Sidnee's big adventure

Sidnee has been having a mysterious illness. The symptoms were sore throat, swollen tonsils, fever, aching body and fatigue which of course means a big case of irritability! After being tested for mono, strep and various other things, the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. It was a vicious cycle of symptoms, then antibiotics, then she would be fine for a week after finishing the meds. Then we would start all over again. The last time it happened she even complained of canker sores. After 2 doctors saying that it was just a virus and then five rounds of antibiotics, our doctor sent us to a specialist. She took one look at Sidnee and scheduled her for surgery. She said that it was a virus that can only be gotten rid of by removing the tonsils and that she has seen 100% success with her patients. Today was the big day.

Sidnee waiting to be called back to pre-op while complaining that she was dying of starvation!

Daddy had to stick his nose in the corner while Sidnee changed for surgery.

This is her surgery outfit. The surgical center gives these shirts to their adolescent patients. It made Sidnee feel special.

The anesthesiologist explaining to Sidnee what is going to happen.

Sidnee being wheeled into post-op.

Steve is telling her to lay down. She kept trying to sit up and take out her i.v.

She kept dozing in and out for about 20 minutes.

Sidnee was excited about doing two things, the ride in the wheel chair was one of them.

The culprit in hand!

Seeing these puppies was the other thing that Sidnee requested of the doctor. These are her tonsils and are about the size of chicken hearts. The only complication that Sidnee encountered was that she threw up twice after surgery so they had to keep her a little bit longer. What should have been a 3 hour venture ended up being a 5 1/2 hour one. Now she has 5 people to wait on her as she is supposed to stay in bed for at least 5 days and no real activity for 2 weeks. If you want to come see her and make her feel better, bring her some pudding or jello, but nothing red or acidic please. I hope that this solves the problem and that she won't miss 23 days of school next year because she feels sick.

Get Away!

I was privileged to be able to get away with some friends this weekend. We had planned it for awhile and have been so excited to go. I made crepes for breakfast our first morning and jokingly told the rest of them that they could serve me breakfast in bed the next morning. This is what I got for being mouthy and sleeping in (which by the way I rarely ever do!) The little gold thing on the plate is a mini peanut butter cup. It was actually really funny and cute.

Our second day there we went to Zion National Park. We got poured on before we ever entered the park, but it was a short lived rain and actually very refreshing. We had to ride the bus into the park because the parking lot was full.

The Park was gorgeous after the rain. I love being in the mountains and the natural beauty. It always seems to revitalize my soul.

We ate at Iggy's for dinner before going to Tuacahn for a show. We all ended up splitting sandwiches which happened to give all of us nasty gas, but the rest of that story won't be posted on here. The waitress was great. She split the sandwiches, split the bill correctly and took our picture.

The show we saw was Footloose. It was really good. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the theater. At intermission they had a bull ride machine set up and Kim was persuaded to ride it. Of course we were chanting her name and then the lady in front of us turned around and joined in our chanting. It was pretty funny.

It was a fantastic weekend with great friends, lots of laughs, tons of fun, some stinkiness and wonderful memories. It was nice to not be mom or wife for a few days. My favorite thing though was that my kids and husband didn't call me every five minutes asking what I was doing or when was I coming home. I really appreciated that. I can hardly wait for the next trip because it was definitely a good thing to get back in touch with my inner teenager and leave the cranky lady at home. Thanks ladies for a great time!

OOOOuuuch!

After being badgered by my friends for the last couple of months to go to bootcamp with them, I finally had nothing going on and could actually go. Of course I was also motivated by the snugness of my clothes, but we won't talk about that! You have to understand that working out has never been my thing. I love to play sports and go running or biking on my cruiser with my kids, but I have always detested working out or lifting weights. It is probably because I feel out of my element and think that I look retarded trying to do something that I don't know how to do. After being assured that I wouldn't be the only one that looked like a dork, I decided that I would give it a try. It actually wasn't too bad.

After the warm up, my legs were shaking so bad and it seemed like they had turned to jell-o. I was relieved that I didn't have to be on my feet for most of the remainder of the workout. However, there was a thing that we did at the end for warm down that had my legs shaking because they were so week. I was a little sore when things were over, but not too bad. Yesterday I was pretty sore, but could pretty much get around, with the exception of going up and down stairs. Today is a totally different story.

This would be an fairly accurate portrayal of how I feel now. Every step is a labor. I can't tell you how many times I have almost fallen because my leg gives out. It makes me cry to walk down stairs. I know, I am getting old. Go ahead, just say it, I am pathetic. I have to keep moving once I start because it hurts worse if I sit for awhile and then start moving again. Remind me again why people work out!

SCORE!

We went to the Walmart opening in Saratoga Springs because we heard that there was going to be a bunch of free stuff. We got a cup of chocolate milk, the boys made a lego thing and got to keep the legos, we got free Owlz tickets and the kids got their faces painted. The boys all knew that they wanted spider man so here they are modeling it.


The girls of course were girls and wanted the pretty flowers and butterfly.

Pretty good job, especially for free. The kids took great care of their faces and what a fun activity for free. Sidnee figured out how to make her flower bloom. If she scowled it looked like a rose bud and then she would smile and it would bloom.

EEEWWWWW!

The kids and I went out to the garden the other day to pull the weeds and get ready to rototill it. As we were pulling weeds we found some bonuses in the roots. Anyone need something for dinner? I could save a few for you. They are supposedly very high in protein! Now I get to take care of these little critters so that the skunks, moles and raccoons stay away. Can you say GROSS?

Waiting for Spring!

It seems like winter has been dragging it's feet on leaving this valley that I live in. I have been so anxious and now that we have had a few days of spring, I am not so anxious anymore.

My allergies have flared and I now remember what sinus headaches feel like. Not fun. I wish that the kenelog shot for allergies lasted longer than 3 months. If they did, I would go get one tomorrow. My problem is that my allergies are the worst between June and September. Yet here we are in the beginning of April. I get to wait 2 months before I can go get a shot! Anyone know any good home remedies? My nose is raw after only 12 hours of wiping!

I am anxiously awaiting any and all home remedies that could alleviate this problem for 2 months!

Team mates, friends, sisters!

On hearing that my ward may no longer have a sports program after we are done with basketball, I decided that rather than throwing a fit I would do something constructive for myself and share what I have learned about the women that I have come to know over the past year since we were made a ward.

Even though this picture does not do these beautiful women justice, I wanted to share to share my feelings about these wonderful ladies. I consider them not only my team mates, but my friends and sisters as well.

Dani Cousin: She has a wonderful laugh and has a great ability to see the positive in anyone. She is always building you up.

Melissa Hoffman: Always striving to be her best no matter how tired she is. She never gives less than 110%.

Sarah Cooper: Wonderful cook, shares my passion for cooking, will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Kim Laursen: Always positive with a capital P. Never quits trying her best.

Jamie Hokanson: Doesn't let life get her down. Stands up for herself.

Jaclyn Wiest: Loves life, the gospel and has a passion for literature.

Tami Hansen: A peacemaker. Looks for the silver lining in things.

Jen Bay: Passionate about all that she does. Doesn't shrink from opposition.

Nikki Kelley: World class teacher. Never makes you feel stupid when she teaches you something new. Very compassionate.

Amy Pratt: (not pictured) Builder of people, always cheers for everyone, even if they are on the other team.

JoAnne McArthur: (not pictured) Great ability to do the right thing, doesn't yield to peer pressure, can always make me laugh.

Abby Isaacson: (not pictured) indomitable spirit, concerned about those around her, awesome cake decorator!

There is so much more that I could say about each of these wonderful women, but it would never sufficiently express what they have come to mean to me. It never fails that when I am having a bad day at least 2 or 3 of them call me, or drop by with out me even asking for help. I look forward to the time that I can spend with them as they always lighten my load in one way or another. They inspire me to be a better person, mother and wife. They truly are amazing women and I feel so grateful to have been able to cross paths with each of them. I want them to know that no matter how this whole thing with the sports teams pans out, they will always be more than my team mates. I feel honored to call them friends and sisters!