Phantom of the Opera!

Phantom of the Opera is coming back to San Francisco to the Orphiam (probably spelled wrong) theatre from November 2008 to Jan 09! I am so excited! Tickets go on sale on Sept 7th from $38-98! I can't wait!!!!!

School Days.....and dreaming of Fall

Zachary started kindergarten on Aug 6th and he is doing very well. He absolutely loves school! I must admit, I miss him so much when he's gone. He's such a big boy now. Isaac had to adjust to big brother being gone at first and even though Isaac doesn't talk, I know he misses Zach. I do enjoy having the one on one time with Isaac.

My job craziness finally settled down and I am in Bed Control (basically my same job functions only it's a Union position...which has many benefits). Isaac got into the 15 hour a week therapy program and I am very excited since they will come over to my home for the therapy. The 15 and hour a week program will be more consistent that what he is getting now, so I hope it will prove very beneficial for Isaac. Isaac gets tubes in his ears next month....ah yes....the ears....factory defect I must say considering that I had ear problems.

Last week was rough with everyone getting the stomach flu that Zach brought home from school. Then it turned into some sinus thing, which is better now. And at the end of the week when everyone was feeling better, Sam hurt his knee. He's been hobbling around on crutches and will most likely have to get and MRI this week. We are hoping that he didn't tear something in his knee. So I have been shuttling him to and from work as well as shuttling Zach to and from school. I trully have sympathy for the Moms who spend so much of their time shuttling their kids/family to work, various activities, seminary, etc.....whew! it's rough!

All in all we are doing well...

Can I just say how excited I am that it's almost September! Fall is on its way! HOOOORAYYY!

Here comes the sun....

Here comes the sun...do do do do...here comes the sun...and I say...it's alright....

I interviewed for a job in Bed Control and was offered the position! I am very excited and so very grateful. We are truly blessed.

Jim and his fiance had a baby girl on 05-29 (his birthday) and her name is Rylee. She is so cute! Jim and Shadee are getting married in November!

We are all in good health and I look forward to Summer being over (I am NOT a fan of hot!) I can't wait for Fall!!!

The refining process....

It is well known that a piece of coal put under great preassure will yield a diamond. It usually takes a long time and a serious amount of pressure to get the diamond. Even after the diamond is harvested, it has to be cut and polished. Finally when all the cutting and polishing has finished, what is left is a magnificent gem that illuminates when light hits it and sparkles. So where am I in this process? I'm the coal....



The song "Under pressure" by David Bowie and Freddie Mercury is going through my mind as I write this post. I know that faith can be compared to a muscle, it has to be worked to get stronger and of course "faith without works is dead." Well, my faith muscle is in the mist of bodybuilding strength training..and my muscle is aching....



On 04-25 we were notified at work that our department functions are going to transition to other areas, meaning..I will be redeployed to another job unless I can secure a job on my own. The issue is that I am currently working at night and need to continue to work at night. If I am offered a comparable job (same hours/status) I have to take it or I will be considered as giving my resignation. Ugh...

My youngest son, Isaac was just diagnosed with PPD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified). It's a spectrum disorder like autism. He is currently getting services (speech and occupational therapy as well as a Child/Family worker coming out to work with him. Since he has been diagnosed with PPD-NOS, he qualifies for more hours of therapy. We are hoping he gets into the 15 hour a week program...meaning he will get therapy 3 hours a day. I am very grateful for living in a state where these types of services are offered. I know in the long run it will help Isaac. I have already seen some progression in him. He's not Autistic but PPD-NOS basically is when there is something going on with the child, but doesn't meet all the criteria for the Autism diagnosis.

So Isaac will need additional therapy, I am not sure if I can get a night position so I can be home to have the teachers come over or take him to a school (after he turns 3) for the services, I can't afford to pay daycare (the whole reason I started working nights was so we could avoid daycare costs). Sam and I were challenged by our State President and Bishop to re-commit to going to church, which we gladly accepted, and I have failed on going the past 2 Sundays.....

I had a wonderful blessing from the State President and Bishop, which helped me feel better but not without worry. What can I say, it's hard not to worry. Sam reminds me that in my blessing I was told not to worry and that He knows my heart. I was trying hard not to worry and get upset about everything (mostly job stuff). Then last night at work, all of the sudden as I pondered about the job stuff, I felt peace....actual peace. It was a great feeling! Basically I had been pondering and praying about the job stuff, and I was in a sense enlightened about how I have the larger of our 2 incomes and I carry the benefits. So it may be that I have to go back to working a day job. Sam's job would be the area where we could work to find a solution to our issue of not wanting (or affording) to pay daycare and one of us being able to take Isaac to his therapy sessions. It may be that I can get another job that is much higher paying that what I have now, so that way Sam can reduce his hours and his boss might be willing to be creative with Sam's work schedule. At that moment when I had those thoughts...I felt peace.

I am in no way perfect (far from it). I struggle with faith especially under pressure. Sometimes it takes all of me to be faithful. I know that the refining process will never stop, I only hope that as I strengthen my faith muscle, on that day when I stand to be judged, I hope that I will shine like a diamond.

Occupational therapy, Speech therapy..oh my!

So Isaac qualified for Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy (basically they have the Occupational Therapist work with him so he can get to the point where he can really work with the speech therapist). I am glad that he will be getting services to help him AND they come to my house to provide the services. Awesome. Zachary's IEP is on Monday and it will be good to get that finished. I have to register him for Kindergarten next month. Dang they need so much stuff just to get into school! Birth certificate, immunization, card, proof of residency, IEP paperwork, ugh...oh yeah and he has to have a physical and dental exam too. You would think he was trying to get into NASA or something.....

I am still in Limbo at work with regards to if they are going to disolve my department when the new hospital opens up. Ugh...I hate it, but I am not worried about it too much. I know that there will be something for me. As long as I work at night. I have WAY TO MUCH stuff I do during the day for the boys...hence the title...Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy oh my....

Weight loss is still going well...I took a break for about a week and now I am back on the Atkins. I actually feel so much better when I am on my diet vs off of it. I am hoping to lose 20 more lbs by the time I go on vacation in may. I have been a slacker on exercise so the weigh has been creeeping off. But I plan to remedy that next week.

Did you know speech delays can run in families? We decided that Isaac speaks the language from the Alien in Enemy Mine...because it is definately not English... :)

33 and counting

33 lbs....that is how much I have lost since the beginning of November. Yep...just 3 lbs shy of the weight of my 2 year old (35 lbs). All I can say is the Atkins diet...and exercise really works! Well, I should say...it's the only diet that has worked for me....I am so excited! Only about 23 more lbs and I will have met my first goal of loosing 50 lbs. I am hoping to reach my goal by May and be 200lbs. 200lbs may still sound like a lot, but I haven't been that weight since I was first married (after the horrible affects of the depo provera shot..gaining 30 lbs). I will keep going even after I hit 200 lbs, but at least I know if we end up getting pregnant later this year, I will weigh less and be healthier, which is great since...you know...I'm not in my 20's any longer.

Sam has lost about 40 lbs and his brother has lost a total of 91 lbs (about 50 lbs was doing the Atkins).

Everyone has that point they get to when they finally say "Enough! This weight has got to come off!" Mine was seeing a picture of me at Disneyland in October 2007. I didn't think I was that big, but you know..when you have a picture showing you standing behind a tree sideways, and the tree looks like it has a big ol butt.....yeah....I had had it with my weight....

That goodness for Dr Atkins and that he was blessed to come up with this marvelous diet/eating plan. I was always skeptical and thought it was an unhealthy diet, until a read the book and science behind it....it made sense...to quote Dr Atkins "Is it bad to force my body to burn it's fat for fuel?"

I don't think so...

101 things about me

I am copying Emily and Rachel....so here we go!

101 things about me

my favorite color is purple
When I was 5, I took nail clippers and “clipped” my front tooth leaving a small chip in the front. When my mom asked me why I did it, my response was the classic “I dunno…”
I investigated fraud/forgery for 6 years and absolutely loved it!
I still contemplate getting my degree in criminal justice
I got tattoos at 17, 18, and 19 total=3
I wish I could remove the tattoos, but they were a choice I made at a different time in my life and serve as a reminder.
I LOVE Italian sodas
My hair is not really red and I have been dying it red since I was 17
I play World of Warcraft with my husband.
When I was pregnant with my first son, I cried because I just wanted a pizza and we were poor.
I love the outdoors (fishing, camping)
I love Bridgeport, CA and want to be buried there with my husband
my favorite words are “Plate Tectonics”
I was diagnosed with depression at 22
I’d rather hang out with my husband and kids than anyone else
I enjoy yard work
I love to laugh
I can’t tell a joke without starting to laugh before I get to the punch line
I love to cook
I’ve had the eardrum on my right ear reconstructed 4 times
My left eye droops when I get sleepy
I love makeup
I had a drawing in the Santa Clara County fair when I was in high school
I love 80’s music
I love to dance
I love bookstores and the smell of books new or used
I dislocated my left knee when I was 14 just by stepping on a rock at girls camp
I enjoy learning
I like to read but struggle with reading the scriptures
I can sew and I am trying to learn how to knit
my best friend is my husband
I can set up my own fishing pole, camp site, and gut/clean fish
I struggle with making friends
I worked at Luckys grocery store in my Junior and senior years, and up until after I got married. I lived in Utah for 10 months in my first year of marriage, and then we moved back to Cali.
I’ve always wanted to work in Young Women’s
I snore really bad when I’m sick or pregnant
Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero
I had gestational diabetes, preclampsia/HELLP syndrome when I was pregnant/gave birth to Zachary.
I had preclampsia when I gave birth to Isaac
I still want to have another baby despite the issues I had with my other pregnancies.
I have lived in a house that was built in the 30’s that had no insulation; every thing ran on electricity with the exception of the heater that ran on propane.
I decided that if I have to live in the country, the house MUST have AC and heat
I strive to be a good Mom and wife
I had a hard time turning 30
I am cool with being 31
I love Phantom of the Opera
I hate the heat of Summer
I absolutely, positively LOVE Fall!
I had a hickey on my neck one time and told my mom that I ran into a pole
My mom told me when I was in grade school that at night they “roll up the side walks at 5 pm” and I took it literally
I had braces from 3rd grade to 5th grade
I draw my eyebrows on since they are so light in color (my husband likes to say that someone scared them off of me)
My feet get really tan in the summertime, and I STILL have somewhat of a sandal tan and it’s January
I love Sandals
I can only snap with my right hand
I am left handed
I love to watch shows, read about, and research weather. ESPECIALLY tornadoes
I have never been out of the country
I love Dogs
I am allergic to Cats
I am not a fan of having rodents (i.e. rats, mice, hamsters) as pets.
Guinea Pigs are cool
I sometimes wish I could shave off all my hair and grow out my natural color without people thinking I was a freak
I wonder if my hair would grow back curly or straight since I have straight hair and curly hair combined after having kids.
I am not a frilly fru fru type of woman.
I like natural elegance for things
I’m not materialistic
I like singing and making up songs but could never sing in public
I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up
The movie Ratatouille made me want to be a chef
I like Mad Libs
I failed the written part of the drivers exam 2 times and passed on the 3rd time
I failed the driving part of the exam 2 times and passed on the 3rd time
During my sophomore year, I cut a class and then went to the office to tell them I cut class because I felt so bad about it.
Math is not my strong subject
I hate word problems…yuck!
I LOVE tapioca pudding
Sometimes I talk in my sleep, which entertains my husband
Sometimes I have dreams about war and bombs and mountains
$50 is my favorite price. I feel that it is reasonable for most anything. It’s not too expensive for me and the other party is getting some money too.
my favorite flowers are daisies
I loved New Kids on the Block when I was 13 and 14. Okay Okay..I must admit, I do think it’s cool that they are getting back together. I am interested to see how they sound after so many years
When I was 14, my mom wouldn’t let me shave the sides of my hair as was the style for girls to do in 1990, so she just cut them short for me. I had HUGE bangs, short cut sides, and long permed hair..yup…a femmullet…I admit it
I’ve always struggled with my weight.
I lost a lot of weight in high school
I gained a lot of weight back after I got married due to depo provera
I believe Depo provera was created by the devil
Keraoke machines are fun
I love taking naps
I am not a fan of watching sports
Playing sports is better than watching sports
When I was 12, I played the trombone for ½ a year. I hated to practice and my mom made me practice every day for ½ hour. I would just blow on it for ½ hour because I was mad.
I really, really, REALLY do not like ants in my house..or bugs or spiders
There was a time when I was afraid of the dark
I have an extra cusp on one of my molars
I love living in a small city of 14,000
Eventually my family and I will move out of California
I love being a Wife and Mom
My hair was permed a majority of the time while growing up
I am happier being me now at 31 that I have ever been in my life101 things about me