! It was a gift that kept on giving! So, with that little background information, Hillary and I have learned to stick together so that we wouldn't get caught in the middle of the practical jokes. Sometimes it's quite a feat! (Although, I have to admit that sometimes it's fun to help out with the jokes!) Hillary is a sweet and fun gal and I'm blessed to know her. She is such a great mommy to Abi and my whole family is excited for Abi's little sister coming in May. We also enjoy our Utes and had a very memorable Fiesta Bowl experience with them which included a marathon road trip with highlights of the 'Dam'! I know that their experiences working in NYC and living back east are a good thing, but both Mike and I are looking forward to the time when they move back home!

Sydney's cute moment

Between the constant chatter and negotiations, my five year old can have moments of sweetness. The other day, Sydney noticed that I had a cut on my elbow. She became concerned and then disappeared. I thought she had forgotten about me until she showed up with a band-aid with neosporin on it. She lovingly applied the band-aid to my cut and kissed it better. Definately a 'cute' moment!

Won Tons Anyone?

I'm feeling so creative today! I belong to a recipe group with some fun gals in this area. We get together once each month and bring dishes based on a theme chosen by the hostess. Each gal is assigned a dish: appetizer, side, salad, main course. Then, we explain how we made it and then get to try them all! It's been a fun group and kind of cool getting to try some new foods. I feel I can 'bring it' whenever I entertain now because I have some good recipes under my belt. Tonight's theme was Chinese New Year and I was assigned an appetizer, so I picked cream cheese wontons-my fav. So easy! (I would have never tried it unless I had this group) So, here are some pictures of the finished (but not 'plated') products. Rangoons and wontons... some with cream cheese and crab, some with just cream cheese. They were a big hit!

We also are finally getting snow! I know down south everyone got snow for Christmas, while we had nothing! This is our first real snowstorm (about 4-5 inches) this season and everyone is pretty excited about it. I shoveled a path out front so that Amanda could get home from school and the piano students could get in and left the driveway for Mike and his snowblower....but our friends, the Orison's, came by on their 4-wheeler with a blade and did the whole driveway for us! Nice to have someone watching out for us. Mike did get to use his snowblower on the sidewalks, which made him happy! And it's good to have a happy hubby! (The picture is out our backdoor)

Puppy presents & a broken fence

Oh, so many more 'cute' moments in our fam today. The dog was doing so well with the potty issues, until tonight when I found a little present as I was vacuuming the living room. I had no idea he had even been in the living room! Guess we'll be 'limiting' his roaming territory again. I hope this potty thing gets under control soon. There is only about 6 months before I will start potty training Brandon! Speaking of B, he was really good at terrible two's today. He has also figured out that he is bigger than the dog and can kick him! Needless to say, I have to be on my toes!

I think that B is going to be lots of fun this summer. He gets so mad when I won't let him stay outside. Whether it's getting out of the car after arriving home, or running out to get the mail, we have major drama about coming back in the house. We really need to get our back fence fixed from our mini-twister that blew through our yard this fall, so that I don't lose B or the dog! (The funnel cloud just picked up the swingset and threw it into the fence. It picked up the playhouse and threw it 50 yards and it looked like it had exploded! This only happened in our yard. No other damage in the whole neighborhood-just our luck!)

I did take Mater to Amanda's class at school today. She was so excited to show him off to her friends. They sat in a little circle and she got to tell all about him. It was fun to see her so excited! Tomorrow I am taking Mater to Sydney's class for show-n-tell. I'm glad they like him!

Here I am!

Here I am..entering the world of blogging! I have enjoyed reading Jamie's blog for a year and she has inspired me! I figure this can be some kind of journal for me. Now that my bro, D, is also blogging....(and I am learning so many things about him), I'm jumping on-board!

To explain my title: Mike and I find ourselves saying this a lot lately. "It's a good thing you're cute, or you'd be outta here!" We say it to the kids and to the new dog. (We are, of course, kidding when we say it to the kids). Yes, we added a new member to our family at Christmastime!

I was talking another baby, so Mike got me a dog!

We took the kids to pick him out and since Sydney chose which dog, Amanda got to name him. Here is the tribute to our favorite movie (of the week), 'Cars'....the dog's name is Mater. "You know, like ta-mater, but without the ta!" He's a little (maybe 3 pound) Shih Tzu that looks like an Ewok from Star Wars. So far, everyone loves him, but the house-training thing is horrible! Our previous dogs were outside dogs and thus house training was a breeze! Mater is an indoor dog and already very spoiled and has NO CLUE when it comes to the proper place to potty!

We just returned from a fabulous few days in warm St. George. We love to visit the home there and go every chance we get. The kids love it and we get a chance to visit with Aunt Kay & Uncle Bud. We love and miss them, so it's fun to go hang with them in their beautiful new home. Last night (New Year's Eve), they had us over for dinner. Yummy tri-tip steaks. I am always amazed how Kay (and Bud is getting great at this) on the spur of the moment and with a couple trips to the fridge, can whip up an amazing and nutrious dinner! My idea of whipping up dinner is Easy Mac...3 minutes in the nuker! Sometimes scrambled eggs if I'm feeling domestic!

So, thanks to the 3 people (including me) that will read my blog. Hope it's fun!