Whoa!!

I'm sure most of you have heard by now what's been happening. I thought I'd give a little update. I tried in the hospital and it didn't post, and I didn't feel like doing it all over again. :(

So 2 weeks ago I got pretty sick and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I ended up getting pretty sick in the middle of the night and Dan had to rush me over to the ER. They ended up admitting me to the ICU for 5 days. I honestly don't remember much of what happened Tues night and Wed. and thank goodness for that. From the way my body looks and the things the nurses and Dan told me were happening to me, I'm so glad Heavenly Father knew I couldn't handle it and carried me right through that time. My body feels like it was hit by a train. I'm pretty bruised and sore from all the IV's they tried to start and couldn't. They ended up putting a central line in my chest, and that has been the worst thing outta all of this. It still hurts! They weren't able to sedate me while they did it (which I guess they normally do) and had to try 3 times to get it in. YUCK! They tried 6 or 7 times to get IV's in my arms and wrists to push fluids. I had diabetic ketoacidosis (sp?). My blood was very acidic, and I was full of carbon dioxide.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I was released from the hospital last Sat. and have been able to spend a pretty quiet week at home recovering. I do have pnemonia and I'm just trying to get over that now. I'm really feeling SO much better than I have for a LONG time.

I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank everyone that has helped me out these last couple weeks. You all know how incredibly hard it is for me to accept help, but I could never have made it without all of you. I'm overwhelmed with the thoughts and prayers and phone calls made in my behalf. I truly believe in the power of prayer. My Mom, sisters Michelle and Stacey, Mom-in-law Linda and my many friends here in Rock Springs absolutly saved me. They came and cleaned house (which was no small task!) took care of my kids, sat with me while I wasn't feeling well, took me to Drs appts and made my family dinner. I will be eternally in debt to you all.

On a better note, Brayd was in his first Pinewood derby and took 2nd place. He and Dan worked hard on the car, and both were pretty proud! Good Job Boys!

Karter, Brayden, & Hunter

Brayd and his car

Brayd earned his Bobcat badge, and I got a pin!!

Brayden's Baptism

We had an amazing weekend at our house! Brayden turned 8 on the 12th of Sept. and had the opportunity to be baptized on Sat.

We were blessed to be able to baptize him in the Green River. It was such a spiritual experiance. Watching the 2 men in my life walk out into the river made me think of what it must have been like watching Jesus walk out into the water and prepare for this sacred covenant. It was an amazing experience, one I hope he will never forget and one I KNOW I will never forget!

Thanks to all our family that supported us on this day, I know it wasn't convienient for you, but I hope it was worth it for you! I know it was for my son, and for me!

I sure do love my boy!

Lagoon 2009

I was able to take the kids to Lagoon last Sat. My parents, 3 sisters and nieces and nephews joined us. We had a great time, besides it being so HOT! I guess I forgot how hot it gets down there... We had just had a day with a high of 69 degrees at the end of July! Oh well, we had fun anyway. :)

"The Gang"

Syd & Kallie

Kallie

Ellie

Brayden, Rachel, & Ellie

Rachel & Brayden

Ayden & Jace

Ellie, Jace & Ayden

Ellie finally found her Grandma, and she wasn't letting go!

Carson, Brayden, & Rach!

Girls Camp

So, I'm home and mostly recovered from girl's camp!

I had an amazing, wonderful time. I'm not so sure they will let me back, but it was fun while it lasted!


I spent the week with some of the most amazing girls I've ever met. They have so many hard things to deal with up here that they HAVE to have strong testimonies so much earlier than I ever did. They are just good girls! I loved getting to know them a bit better than I do at church. We had some fun times together and some spiritual times together, but I think we just had a good time the whole week!


We played a few fun pranks, got in trouble from the Stake leaders for "borrowing" their camp chairs, in broad daylight, while they were sitting in the pavillion overlooking the fire pit where the chairs were sitting, got them all in the back of my truck, got my truck up the mountain a ways and hidden in some trees before anyone noticed the chairs were missing! I was proud of my girls (and myself!)... the Stake Leaders were mad, to put it mildly! Oh well, it was all in fun! Hopefully I will get the pictures from everyone that was there and I'll post a few fun ones~just to prove I DID bring them ALL home safe!

I had a great week, but missed my kids like CrAzY!!! I'm glad to have them back home with me.

SWEEEEEET!!!

So Dan decided to take Brayden golfing last night, which left Ellie and I to our own devices last night. She has been begging me to fix her bike so she can ride it with her friend, so I thought last night would be the perfect time.

After talking to Dan, he tried to convince me that I would never find an intertube the right size for her bike, I was a bit irritated. I put Ellie in the car and drove over to Walmart, almost convinced I was going to end up buying a new bike. (Her bike is Brayden's old one) So as we walked past the bikes she almost had me convinced to buy her a new one. I said "Let's go see if we can get a tube for your old one first, when to my amazement there were many! I got two, and moved down the isle. I could see she was a bit disappointed she wasn't getting a new bike, when I happen to look over and see a princess basket with streamers and a bell. She needed some new pedals so we threw those in and were checking out! We got out of there for UNDER $30, and I was very pleased. She couldn't wait to get home, and I learned how far we really do live from Wal-Mart after listening to her ring the bell the ENTIRE ride home. I couldn't bear to ask her to stop, or maybe I couldn't stop laughing at her giggles long enough to ask her...

We got home and she says "so Mom, I guess we have to wait until tomarrow to fix my bike huh?" I glanced at her in time to see the disappointment flash across her face as she said it. I immediatly said "no sis, we can fix it right now if you want to." That kid was out of the car with her bag of "goodies" and in getting the bike for me to fix.

After a dozen "Wow Mom, you're really good at this", we had the bike done and I was never more grateful that my Dad had taught me to change a tire. She just had to go find Kenya and show her the "new" bike. She had an absolut blast riding around the neighborhood on her bike, and I LOVED watching her!

She came in and had her bath and got read for bed. She crashed last night around 9:30 and I haven't seen her yet this morning, which is very unusual for her. She is hardly ever in bed after 7 am.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR TODAY!

Oh to be young again!...

Oh to be young again....

Ok, I know I'm not really that old, but I went to mutual last night and watched my cute girls do their skit for camp, and I have to tell you, I was exhausted by the end of the night!

I remember this age so well, and now realize how hard it is for these poor leaders of Young Women. I have to say I do appreciate my leaders much more now, than I did then!

We had an absolute blast last night, and spent most of it laughing and giggling about our skit. I loved just watching these girls have fun together. We are leaving for camp in about 2 weeks, July 20. I can hardly wait. I was getting teased last night about pranks and all the things these girls were threatening to do to my sleeping bag, I just laughed... if only they knew my Mom! She was the BIGGEST prankster at camp, even when she wasn't a leader! I'm pretty sure she will have some great ideas for me, and I've been planning a few of my own fun ones for a couple of months now... Poor girls, hope their not too tramatized by their Camp Director/Beehive leader!

Oh the fun we will have!!! I can hardly wait!

Just like his DAD!

I have to tell you what Dan told me last night!!! I nearly fell off the bed laughing sooo hard!

I had taken the kids to Dan's work for a couple hours while I went to a Scout meeting in Green River. I had taken them a bag full of books to look at and workbooks, I had left my laptop and movies they could watch, and thought I had left plenty to keep them busy. WRONG! I guess they were getting bored and starting to pick on each other so Dan said to Brayden... "Dude, come out here and pull these weeds and I'll give you 10 cents for everyone you pull!" Brayden turned and said "No way, it's going to cost you 10 dollars for every weed!" and the negotiation was on!!! I guess one of the salesmen that was standing there with them was laughing so hard he had to walk away! So picture this, Dan and his 7 year old son, standing at a car lot, negotiating how much it's going to cost Dan to get these weeds pulled (Don't worry that I pull some everyday I'm there FOR FREE!). Dan was frusterated, and Brayden wasn't backing down!!! I told Dan he had finally met his match, and he told me he's hiring Brayd to come negotiate his hardest deals! I just laughed, you all know, NO ONE tells Dan NO! (Except Brayden I guess!)

WOW! Never been called that before!

I've been called a great many things in my lifetime, and most not very nice I suppose, but what do you say to someone when they accuse you of being too happy?!



I had a girl ask me the other day how I could ALWAYS (you know the tone they use) be so upbeat and happy when my life is going to "hell".



Well I guess I wasn't aware my life was heading there in the first place or I obviously wouldn't be sooooo happy would I?!

She went on to explain how my life was so horrible, and I really felt bad for her. Now I know I'm not always the most positive person about everything that happens around me, but as she continued to tell me why I should be angry and bitter and so UN-happy, I realized how blessed I really am. Not with physical things, but with a positive outlook. I got the most important piece of advice, from a wise, olllllllld, woman! ;) She told me, as I stood sobbing on her front porch, that "it's only as good as you make it!" You can go and be mad at the world for the hand you've been delt, and have an aweful time, or you can go with a smile, and make it the best adventure you're kids have ever been on. I think I finally have them beliving this is a great adventure!

My life has done a total 360 in the last 9 months. I've gone from having everything I could possibly want, to wondering if I could make a cup of milk last 2 days because I didn't have enough money to buy anymore. I've gone from knowing a paycheck was coming in to wondering if we were going to get one. (Boy am I glad for food storage!) I've gone from living in my "comfort zone" to being totally displaced, and starting from scratch. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd be living in Wyoming, trying to make things seam "normal" when I felt like my world was crashing around me.

I've learned so many things about myself these last few months, some good, some not so good.
I've learned you don't need much to make you happy. I've learned my kids are the most important "things" in this world, and they are absolutly wonderful! I LOVE being a Mom! I've learned that a good attitude and a smile (even when it's fake!) will get you a whole lot farther than being grumpy and ornery all the time!

I guess being accused of "being too happy" isn't such a bad thing after all, huh?!! :)Life is GOOD!