Picture overload!!

Sorry but I just added a lot of pictures. Hope you enjoy them. I am still trying to figure out how to do the slide show thing.

Christmas!!

Well finally the day arrived. I am still like a little kid I get so excited for Christmas. Not because of what I am getting but because I love watching my girls open their presents and get so excited. So I hardly slept the night before. Christmas eve was pretty fun we just stayed home and watched Christmas movies all day. Debbie and Will stopped by to visit on their way to my Mom's house. Which was fun, but Allie was so hyper she was causing trouble. Suddenly the doorbell rang, I wasn't expecting anyone so I wondered who it could be. By the time we opened the door, there was no one there, just three bags full of gifts for our family. Someone must of been a Secret Santa to us. I still have no idea who it was, so whoever you are, thank you for thinking of our family during our struggles. Jake also had to go to work that night which we were really bummed about, but thankfully they let him come home early. Christmas morning was really fun, Caitlin was still not really sure about the opening presents thing, but about half way through she got the hang of it. Allie got the Disney sing it game, a Hannah Montana guitar, clothes, Pjs, and a bunch of other things. Caitlin got a crawl and cruise jungle toy, a baby stroller with a baby, a shopping cart, and clothes. Jake got his Iron Gym that he has been wanting and Gears of War 2. Erin got much needed Pjs and scrap booking stuff. Hopefully since I am not working now I will have time to actually work on them. Also Friends from my Mom's ward collected donations for us to help with Caitlin's medical bills. We are very thankful to all who have given us help, we couldn't do it without you.

And the next round of Chemo!

Well thankfully Caitlin's counts went up so we were able to start the next round of chemo. I am not really sure if that is good news or not, but the sooner we get through this, the sooner Caitlin will be cancer-free. On Friday my mom and I braved the stormy weather and slowly made our way down to Primary Childrens. We were about an hour late, but that was okay since we had to wait for a room. I think the people in it before us, were not excited about driving home in the snow. They set up Caitlin's IV , while we waited we sat and watched Jake's Dad's movie called Money Making Morons. It was pretty funny! She did good with the chemotherapy on the first day, but the next day she threw up as soon as she received the VP-16. But we think we did a no-no by letting her eat peanut M&Ms! So anyway that was a very long night. But the next morning she was doing very good, so we were able to come home on Sunday. Yeah, that means as long as everything goes well, we will for sure be home for Christmas. The nurses and doctors down there are so nice, Caitlin got a stocking full of Hello Kitty stuff and candy. I got Christmas socks and pjs for Allie. Also Caitlin got this really cute and soft teddy bear. Yesterday I must of been crazy but I had a little bit of Christmas shopping left to do. So I went out and almost got hit four times and was about ready to scream. I don't do well in crowds, hence I will probably never be part of the Black Friday crowd. Anyway I believe we are all done, except some things that we ordered online haven't showed up yet. But oh well hopefully the in-laws will understand.

Yeah, its almost Christmas!

Well, sorry it is so long between posts but there hasn't been much to really update. Caitlin seems to be doing really well. But her anc count went down again so we have to push back the next cycle of treatment. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we won't be stuck at a hospital on Christmas day. She is finally sleeping better which I am excited for, that means I actually get some sleep. Caitlin is so cute, we have been trying to teach her to say "I love you" she has the I and you part down pretty well, we are still working on the love part but it is still really cute. I think that we have most of our Christmas shopping done, some things we had to order online, so hopefully they will get here before then, oh well if not. I also hope that the girls like what we got for them, I think they will. But then last year I thought we did good, and Allie hardly played with what she got. Jake wants to open his presents now, but I laid down the law and told him, he has to wait like the rest of us. I was able to go to my friend's baby shower last Friday, and that was fun to be able to take a break from the kids, and visit with friends. Everyone wanted to know how Caitlin was doing. Also on Sunday we went to visit my family and go to Kenny's court of honor to receive his Eagle. That was really cool and I am proud of Kenny for working hard to receive it. Anyway the rest of the week has been spent cleaning the house, wrapping presents, and watching Christmas movies. Sorry no pictures right now, hopefully I should have some more soon.

Another update!!!

Well, more updates, this week has gone by so fast. This weekend was kind of long since I had to get up at 4 am to give Caitlin her antibiotic, so by Monday morning I was so exhausted. On Monday Caitlin's nurse came over to change the cap, dressing, and draw blood to see where her counts were at. Unfortunately we couldn't get any blood to draw from the line, Carol (our nurse) was pretty sure that it was because of the antibiotics. So we went up to the hospital to have her blood drawn from her arm. The results were pretty good, her WB was 2.3, Anc was 700, Hgt was 35.1 and her platelets were 1207. Since her Anc was above 250, we were able to stop giving her the antibiotics. Yeah, a full night of sleep!! That night Jake and I left the girls with his mom, and did some much needed Christmas shopping. I think we got most of what we needed, there are just a few extras that I need to still get. On Tuesday I had a dentist appointment, which I hated. I just hate the drilling and the tastes that get in your mouth. Of course, because of my bad luck I have to go back again. On Thursday we had a check up with Dr. Armstrong just to make sure that there was no side effects from the antibiotics. But he said that she looked good, then Carol came over to put in some medicine to help clean the line and then thankfully she was able to draw blood from the line instead of her having to get poked again. Her results were again really pretty good. Her Wb was 2.6, Anc was 900, Hgt was 35.0, and her platelets were 2225, which is pretty high but the oncologist thinks that her bone marrow is just reacting to the chemo. They are sending out a nurse today to check her platelets again. So hopefully they will start to come down. Also last night we went to watch Allie's Christmas concert at school. She sang so good. Unfortunately the place was packed so we were able to see her very good, or take any pictures. Next year I will make sure that I go to the assembly instead, this year I was stuck at the dentist so I couldn't go then.

I got tagged again!!

3 Joys
Jake, Allie, and Caitlin
My extended Family
When my girls are good

3 Fears
Not beating cancer's butt
Losing any of my family members
Money problems

3 Obsessions
Spending time with Jake (sometimes not very easy)
Cleaning
My Girls

Surprising Fact
I am still afraid of the dark.

Tagging.... anyone who wants to share more fun facts about themselves.

Sorry so long!

Wow, this Cancer thing is a lot to get use to, not that you ever get use to it or want it for that matter. Well on Wednesday evening Caitlin had a little fever. Well as far as I could tell. We bought one of those ear thermometers, (which was kind of costly) but I not sure if it was worth it. One ear was 101.2 f and then the other ear was 99.8. So I was totally confused but I wanted to be on the safe side so I called the oncology department at Primary Children's. They said I should take her to the local ER. Which I wasn't too happy about, but I will do anything I need to, to make sure my girl stays as healthy as she can. Nothing against Logan Regional but they are just not equipped to take care of Cancer with kids. They were really nice but I could tell that they went sure what they needed to do. They found out from Primary Children's that they needed to do a CBC (draw blood and test it) and an X-ray. Caitlin hated the X-ray but I didn't blame her since they had to put her in this straw type of thing, with her arms above her head. Also they had to draw blood from her arm, just to make sure that she didn't have an infection in her line. They then put her on antibiotics since her counts are still so low that she can't fight any germs. We were then put in a room for the night, they were really good about cleanliness, they made sure that Caitlin room was off from everyone else, and the nurse were good about wearing gloves and masks so not to infect her with anything. Caitlin doesn't like to sleep in the cribs at the hospitals so unfortunately we spend the night in the chair. The next day was so long, we spent half the day waiting for answers from Primary Children's. We finally found out the results of the blood work, it looked clear from infections but her counts were still really low. The good news was that were we able to come home but we had to take home an antibiotic with us. Carol our home nurse is so awesome she came over that night to show me how to work the pump and give the antibiotic. She always calls and makes sure that things are going well. The pump is really easy to use the only bad part is that the antibiotic has to be given every eight hours, which means I have to wake up at 4am to give it to her. But things seem to be going pretty good. Caitlin seems to be frustrated a lot easier but I am sure that is right the effects of chemotherapy and not feeling good. I know I sure get grouchy when I don't feel good.

On another note, I took another much needed break and one break I wasn't so excited about. I had to get my yearly exam at the OB-Gyn, but my doctor had moved out of town, so I unfortunately had to get a new one and only the male doctors were taking new patients. Its not a big deal, but I always feel more comfortable with a women doctor. But anyway the other thing was a friend from where I use to work, called and asked if I would be able to go out to lunch with her. Thanks to my wonderful husband who said he would watch the girls, I was able to enjoy a great time with Chris McCrabb. We went to Panda Express, and they actually had my orange chicken this time. I told Chris about the many new and scary experiences we have had to endure throughout this hardships. After lunch, Chris gave me an envelope from all my former co-workers at RR Donnelley. This wonderful friend had gone around work and gather donations from everyone. It was so nice of everyone to give, especially during this time of year and since money is tight for everyone right now. Jake and I are so thankful for the thoughts and help of others. We have been worried about how we were going to make it for Christmas and all the medical bills. Thank you so much to all who have lent a helping hand, and financial aid to us. Despite the hardship that we are going through we have been blessed many times over. Again thanks to all.

On a more sad note, Caitlin's hair has pretty much all fallen out. But she is a bald little cutie. Unfortunately she is not very fond of hats or headbands right now.

The never ending effects of Chemo!

Caitlin has been such a trooper, unfortunately when she had her blood counts done on Monday, the results weren't very good. Her ANC count was zero which means she is confined to our house and Primary Children's. Also her HGT was at 23, which are her red blood cells, 23 is low so we made a trip down to Primary Children's yesterday for a blood transfusion and for more chemo. She is always so good for the nurses and doctors. She is such an angel, she always knows how to bring a smile to my face when I feel so horrible about what she is going through. The clinic down at Primary Children's is really nice, they have comfortable chairs, movies, and game systems for kids to play while they are down there. We watched Cinderella and Care Bears while we waited for the blood to transfuse. Unfortunately we are now experiencing another side effect of the chemo, Caitlin hair is starting to fall out. I was trying to brush it out a little bit this morning and big chunks of hair fell out. So I stop brushing before I burst into tears since Caitlin has such beautiful hair.

More Updates!!!

Thanksgiving was actually a lot of fun. Caitlin's blood counts were a little low, but we were still able to go up to my grandparent's house for dinner. It was so good. Since Caitlin has started the chemotherapy she hates it when I leave the room or when she can see me, unless Jake is also around. I feel bad for family members who just want to give her loves. But at the same time I understand why she gets so upset since she been through so much already and she is not even two years old yet. Anyway dinner was very delicious, and it was fun being able to be with my family. After dinner we played the game cranium is was really fun but also very hard. If you have ever played it you know that sometimes you have to draw clues (like pictionary) but with your eyes closed. Which makes for very funny drawings. Unfortunately Jake and I didn't win but that's okay. I forgot to mention that I got up and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade which is kind of a tradition for me. On Friday Jake's family came to visit Caitlin and help fix Jake's car. Also that day I took a much needed break and went with my family to watch Twilight, which was really good. Jake is not much of a reader, so he wasn't really into the series, so he stayed home and babysat Caitlin for me. Allie went home with Jake's parents to play with her cousin Kenidee. On Saturday Jake and Allie went with his family to watch Bolt, they said it was really cute. I stayed home and rearranged the family room so we would have room for the Christmas tree. Later that day we went up to Jake's parents for dinner and visiting. Then we made a trip to my parents house to dig out the decorations for the Christmas tree. I wish our apartment had more storage space. Then we went to see the lights at the Hollingsworth house, for those who don't know the Hollingsworth have a big yard and they have cutouts of Disney characters that they put out and light up with lights. The girls really like it, but sadly this is the last year that they are decorating their house.
On another note, Caitlin seems to be doing pretty good, she had her blood drawn today, and the results were not very good. I know this might be hard to understand but her ANC is zero, and her HGT is 23, which unfortunately means that she is confined to this house and that she will need a blood transfusion. Which totally sucks!!! So we are headed down tomorrow for the blood transfusion and the chemotherapy. I am thankful that it is not something worse, but this disease is still a lot to take each day.

Caitlin chemo treatment!

Today Caitlin and I went down to Primary Children's for an other round of chemo. This was only one medicine so that didn't take very long. The doctor said that Caitlin seems to be doing really well. She needs to try and eat more. But other than that she seems to be doing really well, she still hasn't vomited once, which it so awesome. Its weird how blind we can be sometimes, I mean I have heard of cancer before, but since it has affected our family. It is scary to realize how many kids are affected with cancer, in one day at the clinic I saw at least seven kids under the age of ten with some forms of cancer. I am sure in the eternal plan there is a reason for all this suffering. I am sure that I will understand the lesson someday. Anyway I am thankful for all the kind nurse and other support systems set up at Primary Children's. So that even though kids are going through something pretty terrible, they are always greeted with a smile from a nurse, a toy, or a goodie bag from volunteers. I swear each time we have to go down to the hospital Caitlin comes home with a new toy. I plan to someday return the flavor and hopefully bring a smile to another child's face.

Giving Thanks!

Since Thanksgiving is just two days away, I decided to make a list of the things that I am thankful for. These are not in any particular order.
I am thankful for:
1. My family
2. My husband (he has been such a blessing to me, he knows how to cheer me up when I am feeling bad and he can sense when something is wrong.)
3. My girls (even though some days they cause me tons of stress, I still love them very much and wouldn't give them up for anything.)
4. Living in this day and age ( I don't think I would of lasted very long as a pioneer and microwave dinners and meals in a box without these we would starve.)
5. For doctors, nurses, and modern medicine. ( I am grateful to have the technology to be able to find cures and knowledge to make things better.)
6. My home (Its not much but it nice to have a comfortable place to live.)
7. The gospel ( We have received many blessing and miracles this year.)
8. Jake's good job ( I know sometimes he doesn't like it, but he is always good to go and put the hours in and support his family.)
9. My extended family ( They have helped us so much through this difficult time in our lives, and many others. )
10. Friends (who always ask how they can help us)
11. Allie's Teacher ( who has been so patience with our chatterbox.)
12. Caitlin's strength and bravery ( She is so brave I am so proud of her, she has endured things that make most adults cry and whine.)
13. and many other things!!!!
I encourage everyone to remember the things in life that you are thankful for, and thank our Heavenly Father for all that he has given us.
Don't take for granted the little things, like the quote from the movie Hitch. Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.

First round of Chemotherapy

Well on Wednesday Caitlin had her first round of chemo, for this first round she had to spend two days in the hospital. The medicines that they use to kill the cancer cells are so strong that they have to push iv fluids through the body, so the medicine does not harm the kidneys and other organs. We did receive the results of the spinal tap (Lumbar puncture) and they were clear, which means that the cancer has not moved to another part of her body, which is totally awesome. We will still have to go through the chemotherapy but it won't be as intense, since the LP was clear and they were able to remove all of her brain tumor. Caitlin did so well with her treatments I was so proud of her. The medicines made her nauseous , but she didn't vomit once. She didn't have much of an appetite. (But that's normal for cancer patients.) She cried the first day every time that nurse would touch her, but by the second day she seemed to understand that they were there to help her not hurt her. Since she now has a central line she didn't have to get poked with a needle at all. The nurses down at Primary Children's are so nice and friendly. The nurses taught me what I need to watch for at home and how to take care of her line and so forth. Nursing is not my chosen career but I will do whatever it takes to take care of my little girl. Since Caitlin handle the chemo so well we were able to come home Friday afternoon, which was nice since it always feels more comfortable at home. But of course we had to bring half the hospital home with us, medicines, gloves, and barf buckets. Thanks for all offers to help but we are coping pretty good right now. Caitlin has another appointment for chemo on Wednesday the 26th, but if everything goes well it should only take a couple of hours, which means we will be able to be home for Thanksgiving.

More Pictues!!!

I finally got a chance to add some more pictures, so sorry for the overload. All of these pictures are from the first surgery to remove the brain tumor.

Caitlin Update!

Well more news on Caitlin, on Thursday we had an eye appointment at Primary Children's. Which went pretty good. They just wanted to have her eyes checked before she starts the chemotherapy, sometimes the chemo side effects affect the vision. I am sure I will be use to it by the time this is all over but I wish that we didn't have to wait so long in the doctor's office. Our appointment was at 9:30 and we didn't leave the clinic until 12:30. The doctor said that because of her tumor she is crossing her eyes, the nerves seem to have stretch, to correct it she will need to wear an eye patch for an hour each day, and switch eyes every other day. Which we hopefully work or she will need eye muscle surgery.
On Friday she had surgery for a lumbar puncture and to put in her central line for chemotherapy. We were supposed to be at the hospital at 9:15 but since traffic was so bad (we pasted two wrecks) we didn't get there until 9:25, but lucky for us they still did the surgery. Later I wondered why I rushed and yelled and screamed at cars to go faster since they didn't end up starting her surgery until 2:00pm. Anyway everything went well, and we actually got to bring her home that night. An at home nurse came this morning to teach me how to clean and take care of the line. Its not really hard but still nerve wrecking I am not really trained to this stuff. I am sure by the end of this journey, I will be a pro. We should know the results of the lumbar puncture about the middle of next week, and know when chemo will be starting. Please keep Caitlin in your prayers, unfortunately this rough road is only beginning. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We couldn't do this without our families.

Whats Up!

Well not much more news with Caitlin just yet. Tomorrow I am heading back down to Primary Children's for a checkup and surgery on Friday to put in the port for the chemotherapy. Wow, this chemo stuff is pretty overwhelming and we haven't even started treatment yet. They gave me a binder full of information, which I read and high lightened the important parts which was pretty much the whole book. I think that I have been driving Jake nuts but I know that I am the one who has to watch out for the side effects, so I want to be informed. I know he wants to help too, but because of our different personalities we just deal with this kind of stuff differently. Today I took the girls to get their flu shots, which was an adventure since Allie hates getting shots, she won't hold still. So the nurse and I had to hold her down, and for a five year old she is pretty tough. Well I hope that everything goes well tomorrow and I try to keep everyone updated.

Allie

Since I have been busy updating about Caitlin, I haven't had much time to write about Allie. But I didn't forget her, and she has been such a trooper through all of this. The only thing that she got upset about was that we had planned to go watch High School musical 3 on Saturday, October 25th. ( Which was my birthday so I am not quite sure how I got talked into it.) But anyway, Caitlin and I were still in the hospital on that day, so unfortunately Allie missed the show. We were finally able to make it up to her yesterday. We took her out to eat for lunch and then headed to the show. Since we had come home from the hospital with a car full of toys for Caitlin, we made a quick stop at Target to pick up the High School Musical 3 soundtrack. Allie loves music and has such a good memory she already knew all the songs to the movie. So at theater she is singing along. Jake and I were trying to tell her to sing quietly, but Allie does not know the meaning of quietly. Well I think she really liked the movie and had fun. Really it was alright for us adults too.

Caitlin Update!

Yesterday we traveled back down to Primary Children's for a checkup to make sure that she was healing good and to remove her stitches. The doctors said that she looked really good and that she was healing well so they took out her stitches and then had us go get a ct scan to make sure everything looked okay on the inside. Caitlin did so well, but then she knows the drill since this was her third ct scan. The scan looked good so the doctors said we were free to go, but right before we walked out the door the doctor took one last look and noticed that her wound was leaking spinal fluid, so we turned around back in the exam room. They figured that restitching it would fix the problem. So I gave her some pain reliever and the doctor numbed up the area and she stitched it back up with dissolve able stitches this time. I hate watching them put in the stitches or anything with needles. So I held Caitlin's arms and my Dad helped to hold her head still. She did a really good job, but she is a tough little girl, so we had a hard time holding her still. But everything went well. Next Thursday we have another checkup and then surgery to put in the port for the chemotherapy meds. Also I keep forgetting but I want to thank all our friends and family for all their support, prayers, and love.

Hope!

I got this book from the Library today, called Hope for Families of Children with Cancer. It is really good, here is a quote from it that I really like.

Cancer is so limited.....

It cannot crippled love

It cannot shatter hope

It cannot erode faith

It cannot destroy peace

It cannot wipe out confidence

It cannot kill friendship

It cannot suppress memories

It cannot silence courage

It cannot invade the Soul

It cannot steal Eternal Life

It cannot conquer the Spirit

It cannot lessen the power of Resurrection.

Anonymous Author

I just thought this was a really awesome quote, no matter what happens down the road, there is still love, hope, family, friends, peace, and Heavenly Father.

The longest week of our Lifes!

Well, in my last post I mentioned that my daughter Caitlin was getting an MRI done since she wasn't walking. Well instead of Monday that changed her appointment to Thursday, so at 5:30 am we went up to the hospital. Caitlin did really well throughout the whole thing, they said that they had to give her a little bit more sleepy medicine since she was singing. After that we went back home to get Jake to bed and wait for the results from Dr. Armstrong. I didn't want to stress myself out, so I just kept telling myself that there wasn't something major wrong. At about 10:15 Dr. Armstrong called me, and says I have some bad news, and my heart fell. The MRI showed that Caitlin had a brain tumor and it was causing pressure on the brain. He said he would call Primary Children's and get us an appointment as soon as possible. Not a half hour later someone from Primary Children's called and told us to pack for about a week and get down there as soon as possible. I think we were ready to leave in 15 minutes. I drove as fast as I could, I wasn't worried about a speeding ticket. Both my parents and Jake's weren't very far behind us. When we got there we were soon took in, Dr. Brockmeyer decided that we should take care of this as soon as possible, so we were taken to the Pediatric ICU, to prep her for surgery. Caitlin was not happy about any of it. I don't blame her. Before she left for surgery Jake's Dad and my dad gave Caitlin a priesthood blessing. At 6:00 they took her to surgery, Jake and I walked down with her, it was so hard to hand her over to the nurses, but we need that they were going to take good care of her. After we walked out the ER doors, Jake and I hugged and broke down crying. We were not prepared for this, but what parent is. At about 11pm surgery was done, everything went really well, and they were able to remove all the of tumor and put in a EVD( a tube that helps drain the extra fluid on the brain). We were all able to see her at about 1 in the morning in the PICU. I was worried about what she would look like, but she looked pretty good I thought for what she just went through. On Monday she was well enough that they moved her to the neuroscience trauma unit, which was nice since in the PICU only two people can be by the bedside at a time. My mom, Jake's mom and I took turns spending the night at hospital with Caitlin. On Tuesday we unfortunately got another drop in the bucket, the test on the tumor came back as a medulloblastoma tumor which is a Grade 4 type of cancer. So even though they were able to removed all of the tumor, we will still after to go through chemotherapy. On Wednesday they removed the EVD, which was nice. We were suppose to then come home on Friday but we noticed leaking of spinal fluid from the EVD site, so they had us get her a CT scan and added two more stitches, and we had to stay for another 24 hours, which kind of suck. But this morning we were able to come home which was nice and nerve wrecking all in one. Since I am now that one responsible for making sure everything is alright. Sorry this is so long but since I have been at Primary Childrens for eight days I have been unable to update my blog. Please keep our little angel in your prayers. We still have a long road ahead of us. Also more info to come since I am sure I have forgotten a lot.

Pray for our Little Angel!

Since our 18 month old daughter Caitlin is still not walking yet our family doctor suggested we get an MRI and see if there is a bigger problem. So Monday we are taking her to the hospital to get it done. Please pray for our little girl, we are hoping that things will go well and that there is not a really big problem.

Double Tagged!

So my sister in law tagged me again. So here it is, I haven't figured out how to post link to my blog yet. I am suppose to give 7 fun and weird facts about me that others don't know about me.
1. I write with my right hand but I cut with my left hand.
2. My husband calls me Monica (from Friends) since I have to have my house clean before I can go to bed.
3. I can play piano and the flute.
4. I have a awful singing voice.
5. Some days I wish I would of waited a little bit longer to start having kids.
6. I eat tons of food, but thanks to good genes I don't gain much weight.
7. Something always embarrassing always happens to me on my Birthday.

I'm It, I guess!!

So my Mother in law and Sister in law tagged me. So I guess I give them the info.
8 Favorite TV shows: 1. Csi: Miami 2. Csi 3. Criminal Minds 4. Twenty four 5. Csi: NY 6. Biggest Loser 7. Friends 8. Will and Grace ( I know that the last two aren't on the air anymore but I like watching them on DVD, I have all ten seasons of Friends, I know I am kind of obsessed.

8 Favorite Restaurants 1. Golden City 2. Sizzler 3. Golden Corral 4. Village Inn 5. Big Js 6. Taco Bell 7. McDonalds 8. Iggys

8 Things that happened yesterday 1. Took girls to daycare 2. Went to Work 3. Eat yummy Navajo Taco 4. Complained about being at work and coworkers 5. Ate dinner with family 6. Did housework 7. Watched Csi season premiere 8. Took a nice hot bath and went to bed

8 Things I am looking forward to 1. Temple Sealing 2. More Children ( a Boy, I hope) 3. A new car ( Dodge Journey) 4. A house ( with a whirlpool bathtub big enough for two) 5. Family Vacation to Disneyland 6. Cruise for just me and my hubby 7. Warmer weather 8. World peace

8 people I am tagging 1. Amber 2. Ashley Mumford 3. Shana Carta 4. Debbie Duris ( That's all I can think of, sorry I don't know many people.)

Somedays I hate my Job!

Sorry so long between updates sometimes life gets so busy, and unfortunately not with exciting stuff. Last weekend was okay, we stayed home and watched Conference on Saturday, I tried to watch most of it, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep through most of it. Then we watched Iron Man. On Sunday I had to work from 8am to noon for overtime, then we went up to my parents and had fondue for dinner. It was really good, I ate a ton. We also gave my mom her Birthday gift since her birthday was on Monday. But back to the subject heading I sometimes just get tired of my job, not to brag but I am pretty good at it. I pay attention to detail which is pretty important part of my job. But that means that management relies on me alot. I sometimes get frustrated because I am only one person and there is only so much I can do. Well thats all for now I need to try to get some sleep tonight.

September is over!!!

Holy cow! The month of September is over. This weekend was pretty exciting. I got a no work on Friday so I was only at work for a hour and a half. It was nice to have an extra day to spend with Jake and the girls. I was able to take Allie to kindergarten too. That night Jake and I stayed home and relaxed and watched a movie. On Saturday Jake went with his parents golfing at Birch creek golf course for his birthday, then after lunch we went with them and Sharee's twins to the zoo. Allie loves playing on the swings and feeding the ducks. Then we went to my parents house and played Rock Band 2. At 6 my mom and I went to the women's broadcast which was really good. Then we went to watch my little brother Kenny sing the theme song for Homecoming at Preston High school. He was so good! The theme song was Yellowcards "Only you" On Sunday we went to church with my family and then we went to Jake's parents house for his Birthday dinner, which was really yummy. On Monday work called me and told me not to come in for work that day, so I got to spend the day with my family. It was Jake's Birthday so we opened his presents and we out to eat at Sizzler which was good. I hope that he enjoyed his birthday and that he liked his presents. Now Jake is as old as me, but unfortunately not for very long since my birthday is in October. Well that our adventures from last week.

Wow, time is just flying by!

Wow, I can't believe it is almost the end of September. This year has just flown by, which kind of sucks, since that means that Christmas is just around the corner. I always tell myself that I won't leave the shopping until the last minute but I never get around to doing it. Well last weekend was crazy we missed Allie's back to school night and then Jake took a nap and didn't wake up in time to pick her up from Kindergarten but she was fine and wasn't upset at us. On Friday Jake and I went to watch My Best Friend's Girl, which was good and really funny, it was nice to have some alone time without the girls. Thanks to the in-laws for watching them, we appreciate it. On Saturday we went to a BBQ party with some old friends from high school, it was fun. But next time we will make sure that we get a babysitter for the girls. We cooked Hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner,and then we played the game Battle of the Sexes, which was pretty funny. We didn't finish the games but the girls were winning when we called it quits. On Monday I was totally excited for the Csi:Miami premiere it was good but I wish I hadn't read about it on the Internet since I already kind of knew what was going to happen. But the best part about it was that Caitlin woke up and since I didn't want her to wake up Allie, I brought her downstairs with me and snuggled with her while I watched Csi. More to follow!

It was a crazy week!

Sorry it is so long between post but sometimes not a lot happens around here, we do the same thing week after week, after week. Last Saturday Jake and I went and watched the Utah State vs. Utah University football game. It was pretty fun, except for the Aggies got their butts kicked. But it was still fun to do something different and fun together. Then on Sunday we went to Jake's parents for a Birthday dinner for his Dad. It was fun and the food was good. Hopefully my father in law will forgive for the joke in the card, he is always teasing me so I thought I would get him back. Unfortunately then it was Monday so the start of another work week. In a earlier post I mentioned that I would be posting new family pictures soon, well I got the CD back from my sister but before I got pictures printed I accidentally cracked the CD so I guess we will have to go and take some more pictures some other time. Oh well, I seem to have bad luck, but that's the story of my life.

More Rumblings!

Well, sorry it has been so long since I have updated, but there hasn't be much to write about. Sometimes life is boring, which at times can be a good thing. Last week was pretty uneventful. Work was very long on Friday I was so glad when it was 4 pm. After work we ran our errands and rented movies and then chilled out at home. Oh I almost forgot my parents deliver our new mattress on Friday, I totally love it. I am sleeping so much better. It is higher up than our old bed so I told Jake what if I fall off, he loving answered, "I'll laugh." What a nice husband I have. Just kidding! On Saturday I woke up feeling nausea and unfortunately felt that why all day. My mother in law believes that I am pregnant. But I am pretty sure that I am not, because I feel awesome when I am pregnant. I am one of the lucky few who never has morning sickness, I only feel tired and really big. Thankfully I was feeling a lot better on Sunday, since Caitlin is still having trouble keeping food down. We just went to sacrament meeting. After church we went to Salad Sunday (my mom's family side get together to eat and visit) Allie had fun playing with her cousins. Jake enjoyed playing badminton with my brothers. Caitlin and I just chilled and enjoyed the good food.
On Monday it was pretty good, I got to operate the inserter machines at work, which is fun and a change of pace and the day flew by. Today was a different story the machine was broken for about two and a half hours. It just felt like a very long day.

Primetime TV!

I was bored tonight since I had finished most of my household chores, so I started messing around the Internet looking for updates on my favorite shows. I found out that the new seasons start on the 22 of September, I am so excited to find out what happens. I know its kind of silly, but these shows are one of my vices. We may have to purchase TiVo, so I can watch the shows that I want to and Jake can watch what he wants to. I am so curious to seem what happens to Horatio Caine on Csi: Miami, last season ended with him being shot and alone on an airport strip. I love all of the Csi shows, on Csi:Las Vegas we ended with Warrick Brown being shot by the Chief of police. On the CBS.com site, it also says that Gil Grissom will probably not be on the show much longer, how sad. On Criminal minds, I must of missed that one because I can't remember the finale, the preview looks really awesome. So that week I will be glued to my TV screen. I wish that dead bodies didn't scare me or I would love to be a criminalist.

Labor Day Weekend!

Well this weekend was pretty exciting. On Saturday we went with my family out to Glendale, to play in the water and go boating. By boating I mean little blow-up boats that you have to row. The girls loved playing in the water I don't really care for it, there are too many gross things in the lake. We had a picnic lunch there and then sat around and enjoyed the last of the sunny days. Kyle the baby of my family got upset because Kenny got him wet, but if you ask me he deserved it. Those two love to get on each other nerves. After that we went back to my parent's house to clean up and then we set up the net for a badminton game, which was tons of fun. Jake hit Kyle in the chest with a birdie than Kyle hit the ground it was so funny I almost peed my pants. My mom and dad even played and they were pretty good. We had Navajo tacos for dinner, they were so yummy. I am craving one right now. Then we roasted marshmallows outside in their new fire pit.
On Sunday we went to Jake's parents for Amber's surprise birthday party. We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. Allie loves playing with her cousin Kenidee, so that was nice. They play so good together that we really don't have to worry about them. We just hang around the house and talked. We were going to hang out more outside but there was a big thunder storm. Of course we get crappy weather on Labor day weekend.
Today we are just relaxing around the house and catching up on household chores. But that better than what we were doing last year. We returned from camping with my parents to find that it was raining in our apartment. The hose to the swamp cooler had broke, so water and drywall was everywhere, lucky the only thing we lost was our couch. But it wasn't much fun throwing our stuff out the windows in trash bags. I have never moved out of an apartment so fast. Oh well, so is life. At least things are going better now.

Happiness!

The other day my father in law asked Jake and I if we were happy. I first I was like what kind of question is that. I was not quite sure what he was asking. He said that we seemed happy together and was just wondering how things were going for us. It made me think about that, Jake and I are really happy together. If there was something more that I wish we had, I wish that we made more money, but everyone wants that. I wish that we had a dream house, but that cost lots of money, but we are trying to save for it. I wish we also had more time together, we work opposite shifts so that we don't have to pay so much for daycare. But yes we are really happy together, we don't have many hobbies together, but we love to just hang out together and talk and laugh about silly things the kids did. After my marriage to my first husband, which was a major disaster. I love being married to Jake, it is more of a partnership and friendship and I cherish every moment that we get to be together. Anyway sorry if this mussy stuff bothered some of you but I have to brag sometimes cuz my life is great.

First Day!

Well yesterday was Allie's first day of kindergarten, so I took the day off from work, to take her. She was so excited she kept asking me when it was time to go. She was so good she went right in and started playing with the other kids. She just loves it, which is good. I finally was able to make an appointment with a specialist for Caitlin, but the soonest that they can get us in isn't until October 27th. Today was a boring day at work, the first four hours went by pretty fast, but the last four just dragged. Well I need to get to bed early tonight, I am in major need of sleep. So thats all for today.

More from the Welch Belch Bunch

This weekend was interesting. On Friday we went and met Allie's Kindergarten teacher, she was really nice. I think Allie will have lots of fun. On Saturday we went to Jake's Grandma's house and help her move. Allie and I went and got her school shopping done, which was only glue, tissues and a backpack so that wasn't too bad. Then we went out to lunch with Jake's parents at the House of Chen. Then Jake's parents came to our house to watch our girls, while we got a much needed date night. We love our kids, but sometimes its nice to talk and not be interrupted. Jake and I went to eat at Iggy's and then went miniature golfing but it was really busy so we only played a couple of holes. We didn't do much but sometime its refreshing to have a little break. Today was another adventure, at church ( our meetings are kind of backwards, relief society, the Sunday school, and then sacrament meeting) anyway Caitlin and I were in Relief society for maybe about 20 minutes when I noticed she had messed her diaper, so I went to change her, as I stood up I realized that her diaper had leaked and she had pooped on me. I went to the bathroom and cleaned up as much as I could, then we ran home and changed our clothes, then returned to church. Jake thought it was hilarious that she had pooped on me, I didn't think it was that funny. Then in Sunday school she threw up, so we had to leave church early today. I am stressed that we can't seem to figure out what is wrong and why she keeps throwing up. Hopefully we will be able to figure it out and fix it soon.

Sorry !

Sorry it has taken me so long to write on my blog. Our computer was being so stupid, somedays I hate techonolgy. Anyway after a lot of screaming and cuzzing at the computer I think I fixed it, at least I really hope I did. I finished reading Breaking Dawn, it was pretty good. Its different from the other books. Last weekend was pretty boring, we were going to go see Wall-e or Kungu fu Panda but Allie didn't obey, so she wasn't allowed to go. We are trying to teach her that she doesn't get rewarded for being naughty. Caitlin seems to be sick still. I am going to have to get an appointment with a specialist. I kind of wish our bodies were like cars, just plug it in and a machine tells you whats wrong. I just feel so bad that my little girl is still sick, and I can't do much about it. Allie starts Kindergarten tomorrow, I know she is excited and ready to go. I can't say that same thing about me. I worry that she won't like it or she will have a hard time learning new things. Last Saturday we ran errands and then just sat around the house watching the Olympics and being lazy. Last Sunday we tried to sleep in but Allie was up at 6:30, but we stayed in bed until 9:30. At church during Sunday school the teacher asks us on a note card to leave a message to our kids like we would die tomorrow. I starting thinking about what to write and almost started to cry. I would hope that my kids know I love them, and that they would follow Christ's teachings. It also made me think harder about working more on getting to the temple and getting sealed for eternity as a family. Another goal to add to the list. On Monday during family home evening we talked about temples and how when family get sealed together, after they die they can be together again. Allie unfortunately thought that meant she or I was going to die that next day and she started crying. ( Not quite what I had in mind. But we calmed her down and I am not sure she still understands what we were talking about.) Well that's what we did last weekend.

Another long day!

Another work week here I come! Does anyone else wish that they could get paid to be a stay at home Mom. I would love that, but I also would get bored really fast. ( I could use the time to work on my girls scrapbooks, they may never get done.) I probably could be a daycare provider, but I just don't have enough patience. On another note, some days I don't really like being good at my job, cuz I always seem to get the special project jobs. Oh well! Caitlin's medicine seems to be working really well. I will probably regret it later, but I wish Caitlin would start walking she is making us nervous, we hope there is not a problem with her legs. Allie is going to be starting Kindergarten soon. She is getting excited, but she has started to write her name and letters backwards. Hopefully it is just a phase. I have been trying to work on some kindergarten readiness stuff with her, but we don't have much patience for each other. I have been trying to get over a cold, which is kicking my butt. Jake is trying to beat Ninja Gaiden 2 on Xbox360. So all in all things aren't going too bad for us.

Another Weekend!

Well this weekend was okay. Since we have kids, sleeping in is not really an option. We stayed up late Friday watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics. Most of Saturday we watched the games. I like watching Micheal Phelps, he is a really good swimmer. Jake likes watching any kind of sport, so he was happy. Then in the afternoon, we drove up to Preston to see Jake's sister Sharee new house. Then we went golfing with Jake's parents. It was fun, but I was pretty tired since I stayed up really late two nights in a row. On Sunday we went to Sharee's house for her twins Birthday party, which was nice.

Friday has Finally Arrived!

Well Friday is finally here. Thank goodness, I finally started the fourth and final book of the Twilight series. Which was probably a bad idea since I stayed up until 2 am this morning reading it, which didn't help the fact that I was already tired from my late of sleep earlier in the week. Right now I am not sure if I like this book yet, but I am only half way through it. Its not what I expected. Yesterday was better at work because they put me back in my old department for the day, it was fun to spend some time with the people I use to work with. Today was fun because we went and walked around the Cache County Fair. Then we ran our many errands which is always so much fun with two kids and takes 10 times longer. It is easier when Jake is able to come with me, but Allie always seems to know how to push my buttons. She is such a funny girl, every morning she wakes up and asks me where we are going the day, if we are staying home she whines that she wants to go somewhere. If we have go to stores she doesn't want to go. I can't seem to win with her. I know that I must learn to have more patience with her, I believe that is why she was sent to me. ( I still have a long way to go on that.)
Caitlin seems to be doing a little bit better, after another trip to the Doctor he decided to put her on a different medicine. Thankfully, he gave us a sample because a months supply costs a $147.00, which I had to buy today. It is a lot of money but it doesn't matter to me because my daughter can't lose any more weight by not keeping anything down. But this medicine seems to be working so we are going to stick with it and see what happens.
Also on another note, thanks to my mother in law for her comments to my blog, and for your concern. I am really okay, I am a big complainer but I am working on it. I usually use this blog as an out for my feelings.
P.S. I just want to brag for a moment and let the world know how much I love my husband and my girls. My husband, Jake is so awesome, I don't know what I would do without him. He is the glue that holds me together. He usually knows the right thing to say to make me feel better. Well enough of this mussy stuff. Until next time!

Another Day in Paradise!

But that I mean another long day at work. Somehow over the weekend I picked up a cold. So I felt like crap today, but one good thing that happened today I got to start training to become an inserter operator. ( Most of you probably have no idea what I am talking about, sorry its hard to explain.) Other than that I just cleaned house and tried to relax since this cold is totally kicking my butt, I can hardly breath, my nose is so stuffed up. I hope Friday gets here quick!!

That Famous Preston Night Rodeo!

This weekend was exhausting but fun. We went back to my hometown, Preston Idaho. The little Poe-dunk town made famous by the funny and crazy movie Napoleon Dynamite. ( My sister and my Mom are extras in it, and my parents manage the store Kings where Summer works.) Anyway as I sat before my husband has been dying to go golfing and apparently my sister's husband likes to golf too. So we got up bright and early on Saturday to make our 8:10 tee time at the Preston Golf course. The boys had fun but they need a lot of practice. Debbie (my sister) and I got bored, I don't think golf is our cup of hot chocolate. After that we all went to lunch at Golden City, the best Chinese restaurant in the world. (Well I think so, it totally beats Panda express, and Wok on Wheels.) Then we walked around the park and the sidewalk sale, which took about 10 minutes, remember this is Preston, its small. After that we went back to our parent's house and had a bowling tournament on my little brother's Wii. Jake kicked our butts! He is really good at bowling, almost too good, its disgusting. Then we went and took Family pictures since we haven't taken any for awhile. (As you can tell from the picture on our post.) Also my sister and her husband are professional photographers so we had them take them. They have their own blog if you are in need of a photographer give them a look-see. www.willduris.com Our family photos are not ready yet but I will post them when I get them. We then went to the parade which is awesome cuz they throw a butt-load of candy. Jake's Dad was also in the parade promoting their movie that they made, called Money making morons. So Jake decided to get soak his Dad with water, it was pretty hilarious. Also someone proposed to someone during the parade, they had a truck decorated up and he got down on one knee, it was a pretty neat idea. Then we went on an Atv ride with Debbie and Will. We headed back to my parents for Navajo Tacos and funny dinner conversation, but brother Kenny is a regular comedian. Anyway that was our fun and busy weekend. I am still trying to figure out this blog stuff so I will add pictures later.

TGIF well almost!

I am so glad that is it almost Friday, it seems like this week has just dragged. I am sure that it doesn't help that I haven't been sleeping very good. I wish that I could sleep better but I have always had insomnia. Lately I have been really stressed and frustrated, I am not really sure whats bothering me, probably it is just lack of sleep and that my little girl has been sick and we don't know whats wrong. My other daughter's attitude is not helping either, she thinks that we have to go somewhere everyday. Besides work and trips to the grocery store I usually am to wiped to do anything else. Well venting on this blog and listening to Evanescence is helping. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Wednesday July 30, 2008

Today was a pretty good day, well the first part of it was. Work went by pretty fast. For those of you who don't know I work at RR Donnelley as a inserter assistant. Anyway I found out that I finally get the Monday thru Friday shift. I've had the Tuesday thru Saturday shift, which sucks because family stuff is always on Saturdays. I have had to miss a lot of things and my poor husband has had to miss many a golfing outings with his parents because he has had to watch the girls while I am at work.
After work was a totally different story. I had to go to Walmart, not really my favorite place to shop because there is always so many people there, but usually they have what I need so I don't have to stop at 20 different places. Those of you that have kids understand this, one place is more than enough. I had to pick up medicine for my little Caitlin, the poor girl has been very sick lately. She has been throwing up a lot and we can't seem to figure out what is wrong. She is pretty small for her age. Her twin cousins who are six months younger than her already weigh more than she does. Since she has been hardly getting anything down, she lost weight. Which totally scared me, because she seems tiny to me anyway. One thing that bugged me was her medicine cost $83.75 , that is probably not that bad. But usually our girls are healthy so we haven't had to buy prescriptions.
If that wasn't bad enough, my five year old daughter Allie, decided she had to throw a fit right there in Walmart. Yes, I am the mother of the screaming child that you all wish that she would leave her kids at home when at the grocery store. Sorry sometimes these things just can't be helped. I am praying that this is something that she is going to grow out of, not something that is just going to get worst. Any parents out there with advice would be greatly appreciated.

Monday July 28th

Well, we finally had a weekend where we didn't have to go anywhere. It was nice to be able to stay home and relax. Today we broke down and went out and bought us a cooling fan for downstairs. We have had one up in our bedroom but the cable is only hooked up to the tv downstairs. So we have been melting in our family room, we have been downing Popsicles and water to try to cool us down. We also made a trip to walmart and got this cute purse for our one year old daughter Caitlin, since she loves to play with mine. Then we went to Bath and Body works, and after much sniffing, I found some really good smelling lotion. They have so many choices in that store. For all you Twilight fans, there is only five more days until the final book comes out. I am so excited!!!

First post from the Welch Belch Bunch

Well, since all of my friends seem to have their own blogs. We decided to start one for our family. We probably don't do as many exciting things as most of you. But it looks like this will be a good way to let friends and family know what we are up to.