Little Miracles

Isn't it nice to know that there are still good people out there?

I have been busy with Scentsy. Trying to build a client base and making some money for all of those medical bills. It's easy to talk about, so I tell everyone I know about the prodcuts. One of my friends from the ward came to a party that another person in our ward was hosting. We got to talking and she was interested in the basket party, so she could just take all of the small samples to work and still get the hostess rewards without having to clean her house :) She was worried about it being successful though, because she mainly works with a bunch of men.

This friend sent an e-mail to everyone in her company, telling them a little about our story and that she had the samples if anyone wanted to smell them.

She called me later that evening to tell me what she had done...and to tell me the amazing thing that happened right after.

Did I mention that she works for a man in our bishopric?
She was worried that she had not asked permission before sending a company-wide e-mail and was going to ask the CEO of the company (the man in our ward) if he was cool with it.

Before she had the chance to get down to his office however, another company-wide e-mail went out. It was from the big guy...and it said something to the effect of, "I know these people. This is a good cause. Anything you spend, this company will match dollar for dollar".

And that is how I made my largest Scentsy order ever.
No one asked him to do that. It just happened like it was something that he does every day. His employees loved it because they got all of their Christmas presents half-off :)

Then he called me this evening to thank me for sending him a small gift and a thank-you card.

This person reminds me that there are still people out there that care. May we all remember the Reason for the Season.
I hope that I can pay it forward.

What He's Been Up To...

Possibly getting memo's from Harman?
I was trying to get ready for a Scentsy party when I had one of those, "It's too quiet" moments. He was freshly bathed and dressed-and I was expecting 20+ people in a few hours.Anyone want a little boy?

Amazed

I continue to be amazed by Ashley.Cole was an absolute circus. He was having so many small seizures,we had to shoot twice. I was having a "I'm ready to find the nearest band of gyspies" moment by the end of the second.The pics still turned out. I was praying for just one where we were all sort of looking. I got a lot more than I hoped for!
She is an incredible artist...and a really sweet person to boot!
CALL HER NOWSimply amazing.

D-Squared

This is our friend Emma.She has Down Syndrome, Diabetes....and a bunch of other stuff. Basically, she is a medical miracle.
We love her.

Brian, Cole and I participated in the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome a couple of weeks ago and were proud to be part of Emma's Team: D-Squared. The team motto was, "What's your excuse?"Seriously, there are times when I look at our sweet Emma and her parents and realize-I don't have an excuse. These people are some of our best friends and make us realize each day to not take anything for granted. ANYTHING.
The next time I'm having a pity party-I'll just have to think, "What's your excuse?"

A Note On Healing

Anything can be healed with salt water.
Sweat, tears or the sea.This is my favorite quote. Brian even had it engraved on a frame for me when we were first married. I love the power the ocean has on my soul.

It Just Makes Scents

You all know about Scentsy and how wonderful it is...don't you?

If you don't already have this product, let me tell you a little about it. I have always been a fan of candles and aromatherapy. There is just something about things that smell good that make me happy. When my cousin gave me a Scentsy warmer a couple of years ago for Christmas, I really got excited (you might recall the episode where Cole broke that warmer and I wasn't very happy with him). It was like I could have a different candle every day. The bars are small and affordable enough that you can change scents whenever you want.

This is a product that doesn't have a flame, so there is not a fire hazard, soot or smoke. Really good for people like me who forget sometimes to extinguish my candles before heading out the door. Mr Emergency (Brian) also approves of its safety after seeing just how many homes catch fire from candles every year. It operates with just a small light bulb, so it's really family friendly. The wax doesn't even get hot enough to burn you if it spills-really great for people with small children like Cole who are in to everything! They even make small plug-ins the size of night lights that are great for bathrooms and other small spaces. There are other products like air fresheners for your car and room sprays too.

I have thought long and hard about how to bring in some extra money while staying at home. I can't go back to work because of Cole's health and it has left me feeling kind of like I am not doing my part. Let's be honest-graduate school and ambulance rides don't pay for themselves.

After months of wondering if I should get a job at night, do something online, etc. I have decided to be a Scentsy consultant. This is a product that I use every day and really love. I get so excited when I start running out of bars and get to order new scents. You can just order through the internet and don't have to attend a party to get new stuff. Here is the link to my personal website or you can call me. I'll mail everything to your house, you can come and pick it up, or I will bring it to your door. If you haven't already fallen in love with this company and their wonderful products, give me a call and I'll send you a catalog. Or if you want to have an excuse to get together with your girlfriends, I would love for you to host a party. This is a great gift for the upcoming holidays. That's how it started for me!

I've always kind of been wary of at-home business, but this is something that I have actually used myself for years and continue to get excited about. Hopefully I can make a little extra money so I can continue to stay at home with Cole.

Adventures

Over a few short weeks in summer, we had a lot of fun. We shoved as much as possible into the school break. Here's the Reader's Digest Version of our summer adventures.

Brian went to Lake Powell...twice. We couldn't take Cole because unfortunately, there is not a hospital near the lake. We had a lot of fun with Grandpa Jim and Grandma Diane when they were in town in between trips.We spent some time in St George with the cousins.We had a lot of fun hiking, swimming and of course, being with Grandpa...Cole's favorite.The annual Harman reunion was over the Fourth of July.It's always great to be together. It was the first time I had been back in Rupert since my parents moved.

We also went to Oregon with the my side of the family and some of our Harman cousins.Here is a pic of some of us one day on the beach. I caught the most fish of the day, even beating Brendon-my master fisherman of a brother-in-law, on our deep sea fishing excursion.I don't think I can ever do anything better than Brendon again, so I'll take the bragging rights for a one day challenge! It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Brian was a wimp and stayed home with Cole:) We of course went to the Tillamook cheese factory and had bonfires on the beach.

Charlie came with Mand for Jordan's funeral. That little girl is getting big SO fast!She is the sweetest baby. Mandy was giving her a bath and Cole decided to jump in. I wish Mand's kids lived closer.

We really enjoyed our trip to San Diego and are excited to visit Dean and Lorraine in Denver next month. Whew! That was a whirlwind tour. We had a great summer. There were a lot of ups and downs, but life with us is always an adventure!

Slacker

We ran into one of Brian's co-workers the other day and she mentioned that I had been slacking on my blog. I must admit, it's true.

So, to the three or four of you outside of our family that read this...I'm sorry. Things have been more than a little crazy around here.

This summer has been filled with stress and fun. Cole has been having a lot of long seizures lately and we found that he is having around 100 small ones a day. I'd be lying if I didn't say Bri and I have been really worried. Lately, after a 30 minute grand-mal and an ambulance ride to Primary Children's; we decided to put Cole on some new medication. We are also starting a new treatment, neurofeedback, and are very hopeful that it will decrease the number of small seizures. My health hasn't been top notch either. We're pulling it together, but things have been kind of day-to-day. Not a lot of time for blogging.

We went on a couple of trips this summer during our break from school. We had a lot of fun with our families and had a little hiatus with just the three of us in San Diego. Now we're back to real life. We are mourning the passing of summer, especially Cole. That kid LOVES to be outside. It started snowing the other day when we were on our way to the hospital for neurofeedback. It was just depressing. Any ideas on keeping a 20 month old entertained during the winter??

Cole has been up to his mischievous ways. I still can't leave him alone for a minute. This is how I found him the other day.I'm not sure if he had a desire to be an Indian warrior, or what...

Yep. That's my favorite lipstick. They don't make that color anymore. Even after I scrubbed him down, he still had sparkles all over. They wouldn't come off until the next day. Life is always an adventure with this little guy.

I'll try and get a few posts together and document some of the fun we had this summer. We just have to pretend that we had autumn, even if it was only for three days. I'm looking forward to Halloween though. Cole is going to be a chicken.We thought it was perfect for the kid that says, "Bawk bok" when he wants something!

A Note On Genetics

Just want to put a question out there to the universe...
Is it inherently programmed for little boys to just KNOW to pick their nose and eat it?(September, last year)
I know that I didn't teach him how

Veggie Tales

Cole has always had different food preferences. We have found lately that he really loves tomatoes. The other night, we were getting him ready for bed and looked around because he had disappeared as is common when it comes time to put clothes on. He had let himself into the pantry, climbed up on the shelves, and opened a closed bag to get his prize.He almost ate the whole thing! I guess I'm lucky he was already undressed. Here's a little video of him devouring his treat.

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Road Trip

We recently returned from the first of many "sanity vacations".How do you possibly do this on a limited budget and short notice?
1. Work so much that you have comp time up the wazoo
2. Travel so much for work that you have enough points for a free night stay at a beautiful resort
3. Have connections related to travel (i.e. friends that work for hotels) that let you have awesome rates for the other nights. *Thanks Krista-you're thebomb.com
4. Conveniently work for a state that has Fridays off...and a holiday on Monday
5. Participate in activities that cost next to nothing. AKA "Beach Hopping"We needed a break from reality, so we packed up the car and headed to Cali. We all love the ocean and thought that Cole would really enjoy one last bit of summer.As much as we travel, we've never really been anywhere with just the three of us. We also realized that this was Cole's first time in a hotel. He really enjoyed calling the front desk.We finally just unplugged the phones.

We had a wonderful time and the drive wasn't even that bad. We broke it up and stayed in St George to make things more manageable. Cole has a thing for his grandpa and continued to ask for him while we were in California. Brian and I got to talk a lot and we made some decisions regarding Cole's health. We want to thank all of you that have been supporting us through this. We think we're going to make these little get-aways a tradition or we will possibly go insane. I think that I may already have diagnosed myself as mentally unstable! :) Any suggestions for the next trip?

We went to Huntington Beach first. We had blue skies, no wind, and not a cloud to be seen. A lot of people had the same idea as us, but we marked out a patch of sand and had a great time.Cole also enjoyed eating it, rolling in it and being thoroughly covered in sand. I am still finding in in my purse, shoes, car, etc.

We then made our way to San Diego. The weather continued to be perfect. We went to the temple, ate Mexican food in Old Town, watched the sunset and just played. We went to La Jolla, Coronado and Mission Beach. That is one thing I love about San Diego-the beaches are so beautiful.

Cole was awesome! The only time he had trouble was when we had to leave the beach. I think that he could feel mom and dad relax a little, plus he is a big fan of the water. At night, things were interesting. Cole won't go to bed unless it is dark and quiet. Brian and I ended up going to bed at 8:20 one night because we were all in the same room together. Every so often we would hear a soft, "Hi" as Cole would try to get a response, knowing we were right there. He would occasionally say things like, "Night, Dad!" and we would have to try and keep our laughter quiet.

We really needed the break and can't wait until we can get away again.

Hired Help

Things have gotten so crazy around here, I finally broke down and got a housekeeper.

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There is some on-the-job training that I have to do; but I think it's going to work out.

Sometimes You Just Can't Win

In the midst of one of the most depressing weeks of my life so far, at Enrichment this evening, a kind lady asked me:

"When are you expecting?"

I think I just gave a blank stare before I informed her that I was not pregnant. She then mumbled some excuse that had something to do about my blouse and it looking a lot like maternity clothes these days.

If anyone wants me, I'll be the one under the covers refusing to come out.

A Note On Victory

Much to my Dad's pleasure-Cole's favorite new word is grandpa
Cris is more than a little upset.

A Note On Vacation

Sometimes the anticipation is as good as the real thing.

5 days and counting!!!

Not to worry. Cole's path of destruction has continued. Despite being sick, this kid still knows how to make a mess.Things like breaking the Scentsy, while strapped in his highchair.
Finding a used razor blade in the bathroom garbage-while I was in there with him. Let's just say there was blood EVERYWHERE.
He has even attempted to swallow my wedding rings.

We are hanging in there, even if it sometimes feels like it's by a thread. There has been a lot of rocking and watching Mickey (pronounced a lot like "Daddy") and Elmo (pronounced "Melmo"). Not much else. No wonder I can't sleep because the Hot Dog song is in my head!

I don't think that I can describe the emotions that you go through when you have a child with medical problems. Let alone when you are dealing with a few yourself. I am just glad that there is a higher power, because it's what holding us and my sanity (or what's left of it) together. Three of them in two days is rough. Especially the one in Wal-Mart. I am so glad for people who listen to the spirit...and pay for my groceries because I apparently can't even remember my wallet!

I guess I had better go and clean up the garbage. Cole decided that he would like to take things out of the recycling box and leave them strewn throughout the house. Mixed in with my freshly folded laundry that Cole un-folded, this will be fun! At least if he is in destruction mode, you know that he is feeling a little better!

I'm Learning To Hold It

Who knew that taking a potty break can be dangerous?

Get yourself a toddler and you'll begin to understand.

Lately Cole has become smarter and quicker. It seems that he just knows that when I am out of his sight for a few seconds it is the best opportunity to destroy and get into heaps of trouble. I kid you not...the majority of this happens when I duck into the restroom.

My mom told me the other day that I should keep a 10 day journal of all the things Cole breaks or the naughty things he does. Cristine was laughing her head off at the suggestion. Hmmm...does she have a sick sense of humor? Yes.

So-Sunday. I felt nature calling. Cole was corralled into the kitchen/living area and I snuck away. It was really quiet on the other side of that door. Too quiet. Mind you, I am only ten feet away in the half bath. I finish washing my hands, open the door and look around for my munchkin. In two minutes he has somehow taken off the rubber band that was holding the doors shut on the cupboard under the sink. You know the one-the cupboard that you put all of your cleaning supplies in?

He was actually sitting inside of the aforementioned cupboard and had the majority the supplies strewn all over the floor. This happened in two minutes. Thankfully all of the lids were still on so I don't think that he ingested anything. He did however pull out every single Lysol disinfecting wipe out of a Costco-sized tub and had them decorating the area by the sink and oven.

Next up...the murder of the Scentsy

High School Musical

My ten year high school reunion was last week.
I did not attend as I had a sick child and my husband was absent.

It did however spark some deep thought in me about how sometimes it feels like a million years ago instead of a mere decade. I've reflected on my own personal metamorphosis from being a Spartan to who I am today.

If you are having strains of "We're All In This Together" running through your head-I apologize.

High School was not "the best time of my life" as some describe it. I was not pretty, popular, athletic or part of any other defining group. I weighed less than a hundred pounds but not because I had any type of an eating disorder or exercised-at all. I wasn't what you could call "shapely". More like the opposite. I did begin my lifelong friendship with Victoria's Secret during this time though. There were more uncomfortable days of trying to define myself than I would wish upon any teenager. I was clumsy (I failed skipping in kindergarten-it was a sign). I was a choir geek, loved books and learning, was in no sense a fashionista, had no desire for rebellion and rode the school bus as a senior.

I was also as stubborn then as I am now. Probably even more so.

Some good things did come from those awkward years. I continued to feed my passion for music, had my first relationship, a couple of close friends and stayed blissfully naive. I was in a couple of musicals, but let's just say our budget was nothing compared to East Highs. You could find me in the music room three hours out of six my last semester as a senior. Yet, I couldn't wait to go to college and so I started at Ricks three days after graduation.

Here's me on that monumental day. If it looks like I'm on drugs-I was. Long story.

That first year at college was great too. I had a lot of fun amidst trying circumstances. I learned a lot about myself and got to the point where I didn't turn beet red when certain subjects were brought up. I continued to feed my hunger for knowledge and realized that teaching music wasn't where I was going to end up.

Life moved on and I did too. While others were getting hitched I ran off to Egypt and Israel, envying them all the while.

Since then a lot has happened. I have been edumacated, had 40+ roommates, traveled, had a career, become a wife and mother, etc. I have learned a lot about life and other people. There is a great big world outside of rural Idaho, but I'm glad that's where I stayed in those developing years.

It would have been interesting to see everyone and how they have changed. Most are probably still the same. My path kind of veered away from the typical Minidoka County gal, but in hindsight...I'm glad.

I still think that I wouldn't go back for a million dollars

A Note On Needing Someone

Being away from your significant other...is significant.

Thank goodness he comes home tonight!  

Two weeks is way too long.

A Note On Raising Little Boys

They are genetically programmed to destroy things and make messes

Case in point:
I have not taken Cole to the movies since Christmas Break where we had a horrible experience.
I thought, "It's been a while, let's give it a shot," when the activity of the day was to go and view The Night at the Museum 2.

I planned it all in my head...I'll take him in the stroller so he will be strapped in and can't run away. Those of you who know Cole in person realize that he is not one to sit still...EVER. Therefore that brilliant stroller idea. I thought, I'll give him a light lunch so I can routinely feed him popcorn and fruit snacks. It's a matinee on a weekday, so there won't be as many people to distract him...I can do this!

We got into the theater and I was armed with a child sized lemonade, popcorn, toys and other miscellaneous treats. With some difficulty I got the stroller to the end of the row so he would be blocked in if I released him.

The previews came and went. Things were going well. There were probably less than ten other people in the theater. The movie started and so did Cole. Screaming.

He skillfully knocked the popcorn and drink out of my hands and sent it sprawling across the floor. I tried to mop it up with the three napkins I had in my possession. He repeatedly threw each new thing I offered him to try and keep the noise down over the rail in front of us. I knew that I was going to have to get him out of the stroller by now. He was done with it.

I tried my lap. My mom tried her lap. He got louder. He broke through the barrier of legs trying to keep him back and I resigned myself to try and watch the movie from the entryway, so he would not block any one's view. He escaped from my grasp and ran to the front of the theater and dashed under the curtains beneath the giant screen. I, therefore had to run to the front myself and retrieve him.

I knew that this wasn't going to work at this point so I took him out into the lobby. He proceeded to make friends with the creepy ticket-taker and repeatedly went over to hug him and say, "Hi". I tried to take him into an empty theater...he wasn't going for it. He wanted to play with the arcade games they had in the lobby. After letting him push buttons and play with the racing steering wheel, he wanted more action-so somehow he found the switch that turned off every game in the joint. Dave05 I regret to inform you that your high score has disappeared from the Star Trek game....and to everyone else who put so much time and effort into gaming so their name could be at the top of the list in a St George cinema lobby, I am truly sorry.

By this time the manager was giving me the evil eye.

I flipped the switch back on and set the games to re-booting. We spent the next hour outside making the rounds in the parking lot, baking in the hot sun with my son offering a friendly "HI" and "BYE" to everyone he saw.

I took him back inside when I knew the movie only had a few minutes left to wash his hands. He had been playing with the pay phone and repeatedly tried to get gum off of the sidewalk. After I had him thoroughly scrubbed and was reaching for the paper towels, he promptly walked over and stuck his fresh hands into the toilet. At this point I wasn't surprised.

I don't think we'll be trying to attend the cinema anytime soon.

Little Fish

Cole has taken to "wings" really well. He just hangs out and floats the majority of the time, occasionally kicking his legs when he wants to go somewhere. This kid was made for the water!

Flammable

Play with fire-and you'll get burned.

I recall a game that used to be popular in college called "fireball". It involved setting a tennis ball that had been soaked in lighter fluid aflame and throwing it around a circle. Not the smartest. Most people would end up with the hair being singed off of their arms as a mark of courage.

I never played. It was mainly boys participating, showing off their manly strength...or stupidity. Good times. Sometimes people would lose their eyebrows when trying to stoke the campfire with chemicals. Possibly, they got them burned off when playing with fireworks.

Nope. I prefer to get my hair burned off doing something as simple as checking to see if the grill is lit. I live on the edge.Cristine got a really good laugh with lots of snorting involved, because I was oblivious to my new bangs when I walked back into the house. It looked like I had gotten in a fight with a curling iron.

Apparently, you can still tell because Mathis randomly asked me this morning, "Dude, what happened to your hair?"

Infected

Oh dear.

i can not recall a time when my little family has all been sick, simultaneously. Until now.

We got our symptoms from so-and-so who got it from so-and-so who most likely caught it from someone else. So if you are in our neck of the woods, we warn you not to call unless you have been exposed previously. It's been a doozie.

Being able to breathe out of your nose is something we all take for granted.

Fortunately, it will not be a group thing much longer as Brian is recovering by the minute and the baby and I are on anti-biotics. We were instructed that we could not even think about coming around "Lee Lee" (as Cole has taken to calling Charlie) this weekend unless we were germ free. That's a threat we took seriously.

Prescriptions have been filled, humidifiers are running and we are chipping away at our large supply of Kleenex and cough drops.

I am just hoping that I am not woken by coughing fits tonight and that my smoker-voice (which is not very sexy) will also take leave...pronto. I can't wait to see that little girl...and her siblings...and my siblings!

Water Play

You can't take a trip to Florida without getting wet. We had a great time in the pool and at the beach.Cole showed everyone his new swimming lesson skills and was the happiest in the water.I'll just say it's a good thing we don't have a pool or he would want to be in it every day all day.Maybe he's going to be a surfer like his Uncle Mathis. We were grateful that our excursion didn't last fifteen minutes like last year. Cole was not a fan of the beach yet at only four months old.We had a great time burying Chad and making him into a mermaid. If there is one thing both Brian and I wish Utah had...it's the ocean.

Fiesta Success-sort of

Yesterday we had our monthly friendship dinner. After last week's fiasco of calling people on the ward list and inviting others off of the street, some of us were not very optimistic (Brian).

MORE than expected showed up!

Mind you, I spilled food on the floor, burned myself, did not have anything laid out yet, and we had to set up another table...it still worked out okay. I recruited the guests as my slaves and we only started 45 minutes late. At least the food tasted great.

It's a good thing this isn't my career; because I would be fired:)

Florida Part Dos

Our brother-in-law Bill is one of those scary smart people. He is employed with a company contracted with NASA and works on the space shuttle. While we were in Florida, there was an employee open house. They have not had one for a long time and this is the last one as the shuttle program is ending with the introduction of the next generation vehicle. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. We got to go where the public is not allowed and to tour with someone that knew exactly what they were doing was mind opening.

We've been to Kennedy Space Center before, but this was behind-the-scenes. That huge building you see on television is called the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). It is larger than eight empire state buildings. I hurt my neck trying to look up at the ceiling. A semi can do a U-Turn inside.

We had the rare opportunity to see two shuttles on the pad at the same time, Atlantis and Endeavour. It hardly ever happens and we actually got to be really close. We couldn't get out of the car for obvious reasons, but seeing both of those shuttles there as symbols of science and progress and worlds beyond ours was incredible. It made me feel very patriotic. Spiritual too, when you consider space and everything we don't know.

We had a great time and it was very educational. Thanks again for taking us!

Strike Two

Really?

If you recall this incident, I had a repeat on Friday. Enrichment was held at my house. Yep, no one showed. Mind you, people signed up to come, I was expecting around twenty. It's kind of like the RSVP thing last time. I am beginning to get the drift that commitment is just not taken seriously in this new town of mine. I need Grandma Edna Lou to come an give a guest lecture on etiquette.Or perhaps someone made an announcement in Relief Society that I am in cahoots with convicts. I murdered someone by poisoning their food, but the jury could never prove it. That would explain a lot...

Sisters

Oh, Iowa. The land of fields, corn...and not much else! It kind of reminds me of Rupert.

My visit with Kate was just what I needed. This is the only picture I got of us the entire time.We did nothing spectacular which is exactly what I wanted. No bells and whistles, just a little sista time. We watched movies, ate and shopped (of course). I read six books. Let me tell you, I was a happy camper. Except when the neighbors upstairs would start yelling around 6:30 am. One day we planted flowers in grand family tradition.
So here's to fried oreos, lounging and trashy television. Thanks for being the hostess with the mostess!

Florida-Part 1

We had a great time on our vacation. We came home sunburned and happy. That's when you know it was good.

There were so many adventures that I have to break them up. Brian and I let Cole hang out with Aunt Keri and cousin Katherine while we went with Jim and Diane to Sea World. I know, I'm strange...but I liked Sea World better than Disney Land as a kid. This is coming from a girl who aspired to be a marine biologist veterinarian. I wanted to be Shamu's vet, in fact.I still love the place. I am now going to open myself up for pity and tell you that I cried at the dolphin show. Who does that?! I think I am the only person in America that cries when I go to Sea World, but I can't help it. There...mock me.

We went back another day and hit the new water park Sea World has to offer, Aquatica. It's not a place to go and seek thrills but I really enjoyed it. So clean and really well landscaped. Busch is known for their lush parks, but I have never seen a water park that had so many plants and flowers! I even got to see the dolphins swim by me on one of the slides...very cool.

We took a tour of the best seafood places in Brevard County. I am a total seafood addict when it is fresh. Brian, for those who know him-not so much. I can't believe that someone who grew up a block and a half away from the ocean doesn't eat seafood! I am working on him though, he will order salmon on his own, so that is a step forward from when I met him :)

We got to spend some time at the zoo with our friends.There was a great water play area that Cole loved and we had a great time just catching up. Here's a picture of Missy and I doing what we do best-chatting.There is more to tell, so stayed tuned.....

Waterworks

There are some people that cry at anything. One of my favorite people ever, Sherma, does this. She cries when she's happy, she cries when she's sad...she even cries when someone else is happy. Her voice gets high and squeaky and you roll with it. It's just who she is.

For those who know me personally, you are aware that I am not one to spout tears or get overly emotional. Or at least I didn't used to.

It all started back in the day. One of my best friends that I had grown up with my entire life passed away. There were tears, lots of them. I then vowed to my dramatic 14 year-old self that I would never cry again-and I didn't, for a really long time. If I was mad or sad, I usually got really quiet. Still do; just ask Brian. It's actually a genetic thing, most of my siblings also do this. Yet, rarely did I have a good cry. Possibly it had something to do with the tremendous headache I have afterward if I start "leaking" (name that movie).

Then I got pregnant.

I need not inform you of how ones body undergoes an enormous change when carrying a child. You were in health class in junior high and had to attend maturation day, same as me. You were most likely stunned into awkward silence when watching the pancake video, same as me; but this post is not a science lecture.

I would cry at anything while pregnant. Commercials, baby clothes, practically anything would get me welled up with tears. Just turning the television on was a set up for disaster. The news, A Baby Story, Disney...it was like an invitation to bring out the Kleenex. I also could not stop it no matter how much I wanted to. Take for example the conversation my boss and the HR rep had with me the day before I was going home for Thanksgiving and possibly to tell my dying grandmother good-bye for the last time. The Reader's Digest version went something like, "We're down sizing and we need you to pack up your desk and not come back". At that moment I started crying and couldn't stop for the life of me. I am usually really good under pressure and it takes weeks for things to even hit me full force emotionally (such as my baby being in the hospital or having heart surgery). That day, not so much. I was a blubbering mess. An angry blubbering, snot-dripping mess.

Things have gotten better since giving birth to the little boy. Yet, there are still things that set me off. It's the weird, little stuff that makes me well up now. Extreme Home Makeover does it every time. Put on a documentary about Hawaii and I am sobbing-practically anything about Hawaii will make me teary. Still, if I am angry or stressed I don't let it all out. You think I would take my own advice after telling people how to express themselves as my profession.

I say to all of you-let it all out.

Thank you, that will be $50.

So if you are ever contemplating being a parent or if you are one right now. I'll tell you this, invest in tissue. Costco has it in bulk. Because you're in for it. But with the tears also comes joy. Pure. Sweet. Joy.

Oh crap, I'm crying.

Talent

The Next American Idol?

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This original composition was brought to you courtesy of Dilaudid (really strong pain medication). It's not even a quarter of the show. We all realize that she is in an altered state; but what can I say, she has a gift! I wish that I was this creative (I'm serious).

Cris, you are SO GOOD! I love you.

The quality of this video has been affected due to extreme fits of laughter by the videographer, Ashley B.

Whirlwind

Things have been so crazy lately. I promise that I will get to our Florida trip eventually but it seems like I don't even have time to wash my hair anymore! The doctors found inflammation around my heart and so I have been on steroids lately. It made me kind of edgy and tired, plus-my pants don't fit anymore, but at least I am done with the prescription. Last week I was out of the house every night. I can't remember the last time that has happened.

It was exhausting but a lot of fun. It started Saturday when people actually showed up to the indoor picnic. A small boost to my crushed friendship dinner hopes after last month. Sunday my new little nieceCharlie Kate was introduced into the world...almost in the parking lot. I had another Dr's appt on Mon and then ran off to see my brother-in-law, Travis, in his new play Treasure Island. It was really well done and the set design was incredible! Pirates falling into real water and lots of sword fights. Tues Brian was in school so Cole and I went out with one of my friend's to celebrate my birthday. Wed was the big day. I don't feel any older or wiser, just a step closer to the big 3-0. Cris made me a FABULOUS cake!Vanilla chiffon cake with strawberry simple syrup and Swiss chocolate buttercream fillings with a Swiss chocolate buttercream frosting. It was divine! You'll have to ask her how a Swiss buttercream is different than a regular buttercream...I just remember that the explanation made it sound labor intensive. I took Cole to the Tulip Festival with some friends during the day. I had no idea those gardens were so big!I strongly recommend it for all of those who live in the area. That night Brian took me to Tucanos where I had at least eight slices of grilled pineapple and then we saw Wicked.I have wanted to see this show for so long and all of my expectations were met and then exceeded. We had a great time. Thurs night we ran to the temple (I know, the last day of the month but hey...at least we went). Fri I headed to St George with two of my girlfriend's Lisa and Carrie for a much needed retreat.It ended up being a little more like a circus side-show than the relaxing spa atmosphere I wanted to create but we had fun. We ate, swam, watched movies, painted our toes, shopped and just enjoyed being together. No children or husbands were allowed so Cole got to hang out with his Dad.

We'll see how this week turns out. So far it's not looking good. Cole is teething again and was up from 2:00 to 5:30 am this morning. Why don't children come with an instruction manual when they're born??