Sweet Sixteen

My beautiful baby girl turned sixteen on April 5th. Yes, it's hard to believe. Kind of surreal. Just like the night she was born. I remembering looking down at her perfect, sweet little face. She had the longest eyelashes. And I could hardly believe she was really mine. I'm humbled and thankful that Father in Heaven sent her to me. I love being her Mom.


For her birthday I checked her out of school and we went to lunch and shopping. Well, that was the plan but we ended up seeing a movie instead of the shopping. It was spontaneous and fun. And actually, if you know Kaylie, it made more sense. She would much rather grab a bucket of popcorn and watch a movie, than shop.
For her birthday she asked for cheesecake, and the movie Tangled. She is just a little bit obsessed with that movie. I think it's safe to say that Rapunzel and Kaylie are very much alike. Alter ego's if you will. Hence, the obsession. And someday when her prince finally comes I have a sneaking suspicion his name will be Flynn Rider. Or at the very least, Eugene. :)

When Kaylie was little, like two or three. You know, the temper tantrum stage. Whenever she would get really upset, I would start singing a Primary song really softly to her and she would immediately calm down and listen. She found it comforting. I love that about her. She's the only one of my children that ever worked on. The rest of my kids were much more interested in the fit they were throwing than my singing. (Not that I can blame them). Kaylie is very sensitive to spiritual things. Kaylie is profoundly artistic. She loves to draw. She loves to write. She loves photography. And she loves music. She is very good at all of them. One of her favorite things to do is play her Viola. You put that bow in her hand, and all is right with the world.

I'm so glad she's ours. :)

Blasted Computer!!

I think we are cursed when it comes to computers. Seriously. We have had three in the last four years. So, for Christmas we decided we wanted a Mac. Because let's face it, Apple is the best. And yes, pricey. We looked on KSL.com for a deal. However, it's not much of a deal if the computer only lives for 4 months. I'm so completely bummed about it. The stupid thing keeps crashing with a message that reads "kernal panic". Ironic, because it causes me to panic. I'd like to rip the stupid thing out of the wall and chuck it out the window when it does that. Anyway, hoping to get it fixed soon. (Please tell me it's fixable). The only time I get on the computer is when Mark gets home from work and I can use his laptop. Let me tell ya, that doesn't leave a very big window for blogging. Or facebook, or email, or youtube, or googling, or... well, you get the idea. It's been a real drag. Although, I have to accept the fact that I'm much more efficient without the distraction. I didn't realize how much I use the computer. I think I may be a little bit addicted to it. So for the love of Pete, we better get the blasted thing fixed. And SOON!! My sanity depends on it. :/

Snow Blows!

Can I just tell you how ready I am for Spring? I'm really starting to believe that Mother Nature is bipolar! Saturday we had a huge snow storm. Can you say, YUCK!! My kids didn't seem to mind though. They went out and played in the white stuff. And ate a bunch of it for good measure. So, I guess it is good for something. But I really hope Mother Nature got it out of her system. Someone should really send her a memo. We are ready for sunshine now. K!

My Life...

I love these kiddos so much. They make me laugh, keep me busy, and teach me to see the world through their eyes. My world is a much better place because of them.

Shootin' Hoops

There is very little I like about winter time, but it does have one redeeming factor. And that is, it's basketball season! Yeah, baby! :)

This year Hyrum made a competitive team that is associated with Tooele High School. Funny story about that... yes, I'm going to tell it.

Hyrum loves basketball as much or more than I do. This summer Tooele High hosted a basketball camp and I encouraged him to participate. The thing was Tooele is not in our boundaries, that would be Stansbury High. Tooele is our rival school. And boy did Hyrum let me know what he thought about that. "Tooele High stinks!" he told me, and he wouldn't be caught dead playing basketball for the Buffs! What's a Buff you ask? It's short for Buffalo and it is Tooele's mascot. Lame, lame, Hyrum pointed out. Now Stallions, as in Stansbury Stallions, that's a cool mascot. BUT, isn't there always a but? Summer boredom won out and he reluctantly agreed to attend the camp so that he could shoot some hoops. Little did he know how much he would come to love being a Buff. Turns out many of his friends from elementary school were at the camp. Because, oh the irony... we used to live in the Tooele High boundaries. After the camp was over he was asked to come back in the fall and try out for the competive team. He made it. He has grown to love Tooele High, the school, the student body, and the basketball coach. Now he wants to get a boundary exception and go to Tooele High. He wants to play basketball for the Buffs. I just laugh and try not to say, "Told you so." The better high school. It's all relative, isn't it? And the plot thickens. Kaylie goes to Stansbury High. She is a Stallion, through and through. I love the good natured school rivalry that goes on under our roof. Never a dull moment. I myself love both schools. Along with Bountiful High, my alma mater! Go Braves!! Ooops, Kaylie heard that. Go Stallions!! Oh, the evil eye from Hyrum. Go Buffs!! Ah, what fun. :)

Matthew's Birthday!

Matthew turned 3 on the 23rd of March. I can hardly believe it. He's not a baby anymore. This is the first time I haven't been expecting or had a newborn since we started our family. It's definitely bittersweet.
For his birthday Matthew wanted to go to Kangaroo Zoo. He loves bouncy houses. :) And then we opened presents and had cake and ice cream. And yes, there were balloons!! Are you kidding? ;) It was a fun day.




BIRTHDAY'S ARE THE BEST!!

The Underneath

I love to read. And I read lots of good books, but every so often I come across one that is even better than good. One that is hard to put down. One that touches me in such a way that it changes me, the reader. The Underneath is such a book. It is a wonderful story of love, and friendship. If you get a chance, snuggle up with it, and get lost in it's pages. You'll be glad you did. :)

Offenbach's Can-Can

This fall Hyrum told me that he wanted to learn to play the violin. Admittedly, it surprised me a little bit. But he has picked it up quickly and seems to really enjoy it. A couple weeks ago, there was a concert at the Junior High. That afternoon his orchestra teacher called and told me what a great student Hyrum was and asked if he might play his solo at the concert? Sure! What mother doesn't love to hear something like that? So, here he is playing his solo.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Cuts Like A Knife

A few weeks ago, while I was in the kitchen fixing dinner. Trying to cut up vegetables with the same dull knife I've been using for the last 10 years. I threw my hands up in the air and said, enough is enough!! I vowed right then and there that the next time I was out shopping I was going to get a new knife. And that's just what I did. I went out and found the sharpest knife I could find. Quite pleased with myself I hurried home so I could try it out.

So I began... chopping, slicing, cutting, dicing, patting myself on the back for my brilliance in breaking down and buying a nice new, sharp knife. Then I set the knife down on the counter and got started on some Lasagna. There I was in my kitchen, busy busy, cooking my little heart out. Completely oblivious to my curious little two year old climbing up on the counter and hauling off my sharp new knife. I didn't even know it was missing until Matthew started crying. And it even took me a minute to figure out what had happened. I was so involved with dinner that I couldn't figure out why his hand was bleeding like that. Then it slowly dawned on me. I look to the counter, Where's my knife? Oh, Matthew... suddenly I hated that knife. Why did I think I needed a sharp knife, anyway? Why wasn't I paying attention to what Matthew was doing? Why did I leave that blasted knife on the counter? Yeah, I got a big ole' heaping side of Mommy guilt to go with the Lasagna. It was bitter and hard to swallow. Thankfully, Matthew didn't need stitches but I did learn my lesson, and it came with a price. Keep sharp knives out of reach of little hands.

What In Tarnations Been Going On!?

I haven't blogged in forever. It's been almost a year. Yikes! If I can find the time to do it though, I sure love it. There were some things besides the usual birthdays, holidays, etc. that I missed blogging about this last little while. So, I picked the 3 experiences that touched me the most and that's what the 3 previous posts are about. And now that we are all caught up, so to speak. Here we go again. Hopefully this year I will do better. ;)

The Matterhorn, Magic, and Madness

It's no secret that we love Disneyland. I mean... we really, really love it! Brer Rabbit says that "Everyone has a laughing place." Well, the magic kingdom is our laughing place. (As you'll soon see) So, Mark and I decided that is where we wanted to go to celebrate our anniversary. People were appalled. "You mean you are going there without your kids? You won't have any fun." HA!! Boy, were they wrong. It was insane how much fun we had. The second we walked through the gate... thanks to that Disney magic, we were two carefree teenagers again. We couldn't possibly be married with kids. What kids? We have a mortgage? What mortgage?

One afternoon we decided to ride the Matterhorn. Now, we went to Disneyland on our honeymoon. Back then we were younger, skinnier and had no problem fitting into one sled, so when the cast member asked if we wanted to ride in one sled or two? We naturally said one. He kind of did a double take, paused, looked at us as if that were questionable... doubtful even. Then he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Okay, take #2." As we packed ourselves into that sled, we realized that maybe we were just a bit more hefty than we had been 17 years before. My butt was half on, half off the seat and we could barely maneuver around to buckle our seat belts. We were amused. Then the ride took off. Amusement turned into laughter. The sled was going so fast, this way and that. I couldn't stay on the seat. I was on the floor of the sled. My hair was blowing back into Mark's face, he was trying to get my hair out of his mouth. I kept trying to get back on the seat and accidently pinched him in a tender place. Oh, my gosh!! It was so hilarious! We were both laughing so hard our stomaches ached. When the ride finally came to a stop I was afraid to move cuz I was seriously about to pee my pants. I managed to climb out of the sled. Took two steps and had to stop and cross my legs. We were just laughing so hard, and after 5 kids my bladder control is not what it used to be. Ohhhhh. It was fun. K! Fun, fun.

We rode the matterhorn a few more times. Usually in separate sleds. But for our last ride of the trip, we sandwiched into just one sled again, and had a blast. The matterhorn has always been one of my favorite rides but now it really has a special place in my heart. Now whenever I ride it, I will always think of my 17th wedding anniversary. :)

There were other great, fun filled moments but I think the Matterhorn one was my favorite.

To those of you who think Disneyland is a place you only go to if you are taking your kids. Well, you're crazy! And seriously missing out! Book a trip for just you and your best friend and see how much fun you can have. I dare ya!

Going to Disneyland without our children? We must be as mad as a hatter... Exactly! ;)

It's Not Really A Cage

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little Prince. During the day he made his Mommy very happy. But during the night he would turn into a bit of a stinker. He wasn't one for sleeping and loved to climb out of his crib, over and over again. Much to his Mother, the queen's chagrin. This made the queen tired, and very grouchy.

Oh, if only it were a fairy tale. Unfortunately, it was very much a reality. My reality, and I was at the end of my rope. Matthew would climb out of his crib, and I would put him back in. Over and over, and over, all night long.

After trying different methods of breaking this exhausting habit, none of which worked. I remembered something I had seen back when my other children were babies. It's called a Crib Tent. And let's face it. It's basically a cage. I was so appalled when I first saw this thing I couldn't even believe it. I mean really? Who would seriously, in good conscience, use something like that? It's like a cage!! ... And the World's Worst Parenting Award goes to... I mean we are talking about a little human being here, not some kind of an animal.

Well, after a couple of more nights with no sleep. This "Crib Tent" started looking pretty good. Genius, even. And I thought to myself, "I have got to get me one of those!" Yeah, sleep deprivation can do a funny thing to a person. So, I drove over to Walmart ready to fork over whatever they were asking for this kiddie prison. And wouldn't you know it? They didn't have one. So began my mad hunt for a crib tent.

Only one store, miles and miles away carried it. I called my Mom and explained the situation. Sensing my desperation, she went on a wild goose chase for me and picked up this contraption that in the end saved my sanity. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. She's my hero.

At first Matthew thought it was great. The novelty I guess? But that night when he woke up and discovered he couldn't climb out of his crib... he wasn't happy. So, for the first few nights I would go in and lay on the floor by him until he fell back to sleep. I guess you could call it Mommy guilt.

I don't know what it is about this kid but he has like a sixth sense. Even if he was asleep he could sense when I would leave. So one night, as my hips were aching from lying on the hard floor. I came up with a plan. Yeah, another one of those desperate mother devious plans. I got some pillows and blankets and shaped them to make it look like I was laying there next to him. When really I was in my own wonderful, soft bed. Well, it worked. For a little while anyway.

But he's a smart kid and the next morning when I went to get him, he was angry. His little face said it all, "What do you take me for? A fool?" He was crying and pointing at the pile of blankets and pillows. He then shouted at me, "NO!! NOT MOMMY!!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, you got me." Darn. A perfect plan, foiled again.

That day my sister Emily called and asked me how things were going. If any of us were getting any sleep yet? Exasperated, I said, "No. Hey, do you want a two year old? He comes with his own crib tent!" For some reason that hit a funny bone and we both burst out laughing.

I'm relieved to say that after several days, Matthew adjusted to that crib tent. And what I once thought was an atrocity turned out to be one of the greatest inventions of all time. It helped Macky figure out that night time was for staying in his crib and sleeping. We are all sleeping better now and we are much happier. What a difference a good night's sleep makes!

Got Ice?... Yikes!

Late last Spring... yes, I know that was a long time ago. Do you want to hear this story, or not? So, last Spring, I was feeling... Off. Not really bad, or sick. Just off. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the doctor and get myself checked out. While I was there I happened to mention that I craved - No, SERIOUSLY CRAVED ice. I would get up in the morning and get myself a huge cup of ice. I wasn't hungry for food. Not interested in breakfast or lunch, or even chocolate. All I wanted was ice. I was driving my husband and kids crazy. We'd be watching t.v. or a movie and there I'd be just crunching away to my hearts content. And my kids would look at me with exasperation and say, "Really, Mom. Enough with the ice!! It's not normal." Well, apparently they were right. It's not normal. It's called Pica. And it's not a good sign.

My doctor sent me for a bunch of blood work. The next afternoon he called me and said, "Natalie, I just got your test results back, and frankly, I don't know how you are even able to function!?" What? Really? Okay, that doesn't sound good. Then he said, "Your thyroid is completely out of whack! And you are severely anemic. In fact you need a blood transfusion right away! Just having one of these things wrong would wipe you out. But you have two!!" Then he gave me the number for an Endocrinologist and a Blood Specialist and told me to make appointments right away. It was friday afternoon, so he emphasized that I needed to call first thing monday morning. Monday morning rolls around and I call the Hematologist first. And they answer the phone, "Utah Cancer Specialists." Cancer?? What!? Who said anything about Cancer? Now I admit, I'm prone to letting my imagination get the best of me. But that really freaked me out. And I didn't think to ask questions, I just made the appointment and panicked. All I could think about were my 5 kids. That I wouldn't be around to be their Mom, to watch them grow up. Matthew was so young, he would surely forget me. My heart nearly broke. Of course, I called my Mother in tears. And she wisely told me I was jumping the gun, and talked me down out of the jumping gun tree.

The next 2 or 3 months were filled with Doctors appointments. No wonder I couldn't find the time to blog. Someone was alway drawing blood. Which I find highly ironic. They kept telling my how low my blood count was yet had no problem drawing vial, after vial of it? I have a sneaking suspicion that Doctors are really Vampires.

After seeing the Hematologist, sure enough, I needed an iron infusion. Now here's my theory. I always get a little anemic when I'm pregnant. So, carrying Matthew was no exception. However, his birth was. I had to have a C-Section and apparently I lost huge amounts of blood. Throw in the anemia, not a good combo. Every morning they would check my blood and tell me that I was going to need a transfusion. But did they ever give me one? No. And honestly, I don't think I ever recovered.

So, the iron infusion. It was actually really quite pleasant. They hooked me up to an I.V. drip. I sat in a big, comfy chair. Read my book, watched a movie, took a nap. It took about 6 hours. It was like a mini-vacation. It was!

The next morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Wow, you're pink!" I was surprised at how much color was in my face. And in the palms of my hands. I realized then that I had been walking around looking like one of the living dead. Pale, gray, colorless. Another thing I noticed was I had no interest in ice. No interest at all!! That was odd. It was amazing how fast this iron infusion worked. And the best thing I noticed was, I had more energy. Turns out I really was tired. I just thought I felt so run down cuz, well, isn't that part of being a Mom?I go back every 3 or 4 months and get my blood checked. I'm also very aware of my ice intake. If I start chomping that again... red flag.

Now the thyroid thing. Turns out I actually had the beginnings of a goiter. All I could think about was that Seinfeld episode where Elaine visits that old lady with the huge goiter, and she was so hideous Elaine could hardly look at her.

Jerry: C'mon Elaine, it's just a goiter...

Elaine: I don't know what I'm going to do? I can't look the woman in the face. I mean I keep thinkin' that that goiter's gonna start talkin' to me! You'd think they'd mention that before they send you over there: "Oh, by the way, this woman *almost* has a second head!" But no, no, I didn't get any goiter information.

Jerry: They really should mention that in the breakdown: Height, Weight, Goiter.

Anyway, they did a scan on my thyroid which was a little unsettling because I knew they were looking for cancer. I'm pleased to say that I remained calm and didn't panic this time though. After some other tests, it was discovered that I have Hashimoto's Disease. It's when your immune system attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to be under active. Happily it's an easy fix, I just need to take a hormone replacement pill daily.

It's funny how sometimes in life you get a wake up call. This was mine. I'm so thankful for my health and that I am able to take care of my children. I really do love being their Mom.

And the moral of this big, long drawn out story is: If your kinda tired and craving ice like all get out. Uh, that's just not right. You should see someone about that. :)

A Love Story, Or Five Years And A War

The other day while on Facebook, a dear friend of mine posed the question, "Can long distance relationships work out?" A simple enough question. But quite a debate ensued. And I found myself getting really annoyed at some of the negative things people had to say. Probably because Mark and I had a long distance relationship and obviously it worked out. But as I thought more about it, I came to a conclusion. And this conclusion comes from a story I have to tell. Yeah, you better pull up a chair. :)

Once upon a time... in the early 1940's there was a tall, handsome young man named Paul. Who decided to go to school at a place called Snow College. While he was there he met a cute, not so tall girl named Joyce. In fact, one of his friends asked him once, what he thought about Joyce? And he replied, "She's pretty, but you'll never see me going with a girl who is that short." (Ah, famous last words) They became good friends but these were tumultuous times and before long Paul was called away to help fight World War II. They began writing letters and I guess you could say they had a long distance relationship... for five years! But it was during this time that I believe they fell deeply in love with each other. When Paul finally returned home they were married. Before long they had their first child, a son. The birth was very difficult and Joyce had lost a great deal of blood. The doctor was very concerned that she might not make it. What complicated things was Joyce had a very rare type of blood, O-negative. The doctor explained this to her husband, Paul and said that they were doing what they could to find her the right type of blood so that they could give her a transfusion. Well, Paul knew that his blood type was also O-negative and so he told the doctor that he could give his wife the blood she so desperately needed. The doctor was rather skeptical but agreed to test Paul's blood to see if they where a match. To his surprise, they were! Later when Joyce was getting ready to leave the hospital the Doctor came in to talk with the new parents. He said, shaking his head, "I don't know how you two ever found each other and got together, but it's amazing." And Paul said, with a big grin, "Well, it wasn't easy. It took five years and a war!" They lived happily, quietly serving each other for over 50 years. Not too long after their 50th wedding anniversary, Joyce developed Alzheimer's. It got to the point where she didn't remember Paul, or anything about their life together. But he was right there with her anyway, tenderly taking care of her needs until it became too much for him and he was counseled to put her in a home. A big part of him died that day, and he was never quite the same. He visited her every day, every chance he got. After many years, Joyce's health continued to deteriorate and it became apparent that she wouldn't live much longer. I don't know how she did it, but she found a way to appear to Paul in a dream. A couple of days before she passed away, his beloved Joyce came to him and told him that she loved him dearly but that she had to leave him for now, and not to worry. This brought him a great deal of comfort and he was able to say good-bye. I think he missed her terribly, and just a short year later he too, returned home and back into the arms of his dear, sweet Joyce.

Now if you ask me, that's a love story. And it helped me reach my conclusion... Do long distance relationships work out? And you know what? A relationship "working out" has absolutely nothing to do with the circumstances that surround it. It can be long distance, or the boy/girl next door. One of you can be away at college, or away at war. You can work for the same company, or together in the same office. It doesn't really matter. What matters is the TWO PEOPLE in the relationship. Are they Unselfish, Forgiving, Respectful, wanting the happiness of the other person more than their own? When things get tough, and let's face it, they do. Do they turn to their Father in Heaven? Because if the answer is Yes, then you can bet your bottom dollar, that relationship is not only going to "work out" but when it's their turn to leave this earth. They will have a love story of their own to tell, that's probably not too different from my Grandparents. :)